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The official website for the upcoming live-action film adaptation of Yuna Takagi's Fujimi Lovers ( Undead Lovers ) fantasy romance manga released a full trailer today, announcing the release date of May 10, 2024 in Japan. Clip from Cinema Today's official YouTube channel Fujimi Lovers by Yuna Takagi ran in Kodansha's Bessatsu Shonen Magazine from its May 2013 to March 2014 issues, then compiled in three tankobon volumes. The story centers on Rino Hasebe, who is chasing after Jun Kono. She believes he is "the one," but he suddenly disappears from this world when she falls in love with him. Rino and Jun meet many times in their lives, and each time Rino tells Jun that she loves him, they fall in love, and Jun "disappears". Then, Rino's undaunted love for him leads to a miraculous ending. Daigo Matsui, the director, has worked on the film adaptation for ten years after reading the original story.

Tiffcom, the film market attached to the Tokyo International Film Festival, is set to be more international and more diverse in its first full comeback year after the Covid hiatus. It should also be more pleasant and convenient, having re-located to a more modern venue that is close to the film festival.

“Bringing the in-person market back after four years, my priority was to make sure that Tiffcom could happen during the festival, not some other time,” said Shiina Yasushi, who has headed the market for ten years. “That meant juggling dates, venue choices and budget.” Tokyo’s limited selection of appropriate venues came with other complications such as being in areas with expensive hotels or difficult transport options.

The new venue at the Tokyo Metropolitan Industrial Trade Center in Hamamatsucho, on paper seems ideal. It is a newer building than the old market building in Ikkebukuro, is closer to...

The financing and development platform at Tiffcom will take place in person for the first time.

The Tokyo Gap-Financing Market (Tgfm) has revealed the 15 projects selected for financing and development at Tiffcom, the content market of Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF).

The 4th edition of Tgfm will take place in-person for the first time from October 25-27, having launched during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 when all industry activity took place online.

Scroll down for full list of titles

Projects include The Fox King by Malaysia’s Woo Ming Jin, whose revenge thriller Stone Turtle premiered in competition at Locarno in...

The quality of Asian short films have been increasing exponentially during the last few years, with the necessity to cut down on production size due to Covid actually giving a number of directors the opportunity to shine in the format. Shorts Shorts Film Festival and Asia highlights the fact with an impressive selection for their 20th anniversary, with one of the dominant trends of this year having Japanese actors directing their own films, with Kengo Kora and Hiroshi Tamaki being two among a number. Our coverage of the festival includes a number of reviews and interviews, beginning with one with the director of Ssff & Asia, which sheds a very thorough light to a number of details regarding how the whole thing works.

Click on the titles for the full articles.

1. Amp Video Interviews: Shoko Takegasa

2. Short Film Review: Courier (2023) by Kengo Kora

To begin with, the thing the viewer will...

Daigo Matsui has been fascinated with making pictures about youth and adolescence since his debut effort “Afro Tanaka” (2012), but the native of Fukuoka departs from his usual track and takes us into a day of a life of a few kooky people working in the storied Funabashi Grand Sauna which at the current moment, sees it singing its final swan song.

Aufguss is screening at Short Shorts Film Festival and Asia

Funabashi Grand Sauna is closing its doors after 50 long years in the business. But Toji (Satoshi Motoori) powers on like a steam engine. His boss discovers the hardworking Toji-san and chases him out of the laundry room, to enjoy the sauna for the last time. As patrons flood into the establishment, the erstwhile floor-mopper instead prepares for the final performance of his pièce de resistance amid an air of mystery surrounding the mist.

Right off the cuff, Matsui's short...

With a focus on diversity, “Nippon Connection” once more cements its position as the biggest Japanese cinema festival in Europe. The selection is as interesting as always, although the current state of Japanese cinema and the fact that Cannes take place pretty close to the festival, did not allow to include some of the biggest latest titles, such as the ones from Takeshi Kitano and Hirokazu Koreeda. Nevertheless, a number of gems are here once more, the articles of which are included in the list below.

Click on the titles for the full articles.

1. Single8 (2023) by Kazuya Konaka

A coming-of-age story veiled as a love-letter to movie-making, ‘Single8′ wears it passions on its sleeve, following its cast as they mature from avid enthusiasts to storytellers in their own right. Director Kazuya Konaka, of whose teenage years the film is based on, captures their passions and determination with an inquisitive zeal,...

Sixth feature film for director Daigo Matsui after his flamboyant debut Afro Tanaka in 2012, “Our Huff and Puff Journey” confirms the director's passion and dedication to stories of love and younghood set in Japan. In this case, a self-filmed road trip of four schoolgirls is another occasion to dig into youth culture.

Our Huff and Puff Journey is screening at Nippon Connection

“Our Huff and Puff Journey” is indeed an account of a journey through Japan, having as a final destination a J-pop band concert. Four high school students and friends Ichinose, Chia, Fumiko and Sattsun decide to leave their hometown in Fukuoka, the northernmost Prefecture on Japan's Kyushu Island, and travel by bike to Tokyo to see a concert of their favorite band, CreepHyp. The film starts at the cusp of their excitement, just before leaving. The girls feel like their life has just begun and this is the...

The first highlights of the 23rd Nippon Connection Film Festival are set! From June 6 to 11, 2023, Frankfurt am Main in Germany will once again become the capital of Japanese cinema. For six days, you can immerse yourself in art and cinema from Japan at eight venues. There are around 100 exciting short and feature-length films to discover – from the latest blockbusters and anime to independent and documentary films. A varied supporting program with more than 50 workshops, concerts, lectures and exhibitions as well as a wide range of culinary specialties invite you to experience Japan with all your senses. The two festival centers with cinemas, bars and Japanese market stalls are again the Künstler*innenhaus Mousonturm and the Produktionshaus Naxos in Frankfurt am Main. The complete program and tickets will be available on NipponConnection.com starting May 12, 2023.

Nippon Rising Star Award Goes To Toko Miura!

The star guest of this year’s festival is Toko Miura,...

Daigo Matsui is a filmmaker and screenwriter, as well as founder and leader of the theatre group Gojigen. He debuted as a filmmaker with Afro Tanaka (2012). His other works include Sweet Poolside (2014) and How Selfish I Am! (2013). Wonderful World End (2014) was screened at Berlinale, and Our Huff and Puff Journey (2015) won two prizes at the Yubari Ifff. For both, he also won the Best New Director prize at the Tama Cinema Forum. Just Remembering (2022) received a Special Mention and the Audience Award at the Tokyo Grand Prix, while his most recent film, Hand (2022), is selected as part of IFFR 2023.

On the occasion of “Hand” screening at International Film Festival Rotterdam, we speak with him about the differences between the old and new Roman Porno films, shooting an erotic film during the MeToo era, the casting, the erotic scenes and many other topics

Hand is screening at International Film Festival Rotterdam...

Headed, if not exclusively dealt by, Nikkatsu, the Japanese movie industry has been making an intense effort during the latest years, particularly after the relaunch of the Roman Porno series, to produce pinku films that are both not offensive or exploitative in any way, and appeal more to female audiences, by focusing on women character as much as men. Daigo Matsui’s “Hand” is a definite sample.

Hand is screening at International Film Festival Rotterdam

Sawako is an office worker who enjoys taking photos of older men and making scrapbooks with them. The men she has dated have always been older than her, with her fascination still carrying on as the story begins, even leading her to a trip down memory lane where she tries to meet a couple of them once more, while reminiscing about the times she had sex with them. At the same time, her boss, an older man,...

Winner of the audience award in last year’s Tokyo International Film Festival, “Just Remembering” channels a number of elements from Jim Jarmusch’s “Night on Earth” but also includes a very interesting role reversal element and unusual approach to the timeline of the story.

“Just Remembering” is screening at London East Asia Film Festival (Leaff)

Teruo is a former dancer who suffers from an injury on his leg that has forbidden him from dancing, and now works as a light technician for a theater company, although he is not exactly great at his job. Yo is a taxi driver (concluding the role reversal element), and a fan of Winona Ryder’s segment in the aforementioned movie, and also Teruo’s former girlfriend. Through a series of flashbacks mostly taking place around July 26, Teruo’s birthday, their backstory is revealed, as much as the background of a middle-aged man always...

London East Asia Film Festival (Leaff) is back with a diverse programme from East and Southeast Asia, including international and UK premieres. Seven strands runs throughout the festival: Official Selection, Competition, Documentary Competition, Actor Focus: Lee Jung-Jae, Filmmaker Focus: Cinematographer Mark Lee, Classics Restored and Halloween Horror Special.

The festival screenings and events will take place at five venues around London. Following the Opening Gala at the Odeon Luxe Leicester Square on 19th October, Leaff will continue for 11 days at Odeon Luxe West End, the Cinema at Selfridges, Chiswick Cinema and the Cinema Museum in London! Squid Game star, Lee Jung-Jae will be attending Leaff for the Opening Gala screening of “Hunt”.

Leaff aims to champion the growing collaboration in East Asian filmmaking with a philosophy that marks a shift in the cinematic landscape of East Asia, and moves away from cultural and cinematic borders. The Festival vision is to bring a much wider,...

It was a good day to be bad at Fantasia, as the Cheval Noir Award went to Karim Ouelhaj’s “Megalomaniac,” loosely inspired by the horrifying true story of the “Butcher of Mons.” The Belgian serial killer is believed to have murdered at least five women in the 1990s. He was never captured and his identity was never revealed.

The jury of the event’s 26th edition, including Charles Bramesco, Elza Kephart, Maitland McDonagh and Heather O’Neill, presided over by C. Robert Cargill, fell for its unapologetic darkness, calling “Megalomaniac” “the very sort of film that festivals exist to share.”

“[It’s] an astonishing, brutal piece of art that challenges the audience while simultaneously saying something deeply profound. It is a lush piece of cinema whose intent is to disturb and it succeeds at every turn,” they stated, also awarding Eline Schumacher for her committed performance as the killer’s daughter Martha,...

Audience winners to be announced at fest’s climax on August 3.

Karim Ouelhaj’s Belgian genre title Megalomaniac has been named best feature film at Fantasia International Film Festival, while July Jung has been declared best director for Next Sohee and Alexandre Desplat claimed the best score prize for Final Cut.

Megalomaniac earned the top prize at the Montreal festival’s 26th edition and return to an in-person event. Ouelhaj’s fourth film is inspired by the unsolved case of the Butcher of Mons serial killer who murdered five women from 1996-97.

‘Megalomaniac’: Fantasia Review

Eline Schumacher won an...

‘What do I do now?’ trembles Yuko (Mihiro Kaneko) in the aftermath of having her ordinary life turned around in an instant. With the growing trend for single-take, small budget films from Japan, Tetsuya Mitsuhira creates an intense and claustrophobic look at an hour that will change one woman’s life forever.

One Day, A Woman is screening at Japan Filmfest Hamburg

Yuko is a 30-something woman on her way home from work, discussing her life and loves with a colleague, before making her way to her small apartment. After preparing a meal, she sits down to some work when there is a ring at the doorbell. It is her ex-lover, Morimoto (Jin Arai), a married man who seems determined to still impose himself on her life. Forcing himself upon her physically, Yuko retaliates, the knife she used to prepare her meal close to hand, resulting in catastrophic events that...

Winner of the audience award in last year’s Tokyo International Film Festival, “Just Remembering” channels a number of elements from Jim Jarmusch’s “Night on Earth” but also includes a very interesting role reversal element and unusual approach to the timeline of the story.

“Just Remembering” is screening at Nippon Connection

Teruo is a former dancer who suffers from an injury on his leg that has forbidden him from dancing, and now works as a light technician for a theater company, although he is not exactly great at his job. Yo is a taxi driver (concluding the role reversal element), and a fan of Winona Ryder’s segment in the aforementioned movie, and also Teruo’s former girlfriend. Through a series of flashbacks mostly taking place around July 26, Teruo’s birthday, their backstory is revealed, as much as the background of a middle-aged man always sitting on a bench...

A former couple, she is a taxi driver and he was a dancer, look back on their most intimate days together … only to part once again. A bittersweet romance set during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Written and directed by Daigo Matsui (Remain in Twilight) whose original script was inspired by the Jim Jarmusch masterpiece Night on Earth (1991). Starring Sairi Ito (We Couldn’t Become Adults) and Sosuke Ikematsu (The Asian Angel), Just Remembering received its world premiere during the Tokyo International Film Festival on November 2, 2021 and won the Audience Award as well as a Special Mention.

Theatrical release in Japan: February 11, 2022...

Originally a stage play that shattered the previous theater attendance record, “Remain in Twilight” functions as a rather different style of coming-of-age film, since its protagonists are on the verge of being middle-aged.

“Remain in Twilight” is screening at Fantasia International Film Festival

Six friends reunite for a friend’s wedding ceremony, in order to rehearse a dance routine that they performed, embarrassingly, in high school. Although they have not been particularly close as a group recently, the dynamics of the past are still pretty much there, and the five of them soon embark on a drunken trip down memory lane. Through their interactions, it is revealed that Kinichi Fujita manages a theatrical comedy troupe, and thus is the choreographer of the current routine, and Tetsuya Akashi, who was somewhat of a bully during their schooldays, is one of his actors. Yusaku “Neji” Mizushima is the only one who stayed in their native Shizuoka,...

Montreal’s Fantasia International Film Festival has unveiled much of its feature lineup including early highlights from several sidebars for this year’s online 25th edition, with the full program to be announced in July.

Fantasia’s preliminary lineup is highlighted by a glut of world and premieres including Edoardo Vitaletti’s “The Last Thing Mary Saw”; fest regular Richard Bates Jr.’s “King Knight”; Mikhael Bassilli and Luc Walpoth’s “Baby Money”; Canadian actor-turned-director Mark O’Brien’s debut “The Righteous”; “Hellbender” from John Adams, Toby Poser, and Zelda Adams; and the highly anticipated directorial debut of former Fantasia winning writer Travis Taute’s (“Number 37”) “Indemnity.”

Available to audiences across Canada, Fantasia will run Aug. 5-25 and present screenings, panels and workshops on its digital platform, hosted for the second year running by Festival Scope and Shift72. Event organizers are also closely monitoring the health and safety guidelines laid out by public officials in Montreal,...

The Fantasia International Film Festival is proud to announce the first wave of programming for its upcoming 25th edition, set again to take place as a virtual event accessible to audiences across Canada. The festival will run from August 5 – 25, 2021 and will include scheduled screenings and premieres, panels, and workshops, with films once again hosted on the leading-edge platform created by Festival Scope and Shift72. As the summer approaches, Fantasia organizers will be following advice from local health authorities in Montreal with respect to the possibility of adding a limited range of physical events as well. In celebration of the key role that Japan’s culture has played across Fantasia’s history, the festival’s 25th edition will be featuring an enhanced focus on Japanese cinema.

Following the earlier news of the festival’s opening film, the world premiere of Julien Knafo’s Quebec-set zomcom Brain Freeze starring Roy Dupuis and Iani Bédard,...

One of my favorite festivals is back with a virtual event taking place this August! The Fantasia International Film Festival has announced its first wave of programming, which includes a diverse slate of features and a special focus on Japanese cinema:

Wednesday, May 19, 2021 // Montreal, Quebec -- The Fantasia International Film Festival is proud to announce the first wave of programming for its upcoming 25th edition, set again to take place as a virtual event accessible to audiences across Canada. The festival will run from August 5 - 25, 2021 and will include scheduled screenings and premieres, panels, and workshops, with films once again hosted on the leading-edge platform created by Festival Scope and Shift72. As the summer approaches, Fantasia organizers will be following advice from local health authorities in Montreal with respect to the possibility of adding a limited range of physical events as well. In celebration of the key role that Japan...

Canadian genre festival Fantasia has unveiled the first crop of titles that will screen at its 25th edition, which is set to take place virtually August 5-25.

As per last year, the event will run on a platform created by Festival Scope and Shift72 and will feature screenings, panels and workshops, available to audiences in Canada. Organizers continue to discuss with local authorities about the possibility of adding a limited range of physical events, they said.

This year’s edition will have an enhanced focus on Japanese cinema. Below, the first wave of confirmed titles is listed, with the full program announcement to follow in late July. As previously announced, Fantasia will open with Quebec-set zom-com Brain Freeze.

Fantasia 2021 titles:

The 12 Day Tale Of The Monster That Died In 8

Dir. Shunji Iwai

Japan

North American Premiere

Agnes

Dir. Mickey Reece

USA

International Premiere

All The Moons

Dir. Igor Legarreta

Spain...

Organisers consulting with local Montreal authorities on possibility of limited range of physical events.

Top brass at Fantasia International Film Festival have announced the first wave of films including a focus on Japan for the virtual edition of the 25th anniversary festival that runs August 5-25.

The festival will screen for Canadian audiences on a platform created by Festival Scope and Shift72. Organisers are taking advice from local health authorities in Montreal on the possibility of adding a limited range of physical events.

Japanese selections include Tsutomu Hanabusa’s manga adaptation Kakegurui 2: Ultimate Russian Roulette about a deadly school...

Daigo Matsui is familiar with the festival experience, having presented his previous works in Melbourne and Tokyo and now, he is (virtually) back in Udine with “#HandballStrive”.

“#HandballStrive” screened at Udine Far East Film Festival 2020

An earthquake hit Kumamoto three years ago. A part of the city’s population has to relocate in temporary housings. Masao, 16-years old teenager, belongs to those who relocated. He’s not sure what he wants to do with his life and self-identifies as a loser. Masao used to play handball but stopped around two years ago. One day, he posts on his Instagram a picture of him playing handball. The picture receives a lot of likes. With his friend Okanoto, they establish an almost-brand: #HandballStrive. Supporting them means supporting people living in temporary housings. It’s a feel-good story users want: the small team from the small city going through difficulties and having an...

Star-studded South Korean disaster epic Ashfall has been unveiled as the opening film of this year’s Far East Film Festival in Udine, Italy, which will be staged as an exclusively online affair due to the ongoing covid-19 lockdown. Ha Jung-woo, Lee Byung-hyun, and Ma Dong-seok headline the blockbuster, that will screen via the MYmovies.it platform, kicking off nine days of screenings from 26 June through 4 July. 46 films from eight different Asian territories will be participating in this revolutionary digital event, including 4 world premieres. Ning Yuanyuan’s An Insignificant Affair, Daigo Matsui’s #HandballStrive, Layla Ji’s Victim(s), and Liao Mingyi’s I WeirDO will all make their debut bow at this year’s event. ...

[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...

The festival will play 46 features from eight Asian countries.

Udine’s Far East Film Festival (Feff) has revealed a lineup of 46 features including four world premieres, for the online-only edition of the event that will run from June 26 until July 4.

It will open with the international premiere of Lee Hae-jun and Kim Byung-seo’s disaster action film Ashfall, available to viewers in Europe only.

The film was a blockbuster hit in South Korea over Christmas, grossing almost $60m (£47.9m) by the end of January.

The world premieres are Ning Yuanyuan’s Chinese title An Insignificant Affair; Daigo Matsui’s Japanese...

The festival will play 46 features from eight Asian countries.

Udine’s Far East Film Festival (Feff) has revealed a lineup of 46 features including four world premieres, for the online-only 22nd edition of the event (June 26-July 4).

It will open with the international premiere of Lee Hae-jun and Kim Byung-seo’s disaster action film Ashfall, available to viewers in Europe only.

The film was a blockbuster hit in South Korea over Christmas, grossing almost $60m (£47.9m) by the end of January.

The world premieres are Ning Yuanyuan’s Chinese title An Insignificant Affair; Daigo Matsui’s Japanese sports comedy #HandballStrive; Layla...

Tribeca and Youtube have announced their full roster of titles for their unprecedented festival for these unprecedented times — We Are One: A Global Film Festival. In a unifying spirit reminiscent of Tribeca’s own post-9/11 beginnings, the festival flexes some curatorial practice by the biggest muscles on the market — including Cannes, Venice, Berlinale, and Annecy. We’ve taken the liberty to parse out their Asian titles for your viewing pleasure below. With a slate of festival features and star-studded panels, the festival will stream some of the best of what the circuit has to offer.

We Are One can be found (for free!) on youtube.com/weareone. The festival will run from May 29 to June 7.

Feature Films

“Amreeka”

Amreeka

When a Palestinian single mom and her teenage son immigrate to small-town Illinois, their dreams of an exciting future clash with the racism they encounter there in this dramedic Fipresci prizewinner.

Event to run on YouTube from May 29 to June 7 and will screen 31 features and 72 shorts.

Thirty-one features will screen at We Are One: A Global Film Festival, the free event set to kick off this week on YouTube with programming curated by more than 21 A-list festivals including Cannes, Toronto, Venice, Berlin, London and Tribeca.

The festival is set to run from May 29 to June 7 and will screen new and classic films.

The programme, announced on Tuesday (May 26) by Tribeca Enterprises and YouTube, includes Venice 2018 selection Beautiful Things by Giorgio Ferrero, and Mary Is Happy, Mary Is Happy (2013) by Nawapol Thamrongrattanarit,...

Jury includes Italian producers Martha de Laurentiis, Adriana Chiesa Di Palma.

The competition jury of the 64th Taormina Film Festival will be led by Italian producers Martha de Laurentiis, Donatella Palermo, Eleonora Granata, and Adriana Chiesa Di Palma, and actor -director -producer Maria Grazia Cucinotta.

The festival will take place from July 14-20 in Sicily.

International titles screening in competition include Debra Granik’s Leave No Trace, Dario Pleic’s Home and Andrzej Jakimowski’s Once Upon A Time In November. The main selection also includes world premieres of new Italian features by Nino Monteleone (Be Kind), Cristiano Anania and...

With mainstream movies increasingly reliant on CGI and green screen, indie cinema has to get more creative with its “special effects.” As a result, increasingly the media format can be as important and notable as the film itself; 2015’s “Tangerine” is as much known for it’s use of iPhones to shoot as much as its storyline. This idea is one that sticks in your mind when watching Daigo Matsui’s “Ice Cream and the Sound of Raindrops.”

Ice Cream and the Sound of Raindrops is screening at Nippon Connection

Six teenagers are rehearsing for a small town production of British playwright Simon Stephen’s “Morning” – infamous for being “Shocking and savage.” As such, the director asks the young cast to bring out themselves in their performances, not focusing too much on the story. This proves a struggle for some of the actors, and the director and producer let their thoughts be known.

French filmmaker Jean-Jacques Beineix to head jury for Tokyo competition section, which includes five world premieres.

French filmmaker Jean-Jacques Beineix will head the jury of this year’s Tokyo International Film Festival (Tiff), which has unveiled its 16-strong competition section, including five world premieres.

The jury also includes Spotlight producer Nicole Rocklin, Japanese director Hideyuki Hiayama, Italian actor Valerio Mastandrea and Hong Kong director Mabel Cheung.

World premieres in competition include Japanese director Kiki Suginos’ Snow Woman, Chris Kraus’ The Bloom Of Yesterday (Germany-Austria), Jun Roble Lana’s Die Beautiful (Philippines) and two films from China – Mei Feng’s Mr. No Problem and Roy Szeto’s Shed Skin Papa.

The competition section includes one other Japanese title – Daigo Matsui’s Japanese Girls Never Die (see full competition line-up below).

This year’s Crosscut Asia section is focusing on Indonesia, screening three films by Teddy Soeriaatmadja, along with works from Nia Dinata, Ifa Isfansyah, [link...

Daigo Matsui’s latest bubble gum pop nightmare is thankfully a more restrained but no less creative effort from the director with a music video background. Comparable to the loose Wonderful World End, this relatively linear road-trip narrative is brought to life by the leads' strong personable performances of teenage melancholy and wonder. Chie, Ichinose, Fumiko and Sattsun are four high school friends with a definitive goal; leave Fukuoka and travel all the way to Japan to see their favourite J-pop act Creephyp play live. With barely any money or plan, they set out across the ferry, then on bike towards the concert. Along the way the friends experience the familiar beats of road-trip cliché, they make up and break up and things happen along the...

[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...

The 19th Fantasia International Film Festival is right around the corner. Though the full lineup for the festival won't be unveiled until early next month, the second wave of Fantasia titles have been revealed and horror fans have a lot to look forward to.

Press Release: "Montreal, June 11, 2015 – The 19th edition of the Fantasia International Film Festival, presented by Ubisoft and Anchor Bay, will soon be stunning Montreal with three weeks of cinematic ingenuity from July 14 until August 4, 2015.

Fantasia's complete lineup of programming and special events will be revealed on July 7th. To tide you over until then, we're thrilled to announce an incredible Second Wave of titles!

The International Premiere Of Takeshi Kitano’S Ryuzo And The Seven Henchmen

Coming immediately after his Outrage saga, Takeshi Kitano’s hilarious crime story stars screen legend Tatsuya Fuji (In The Realm Of The Senses) as a retired yakuza who realizes...

A little over one month away, the Fantasia Film Festival announced it’s second wave of titles this morning. Fantasia Film Festival holds a special place in the hearts of Sound on Sight and we could not be more excited for their upcoming edition which promises to be bigger and better than ever. Arguably the largest genre film festival in the world, Fantasia will run from July 14th to August 4th this year and feature a large number of world and international premieres. The full-lineup, including special events, will be announced on July 7th.

From the official press release, here are some titles we can now look forward to:

The International Premiere Of Takeshi Kitano’S Ryuzo And The Seven Henchmen

Coming immediately after his Outrage saga, Takeshi Kitano’s hilarious crime story stars screen legend Tatsuya Fuji (In The Realm Of The Senses) as a retired yakuza who realizes...

Takeshi Kitano’s Ryuzo and the Seven Henchmen, Sonny Mallhi’s Anguish, Ringo Lam’s Wild City and Miguel Angel Vivas’ Extinction among titles playing at Montreal’s genre film festival.

Fantasia International Film Festival has unveiled the second wave of titles for its upcoming 19th edition, taking place in Montreal from July 14-Aug 4.

Takeshi Kitano’s Ryuzo and the Seven Henchmen will receive its international premiere at this year’s event, while the festival will also host the world premieres of Sonny Mallhi’s Anguish, David Keating’s Cherry Tree, Jacob Gentry’s Synchronicity, Victor Zarcoff’s Slumlord and Bite from Chad Archibald and the team behind Anti-Social.

The world premiere of Miguel Angel Vivas’ English language debut Extinction headlines a heightened focus on Spanish cinema at this year’s Fantasia, with other titles including Marshland and Shrew’s Nest.

Other notable titles in the second wave include Gilles Paquet-Brenner’s adaptation of Gillian Flynn’s [link...

In December, we saw the first 13 features slated to screen in the Berlinale's Generation programs aimed at younger viewers. Today, the festival's completed those lineups: "In total, 65 short and full-length films from 35 countries were selected for the Generation Kplus and Generation 14plus competitions." Featuring new work by Andrey Zaytsev, Lamberto Sanfelice, Teboho Edkins, Marielle Heller, Sergio Mazza, Yosef Baraki, Andrew Droz Palermo, Sam de Jong, Daigo Matsui, Kongdej Jaturanrasmee, Ask Hasselbalch, Li Ruijun, Ana V. Bojórquez and Lucía Carreras, Yury Feting and more. » - David Hudson...

In December, we saw the first 13 features slated to screen in the Berlinale's Generation programs aimed at younger viewers. Today, the festival's completed those lineups: "In total, 65 short and full-length films from 35 countries were selected for the Generation Kplus and Generation 14plus competitions." Featuring new work by Andrey Zaytsev, Lamberto Sanfelice, Teboho Edkins, Marielle Heller, Sergio Mazza, Yosef Baraki, Andrew Droz Palermo, Sam de Jong, Daigo Matsui, Kongdej Jaturanrasmee, Ask Hasselbalch, Li Ruijun, Ana V. Bojórquez and Lucía Carreras, Yury Feting and more. » - David Hudson...

The 18th annual Fantasia International Film Festival will be taking place once again in Montreal and the first wave of programming has been announced, revealing an eclectic mix of genre films from around the world:

“Montreal, June 19, 2014 – The 18th annual Fantasia International Film Festival is gearing up to take Montreal by storm with three weeks of inspiration and excitement starting July 17 until August 5, 2014. Our full 2014 lineup of programming and special events will be revealed shortly, but in the meantime, here’s an early First Wave Announcement of several selected highlights and info to whet your appetite.

Unveiling Our 2014 Poster Art: Fantasia Pays Tribute To Three Legendary Figures Of The Fantastic

On May 7 of last year, Ray Harryhausen, filmmaker and stop-motion special effects pioneer, passed away at the age of 92. Mr. Harryhausen created some of the most beloved and innovative fantastic film imagery of all time in such classics as The 7th Voyage Of Sinbad...

The grandaddy of all film fests, Fantasia 2014, is set to kick off on July 17th, and we have this year's artwork to share along with the first wave of event and film announcements.

From the Press Release:

The 18th annual Fantasia International Film Festival is gearing up to take Montreal by storm with three weeks of inspiration and excitement starting July 17 until August 5, 2014. Our full 2014 lineup of programming and special events will be revealed shortly, but in the meantime here’s an early First Wave Announcement of several selected highlights and info to whet your appetite.

For this year’s edition and onwards, Fantasia will be returning to the freshly renovated Concordia Hall Cinema as its main base, which now features an even larger screen, new seating, and upgraded projection and sound.

Unveiling Our 2014 Poster Art: Fantasia Pays Tribute To Three Legendary Figures Of The Fantastic

On May 7 of last year,...

Genre festival to open with Jacky in the Kingdom of Women [pictured]; other titles include Guardians of the Galaxy, Boyhood, The Harvest and Suburban Gothic.

Riad Sattouf’s Jacky in the Kingdom of Women will receive its Canadian premiere as the opening film of this year’s Fantasia International Film Festival.

The Montreal-based genre festival runs July 17-Aug 5 and has also announced it will hold a special screening of Guardians of the Galaxy.

Other first wave announcements include six world premieres: Leo Gabriadze’s Cybernatural; Jean Luc Herbulot’s Dealer; Aik Karapetian’s The Man in the Orange Jacket; Sarah Adina Smith’s The Midnight Swim; Dan Bush’s The Reconstruction of William Zero; and Richard Bates Jr’s Suburban Gothic.

Fantasia has also announced six international premieres, including John McNaughton’s The Harvest and Park Jae-hyun’s The Huntresses, and ten Canadian premieres such as The Mo Brothers’ Killers and Mike Cahill’s I Origins.

Richard Linklater’s critically...

It is that time of the year again in which we start preparing for our favourite film festival in the world. For the unfamiliar, Sound On Sight has delivered some of the best coverage of the Fantasia Film Festival since we first launched back in 2008. In the past we’ve published up to 55 reviews, dozens of features and recorded six podcasts dedicated entirely to the three and a half week long event. So be sure to come visit us again and again throughout the months of July and August, as we will surely be all over the 2014 edition. The 18th annual Fantasia International Film Festival is taking Montreal by storm, starting July 17 until August 5, 2014. They’ve just released their new poster and along with the first wave of films, and as expected, Fantasia’s programmers aren’t disappointing. Here’s the press release. Enjoy!

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Montreal, June 19, 2014 – The 18th annual Fantasia...

I was browsing through the newly-unveiled list of fantastical films announced in this year's Fantasia Festival lineup, and this one immediately got my attention, for what should be obvious reasons. Titled Afro Tanaka, the Japanese feature film, directed by Daigo Matsui, will be making its North American premiere at Fantasia (in Montreal, from July 19th to August 7th). Its synopsis reads: When Tanaka traded in his messy hair for a glorious Afro, he finally got respect. The problem is, this is the only good decision he's made in his entire life. Director Daigo Matsui presents one of the funniest and most strangely endearing characters you will see this year, joyfully...

The July 19th start of Montreal's 16th annual Fantasia International Film Festival is drawing closer (it runs through August 7th), and the powers-that-be have announced the second wave of films along with a few selections from the new Axis section of the event.

Fantasia Announces The Satoshi Kon Award For Achievement In Animation + A New Section Dedicated To International Animation Cinema + Second Wave Title Announcements

The art of animation in its many forms and disciplines has always had a strong place at Fantasia. This year, the festival has decided to give the form its own permanent section: Axis. From social realism to mind-bending fantasy, all styles and sensibilities will be showcased, now on a greater scale than ever. Further, the festival is proud to be rechristening its animation jury prize as The Satoshi Kon Award for Achievement in Animation, named after the dear, departed visionary whose feature debut, Perfect Blue,...