Fantasia 2016: Kickass Jurors, Phenomenal Frontieres & Fantastic Works-in-Progress

The beast that is Fantasia 2016 has awoken. Today brings the program launch and the schedule which is now live on the website. That means that very soon, thousands of film fans will line up around the block of Concordia University's Hall Theatre in Montreal to see the best in current genre film, eat popcorn, and meow --- yes, meow --- when the lights go down.

 

Many audience members may not know that a film market takes place during Fantasia, and it's called Frontieres. For the past several years, industry pros converge at the market to mix and mingle. Friendships and business relationships are made. For those lucky filmmakers chosen to present at Frontieres, they'll show aspects of preproduction on their project in front of a darkened room full of producers, connectors, consultants, press, and other filmmakers. What often results is a healthy kick-start to these projects, including future work-in-progress spotlights and finished Fantasia screenings in front of a live, meowing audience.

 

There are already a fantastic amount of projects scheduled in previous announcements, but now we get to see the last wave of exciting future prospects. Included are: a virtual reality partnership between SprectreVision and Ubisoft Montreal; an international spotlight on South Africa and Australia; and my favorite, the works-in-progress presentations. This year, we'll be treated to snippets of The Void, Radius, Inner Ghosts, The Chamber, and The Devil on Wheels.

 

 

After a highly successful Frontières Day in Cannes, which marked the introduction to the market's new partnership with Cannes' Marché du Film, the Frontières International Co-Production Market returns to Fantasia for its eighth edition, which will take place July 21st through the 24th.

 

Frontières is a four-day industry networking event specifically focused on genre film production and financing. Following the announcement of its main line-up of 20 projects, for the first time Frontières is pleased to announce international spotlights on projects from Australia and South Africa, in addition to a work-in-progress line-up featuring multiple past Frontières projects currently in post-production, and a case study panel focusing on the upcoming virtual reality collaboration between SpectreVision and Ubisoft Montreal.

 

Highlights include a project from director Brandon Cronenberg (ANTIVIRAL) and a first look at the EMAfilms-Epic Pictures sci-fi thriller RADIUS. These projects join a line-up of previously announced titles including projects from director Roxanne Benjamin (SOUTHBOUND) and producer Andy Starke (SIGHTSEERS, THE GREASY STRANGLER).

 

 

The SpectreVision and Ubisoft Montréal Virtual Reality Project

The Frontières International Co-Production Market is pleased to present a panel discussion with Ubisoft and SpectreVision that will provide a behind-the-scenes look at their collaboration on an upcoming genre-based virtual reality experience, and examine the relationship between genre film and virtual reality.

 

 

Director/Writer:  Donna McRae

Producers: Liz Baulch (Wild Iris Productions)

 

Director: Brandon Cronenberg

Writer: Philip Tarl Denson

Producers: Raquelle David (Damsel Pictures)

NIGHTFLOWER (Australia/UK)

Director: Eron Sheean

Writer: David Scinto

Producers: Lizzette Atkins, Jasper Graham (Unicorn Films)

 

CORPSEMEN (South Africa/USA)

Director: Brett Simmons

Writers: Brett Simmons, Marc Bloom

Producers: Jonh Volmink, Isaac Mogajane (Diprente), Peter Phok

 

Director/Writer:  Matthew Griffith

Producer: Rafeeqah Galant (Echo Ledge Productions)

 

Director: James Adey

Writer: Steven Pillemer

Producers: Issac Mogojane, James Adey (Fiction Films)

 

THE CHAMBER (UK)

Director/Writer: Ben Parker

Producers: Jen Handorf, Paul Higgins (Chamber Films)

THE DEVIL ON WHEELS (Spain/UK)

Director/Writer: Enric Folch

Producers: Roger Allen, Gabriele Stifani, Luca Stifani (The Devil on Wheels Productions)

 

INNER GHOSTS (Portugal/Brazil)

Director: João Alves

Writer/Producer: Paulo Leite (Bad Behavior)

RADIUS (Canada) 

Directors/Writers: Caroline Labrèche and Steeve Léonard

Producer: Anne-Marie Gélinas (EMAfilms inc.)

 

THE VOID (Canada)

Directors/Writers: Steven Kostanski and Jeremy Gillesipe 

Producers: Casey Walker (Cave Painting Pictures), Jonathan Bronfman (JoBro Productions)

 

Frontières is made possible thanks to the generous support of Creative Europe, Telefilm Canada, and SODEC.

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And that's not all --- there's yet another side to Fantasia. Lots of hardworking industry pros take the time to serve on juries to decide the best of the best and recognize the filmmakers. This year's jurors include genre champion Michael Gingold, producer Heather Buckley, author Grady Hendrix, Big Bad Wolf filmmakers Aharon Keshales and Navot Papushado, and a host of other impressive critics and festival programmers. Check out the official list below. 

 

 

Fantasia is pleased to announce the esteemed jurors for our key international competitions. The complete list of juries, including those for Axis, Séquences, L'Écran fantastique, the Barry Convex Award for Best Canadian Film, and the Prix AQCC (l'Association québécoise des critiques de cinema) can be found on our website.

 

Aharon Keshales and Navot Papushado, Israel - Filmmakers

Cyril Despontin, France - Paris International Fantastic Film Festival

George Schmalz, USA - Kickstarter

Justine Smith, Canada - Critic, The Globe and Mail, Vice Canada

Dr. Marcus Stiglegger, Germany - Critic, author, and Cinema Scholar

NEW FLESH AWARD (First Feature Competition)

 

Michael Gingold, USA - Critic and Screenwriter, Fangoria, Rue Morgue Magazine

Grady Hendrix, USA - Critic, author, co-founder of New York Asian Film Festival

Kate McEdwards, USA - Oscilloscope Laboratories

Nicolas Stanzick, France - Critic, Cahiers du cinéma, Repérages

 

Chris Oosterom, Netherlands - Imagine Fantastic Film Festival

Heather Buckley, USA - Critic, Graphic Designer, Blu-Ray producer

Peter Kuplowsky, Canada - Producer, programmer at Fantastic Fest, Toronto after Dark, programming assistant at TIFF (Midnight Madness)