Fantasia 2017 Awards: Agnieszka Holland's SPOOR Takes Top Prize

Montreal, Quebec - Thursday, 3 August 2017 – After three full weeks of unbelievable, unhinged genre film madness, the 21st edition of the Fantasia International Film Festival wrapped yesterday with its celebrated 2017 closing night film, Jang Hoon's A TAXI DRIVER. 

 

Known worldwide as North America’s longest-running genre film festival, Fantasia returned triumphantly to Concordia University’s Hall, J.A De Sève, and D.B. Clarke Theatres in 2017 for its most exciting, original edition yet. And for its eighth consecutive year, Montreal's legendary genre film festival succeeded in attracting nearly 100,000 spectators for 220 indoor screenings, two outdoor screenings, twelve virtual reality films, and numerous sold-out special events.

 

The festival’s numerous World Premieres included Ryan Prows' LOWLIFE, Steve Mitchell's KING COHEN, Patrick Demers' ORIGAMI, Ted Geoghegan's MOHAWK, Giordano Giulivi's THE LAPLACE'S DEMON, Navin Ramaswaran's POOR AGNES, Gina Haraszti's GEEK GIRLS, Gela Babluani's MONEY'S MONEY, Gabriela Amaral Almeida's FRIENDLY BEAST,  Caroline Labrèche and Steeve Léonard's RADIUS, Robert Morin's LE PROBLEME D'INFILTRATION, Gabriel Claveau's PUNK FU ZOMBIE, and Synapse Films' 4K restoration of Dario Argento's 1977 classic SUSPIRIA.

 

Additional highlights of Fantasia 2017 included appearances from actor Robert Pattinson and directors Josh and Benny Safdie to celebrate the North American Premiere of Cannes sensation GOOD TIME; actor Michael Moriarty presenting a Lifetime Achievement Award to iconic American director Larry Cohen; special screenings of ATOMIC BLONDE and VALERIAN AND THE CITY OF A THOUSAND PLANETS; an appearance by A GHOST STORY director David Lowery; the latest three features from Takashi Miike (including the North American Premiere of his 100th film, BLADE OF THE IMMORTAL); director Yoshihiro Nishimura attending the Canadian premiere of KODOKU MEATBALL MACHINE; actor Matthew Gray Gubler wowing throngs of fans at the Canadian Premeire of 68 KILL; an appearance from animation legend Masaaki Yuasa; the International Premieres of A DAY and YOU ONLY LIVE ONCE (with directors in attendance); actors Kaniehtiio Horn, Justin Rain, and Jonathan Huber (WWE Superstar Luke Harper™) attending the World Premiere of MOHAWK; a Lifetime Achievement Award for Luchador film icon Mil Mascaras; Aaron Moorhead and Justin Benson celebrating the Canadian Premiere of their Tribeca hit THE ENDLESS; director Joe Lynch delivering one of the most epic Q&As in Fantasia history following the Canadian Premiere of MAYHEM; and the honored attendance of director Jeong Byeong-Gil at the North American premiere of THE VILLAINESS, the festival’s sold out opening night film.

 

Fantasia is also immensely proud to have hosted "Claymation Horror", a special live presentation from celebrated British stop-motion animator Lee Hardcastle; the debut performance of bestselling author Grady Hendrix's oral history of modern horror novels, "Paperbacks from Hell"; the launch of Spectacular Optical's latest cinematic tome, "Lost Girls: The Phantasmagorical Cinema of Jean Rollin"; and SpectrumFest, a original short film showcase which seeks to empower those with Autism by helping them express themselves through the creation and enjoyment of genre film.

 

Over 700 international guests, including more than 400 film industry professionals, flocked to Montreal over the course of this year’s massive three-week festival and its Frontières International Co-Production Market. The festival team is delighted to have welcomed over 70 international journalists, including esteemed representatives of The Hollywood Reporter, Screen International, Film Journal International, Indiewire, Nerdist, The A.V. Club, Ebert Digital, IGN, and more.

 

 

FANTASIA UNVEILS ITS 2017 AWARD-WINNERS

 

The Fantasia International Film Festival is deeply proud to announce the names of its 21st edition's Juried Award Winners.

 

The festival's Best Film Award was presented to Agnieszka Holland's gripping crime thriller SPOOR (POKOT). The subversive Polish masterpiece was previously selected to compete for the Golden Bear at the 67th Berlin International Film Festival and won that festival's Alfred Bauer Prize. 

 

The awards in each of Fantasia's categories were chosen by carefully selected juries of filmmakers, scholars, journalists, and industry professionals.

 

 

Cheval Noir Award

 

Best Film: SPOOR (POKOT), d. Agnieszka Holland

Best Director: Nattawut Poonpiriya, BAD GENIUS

Best Screenplay: Marianna Palka, BITCH

Best Actor: Song Kang-ho, A TAXI DRIVER

Best Actress: Violetta Schurwlow, COLD HELL (DIE HÖLLE)

Special Mention: LOWLIFE, d. Ryan Prows

 

Filmmaker Richard Stanley presided over the 2017 Cheval Noir Jury, which was comprised of critics Chris Bumbray and Paul Kazee, and filmmaker/author Shelagh Rowan-Legg.

 

Says the jury, ""Veteran writer and director Agnieszka Holland's late season masterwork is not only a sumptuously photographed and compellingly crafted forensic thriller but a genuinely radical work of cinema, interrogating timely themes of gender, animal rights and humanity's precarious relationship with nature, issues that are dear to our hearts here at Fantasia. We are proud to honor a film maker working at the very height of her provocative talents.

 

The Cheval Noir jury also awarded a special prize to LOWLIFE, for "audaciousness, energy, and perfectly embodying the anarchic Fantasia spirit."

 

 

New Flesh Award for Best First Feature

 

Best Film: SPLIT, d. Choi Kook-hee

Special Mention: NIGHT OF THE VIRGIN (LA NOCHE DEL VIRGEN), d. Roberto San Sebastian

 

Filmmaker William Lustig presided over the 2017 New Flesh Jury, which was comprised of writer/producer Katarina Gligorijevic, journalist Jason Gorber, producer Joshua Sobel, and distributor Antoine Zeind.

 

Says the jury, "For its surprising sweetness, its assured direction, and its intense collision between sports film and crime drama that feels like THE BIG LEBOWSKI meets RAIN MAN with balls, and with characters that never stray outside their lane and have heart to spare, the jury was bowled over by SPLIT."

 

The New Flesh Jury also awarded a special prize to NIGHT OF THE VIRGIN, for "its scatological sophistication, its wry look at relationships, and sly political messaging fueled by a gonzo spirit. This cautionary yet endearing tale of lust earns the Jury’s special mention for unabashed weirdness and button-pushing bravado."

 

 

Action! Award

 

Winner: CONFIDENTIAL ASSIGNMENT (GONGJO), d. Kim Sung-hoon

Mention: JAILBREAK, d. Jimmy Henderson

 

The 2017 Action! Jury was comprised of producer Hughes Barbier, filmmaker Érik Canuel, and programmer Peter Kuplowsky.

 

Says the jury, "We couldn't take our eyes off of CONFIDENTIAL ASSIGNMENT's kickass action choreography and were captivated by its fun and funny script, putting the film above its contenders. In the vein of Walter Hill’s RED HEAT, CONFIDENTIAL ASSIGNMENT brings back the late 80’s action comedy with a splash, and we hope audiences will enjoy it as much as we did."

 

The Action! Jury also awarded a special prize to JAILBREAK, "for its inspired fight and camera choreography. The filmmakers achieve a rare and innovative alchemy between camera and cast, that transforms the operator from observer to literal combatant."

 

 

AQCC-Camera Lucida Award

 

Winner: A GHOST STORY, d. David Lowery

Special Mention: TOWN IN A LAKE (MATANGTUBIG), d. Jet Leyco

 

Journalist/professor Donato Totoro presided over the 2017 AQCC-Camera Lucida Jury, which was comprised of programmer Paul Landriau and AQCC vice-president Jean-Marie Lanlo.

 

The jury awarded A GHOST STORY their top honor, "for its nuanced cinematic treatment of material and spiritual time across human landscape."

 

The AQCC-Camera Lucida Jury also awarded a special prize to TOWN IN A LAKE "for the facility in which the filmmaker invites the viewer to discover a world progressively veering toward the supernatural."

 

 

Séquences Award

 

Best Film: BAD GENIUS, d. Nattawut Poonpiriya

 

Critic Pascal Grenier presided over the 2017 Prix Séquences Jury, which was comprised of critic/filmmaker Mathieu Houle-Beausoleil and critic Maxime Labrecque.

 

Says the jury, "For its clever mixture of suspense and humor, skillful approach to the theme of manipulation, and for its complex staging, we are proud to present the Séquences Award for Best Film to BAD GENIUS."

 

 

The Barry Convex Award for Best Canadian Film

 

Best Film: POOR AGNES, d. Navin Ramaswaran

Special Mention: ORIGAMI, d. Patrick Demers

 

The 2017 Barry Convex Jury was comprised of critic/author Kier-la Janisse, filmmaker Douglas Buck, and filmmaker George Mihalka.

 

Administered by Spectacular Optical with support from the Paul A. Ray Memorial Fund, The Barry Convex Award is an annual juried prize for which all Canadian features or co-productions making their World, International, North American, or Canadian Premiere at Fantasia are eligible. 

 

Says the jury, "Navin Ramaswaran’s POOR AGNES was chosen to represent the 2017 Barry Convex Award not only for its impressive direction, darkly comic storytelling and overall unified vision, but for its challenging attitude. Coming out of a country with a system where voices of subversion against, and challenges to, the mainstream status quo are few and far between -- and yet more important than ever – POOR AGNES acts as a daring and powerful middle finger against establishment filmmaking."

 

The Barry Convex Jury also awarded a special prize to ORIGAMI for "its deft direction, sophisticated visual aesthetic, strong performances, and the successful blending of genres in a complex story told in a refreshingly unconventional manner."

 

 

Axis: The Satoshi Kon Award for Excellence in Animation

 

Feature: HAVE A NICE DAY (HAO JI LE), d. Liu Jian

Special Mention (Feature): JUNK HEAD, d. Takahide Hori

 

Short Film: COCOLORS, d. Yokoshima Toshihisa

Special Mention (Short): YIN, d. Nicolas Fong

 

The 2017 Axis Jury was comprised of director Greg Bailey, graphic novelist Dave Cooper, director Nadja Cozic, and cartoonist Jean Lacombe.

 

Says the jury, "HAVE A NICE DAY stands out for the implacable mechanic of its script, its acute dialog, and for the quality of its voice talent" and, referring to the short film winner, COLOLORS, "It clearly stood out above the other films in the category. Great animation, design, story, voices, backgrounds, and sound. There are a number of scenes that will always be etched in our memory."

 

The Axis Jury also awarded a special prize to JUNK HEAD, "to acknowledge the tremendous work accomplished in the making of this movie as well as the artistic direction that seduced us" and another of YIN, noting, "The animation is amazingly inspired, inventive and fluid, drawing us effortless from one imaginative, visual surprise to the next."

 

 

International Short Film Competition Award

 

Best Short Film: iMEDIUM, d. Alfonso García

 

Filmmaker Gary Sherman presided over the 2017 Short Film Jury, which was comprised of filmmaker Aisling Chin-Yee and Vimeo curator Ina Pira.

 

Says the jury, "The direction by Alfonso Garcia, the script by Vincet Blonde, the frantic cinematography of Jesus Velez, Sebastian Roque’s music, J.L Canalejo’s sound design, and Jose Bermudez’s stellar performance all blended perfectly together to create an emotionally charged, frightening six minutes. From the opening graphics, one could not divert their attention from the screen. As frenetically as the film begins, it manages to build in intensity and never back off. All of us on the jury were astounded by this feat."

 

 

Fantasia 2017's Audience Awards, presented by the festivals thousands of genre-loving patrons, are as follows:

 

Best Asian Feature Film

- BAD GENIUS (Gold Prize)

- BLADE OF THE IMMORTAL (Silver Prize)

- A DAY (Bronze Prize)

 

Best North American, South American, or European Feature Film

- BETTER WATCH OUT (Gold Prize)

- LOWLIFE (Silver Prize)

- MAYHEM (Bronze Prize)

 

Best Canadian / Quebec Feature Film

- ANOTHER WOLFCOP (Gold Prize)

- DEAD SHACK (Silver Prize)

- GAME OF DEATH (Bronze Prize)

 

The GURU Prize for Best Action Feature Film

- JAILBREAK (Gold Prize)

- THE VILLAINESS (Silver Prize)

- ATOMIC BLONDE (Bronze Prize)

 

Most Innovative Feature Film

- BAD GENIUS (Gold Prize)

- THE LAPALCE'S DEMON (Silver Prize)

- JAILBREAK (Bronze Prize)

 

Best Animated Feature Film

- NAPPING PRINCESS (Gold Prize)

- LU OVER THE WALL (Silver Prize)

- NIGHT IS SHORT, WALK ON GIRL (Bronze Prize)

 

Best Documentary Feature Film

- KING COHEN (Gold Prize)

- 78/52 (Silver Prize)

- GEEK GIRLS (Bronze Prize)

 

Best International Short Film

- RUE (Gold Prize)

- IT BEGAN WITHOUT WARNING (Silver Prize)

- NOCTURNALLY YOURS / FLOW (Bronze Prize - tie)

 

Best Canadian or Quebec Short Film

- PAST AND FUTURE KINGS (Gold Prize)

- NO WAVE (Silver Prize)

- APOCALYPSE BABIES / BABYSITTER (Bronze Prize - tie)