From July 17 to August 3, 2025, the Fantasia International Film Festival returns for its milestone 29th edition promising a summer packed with daring visions, genre-defying narratives, and unforgettable premieres. From surreal horror and social satire to bloody creature features, Fantasia 2025 once again proves itself as the ultimate destination for bold, boundary-pushing cinema. Here’s a look at some of the most anticipated films you absolutely won’t want to miss:
I LIVE HERE NOW (World Premiere)
Director: Julie Pacino
Starring: Lucy Fry, Madeline Brewer, Sheryl Lee, Cara Seymour, Matt Rife
Julie Pacino makes a striking directorial debut with this vibrant and nightmarish psychodrama that echoes David Lynch, Dario Argento, and the Coen brothers. Shot on vivid 16mm, the film follows Rose (Lucy Fry), a woman haunted by trauma and trapped in a motel where time and reality spiral out of control. As she navigates generational wounds, capitalist dread, and surreal visions, Pacino proves herself a bold new voice in genre cinema.
INFLUENCERS (World Premiere – Septentrion Shadows section)
Director: Kurtis David Harder
Starring: Cassandra Naud, Georgina Campbell, Lisa Delamar, Veronica Long, Jonathan Whitesell
Cassandra Naud returns as the dangerously charming CW in this sequel to 2022’s breakout hit Influencer. This time, CW is soaking up the sun in the South of France and locking into her next devious plan involving a new girlfriend and a dangerously popular British influencer. Packed with tense mind games, striking visuals, and biting commentary on digital culture, Influencers is a seductive and sinister thrill ride.
HOLD THE FORT (World Premiere)
Director: William Bagley
Starring: Chris Mayers, Haley Leary, Julian Smith, Tordy Clark, Hamid-Reza Benjamin Thompson
A seemingly ordinary HOA becomes the battleground for outrageous horror in this FX-heavy, blood-soaked comedy. William Bagley cranks up the absurdity with practically created monsters, gleeful gore, and razor-sharp wit. With standout performances from both indie veterans and YouTube creators, Hold the Fort promises laughter and screams in equal measure.
HELLCAT (World Premiere)
Director: Brock Bodell
Starring: Dakota Gorman, Todd Terry, James Austin Johnson, Jordan Mullins, Liz Atwater
When a woman wakes up injured in the back of a moving trailer, a mysterious voice warns her of a looming deadline—and a horrific fate if she doesn’t act fast. Hellcat plunges viewers into a high-stakes supernatural road trip with psychological depth and spine-tingling tension. Featuring voice work from SNL’s James Austin Johnson, Brock Bodell’s debut delivers a twisty, breathless thrill ride.
THE BEARDED GIRL (World Premiere – Septentrion Shadows section)
Director: Jody Wilson
Starring: Anwen O’Driscoll, Jessica Paré
A fairy tale with Western flair and a powerful coming-of-age story, The Bearded Girl follows Cleo, a bearded sword-swallower who leaves her sheltered carnival life in search of love and freedom. Jody Wilson draws on her personal experience growing up as a nonconformist in Western Canada to craft a heartfelt queer narrative that’s rich in dry humor and emotional authenticity.
TERRESTRIAL (World Premiere)
Director: Steve Pink
Starring: Jermaine Fowler, James Morosini, Pauline Chalamet, Edy Modica, Rob Yang, Brendan Hunt
Steve Pink (Hot Tub Time Machine, High Fidelity) steps into darker territory with Terrestrial, a paranoid thriller tinged with comedy and sci-fi. A writer’s retreat among old college friends turns nightmarish as hallucinations and uncanny events force a confrontation with reality itself. Jermaine Fowler leads an exceptional ensemble cast in this unnerving yet witty exploration of fear and friendship.
EDDINGTON (Special Opening Night Screening)
Director: Ari Aster
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Pedro Pascal, Austin Butler, Emma Stone, Luke Grimes, Deirdre O’Connell, Michael Ward, Clifton Collins Jr.
Ari Aster returns with his fourth feature in Eddington, a tense small-town powder keg of politics and paranoia set during the early days of the pandemic. As the sheriff and mayor clash in Eddington, New Mexico, neighbor turns against neighbor in a film that continues Aster’s tradition of haunting character-driven storytelling.
KAZAKH SCARY TALES (World Premiere)
Director: Adilkhan Yerzhanov
Starring: Kuantai Abdimadi, Anna Starchenko, Dinara Baktybayeva, Daniyar Alshinov, Yerken Gubashev, Sanjar Madi
Visionary Kazakh director Adilkhan Yerzhanov presents a terrifying new folk horror anthology, originally produced as a streaming series and now shown for the first time as a full-length feature. A police officer arrives in a village beset by witchcraft and death, plunging into a nightmarish mystery steeped in eerie tradition and surrealism.
FOREIGNER (World Premiere – Shadows of the North section)
Director: Ava Maria Safai
Starring: Rose Dehgan, Chloë MacLeod
A bold debut that fuses bubblegum horror with the immigrant experience, Foreigner centers on Yasi, a young Iranian girl desperate to fit in at her new Canadian high school. But when she changes her appearance to gain acceptance, she invites something truly sinister into her life. Both entertaining and insightful, the film blends teen satire with haunting metaphor.
OLD GUYS IN BED (World Premiere)
Director: Jean-Pierre “JP” Bergeron
Starring: Duff MacDonald, Paul James Saunders
In Old Guys in Bed, 60-year-old film historian Paul (Duff MacDonald) navigates the confusing world of online dating after meeting a mysterious new man. Directed by acclaimed Quebec actor Jean-Pierre “JP” Bergeron, this tender, bold romantic comedy offers a candid and deeply human look at intimacy and aging. Making his directorial debut at 73, Bergeron explores late-life romance with humor and heart.
THE VERDICT (World Premiere – Opening Night Presentation)
Directors: Lee Chang-hee & Yusron Fuadi
Starring: Rio Dewanto
When a pregnant woman is killed by a wealthy young man, justice fails her—until her husband takes matters into his own hands. Co-directors Lee Chang-hee (The Vanished) and Yusron Fuadi deliver a gripping class-conscious thriller fueled by rage, loss, and explosive action. With a powerhouse lead performance from Rio Dewanto and a pulse-pounding score, The Verdict is an electrifying cry for justice.
THE UNDERTONE (World Premiere – Septentrion Shadows section)
Director: Ian Tuason
Starring: Nina Kiri, Kris Holden-Ried
Podcast meets paranormal in The Undertone, a chilling folk horror from writer-turned-director Ian Tuason. Nina Kiri stars as Evy, a podcaster caring for her dying mother, who receives a series of eerie audio files that begin to mirror her reality. With hair-raising sound design and a poignant emotional core, The Undertone is a haunting debut that redefines how we listen to horror.
GOOD GAME (World Premiere)
Director: Dickson Leung Kwok-Fai
Starring: TBD
A fast-paced, first-person thrill ride from Hong Kong, Good Game follows Tai, a struggling internet café owner who forms a misfit esports team in a last-ditch bid to win a life-changing gaming tournament. Packed with adrenaline, style, and heart, this underdog story delivers genuine emotional stakes amid high-octane digital chaos.
STRAIGHT OUTTA SPACE (North American Premiere)
Director: Michael Middelkoop
Starring: Shahine El-Hamus, Daniël Kolf
Streetwise coaches Amin and Mitchell must fend off an alien infestation in their Dutch neighborhood in Straight Outta Space, a giddy blend of Attack the Block and Night of the Creeps. With slick effects, sharp social commentary, and boundless personality, this sci-fi horror comedy is an intergalactic crowd-pleaser.
MESSY LEGENDS (World Premiere – Underground section)
Directors: Kelly-Kay Hurcomb & James Watts
Starring: TBD
Set over one chaotic night on Montreal’s St. Laurent strip, Messy Legends follows a band of slacker millennials confronting a city—and a culture—on the brink of extinction. Channeling the spirit of early Kevin Smith and The Unicorns, this raw, hilarious ode to arrested development marks a stellar feature debut for local filmmakers Hurcomb and Watts.
A TRIPLE DOSE OF TAKASHI MIIKE: NYAIGHT OF THE LIVING CAT, BLAZING FISTS, and SHAM
A regular on the festival’s lineup since its earliest editions, and the winner of an Honorary Lifetime Achievement Award in 2016, versatile and daring Japanese director Takashi Miike returns to Fantasia this year with three titles, including an adorable animated J-horror series launching on Crunchyroll this summer, with episodes having their world premiere in Montreal! Adapted from the manga written by Hawkman and drawn by Mecha-Roots, Nyaight of the Living Cat presents a premise more terrifying than a half-empty bowl of kibble: a virus is spreading globally, causing anyone who touches a kitten to become one! Executive producer Miike and director Tomohiro Kamitani deliver a purr-fect parody of animal horror films, a cute animated cataclysm!
TAROMAN EXPO EXPLOSION (World Premiere)
Osaka, Japan, was the site of Expo ‘70, and emblematic of that memorable event is the sculpture/building Tower of the Sun, envisioned and designed by renowned artist Taro Okamoto, “the Japanese Picasso”, a challenger of conventions driven to liberate creative expression for one and all. His works and ideas inspired director Ryo Fujii and the team behind the 2022 TV series TAROMAN, broadcast on the NHK network. Mixing mockumentary elements with the tropes and aesthetics of 1970s tokusatsu superhero shows – Ultraman in particular – the series was purported to be an obscure archival find… and the result? A sublime mix of public art education, nostalgic invention, and gleeful weirdness for its own sake. With such big ideas and such a gigantic protagonist, Fujii and friends simply had to revive TAROMAN for the big screen. TAROMAN EXPO EXPLOSION has arrived, and with a bang!
FIXED (Official Closing Night Film)
Director: Genndy Tartakovsky
Voice Cast: Adam Devine, Idris Elba, Fred Armisen, Bobby Moynihan, Kathryn Hahn
From Samurai Jack and Hotel Transylvania creator Genndy Tartakovsky comes Fixed, an outrageous, adult animated comedy that plays like Looney Tunes turned loose. Bull (Adam Devine) is a lovable mutt facing a trip to the vet—and a certain snip—so he rounds up his canine crew for one last wild night. With its mind in the gutter and its heart in the right place, Fixed closes out Fantasia 2025 with an anarchic bang
With a lineup that fearlessly spans the hilarious, the harrowing, and the heartfelt, Fantasia 2025 reaffirms why it remains North America’s crown jewel for genre cinema. From groundbreaking directorial debuts to bold reinventions from established masters, this year’s festival is a celebration of risk-taking storytelling and cultural commentary, delivered with style, substance, and a whole lot of cinematic swagger. Whether you come for the blood, the laughs, or the existential dread, one thing’s for sure—Fantasia is where the future of genre filmmaking takes center stage.
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I’m a dedicated aficionado of all things movies, pop culture, and entertainment. With a passion for storytelling and a love for the silver screen, I’m constantly immersed in the world of cinema, exploring new releases, classics, and hidden gems alike. As a fervent advocate for the power of film to inspire, entertain, and provoke thought, I enjoy sharing my insights, reviews, and recommendations with fellow enthusiasts.