Fest Track On Sirk TV Print Advance: FANTASIA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 2022 (Curtain Raiser)

Leading into Fantasia 2022, the festival always has a way of finding some unusual approaches that blend both a North American texture with an international sensibility. The aspect of what might be effective versus divisive is always up for grabs but the selection nonetheless has a vastness to it that is always welcome. Broken down into the 3 waves of releases offers a viewpoint into the possibilities.

1st Wave The context of two films jump out with the first announcement. One is “Glorious” described as a “mix of comedy, horror, sci-fi and glorious indescribable weirdness” following a a guy Wes (Ryan Kwanten) ending up at a rest stop locked inside a bathroom after a break up where he ends up in conversation with another person in an adjacent stall. The film also stars JK Simmons. Another title that jumps out in the announcement is “The Harbinger” which follows a girl who goes to help a friend suffering from nightmares and finds out that these dreams are contagious.

2nd Wave Seeing Neil LaBute as a writer/director working in the horror/comedy genre per se with the lead cast in Justin Long and Kate Bosworth in “House Of Darkness” ucould be interesting. The melding of influences likely including different aspects of gothic horror mixed with the sardonic element of perhaps “War Of The Roses” might be a uniquely novel approach depending on the pace and visual style. Another title that jumps out in the 2nd wave announcement is “The Roundup” from South Korea from director Kang Yoon-sung which has the harks of old school action. The logline is described as such: “A mission in Vietnam to extradite a wanted suspect turns into a roaring rampage of fights and one-liners when a cold blooded killer gets in the way”.

3rd Wave One that interests straight out of the gate in the 3rd Wave is “Special Delivery” starring Park So-Dam (“Parasite) which is seemingly a crime thriller following “Jang, an ace driver, who finds a kid in the backseat of her car with a key to a corrupt cop's illicit stash in his pocket. She is then swarmed by a gang of murderous henchman”. Another is “Next Exit” directed by Mali Elfman (daughter of Danny) directing Karen Gillan as a scientist who finds a way to track deceased persons in the afterlife. She recruits two strangers with their own personal demons and sends them on a road trip to confront what is coming.

There are many more but these stand out. The great thing though about Fantasia is the discovering of interesting voices and stories one might not be expecting and being surprised by both the creativity and depth of what is presented.

By Tim Wassberg