The 30th edition of the Fantasia International Film Festival begins this Thursday, July 16 with the Canadian premiere of the film HER PRIVATE HELL (v.f. His Secret Hell) by Nicolas Winding Refn (Pusher, Drive, Only God Forgives), in the presence of the Danish director at the SGWU graduate auditorium at Concordia University and many industry personalities. Until August 2, the Festival will present more than 125 feature films and 200 short films, as well as several special events and master classes at the SGWU Graduate Auditorium and the J.A. de Sève Hall at Concordia University and at the Cinéma du Musée in Montreal.
Furthermore, the Festival will receive many distinguished guests in the coming days, visiting Montreal to interact with the public and the media as part of the presentation of their films. Let us mention, among others, in the coming days the presence of director Jane Schoenbrun and actress Hannah Einbinder (Hacks) for the screening of the film TEENAGE SEX AND DEATH AT CAMP MIASMA (Queer Palm of the Cannes Film Festival) this Friday July 17; director Larry Fessenden and actress Laetitia Hollard (The Pitt) for the screening of the film TRAUMA OR, MONSTERS ALL, also this Friday; director Harrison Houde and his team of performers Dakora Daulby, Emmanuel Bilodeau, Guy Jodoin and Maxim Roy for the world premiere of the film TIGHT LETTUCE (v.f. Tissé Serré) on July 18; Montreal director Wiebke Von Carolsfeld and her team led by Pascale Bussières for the world premiere, on July 21, of the film SOMEONE’S DAUGHTER (v.f. Without Witness) also starring François Arnaud; without forgetting the American actor Patrick Wilson for the series finale CAPE FEAR on Thursday July 30 as well as the director Michael Gallagher and the actress Vera Farmiga for the film THE LEADER also on Thursday July 30.
THE FIRST WEEKEND’S KEY FILMS AND EVENTS
HER PRIVATE HELL By Nicolas Winding Refn – July 16 at 6:30 p.m. Opening film of the festival, a sensory and deeply personal neo-noir work, HER PRIVATE HELL stars Sophie Thatcher, Charles Melton, Havana Rose Liu, Kristine Froseth and Dougray Scott. The director will also receive the Cheval Noir Prize for his entire career and will offer a master class on July 17. (Canadian premiere) In the presence of director Nicolas Winding Refn Press screening: Thursday July 16 – 10 a.m. – Cinéma du Parc (3675 avenue du Parc) Red carpet: Thursday July 16 at 5:45 p.m. at the Hall Theater of Concordia University (1455 Boul de Maisonneuve Ouest). With Nicolas Winding Refn
DANCE FREAK by Robby Rackleff – July 17 at 3:50 p.m. Alternative comedy legend Alan Resnick and his Wham City collaborator Robby Rackleff present a black-and-white dark comedy featuring a “Dance Freak” on the loose who sows chaos in a community. (Canadian premiere) In the presence of director Robby Rackleff
MUM, I’M ALIEN PREGNANT by Jordan Mark Windsor and Sean Wallace – Friday, July 17 at 6:35 p.m. A young woman with a tentacle fetish (Hannah Lynch, THE RULE OF JENNY PEN) accidentally becomes pregnant by a shy neighbor whose testicles are tentacles (Arlo Green, M3GAN) in this hilarious body horror comedy that won Sundance by storm. (Canadian premiere) In the presence of directors Jordan Mark Windsor and Sean Wallace
TEENAGE SEX AND DEATH AT CAMP MIASMA By Jane Schoenbrun – July 17 at 9:30 p.m. After years of botched sequels and declining public interest, the Camp Miasma horror film franchise is entrusted to an enthusiastic young director tasked with relaunching it. But when she visits the star of the original film, now a recluse and shrouded in mystery, the two women fall into a world of desire, fear and bloody delirium. (Canadian premiere) In the presence of director Jane Schoenbrun and actress Hannah Einbinder Red carpet: Friday July 17 at 8:45 p.m. at the Hall Theater of Concordia University (1455 Boul de Maisonneuve Ouest). With Jane Schoenbrun and Hannah Einbinder
NIKO by Julien Birban-Levy – Friday July 17 at 6:45 p.m. and Sunday July 19 at 11:00 a.m. In a dystopian Seoul, where a curfew and confinement are in effect, a screenwriter named Niko suddenly disappears. As her boyfriend Jeremy and his new friend Jiyoon work to locate Niko, an unexpected love triangle develops. (International premiere) In the presence of director Julien Birban-Levy
TRAUMA OR, MONSTERS ALL by Larry Fessenden – Thursday, July 16 at 9:35 p.m. and Friday, July 17 at 1:15 p.m. Independent horror cinema legend Larry Fessenden (WENDIGO, THE LAST WINTER) unveils his “monsterverse” film, where we find the creatures from HABIT, DEPRAVED and BLACKOUT. Starring Laëtitia Hollard (THE PITT), Aitana Doyle, Alex Hurt, Addison Timlin, James Le Gros, Barbara Crampton, and Fessenden himself. (International premiere) In the presence of director Larry Fessenden and actress Aitana Doyle
MASTERCLASS: NICOLAS WINDING REFN – Friday, July 17 at 4:00 p.m. Join us for a masterclass with Danish director, screenwriter and producer Nicolas Winding Refn, winner of the 2026 Cheval Noir honorary career award. Since his first feature film, PUSHER (1996), which launched the careers of Mads Mikkelsen and Zlatko, Refn’s cinematic journey is marked of a succession of notable works, including BLEEDER (1999), BRONSON (2008), DRIVE (2011), THE NEON DEMON (2016), the series TOO OLD TO DIE YOUNG (2019) and COPENHAGEN COWBOY (2023) and now, HER PRIVATE HELL (2026), presented as the opening film of the festival. The filmmaker will discuss not only his own work as an artist, but also the state of cinema as a whole, what it means to create for screens in 2026, and the importance of preserving and re-contextualizing transgressive cultural heritage.
IN CONVERSATION WITH JANE SCHOENBRUN, HANNAH EINBINDER, ALICE MAIO MACKAY, LOUISE WEARD AND AVALON FAST – Saturday, July 18 12:00 p.m. Join us in celebrating a new generation of genre filmmakers in this panel discussion between artists who share friendships and creative processes in this discussion moderated by Avalon Fast.
BREAK FREE by Yu Nakamoto – Saturday July 18 at 5:20 p.m. A yakuza is filmed intimidating an arrogant passerby with a surreal dance that goes viral on TikTok. Yu Nakamoto (THE SLIT-MOUTHED WOMAN RISES) makes the most of this premise and delivers one of the funniest comedies of the year. Thanks to a breathtaking performance by Akito Fujii (BABY ASSASSINS: 2BABIES), BREAK FREE is a succession of scenes as absurd as they are unforgettable. (North American premiere) In the presence of director Yu Nakamoto and performer Akito Fujii
TIGHT LETTUCE (V. F. TISSÉ TERRÉ) By Harisson Houde – Saturday July 18 at 6:30 p.m. Like most young adults, Joel (Dakota Daulby, LONGLEGS, SMOKE) hopes to build a good life for the person he loves and himself. But he is held back by his father, Bodo (Emmanuel Bilodeau, A CRAB IN THE HEAD, CURLING), an eccentric man who suffers from an addiction to heroin and fentanyl. With his first feature film inspired by a true story, director Harrison Houde depicts the disastrous consequences of drug addiction with touches of dark humor. (World premiere) In the presence of director Harisson Houde and actress and screenwriter Dakota Daulby, Emmanuel Bilodeau, Maxim Roy and Guy Jodoin.
Red carpet: Saturday July 18 at 5:45 p.m. at the Cinéma du Musée. With Harisson Houde, Dakota Daulby, Emmanuel Bilodeau, Maxim Roy and Guy JodoinGODHEAD by Mark Rapaport – Saturday July 18 at 7:05 p.m. Eccentric twins who believe they are prophets meet a priest whom they try to include in their divine mission. GODHEAD is an eccentric work for an eccentric audience, a film for misfits trying to find their place in an unforgiving world. (World Premiere) In the presence of director Mark Rapaport and performers Kimball Farley, Al Warren, Luke Speakman and Sarah Coffey
PONTYPOOL by Bruce McDonald – Sunday July 19 at 4:15 p.m. Adapted from the novel by Tony Burgess, PONTYPOOL is a horror film that focuses on imagination, language and the mystery of group mentality. Released in 2008, director Bruce McDonald, whose previous film, HARD CORE LOGO, had made him a Canadian icon, captured the imagination of his audience, generating rave reviews and numerous reflections for decades. Special screening celebrating the Canadian Pioneer Award given to Bruce McDonald.
CASTRATION MOVIE CHAPTER III. JUNIOR GHOSTS—PREMORPHIC DRIFT; A FRAGMENTARY PASSAGE by Louise Weard – Sunday July 19 at 9:30 p.m. A fragment of two exclusive hours of CASTRATION MOVIE CHAPTER iii: YEAR OF THE HYAENA. The film stars Avalon Fast (HONEYCOMB, CAMP), who does everything in his power to stop his partner (Henri Gillespi) from transitioning. (Quebec premiere) In the presence of director Louise Weard
HARD CORE LANGUAGE: INTERVIEW WITH BRUCE MCDONALD – Monday July 20 at 3:00 p.m. With a career spanning four decades, Bruce McDonald has established himself as one of the most prolific Canadian directors. He left his mark on Canadian independent cinema, winning the Best Canadian Feature Film award at TIFF with his first film, ROADKILL, in 1989, then being nominated 38 other times for local and international awards, and winning no less than 28. In such a precarious industry, he demonstrates versatility and always remains relevant. We’ll learn how he guided his career and life in a candid conversation you don’t want to miss!
MASTER CLASS: BLOOD BROTHERS – Monday July 20 at 5:00 p.m. Basically, it was a close-knit friendship for more than 30 years that united “Jib” (Jean-Mathieu Bérubé) and Carlo Harrietha. The Blood Brothers notably designed the practical special effects for TURBO KID (2015), THE HUNGRY (2017), BLOOD QUANTUM (2019), SLAXXX (2020), CONFESSIONS (2022), DAY OF THE HUNT (2024), HUMANIST VAMPIRE SEEKS CONSENTING SUICIDAL (2023) or SHIT DAY (2023). The collective is celebrating its tenth anniversary, while Carlo, one of the two founding members, died in 2025; this master class is also made in his honor. The interview will be accompanied by video projections, including a “best of” of their special effects and behind-the-scenes images.
PENNY LANE IS DEAD by Mia’kate Russell – Monday, July 20 at 9:25 p.m. A bloody reimagining of the Australian survival/revenge thriller where thrills are paired with the exploration of serious themes, like violence against women and internalized misogyny. (International premiere) In the presence of director Mia’kate Russell