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Fantasia Film Festival 2020: What to Be Excited About!

Fantasia Film Festival 2020

Fantasia Film Festival is the latest film festival to go virtual. Adam has the details on some of the most exciting genre films playing at the Fest that runs from August 20th to September 2nd.

Get ready.

Fantasia International Film Festival is about to blow your mind. The Canadian Based film fest has been around for 24-years and was not about to let the COVID-Pandemic close its doors in 2020. They made a bold move to keep open and do a Virtual Film Festival.

Not just Films in a Streaming Library, but Live Screenings, Tributes, Q&A’s, and much more. Fantasia is not throwing down the gauntlet and upping the game when it comes to virtual film festivals.

With over 150 Features and Shorts to choose from we chose a few that we feel are must-sees.

The Dark & The Wicked

Welcome back writer/director Bryan Bertino. Horror fans will instantly recognize the name of the director of the Neo-Classic The Strangers. The director is back with Rural Haunted house movie that could be another classic in the making.

Crazy Samurai Musashi

The legend Musashi Miyamoto is as well known as any legend in Japan. The film recontextualizes his most infamous battle, Miyamoto vs 500 Samurai, into a 77-minute single-take action extravaganza. Just the high-risk high-reward of shooting a single take action scene where a Samurai hacks and slashes through 500 men… SOLD!

Chasing Dream

Two words: Johnny To. That’s all you have to say to get us excited about this film. Add that To is returning to the world of martial arts (if you haven’t seen his truly amazing Jutisu-Movie Throwdown, find it… now!). Doubly sold. Also, we’re suckers for a good underdog sports sort.

A Hero Never Dies

Speaking of Johnny To. This long out of print classic is playing the fest. If you’ve never been introduced to the world that is Johnny To. Do yourself and favor and double-bill both these entries. Even if they’re wildly different … that’s what makes To such a brilliant filmmaker.

Jumbo

Having seen this at The Chattanooga Film Festival earlier this year. I know that I had been lukewarm on the film but that won’t stop me from recommending giving this one a go. The film is so esoteric that it is definitely a film that must be seen to be judged on its own merits.

A Witness out of the Blue

The premise just sounds too good; “A notorious criminal, a detective and a talking parrot collide after a botched robbery!” This is the kind of premise that filmmakers in Hong Kong can make soar.

Savage State

A western told through the lens of a European director during the Civil War. Yes. Female skewed story of survival in an uncommonly harsh landscape? Double yes.

Unearth

A slow-burn horror film that’s a totem for our fracking crisis in rural America. Add in horror icon Adrienne Barbeau. Yeah, we’re going to watch this one late at night and let it creep us out.

You Cannot Kill David Arquette

So… the Folks at Neon (its US Distributor) know a great commercial documentary when they see one. They also know just great documentaries. 2020 has been a great year for them finding some truly unique and beautiful docs (see Spaceship Earth and The Painter and The Thief). I’m going to guess that this one is another winner.

To Learn More about the Fantasia Film Festival 2020 click here!

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