Johnnie To’s CHASING DREAM and Tran Thanh Huy’s ROM are among the wealth of final titles announced for Fantasia’s 24th edition.
The Fantasia Film Festival announces today a massive new assortment of feature films for its 24th edition, and here are all the Asian titles that are announced:
THE INCREDIBLE JOHNNIE TO MAKE OUR DREAM COME TRUE
When Tiger (Jacky Heung, of PUSH and FEARLESS) and Cuckoo (Keru Wang, YOUTH) meet, it’s a match made in heaven. Both involved with moneylenders, one is an over-enthusiastic rising star in the MMA world; the other a resourceful, aspiring singer on-the-run who will stop at nothing for a spot on ‘Perfect Diva’! Following THREE (Fantasia 2016), master filmmaker Johnnie To is back with CHASING DREAM: an unexpected blend of mixed-martial-arts drama and high-stakes musical comedy, taking the viewers back to the madcap energy of his mid-2000s collaborations with Wai Ka-Fai and the themes of his sports-and-destiny masterpiece THROW DOWN. Canadian Premiere.
PLACE YOUR BETS ON ROM
Fourteen-year-old Rom (Tran Anh Khoa) is a runner. That is, he runs lottery numbers for the indebted inhabitants of a dilapidated tenement – a network of interconnected homes soon to be demolished by greedy developers. The bookie climbs and zips through its many alleys; down streets, up balconies, staircases, and across other unstable contraptions – in order to be the first to give his clients’ numbers to the teller. Tran Thanh Huy’s ROM, winner of the New Currents Award at the 2020 Busan Film Festival, is an electrifying debut: a jolt of a film, shot with great, street-savvy energy and constant forward momentum. North American Premiere.
BEING A GEEK IS NOTHING TO HIDE, EVEN THOUGH LOVE IS HARD FOR OTAKU
Narumi is starting a new job and doing everything she can to hide the fact she is an otaku, but one of her new colleagues is a childhood friend who knows all about her passion for manga and anime. Thanks to the superb chemistry between Mitsuki Takahata (ALMOST A MIRACLE) and Kento Yamazaki (KINGDOM), the unique creativity of writer/director Yuichi Fukuda (HK: FORBIDDEN SUPERHERO), and musical numbers going from J-pop to jazz, WOTAKOI: LOVE IS HARD FOR OTAKU is the perfect immersion into the fascinating world of otaku culture. North American Premiere.
PREPARE FOR A FISHY KAIJU ATTACK WITH MONSTER SEAFOOD WARS
When a disgraced scientist who now works at his dad’s sushi shop gets into a minor bicycle accident, he ends up creating a huge-but-delicious problem that can only be described as MONSTER SEAFOOD WARS! Before you can say “colossal calamari”, a squid, an octopus, and a crab – each as big as buildings – are wreaking massive kaiju havoc all over Tokyo! Beloved director Minoru Kawasaki (THE CALAMARI WRESTLER, EXECUTIVE KOALA) employs incredible oldschool techniques in this hilarious and heartfelt monster film, and brings back a disappearing genre in Japanese cinema known as “kigurumi tokusatsu”, or, as we know them, sci-fi movies featuring actors in rubber giant monster costumes! International Premiere.
IT’LL TAKE MUSCLES TO FOLD THESE PAPER TIGERS!
Three childhood Kung Fu prodigies have grown into washed-up, middle-aged men one kick away from pulling their hamstrings. But when their master is murdered, they must juggle their dead-end jobs and dad duties to overcome old grudges and avenge his death. Writer/director Bao Tran has made not just another martial arts movie, but a film that’s about martial arts: its philosophies and the lessons it continues to teach you into old age. Anchored by immensely likeable performances from its cast, THE PAPER TIGERS delivers all the quality ass-kicking you want out of a good martial arts film, while also impacting much more: a story about the importance of friendship and staying true to your heart, which is what makes THE PAPER TIGERS so special. World Premiere.
CONSEQUENCES ARE HIGH WHEN A MAN’S SON IS LEGALLY DECLARED DEAD
An insurance agent suspects his client (Anthony Wong, of UNTOLD STORY and INFERNAL AFFAIRS) may have murdered his own son to collect the insurance money. As he investigates the suspicious death, he begins to be met with threats on all sides. Director Yuen Kim-Wai elevates a thrilling story by expertly balancing a touchy subject with suspense and nuanced characters. Based on the famous Japanese novel BLACK HOUSE, the striking, exciting LEGALLY DECLARED DEAD recently launched in Hong Kong and Taiwan. North American Premiere.
THIS MOM-TO-BE DEFINITELY HAS NO IDEA WHAT’S IN STORE FOR HER!
Award-winning Hong Kong screenwriter and director Luk Yee-Sum returns to Fantasia with the expectant comedy, BABY: THE SECRET DIARY OF A MOM TO BE, the perfect follow-up to her coming of age debut LAZY HAZY CRAZY (Fantasia 2016). As far as Carmen (Dada Chan, VULGARIA) is concerned, she has it all: a handsome basketball-star husband, a great job with an exciting promotion in reach, and a group of lifelong friends that are closer than family. But she’s about to get one thing she didn’t plan for – a baby on the way. Having previously screened at Tokyo International Film Festival and Hong Kong Asian Film Festival, this charming dramedy draws back the curtain on the ups and downs of when you’re unexpectedly expecting. Canadian Premiere.
IN THESE PHOTOGRAPHS, BEAUTY IS IN THE EYE OF THE BEHOLDER
Solitary photographer Kai (Hideki Nagai) is afraid of women, but it doesn’t keep him from shamelessly retouching their photographs when asked. On a trek through the forest, he encounters a model, Kyoko (Itsuki Otaki), who soon asks him to retouch hers. As their relationship grows, Kai feels a rare pang of responsibility, motivated for the first time to challenge his vindictive perception of women. Takeshi Kushida’s WOMAN OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS is a mysterious and captivating debut, throwing the viewer into an uncertain world of obsession and forgery; a potent examination of image-making and alienation in our contemporary age. Quebec Premiere.
IT’S EXTREMELY DANGEROUS FOR A SHEEP WITHOUT A SHEPHERD
When Lee’s teenage daughter accidentally kills a classmate who is blackmailing her, she, unfortunately, discovers that the deceased’s mother happens to be a merciless cop (legendary actress Joan Chen of Twin Peaks and THE LAST EMPEROR). Lee, armed with an arsenal of film knowledge and wits, devises the ultimate alibi, ready for every counter-move that awaits his family. SHEEP WITHOUT A SHEPHERD is a relentless cat-and-mouse thriller with just the right dose of dark humor, emotional nuance, and tension from first-time director Sam Quah. Released to such an avalanche of positive press, the film overtook STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER in China’s box office! Quebec Premiere.
A CRIMINAL, A DETECTIVE, AND A TALKING PARROT ARE NEEDED TO SOLVE A THRILLING CRIME PUZZLE IN A WITNESS OUT OF THE BLUE!
Three months after a botched robbery, Wong, the mastermind behind it, is now a prime suspect for the murder of one of his teammates. Trying to clear his name, Wong instead falls into a complex web of betrayal and collateral damage, while a detective scrambles to piece together the puzzle with the help of a talking parrot. A WITNESS OUT OF THE BLUE is a riveting thriller from director Fung Chih-Chiang, who previously collaborated with Stephen Chow (SHAOLIN SOCCER) and Johnny To (SPARROW), and has screened at Bucheon Film Festival and Rotterdam Film Festival. Canadian Premiere
ADDITIONAL THIRD WAVE TITLES
BRING ME HOME
South Korea – Dir: Kim Seung-woo
Six years after her son’s disappearance, Jung-yeon goes to a small fishing village to track him down. But nothing could have prepared for what she discovers upon arrival. Actress Lee Young-ae (LADY VENGEANCE) shines in writer-director Kim Seung-woo’s feature debut. Quebec Premiere.
KAKEGURUI
Japan – Dir: Tsutomu Hanabusa
Welcome to Hyakkaoh Private Academy, where gambling determines the school’s hierarchy. But the status quo is about to be shaken up by the arrival of a new student who is ready to take on the head of the powerful student council. Based on the popular manga by Homura Kawamoto and Toru Naomura, Tsutomu Hanabusa’s KAKEGURUI (PROJECT DREAMS) is a hilarious and riveting school drama with biting social critique. Canadian Premiere.
NO LONGER HUMAN
Japan – Dir. Mika Ninagawa
Genius writer Osamu Dazai has become a star, despite rumors of affairs, multiple suicide attempts, and an eccentric, anti-Establishment way of life. Mika Ninagawa (HELTER SKELTER, SAKURAN) tackles the life of one of Japan’s foremost literary figures in this bold, colourful, and stylish film. Quebec Premiere.
REDISCOVER FANTASIA CLASSICS AT HOME!
Unavailable in North America, or previously hard to find, Fantasia’s digital 2020 edition brings back a selection of beloved favorites from its past editions, under its new label, Fantasia Classics. This year’s titles featured under this moniker include Hirokazu Kore-eda’s Air Doll (2009), Yosuke Fujita’s Fukuchan of Fukufuku Flats (2014), Johnnie To’s A Hero Never Dies (1998), Hideki Takeuchi’s Fly Me to the Saitama (2019), Yuichi Fukuda’s HK: Forbidden Superhero (2014) and HK2: The Abnormal Crisis (2016), Yoshimasa Ishibashi’s Milocrorze: A Love Story (2011), and Koichiro Miki’s The Travelling Cat Chronicles (2018). Also included will be a special 15-year-anniversary screening of Wilson Yip’s SPL: Kill Zone (2005).
JURIES AND COMPETITIONS
Fantasia announces the 2020 Cheval Noir competition titles and the Asian titles competing are:
CHASING DREAM – Hong Kong, Dir: Johnnie To
I WEIRDO – Taiwan, Dir: Liao Ming-Yi
KRIYA – India-UK, Dir: Sidharth Srinivasan
LEGALLY DECLARED DEAD – Hong Kong, Dir: Yuen Kim-Wai
ME AND ME – South Korea, Dir: Jung Jin-young
SPECIAL ACTORS – Japan, Dir: Shinichiro Ueda
WOTAKOI: LOVE IS HARD FOR OTAKU – Japan, Dir: Yuichi Fukuda
The following talented industry professionals make up the Fantasia 2020 juries:
CHEVAL NOIR COMPETITION
Jennifer Lynch (Jury President) – USA – Director, Writer
Joko Anwar – Indonesia – Director, Writer, Producer
Mattie Do – Laos – Director, Producer
Steve Moore – USA – Composer and Musician
Jongsuk Thomas Nam – South Korea – Festival Programmer (Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival), Managing Director of the Network of Asian Fantastic Films
Karen Walton – Canada – Writer, Producer
NEW FLESH COMPETITION FOR BEST FIRST FEATURE
Darin Scott (Jury President) – USA – Director, Writer, Producer
Mette-Marie Kongsved – Denmark – Producer, Co-Founder of Nowhere
Miguel Llansó – Spain – Director, Writer, Producer
Shinji Sakoda – Japan – International Sales and Film Festival Representative
April Wolfe – USA – Director, Writer, Critic, Podcaster
INTERNATIONAL SHORT FILM COMPETITION
Nosipho Dumisa (Jury President) – South Africa – Director, Writer, Co-Founder of Gambit Films
Simon Barrett – USA – Director, Writer, Actor
Pierce Conran – Ireland – Critic, Producer, Acquisitions Executive at XYZ Films
Natalie Erika James – Australia – Director, Writer
Jennifer Reeder – USA – Director, Writer
AQCC CAMERA LUCIDA COMPETITION
– Association québécoise des critiques de cinéma (Québec Critic’s Association)
Martin Gignac – Canada – Critic and Author
Marc-Antoine Lévesque – Canada – Critic
Benjamin Pelletier – Canada – Critic
AXIS: SATOSHI KON AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN ANIMATION
Marina Antunes (Jury President) – Canada – Festival Director, Film Critic, Podcaster
Han Han Li – Canada – Animator, Animation Teacher
Emily Paige – Canada – Co-founder, Creative Producer, ED Films
Chad VanGaalen – Canada – Animator, Artist, Musician
