This year’s Science Fiction Showcase 2026 at Fantasia Film Festival is timely, especially as technology comes to head and AI is a topic to be debated.
Event runs from July 16 to August 2, 2026. Montreal, Quebec.
At Fantasia Film Fest, the International Science Fiction Showcase 2026 edition shows why they are no strangers to exploring humanity’s relationship with the evolving world. It will be explored on July 19, at the Cinéma du Musée. During this presentation, presented are works from six countries with visioniaries who have tales to tell that examines humanity’s evolving relationship with technology.
From artificial intelligence to social media to virtual reality, these shorts examine the promises and pitfalls of innovation, offering glimpses into futures that may not be as distant as they seem. And perhaps those catching a look into a probable future may want to reconsider why that dystopia future isn’t that far off. Images are provided for those pieces that has my attention as must sees.
Algorithm
Evie (Leonie Federle) just broke up with her beau, and as a means to cope, she thinks confiding to an AI Algorithm, is a good idea. Not only is it a p0pular personal assistant, social media manager, and the voice of the smart home hub, but also it may be alive.
Well, that’s the idea. Howeverf, when that ex arrives to maybe mend fences, can Cora (Virginia Hartmann) deal with all the technology that’s around her? I won’t say if this work is one part horror and another part revenge fantasy, but it’ll have plenty of folks curious!
One staple of this film festival is their Are You Afraid of Fantasia short film program. It’s big, bad, and looks more promising than ever beforfe!
Event runs from July 16 to August 2, 2026. Montreal, Quebec.
For some attendees, deciding what to focus on during Fantasia Film Festival 2026 will be tough. That’s especially true with ARE YOU AFRAID OF FANTASIA?, the first of three shorts programs I’m highlighting here. With this particular smorgaboard taking place at the Salle J.A. De Sève on the 17th of July, horror fans and folklore lovers should put this program high on their list.
What follows is a quick summary of what to expect from each short, followed by two other programs worth keeping on your radar. Like the prior article, I’ll highlight the three shorts I’m most excited for with an image.
Broc! (also known as Xi Lan Hua Shi Bian)
(Hong Kong, dir. Wong Chung-Him / Calvin Woo, Canadian Premiere)
In a world inhabited only by zombies, a couple begin transforming into humans after eating broccoli. As their world turns upside down, the question is what kind of absurdist world must they live in now? This work explores the fragile boundaries of identity and human nature, and if it turns out we’re all just vegetables meant to rot, then we’re in trouble.
Fantasia Film Festival 2026’s shorts programs reveal a strong thread of folklore, mythology, cultural traditions, and strange discoveries. And in part one of a week long guide, we dive into which works we’re very eager to see:
Event runs from July 16 to August 2, 2026. Montreal, Quebec.
In addition to a lot of cake, I believe Fantasia Film Festival 2026 has plenty of other treats in store for those headed to Montreal! Not only is this the festival’s 30th anniversary, but the programmers have pulled out all the stops to make every section feel special. Returning favourites like Hayop Ka! (review link) appear in the retro lineup, while three outstanding documentaries celebrate the craft of filmmaking. And yes, I’m sure plenty of fans will be cheering for The Origins of Ultraman too!
Before I get to my top twenty picks of the festival, I want to shine a spotlight on the various short film programs. While I haven’t had the chance to see every entry yet, I’ll be keeping an eye on YouTube and other streaming platforms to see which shorts become available internationally after the festival. Great discoveries don’t always come through the festival circuit alone. Sometimes they’re quietly waiting to be found online by those willing to dig a little deeper.
Along with a summary of each film, I’ve marked the title that has my attention with an image. Together, these selections reveal one of the biggest trends I noticed this year: folklore, mythology, and cultural traditions are woven throughout many of Fantasia’s short film programs.
A pulpy, snowbound creature feature, The Yeti targets an April 10 release in theatres and on digital, and the trailer hints at practical effects, crisp cinematography, and a rescue mission heading into trouble.
Fear is primal, and when parts of the world still feel untamed, aye, it’s wise to fear The Yeti. This creature feature is aiming for an April 10 release in theatres and on digital. Also, quick note, the actor here isn’t the same one people may confuse him with. Here, Pooh Bear he is not. In this film, he plays Booker, a man who may or may not understand what’s waiting for the unlucky souls trekking into the frozen wilds.
What we know so far is that the story takes place in 1947, when people could vanish without a trace and the Alaska Triangle hadn’t yet entered popular imagination. There are no UFOs either! The plot follows the disappearance of an oil tycoon (Corbin Bernsen) and a legendary adventurer (William Sadler).
They’re not as well known as Hale Boggs and Nick Begich, the politicians who later vanished in 1972, but the comparison helps underline how perilous this region can be. Co-directors Gene Gallerano and William Pisciotta make their feature debut here, which is already a promising hook. Ellie Bannister (Brittany Allen) and Merriell Sunday Jr. (Eric Nelsen) lead a rescue mission to find the missing men. They’re connected to the case personally, and the trailer keeps the rest close to the chest.
Yuen Woo-ping’s Blades of the Guardians arrives this Chinese New Year, adapting Xu Xianzhe’s acclaimed manhua Biao Ren. Here’s what viewers need to know about its historical setting, escort mission, and live-action potential before release.
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Yuen Woo-ping’s Blades of the Guardians is ready to strike this Chinese New Year, and it’s worth examining why this adaptation carries so much anticipation. Originally titled Biao Ren (鏢人), the series was created by Xu Xianzhe and began serialization in 2015. The story remains ongoing.
The series quickly distinguished itself through its painterly art style and its grounding in historical context. Set during the waning years of the Sui Dynasty, the narrative unfolds against a backdrop of famine, rebellion, and a government losing its grip on authority. As of 2024, twelve collected volumes have been published. English editions have been slow to materialize, but for viewers curious about an on-screen interpretation, a donghua adaptation is already available.
The story centres on Dao Ma (Jing Wu), a hardened warrior hired to protect travellers from the ruthlessness of feudal China. Banditry is widespread, and that danger is likely where the film will place much of its early focus. He accepts a contract to escort a living piece of cargo, a child who must be delivered safely to the city of Chang’an. The simplicity of that mission quickly erodes. Assassins, political agents, and rival forces converge on the convoy, each carrying their own agenda regarding the child’s fate. What begins as paid protection gradually reveals itself to be entangled in imperial succession, prophecy, and the unstable future of the empire itself.
In the manhua, the opening volumes establish these stakes carefully. No one fully understands why the child is important, but as the caravan pushes through the Western Regions, survival becomes as much environmental as political. Dao Ma’s commitment to completing the job is repeatedly tested. With his own son, Xiao Qi, travelling alongside him, the mission also becomes a lesson in honour, reputation, and perhaps fatherhood too.
To abandon the contract would not only risk the child’s life, it would tarnish his reputation.
Whether the film concludes with the convoy reaching Chang’an remains uncertain, and may depend on whether the production is designed as a self-contained story or the foundation of a larger series. The child actors in this work have yet to be identified, and if more films are indeed planned, keeping those actors around will require planning.
Also, according to the source material, the journey does not end upon delivery. Ma’s attachment will no doubt keep him around, especially after the child is destined for greater things. Both he and the audience will have to wonder why a lot of magistrates are interested in “the welfare” of the child. Could he be The Golden Child?
Another thought concerns how similar this narrative is to Lone Wolf and Cub. Both works follow lethal warriors guiding children through a world where violence is everywhere. To keep them safe is tough. Blades of the Guardians appears ready to translate that same intensity to the screen, with an emphasis on grounded combat and physical realism rather than spectacle-driven CGI. What’s emphasized is to show true grit over everything else.
With Yuen Woo-ping directing, expectations for the action are understandably high. The cast includes superstars such as Jet Li (Hero), Wu Jing (The Wandering Earth), Nicholas Tse (Raging Fire), and Max Zhang (The Grandmaster). Veteran performers Tony Leung Ka-fai (Election) and Kara Wai (My Young Auntie) also appear.
As this work is slated for simultaneous release in both China and America, fans of wuxia will no doubt be excited. Not only do we have a stellar cast, but we also have the following to marvel at:
Sundance remains one of the few major festivals still offering a meaningful online component. Here are five geek-friendly picks to watch for, from philosophical sci-fi and midnight body horror to an AI documentary that feels uncomfortably timely.
From one corner of the world to another, Sundance remains one of the few major festivals that still keeps a meaningful online component. For anyone who can’t travel to Salt Lake City, Utah, the at-home run is scheduled for one weekend, from January 29 to February 1, 2026.
Other festivals that have confirmed online offerings include Chattanooga and Panic Fest. Virtual access is often geo-locked due to licensing agreements. Some viewers use VPNs to get around those restrictions, but that’s a personal call, and not one I’m about to moralise for you. For geeks who must see a film, the cleanest option is often the most annoying one: wait until it’s legally available in your region.
With that in mind, here are five essentials I’m keeping my eye on, including one title that should be available online.
In the Blink of an Eye
This isn’t necessarily a time travel film, but it plays with time the way memory does. Past, present, and future overlap as three lives cross paths in ways humans can’t fully grasp.
In the distant past, a Neanderthal family struggles to survive after being displaced, doing what they can to protect their children with little more than primitive tools. In the present day, Claire (Rashida Jones), a driven post-grad anthropologist studying proto-human remains, begins a relationship with fellow student Greg (Daveed Diggs). And two centuries later, on a spaceship bound for a distant planet, Coakley (Kate McKinnon) and a sentient onboard computer confront a disease afflicting the ship’s oxygen-producing plants.
This one sounds more philosophical than anything else. Mortality, legacy, maybe reincarnation, it’s all on the table. Life can disappear in the blink of an eye. That’s true whether it’s an asteroid, an illness, or a single choice made at the wrong moment.
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From one corner of the world to another, 
This isn’t necessarily a time travel film, but it plays with time the way memory does. Past, present, and future overlap as three lives cross paths in ways humans can’t fully grasp.