Tag: Fantasia Film Festival

There’s no Shortage of Shorts at Fantasia 2020 on the Last Two Days…

If you haven’t checked out Fantasia’s many movie shorts, there’s not a lot of time left! The following are just my top surprise hits from this category of suspense filled or comedy goodness.

FantasiaBy Ed Sum
(The Vintage Tempest)

If you haven’t checked out Fantasia’s many movie shorts, there’s not a lot of time left! A few works caught my eye late Monday night and they can not go unnoticed without some kind of mention.

This year’s virtual edition is great! I hope the producers will continue to offer some parts of this show online. Eventually, when the pandemic is over, some events will have to consider how to carry on going forward. Those used to waiting in line for entry to the theatre should still get that aspect of what a film festival represents. Those who have come to love just logging into a website and streaming the content to their big screen television shouldn’t be cut short either.

However this event (and any other) progresses will require time to tell, and either way, I think going online is perfect for all the shorts that are out there. Film Festivals who think they aren’t popular and put them in low seating arrangements are quite literally cutting themselves short! Fair play gets those filmmakers noticed. Of the shorts I’ve seen, the following are worth watching! They are listed in no particular order.

Continue reading “There’s no Shortage of Shorts at Fantasia 2020 on the Last Two Days…”

The Kung Fu Credo Shines in The Paper Tigers

The talented up-and-coming writer/director Quoc Bao Tran must have trained too, and he’s taken those lessons he learned at the kwoon (dojo) and put them to heart when penning The Paper Tigers.

FantasiaBy Ed Sum
(The Vintage Tempest)

Playing at Fantasia Digital Film Festival 2020 on Sept 1st, 5:30pm PST. Buy your virtual ticket here. Canadian Residents only.

Making its US debut at 36th Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival (Sept 24-Oct 31st)

All hail The Paper Tigers! This martial arts comedy shows what three former students–now past their prime–are up to since they stopped practising. When their sifu (Roger Yuan, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny) die under mysterious circumstances, they reunite to figure out what’s going on, and along the way, try to get back their mojo.

While the humour is light, the mystery is heavy. However, the heart and soul of the film belong to those aphorisms you’d take away from after certain films or television. In this case, it’s Kung Fu, the original series.

Continue reading “The Kung Fu Credo Shines in The Paper Tigers”

When “Jumbo” is a Tilt-a-Hurl in this Quirky Romance

Her only escape is when she’s at work, alone with her amusement park rides. One night, she checks out the latest installation, a high-flying hurl-a-whirl (as shown in the movie poster) she calls “Jumbo.”

Jumbo (2020) By Ed Sum
(The Vintage Tempest)

Playing at Fantasia Digital Film Festival 2020 on Aug 31, 23:15 EST. Buy your virtual ticket here.

Spielberg doesn’t really need to mentor the talented Zoé Wittock. Her shorts offer great ideas featuring female protagonists struggling with their identity, and her feature film debut certainly shines. It’s Close Encounters of the Third Kind and Iron Giant. We will never know the origins of the park ride attraction that Jeanne (Noémie Merlant) finds a connection with.

Her rambunctious mother (Emmanuelle Bercot) and beau of the week don’t make for a simple home life. She’s not really connected with her peers either. Her only escape is when she’s at work, alone with her amusement park rides. One night, she checks out the latest installation, a high-flying hurl-a-whirl (as shown in the movie poster) she calls “Jumbo.”

Continue reading “When “Jumbo” is a Tilt-a-Hurl in this Quirky Romance”

Fly Me to Saitama and Let Me Play Among the Stars

When put to live action, this movie does not hold back. Fly Me to Saitama film delivers a tale straight out of a Charles Dickens novel. “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity…”

Fly Me to the Saitama - Movie PosterPlaying at Fantasia Digital Film Festival 2020 On Demand till Sept 2. Buy your virtual ticket here.

Fly Me To Saitama does more than take inspiration from a certain Frank Sinatra song. This film easily extols why Japanese anime and manga content producers are in love with the Baroque. The Rose of Versailles anime and manga is perhaps the most well-known example. The extraordinary detail in the art and acute sense of grandeur is part of the style which spanned from the 17th-18th century. When realized in live action, you can’t help but marvel at the attention to detail in the costume and set design.

Traditionally, the term is used to describe art and music more than society (where the plot lays). The lifestyle is not about flamboyance, but rather exuberance. The hubris lays with how people changed in an era which followed the Renaissance. Societal norms were being challenged, and there was an awakening.

Continue reading “Fly Me to Saitama and Let Me Play Among the Stars”

Project Dreams at Fantasia 2020! How to Build Mazinger Z’s Hanger

We already have a real world project to build a 1:1 scale moving Gundam, so why can’t we have Mazinger Z too?

FantasiaBy Ed Sum
(The Vintage Tempest)

Fantasia Digital Film Festival 2020
International Premiere
August 29th, 2020

Just when you think real life can’t imitate fantasy–namely making a full scale RX-78-2 Gundam that can move–cinema has upped the scale by postulating if we can build a working underwater hanger bay to house the Mazinger Z. The ambition is there, with an appropriate soundtrack to boot, and I couldn’t help but cheer and yell, “gambatte”. The question is, can the civil engineering company Maeda Corporation (fantasy marketing division) build it?

To note: Yes, this company is real and yes, they actually made actual plans to build this for real.

Continue reading “Project Dreams at Fantasia 2020! How to Build Mazinger Z’s Hanger”

Wotakoi: On Why Love is Hard for Otaku in this Movie Review

This parody on otaku life updates viewers on the term and it doesn’t have to be derogatory. Some folks can get overboard with some aspect of Japanese fandom, but how is that different from Star Wars fans with rooms dedicated to merchandise since its release in 1977? Or how about Transformers or KISS?

FantasiaBy Ed Sum
(The Vintage Tempest)

Fantasia Festival 2020
North American Premiere
Aug 29, 2020

Based on the manga of the same name, Wotakoi: Love is Hard for Otaku (ヲタクに恋は難しい,) by Fujita is a hilarious live action musical comedy that doesn’t require audiences to know anything about the source material.

Narumi Momose (Mitsuki Takahata) is a young office worker who reads yaoi manga. She keeps this fact hidden very well. Also, she likes Hirotaka Nifuji (Kento Yamazaki). They knew each other when really young, and now he’s working in the same building as her. He’s always had difficulty expressing his feelings to her and it’s very amusing to watch them rekindle their relationship. She’s high strung and he’s mild mannered.

Continue reading “Wotakoi: On Why Love is Hard for Otaku in this Movie Review”

WP Twitter Auto Publish Powered By : XYZScripts.com