Fantasia Film Festival Archives | Otaku No Culture

When Mantra Warrior: The Legend of the Eight Moons Lands At Fantasia 2024…

After Fantasia Film Festival 2024, Google Search says Mantra Warrior is destined to Netflix next!

Every country has a legend, and in Thailand, The Ramakien is one of several epic tales that paint a solid picture of good triumphing over evil. Here, King Rama and Tosakanth are opposites, and when the latter kidnaps the queen because he’s in love with her, this lord will fight back! What’s presented in Mantra Warrior: The Legend of the Eight Moons requires knowing the source material to truly appreciate it; otherwise, what’s presented like a Siamese version of Final Fantasy on steroids.

That’s because of the bold character designs and colour choices used to bring this mythic world to life. I want to compare this work to Gundam because of all the giant robots featured. Even though they look nothing like, the fact they carry oversized weapons with crazy nicknames is enough to make me think that director Veerapatra Jinanavin had this anime in mind!

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[Fantasia 2024] When Lighting The Fire in Dark Match is Enough to be Explosive!

Fans of wrestling will love Lowell Dean’s latest effort to bring debauchery and devil worship to the wrestling ring in Dark Match.

Dark Match Movie Poster — **Theatrical / Streaming dates TBA**

World Debut at Fantasia Film Festival 2024
July 21, 2024 6:30 PM
Auditorium des diplômés de la SGWU (Théâtre Hall)

To be a wrestler is tough. Quite often, not everyone will find the success they crave. Whether that’s with fame or making a living at it, that’ll depend on the individual. And when we’re dealing with an ominously titled movie like Dark Match, just what the hero(es) has to face may well be their own demons!

When Lowell Dean‘s name is on the billing, hopefully the name recognition will sell this film. And what this creator of Wolfcop has created has classic supernatural spin wrapped around a classic 80s style sports-action film. I call this Bloodsport meets Friday the 13th meets Fight Club.

Here, Miss Behave (Ayisha Issa) is hardly satisfied with her life. She’s one member of a group of small-time wrestlers who hope that one day, some media mogul offers them a deal of a lifetime. Unfortunately, when they are asked to bring their travelling show to a backwater town, they are none the wiser. They don’t realise the ring-leader they’re dealing with was a former wrestler himself, and that he fell from grace a long time ago. Only Mean Joe Lean (Steven Ogg) knows something about his past!

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AstroNots is Ready to Launch at Fantasia Film Festival 2024! An Interview with Andrew Seaton and Matthew Samperi.

Presented with Pendant ce temps sur Terre
July 22, 2024 6:35 PM Auditorium des diplômés de la SGWU (Théâtre Hall)

Not to be confused with other movies bearing the same name, AstroNots is a hilarious Australian short film set to screen at Fantasia Film Festival 2024! Not only has it been screened at the Hollywood Comedy Shorts and Durban International Film Festival earlier this year, but also it got honourable mention at Inner West Film Fest. With this impressive list, director Andrew Seaton and cinematographer Matthew Samperi believe they got a hit.

What I enjoyed from this work is that it pays tribute to many fond sci-fi classics in subtle ways. And to learn more about what they have planned, I got to communicate with them:

For our readers unfamiliar with your work, can I please get an introduction?

MS: Andrew and I grew up together—our parents were friends before we were born. As teenagers, we loved making short films together as a creative pursuit and a way of gathering our school friends together for some fun. This fuelled our combined passion for filmmaking which lasted throughout high school and into our university years. Eventually, when our hobby started to become our profession, we started the company Mint Films together and have since grown it into one of Australia’s top commercial production companies. We produce both commercial and creative work, and over the coming years plan to push into the long form and narrative space.

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[Fantasia 2024] The Search for Kryptic, or Should That Be “Who You Are?”

July 22, 2024 6:15 PM Salle J.A. De Sève
July 24, 2024 12:15 PM Salle J.A. De Sève

Art photographer-turned-filmmaker Kourtney Roy has a film that explores the stranger side of life and cryptozoology. And when she makes her stamp on Kryptic quite surreal, if not erotic, I’m quite curious. Also, when this movie takes place in Southern British Columbia, where I live, I have to take an interest!

I find nothing wrong with making a film with some suggestive pornographic elements. And that’s because of what’s presented. This film isn’t too different from Sasquatch Sunset, to which I’ll post a review later this week.

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[Fantasia 2024] In Ant Simpson’s Bookworm, It’s A Big, Big World

In this family film about bonds lost, it eventually get stitched back together. Bookworm is a fantastic Kiwi film about why “Fellowship” matters.

Bookworm Movie Poster — **Coming to theatres Fall/Winter 2024**

World Debut at
Fantasia Film Festival 2024
Thu July 18, 2024 6:30 PM
Auditorium des diplômés
de la SGWU (Théâtre Hall)

Elijah Wood must have enjoyed playing Strawn Wise, a has-been stage magician, in Bookworm. This hilarious family film by Ant Simpson sees him doing what I feel is his best Johnny Depp impression as a misfit father from America trying to do what’s right. Technically, Mildred (Nell Fisher is perfect in this role) takes the lead in this New Zealand adventure comedy, as she has a know-it-all attitude despite having lived a rather sheltered life. True to this film’s namesake, she’s a nerd.

And that’s not the reason Wise abandoned her. Although the backstory felt very compressed, I’ll be watching this film again as soon as it hits theatres later this year. That’s because I want to know how he heard about his wife getting ill. As for showing up out of the blue, he’ll have to convince more than one guardian that he’ll do what’s right.

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12 Hot Films to See at Fantasia Film Festival 2024

Fans of Fantasia Film Festival will also say their shorts, like Anime no Bento 2024, are not worth missing! They offer a celebration of the arts in ways not every film will explore!

Fantasia Film Festival 2024 Montreal City’s Fantasia Film Festival is the destination for all things wild in the pop culture movie scene. Although I love it because of all the Asian style imports, there’s always something unique from another country that’ll catch my interest.

Whether that’s with Les yeux d’Olga or Chainsaws Were Singing (Mootorsaed laulsid) due to what this work promises to entertain with, they help round out this top twelve must see picks! The former is a short which may borrow concepts from Bubba Ho-tep and the latter is a horror musical, a genre which doesn’t receive enough attention, and I hope both succeed!

Presented in alphabetical order are my top picks on what to go see:

Brush of the God (Kaminofude)

Brush of the God (Kaminofude) Sun July 28, 2024
Salle J.A. De Sève

Once a movie earns the label of a kaiju film, I’ll simply watch it, and here, it’s about a young girl who wants to know more about her late grandfather. He’s a model maker who’s worked in many monster movies, and as for how she gets teleported into the worlds that her grandpa made, well, that’s the mystery. I doubt this work will be like the Last Action Hero, but I’m very curious!

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