As Fantasia unveils its first wave of programming, vampires and Estonian demonic spirits are in – Cineuropa

FANTASIA 2021

byMarta Baaga

20/05/2021 - The 25th edition of the largest North American genre festival will welcome Estonias Kratt and new takes on those good ol bloodsuckers, courtesy of Igor Legarreta and Joann Sfar

Set to take place online from 5-25 August 2021, with the possibility of adding some physical events later on still wide open, the 25th edition of the Montreal-based Fantasia International Film Festival has announced the first titles in this years programme. The full line-up, as Cineuropa learnt, will be revealed in July.

Featuring an enhanced focus on Japanese cinema, there will also be room for American productions, starting with world premieres such as Edoardo Vitalettis The Last Thing Mary Saw, Hellbender directed by John, Toby and Zelda Adams, aka the Adams family Mikhael Bassilli and Luc Walpoths Baby Money, and finally Richard Bates Jrs Kin Knight, about the high priest and priestess of a coven of witches in a small California community.

With Canada represented by Mark OBriens The Righteous and Seth A Smiths Tin Can showing a parasitologist studying a mysterious fungal infection until she one day wakes up in a human-sized tin can three European productions made the cut as well, starting with the Spanish-French Ilargi Guztiak. Todas las lunas[+see also: filmreviewtrailerinterview: Igor Legarretafilmprofile], shot in the Basque language, by Igor Legarreta. The director masterfully employs the tenets of vampire lore as the basis for an intimate epic dealing with the themes of life and death, love and loneliness, devotion and intolerance. Impeccably crafted, it ranks among the best of vampire cinema, it was stated.

More fangs will feature in the animated Little Vampire[+see also: filmreviewtrailerfilmprofile] by Joann Sfar, based on his own graphic novel series and focusing on a friendship between a vampire and a human boy. Finally, Estonias Rasmus Merivoo will introduce Kratt: a Terminator-like demonic spirit that must always be fed work. Its pretty safe to say that no other movie at Fantasia 2021 will reach Kratts delightful preposterousness unless another Estonian dry comedy/fantasy/political commentary comes along to outplace it, noted the organisers. Kratt is like a mullet haircut, the director told Cineuropa; business in the front, party at the back perfect for those who enjoy things a bit wild, weird and liberatingly entertaining.

Find more information on the titles announced here.

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As Fantasia unveils its first wave of programming, vampires and Estonian demonic spirits are in - Cineuropa

Reviewed and Recommended by Erik Baquero