Fantasia International Film Festival 2021

View other Fantasia International Film Festival Films by strand: Shorts

Giving Birth To A Butterfly Giving Birth To A Butterfly
Giving Birth To A Butterfly and Glasshouse
The 12 Day Tale Of The Monster That Died In 8 (Country: Japan; Year: 2020; Director: Shunji Iwai; Writer: Shunji Iwai, based on the story by Shinjo Higuchi; Stars: Shinji Higuchi, Moeka Hoshi, Non, Takumi Saitoh, So Takei)
An actor buys capsule monsters online to defeat Covid-19.
Agnes (Country: US; Year: 2021; Director: Mickey Reece; Writer: Mickey Reece, John Selvidge; Stars: Molly C Quinn, Sean Gunn, Hayley McFarland, Chris Browning, Rachel True)
Rumours of demonic possession at a religious convent prompts a church investigation into the strange goings-on among its nuns. A disaffected priest and his neophyte are confronted with temptation, bloodshed and a crisis of faith.
Alien On Stage (Country: UK; Year: 2020; Director: Danielle Kummer; Lucy Harvey.)
The story of the Dorset Bus Drivers whose amateur dramatics group created a serious stage adaptation of the science fiction horror classic Alien and ended up performing in London's West End.
All About Lily Chou-Chou (Riri Shushu no subete, Lily Chou Chou no subete) (Country: Japan; Year: 2001; Director: Shunji Iwai; Writer: Shunji Iwai; Stars: Hayato Ichinara, Shugo Oshinari, Ayumi Ito, Yu Aoi, Takao Osawa, Miwako Ichikawa, Izumi Inamori)
A disaffected teen finds solace in music and fan chat rooms.
All The Moons (Country: Spain; Year: 2021; Director: Igor Legarreta; Stars: Haizea Carneros, Itziar Ituño)
A young girl is severely injured when a religious orphanage is bombed during the third Carlist war. On the verge of death, she is healed by a mysterious woman whom she believes to be an angel. They are soon separated, the child left to fend for herself - for decades upon decades.
Beyond The Infinite Two Minutes Beyond The Infinite Two Minutes
Beyond The Infinite Two Minutes and Fortune Favours Lady Nikuko
Art Kabuki (Country: Japan; Year: 2021; Director: Kazutaro Nakamura; Stars: Kazutaro Nakamura)
A kabuki performance created in the time of Covid.
Baby, Don't Cry! (Country: US; Year: 2021; Director: Jesse Dvorak; Writer: Zita Bai; Stars: Boni Mata, Zita Bai, Troy Musil, Vas Provatakis)
A withdrawn and sensitive 17-year-old Chinese immigrant from a troubled home meets a 20-year-old delinquent, and together they embark on a twisted journey to try and escape their fate.
Baby Money (Dead End) (Country: US; Year: 2021; Director: Mikhael Bassilli, Luc Walpoth; Writer: Mikhael Bassilli, MJ Palo; Stars: Danay Garcia, Joey Kern, Taja V Simpson, Michael Drayer)
A pair of fugitives take refuge in the house of a single mother as they wait on their pregnant getaway driver to hatch an escape plan in time for a major payday.
Back To The Wharf (Feng Ping Lang Jing) (Country: China; Year: 2020; Director: Li Xiaofeng; Stars: Zhang Yu, Song Jia, Wang Yanhui)
An escaped convict for negligent homicide returns to hometown after 15 years, only to be haunted by his past, and gets mixed up in a scheme involving the daughter of his victim.
The Beta Test (Country: US, UK; Year: 2021; Director: Jim Cummings, PJ McCabe; Writer: Jim Cummings, PJ McCabe; Stars: Jim Cummings, Virginia Newcomb, PJ McCabe, Kevin Changaris, Olivia Grace Applegate, Jessie Barr, Christian Hillborg, Malin Barr, Jacqueline Doke, Wilky Lau, Grant Rosenmeyer, Keith Powell, Monroe Cline, Laura Coover, Boni Mata)
A man's life starts to fracture after he receives an unusual invitation.
Voice Of Silence Voice Of Silence
Voice Of Silence and Don't Say Its Name
Beyond The Infinite Two Minutes (Droste No Hate De Bokura) (Country: Japan; Year: 2021; Director: Junta Yamaguchi; Writer: Makoto Ueda; Stars: Aki Asakura, Riko Fujitani, Gôta Ishida, Yoshifumi Sakai, Kazunari Tosa)
A café owner discovers that the TV in his café suddenly shows images from the future, but only two minutes into the future.
#Blue_Whale (Country: Russia; Year: 2021; Director: Anna Zaytseva; Writer: Anna Zaytseva; Stars: Anna Potebnya)
Researching the death of her younger sister, a schoolgirl comes across a sickening social media game that encourages youths to take horrific self-harm challenges. Aiming to hunt down those responsible for her sister’s death, she registers for the game, opening a doorway into the cruellest of hidden online worlds.
Brain Freeze (Country: Canada; Year: 2021; Director: Julien Knafo; Writer: Julien Knafo; Stars: Iani Bédard, Roy Dupuis, Marianne Fortier, Anne-Élisabeth Bossé, Claudia Ferri)
A fertiliser used in a rich gated community becomes the source of a genetic mutation that transforms its residents into zombies. Can a teenager and his baby sister break free from the quarantined island before turning into grass?
Broadcast Signal Intrusion (Country: US; Year: 2021; Director: Jacob Gentry; Writer: hil Drinkwater, Tim Woodall; Stars: Harry Shum Jr., Kelley Mack, Chris Sullivan, Jennifer Jelsema, Arif Yampolsky, Justin Welborn, Michael B. Woods, Steve Pringle)
In the late Nineties, a video archivist unearths a series of sinister pirate broadcasts and becomes obsessed with uncovering the dark conspiracy behind them.
Bull (Country: UK; Year: 2021; Director: Paul Andrew Williams; Writer: Paul Andrew Williams; Stars: Tamzin Outhwaite, Neil Maskell, David Hayman)
Bull mysteriously returns home after a 10 year absence to seek revenge on those who double crossed him all those years ago.
Alien On Stage Alien On Stage
Alien On Stage and Kakegurui 2: Ultimate Russian Roulette
Catch The Fair One (Country: US; Year: 2021; Director: Josef Kubota Wladyka; Writer: Kali Reis, Josef Kubota Wladyka, Josef Kubota Wladyka; Stars: Kevin Dunn, Kimberly Guerrero, Lisa Emery, Daniel Henshall, Michael Drayer, Jonathan Kowalsky, Gerald Webb, Isabelle Chester, Tiffany Chu, Peter Johnson, Samantha Stack, Bill Smith, Jonathan Wilde, Christine Lauer, Elisabeth Manente)
A Native American boxer embarks on the fight of her life when she goes in search of her missing sister.
Caution, Hazardous Wife (Caution Hazardous Wife: The Movie, Gekijouban Okusama Wa Toriatsukaichuui) (Country: Japan; Year: 2021; Director: Tôya Satô; Writer: Yukiko Manabe, based on the story by Kazuki Kaneshiro; Stars: Haruka Ayase, Rei Dan, Fumiyo Kohinata , Atsuko Maeda)
An amnesia housewife she discovers an unexpected and dangerous side to herself which she never predicted.
Collectors (Country: South Korea; Year: 2020; Director: Park Jung-bae; Stars: Lee Jehoon, Jo Woo-jin, Shin Hye-Sun, Im Won-hee)
When the word gets out that the ancient king's treasure rumoured to worth a fortune is buried in the royal tomb located in the heart of Seoul, a group of excavators sets out to claim the prize.
Coming Home In The Dark (Country: New Zealand; Year: 2021; Director: James Ashcroft; Writer: James Ashcroft, Eli Kent, Owen Marshall; Stars: Daniel Gillies, Erik Thomson, Miriama McDowell, Matthias Luafutu, Frankie Paratene, Billy Paratene)
A family’s outing descends into terror when teacher Alan Hoaganraad, his wife Jill and stepsons Maika and Jordon explore an isolated coastline. An unexpected meeting with a pair of drifters, the enigmatic psychopath Mandrake and his accomplice Tubs, thrusts the family into a nightmare when they find themselves captured.
Cryptozoo (Country: US; Year: 2021; Director: Dash Shaw; Writer: Dash Shaw; Stars: Lake Bell, Michael Cera, Angeliki Papoulia, Zoe Kazan, Peter Stormare, Grace Zabriskie)
As cryptozookeepers struggle to capture a Baku (a legendary dream-eating hybrid creature) they begin to wonder if they should display these rare beasts in the confines of a cryptozoo, or if these mythical creatures should remain hidden and unknown.
Baby Money Baby Money
Baby Money and Agnes
Dear Hacker (Country: France; Year: 2021; Director: Alice Lenay; Writer: Alice Lenay)
A documentarian who has noticed unexpected activity on her webcam embarks on a series of video calls to find out why.
The Deep House (Country: France, Belgium; Year: 2021; Director: Alexandre Bustillo, Julien Maury; Writer: Alexandre Bustillo, Julien Maury, Julien David; Stars: Camille Rowe, James Jagger, Eric Savin, Carolina Massey)
Tourists collecting material for social media enter a strange house located at the bottom of the sea, and their presence awakens a dark spirit.
The Deer King (Shika No Ou) (Country: Japan; Year: 2021; Director: Masashi Ando, Masayuki Miyaji; Writer: Taku Kishimoto, Nahoko Uehashi)
When a pack of dogs race through a Zol-controlled mine, Van, an enslaved former soldier, and a young girl named Yuna are both bitten, but manage to escape as the sole survivors of the attack. They seek out a simple, peaceful existence in the countryside but the deadly Black Wolf Fever complicates everything.
The Devil's Deal (Country: South Korea; Year: 2021; Director: Lee Won-tae; Stars: Cho Jin-woong)
A critical political satire about corruption, insider trading and organised crime.
Don't Say Its Name (Country: Canada; Year: 2021; Director: Rueben Martell; Writer: Rueben Martell, Gerald Wexler; Stars: Sera-Lys McArthur, Samuel Marty, Julian Black Antelope, Tom Carey, Madison Walsh, Griffin Powell-Arcand, Catherine Gell)
After a suspicious accident takes the life of an environmental activist, an ancient spirit is reborn outside a small northern town.
Love, Life And Goldfish Love, Life And Goldfish
Love, Life And Goldfish and The Sadness
Dreams On Fire (Year: 2021; Director: Philippe McKie; Writer: Philippe McKie)
An exploration of the underground dance community in Tokyo.
Dr. Caligari (Country: US; Year: 1989; Director: Stephen Sayadian; Writer: Stephen Sayadian, Jerry Stahl; Stars: Madeleine Reynal, Fox Harris, Laura Albert, Jennifer Balgobin, John Durbin, Gene Zerna)
The staff want Dr. Caligari removed from their facility due to her controversial experiments with electroshock and hypothalamus injections.
The Feast (Gwledd) (Country: UK; Year: 2021; Director: Lee-Haven Jones; Writer: Roger Williams; Stars: Anne Elwy, Nia Roberts, Julian Lewis Jones, Steffan Cennydd, Sion Alun Davies, Lisa Palfrey, Rhodri Meilir)
Over an evening a wealthy family gathers for a sumptuous dinner with guests in their ostentatious house in the Welsh mountains. Served by a mysteriously disturbing young woman, the assembled party do not realise they are about to eat their last supper.
Fighter (Country: Republic of Korea; Year: 2020; Director: Jéro Yun; Stars: Lim Seong-mi, Baek Seo-bin, Oh Kwang-rok, Lee Seung-yeon)
As a North Korean in exile, Jina has no choice but to literally box her way through. With gentle force, she begins to stubbornly rebel against the everyday injustices which she experiences as an outsider from a disreputable country.
Follow The Light (Country: Japan; Year: 2021; Director: Yoichi Narita; Writer: Yoichi Narita, Yû Sakudô; Stars: Tsubasa Nakagawa, Itsuki Nagasawa, Rina Ikoma, Tarô Suruga, Toshirô Yanagiba, Tsubasa Nakagawa, Itsuki Nagasawa, Rina Ikoma, Tarô Suruga, Toshirô Yanagiba)
A city boy recently relocated to the countryside becomes fascinated by an isolated girl who is obsessed with a crop circle in her grandfather's fields.
The Last Thing Mary Saw The Last Thing Mary Saw
The Last Thing Mary Saw and Catch The Fair One
Fortune Favours Lady Nikuko (Country: Japan; Year: 2021; Director: Ayumu Watanabe; Writer: Kanako Nishi; Stars: Shinobu Ôtake, Cocomi, Natsuki Hanae, Ikuji Nakamura, Izumi Ishii, Atsushi Yamanishi, Yûichi Yasoda, Hiro Shimono, Matsuko Deluxe, Riho Yoshioka, Karen Takizawa)
The most ordinary people and places can be quite extraordinary.
Frank & Zed (Frank And Zed) (Country: US; Year: 2020; Director: Jesse Blanchard; Writer: Jesse Blanchard; Stars: Jerry Bell Jr, Aaron Booth, Randolph F Christen, Chris Henry, Johnny Huang)
Two reanimated corpses, dependent on each other for survival, live a life of solitude until a power-hungry magistrate tricks a group of villagers into attacking their lonely castle, fulfilling an ancient prophecy: The Orgy of Blood.
Funky Forest: The First Contact (Naisu No Mori: The First Contact) (Country: Japan; Year: 2000; Director: Katsuhito Ishii, Hajime Ishimine, Shunichiro Miki; Writer: Katsuhito Ishii, Hajime Ishimine, Shunichiro Miki; Stars: Andrew Alfieri, Hideaki Anno, Moyoco Anno)
An outrageous collection of surreal, short attention span non-sequiturs largely revolving around Guitar Brother, his randy older sibling, and the pair's portly Caucasian brother.
Georama Boy Panorama Girl (Jiorama Boi Panorama Garu) (Country: Japan; Year: 2020; Director: Natsuki Seta; Stars: Nene Ohtsuka, Jin Suzuki, Anna Yamada)
Teenage romance is full of embarrassing misunderstandings and cruel twists and turns.
Ghosting Gloria (Country: Uruguay; Year: 2021; Director: Marcela Matta, Mauro Sarser; Writer: Mauro Sarser; Stars: Stefania Tortorella)
A woman who has never had an orgasm finally finds the right man. There is just one issue: he’s a ghost.
#Blue_Whale #Blue_Whale
#Blue_Whale and We're All Going to The World's Fair
Giving Birth To A Butterfly (Country: US; Year: 2021; Director: Theodore Schaefer; Writer: Patrick Lawler, Ted Schaefer; Stars: Annie Parisse, Rachel Resheff, Jessica Pimentel, Cesar J Rosado)
After having her identity stolen, a woman enlists her son's pregnant girlfriend to help her try and track down the perpetrators.
Glasshouse (Country: South Africa; Year: 2021; Director: Kelsey Egan; Writer: Emma Lungiswa De Wet, Kelsey Egan; Stars: Jessica Alexander, Hilton Pelser, Brent Vermeulen, Adrienne Pearce, Kitty Harris, Anja Taljaard)
Safe within their glasshouse sanctuary, a family survives a memory-shredding neurotoxin that has poisoned the air outside - until a stranger forces them to confront a truth they have done their best to forget.
Grand Blue Dreaming (Country: Japan; Year: 2021; Director: Tsutomu Hanabusa)
Two young men end up trapped in a scuba diving club full of muscular party animals and pretty girls with fierce tempers.
The Great Yokai War: Guardians (Yokai Daisenso: Guardians) (Country: Japan; Year: 2021; Director: Takashi Miike; Writer: Yûsuke Watanabe; Stars: Kazuki Kitamura, Hana Sugisaki, Sakura Andô, Namako Matsushima, Nao Ohmori, Ken'ichi Endô)
A battle of Japanese monsters takes place for the fate of the world.
Hand Rolled Cigarette (Country: Hong Kong; Year: 2020; Director: Chan Kin-long; Writer: Chan Kin-long, Ling Ryan Wai-chun; Stars: Lam Ka-tung, Bipin Karma, Singh Hartihan Bitto, Chin Siu-ho, Aaron Chow)
A story of how a retired British-Chinese soldier and a marginalised young South Asian man face the plight of being abandoned by society.
Mad God Mad God
Mad God and Yakuza Princess
Hayop Ka! (You Animal!) (Country: Philippines, US, Brazil, UK, Taiwan; Year: 2020; Director: Avid Liongoren; Writer: Manny Angeles, Avid Liongoren; Stars: Angelica Panganiban, Robin Padilla, Sam Milby)
Perfume sales cat Nimfa is torn between her macho askal boyfriend and a charming, philandering business dog.
Hellbender (Year: 2021; Director: Toby Poser; Writer: John Adams, Toby Poser; Stars: John Adams, Toby Poser, Zelda Adams)
A lonely teenage girl finds guidance in her family’s suppressed supernatural lineage.
Hello! Tapir (Country: Taiwan; Year: 2020; Director: Kethsvin Chee; Stars: Charlie Yeung, Run-yin Bai, Akio Chen)
Eight-year-old Ah Keat sets off in search of the mythical nightmare-eating creature in the forest, hoping it will bring his father back to life.
Hold Me Back (Watashi Wo Kuitomete) (Country: Japan; Year: 2020; Director: Akiko Ohku; Writer: Risa Wataya)
Love on the edge, which can't get any closer than 10cm: Mitsuko, 31, who is getting used to a solo life and has a counselor named "A" in her brain, falls in love with a young man.
Hotel Poseidon (Country: Belgium; Year: 2021; Director: Stefan Lernous; Writer: Stefan Lernous; Stars: Tom Vermeir, Ruth Becquart, Anneke Sluiters, Tania Van Der Sanden, Dominique Van Malder)
The self-appointed manager of a decaying hotel watches as it is transformed into an existential purgatory.
Prisoners Of The Ghostland Prisoners Of The Ghostland
Prisoners Of The Ghostland and Broadcast Signal Intrusion
Ida Red (Country: US; Year: 2021; Director: John Swab; Writer: John Swab; Stars: Frank Grillo, Deborah Ann Woll, Josh Hartnett, Melissa Leo, Mark Boone Jr)
Ida 'Red' Walker may not survive her terminal illness while incarcerated for armed robbery. She turns to her son, Wyatt, for one last job and a chance to regain her freedom.
Indemnity (Country: South Africa; Year: 2021; Director: Travis Taute; Writer: Travis Taute; Stars: Jarrid Geduld, Gail Mabalane, Andre Jacobs, Nicole Fortuin)
A fireman with an anguished past finds himself on the run for a crime he has no memory of.
It's A Summer Film (Summer Film Ni Notte) (Country: Japan; Year: 2020; Director: Sôshi Masumoto; Writer: Sôshi Masumoto, Naoyuki Miura; Stars: Marika Itô, Daichi Kaneko, Yumi Kawai, Kirara Inori)
Barefoot and her friends decide to make a samurai movie, gather a unique cast and staff for the production, and try to screen it at their school festival. During the production, Barefoot finds out that Rintaro is a time-traveler from the future.
Josée (Country: South Korea; Year: 2020; Director: Kim Jong-kwan; Writer: Seiko Tanabe; Stars: Hwang Do-Yun, Han Ji-min, Nam Joo-Hyuk)
A story that depicts the brightest moments of Josee and Young-Seok. Josee has a physical disability and lives in her own world. Young-Seok enters her world.
Kakegurui (Elga: Kakegurui, Kakegurui The Movie) (Country: Japan; Year: 2019; Director: Tsutomu Hanabusa; Writer: Tsutomu Hanabusa, based on the manga by Homura Kawamoto; Stars: Minami Hamabe, Mahiro Takasugi, Aoi Morikawa)
At an elite school where everything is based around gambling, a dispute between factions creates an opportunity for an ambitious student to try and outsmart all the others.
Coming Home In The Dark Coming Home In The Dark
Coming Home In The Dark and Uzumaki
Kakegurui 2: Ultimate Russian Roulette (Kakegurui 2: Desperate Russian Roulette) (Country: Japan; Year: 2021; Director: Tsutomu Hanabusa; Writer: Tsutomu Hanabusa, Homura Kawamoto, Tôru Naomura, Minato Takano; Stars: Minami Hamabe, Elaiza Ikeda, Ruka Matsuda, Sayuri Matsumura, Natsume Mito, Aoi Morikawa, Yurika Nakamura, Natsumi Okamoto, Akira Onodera, Mahiro Takasugi, Yûma Yamoto, Miki Yanagi, Minami Hamabe, Elaiza Ikeda, Ruka Matsuda)
Lives are on the line at Hyakkaoh Academy, the school dedicated to teaching its students how to gamble.
King Car (Country: Brazil; Year: 2021; Director: Renata Pinheiro; Writer: Sergio Oliveira, Renata Pinheiro; Stars: Okado do Canal, Jules Elting, Matheus Nachtergaele, Luciano Pedro Jr)
The son of a taxi company owner converts written-off cars into futuristic vehicles that are conscious and speak, but will capitalism destroy his dream?
King Knight (Country: US; Year: 2021; Director: Richard Bates Jr; Writer: Richard Bates Jr; Stars: Aubrey Plaza, Matthew Gray Gubler, Angela Sarafyan, AnnaLynne McCord)
The high priest of a modern-day coven finds his life thrown into turmoil and ventures out on a journey of self-discovery.
Kratt (Year: 2020; Director: Rasmus Merivoo; Writer: Rasmus Merivoo; Stars: Ivo Uukkivi, Jan Uuspõld, Mari Lill, Juhan Rodrik, Roland Treima, Marek Tammets, Nora Merivoo, Venno Loosaar, Paul Laasik, Mari-Liis Lill, Elise Tekko, Harri Merivoo, Jaanus Mehikas, Ivo Uukkivi, Jan Uuspõld)
Children are left to grandma’s without smartphones. Real life seems boring until they find instructions for kratt - magical creature who will do whatever its master says. All they have to do now, is to buy a soul from the devil...
The Last Thing Mary Saw (Country: US; Year: 2021; Director: Edoardo Vitaletti; Writer: Edoardo Vitaletti; Stars: Rory Culkin, Isabelle Fuhrman, Stefanie Scott, Carolyn McCormick)
Winter, 1843. A young woman is under investigation following the mysterious death of her family's matriarch. Her recollection of the events sheds new light on the ageless forces behind the tragedy.
Office Royale Office Royale
Office Royale and The Story Of Southern Islet
Little Vampire (Country: France, Belgium; Year: 2020; Director: Joann Sfar; Writer: Sandrina Jardel, Joann Sfar; Stars: Camille Cottin, Louise Lacoste, Jean-Paul Rouve, Claire de la Rue de Can, Alex Lutz)
A friendship forms between a never-aging 10-year-old vampire and an orphan schoolboy, but a moon headed monster throws obstacles in their paths.
Lost Boys (Country: Finland; Year: 2020; Director: Sadri Cetinkaya, Joonas Neuvonen; Writer: Sadri Cetinkaya, Joonas Neuvonen, Venla Varha; Stars: Pekka Strang, Jani Raappana, Antti, Joonas Neuvonen, Pekka Strang, Jani Raappana, Antti, Joonas Neuvonen)
Documentary tracking one of the director's attempts to find his drug addict friends after they vanish in Cambodia.
Love, Life And Goldfish (Sukutte Goran) (Country: Japan; Year: 2021; Director: Yukinori Makabe; Writer: Asumi Tsuchi, based on the manga by Noriko Otani; Stars: Nicole Ishida, Hayato Kakizawa, Naoki Kawano, Masuyasu Kitayana)
Makoto Kashiba is an elite bank clerk and works for a big bank at its Tokyo HQ. Due to a minor mistake, he is demoted to a small branch office in a country town. He is devastated by his situation. There, he meets beautiful Yoshino Ikoma, who runs a goldfish scooping store. Makoto falls in love with her at first sight.
Mad God (Country: US; Year: 2021; Director: Phil Tippett; Writer: Phil Tippett; Stars: Alex Cox, Niketa Roman, Satish Ratakonda, Harper Taylor, Brynn Taylor)
An epic journey through all the layers of hell.
Martyrs Lane (Country: UK; Year: 2021; Director: Ruth Platt; Writer: Ruth Platt; Stars: Denise Gough, Steven Cree, Anastasia Hille, Hannah Ray)
A small, nightly visitor brings comfort to a lonely girl growing up in a large vicarage, but soon she will realise that her little visitor offers knowledge that might be very, very dangerous.
Brain Freeze Brain Freeze
Brain Freeze and All About Lily Chou-Chou
Midnight (Country: South Korea; Year: 2021; Director: Kwon Oh-seung)
A wave of murders hits the city and, lurking in the shadows, a killer has just identified the deaf woman he plans to target next.
Midnight In A Perfect World (Country: Philippines; Year: 2020; Director: Dodo Dayao; Writer: Dodo Dayao, Carljoe Javier; Stars: Jasmine Curtis-Smith, Glaiza de Castro, Anthony Falcon, Dino Pastrano, Bing Pimentel, Soliman Cruz)
In the near future, Manila is an almost-Utopian city where people disappear after being caught out in mysterious blackouts that happen in random parts of the city after midnight. Four friends who think it's all a hoax find themselves in the middle of one.
Mill Of The Stone Women (Il Mulino Delle Donne Di Pietra) (Country: Italy, France; Year: 1960; Director: Giorgio Ferroni; Writer: Remigio Del Grosso, Giorgio Ferroni, Ugo Liberatore; Stars: Pierre Brice, Scilla Gabel, Wolfgang Preiss)
A journalist writing a story on reclusive sculptor, Professor Val, falls for the professor's beautiful and seductive daughter but slowly becomes aware of nefarious experiments and the disappearance of local women.
Mother Schmuckers (Country: Belgium; Year: 2021; Director: Harpo Guit, Lenny Guit; Writer: Harpo Guit, Lenny Guit; Stars: Harpo Guit, Maxi Delmelle, Claire Bodson, Mathieu Amalric, Habib Ben Tanfous)
Issachar & Zabulon, two brothers in their twenties, are supremely stupid and never bored, as madness is part of their daily lives. When they lose their mother's beloved dog, they have 24 hours to find it – or she will kick them out.
The Night House (Country: US; Year: 2020; Director: David Bruckner; Writer: Ben Collins, Luke Piotrowski; Stars: Rebecca Hall, Sarah Goldberg, Vondie Curtis-Hall, Stacy Martin, Evan Jonigkeit, Allie McCulloch, Samantha Buck, Patrick Klein, Michael Flores, James W. Meagher, Amy Zubieta, Andy Rich, Laura Austin, Dannielle Rose, Crystal Swann)
A widow struggles with grief as strange things happen in her lake house at night.
Cryptozoo Cryptozoo
Cryptozoo and You Can't Kill Meme
Not Quite Dead Yet (Ichido Shinde Mita) (Country: Japan; Year: 2020; Director: Shinji Hamasaki; Writer: Yoshimitsu Sawamoto; Stars: Suzu Hirose, Ryô Yoshizawa, Lily Franky, Yukiyoshi Ozawa)
A death metal singer must team up with the ghost of her recently deceased father to uncover a scheme underway at the pharmaceutical company he left behind… and save his life.
Office Royale (Hell's Garden) (Country: Japan; Year: 2021; Director: Kazuaki Seki; Writer: Bakarhythm; Stars: Mei Nagano, Alice Hirose, Nanao, Rina Kawaei, Miyuki Ohshima, Masanobu Katsumura)
Naoko is a 26-year-old office worker. Her job is typical, but her workplace has fierce fights among different cliques. One day, Naoko's company is targeted by office ladies from all over Japan.
One Second Champion (Country: Hong Kong; Year: 2020; Director: Chiu Sin-hang; Writer: Ashley Cheung, Ryan Wai-Chun Ling; Stars: Singh Hartihan Bitto, Hung Cheuk-Lok, Chiu Sin-hang)
A single father becomes gifted with the power of seeing one second into the future. When his ability is exposed, a boxing buff persuades him to use his power in the boxing ring.
On The 3rd Day (Al Tercer Día) (Country: Argentina; Year: 2021; Director: Daniel de la Vega; Writer: Alberto Fasce, Gonzalo Ventura; Stars: Mariana Anghileri, Arturo Bonín, Diego Cremonesi, Lautaro Delgado, Mathias Domizi)
After a car crash which damages her memory, a woman desperate to find her son goes looking for answers.
Opération Luchador (Country: Canada; Year: 2021; Director: Alain Vézina; Writer: Alain Vézina; Stars: Lawrence Brown, Alain Essiembre, Caroline Gauthier, Patrice Joly, Johnny North)
At the dawn of the Second World War, Nazism was extending its grip over South America. The Golden Angel, a Mexican masked wrestler, was recruited by the Americans in order to flush out the spies of the Third Reich and put a stop to their nefarious schemes.
Ghosting Gloria Ghosting Gloria
Ghosting Gloria and On The 3rd Day
Ora, Ora, Be Goin' Alone (I Shall Live By Myself) (Country: Japan; Year: 2020; Director: Shûichi Okita; Writer: Chisako Wakatake; Stars: Yûko Tanaka, Yû Aoi, Munetaka Aoki, Gaku Hamada, Masahiro Higashide, Kankurô Kudô)
An elderly woman who lives alone finds her way into a library and her life opens up.
Paul Dood’s Deadly Lunch Break (Country: UK; Year: 2021; Director: Nick Gillespie; Writer: Brook Driver, Nick Gillespie; Stars: Tom Meeten, Katherine Parkinson, Kris Marshall, Alice Lowe, Mandeep Dhillon, Johnny Vegas, Steve Oram, Craig Parkinson, Kevin Bishop, Pippa Haywood)
A charity shop worker is set on winning the big national talent show. But when the actions of five selfish people cause him to miss his audition, he sets out to seek deathly revenge.
Poly Styrene: I Am A Cliché (Country: UK; Year: 2021; Director: Celeste Bell, Paul Sng; Writer: Celeste Bell, Zoe Howe; Stars: Poly Styrene, Celeste Bell)
A documentary about the punk legend.
Pompo: The Cinéphile (Eiga Daisuki Pompo-san) (Country: Japan; Year: 2021; Director: Takayuki Hirao)
A film producer tries to break through into the mainstream.
Poupelle Of Chimney Town (Eiga Entotsu Machi No Poupelle) (Country: Japan; Year: 2020; Director: Yuusuke Hirota; Writer: Akihiro Nishino; Stars: Masataka Kubota, Mana Ashida, Shingo Fujimori)
One Halloween night, a deliveryman accidentally drops the heart he is supposed to deliver. He cannot find the heart in the smoke and gives up. The heart continues to beat where it fell in the town of chimneys.
The Feast The Feast
The Feast and Sweetie, You Won't Believe It
Prisoners Of The Ghostland (Country: US; Year: 2020; Director: Sion Sono; Writer: Aaron Hendry, Reza Sixo Safai; Stars: Nicolas Cage, Sofia Boutella, Nick Cassavetes, Bill Moseley, Tak Sakaguchi, Yuzuka Nakaya), Trailer
A notorious criminal is sent to rescue an abducted woman who has disappeared into a dark supernatural universe. They must break the evil curse that binds them and escape the mysterious revenants that rule the Ghostland, an East-meets-West vortex of beauty and violence.
Remain In Twilight (Country: Japan; Year: 2021; Director: Daigo Matsui; Writer: Daigo Matsui; Stars: Kisetsu Fujiwara, Kenta Hamano, Marie Iitoyo, Ryô Iwamatsu, Kika Kobayashi)
Six friends, who hung out together during their high school days reunite after five years for a friend's wedding - but one of them shouldn't be there, because he's dead.
The Righteous (Country: Canada; Year: 2021; Director: Mark O'Brien; Writer: Mark O'Brien; Stars: Nigel Bennett, Mark O'Brien, Henry Czerny, Myko Nguyen, Kate Corbett, Mimi Kuzyk)
A burdened man feels the wrath of a vengeful God after he and his wife are visited by a mysterious stranger.
The Sadness (Country: Taiwan; Year: 2021; Director: Rob Jabbaz; Writer: Rob Jabbaz; Stars: Regina, Tzu-Chiang Wang, Berant Zhu)
After a year of combating a pandemic with relatively benign symptoms, a frustrated nation finally lets its guard down. This is when the virus spontaneously mutates, giving rise to a mind-altering plague. The streets erupt into violence and depravity.
Sakura (Country: Japan; Year: 2020; Director: Hitoshi Yazaki; Writer: Kanako Nishi; Stars: Tamiyasu Chô, Masaya Katô, Takumi Kitamura, Yui Kobayashi)
Three siblings share a home with their parents, living a happy life until the oldest has an accident.
The Righteous The Righteous
The Righteous and Strawberry Mansion
Satoshi Kon, The Illusionist (Satoshi Kon, l'illusionniste) (Country: France, Japan; Year: 2021; Director: Pascal-Alex Vincent; Stars: Mamoru Hosoda, Mamoru Oshii, Rodney Rothman, Megumi Hayashibara)
A documentary about the inspirational film director.
Seobok (Country: South Korea; Year: 2021; Director: Lee Yong-ju; Writer: Lee Yong-ju; Stars: Park Bo-gum, Gong Yoo, Jang Young-nam, Jo Woo-jin)
Ex intelligence agent Ki Heon is tasked with safely transporting Seo Bok, the first ever human clone, who holds the secret of eternal life. Several forces try to take control of Seo Bok to serve their own agendas.
Septet: The Story Of Hong Kong (Qi Ren Yue Dui) (Country: Hong Kong, China; Year: 2020; Director: Ann Hui, Sammo Kam-Bo Hung, Ringo Lam, Patrick Tam, Johnnie To, Hark Tsui, Woo-Ping Yuen; Writer: Kin-Yee Au, Sammo Kam-Bo Hung, Ringo Lam, Shiu-Wa Lou, Melvin Luk, Roy Szeto, Johnnie To, Hark Tsui, Nai-Hoi Yau; Stars: Lawrence Ah-Mon, Emotion Cheung, Tat-Ming Cheung, Ho-Cheong Chui, Ian Iskandar Gouw, Timmy Hung, Mimi Chi Yan Kung, Ashley Lam, Suet Lam, Yu-Hin Lam, Shek Yin Lau)
Seven of Hong Kong's leading filmmakers have come together to each direct a short film set in Hong Kong during one decade from the 1940s to the 2000s.
Sexual Drive (Country: Japan; Year: 2021; Director: Kôta Yoshida; Writer: Kôta Yoshida; Stars: Manami Hashimoto, Ryô Ikeda, Mukau Nakamura, Honami Satô, Tateto Serizawa, Shogen, Rina Takeda)
A triptych of films about sex, aphrodisiac foods and secret desires.
The Slug (Country: South Korea; Year: 2020; Director: Choi Jin-Young; Stars: Kang Jin-ah, Park Hye-jin, Byeon Jung-hui, Hong Sang-pyo Hwang Mi-young)
An orphan who makes a living by peeling garlic and saves some money for the treatment for hyperhidrosis is fine until she gets struck by lightning. When she gets home, she encounters her younger self, waiting for her,.
The Beta Test The Beta Test
The Beta Test and Follow The Light
The Spine Of Night (Year: 2021; Director: Philip Gelatt, Morgan Galen King; Writer: Philip Gelatt, Morgan Galen King; Stars: Richard E Grant, Lucy Lawless, Patton Oswalt, Betty Gabriel, Joe Manganiello, Larry Fessenden, Nina Lisandrello, Abby Savage, Tom Lipinski, Patrick Breen)
In this ultra-violent fantasy epic, ancient dark magic falls into sinister hands and unleashes ages of suffering onto mankind. A group of heroes from different eras and cultures must band together in order to defeat it at all costs
Stanleyville (Country: Canada; Year: 2021; Director: Maxwell McCabe-Lokos; Writer: Rob Benvie, Maxwell McCabe-Lokos; Stars: Susanne Wuest, Cara Ricketts, Christian Serritiello, George Tchortov)
One day, an ordinary office worker throws her purse and life away and joins an enigmatic contest to win a car.
The Story Of Southern Islet (Country: Malaysia; Year: 2020; Director: Chong Keat Aun; Writer: Chong Keat Aun; Stars: Jojo Goh, Season Chee, Hong Herr Wong, Wei Hern Teon, Ling Tang)
A woman who is travelling to see a shaman to seek help for her ailing husband endures strange encounters and unearthly experiences.
Straight To VHS (Country: Uruguay; Year: 2021; Director: Emilio Silva Torres)
A documentary tracing the origins of cult Uruguayan film Act Of Violence On A Young Journalist.
Strawberry Mansion (Country: US; Year: 2021; Director: Kentucker Audley, Albert Birney; Writer: Kentucker Audley, Albert Birney; Stars: Penny Fuller, Kentucker Audley, Grace Glowicki, Reed Birney, Linas Phillips, Constance Shulman)
In a world where the government records and taxes dreams, an unassuming dream auditor gets swept up in a cosmic journey through the life and dreams of an ageing eccentric named Bella. Together, they must find a way back home.
Mother Schmuckers Mother Schmuckers
Mother Schmuckers and Paul Dood’s Deadly Lunch Break
The Suicide Squad (Country: US; Year: 2021; Director: James Gunn; Writer: James Gunn, based on the comic by John Ostrander; Stars: Margot Robbie, Idris Elba, John Cena, Taika Waititi, David Dastmalchian, Alice Braga, Joel Kinnaman, Mikaela Hoover)
Supervillains Harley Quinn, Bloodsport, Peacemaker and a collection of nutty cons at Belle Reve prison join the super-secret, super-shady Task Force X as they are dropped off at the remote, enemy-infused island of Corto Maltese.
Sweetie, You Won't Believe It (Country: Kazakhstan; Year: 2020; Director: Yernar Nurgaliyev; Writer: Zhandos Aibassov, Yernar Nurgaliyev, Daniyar Soltanbayev, Il'yas Toleu, Anuar Turizhigitov, Alisher Utev)
It all starts off quite trivially, with a young married couple’s quarrel. The husband decides to get away with two friends on a fishing trip but mysterious events await them.
Time (Year: 2021; Director: Ricky Ko; Stars: Petrina Fung, Patrick Tse)
Two former assassins struggle to maintain relevance in the modern world. In order to put their martial arts mastery to use, they form the Guardian Angels of the Elderly, a team who use their skills to help the elderly out of their misery, whether it’s due to sickness or being jaded with life.
Tin Can (Country: Canada; Year: 2020; Director: Seth A Smith; Writer: Seth A Smith, Darcy Spidle; Stars: Anna Hopkins, Simon Mutabazi, Michael Ironside, Amy Trefry, Tim Dunn)
As the world faces a deadly plague, a front line parasitologist is imprisoned in a life-suspension chamber. To escape she must destroy the last of her kind.
Tiong Bahru Social Club (Country: Singapore; Year: 2020; Director: Bee Thiam Tan; Writer: Bee Thiam Tan, Antti Toivonen; Stars: Thomas Pang, Guat Kian Goh, Jalyn Han, Noorlinah Mohamed)
Ah Bee goes on a comedic odyssey through Tiong Bahru Social Club, a data-driven project to create the happiest neighbourhood in the world. Little by little, his encounters with the neighbourhood's residents reveal the absurdity of life.
Ultrasound Ultrasound
Ultrasound and The Suicide Squad
Tokyo Revengers (Country: Japan; Year: 2021; Director: Tsutomu Hanabusa; Writer: Ken Wakui; Stars: Keita Arai, Kazuki Horike, Mio Imada)
A middle-aged loser travels in time to his school years and in order to save the love of his life from future doom, he must become the leader of a dreaded school gang.
Tombs Of The Blind Dead (La Noche Del Terror Ciego) (Country: Spain, Portugal; Year: 1972; Director: Amando de Ossorio; Writer: Jesús Navarro Carrión, Amando de Ossorio; Stars: Lone Fleming, César Burner, María Elena Arpón, José Thelman)
A group of people accidentally stumble upon the graves of 13th Century Templars, who quested for eternal life by drinking human blood and committing sacrifices.
Ultrasound (Country: US; Year: 2021; Director: Rob Schroeder; Writer: Conor Stechschulte; Stars: Vincent Kartheiser, Chelsea Lopez, Breeda Wool, Tunde Adebimpe, Rainey Qualley, Bob Stephenson)
After his car breaks down, Glen spends one hell of an odd night with a married couple, setting into motion a chain of events that alter their lives plus those of several random strangers.
Under The Open Sky (Subarashiki Sekai) (Country: Japan; Year: 2020; Director: Miwa Nishikawa; Writer: Miwa Nishikawa, based on the book by Ryûzô Saki; Stars: Isao Hashizume, Meiko Kaji, Yukiya Kitamura, Masami Nagasawa)
A middle-aged former yakuza, recently released from the prison where he served time for murder, struggles to readjust to society and goes searching for his mother.
The Unknown Man Of Shandigor (L’Inconnu De Shandigor) (Country: Switzerland; Year: 1967; Director: Jean-Louis Roy; Writer: Jean-Louis Roy, Gabriel Arout, Pierre Koralnik; Stars: Marie-France Boyer, Ben Carruthers, Jacques Dufilho, Daniel Emilfork, Serge Gainsbourg, Jacqueline Danno, Marcel Imhoff)
Herbert Von Krantz, a nuclear scientist, has discovered the Canceler, a device capable of neutralising any kind of atomic bomb - but then his daughter and his assistant are kidnapped by different factions after the secret.
Martyrs Lane Martyrs Lane
Martyrs Lane and When I Consume You
Uzumaki (Spiral, Vortex) (Country: Japan; Year: 2000; Director: Higuchinsky; Writer: Kengo Kaji, based on the manga by Junji Ito.; Stars: Eriko Hatsune, Fhi Fan, Hinako Saeki, Eun-Kyung Shin, Keiko Takahashi, Ren Osugi, Denden), Official Site
The people of a small town gradually become obsessed with spirals.
Voice Of Silence (Sorido Eopsi) (Country: South Korea; Year: 2020; Director: Hong Eui-Jeong; Writer: Hong Eui-Jeong; Stars: Yoo Ah-In, Yoo Jae-Myung, Moon Seung-ah)
Two men work for a criminal organisation to clean up the aftermath messes. One day, they receive an unexpected order.
The Warped Forest (Country: Japan; Year: 2011; Director: Shunichiro Miki; Writer: Shunichiro Miki, Yuuka Oosumi; Stars: Rinko Kikuchi, Yoshiyuki Morishita, Fumi Nikaidô, Yoji Tanaka)
Three trips into a surreal world where nothing follows familiar rules.
We're All Going to The World's Fair (Country: US; Year: 2021; Director: Jane Schoenbrun; Writer: Jane Schoenbrun; Stars: Anna Cobb)
A teenage girl becomes immersed in an online role-playing game.
What Josiah Saw (Country: US; Year: 2021; Director: Vincent Grashaw; Writer: Robert Alan Dilts; Stars: Robert Patrick, Nick Stahl, Scott Haze, Kelli Garner, Tony Hale)
A family with buried secrets reunites at a farmhouse after two decades to pay for past sins.
Woodlands Dark And Days Bewitched: A History Of Folk Horror Woodlands Dark And Days Bewitched: A History Of Folk Horror
Woodlands Dark And Days Bewitched: A History Of Folk Horror and King Knight
When I Consume You (Country: US; Year: 2021; Director: Perry Blackshear; Writer: Perry Blackshear; Stars: Libby Ewing, Evan Dumouchel, MacLeod Andrews, Margaret Ying Drake, Jeff Musillo)
A woman and her brother seek revenge against a mysterious stalker.
Wild Men (Country: Denmark; Year: 2021; Director: Thomas Daneskov; Writer: Thomas Daneskov, Morten Pape; Stars: Rasmus Bjerg, Zaki Youssef, Sofie Gråbøl, Bjørn Sundquist)
A man in the throes of a mid-life crisis who has decided to try to live like his Viking ancestors unwittingly befriends a robber on the run.
Wonderful Paradise (Noten Paradise) (Country: Japan; Year: 2020; Director: Masashi Yamamoto; Writer: Suzuyuki Kaneko, Masashi Yamamoto; Stars: Kaho Minami, Seikô Itô, Soran Tamoto, Mayu Ozawa, Kentaro Okochi)
A man in financial trouble tries to sell his mansion but his children keep inviting people to visit and party there.
Woodlands Dark And Days Bewitched: A History Of Folk Horror (Country: US; Year: 2021; Director: Kier-La Janisse; Writer: Kier-La Janisse)
A documentary about the history of folk horror cinema from the 1960s to today.
Yakuza Princess (Country: Brazil; Year: 2021; Director: Vicente Amorim; Writer: Vicente Amorim and Danilo Beyruth, based on the graphic novel by 'Samurai Shiro' Kimi Lee; Stars: MASUMI, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Tsuyoshi Ihara, Kenny Leu, Toshiji Takeshima)
When a Japanese gang boss is killed, his only heiress is sent abroad as a baby. 20 years later she discovers her inheritance and unleashes a war against her pursuers.
Kakegurui Kakegurui
Kakegurui and The 12 Day Tale Of The Monster That Died In 8
You Can't Kill Meme (Year: 2021; Director: Hayley Garrigus)
A filmmaker asks how we make sense of things when we collapse the infinite fidelity of information down into pithy sentences laid over ominous imagery.
News

59th New York Film Festival early bird highlights Futura, Jane By Charlotte, James Baldwin: From Another Place and The Velvet Underground

More news and features

Playing Now

Eye For Film continues to support festivals both locally and across the world. At the moment, we're covering:

Sands Film Festival
Weekend film event in St Andrews

Queer East

Visions du Réel
Swiss documentary showcase

Overlook Film Festival

New Directors/New Films
New York's celebration of new voices

In the Archive


Archive of festival coverage.

Daily diary and reviews from 2005-2018.

Coverage of the lynchpin German festival.