Welcome to the ninth edition of the Fantasia Film Festival. This year, we are so proud to once again present you our vast array of the best genre films recently produced. This year’s program spotlights Japan, with 25 Japanese feature films, and in addition offers 15 Korean feature films including Crying Fist (winner of Prix de la critique at the last Cannes Film Festival), for which the director and producer will be on hand. From the 15th to 17th of July, we will hold for a second straight year our thematic weekend, KOMIKSTOK, where we will showcase films that are inspired or adapted from the world of comics. Lastly, nine programs of shorts films will be featured, three of which showcase Quebec films.

We are thrilled to have invited numerous international and local guests to our festival. In collaboration with the animation magazine FPS, the highlight of this year’s venue is the invitation of Mr. Ray Harryhausen, a living legend of fantasy films who has amazed generations of film buffs and served as a source of inspiration for directors Cameron, Jackson, Lucas, Spielberg and many more.

We are able to offer you such high-quality programming, and also the unique opportunity to meet international guests, due simply to the immense success and popularity of the festival. We would like to express our gratitude, and moreover, we certainly count on your enthusiastic response, which is renewed each year. I would also like to emphasize the participation of our sponsors; their contribution is paramount for the realization of this event. We wish more and more that government institutions will recognize and acknowledge the quality of our work, which contributes to the development of a event unique in North America.

I would like to personally thank the festival’s team members, whose passion and dedication are of essence to the festival, and who make this event jovial and festive, allowing an exceptional accessibility between the creators and the public.

Bon Festival!
Pierre Corbeil, Directeur du festival