If you are willing to make the trip overseas to Montreal in July / August 2019, then the 23rd Fantasia International Film Festival might well be the place to be.
An official press release, dated 29th May 2019, announced:
“The Fantasia International Film Festival will be celebrating its 23rd Anniversary in Montreal this summer, taking place from July 11 – August 1, with its Frontières International Co-Production Market being held July 18 – 21. The festival’s full lineup of over 130 feature films will be announced in early July. In the meantime, Fantasia is excited to reveal a select first wave of titles, along with two very special events.”
One of those special events is the Presentation of a Lifetime Achievement Award to veteran producer Edward R. Pressman.
Without question one of the key producing figures in the industry over a career that spans decades, you can get a sense of what he has achieved from the following list of films as outlined in the Press Release:
“Fantasia will be presenting a lifetime achievement award to maverick producer Edward R. Pressman, who has consistently championed some of the boldest voices of the last 40+ years of American cinema, often in their crucial, formative periods. Having produced films for Terrence Malick (BADLANDS), Brian De Palma (SISTERS, PHANTOM OF THE PARADISE), Sam Raimi (CRIMEWAVE), Oliver Stone (THE HAND, WALL STREET, TALK RADIO), Mary Harron (AMERICAN PSYCHO, THE MOTH DIARIES), Abel Ferrara (BAD LIEUTENANT, THE BACKOUT, NEW ROSE HOTEL), John Milius (CONAN THE BARBARIAN), Kathryn Bigelow (BLUE STEEL), David Gordon Green (UNDERTOW), Sylvester Stallone (PARADISE ALLEY), Larry Fessenden (WENDIGO), Ernest Dickerson (NEVER DIE ALONE), Alex Proyas (THE CROW), David Mamet (HOMICIDE), Douglas Buck (SISTERS), John Frankenheimer (YEAR OF THE GUN), Danny DeVito (HOFFA), and Jason Reitman (THANK YOU FOR SMOKING), Pressman has consistently embraced and nurtured game-changing talents. On the International front, Pressman has produced films for Zhang Yimou (HAPPY TIMES), Wolfgang Peterson (DAS BOOT), Alex Cox (WALKER), Barbet Schroeder (REVERSAL OF FORTUNE), James Marsh (THE KING), and more.
Mr. Pressman will be given a Lifetime Achievement Award on Saturday, July 13, at a 45th Anniversary screening of the recently restored De Palma classic PHANTOM OF THE PARADISE.”
PHANTOM OF THE PARADISE was one of legendary ‘Movie Brat’ director Brian De Palma’s early works from the 1970s in a career that evolved into the likes of CARRIE (1976), DRESSED TO KILL (1980) and Quentin Tarantino’s favourite BLOW OUT (1981).
In addition, there will be a chance to attendees to experience a 25th Anniversary 35mm screening of THE CROW, Brandon Lee’s last film before his tragic death during the production of the film which – like TWILIGHT ZONE – THE MOVIE (1983) – heightened greater safety concerns on movie sets.
If you are interested in how a fandom grew up around a film that seemingly died at the time of its’ original release, then you can check out PHANTOM OF WINNIPEG, where the aforementioned PHANTOM OF THE PARADISE found a communal audience that embraced it.
Another movie of note will be the Sundance favourite WE ARE LITTLE ZOMBIES:
“COMBAT GRIEF WITH POP MUSIC IN WE ARE LITTLE ZOMBIES!
Thirteen-year-olds Hikari, Ikuko, Ishi, and Takemura meet by chance at a crematorium. All four have lost their parents in absurd circumstances and suffer from the same startling problem: the inability to feel any emotion. Faced with uncertain futures, the group soon mutates into a surrogate family: a viral J-pop band which might just challenge their deadening malaise! The debut feature by Sundance Grand Jury Prize-winner Makoto Nagahisa amazes with its utterly delirious, maximalist pop sensibility – located somewhere between the live-action cinema of Hideaki Anno, Wes Anderson, and stylings of Kyary Pamyu Pamyu, as filtered through 8-bit videogame culture. Following knockout screenings at this year’s Sundance and Berlinale, WE ARE LITTLE ZOMBIES (which co-stars Rinko Kikuchi and Sosuke Ikematsu) will celebrate its Canadian Premiere at Fantasia.”
Cult fans of the 1980s fun classic CRITTERS will certainly be celebrating as well, when CRITTERS ATTACK! premieres at Fantasia.
“FANTASIA’S THE PLACE TO BE WHEN CRITTERS ATTACK!
The first feature-length CRITTERS film in 27 years will be landing in Montreal for its inaugural appearance on Earth, unleashing waves of adorably grotesque monsters and mayhem. Directed by Fantasia favorite Bobby Miller (THE CLEANSE), written by Scott Lobdell (HAPPY DEATH DAY) and featuring a cast that includes Tashiana Washington (SKATE KITCHEN), Ava Preston (RUSTY RIVERS), Jack Fulton, and Jaeden Noel (ODD SQUAD), along with the adored Dee Wallace (E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL) making a welcome return to the franchise, the world premiere of CRITTERS ATTACK! shoots to thrill with old school prosthetic creatures and a whole lot of rambunctious chaos.”
That is just a selection of the treats in store. Further details can be found here:
