Fantasia 2026.
Grab your party hats, because she’s turning thirty and flirty and she’s coming to scare the shit out of us. This year’s Fantasia 2026 is here to gag you, both literally and figuratively. This lineup is insane. Zero surprise there. Here are just a handful of the films and short blocks on our ever-growing list of magic and mayhem to check out:
The Fantasia International Film Festival will celebrate its upcoming 30th edition with an electrifying program of screenings, workshops, and launch events running from July 16 through August 2, 2026, returning to the Concordia Hall and J.A. de Sève cinemas, with additional screenings and events at Montréal’s Cinéma du Musée.
NIGHTBORN
With dreams of starting a perfect family, Saga (Seidi Haarla, Compartment No. 6) and her British husband Jon (Rupert Grint, Knock at the Cabin) move to the isolated house where she spent much of her childhood, deep in the Finnish forest. But as soon as their baby is born, despite the reassurance of all around her, Saga knows there’s something terribly wrong with her son. As their marriage starts to crack, Jon struggles to support his wife, but only Saga suspects the terrible truth about her newborn.
From the director of Hatching, NIGHTBORN is a visceral, gripping and terrifying dark fable about motherhood and unconditional maternal love.
Director: Hanna Bergholm
Screenwriters: Ilja Rautsi and Hanna Bergholm
Cast: Seidi Haarla, Rupert Grint, Pamela Tola, Pirkko Saisio, Rebecca Lacey, John Thomson, Silvia Saloranta
Producer: Daniel Kuitunen
Executive Producers: Brahim Chioua, Nick Shumaker, David Levine, Scott Shooman, Emily Gotto
Cinematographer: Pietari Peltola
Editor: Jussi Rautaniemi
Language: English, Finnish
Runtime: 92 mins
THE LAST TEMPTATION OF BECKY
Now working as a field agent for the CIA, Becky (Lulu Wilson) is sent undercover to Poland to infiltrate a family of innkeepers who are running a tourist venture at The Wolf’s Lair, Hitler’s WWII bunker. After learning that the father, Wilhelm Reuss (Neil Patrick Harris), is on a mission to bring about the Fourth Reich, Becky takes matters into her own hands.
Director: Jenn Wexler
Writers: Jenn Wexler and Matt Angel
Story By: Matt Angel & Suzanne Coote
Cast: Lulu Wilson, Kate Siegel, Brandon Flynn, Catherine Walker, with James Urbaniak and Neil Patrick Harris
Run Time: 89 minutes
Rating: Not Yet Rated
Genre: Thriller, Horror
Distributor: Quiver Distribution
RUBBERHEAD: THE LIFE AND MONSTERS OF STEVE JOHNSON
Known for his intense work ethic, perfectionism, and obsession with breaking new ground, Steve Johnson created iconic creatures and effects for some of the most beloved horror and sci-fi movies in cinema history. RUBBERHEAD is a humorous and heartfelt portrait of the life and times of one of Hollywood’s most prolific monster makers, as well as a historical journey through the golden age of special effects makeup.
Steve shares endless, outrageous anecdotes about his freewheeling adventures in Hollywood, while also telling the inspirational but tragic story of his meteoric rise and subsequent fall. His drive and ambition led to some of cinema’s most groundbreaking effects and techniques, but also to heartbreaking acts of self-sabotage, divorce, and serious struggles with addiction.
RUBBERHEAD is a captivating reflection on the game-changing practical FX glory days and a fascinating, entertaining, and moving story of an FX master whose greatest monster may have been himself.
Director: Nick Taylor
Writers: Joseph Krings, Nick Taylor
Cast: Steve Johnson, John Landis, Linnea Quigley, Tom Holland, Bill Corso
Run Time: 105 minutes
Rating: Not Yet Rated
Genre: Documentary
Production Company: American Nightmare Studios
UNHOLY NIGHT
UNHOLY NIGHT – World Premiere
Synopsis: Gino’s traditional family Christmas Eve turns into a bloody battle for survival when his long-dead grandma drops by and goes on a murderous rampage. Amid the chaos, Gino reunites with his ex and the dysfunctional duo must avoid his dead Italian relatives popping up all around the neighbourhood as they search for a way to get rid of these Yuletide revenants and survive his family Christmas.
Director/Writer: Michael Gabriele
Producers: Jason Levangie, Marc Tetreault, Jenna MacMillan, Michael Gabriele
Executive Producers: Tina Carbone, Jef Burnham
Cast: Marc Bendavid, Shailene Garnett, Jacqueline Robbins, Toni Ellwand, Ron Lea, Christina Rosato, Olivier Renaud, Celia Owen, Ellen David, Frank Spadone, Al Sapienza
Genre: Horror/Comedy
Fantasia Premiere Status: World Premiere
Fantasia Section: Septentrion Shadows
Run Time: TBC
TIGHT LETTUCE
Near the border between Ontario and Quebec, Joel (Dakota Daulby, LONGLEGS) works in the construction industry. He has a healthy relationship with his partner (Christie Burke, ETERNITY), his mother (Maxim Roy, SHORESY), and his grandmother (France Castel, LES FURIES). The only stain on this picture is his father, Bodo (Emmanuel Bilodeau, CURLING), who has been struggling with a fentanyl addiction for years. He is unable to hold down a job, turns every place he ends up in into a slovenly dive, and is a potential danger to himself and others. Despite everything, Joel continues to try to help him, telling himself that if he loves his father enough, he will eventually manage to get the man’s life back on track.
Director
Harrison Houde
Producer
Serge Desrosiers
Writers
Dakota Daulby, Harrison Houde
Cast
Emmanuel Bilodeau, Christie Burke, France Castel, Josh Cruddas, Dakota Daulby, Guy Jodoin, Didier Lucien, Maxim Roy
Cinematographer
Serge Desrosiers csc
Sound Designer
Jérôme Boiteau
Composer
Pierre-Philippe “Pilou” Côté
Editor
Harrison Houde, Étienne Plasse
HOME BODIES
Red (Emma Ho, CODE 8, THE EXPANSE) and Blue (Ian Ho, THE EXPANSE, CHAPELWAITE) live a “Waiting for Godot” existence within the confines of a retro, automated dwelling. Food is always available, they are entertained by VHS tapes of a show called “Barn” starring a cow, a pig, and a chicken, and soothed by each other’s company. They report to Papa, a disembodied voice through a locked door that enforces the rules they live by. On a holiday that resembles Christmas, they receive a gift: Pal (Ess Hödlmoser, THE BOYS, STATION ELEVEN), an androgynous humanoid who doesn’t speak, and follows their lead. But Pal isn’t as benign as they seem. Pal also receives VHS tapes, but they are more disturbing, and Red, who was once wary of her new friend, becomes more enamoured of their expressionless new roommate. As Red and Blue learn about Pal, their discoveries soon drive a wedge between them. With vibes of Canadian genre classics PIN and CUBE, HOME BODIES is a surreal look at control, autonomy, nature vs. nurture, and the automation of our lives.
Director
Casey Walker
Producer
Karen Harnisch, Casey Walker
Writer
Adrian Murray, Marcus Sullivan
Cast
Emma Ho, Ian Ho, Ess Hödlmoser
SOUR MINNOWS
Synopsis: Two friends stumble upon an unusual sight: six men sensually licking the pavement on an empty LA street. For Ricky, this moment ruptures something. As his reality grows porous, and his memories begin to slip and slide, he finds himself in contact with “The Yellow Thing,” an entity that wears people like costumes. As Ricky adapts to his expanding worldview, a delirious new logic takes hold.
Director
Harrison Atkins
Producer
Harrison Atkins, Kate Banford, Mel Barnes, Allison Bunce, Anne Gormley, Suzanna Son, Sarah Winshall
Writer
Harrison Atkins
Cast
David Brown, Phil Burgers, Julia Jones, Suzanna Son, Chase Williamson
THE GLORIOUS DEAD
A small-town sheriff (Toby Poser) and her young deputy (Zelda Adams) wake to find the world they believed in no longer exists. Blood drips from faucets, people and pets are missing, and fleshy creatures walk the woods. Soon, the dirt can’t keep the dead down. Anger and fear spread through the community. Co-written and co-directed by John Adams and Toby Poser, the latter of whom also stars, and co-starring Zelda and Lulu Adams, THE GLORIOUS DEAD is a personal genre vision that speaks to the increasing horrors of American life in times of enormous, instigated division while retaining the interpersonal poetry, imagination, and dark humor that its creators are renowned for. This will be the sixth consecutive work from the singularly talented filmmaking family to World Premiere at Fantasia following the festival’s launches of THE DEEPER YOU DIG, HELLBENDER, WHERE THE DEVIL ROAMS, HELL HOLE, and MOTHER OF FLIES, the latter having won our 2025 Cheval Noir Award for Best Feature. In their words: “This film takes dangerous fundamentalism at face value and asks what remains for the rest of us.” World Premiere.
Directed by Toby Poser, John Adams
Cast Zelda Adams, Toby Poser, Lulu Adams
BIRDCALL
BIRDCALL tells the story of a foolhardy scientist and his wife, a wayward survivor, as they endure a world overtaken by an avian-borne disease that has forced humanity into secluded cities. Unbeknownst to his wife, the scientist has recently become infected himself. While isolated in a cabin outside of their compound, he uses their seclusion as a trial run for an untested cure, risking both their lives in the process.
The 15-minute short is directed by Justin Calandriello; Written by Halle Kott; Produced by Calandriello, Sam Beaton and Halle Kott; Associate Producer: Casey Marie Ecker and Cinematography by Joshua Popovsky.
BORN OF WOMAN 2026
This shorts block is my absolute favorite every year. Full Stop.
Fantasia’s top-tier showcase of uncompromising personal genre visions returns with nine works from five countries that will leave you shaken and astonished. From Germany to South Korea, Brazil to the USA and more, dark brilliance awaits.
Angels (USA, dir. Sam Mandich, World Premiere)
Breeder (USA, dir. Sapphire Sandalo, International Premiere)
Fingerbang (South Korea, dir. Kim Yeon-woo, Canadian Premiere)
Imprint (USA, dir. Ran Jing, International Premiere)
O Novo Corpo (Brazil / Portugal, dir. Luciana Malavasi, North American Premiere)
Redneck (USA, dir. Alexandria Basso, International Premiere)
Sam (USA / Germany, dir. Catharina Schürenberg, World Premiere)
Strange Egg (USA / USA, dir. Liv Mershon, World Premiere)
Ultraviolet Damage (Germany, dir. Pola Rader, North American Premiere)
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Remaining Tribeca screenings of General Admissions:
![Holo - 2026 Tribeca Festival - Tribeca - [tribecafilm.com]](https://i0.wp.com/reelnewsdaily.com/wp-content/uploads/Holo-2026-Tribeca-Festival-Tribeca-tribecafilm.com_.png?resize=678%2C383&ssl=1)
![Zelda Williams in HOLO_[JULIAN LOMAGA]_20](https://i0.wp.com/reelnewsdaily.com/wp-content/uploads/Zelda-Williams-in-HOLO_JULIAN-LOMAGA_20-scaled.jpg?resize=678%2C367&ssl=1)
Shane West, heartthrob to a generation of women like me thanks to A Walk To Remember, still exudes an effortless charm that leaps off the screen. As Jared, he taps into a terrifying rage. Morgan Kohan gives Claire every bit of herself. It’s the arc we die for. Bravo to Zelda Williams for playing Jared’s human counterpart (more of her, please), and to director Alexander DeSouza and Ashley Brandon for the seamless editing. Magali Lafeur nails the production design.![Morgan Kohan in HOLO_[JULIAN LOMAGA]_5](https://i0.wp.com/reelnewsdaily.com/wp-content/uploads/Morgan-Kohan-in-HOLO_JULIAN-LOMAGA_5-scaled.jpg?resize=678%2C367&ssl=1)
DeSouza creates an ominous atmosphere. Screenwriter Alexander Hernandez-Maxwell pulls on our darkest desires and intrusive thoughts. Fans of Severence, Westworld, and the 2024 doc, ![Shane West In HOLO_[JULIAN LOMAGA]_32](https://i0.wp.com/reelnewsdaily.com/wp-content/uploads/Shane-West-In-HOLO_JULIAN-LOMAGA_32-scaled.jpg?resize=678%2C367&ssl=1)
In this rhythmic psychological thriller, a lonely aspiring teen actress finds herself drawn to an acting teacher who pulls her into a web of desire and control, blurring the lines of seduction and obsession.
After backing out of a suicide pact that leaves her husband dead, a sheltered farmer’s wife flees the shame and hidden debts that destroyed their life together and disappears into the port city of Eilat, where an unexpected bond with migrants, refugees, and a compassionate hotel manager forces her to rebuild herself from nothing and discover a life beyond the one she was told to live.
After a crushing breakup, Lucy moves back in with her eccentric single dad and dives into bad dates, false starts, and growing pains. Big-hearted and sharply funny, Lucy Schulman is a charming comedic coming-of-age story from multihyphenate Tribeca alum Ellie Sachs.
Synopsis: When the buffet where Zeke’s mom works closes down, he’s forced to entertain the wild advances of a rich regular who is weirdly and vehemently obsessed with becoming his father.
After a breakup, rudderless millennial Jane hires a team of Gen-Z consultants to reinvent her life. But what begins as a makeover soon spirals into a sharp social media satire about image, app culture, and the cost of becoming someone else.
Seven years after her Grammy Award-winning Amidst the Chaos, Sara Bareilles reunites with her closest collaborators to record a new album. What emerges is an intimate, cinematic process that lays bare the musician’s deep connections and inspirations in Tribeca alum Josh Alexander’s moving music documentary.
SXSW 2026 Watchlist
![Once More, Like Rain Man (2024) - [www.imdb.com]](https://i0.wp.com/reelnewsdaily.com/wp-content/uploads/Once-More-Like-Rain-Man-2024-www.imdb_.com_.png?resize=662%2C886&ssl=1)
Performance was my safe place from a young age. I got to disappear into someone else. I got to escape the anxiety of being myself. Hell, even speaking other people’s words made me feel more confident. I was better at being someone else. And yeah, I know now that was my way of studying to mask. I became extremely confident because I was good at everything, but what people didn’t see was the endless fear that I felt. It was all to cover my 
A father wishes to compliment the chef for his signature dish, only to discover that an actual shrimp is responsible for the deliciousness. In this mockumentary-style short, The Shrimp insinuates that his entire schtick was stolen by the Disney rat. The two then compete on a food competition reality show. The producers secretly chat with the man under The Shrimp, Chef Dave. Shrimp is a foul-mouthed asshole, for lack of a better word. Shenanigans ensue, confessions reveal themselves, and insults fly.
There are multiple Shrimp puppet creations. The smaller version sits on Yung’s head, and a larger-scale handheld puppet fills the screen for the sit-down interviews. The detail is award-worthy. Puppeteers Benjamin Fieschi-Rose, Kirsten Brass, and Amelia Blaine are spectacular.
For all things Fantasia, 
The consequences of going down that rabbit hole, sometimes literally, are a barrage of repressed childhood memories and the instability of her mother’s treatment. Mia’s trips reveal a trauma monster, more specifically, one made of mom’s blond locks. This hair monster torments Mia throughout her jacked-up journey.
Caitlin Acken Taylor is everything. Mia Sunshine Jones is no easy role, but Taylor lives it. She even creates Mia’s paintings and sculptures. Her fourth wall break, and the precise moment at which it occurs, is jarring and genius. 
![Touch Me (2025) - [www.imdb.com]](https://i0.wp.com/reelnewsdaily.com/wp-content/uploads/Touch-Me-2025-www.imdb_.com_.png?resize=678%2C473&ssl=1)
Writer/director Addison Heinmann follows up his 2022 Fantasia hit 
When a young woman faces a deadly diagnosis, she seeks dark magic from a witch in the woods… but every cure has costs. Written and directed by John and Zelda Adams and Toby Poser (The Adams Family), who also star, shot, edited, and scored, MOTHER OF FLIES is the latest creation from the filmmaking family behind such singular landmarks as 
In one of 2025’s major genre breakouts, four college friends find themselves on an infinite, unending road, forcing each of them to decide how to confront their fate in an unnerving journey into the unknown. Writer/director Alex Ullom and his gifted cast work miracles and offer a compelling, constantly intriguing, and often terrifying road trip into adulthood. Official Selection: SXSW 2025, Overlook 2025. 
Desperate to avenge her daughter’s murder, Irene Kelly (Michaela McManus) journeys through parallel dimensions to repeatedly track down and annihilate her killer (Jeremy Holm). A tense sci-fi vengeance thriller unlike any other, REDUX REDUX is the latest creation by Kevin and Matthew McManus, the Peabody award-winning writers and producers of AMERICAN VANDAL and COBRA KAI, and writers/directors of FUNERAL KINGS (Fantasia 2012) and THE BLOCK ISLAND SOUND (Fantasia 2020). Official Selection: SXSW 2025. Neuchâtel International Fantastic Film Festival 2025. 
For her debut feature film, FOREIGNER, Ava Maria Safai (Zip) expertly harnesses the power of identity, social acceptance, horror, and comedy. It’s 2004, and Iranian immigrant Yasamin, or Yasi, is the new girl. Her high school experience is daunting, as she tries to improve her English by watching her favorite sitcom and befriends a trio of pastel-clad girls who feed Yasi’s need to fit in. Desperate for acceptance, she dyes her hair blonde and, in doing so, also attracts a demonic force. With a fun retro setting, great performances by Rose Dehgan as Yasi, Chloë MacLeod as the creepy high school “Queen Bee” Rachel, and a blend of our favorite teen horrors, FOREIGNER takes up space as a new entry to “bubblegum horror,” bringing a fresh narrative to the Canadian immigrant experience. The film has been referred to by some as Mean Girls meets The Exorcist and Ava is definitely a young director to watch. 
A woman (Dakota Gorman) wakes in the back of a moving camper trailer. A voice (Todd Terry) from the truck towing it tells her they must reach a mysterious doctor within the hour. Thus begins HELLCAT, the feature debut of writer/editor/director Brock Bodell, who previously cut the mind-bending 
![Fire at Will (2025) - [www.imdb.com]](https://i0.wp.com/reelnewsdaily.com/wp-content/uploads/Fire-at-Will-2025-www.imdb_.com_.png?resize=566%2C884&ssl=1)
FIRE AT WILL looks fantastic. Jared Levy‘s camerawork is most immersed and intimate. Kyle Moriarty‘s quick-take editing is perfect. The fast-paced dialogue filled with self-absorbed personalities is every kitchen table conversation featuring adult children and their parents. As the firstborn of four loud children in an Irish Italian household, I can attest to the authenticity in the chaos of Gruer’s script, right down to the mother storming out in emotionally exhausted dramatics and the unspoken connection between father and artistic daughter. The cast nails each ping-pong match beat. FIRE AT WILL is a spectacular treatment for a feature. I need to know what happens next.
THE MOOGAI
Barely tolerating her birthmother, Ruth, Sarah’s whitewashed existence comes to a halt when an ancient entity rears its ugly head. Sarah’s aggression heightens as her delusions increase. She quickly spirals out of control in every aspect of her life. Sarah’s husband, Fergus, embraces his culture and does his best to navigate his familial deterioration.
The break between Sarah and her first child, Chloe, is heartbreaking. There’s no denying her resemblance to Fergus has something to do with Sarah’s icy response. The connection between Chloe, Fergus, and Ruth burns Sarah’s limited understanding of her absent culture. Ruth tries her best to protect her family, but Sarah’s relentless resistance to her roots only makes them manifest quicker as lore becomes reality and history repeats itself.
Jahdeana Mary brings earnest innocence and hurt to Chloe. You want to hug her. Meyne Wyatt is great playing Fergus. He is charming and protective. He’s a real highlight. Tessa Rose is spectacular as Ruth, giving audiences lived-in knowledge and fear. She is the heart of the film. Shari Sebbens gives Sarah everything from elitism to postpartum depression, unbridled rage to superstitious anxiety. You simultaneously loathe and feel for her. Sebbens is truly a revelation.
Practical FX, makeup, and jump scares are solid. THE MOOGAI keenly delves into medical gaslighting and the pressure on women to “do it all.” While the film is also a creature feature, Jon Bell never shies away from showing viewers that the scariest monsters are humans. It is a surprising cultural reclamation.
Credits
Alicia Blasingame is a superb foil for her onscreen rival. There is a comfort level that makes you buy into Aura from the moment you see her. Rosemary Hochschild is magnificent in her final film role as Gladys. Her fearless performance sends chills down your spine, then giggling with delight. What a pleasure to witness this level of talent.
WHITCH subconsciously makes fun of women who call themselves witches, but in reality, they love the ideas and decor, not the literary canon. Would I adore a feature-length version? The answer is a resounding YES. Do I also believe it is delicious in its current form? It has undoubtedly cast a spell on me.
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