It’s been a busy summer and I am just getting ready to attend a few film atTIFF 2016.I’m catching 3 features this weekend, including a new Malaysian supernatural noir called: Interchange. I am also going to see a new film from Polish directing legend Andrzej Wajda called: Afterimage, as well as a Icelandic thriller called The Oath.

So thats this weekend and I have another bunch to get to next week as well:) SO more info to come…in the interim here are a few more notable films from the 20th Fanatasia Film Festival 2016.

All three showings had the directors present which was a real treat. Luckily I was able to catch up with two of the filmmakers that week and I have posted those here for you to check out at your leisure. I’ll let the interviews speak for themselves, and otherwise I will give over for this blog the fine reviewers from Fantasia;who did a great job writing about all the films for the on-line and print programme.

Embers-d. Claire Carre (USA-2016)

Two individuals wake up on a mattress in a shady room, clueless as to how they got there or why they suddenly find themselves in the company of a perfect stranger. To be honest, they don’t remember much of anything, not even their own names. Since the apocalypse, a strange affliction has deprived humanity of its memory. The last survivors wander aimlessly, gripped by a form of amnesia so strong as to make it impossible for them to remember what they did the previous day. There is some indication, however, that the two strangers are somehow connected. They’re both wearing identical blue ribbons on their arm, a hypothetical sign of a common past. Meanwhile, far away, a child trekking across the wastelands meets a curious scientist. Spared the rest of the world’s memory loss, a woman is getting ready to leave her protective bunker and ultimately lose what she holds dearest in the world.

Newcomer Claire Carré’s EMBERS is a rare treat. With a spare and appealing style, it uses science fiction to explore the foundations of human nature. With a precision worthy of José Saramago, Charles Spano and Carré’s script creates unnatural situations which one can quickly relate to, due to their uncanny sense of credibility. EMBERS manages to summon up laughs while maintaining a mysterious tone that will continue to grip you long after viewing. Carré’s true talent lies in her sensitive ability to create larger-than-life characters whose every word and gesture seem to carry a secret meaning. Having already presented her first feature at Slamdance, it’s seems like a safe bet to say that she will soon be recognized as one of the most promising new voices of American independent cinema. The magnificent EMBERS is a miraculous feat that is simply impossible to forget.
— Simon Laperrière

Interview w-Claire Carre from Embers

The Unseen-d. Geoff Redknap (Canada 2016)

Everyone knows the tale of the Invisible Man, but have you heard the one about the slowly-turning-invisible-man? That’s just one twist making THE UNSEEN an unforgettable entry in this year’s Fantasia lineup. Aden Young, star of TV’s RECTIFY, plays Bob Langmore, a struggling mill worker in a small northern town. But barely making ends meet isn’t his biggest problem, as he’s also hiding the fact that he’s gradually going invisible. And Bob’s not simply fading away but disappearing in chunks, which makes him look like the victim of a hideous flesh-eating disease. When his ex-wife, Darlene (Camille Sullivan of THE MAN IN THE HIGH CASTLE) asks him to visit his rebellious daughter Eva, he takes a driving job for a local drug dealer and returns to the city. Shortly after his arrival, Eva (Julia Sarah Stone, THE KILLING), goes missing and he suspects the teen has been taken because she shares his affliction. With the drug dealers threatening him and his condition worsening, Bob must find his daughter before they’re both gone for good.

A gritty thriller grounded in family drama with a streak of horror, THE UNSEEN is a future cult classic. It may be Geoff Redknap’s feature debut as writer-director, but his years of experience working in the makeup and special effects departments of features such as DEADPOOL, WATCHMEN, THE CABIN IN THE WOODS and both the FINAL DESTINATION and X-MEN series, plus TV shows including THE X-FILES, FEAR THE WALKING DEAD and MASTERS OF HORROR — shines through in this, ahem — must-see premiere.

— Dave Alexander

 

Shelly-d. Ali Abbasi (Denmark/Sweden 2016)

Elena is a broke single mother on the verge of a burnout, looking for a break from her daily obligations. A change of scenery would be welcomed, especially one involving a small country house far from the city. When she learns of a couple looking for a maid to take care of their forest dwelling, she jumps on this seemingly fortuitous opportunity. Upon arrival, Elena realizes that her employers have a somewhat unusual lifestyle. They don’t eat meat or use electricity, and they keep contact with the outside world to a minimum. With an unbreakable three-year contract, the young woman complies without complaint. At least she found the peace and quiet she’s been looking for. But her bosses have one more favour to ask of her. Unable to conceive, they want Elena to be their surrogate birth mother — for a handsome sum, of course. Flattered by her employers’ kindness and generosity, she accepts, unaware that her life has just capsized into unspeakable horror. Elena starts to notice signs suggesting that whatever it is she may be carrying inside her, it’s far from human.

What begins as an intimate, Bergmanesque drama slowly transforms into a modern gothic tale in SHELLEY, the brilliant atmospheric tour de force by Ali Abbasi. Reminiscent of ROSEMARY’S BABY, Abbasi’s film has a realism so convincing that the creeping transition into fantasy causes overwhelming anxiety. As the leading lady, Cosmina Stratan, winner of the Cannes best actress award for BEYOND THE HILLS, gives a gripping performance as a troubled woman succumbing to her darkest fears. It’s easily one of the most powerful productions of the 2016 lot.
— Simon Laperrière