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Festival coverage

Fantasia International Film Festival

20 August – 2 September 2020

A Mermaid In Paris
A Mermaid In Paris

This year's Fantasia International Film Festival is taking place online because of Covid-19, but contains the same eclectic mix of fantasy, science fiction, horror, anime and action as ever. Enjoy cutting edge animation, nerve-racking chillers, daring documentaries and the latest experimental works from Japan. Despite the change of format, there are still opportunities for attendees to engage with filmmakers at the festival and socialise with the Fantasia community.

The festival runs from 20 August to 2 September.

Other years (9)

Box office and information

Latest reviews

  • Air Doll
    Review preview for Air Doll

    Delicately scored by Katsuhiko Maeda, the early part of the film has a real magic about it, its sweet-natured heroine conveying an infectious sense of wonder.

    Jennie Kermode · 4.5 out of 5
    A blow-up sex doll develops a sense of self and begins to explore the world around her.
  • Detention
    Review preview for Detention

    Cinematographer Li Hsien-chou deserves praise for the immersive way that he has recreated the atmosphere of the game.

    Jennie Kermode · 3.5 out of 5
    A high school student falls in love with the teacher who organises a secret book club in contravention of the White Terror martial law.
  • Anne At 13,000 ft
    Review preview for Anne At 13,000 ft

    It takes real craft to hold something like this together for 75 minutes - not to mention tremendous effort on Campbell's part.

    Jennie Kermode · 4.5 out of 5
    Even in her job at a children’s day care centre, Anne prefers fun to actual work and often alienates those around her with her erratic behaviour.
  • The Reckoning
    Review preview for The Reckoning

    The various torture devices used here are all real but lose much of their horrific impact because the film is so over the top.

    Jennie Kermode · 2 out of 5
    A period thriller set in 1665 during the Great Plague and subsequent witch hunts.
  • Come True
    Review preview for Come True

    Has some smart observations to make.

    Jennie Kermode · 3 out of 5
    Plagued by disturbing dreams and unable to go home, a teenager is relieved to find help at a university sleep study, but unwittingly becomes the channel to a horrifying new discovery.
  • Wildland
    Review preview for Wildland

    Well realised and engaging, with impressive production design.

    Jennie Kermode · 3 out of 5
    After her mother’s death, Ida moves in with her aunt and cousins... whose ethics are dubious.
  • Jumbo
    Review preview for Jumbo

    It's a far from perfect film, but it's a lot better than the critical consensus suggests, and at the heart of it is a fascinating character study.

    Jennie Kermode · 3 out of 5
    Jeanne, a shy young woman, works in an amusement park. Fascinated by carousels, she still lives at home with her mother. That’s when Jeanne meets Jumbo, the park’s new flagship attraction...
  • The Funeral Home
    Review preview for The Funeral Home

    The film is literally very dark, which can be frustrating in the dramatic scenes but works well with the approach taken to special effects, adding to the sense of threat and general unpleasantness.

    Jennie Kermode · 3 out of 5
    An undertaker's dysfunctional family lives amongst coffins, wreaths and mischievous but nonviolent ghosts - but then a malevolent entity arrives.
  • 12 Hour Shift
    Review preview for 12 Hour Shift

    A splatter-happy romp through one night in the organ trade.

    Jennie Kermode · 3 out of 5
    Nurse Mandy is just trying to make it through her double shift alive, but her nasty drug addiction, annoying coworkers, needy patients, and devious cousin are making it pretty tough, not to mention organ-stealing criminals and an injured convict.
  • Dinner In America
    Review preview for Dinner In America

    Adam Rehmeier's latest film arrives with the anarchic energy of a cherry bomb tossed into the bathroom toilet of Middle America.

    Amber Wilkinson · 4 out of 5
    An on-the-lam punk rocker and a young woman he meets by chance embark on an offbeat romance.

A–Z of Fantasia International Film Festival 2020 reviews

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