Fantasia 2012 Announced in Montreal

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Fantasia 2012 Announced in Montreal
By The Editor
May 9, 2012 - 12:14

Montreal's Fantasia International Film Festival, widely acclaimed as one of the largest and most influential genre film festivals in the world, is embarking on its 16th edition with a major new industry-driven venture: the Frontières International Co-Production Market. Frontières is the first international co-production market to connect North-American with Europe and Australasia, in an environment focused specifically on genre film production.

The projects to be presented in the market have now been chosen and feature an exciting array of filmmakers, from gifted newcomers to world-renowned maestros, as well as numerous established international producers. The selection of the first edition of Frontières will consist of the following 14 projects:

BLOOD BORNE (Australia) Director / Writer: Fin Edquist / Producer: David Rapsey (Rogue Production)
DARK HOLLOW (New Zealand) Director: Paul Campion / Writers: Paul Campion & Paul Finch, based on a book by Brian Keene / Producer: Daniel Warwick (Chameleon Films)
KEEP QUIET (Mexico) Director /Writer: Jorge Michel Grau / Producer: Mayra Espinosa Castro
M (Australia) Director: Jon Hewitt / Writers: Jon Hewitt & Belinda McClory / Producer: Lizzette Atkins (Unicorn Films), Executive Producer: Richard Stewart
PANDEMONIUM (France) Director: Abel Ferry / Writer: Eric Rondeaux / Producer: Pierre-Emmanuel Fleurantin (Paprika Films)
PERISH (UK) Directors / Writers: Catherine Linstrum & David-John Newman / Producer: Brian Coffey (Sigma Films)
PONTYPOOL CHANGES (Canada) Director: Bruce McDonald / Writer: Tony Burgess / Producer: Ambrose Roche (Shadow Shows)
PORK CHOP (Canada) Director: Sid Zanforlin / Writers: Chris Bavota & Sid Zanforlin / Producer: Philippe Chabot
PURGATORY (USA) Director / Producer: Stuart Gordon / Writer: Richard Mancuso
RADIUS (Canada) Directors / Writers: Caroline Labrèche & Steeve Léonard
SÈVE (France) Director: Fabrice Blin / Writers: Fabrice Blin & David Uystpruyst / Producer: Fabrice Lambot (Metaluna Productions)
STRATA (USA) Directors: Justin Benson & Aaron Moorhead / Writer: Justin Benson / Producer: Justin Benson & David Lawson
THE WITHERING (UK) Directors / Writers: Robert Morgan & Sam Walker / Producer: Karen Smyth (La Belle Allée)
TURBO KID (Canada) Directors / Writers: François Simard, Anouk Whissell & Yoann–Karl Whissell / Producer: Ant Timpson, Executive Producer: Jason Eisener

CANADA AND QUEBEC:
Four of the 14 projects hail from Canada and Quebec: Adored maverick trail-blazer Bruce McDonald (HARD CORE LOGO 1 & 2, THIS MOVIE IS BROKEN, HIGHWAY 61) graces us with a hotly-anticipated sequel to his cult masterpiece PONTYPOOL.

Sid Zanforlin presents his first feature PORK CHOP and the filmmaking duo of Caroline Labrèche and Steeve Léonard second their no-budget effort SANS DESSEIN with RADIUS.

After becoming the most popular submission to Drafthouse Films' THE ABCS OF DEATH’s short film contest with T IS FOR TURBO, the Roadkill Superstar collective (François Simard, Anouk Whissell & Yoann–Karl Whissell) is now presenting its follow-up in feature form, TURBO KID, to be produced by New Zealand's Ant Timpson (THE DEVIL DARED ME TO, also founder of Incredibly Strange) and executive produced by none other than Jason Eisener (HOBO WTH A SHOTGUN, TREEVENGE).

USA:
From the USA, genre film legend Stuart Gordon (RE-ANIMATOR, FROM BEYOND, STUCK, EDMOND) brings us PURGATORY.

Fresh from their wildly acclaimed premiere of RESOLUTION at the Tribeca film festival just the other week, where the film made many critics' best-of-fest lists, Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead are presenting their new project STRATA.

EUROPE:
On the European side, the UK and France are featured. After winning the Best Animation Short Film award at last year’s Fantasia with his world premiere screening of BOBBY YEAH (which went on to standout showings at Sundance, Rotterdam and Sitges, as well as being nominated for a BAFTA, and winning a special jury prize at Clermont-Ferrand) and getting a spotlight on his work in 2006, Robert Morgan returns to Fantasia with THE WITHERING, a live-action debut project to be co-directed with Sam Walker (TEA BREAK) and to be produced by Karen Smyth, co-producer of Nicolas Winding-Refn’s VALHALLA RISING.

After the Midnight Audience Award-winning premiere of CITADEL at SXSW, producer Brian Coffey brings us PERISH by BAFTA-winner Catherine Linstrum and David-John Newman.

Fabrice Blin makes his feature debut with SÈVE, and following up the critically lauded HIGH LANE (VERTIGE), Abel Ferry comes to present PANDEMONIUM.

NEW ZEALAND AND AUSTRALIA:
After last year’s North American premiere of THE DEVIL’S ROCK, New Zealand director Paul Campion returns to Fantasia with DARK HOLLOW, based on a novel by best-selling author Brian Keene.

From Australia, producer David Rapsey (LAKE MUNGO) delivers the feature debut by Fin Edquist, BLOOD BORNE, and Jon Hewitt (X, ACOLYTES) comes to present M.

MEXICO:
Finally, Mexican director Jorge Michel Grau follows-up the celebrated WE ARE WHAT WE ARE (SOMOS LO QUE HAY – Cannes Directors Fortnight 2010 and a hit at Fantasia, where the film had its North American premiere) with KEEP QUIET.

Frontières will be part of the new Fantasia Industry Rendez-Vous, which will include the Fantasia Film Market, also making its official debut in 2012 to support the sales efforts of the features that will be part of the festival’s programming. International producers and sales agents, distributors, broadcasters, talent agents and festival programmers will attend the Rendez-Vous from July 26 to the 29, 2012, within the 3-week body of the Fantasia Festival. Over the course of these four days, various meeting sessions will be held and a series of conferences will be organized to assemble the participants around current industry topics. For the inaugural edition, accreditation will be free of charge and can be applied for starting immediately, until June 15.

The Fantasia International Film Festival will be held in Montreal from July 19 to August 7, 2012. For more information about the festival and the Fantasia Industry Rendez-Vous, or to request accreditation, please visit the Film Market section of www.FantasiaFestival.com.