Fantasia International Film Festival 2026: 10 movies we can't wait to watch

The Fantasia International Film Festival just did its second wave of announcements, and we're incredibly thrilled by the lineup so far.

Written by Mariane Tremblay and Andie Kaiser

For the past 30 years, Fantasia has brought to the big screen some of the most incredible short and feature-length films, and its 30th edition just seems as promising as the previous ones. Here is a list of the movies we're most excited about (so far). 

Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma
Directed by Jane Shoenbrun

I've been curious to watch this movie ever since it was announced. Then, when the first trailer was released, I became obsessed with the movie and needed to watch it as soon as possible. Those who know me might say I'm drawn to Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma because it features an age-gap sapphic relationship and because it stars Hannah Einbinder (Hacks) and Gillian Anderson (The X-Files, Sex Education), which wouldn't be a lie. Although there's something much stronger pulling me in. The first time I watched the trailer, I was actually speechless: the movie seems to be set in a camp in the middle of nowhere, in this dreamlike world where it's all blood and little deaths. The movie looks visually stunning, with so many colors and meticulously crafted production design that reminds us of the best slashers.

Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma follows an enthusiastic young director (Einbinder) who is set to resurrect the Camp Miasma slasher franchise after years of slapdash sequels and waning fandom. But when she visits the original’s star (Anderson), a now-reclusive actress shrouded in mystery, the two women fall into a blood-soaked world of desire, fear, and delirium.

Following its rave review from the Cannes Film Festival, where it premiered in the Un Certain Regard section and won the Queer Palm, I was even more excited to watch it. So you can imagine my excitement when they announced its Canadian premiere at my favorite film festival, in Montreal. Counting down the days until July 17. — Mariane

Our Effed Up World
Directed by Alice Maio Mackay

Directed by Alice Maio Mackay (The Serpent's Skin) and produced by Jane Shoenbrun (I Saw the TV Glow, Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma), Our Effed Up World follows Sheri (Sara Thompson), who thinks her biggest problem in life is dealing with the recent loss of her beloved grandma. But when a mysterious entity crash-lands in the woods, only she and her group of shitkicker friends are what stands in the way of an insatiable, intergalactic hunger. 

Maio Mackay's latest movie is inspired by alien invasion films (one of my favourite genres) and slacker hangout movies. It will have its Canadian Premiere at the festival in the Underground Section, following its premiere at the Frameline: The San Francisco International LGBTQ+ Film Festival on June 19. — Mariane

No Rest for the Wicked
Directed by Kasper ‘Kalle’ Skovsbøl

If there are vampires, I'm in. And honestly, I usually don't need more to want to watch a movie.

Adapted from Karl Heinrich Ulrichs’s 1884 novella "Manor", No Rest for the Wicked is described as a stark, yet dreamy, uncanny atmosphere that recalls the work of Carl Theodor Dreyer (The Passion of Joan of Arc, Vampyr) or even Robert Eggers (The Northman, Nosferatu). Following Baldur (Egor Venned), a fisherman living on the isolated Faroe Islands, far to the north in the Atlantic Ocean, sees his world turned upside down when a stranger (Pilou Asbæk) arrives, awakening deep emotions within him. As their mutual attraction starts to grow, a tragedy strikes, and their forbidden passion unleashes natural forces so disturbing that the villagers rally to keep evil at bay.

No Rest for the Wicked will have its World Premiere in the Cheval Noir Competition. — Mariane

I Love Paris
Directed by Nicky Murphy

And if one vampire film wasn’t enough, there’s also the very entertaining-sounding I Love Paris, which follows an aspiring musician (Aminata Thiboult) who suddenly becomes a vampire and must navigate a new kind of nightlife. The tone of this film caught my interest right away, being shot in mockumentary style and promising to include elements of comedy, music, and horror. Add on the thematic comparisons to The Hunger (1983) and What We Do in the Shadows (2014), and this sounds like a title I won’t want to miss. 

The film will have its World Premiere in the Underground Section of the festival. — Andie

Nightborn
Directed by Hanna Bergholm

The premise—or at least some part of the premise—of this movie strangely reminds me of Lynne Ramsey's Die My Love (2025), and I think that's mostly why I'm so intrigued by this movie. Nightborn follows a couple (Rupert Grint, Seidi Haarla) dreaming of starting a perfect family. When they move to the isolated house where Saga (Haarla) spent much of her childhood, deep in the Finnish Forest, and after the birth of their baby, Saga feels like there's something terribly wrong. Despite the reassurance around her, her marriage starts to crack as Jon (Grint) starts to struggle supporting his wife. 

I'm not a mother myself, but I'm always drawn to movies about motherhood, or films that explore its complexities and realities. Motherhood is something I find incredibly impressive, and a path I'm not sure I'll choose myself, but I'm fascinated by the way these stories examine not only the pressures and sacrifices that come with being a mother, but also that powerful maternal instinct—the almost inexplicable drive to protect, nurture, and fight for your child. So if it's set against a horror backdrop, you better believe I will be seated, especially since Nightborn is described as a deeply uncomfortable, viscerally gruesome, and darkly humorous look at the emotional rollercoaster of new parenthood through a genre prism. 

Nightborn had its World Premiere at the Berlin Film Festival last February and will have its North American Premiere in the Cheval Noir Competition Section. — Mariane

ZsaZsa Zaturnnah vs. The Amazonistas of Planet X
Directed by Avid Liongoren

I love, love, love animation movies—as a matter of fact, they're probably my favourite genre. Whether they're for children or more for an older audience, I always find them incredibly fun and compelling. 

ZsaZsa Zaturnnah vs. The Amazonistas of Planet X follows Ada, a shy gay man living in a small town in the Philippines. After many heartbreaks over many years, he has committed himself to a simple and single life. But when a magical stone from outer space transforms him into a flamboyant female superhero, Ada is forced to face fantastic challenges. From fighting zombies to stopping invading Amazonistas from Planet X, to the even more difficult task of risking his heart to love again.

Previously adapted as a live-action film in 2006, directed by Joel Lamangan, and a stage musical, Carlo Vergara’s Zsazsa "komiks" have earned popularity among the Queer community of the Philippines. Zsazsa now returns to the screen in a new movie directed by Avid Liongoren, and I can't wait to meet the flamboyant superheroine and get to know more about those komiks.

ZsaZsa Zaturnnah vs. The Amazonistas of Planet X will have its North American Premiere in the Animation Plus Section. — Mariane

Someone’s Daughter
Directed by Wiebke von Carolsfeld

I'm not going to lie, seeing Pascal Bussière in the cast was what first got my attention. Then I read the premise and, as a former law student, I was even more sold.

Someone's Daughter follows criminal defense lawyer, Sam (Bussière), who is kidnapped and abandoned on a remote island with Paul (François Arnaud), a former client she successfully defended a decade earlier when he was accused of rape. As the pair struggles to survive, an uneasy bond forms. However, when Paul’s behaviour turns increasingly toxic, Sam finds herself questioning what really happened all those years ago and what’s coming for her today.

Set against a [very] Canadian backdrop, the director carefully ponders the morality of her characters and the role of law versus justice, weaving a tense tale of revenge and survival, making the movie all the more intriguing for someone who spent years studying law and who has always been obsessed with procedural dramas. I just can't wait to see how this story unfolds. 

Someone's Daughter will have its World Premiere in the Cheval Noir Competition Section. — Mariane

Motherwitch
Directed by Minos Papas

The atmosphere of Motherwitch couldn’t be more intriguing. Filmed on location in an abandoned settlement in Cyprus, the story will focus on isolated painter Eleni (Margarita Zachariou) as she navigates immense grief following the loss of her three children in an accident. Desperate to bring them back, she enters a pact with chthonic feminine forces. There’s nothing I love more than horror that draws upon mythology or folk tales, and the added Gothic ambience that this film promises only adds to my excitement.

Motherwitch was an official selection of the 2026 Rotterdam International Film Festival and will have its North American Premiere at Fantasia. — Andie

Niko
Directed by Julien Birban Levy

Writer and director Julien Birban Levy’s feature debut is already captivating from the premise and stills that have been released, promising a unique blend of storytelling elements. It follows broke screenwriter Niko (Tiffany Young of K-Pop group Girls’ Generation, in her feature acting debut), who suddenly disappears in a dystopian Seoul. Amidst a lockdown and curfew, her boyfriend and "new bestie" attempt to find her, creating a love triangle that they didn’t expect. The film is said to combine both Asian and French cinematic influences and offer both characters and a setting that are at the heart of the story. 

I’m looking forward to learning more about this dystopian romance, which will have its International Premiere at the festival. — Andie

The Origin of Ultraman
Directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda

Marking the superhero’s 60th anniversary, Fantasia will have the International Premiere of The Origin of Ultraman. The documentary delves into the history of the Japanese superhero, offering both critical and personal reflections on the legacy of this cultural figure. In addition to memories from original team members, the documentary will feature comments from names like Hideaki Anno, Hideo Kojima, Nicolas Winding Refn, and Guillermo Del Toro. It’s hard to go wrong with such a premise, so I, for one, am really looking forward to learning more about this iconic franchise figure. — Andie

Photos: Fantasia International Film Festival
Movie synopsis: Letterboxd

Movie descriptions: Fantasia International Film Festival