Year 2016

Celebrating its 20th anniversary, Fantasia enjoyed an excellent attendance at its 2016 edition. For the seventh consecutive year, the festival succeeded in attracting more than 100,000 spectators (17% of which was tourist clientele). The attendees were able to enjoy 148 feature films, over 240 short films, 10 free screenings, 11 virtual reality films through our partnership with Samsung, and numerous special events. More than 75 of our screenings were sold out, and more than 60% of all available tickets found takers.

Among the many amazing moments of the 20th edition were 19 world premieres, including KING DAVE by Podz, this year’s opening film, ÉCARTÉE by Lawrence Côté-Collins, and FEUILLES MORTES by Thierry Bouffard, Carnior and Edouard Tremblay, starring Roy Dupuis, and also John Stockwell’s KICKBOXER: VENGEANCE. Yeon Sang-ho’s TRAIN TO BUSAN, winner of both Jury and Public prizes, was among the solid, sold-out success stories this year, as were Kevin Smith’s YOGA HOSERS, Takashi Miike’s AS THE GODS WILL, BLOOD FATHER by Jean-François Richet, MON AMI DINO by Jimmy Larouche and DON’T BREATHE by Fede Alvarez, 2016’s closing film. Also of note was the presence of three world-renowned directors: Guillermo Del Toro, celebrated for the global success of PAN’S LABYRINTH and HELLBOY, Takashi Miike, the Japanese superstar with more than 90 films to his credit, including DEAD OR ALIVE and ICHI THE KILLER, and Jean-Claude Lord, creator of LES COLOMBES and PARLEZ-NOUS D’AMOUR. Furthermore, the festival welcomed American director Kevin Smith, icon of his generation, and the actors Christopher Lloyd (Doc Brown from the BACK TO THE FUTURE series) and Dee Wallace of Spielberg’s E.T. fame.

Almost 700 special guests, including 400 representatives of the international film industry, visited Montreal for this edition of the festival and the Frontières market event. Fantasia is also proud to have welcomed numerous international journalists, including representatives of American outlets such as Rolling Stone, Hollywood Reporter, Variety, Screen International, The Daily Beast and Indiewire, and also French media including Le Monde and Les Cahiers du Cinéma.