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Official selection
Brussels International Festival of Fantasy Film 1999
Fantasporto 1999
Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival 1999
Sitges 1998
Toronto International Film Festival 1997
Honors
Best Canadian First Feature Film - Toronto International Film Festival 1997
Best Screenplay Vincenzo Natali, Graeme Manson, André Bijelic - Sitges 1998
Jury's Choice Award, Vincenzo Natali - Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival 1999
International Critics Award - Gérardmer Film Festival 1999
Best Film, Vincenzo Natali - Sitges 1998
Audience Award - Gérardmer Film Festival 1999
Grand Prize - Gérardmer Film Festival 1999
Director
Vincenzo Natali
Producer
Mehra Meh, Betty Orr
Writer
André Bijelic, Graeme Manson, Vincenzo Natali
Cast
Nicole De Boer, Maurice Dean Wint, David Hewlett, Andrew Miller, Julian Richings
contact
CFC
A handful of very disparate characters, from a twenty-something math genius and a master escape artist to an aggressive cop and an autistic savant, find themselves trapped in a gigantic cube containing a maze-like arrangement of interlocking rooms. Their struggle to figure out the cube’s secrets and escape, without being killed by its horrific traps—or each other—is the basis of this jolting debut feature from director/co-writer Vincenzo Natali. From its seriously startling opening scene, featuring the familiar gaunt visage of character actor extraordinaire Julian Richings (THE WITCH), CUBE is a consistently suspenseful experience showcasing intense performances by horror stalwart David Hewlett (SCANNERS II, PIN), Nicole de Boer, Maurice Dean Wint, Andrew Miller and others. It was visually unlike anything the genre had previously seen when it debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival in 1997, and hit theaters the following year.
Marking a turning point for Canadian horror fare, which at that time had a rep as tax-shelter productions and direct-to-video fodder, CUBE knocked down the doors for such subsequent standouts as John Fawcett’s GINGER SNAPS and Bruce McDonald’s PONTYPOOL. It also anticipated the rise of cost-conscious “confinement thrillers” sparked by the likes of SAW and BURIED, and sired a franchise as well as a Japanese remake. Fantasia is therefore proud to launch a new 4K restoration of CUBE this year, and to bestow upon Natali our Canadian Trailblazer Award. Following CUBE, Natali went on to the underrated CYPHER and NOTHING, the Frankensteinian success SPLICE and the intriguing ghost story HAUNTER, as well as a number of notable TV and streaming series. Join us as we revisit the film that began it all, in which Natali demonstrated what could be achieved with a solid cast, an arresting concept, and one repeatedly redressed set. – Michael Gingold
Showings
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