Every year, as the summer months reach their peak, I travel from Ottawa to Montreal, so  I can watch people get murdered . . . on screen, that is.

Each July, Montreal plays host to Fantasia Fest, a film festival featuring the best in horror, science fiction, fantasy, and animated films.  First launched in 1996, Fantasia has become North America's premier genre film festival.  Hundreds of films screen in contention for various awards, and an equal number make their North American or even world debuts.

Tickets for the screenings are reasonably cheap at eight dollars Canadian, and festival attendees are guaranteed to find at least one movie they will adore amongst the eclectic mix of foreign films, American independent & studio fare, and selected showcases - which this year included a celebration of 100 years of Hong Kong cinema, vintage Japanese erotic films, Documentaries from the Edge (a provocative group of docs), and a commemorative retrospective on indie filmmaker Buddy Giovinazzo (Combat Shock).

For an avid fan of genre filmmaking, Fantasia is a welcome relief from the summer slew of over-hyped Hollywood big budget productions.  The films that comprise the three-week schedule are among the most interesting, challenging, deranged - and yes - fantastic audiences will see all year.  In some instances, the festival will be the only opportunity fans will get to see these films on the big screen.  In other cases, it's a rare chance to see a movie well in advance of its official release.

But a film festival is almost as much about the audience members as it is about the films themselves.  Sure, sometimes you'll discover a hidden gem that no one else knows about, but, more often than not, the real thrill comes from watching a movie with an audience full of people who are just as excited to see it as you are.

My favorite Fantasia moment in recent years was a screening of the horror musical Repo! The Genetic Opera at the 2008 festival. I waited in line for an hour and a half, standing amongst fans in homemade costumes who talked enthusiastically about their favourite songs and characters.  One girl walked back and forth along the line with a sign proclaiming her desperation for a ticket (she ultimately found one).  When the line finally began to move, a cheer went up through the crowd.  Then when the credits began, another cheer.  And when Paris Hilton appeared on screen, people booed - then applauded (she's actually not bad when she plays a drug addicted socialite).  With the exuberance of that experience still in my mind, I was eager to return to the festival.

The two films on this year's program that I was most interested in seeing were Paul Solet's dead baby drama Grace and Oldboy director Chan-Wook Park's Thirst.  These films serve as a good example of the festival's diversity: one is an American independent cult hit in the making, while the other is one of the biggest movies to come out of South Korea since, well, Park's last film was released.

Unfortunately, I wasn't the only one anticipating Park's first foray into full fledged horror, and Thirst's two screenings rapidly sold out.  I was, however, able to catch Grace, in addition to the world premiere of a Canadian stripper revenge film called Sweet Karma, and Germany's Kaifeck Murder - a Wicker Man-esque tale of a photographer investigating a murder that local townspeople would prefer stay covered up.  Whereas Kaifeck is densely atmospheric and occasionally laboured, especially in its nonsensical ending, Sweet Karma delivered with its gritty take on human trafficking.

The Sweet Karma Poster

While the movie was a small but engaging midnight dish, it was the question and answer session afterwards that proved especially interesting; particularly when I realized a significant number of those in attendance at the midnight screening were members of the cast and crew (another festival perk!).  The Q&A revealed Karma was mute for two reasons: as an homage to other films in the genre (which often disfigure or abuse their heroines, such as They Call Her One-Eye), and because lead Shera Bechard was intimidated by the idea of trying to remember the lines in her acting debut.

Sunday evening brought the eagerly anticipated screening of Grace.  I was lucky enough to conduct a quick interview with director Paul Solet, so be sure to check back with (Cult)ure soon for more on Grace.

A chance to interact with fellow fans, attend question and answers sessions with filmmakers, and conduct one-on-one interviews, all while enjoying a slew of fantastic genre films, is an opportunity too good to pass up.  I'll definitely be back to Fantasia next year for more gore, mystery and mayhem, and if you are a fan of horror, sci-fi and fantasy films, you should be there, too!

I'll see you in Montreal, July 2010!

Thirst is currently playing in limited release at art cinemas.

Kaifeck Murder does not yet have a DVD release date.

Sweet Karma was without a distributor at the time of its world premier.

Grace will be released on DVD on September 15 and is highly recommended.

Previously:

Joe Lipsett revealed himself as a horror connoisseur.

Find out who Joe picked for his fantasy studio.

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