The Fantasia International Film Festival is continuing its cherished tradition of featuring emotionally and visually terrifying genre movies that will surely make viewers scream in horror – and delight – with its current slate. This summer’s 30th annual edition of the Montreal-based festival, which will run July 16 through August 2, 2026 is sure to leave audiences shrieking in both fear and excitement over its line-up.

Many screenings of the films included in the festival will take place at several theaters across Montreal. Fantasia will return to the Concordia Hall and J.A. de Sève cinemas. Additional screenings and events will be held at Cinéma du Musée.

The festival website is now live with the complete lineup of over 125 features and 200 shorts. Ticket pre-sales open at 10:00am ET tomorrow, July 3 on the festival’s official website.

Audiences are sure to love several features that are screening throughout the festival, including the horror movie, ‘Unholy Night.’ The holiday comedy is set to have its World Premiere in the Septentrion Shadows section at the festival.

The film will premiere on Saturday, July 25 at 7:00pm, which will be followed by its second screening on Monday, July 27 at 11:45am. Both screenings will take place at Salle J.A. De Sève. The feature will be presented with writer-director-producer-actress Lauren Andrews’ horror comedy short,‘Frequency.’

‘Unholy Night’ marks the debut feature from scribe-helmer-co-producer Michael Gabriele. He’s returning to Fantasia after his short film, ‘Get Away,’ won the Gold Audience Award for Best International Short at the festival in 2023. The filmmaker’s latest project stars Marc Bendavid, Shailene Garnett, Jacqueline Robbins, Toni Ellwand, Ron Lea, Christina Rosato, Olivier Renaud, Celia Owen, Ellen David, Frank Spadone and Al Sapienza

‘Unholy Night’ follows Gin (Bendavid) as his traditional family Christmas Eve turns into a bloody battle for survival. He’s shocked when his long-dead grandma drops by and goes on a murderous rampage. Amid the chaos, Gino reunites with his ex. The dysfunctional duo must avoid his dead Italian relatives popping up all around the neighborhood as they search for a way to get rid of these Yuletide revenants and survive his family Christmas.

Another eagerly awaited movie that’s playing during this year’s Fantasia is another horror comedy, ‘Big Break.’ The thriller is set to have its World Premiere in the Horizon 2026 section at the festival.

The movie will premiere on Sunday, July 19 at 7:00pm, which will be followed by its second screening on Tuesday, July 21 at 11:45am. Both screenings will take place at Salle J.A. De Sève.

Ian Faria directed the film, with an all-star team of indie producers. Those producers including Richie Doyle (‘If I Had Legs I’d Kick You’), Conor Hannon (‘The People’s Joker’), Graham Mason (‘Inspector Ike’), Ani Schroeter (‘Bunnylovr’) and Sarah Wilson (‘Dad & Step-Dad’).

‘Big Break’ navigates the harsh realities and moral dilemmas that come with being a part of the entertainment industry, and greets them with a punch(line), finding humor in the struggle and relatability in its cast of characters. The movie recalls underground American horror-comedy classics while carving out a space entirely its own thanks to Simple Town’s special brand of chaotic cringecore sketch comedy.

For more information on ‘Big Break,’ whose Fantasia screenings will be hosted by Faria and actors Felipe Di Poi, Caro Yost, Sam Lanier and Will Niedmann, visit its page on the festival’s official website.

Fantasia audiences will also surely be frightened by another horror film, ‘Ancestral Beasts.’ The psychological thriller will have its World Premiere as part of the Septentrion Shadows section.

The movie will premiere on Wednesday, July 22 at 9:30pm, which will be followed by its second screening on Tuesday, July 28 at 10:45am. Both screenings will take place at Salle J.A. De Sève. The feature will follow writer-director Andrew Hamilton’s sci-fi horror short,‘Purge.’

Métis director Tim Riedel penned, helmed and produced the movie, which was shot in Winnipeg. The drama features an Indigenous-led ensemble including Morgan Holmstrom (‘Outlander,’ ‘Shadow of the Rougarou’), Darla Contois (‘Little Bird’), Gail Maurice (‘Aberdeen’) and Asivak Koostachin (HBO’s ‘Duster’). Edmon Rotea, the producer on the hit indie horror film ‘Skinamarink,’ is an executive producer on ‘Ancestral Beasts.’

The new feature was selected as part of the Frontières Platform at Cannes’ Marché du Film in 2025, where it was presented as a Proof of Concept. It was then acquired by genre label Vorteks and then by Canadian distributor Mongrel.

‘Ancestral Beasts’ follows Elyse (Holmstrom) after she cuts ties with her toxic sister. As a result, she decides to retreat to her rural ancestral home to rebuild her mental health. But a grotesque, centipede-like creature, which serves as a physical manifestation of buried trauma, begins to stalk her. As it feeds on her emotional turmoil, Elyse must confront the past she tried to escape to save herself and those she loves.

The thriller was developed with Indigenous Elders, knowledge keepers, trauma informed experts and academics and is based in part on Riedel’s lived experience, whose mother was a Sixties Scoop survivor and was diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder.

For more information on ‘Ancestral Beasts,’ whose Fantasia screenings will be hosted by Riedel, producers Kayla Foisy and Elena Basford, Koostachin, Director of Photography Joseph Forte and film crew members Addy Riedel and Raymond Pereux, visit its page on the festival’s official website.

Another anticipated movie that’s set to play this year’s Fantasia is the action-thriller, ‘Attack on Paradise.’ The film will have its World Premiere as part of the Horizon 2026 section.

The movie will premiere on Sunday, July 19 at 9:30pm at Auditorium des diplômés de la SGWU (Théâtre Hall). The feature will be preceded by director Sepehr Nosrati’s short thriller, ‘175.’

Bob Colaers helmed ‘Attack on Paradise,’ which is a production of Belgium and The Netherlands. Sven Huybrechts, Said Boumazoughe and Salahdine Ibnou Kacemi wrote the drama, which is presented in Dutch and Arabic. Boumazoughe also stars in the film, alongside Clara Cleymans, Achmed Akkabi, Jamal Ben Saddik and Imanuelle Grives.

‘Attack on Paradise’ follows Suleyman (Boumazoughe) as he’s released from serving a seven-year prison sentence. He’s determined to pick up his life again. During his incarceration, his home, the flat block Paradise, has been taken over by gangs and drug dealers. When the police decide to raid Paradise, Suleyman gets caught in the violence, with only one goal: to get back to his mother and get her to safety. Alongside rookie police officer Yasmine (Cleymans), Suleyman battles his way up, floor by floor.

For more information on ‘Attack on Paradise,’ whose Fantasia screenings will be hosted by Riedel, producers Kayla Foisy and Elena Basford, Koostachin, Director of Photography Joseph Forte and film crew members Addy Riedel and Raymond Pereux, visit its page on the festival’s official website.

Fantasia audiences will also surely be scared by the psycho-slacker comedy, ‘Sour Minnows.’ The film is set to have its World Premiere in the Cheval Noir section at the festival.

The movie will premiere on Friday, July 24 at 6:45pm at Cinéma du Musée. The premiere will be followed by the interdimensional absurdist comedy’s second screening on Wednesday, July 29 at 1:45 PM at the Salle J.A. De Sève.

Harrison Atkins scribed and helmed ‘Sour Minnows.’ He also produced the film alongside Sarah Winshall, Allison Bunce, Kate Banford, Mel Barnes, Suzanna Son and Anne Gormely.

Actors David Brown (‘Jury Duty,’ ‘Loot’), Son (‘Red Rocket,’ ‘Fear Street: Prom Queen’) and Chase Williamson (‘John Dies at the End,’ ‘The Guest’) headline the cast. The supporting actors include Julia Jones, Phil Burgers, Ryan Perez and Carmen Christopher.

‘Sour Minnows’ follows two friends and roommates, Ricky (Brown) and Tepper (Williamson), as they stumble upon an unusual sight: six men sensually licking the pavement on an empty LA street. For Ricky, this moment ruptures something. As his reality grows porous, and his memories begin to slip and slide, he finds himself in contact with The Yellow Thing, an entity that wears people like costumes. As Ricky adapts to his expanding worldview, a delirious new logic takes hold.

For more information on ‘Sour Minnows,’ whose Fantasia screenings will be hosted by Atkins, Barnes, Banford, Son, Williamson and film crew member Vilde Almåsbak Dønåsen, visit its page on the festival’s official website.