Fantasia International Film Festival
The North American Gender Film Rendez-vous — Fantastic, Horror, Science Fiction and Animation · Cinemas Hall and J.A. de Sève (Cordisia University) and Cinema du Musée, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
The festival
Every summer, Montreal becomes the capital of genre cinema. Founded in 1996, the Fantasia International Film Festival presents the best of fantastic, horror, science fiction and animation, in the heart of downtown, in Concordia University's cinemas and at the Museum's Cinema. Its 30th edition, from July 16 to August 2, 2026, gathered more than 125 feature films and more than 200 shorts from 54 countries, around its Cheval Noir competition and the Frontiers market.
Good to know
Founded in 1996 in Montreal; presented by MELS in collaboration with Concordia University; artistic director: Mitch Davis. Opening 2026: Her Private Hell by Nicolas Winding Refn (Canadian premiere); closing: Freaks Part II (World Premiere); Cheval Noir du meilleur film 2026: Nightborn by Hanna Bergholm. Attendation published by the festival: about 100,000 festivalgoers over 18 days. Ticketing on the official website (presale 2026 opened on July 3, 2006). Official contact published: [email protected] (film submissions).