Each Montreal summer, for a few languid nights, a magical creature winds its way around Concordia's Hall Building. Stretching nearly a full city block, it waits to settle its 1,400 restless feet in the cool dark of the Sir George Williams Alumni Auditorium.
Of course, this is no monster: it's Fantasia season in Montreal, and this "creature" is the crowd of festivalgoers lining up for North America's largest celebration of genre cinema.
From kung fu to romantasy, Quebecois horror to anime, thousands of filmmakers have found their audience at Fantasia. Now in its 30th year, the international festival returns to Concordia from July 16 to August 2, 2026.
"As Fantasia celebrates its 30th anniversary, the collaboration between the festival and the Mel Hoppenheim School of Cinema has grown in exciting ways from student internships that offer an inside look at how the event runs, to a dedicated $1,000 award and a public screening supporting our emerging filmmakers in Film Animation and Film Production," says Martin Lefebvre, Cinema School chair. "It's a partnership that continues to strengthen the bond between the School, its students and Montreal's vibrant cinema scene."
Genre's moment in the spotlight
As the second biggest festival of its kind in the world, Fantasia spotlights filmmakers whose work has not always received mainstream recognition.
"Genre is more and more a part of our culture," says Becca McKay, BFA 23 (Specialization in Film Studies), programming manager. "It's something we can't ignore anymore. But historically, it's not been seen as prestigious or given the same attention as dramas and other films.
"That to me is why we have people who are really loyal to the festival. If you love genre, you know where you're going to get it."
That loyalty extends to Fantasia's staff, many of whom have been with the festival since the beginning, McKay explains. Many also landed their roles after graduating from the Mel Hoppenheim School.
"There's a bit of a pipeline from Concordia into Fantasia. That's how I got my start," she says.
Opening credits
Fantasia was created in 1996 to champion Asian filmmaking, especially early Hong Kong films, which were rarely shown in Montreal at the time, McKay explains.
"It made its name this way. We still focus on kung fu, horror and sci-fi, but you're also likely to find an Asian drama."
Today, around 40 per cent of the films shown at the festival are produced in Asia, in line with Fantasia's history.
The rest of the programming is split between international, Canadian and Quebec films.
"Because other festivals are just focused on Quebec, people don't realize how many films we program from here," McKay says.
More than just a host
This focus on the local means Concordia is not only the festival host: the university has also been widely represented in the programming.
"Over the last 30 years, the university's animation program is something we really see reflected in programming, and these films tend to do very well at the festival," McKay says.
Other highlights include RED ROOMS (Les chambres rouges), a multi-award-winning horror film by Quebecois filmmaker Pascal Plante, BFA 11, selected to open the festival in 2023. A year prior, The Diabetic, directed by Mitchell Stafiej, BFA 13, MFA 18, made its debut; it has since developed a cult following, McKay says.
Her favourite Canadian genre films are by Mi'kmaq filmmaker Jeff Barnaby (1977-2022), BFA 04, whose pioneering works of Indigenous horror have also screened at the festival.
"Last year we included more than 60 films by Concordians. There are only so many features made in Quebec, and it's uncommon for them not to have some sort of tie. It's not always a producer or director, but it's always someone," McKay says.
Highlighting local talent
For McKay, this is part of the festival's strength: showcasing local talent to international audiences and providing opportunities for filmmakers to take their ideas to market.
Examples include the Frontiers co-production market, where filmmakers pitch projects, seek funding and meet collaborators.
"It's an exciting thing for Fantasia to champion local and Canadian filmmakers so that people can make uniquely Canadian productions that then get to travel."
McKay says the festival's Concordia location is central to its identity.
"Our location creates a neighbourhood hub. We get to focus on supporting businesses all around the campus, especially Asian-owned businesses," she says. "We're in this incredible city that pushes people to be experimental and artistic. The cost of living allows people to be artists here, and school is more affordable.
"I'm so grateful to be around so many artists and those who come to the festival, who take the time and money to support us."
Tickets for the 2026 Fantasia International Film Festival go on sale in July, alongside the full program launch.
