Fantasia 2009: A Film Festival Preview

Horror, Asian action, animé, edgy fantasy and more, the Fantasia Film Festival kicks off yet another season of genre cinema this Thursday, July 9 through Wednesday, July 29. And it's as gory, naughty and offensive as ever so think twice before clicking on the clips below as they may contain scenes of violence and sexual innuendo. Viewer discretion is strongly advised.

Proposing over 100 features, with an accent on Japanese films ripe with violence and/or eroticism, such as the critically acclaimed Love Exposure, Asian action flicks have been a Fantasia favorite since the film fest's inception in 1996. So with the Hong Kong film industry turning 100 in 2009, Fantasia decided to mark the centennial with the Canadian premiere of the award-winning epic Warlords, starring Jet Li. Martial arts champ Jiang Luxia's feature debut in Coweb is another Hong Kong action must-see at the fest.

Meanwhile, the pint-sized get props in the horror genre this year with Paul Solet's Grace, which apparently turned more than a few stomachs at Sundance. And a similar bloodthirsty theme is found in Tom Shankland's The Children. But if you'd prefer a lighter take on death and decay, then consider I Sell the Dead, starring the ridiculously underrated Ron Perlman and Lost's Dominic Monaghan.

On the topic of stomach-turning, Fantasia's documentary film offerings include Graphic Sexual Horror, an exploration of the inner workings of one of the most extreme torture websites on the Internet which was shut down by the U.S. government. Another doc must-see is Danny Ledonne's Playing Columbine, a dissection of the controversy behind Ledonne's 2006 role-playing game by the same name that allows players to "be" the two teenage Columbine killers. A quick caution: word has it the film is a little too fast-paced and choppy at times with some critics suggesting viewers may have difficulty absorbing the information presented.

A couple of other notables include Park Chan-wook's Thirst, a vampire flick that just won the Jury Prize at Cannes and Lee Demarbre's Smash Cut, a horror/comedy starring David Hess and adult film star Sasha Grey, who recently made headlines for her role in Steven Soderbergh's The Girlfriend Experience. Grey as well as Hess will be in Montreal for the fest.

There's also a spotlight on Quebec short films, animation shorts and free outdoor screenings. More details below.

More on:

• Fantasia Film Festival: A History With Clips
• Fantasia Under the Stars: List of Free Outdoor Screenings (In French)
• Fantasia Film Festival 2009