Fantasia Fest Adds ‘The Deer King,’ Phil Tippett’s ‘Mad God’ To Lineup

Montreal’s Fantasia International Film Festival has announced the final batch of titles in its animation line-up. The event runs August 5–25, mostly virtually, with screenings geo-locked for Canadian viewers. There will be select films screening in Montreal.

Fantasia’s lifetime achievement award is going to special effects legend Phil Tippett (Star Wars, Jurassic Park), whose experimental stop-motion feature Mad God (pictured top right), 30 years in the making, will get its North American premiere at the festival. Tippett will give a virtual masterclass, and Worse than the Demon, a documentary about the artist by his daughter Maya, will get its world premiere.

Mad God isn’t the only new addition to the feature lineup. Fantasia will host the North American premiere of The Deer King (top left), the buzzy anime title from Production I.G (Ghost in the Shell) and directors Masashi Ando and Masayuki Miyaji. After premiering at Annecy, the fantasy film was snapped up for North American distribution by GKIDS.

Mad God and The Deer King join the previously announced program of features:

• Poupelle of Chimney Town (North American premiere)
• Fortune Favors Lady Nikuko (North American premiere)
• Pompo: The Cinéphile (North American premiere)
• Satoshi Kon, the Illusionist (North American premiere)
• The Spine of Night (Canadian premiere)
• Cryptozoo (Québec premiere)
• Junk Head
• Hayop Ka! The Nimfa Dimaano Story (North American premiere)
• Little Vampire (North American premiere)

All films bar Satoshi Kon, The Illusionist and Junk Head are nominated for the Satoshi Kon Award for Achievement in Animation (Feature Film Category). The jury consists of Hefang Wei, Ashkan Rahgozar, and Kalp Sanghvi.

Takayuki Hirao and Pascal-Alex Vincent, directors of Pompo: The Cinéphile and Satoshi Kon, the Illusionist respectively, will meet for a Konversation — a virtual discussion about Kon’s legacy.

On the shorts side, Fantasia’s Circo Animato showcase returns with 13 films, including the Quirino-nominated Wayback. Animated shorts are also sprinkled across other programs like the Asian-themed Things that Go Bump in the East (which features the Zagreb grand prix winner Night Bus) and Radical Spirits, which contains not one but two South Korean films about shamanism: A Sip of Water and Good for You.

To explore the full lineup, head to Fantasia’s website.