After 23 days of screenings, the 19th Fantasia International Film Festival closed with the World Premiere of ATTACK ON TITAN from Shinji Higuchi, and announced the names of the winners of its awards. The prizes were awarded by the juries of each category.  TAG by Sion Sono (pictured above) took home the Cheval Noir Award for Best Film, along with Award for Best Actress for Reina Triendl, and a Special Mention for its “creative, surprising, and monumental opening kill sequence.”

Two buses filled with jubilant schoolgirls are rolling down a country road, and Mitsuko is the only one who is sitting calmly, writing poetry. When she bends down to pick up a pencil dropped by her friend, something unthinkable happens: both vehicles are cut in half by an invisible entity, lengthwise. Standing amidst dozens of severed bodies, the young girl is suddenly being chased by a homicidal wind whose clutches she barely escapes. When she finally makes it back to school after a hot pursuit, she finds herself surrounded by her fellow classmates who are acting as nothing ever happened. Was she dreaming? Hallucinating? Is Mitsuko trapped in a parallel dimension? What’s certain is that she’s at the mercy of Sion Sono’s twisted imagination! via Fantasia Film Festival

The 20th anniversary edition of The Fantasia International Film Festival will take place in Montreal from July 14 to August 2, 2016.

CHEVAL NOIR AWARD – FEATURE FILMS
The jury, presided over by Andrew Frank (VP of Sales and Acquisitions, Mongrel Media) and composed of Roxanne Benjamin (filmmaker), François Létourneau (writer and actor), Ian Rattray (co-founder, Film4 FrightFest), and Ryan Turek (director of development, Blumhouse Productions), awarded the following prizes:

Cheval Noir Award for Best Film: TAG by Sion Sono
Award for Best Director: Malik Bader for CASH ONLY
Award for Best Screenplay: Tomoe Kanno for LA LA LA AT ROCK BOTTOM
Award for Best Actor (unanimous): Subaru Shibutani for LA LA LA AT ROCK BOTTOM
Award for Best Actress (unanimous): Reina Triendl for TAG
Special Mention for Sion Sono’s TAG for its creative, surprising, and monumental opening kill sequence.

NEW FLESH AWARD – FIRST FEATURES
The jury, presided over by Patrick Ewald (CEO, Epic Pictures) and composed of Dave Alexander (Editor-in-Chief, Rue Morgue Magazine), Jimmy Beaulieu (comic artist), and Emico Kawai (Producer and International Sales, Nikkatsu Corporation), awarded the following prizes:

New Flesh Award for Best First Feature Film: CRUMBS by Miguel Llanso
Special Mention awarded to THE BLUE HOUR by Anucha Boonyawatana for the artist’s courage and vision

INTERNATIONAL SHORT FILM COMPETITION PRIZE
The jury, presided over by John McNaughton (filmmaker) and composed of Matthew Hays (journalist) and Francesco Simeoni (Film preservationist, director of Arrow Video), awarded the following prizes:

Award for Best International Short Film: MAURICE by François Jaros
Special Mention awarded to LA SÉANCE by Edouard de La Poëze for its atmosphere, décor, and wardrobe

SATOSHI KON AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN ANIMATION
The jury, presided over by Benoit Godbout (filmmaker and artistic director) and composed of Marie-Josée Saint-Pierre (filmmaker) and Johanne Ste-Marie (filmmaker), awarded the following prizes:

Satoshi Kon Award for Best Animated Feature Film: MISS HOKUSAI by Keiichi Hara
Special Mention awarded to POSSESSED by Sam for its playful homage to horror cinema
Satoshi Kon Award for Best Animated Short Film: MISSING ONE PLAYER by Lei Lei
Special Mention awarded to GHOST CELL by Antoine Delacharlery for its technical and visual excellence
Satoshi Kon Award for Best Family Short Film: UNE HISTOIRE D’OURS by Gabriel Osorio
Special Mention awarded to LA MOUFLE by Clémentine Robach for the charm and beauty of its animation and story

BARRY CONVEX AWARD FOR BEST CANADIAN FEATURE FILM
The Winner of Spectacular Optical’s 2015 Barry Convex Award for Best Canadian Feature or Co-Production is Larry Kent’s SHE WHO MUST BURN. Whether with words or imagery, Larry’s films have always been ferocious and critically engaged with the culture he creates them in. The award is accompanied by a $1000 prize, thanks to The Paul A. Ray Memorial Fund.

PRIX AQCC 2015
The jury, composed of Céline Gobert, André Lavoie, and Jean-Marie Lanlo, awarded the Prix AQCC to BRIDGEND by Jeppe Ronde.

PRIX SÉQUENCES
The jury, composed of Pascal Grenier, Maxime Labrecque, and Mathieu Séguin-Tétreault, awarded the Prix Séquences to MISS HOKUSAI by Keiichi Hara, with a Special Mention for THE BLUE HOURby Anucha Boonyawatana.

PRIX L’ÉCRAN FANTASTIQUE
The Prix L’Écran fantastique, judged by Yves Rivard, was awarded to SYNCHRONICITY by Jacob Gentry.

AUDIENCE AWARDS

Best Asian Feature:
Gold Prize – LOVE & PEACE by Sion Sono
Silver Prize – Poison Berry in My Brain / A Hard Day (TIE)
Bronze Prize – Robbery

Best European, North American, or South American Feature:
Gold Prize – THERAPY FOR A VAMPIRE by David Ruhm
Silver Prize – Marshland
Bronze Prize – Børning / Turbo Kid / Shamer’s Daughter (THREE-WAY TIE)

Best Canadian or Quebec Feature:
Gold Prize – TURBO KID by Anouk Whissell, François Simard, and Yoann-Karl Whissell
Silver Prize – Bite / Demolisher (TIE)
Bronze Prize – Limoilou

Best Animated Feature:
Gold Prize – MISS HOKUSAI by Keiichi Hara
Silver Prize – Possessed
Bronze Prize – The Case of Hanna and Alice

Best Documentary:
I AM THOR by Ryan Wise

Guru Prize for Best Action Feature:
BIG MATCH by Choi Ho

AddikTV Prize for Best Thriller or Suspense Film:
MARSHLAND by Alberto Rodriguez

Most Innovative Short or Feature:
THEY LOOK LIKE PEOPLE by Perry Blackshear

Best Short Film:
Gold Prize – GOLD FISH by Michael Konyves
Silver Prize – Fools Day
Bronze Prize – Iris