5 Movies to look forward to at Fantasia Film Festival 2025

Here are the top 5 movies The Natural Aristocrat® is looking forward to watching at the prestigious 2025 Fantasia International Film Festival in Montreal, Quebec:

1) Blank Canvas: My So-called Artist Life

Blank Canvas: My So-called Artist Life. Photo provided by Fantasia International Film Festival

Blank Canvas: My So-called Artist Life is led by actress Mei Nagano whose film “My Broken Mariko” we picked as our 2022 Fantasia Film of the Year. Needless to say, The Natural Aristocrat® can’t wait to see Mei’s portrayal after her outstanding prior work.

We get ‘Whiplash’ film vibes from the film’s synopsis: “A young woman who dreams of becoming a manga artist enters an art school where her mentor uses harsh methods to push his students into classical painting.”

The mangaka story also focuses on one of our favorite subjects as you can see by our love of the movie “Blue Period“, which is another excellent title on becoming an artist. “Blue Period” was our pick for Japan Cuts 2024 Film of the Year locally here in New York City.

Blank Canvas has all the right ingredients to intrigue our interest and that photo still above says it all. Tough teacher to student relationship exemplified.

2) N’Yaight of The Living Cat

N’Yaight of The Living Cat. Art Provided by Fantasia International Film Festival

If you touch a kitty you turn into one. Fun premise that instantly reels you in. What more can you ask for? Throw in it being a virus sweeping the globe for good measure directly hinting at a zombie parody and you have a money printing machine.

The concept and the photo still already won us over, and N’Yaight of The Living Cat is even releasing on Crunchyroll this summer.

3) The Last Woman on Earth

The Last Woman on Earth movie. Photo provided by Fantasia International Film Festival

A satirical parody film where a film filmmaker can’t get funding for his film because of the lack of female perspective… While his female filmaking classmate wants to make a revenge film against males but is accused of misandry (which she doesn’t deny”.

We love a good parody film at The Natural Aristocrat®, especially one mocking the unspoken inner dealings of the business and art of filmmaking. We’ll be looking forward to this picture.

4) The Woman

The Woman movie. Photo provided by Fantasia International Film Festival

The Natural Aristocrat® are major fans of the suspense genre and The Woman promises to be a “riveting, character-driven psychological thriller, filled with non-stop tension and suspense.” We’ve heard rumblings this picture has top notch cinematography as well. Needless to say, this film is on our radar.

5) Strange Students With Stranger Talents

Strange Students With Stranger Talents movie. Photo provided by Fantasia International Film Festival

This dark action comedy film features an innocent popular highschool girl with “hordes of assassins” after her and no active knowledge of it. These kind of surreal fun highschool melodrama comedy films have become a staple at Fantasia with Office Royale and Baby Assassins preceding it.

Strange Students with Stranger Talents looks to continue the tradition.

Bonus Romcom:

6) Chao

CHAO movie. Art provided by Fantasia International Film Festival

Romcom and Romance Dramas are easily one of our favorite anime genres at The Natural Aristocrat®. We’re intrigued by Chao, a futuristic animated film about a shipbuilder looking to drive peace between humans and merfolk capturing the attention of a mermaid princess…

Prior Fantasia Film Festival Highlights:

Be sure to watch and read:

– Fantasia 2024 Interview: KIZUMONOGATARI -Koyomi Vamp- Director, Producer (Video)

– Hannah Emily Anderson Interview: ‘Dark Nature’ and domestic abuse survivors (Fantasia 2022)

– Jules Willcox talks Alone, breaking her foot for real in film (Interview)

– Marc Menchaca on Alone: ‘Probably, the most physical thing I’ve ever done’ (Interview)

– Fantasia 2023: Juliet Mills Video Interview on The Primevals

– Fantasia 2023: ‘Killing Romance’ Movie Review, Pros and Cons

– Fantasia Fest 2020: Tezuka’s Barbara is a stylish, decadent elixir of dystopian cool (Review)

Visit our Fantasia International Film Festival section for the latest reviews, exclusive interviews, photos, breaking news and much more!