The list of Fantasia Film Festival Awards winners includes Red Rooms, Stay Online, Femme, and the Adams family

The Fantasia International Film Festival in Montreal is more than halfway through its 27th edition, which is running from July 20th through August 9th – and over the weekend they unveiled their list of Fantasia Film Festival Awards winners, with major honors going to the likes of Red Rooms and Stay Online.

Our own reviewer Tyler Nichols gave Red Rooms a 9/10 “amazing” review (you can read it HERE), so it makes sense to hear that the film racked up multiple awards, including Best Feature, Best Screenplay for Pascal Plante, Best Score for Dominique Plante, and Outstanding Performance for Juliette Gariépy. We haven’t had the chance to see Stay Online yet, but that movie did earn the Best First Feature award for director Yeva Strelnikova.

Red Rooms is about what happens when the case of a serial killer who streamed his murders in the “red rooms” of the Dark Web goes to trial, and Kelly-Anne (Gariépy) becomes obsessed. She goes down a dark path to obtain the final piece of the case’s puzzle.

Stay Online is a Screenlife film that begins when a young woman volunteering in Kyiv is given one of the thousands of laptops donated by ordinary Ukrainians to support the war effort. She’s asked to install a sensitive military application and deliver the laptop to her brother serving on the frontline. But the woman receives a mysterious video call from a young boy searching for his father, the laptop’s previous owner, who went missing during the Russian army’s brutal massacre of innocent civilians in Bucha. Reluctantly, she agrees to help find his missing parents — a decision that will ultimately force her to risk the lives of her own loved ones.

The Best Director award went to Sam H. Freeman and Ng Choon Ping, whose film Femme centers on drag artist Jules (Nathan Stewart-Jarrett), who sees his closeted assailant (George Mackay) at a gay sauna and begins dating him, hatching a plan for revenge. Stewart-Jarrett also won the Outstanding Performance award.

Here’s the full list of Fantasia Film Festival Awards winners, courtesy of Deadline:

Cheval Noir Competition – Feature Films
Best Feature
RED ROOMS (Québec, d. Pascal Plante)

Best Director
Sam H. Freeman & Ng Choon Ping (FEMME, United Kingdom)

Best Screenplay
Pascal Plante (RED ROOMS, Québec, d. Pascal Plante)

Best Score (The Sandro Forte Award)
Dominique Plante (RED ROOMS, Québec, d. Pascal Plante)

Best Cinematography
Zelda Adams & John Adams (WHERE THE DEVIL ROAMS, United States, d. Zelda Adams, John Adams and Toby Poser)

Outstanding Performance Award
Nathan Stewart-Jarrett (FEMME, United Kingdom, d. Sam H. Freeman & Ng Choon Ping)
Juliette Gariépy (RED ROOMS, Québec, d. Pascal Plante)

Special Mention
Vincent Doit Mourir (France, d. Stéphan Castang)

New Flesh Competition for Best First Feature – Debut Films
Best First Feature
STAY ONLINE (Ukraine, d. Yeva Strelnikova)

Special Jury Mention
TIGER STRIPES (Malaysia,Taiwan, France, Germany, d. Amanda Nell Eu)
THE ABANDONED (Taiwan, d. Tseng Ying-Ting)

International Short Film Competition
Best Short Film
BOLD EAGLE (Philippines, dir. Whammy Alcazaren)

Best Director
Jacob Chase (MR. BLUR, USA)

Best Screenplay
David Winstone (THE NOLBELTO METHOD, UK, dir. David Winstone)

Outstanding Performance
Silvana Mihai (THE TASTER, Germany, dir. Sophia Bierend)
Lim Hyojin (SHOULDER, South Korea, dir. Kim Jaehyung)

Special Mention
SWEET JUICES (Australia, dir. Im Sejon, Will Suen)

Best Score
Matthias Dewilde (POPPY’S SATURN, Belgium, dir. Nicole Tegelaar)

Best Cinematography
Julien Ramirez Hernan (TRANSLYVANIE, France, dir. Rodrigue Huart)

Axis: Satoshi Kon Award for Excellence in Animation
Best Feature Film
THE FIRST SLAM DUNK (Japan, d. Takehiko Inoue)

Special Jury Mention
SAND LAND (Japan, d. Toshihisa Yokoshima)

Best Short Film – Gold
A KIND OF TESTAMENT (France, d. Stephen Vuillemin)

Best Short Film – Silver
ARCHITECT A (South Korea, d. Lee Jonghoon)

Best Short Film – Bronze
RECORD. PLAY. STOP. (India, d. Neeraj Bhattacharjee)

AQCC-CAMERA LUCIDA
IRLANDE CAHIER BLEU (Québec, dir. Olivier Godin)

Special Jury Mention
HOME INVASION (United Kingdom, dir. Graeme Arnfield)

The Fantasia Film Festival Awards jury provided the following statement: “The ultimate effect a film can achieve is to implant a significant and lasting emotional memory. The jury was unanimously convinced that [Red Rooms] masterfully accomplished that goal.“

What do you think of the list of Fantasia Film Festival Awards winners? Are you interested in the films that won awards? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

Robert Rodriguez brings the family in front of and behind the camera as he and his sons worked on the Spy Kids reboot for Netflix.

One thing you can’t fault Robert Rodriguez for — he makes the movies he wants to make. The notorious do-it-yourself director found his way into the studio system by way of cutting down production costs by working a number of positions himself and creatively shooting around normally complicated set-ups. His bets usually paid off when his films would hit and make a profit, thanks to his ingenuity. Ever since, he’s existed with one foot inside as well as one foot outside of Hollywood. After The Book of Boba Fett and the recent thriller Hypnotic, Rodriguez has returned to his unlikely family franchise hit with Spy Kids: Armageddon.

The official synopsis from Netflix reads,
When the children of the world’s greatest secret agents unwittingly help a powerful Game Developer unleash a computer virus that gives him control of all technology, they must become spies themselves to save their parents and the world.

The film sports a cast that includes Gina Rodriguez, Zachary Levi, Everly Carganilla, Connor Esterson, Billy Magnussen, and D.J. Cotrona. Robert Rodriguez once again sits in the director’s chair as well as penning the script with his son, Racer Max. Producers include Robert Rodriguez, Racer Max, Elizabeth Avellan, and David Ellison, Dana Goldberg and Don Granger (Skydance). Gary Barber and Peter Oillataguerre (Spyglass) are on board as executive producers on the film. Robert’s other son, Rebel, who has shown up in a few of his dad’s movies, including Planet Terror, Sharkboy and Lava Girl, and Shorts, composes the soundtrack for this film.

Racer Rodriguez, who goes by Racer Max talks about growing up with his famous filmmaker dad. “He taught me that work is play. You should enjoy what you do so much and you should be doing what you enjoy so much in your life that it just feels like play.” Racer added that while most families play Marco Polo in the pool, they write movies. “Our favorite method of writing… is, we grab our notepads (or our phones at this point), jump into the pool and float around and just talk, come up with ideas. Let’s go in the pool, let’s come out with a movie.” Movies are a family business for the Rodriguezes as Robert’s ex-wife, Elizabeth Avellan remains a producing partner ever since his debut, El Mariachi.

Spy Kids: Armageddon hits Netflix on September 22.

Arrow Video is releasing a 4K set of the first four Hellraiser movies – with a newly uncovered workprint version of Hellraiser: Bloodline!

A couple years ago, screenwriter Peter Atkins – who worked on the scripts for the first three Hellraiser sequels – published his original screenplay for the famously troubled fourth film, Hellraiser: Bloodline (the script is available for purchase at THIS LINK), saying, “Whilst you’ll never get to see a Director’s Cut of Hellraiser: Bloodline, you can read in this book what was supposed to be…” But even though the production was too complicated for us to ever see a proper director’s cut, there is a “newly uncovered workprint version” – and it’s going to be included in Arrow Video’s upcoming 4K box set release of the first four Hellraiser movies!

Arrow Video’s Hellraiser: Quartet of Torment box set is available for pre-order HERE and will be released on October 23rd. This is a UK release, but 4K discs are region free. (If you order the regular Blu-ray edition, there will be region locking to deal with.)

Here’s the information on the films: We Have Such Sights To Show You… In the 1980s, Clive Barker changed the face of horror fiction, throwing out the rules to expose new vistas of terror and beauty, expanding the horizons for every genre writer who followed him. With Hellraiser, his first feature film, he did the same for cinema. Hedonist Frank Cotton (Sean Chapman) thinks he has reached the limits of earthly pleasure. But a mysterious puzzle box will take him further than he can possibly imagine, opening the doors to a dominion where pain and pleasure are indivisible and summoning the Cenobites, whose experiments in the higher reaches of experience will tear his soul apart. When he manages to escape, Frank returns to the world skinless and in need of help. Now his former lover Julia (Clare Higgins) must kill to make him whole again. But the Cenobites want Frank back, and there’ll be hell to pay when they find him.

Hellbound: Hellraiser II expands on Barker’s original vision as screenwriter Peter Atkins takes Julia Cotton, her step daughter Kirsty (Ashley Laurence) and the sinister Dr. Channard (Kenneth Cranham) into the dominion of the Cenobites themselves. Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth sees Pinhead set loose on the sinful streets of New York City to create chaos with a fresh cadre of Cenobitic kin. Then, Hellraiser: Bloodline sinks its hooks into past, present and future with the story of Phillip LeMarchand, the 18th-century toymaker who made the lament configuration puzzle box, his descendent John Merchant – a 20th-century architect whose most recent building bears a striking resemblance to the lament configuration – and Dr. Paul Merchant, a 22nd-century engineer and designer of The Minos, a space station which is a great deal more than it seems.

Experience the sublime agony of this quartet of torment like you never have before in all-new 4K restorations from the original camera negatives. Hell has never looked better!

And here’s the list of product features:

Brand new 4K restorations of all four films from the original camera negatives by Arrow Films
Ultra High Definition (2160p) presentations of all four films in Dolby Vision (hdr10 compatible)
Original lossless stereo and Dts-hd Ma 5.1 surround audio for all four films
Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
Ages of Desire, an exclusive 200-page hardback book with new writing from Clive Barker archivists Phil and Sarah Stokes
Limited edition layered packaging featuring brand new Chatterer artwork

Disc 1 Hellraiser

Brand new audio commentary featuring genre historian (and unit publicist of Hellraiser) Stephen Jones with author and film critic Kim Newman
Archival audio commentary with writer/director Clive Barker and actor Ashley Laurence, moderated by Peter Atkins
Archival audio commentary with writer/director Clive Barker
Power of Imagination – brand new 60-minute discussion about Hellraiser and the work of Clive Barker by film scholars Sorcha Ní Fhlainn (editor of Clive Barker: Dark Imaginer) and Karmel Kniprath
Unboxing Hellraiser – brand new visual essay celebrating the Lament Configuration by genre author Alexandra Benedict (The Beauty of Murder)
The Pursuit of Possibilities – brand new 60-minute discussion between acclaimed horror authors Paula D. Ashe (We Are Here To Hurt Each Other) and Eric LaRocca (Everything the Dark Eats) celebrating the queerness of Hellraiser and the importance of Clive Barker as a queer writer
Flesh is a Trap – brand new visual essay exploring body horror and transcendence in the work of Clive Barker by genre author Guy Adams (The World House)
Newly uncovered extended Epk interviews with Clive Barker and stars Andrew Robinson, Clare Higgins, Ashley Laurence, and effects artist Bob Keen, shot during the making of Hellraiser, with a new introduction by Stephen Jones and Kim Newman
Original 1987 Electronic Press Kit
Being Frank: Sean Chapman on Hellraiser – archival interview with the actor
Under the Skin: Doug Bradley on Hellraiser – archival interview with the iconic actor about his first appearance as ‘Pinhead’
Soundtrack Hell: The Story of the Abandoned Coil Score – archival interview with Coil member Stephen Thrower
Trailers and TV spots
Image gallery
Draft screenplays

Disc 2 Hellbound: Hellraiser II

Brand new audio commentary featuring Stephen Jones and Kim Newman
Archival audio commentary with director Tony Randel, writer Peter Atkins and actor Ashley Laurence
Audio commentary with director Tony Randel and writer Peter Atkins
Hell Was What They Wanted! – brand new 80-minute appreciation of Hellbound, the Hellraiser mythos and the work of Clive Barker by horror authors George Daniel Lea (Born in Blood) and Kit Power (The Finite)
That Rat-Slice Sound – brand new appreciation of composer Christopher Young’s scores for Hellraiser and Hellbound: Hellraiser II by Guy Adams
Archival on-set interview with Clive Barker
Archival on-set interview with cast and crew
Behind the scenes footage
Being Frank: Sean Chapman on Hellbound – archival interview about the actor’s return to the role of Frank Cotton
Under the Skin: Doug Bradley on Hellbound – archival interview with the iconic actor about his second appearance as ‘Pinhead’
Lost in the Labyrinth – archival featurette featuring interviews with Barker, Randel, Keen, Atkins and others
Trailers and TV spots
Image gallery

Disc 3 Hellraiser III: Hell On Earth

Alternative Unrated version (contains standard definition inserts)
Brand new audio commentary featuring Stephen Jones and Kim Newman
Archival audio commentary with screenwriter Peter Atkins (Theatrical Cut only)
Archival audio commentary with director Anthony Hickox and actor Doug Bradley (Unrated Version only)
Previously unseen extended Epk featuring interviews with Clive Barker and Doug Bradley
FX dailies
Time with Terri – archival interview with actor Paula Marshall
Raising Hell on Earth – archival interview with director Anthony Hickox
Under the Skin: Doug Bradley on Hellraiser III – archival interview with the iconic actor about his third appearance as ‘Pinhead’
Theatrical trailer
Image gallery

Disc 4 Hellraiser: Bloodline

Brand new audio commentary featuring screenwriter Peter Atkins, with Stephen Jones and Kim Newman
The Beauty of Suffering – brand new featurette exploring the Cenobites’ connection to goth, fetish cultures and Bdsm
Newly uncovered workprint version of the film, providing a fascinating insight into how it changed during post production
Hellraiser Evolutions – archival documentary on the evolution of the franchise and its enduring legacy, featuring interviews with Scott Derrickson (director, Hellraiser: Inferno), Rick Bota (director, Hellraiser: Hellseeker, Deader and Hellworld), Stuart Gordon (director, Re-Animator, From Beyond) and others
Books of Blood and Beyond: The Literary Works of Clive Barker – archival appreciation by horror author David Gatwalk of Barker’s written work, from The Books of Blood to The Scarlet Gospels
Theatrical trailer
Image gallery
Easter egg

Are you a fan of Hellraiser films, and will you be buying the Hellraiser: Quartet of Torment 4K box set? Let us know by leaving a comment below – and while you’re scrolling down, check out the images of the set. There’s the limited edition with a Chatterer slipcase and the standard edition with Pinhead:

Paramount and Nickelodeon’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem featurette explores the evolution of the TMNT franchise.

While scores of TMNT fans have already seen Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, thanks to the magic of preview screenings, others have reserved a table at their favorite pizza joint in anticipation of the film’s release on Wednesday, August 2! Still, a pie decorated with pepperoni, anchovies, and banana peppers isn’t the only way to celebrate the Fab Four’s return. Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon Movies are proud to present a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem featurette exploring the evolution of the Turtles franchise!

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem featurette begins with TMNT co-creator Kevin Eastman recalling the night the characters were conceived. After drawing a rudimentary version of a Ninja Turtle, Eastman slapped the image on Peter Laird’s desk and said, “This is going to be the next big thing!” More valid words have never been spoken as TMNT’s popularity skyrocketed through the 1990s, bringing audiences of all ages an engaging coming-of-age story with charismatic characters, attitude, and a marketing blitz rivaling the likes of Transformers, G.I. Joe, and Star Wars.

In the featurette, Mutant Mayhem producer/writer/actor Seth Rogen waxes rhapsodic about his TMNT history. He remembers owning the TMNT toys, obsessing about the original live-action movie, and enrolling in karate classes to mimic the moves of his mutant heroes. Mutant Mayhem’s director, Jeff Rowe, joins the video, remarking on the appeal of the TMNT toy line, saying how the weird and wonderful packaging made the characters stand out on shelves.

As the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem featurette continues, the filmmakers speak about approaching the film from a teenager’s point of view. How would they direct the action? What kind of energy would a teenager bring to the TMNT franchise? How do you blend nostalgia with enough material for new fans?

Here’s the official synopsis for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem:

After years of being sheltered from the human world, the Turtle brothers set out to win the hearts of New Yorkers and be accepted as normal teenagers through heroic acts. Their new friend April O’Neil helps them take on a mysterious crime syndicate, but they soon get in over their heads when an army of mutants is unleashed upon them.

The voice cast includes Micah Abbey, Shamon Brown Jr., Hannibal Buress, Rose Byrne, Nicolas Cantu, John Cena, Jackie Chan, Ice Cube, Natasia Demetriou, Ayo Edebiri, Giancarlo Esposito, Post Malone, Brady Noon, Seth Rogen, Paul Rudd, and Maya Rudolph. Seth Rogen pens the screenplay with longtime writing partners Evan Goldberg, Jeff Rowe, Dan Hernandez, and Benji Samit. Jeff Rowe is also sitting in the director’s chair for this one with a co-direction from Kyler Spears. Rogen produces the film alongside Goldberg and Jeff Weaver, and the film’s executive producers include Ramsay McBean and Josh Fagen.

Jeff Rowe (The Mitchells vs the Machines, Disenchantment, Gravity Falls) directs, with Kyler Spears co-directing from a screenplay by Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, Jeff Rowe, Dan Hernandez, and Benji Samit.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem comes to theaters on August 2, 2023!