‘Riddle of Fire’ – Yellow Veil Pictures & Vinegar Syndrome Bring Festival Hit Home in April

Brazil’s Fantaspoa film festival is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, and the festival is breaking numerous records, presenting an impressive total of 114 feature films, 22 of these as World Premieres, marking the largest number of feature films in Fantaspoa’s long history.

The final selection of feature films for Fantaspoa’s highly-anticipated 20th edition has been exclusively presented to Bloody Disgusting, so read on for everything you need to know!

The festival tells us this week, “With a diverse selection, the feature films screening at Fantaspoa XX have been divided into seven distinct competitive categories: International, Ibero-American, National, Documentary, Animation, All-Nighter, and Low Budget, Great Films. These categories promise audiences a variety of cinematic experiences, from the fringes of horror and fantasy to the depths of the human imagination.

“In addition to feature films, Fantaspoa will screen 123 short films, totaling 237 participating works, making this edition of the festival the largest in its history.

“The stunning lineup of competition titles includes the International Premiere of E.L. Katz’s SXSW charmer AZRAEL and the World Premiere of The Butcher Brothers’ new Devon Sawa-starring thriller CONSUMED, and Fantaspoa is also proudly presenting a diverse selection of special screenings, including Demián Rugna’s recent Argentinian hit WHEN EVIL LURKS with the writer/director in attendance. The fest will also feature special screenings of two Argentine films, 2014’s JORGE & ALBERTO VERSUS THE NEOLIBERAL DEMONS, Fantaspoa’s first original production which is celebrating its tenth anniversary, and TRENQUE LAUGUEN, which was selected as the best film of 2023 by Cahiers du Cinéma.

“Fantaspoa XX will also have the honor of presenting a special screening of Robin Hardy’s classic British folk horror film THE WICKER MAN (1973) in the presence of the director’s sons, Justin and Dominic, who will be also attending the festival for the previously-announced World Premiere of their stunning new documentary, CHILDREN OF THE WICKER MAN, which offers a very unique perspective on the lasting legacy of this cinema masterpiece.

“Among the confirmed guests for the festival’s second wave of films are Alejo Rébora and Daniela Jimenez (7 Lives), Paulo Caldas (Atmosphere), Jaco Bouwer (Breathing In), Karim Lakzadeh and Arash Jooyandeh (Dark Matter), Ryan Ward and Mackenzie Leigh (Daughter of the Sun), Nando Martínez (Fantastic Golem Affairs), Mike McCutchen and JJ Weber (A Game in the Woods), Mario Mayo and Jaime Arnaiz (I’ll Crush Y’all), Roger Elarrat (I, Nirvana), Mike Hermosa (The Invisible Raptor), Gonzalo Quintana and Hernán Quintana (Jorge & Alberto Vs. The Neoliberal Demons), Benjamin Pfohl (Jupiter), Gabriel Papaléo (Liminal Space), Igor Bastos (Motherboard), Armando Fonseca (Remind), Julio Cesar Napoli (Road to the Mouth of Hell), Gonzalo López-Gallego (The Shadow of the Shark), Máncel Martínez (Shit Happens and Miracles too), Guto Parente (A Strange Path), Juliana Muras (Trenque Lauquen), Kenichi Ugana (Visitors – Complete Edition), and Demián Rugna (When Evil Lurks).

“The 20th edition of Fantaspoa takes place between April 10 and 28, 2024, and is presented by the Ministry of Culture, Fantaspoa Productions, and Instituto Ling, with sponsorship from Crown Embalagens, America Embalagens, and Banrisul.”

Below is the full second wave of feature films to screen at Fantaspoa XX:

• 7 LIVES (dir. Alejo Rébora. 2024, Argentina, World Premiere)
• ALBERT PYUN: KING OF CULT MOVIES (dir. Lisa D’Apolito. 2023, United States, International Premiere)
• ANNA’S FEELINGS (dir. Anna Melikyan. 2023, Russia, Latin American Premiere)
• ANOTHER CURSED MOVIE (dirs. Alberto Andrés Fasce and Mario Gonzalo Varela. 2023, Argentina, Brazilian Premiere)
• ATMOSPHERE (dir. Paulo Caldas. 2023, Brazil/Germany, Regional Premiere)
• AVIVA (dir. Boaz Yakin. 2020, United States, France)
• AZRAEL (dir. E.L. Katz. 2024, United States/Estonia, International Premiere)
• BA (dir. Benjamin Wong. 2024, United States, International Premiere)
• BABY ASSASSINS 2 BABIES (dir. Yugo Sakamoto. 2023, Japan, Latin American Premiere)
• BEYOND THE INFINITE TWO MINUTES (dir. Junta Yamaguchi. 2021, Japan)
• BREATHING IN (dir. Jaco Bouwer. 2023, South Africa, Latin American Premiere)
• CLARICE’S DREAM (dirs. Fernando Gutierrez and Guto Bicalho. 2023, Brazil, Regional Premiere)
• THE COMPLEX FORMS (dir. Fabio D’Orta. 2023, Italy, Latin American Premiere)
• CONSUMED (dir. Mitchell Altieri. 2024, United States, World Premiere)
• DARK MATTER (dir. Karim Lakzadeh. 2023, Iran, Latin American Premiere)
• DAUGHTER OF THE SUN (dir. Ryan Ward. 2023, Canada, United States, Brazilian Premiere)
• DEMIGOD: THE LEGEND BEGINS (dir. Chris Huang Wen-Chang. 2022, Taiwan, Latin American Premiere)
• DIE NIBELUNGEN: KRIEMHILD’S REVENGE (dir. Fritz Lang. 1924, Germany)
• DIE NIBELUNGEN: SIEGFRIED’S DEATH (dir. Fritz Lang. 1924, Germany)
• EIGHT EYES (dir. Austin Jennings. 2023, United States/Serbia, Brazilian Premiere)
• ENCOUNTERS (dir. Dmitry Moiseev. 2023, Russia, Latin American Premiere)
• ENTER THE CLONES OF BRUCE (dir. David Gregory. 2023, United States, Latin American Premiere)
• THE FANTASTIC GOLEM AFFAIRS (dirs. Juan González and Nando Martínez. 2023, Spain/Estonia, Latin American Premiere)
• THE FUNERAL (dir. Orçun Behram. 2023, Turkey, Latin American Premiere)
• A GAME IN THE WOODS (dir. Mike McCutchen. 2024, United States, World Premiere)
• THE GLASS HOUSE (dir. Taras Dron. 2023, Ukraine/Cyprus/Romania/Germany, Latin American Premiere)
• THE HANDS OF ORLAC (dir. Robert Wiene. 1924, Germany, Austria)
• THE HYPERBORIAN (dir. Jesse Thomas Cook. 2023, Canada, Brazilian Premiere)
• I’LL CRUSH Y’ALL (dir. Kike Narcea. 2023, Spain, Brazilian Premiere)
• I, NIRVANA (dir. Roger Elarrat. 2024, Brazil, Regional Premiere)
• THE INVISIBLE FIGHT (dir. Rainer Sarnet. 2023, Estonia/Greece/Finland/Latvia, Latin American Premiere)
• THE INVISIBLE RAPTOR (dir. Mike Hermosa. 2023, United States, Latin American Premiere)
• JORGE & ALBERTO VERSUS THE NEOLIBERAL DEMONS (dirs. Gonzalo Quintana and Hernán Quintana. 2014, Argentina/Brazil)
• JUPITER (dir. Benjamin Pfohl. 2023, Germany, Latin American Premiere)
• KIM’S VIDEO (dirs. Ashley Sabin and David Redmon. 2023, United States, Regional Premiere)
• THE LAST SPARK OF HOPE (dir. Piotr Biedroń. 2023, Poland, Latin American Premiere)
• LIMINAL SPACE (dir. Gabriel Papaléo. 2023, Brazil, Regional Premiere)
• M (dir. Vardan Tozija. 2023, North Macedonia/Croatia/France/Kosovo/Luxembourg, Latin American Premiere)
• THE MONSTER WITH MANY NOSES (dir. Abigail Schaaff. 2023, Spain/France, Latin American Premiere)
• THE MOOR (dir. Chris Cronin. 2023, United Kingdom, Brazilian Premiere)
• MOTHERBOARD (dir. Igor Bastos. 2023, Brazil, Regional Premiere)
• THE MUTATION PROTOCOL (dir. Marcelo Leguiza. 2024, Argentina, World Premiere)
• THE OTHER SHAPE (dir. Diego Felipe Guzmán. 2022, Brazil/Colombia, Regional Premiere)
• PANDEMONIUM (dir. Quarxx. 2023, France, Brazilian Premiere)
• REMIND (dir. Armando Fonseca. 2024, Brazil, World Premiere)
• RESTLESS WATERS, SHIVERING LIGHTS (dir. Ángeles Hernández. 2023, Spain, International Premiere)
• ROAD TO THE MOUTH OF HELL (dir. Julio Cesar Napoli. 2024, Brazil, World Premiere)
• SATRANIC PANIC (dir. Alice Maio Mackay. 2023. Australia, Latin American Premiere)
• THE SHADOW OF THE SHARK (dir. Gonzalo López-Gallego. 2024, Spain, Latin American Premiere)
• SHIT HAPPENS AND MIRACLES TOO (Dir. Máncel Martínez. 2024, Colombia, World Premiere).
• THE SLEEPING WOMAN (dir. Laura Alvea. 2024, Spain, Latin American Premiere)
• A STRANGE PATH (dir. Guto Parente. 2023, Brazil, Regional Premiere)
• THE TENANTS (dir. Eun-kyoung Yoon. 2023, South Korea, Latin American Premiere)
• TRENQUE LAUQUEN (dir. Laura Citarella. 2023, Argentina, Germany)
• VISITORS – COMPLETE EDITION (dir. Kenichi Ugana. 2023, Japan, Latin American Premiere)
• THE WAIT (dir. F. Javier Gutierrez. 2023, Spain, Latin American Premiere)
• WAKE (dirs. Thom Arizmendi and Austin Parks Stewart. 2024, United States, International Premiere)
• THE WEIRD KIDZ (dir. Zach Passero. 2023, United States, Latin American Premiere)
• WHEN EVIL LURKS (dir. Demian Rugna. 2023, Argentina)
• THE WICKER MAN (dir. Robin Hardy. 1973, United Kingdom)

Head over to the official Fantaspoa website to learn more.

Devon Sawa in ‘Consumed’