Fantasia Fest announces ‘Atomic Blonde’ and ‘Good Time’
This year’s Fantasia Fest, the international film festival dedicated to genre cinema, will host a special screening for the Charlize Theron (Prometheus) and James McAvoy (Split) spy flick Atomic Blonde, directed by David Leitch (V for Vendetta). The movie, set for release at the end of July, follows MI6’s most lethal assassin through 1989’s Berlin, simmering with revolution and neon lights.
Also added to the lineup is Ben Safdie and Joshua Safdie's vivid heist thriller Good Time, starring Robert Pattinson (Cosmopolis). It’s the challenging and gritty story of a bank robber on a mission to break his mentally handicapped brother out of prison. This latest promises to be as nervy and discomfiting as the directing brothers’ previous films, and a tour-de-force for Pattinson.
Fantasia's Enduring Legacy in Genre Cinema
Fantasia has run annually since 1996 and is recognized as North America’s largest genre film festival. The 21st edition in 2017 continued the pattern of drawing dedicated crowds that return year after year for films that rarely receive wide distribution. Attendance exceeded 100,000 for the eighth straight year, with more than sixty screenings selling out before opening night. That consistency reflects both the programmers’ eye for offbeat material and an audience that treats the Montreal run like a yearly reunion.
Frontières Platform and Industry Partnerships
The festival’s relationship with the Marché du Film dates back to 2016 through the Frontières platform. That partnership gave emerging genre projects a direct line to international sales agents and financiers, an arrangement that has only grown since the 2017 edition. In 2026 the platform selections were again announced in Cannes, with additional ties to Berlin’s European Film Market. The infrastructure that began as a modest co-production initiative now functions as a year-round bridge between Montreal programmers and the larger market calendar.
Atomic Blonde and Good Time Reception at Fantasia 2017
Good Time arrived at Fantasia as its North American premiere after generating early buzz at Cannes. Robert Pattinson’s turn as the desperate older brother landed with the festival crowd, and the Safdie brothers’ handheld urgency felt right at home on the big screen. Atomic Blonde received a special presentation ahead of its wide release later that month, giving local viewers an early look at Charlize Theron’s fight choreography and the film’s stylized Cold War palette. Both screenings underscored the festival’s role as a testing ground for titles that blend arthouse credibility with commercial reach.
Leadership Continuity at Fantasia
Pierre Corbeil remains President and CEO, while Mitch Davis continues as Artistic Director. Their quoted remarks from 2017 still describe the audience they serve: knowledgeable, enthusiastic, and quick to welcome guests who keep returning. That stability has helped maintain the festival’s identity even as programming and partnerships evolve. The same leadership that shaped the 21st edition now oversees a 2026 schedule running from July 16 to August 2, keeping the emphasis on international genre work that travels well beyond Quebec.
Between July 13th and August 2nd, Fantasia will screen 160 features and 300 shorts from 40 different countries. Standout titles in the program include an international premiere for Hun Jang's A Taxi Driver and the North American premiere for Korean director Byung-gil Jung's The Villainess. “The Fantasia audience is recognized throughout the world as one of the most knowledgeable, in addition to their legendary enthusiasm and the warm welcome they offer the guests who visit us in ever increasing numbers”, commented president-founder Pierre Corbeil. “Festivals like ours have become even more vital in keeping the spirit, the passion, the sheer energy of cinema alive”, added Fantasia’s co-director Mitch Davis. With more than 150 features and 300 shorts on the 2017 slate and consistent attendance above 100,000, the festival continues to function as a reliable home for work that sits outside the studio system yet still reaches an audience that knows how to respond.
