Taya Radchenko as Hera in Empire V
Given the political climate this year, one does not expect to encounter Russian films at festivals, but Empire V is something a little different. A vampire-themed satire banned in its homeland, it’s a film which the government in Moscow would rather you didn’t see – and the Fantasia International Film Festival has given it a platform.
Even if it weren’t for that, the chances are that this film would attract a lot of attention. It’s based on the book by Viktor Pelevin, which has been a hit beyond Russian borders. When I met up with director Victor Ginzburg, who was born in Russia but now lives in Venice Beach in California, he told me how Pelevin urged him to take on the project and how, despite attempts at sabotage, he hopes that audiences will get the chance to appreciate the...
Given the political climate this year, one does not expect to encounter Russian films at festivals, but Empire V is something a little different. A vampire-themed satire banned in its homeland, it’s a film which the government in Moscow would rather you didn’t see – and the Fantasia International Film Festival has given it a platform.
Even if it weren’t for that, the chances are that this film would attract a lot of attention. It’s based on the book by Viktor Pelevin, which has been a hit beyond Russian borders. When I met up with director Victor Ginzburg, who was born in Russia but now lives in Venice Beach in California, he told me how Pelevin urged him to take on the project and how, despite attempts at sabotage, he hopes that audiences will get the chance to appreciate the...
- 8/1/2023
- by Jennie Kermode
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
Rama (Pavel Tabakov) is a vampire.
In writer/director Victor Ginzburg’s adaptation of Russian novelist Viktor Pelevin’s Empire V, however, the term takes on a whole new meaning.
Mixing the action of Nightwatch with the philosophical underpinnings of The Matrix sequels, Empire V is an unconventional entry in the vampire subgenre. Working as both an introduction to a sprawling new mythology, as well as a satirical critique of (Russian) capitalism, the film has already been banned in its home country where it was due to premiere last year.
The film’s politics aren’t exclusive to Russia, though co-star Oxxxymiron (aka Miron Fedorov) and lead actor Vladimir Epifantsev have both been critical of Russian President Vladimir Putin, with the former very publicly denouncing the invasion of Ukraine. For the most part, however, Empire V isn’t only commenting on Russia; its political commentary is broadly critiquing how the...
In writer/director Victor Ginzburg’s adaptation of Russian novelist Viktor Pelevin’s Empire V, however, the term takes on a whole new meaning.
Mixing the action of Nightwatch with the philosophical underpinnings of The Matrix sequels, Empire V is an unconventional entry in the vampire subgenre. Working as both an introduction to a sprawling new mythology, as well as a satirical critique of (Russian) capitalism, the film has already been banned in its home country where it was due to premiere last year.
The film’s politics aren’t exclusive to Russia, though co-star Oxxxymiron (aka Miron Fedorov) and lead actor Vladimir Epifantsev have both been critical of Russian President Vladimir Putin, with the former very publicly denouncing the invasion of Ukraine. For the most part, however, Empire V isn’t only commenting on Russia; its political commentary is broadly critiquing how the...
- 7/31/2023
- by Joe Lipsett
- bloody-disgusting.com
The Fantasia International Film Festival is back for its 27th annual edition, running July 20 through August 9, and it’s bringing one of Hollywood’s biggest stars––in spirit now; he’s officially canceled so as to not cross the picket line of the current SAG-AFTRA strike––to Montreal with a world premiere and career recognition. Nicolas Cage, his new film Sympathy for the Devil, and his Cheval Noir Career Achievement Award aren’t the only draw for this three-week event, though.
You’ve got a spotlight on Korean cinema to celebrate sixty years of diplomatic relations between Canada and the Republic of Korea. There’s the honor of bestowing underground filmmaker Larry Kent with the 2023 Canadian Trailblazer Award alongside a screening of a rare 35mm print of his 1981 film Yesterday. And a slew of world premieres from horror’s best and brightest––a list spanning Larry Fessenden (Blackout), Jenn Wexler...
You’ve got a spotlight on Korean cinema to celebrate sixty years of diplomatic relations between Canada and the Republic of Korea. There’s the honor of bestowing underground filmmaker Larry Kent with the 2023 Canadian Trailblazer Award alongside a screening of a rare 35mm print of his 1981 film Yesterday. And a slew of world premieres from horror’s best and brightest––a list spanning Larry Fessenden (Blackout), Jenn Wexler...
- 7/17/2023
- by Jared Mobarak
- The Film Stage
"A vampire employs the same mental constructs as a human but his thoughts follow a different path." An official trailer is available for a Russian film called Empire V, a vampire thriller from filmmaker Victor Ginzburg. Empire V is a social parody of modern Russian society being controlled by vampires. The film was originally set to be released by Sony in Russia in 2022. After the start of the Ukrainian war and one week prior to the film's release, it was pulled from theaters by the Kremlin and banned, making it a film without a country. It stars popular Russian rapper Oxxymiron, whose anti-war stance has recently led to him to be labeled a "foreign agent". Empire V follows a 19-year-old Moscow nobody who receives an invitation to join an elite and powerful echelon of society, only to discover the bloody secrets of a vampiric dictatorship who has controlled humanity since time immemorial.
- 6/28/2023
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Canada’s Fantasia International Film Festival has announced the opening film of its 27th edition: Pascal Plante’s “Red Rooms,” about a high-profile case of a serial killer and the woman (Juliette Gariépy) obsessed with him.
“It’s a film of enormous emotional force, unbelievably controlled and smart, with a staggering performance from Gariépy. Pascal is one of the greatest talents of his generation in Quebec cinema and among the strongest filmmakers in the country right now,” says festival’s artistic director Mitch Davis.
“In a sense, it’s an unconventionally grim note to open a festival on. It’s a profoundly disturbing film. But I know the audience is going to be left completely breathless by it.”
“As a Montrealer, I have been a regular festival goer of Fantasia for years now, but it’s the first time one of my features will be screened in their lineup. I...
“It’s a film of enormous emotional force, unbelievably controlled and smart, with a staggering performance from Gariépy. Pascal is one of the greatest talents of his generation in Quebec cinema and among the strongest filmmakers in the country right now,” says festival’s artistic director Mitch Davis.
“In a sense, it’s an unconventionally grim note to open a festival on. It’s a profoundly disturbing film. But I know the audience is going to be left completely breathless by it.”
“As a Montrealer, I have been a regular festival goer of Fantasia for years now, but it’s the first time one of my features will be screened in their lineup. I...
- 6/8/2023
- by Marta Balaga
- Variety Film + TV
The Fantasia International Film Festival will be celebrating its 27th edition with a whiplashing program of screenings, workshops, and launch events running from July 20 through August 9, 2023, taking place at the Concordia Hall Cinema, with additional screens at the Cinémathèque québécoise and Cinéma du Musée.
The festival’s full lineup will be announced in early July. In the meantime, Fantasia is excited to reveal a selected first wave of titles and happenings.
Bright Spotlights On South Korean Cinema Illuminate Fantasia’s 27th Edition
Since the selection of Kang Je-gyu’s Gingko Bed at Fantasia’s 1998 edition, the festival has become one of the premiere destinations for South Korean cinema. Over the years, Fantasia’s audience has had the opportunity to discover several essential Korean auteurs: Bong Joon-ho (Barking Dogs Never Bite), Park Chan-wook (Sympathy For Mr. Vengeance), Kim Ji-woon (The Quiet Family), Hwang Dong-hyuk (Miss Granny), and Yeon Sang-ho (The King Of Pigs) among many others.
The festival’s full lineup will be announced in early July. In the meantime, Fantasia is excited to reveal a selected first wave of titles and happenings.
Bright Spotlights On South Korean Cinema Illuminate Fantasia’s 27th Edition
Since the selection of Kang Je-gyu’s Gingko Bed at Fantasia’s 1998 edition, the festival has become one of the premiere destinations for South Korean cinema. Over the years, Fantasia’s audience has had the opportunity to discover several essential Korean auteurs: Bong Joon-ho (Barking Dogs Never Bite), Park Chan-wook (Sympathy For Mr. Vengeance), Kim Ji-woon (The Quiet Family), Hwang Dong-hyuk (Miss Granny), and Yeon Sang-ho (The King Of Pigs) among many others.
- 5/12/2023
- by Rouven Linnarz
- AsianMoviePulse
Event will include a spotlight on South Korean cinema and an award for underground filmmaker Larry Kent.
The Fantasia International Film Festival has revealed the first wave of titles for its July 20 to August 9 run in Montreal.
Among titles getting their world premieres at the genre event will be Theresa Sutherland’s directing debut Lovely, Dark, and Deep; Russian-American director Victor Ginzburg’s vampire story Empire V; Jared Moshe’s Aporia; Where the Devil Roams, from the writing-directing team of John Adams, Zelda Adams and Toby Poser; Xavier Gens’ Mayhem!; Larry Fessenden’s Blackout; and Nicholas Tomnay What You Wish For.
The Fantasia International Film Festival has revealed the first wave of titles for its July 20 to August 9 run in Montreal.
Among titles getting their world premieres at the genre event will be Theresa Sutherland’s directing debut Lovely, Dark, and Deep; Russian-American director Victor Ginzburg’s vampire story Empire V; Jared Moshe’s Aporia; Where the Devil Roams, from the writing-directing team of John Adams, Zelda Adams and Toby Poser; Xavier Gens’ Mayhem!; Larry Fessenden’s Blackout; and Nicholas Tomnay What You Wish For.
- 5/11/2023
- ScreenDaily
The 27th edition of the Fantasia International Film Festival is set to run from from July 20th through August 9th at the Concordia Hall Cinema in Montreal, with additional screens at the Cinémathèque québécoise and Cinéma du Musée – and today the festival announced the first wave of titles that will be screening there this year! The festival runners promise this edition of the show will deliver “a whiplashing program of screenings, workshops, and launch events”, with a spotlight on South Korean cinema, a Canadian trailblazer Award being presented to Larry Kent, and World Premiere screenings of new films from the likes of Larry Fessenden, Xavier Gens, Jenn Wexler, The Adams Family, and Victor Ginzburg. They’ll also be hosting the International Premieres of Tsutomu Hanabusa’s blockbusters Tokyo Revengers 2 – Part 1 & 2.
2023 marks 60 years of diplomatic relations between Canada and the Republic of Korea, so Fantasia is teaming up with the Korean...
2023 marks 60 years of diplomatic relations between Canada and the Republic of Korea, so Fantasia is teaming up with the Korean...
- 5/11/2023
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
The Fantasia International Film Festival will be celebrating its 27th edition with a whiplashing program of screenings, workshops, and launch events running from July 20 through August 9, 2023, taking place at the Concordia Hall Cinema, with additional screens at the Cinémathèque québécoise and Cinéma du Musée.
The festival’s full lineup will be announced in early July. In the meantime, Fantasia reveals a selected first wave of titles and happenings.
Here’s the press release:
Bright Spotlights On South Korean Cinema Illuminate Fantasia’s 27th Edition
Since the selection of Kang Je-gyu’s Gingko Bed at Fantasia’s 1998 edition, the festival has become one of the premiere destinations for South Korean cinema. Over the years, Fantasia’s audience has had the opportunity to discover several essential Korean auteurs: Bong Joon-ho (Barking Dogs Never Bite), Park Chan-wook (Sympathy For Mr. Vengeance), Kim Ji-woon (The Quiet Family), Hwang Dong-hyuk (Miss Granny), and Yeon Sang-ho...
The festival’s full lineup will be announced in early July. In the meantime, Fantasia reveals a selected first wave of titles and happenings.
Here’s the press release:
Bright Spotlights On South Korean Cinema Illuminate Fantasia’s 27th Edition
Since the selection of Kang Je-gyu’s Gingko Bed at Fantasia’s 1998 edition, the festival has become one of the premiere destinations for South Korean cinema. Over the years, Fantasia’s audience has had the opportunity to discover several essential Korean auteurs: Bong Joon-ho (Barking Dogs Never Bite), Park Chan-wook (Sympathy For Mr. Vengeance), Kim Ji-woon (The Quiet Family), Hwang Dong-hyuk (Miss Granny), and Yeon Sang-ho...
- 5/11/2023
- by Brad Miska
- bloody-disgusting.com
The Fantasia Film Festival, North America’s largest genre film festival, has released the first wave of titles for its upcoming 27th edition.
There’s world premieres for Theresa Sutherland’s Lovely Dark and Deep, which features Barbarian star Georgina Campbell; Victor Ginzburg’s Empire V; Jared Moshe’s Aporia, led by Judy Greer and Faithe Herman; and Where The Devil Roams, from directors Toby Poster, John Adams and Zelda Adams, also known as The Adams Family.
Other world bows in Montreal include Xavier Gens’ Mayhem!, which stars Nassim Lyes and Olivier Gourmet; horror auteur Larry Fessenden’s Blackout; Nicholas Tomnay’s What You Wish For, with Nick Stahl playing a chef with a gambling problem and from the producers of The Florida Project; and Ryan Ward’s Daughter of the Sun.
Fantasia’s first titles includes a world premiere for Jenn Wexler’s The Sacrifice Game, the follow-up to the debut feature The Ranger,...
There’s world premieres for Theresa Sutherland’s Lovely Dark and Deep, which features Barbarian star Georgina Campbell; Victor Ginzburg’s Empire V; Jared Moshe’s Aporia, led by Judy Greer and Faithe Herman; and Where The Devil Roams, from directors Toby Poster, John Adams and Zelda Adams, also known as The Adams Family.
Other world bows in Montreal include Xavier Gens’ Mayhem!, which stars Nassim Lyes and Olivier Gourmet; horror auteur Larry Fessenden’s Blackout; Nicholas Tomnay’s What You Wish For, with Nick Stahl playing a chef with a gambling problem and from the producers of The Florida Project; and Ryan Ward’s Daughter of the Sun.
Fantasia’s first titles includes a world premiere for Jenn Wexler’s The Sacrifice Game, the follow-up to the debut feature The Ranger,...
- 5/11/2023
- by Etan Vlessing
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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