Becca McKay: “Genre is more and more a part of our culture. It’s something we can’t ignore anymore.”
Genre’s moment in the spotlight
As the second biggest festival of its kind in the world, Fantasia spotlights filmmakers whose work has not always received mainstream recognition.
“Genre is more and more a part of our culture,” says Becca McKay, BFA 23 (Specialization in Film Studies), programming manager. “It’s something we can’t ignore anymore. But historically, it’s not been seen as prestigious or given the same attention as dramas and other films.
“That to me is why we have people who are really loyal to the festival. If you love genre, you know where you’re going to get it.”
That loyalty extends to Fantasia’s staff, many of whom have been with the festival since the beginning, McKay explains. Many also landed their roles after graduating from the Mel Hoppenheim School.
“There’s a bit of a pipeline from Concordia into Fantasia. That’s how I got my start,” she says.
Opening credits
Fantasia was created in 1996 to champion Asian filmmaking, especially early Hong Kong films, which were rarely shown in Montreal at the time, McKay explains.
“It made its name this way. We still focus on kung fu, horror and sci-fi, but you’re also likely to find an Asian drama.”
Today, around 40 per cent of the films shown at the festival are produced in Asia, in line with Fantasia’s history.
The rest of the programming is split between international, Canadian and Quebec films.
“Because other festivals are just focused on Quebec, people don’t realize how many films we program from here,” McKay says.
Image from Red Rooms by Pascal Plante, BFA 11, and starring Juliette Gariépy, BFA 22.