Pascal Plante’s thrilling French-language film, “Red Rooms” (Les Chambres Rouges), emerged as the big winner at the Fantasia Film Festival’s juried Cheval Noir competition. The festival, known as North America’s largest genre film event, awarded “Red Rooms” with multiple accolades, including Best Feature, Best Screenplay for Pascal Plante, Best Score for Dominique Plante, and an Outstanding Performance Award for lead actress Juliette Gariépy.
The film revolves around a woman’s obsession with a high-profile serial killer case, delving into psychological drama and gripping storytelling. After opening the 27th edition of Fantasia, “Red Rooms” captivated the audience with its intense narrative and impressive performances. The movie had its international premiere at Fantasia, following its debut at the Karlovy Vary film festival as part of the Crystal Global competition.
The festival‘s esteemed jury, led by David Hewlett, also recognized other exceptional talents in the industry. The Best Director prize went to Sam H. Freeman and Ng Choon Ping for their work on “Femmes,” a project that showcases their directorial prowess. The trophy for Best Cinematography was awarded to Zelda Adams and John Adams for their exceptional contribution to the film “Where The Devil Roams.”
In the acting categories, Nathan Stewart-Jarrett stood out with his outstanding performance in “Femme,” earning him praise from the jury. However, actor Nicolas Cage, who was set to receive a Cheval Noir career achievement award for his impressive four-decade career in Hollywood, had to cancel his trip to Canada due to the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike. Cage was also scheduled to premiere his latest film, “Sympathy for the Devil,” alongside director Yuval Adler and co-star Joel Kinnaman, but the strike impacted their plans.
Despite the setback, the Fantasia Film Festival continued to showcase a diverse selection of compelling films from various genres, captivating audiences with thrilling storytelling and exceptional performances. The festival’s final film, “We Are Zombies,” directed by Canadian cult film collective RKSS (François Simard, Anouk Whissell, and Yoann-Karl Whissell), promises to be a thrilling and memorable closing act. Starring Megan Peta Hill, Alexandre Nachi, and Derek Johns, the film is set to conclude the festival on August 9th, leaving the audience with lasting impressions of a remarkable cinematic experience.