Olivier Godin’s Irlande Cahier Bleu (pictured) and Robert Cuffley’s Romi are among Canadian titles set to make their world premiere at the Fantasia International Film Festival.

Quebec filmmaker Pascal Plante’s Red Rooms will make its North American premiere as the opening film of the festival, according to a press release that unveiled a second wave of titles for the Montreal festival’s 27th edition lineup.

Irlande Cahier Bleu and Romi join the previously announced Daughter of the Sun and The Sacrifice Game as Canadian titles setting their world debuts at the festival.

Cuffley’s AI horror Romi is based on a 2019 short film of the same name. It is written by Susie Moloney, with Colin Sheldon of Calgary-based Nevermine Films as producer. Avi Federgreen and John Ferraro are executive producers.

Federgreen’s Red Water Entertainment is handling Canadian distribution of the film, while Toronto-based Raven Banner handles international sales.

The film stars Alexa Barajas (Yellowjackets), Juan Riedinger (Riceboy Sleeps), Pavel Kríz (Mission Impossible-Ghost Protocol) and Jocelyn Chugg. It will premiere in the Canadian-cinema focused Septentrion Shadows section.

Shot on 16mm film, Godin’s Irlande Cahier Bleu follows a man (Emery Habwineza) who in his dreams is the best basketball player in the world but in reality needs to find a babysitter for his daughter so he can chase his talents.

Written and produced by Godin, Irlande Cahier Bleu is described as offering a “unique genre vision that alternates between dreams and reality, poetry and canny comedy,” said the release, and will premiere in the festival’s Camera Lucida section, which showcases films that push boundaries.

Red Rooms, which will make its world debut in competition at the Karlovy Vary International film Festival this summer, is a serial killer thriller also written by Plante. Dominique Dussault is the producer. It features Maxwell McCabe-Lokos (Stanleyville) and Juliette Gariépy (Boost) in leading roles.

The second wave announcement also includes the Canadian premiere of Jacqueline Castel’s My Animal, which debuted at the Sundance Film Festival, and Kim Albright’s With Love and a Major Organ in the Septentrion Shadows section.

Queer horror drama My Animal is written by Jae Matthews and produced by Andrew Bronfman and Michael Solomon. It stars Bobbi Salvör Menuez and Amandla Stenberg, who are also executive producers.

Photon Films has the Canadian distribution rights for My Animal, while the global rights were acquired by Paramount Worldwide Acquisition Group.

Albright’s With Love and a Major Organ is a fantasy comedy written by Julia Lederer, who wrote the play from which the film is adapted. Madeleine Davis is producer and Violator Films’ Lori Lozinski is an executive producer alongside Carol Whiteman.

The final wave of titles for Fantasia’s 27th edition will be announced in July.

Image courtesy of the Fantasia International Film Festival