Fantasia 2019: Surviving Montreal’s World-Class International Film Festival
I don’t know if I’m the best candidate to give a survival guide, especially one about coming out alive and happy after attending Fantasia. If anything, I left last year disappointed in myself. There were so many other films I wanted to watch. There were so many people I wanted to meet. I’ve lived in misery for a full year. But now that I am going back, I must redeem myself. Therefore, here are the areas I, and you, should attack in order to ensure a successful 2019 Fantasia International Film Festival visit.
How to See Every Movie You want to See at the Festival
Again, there are so many films at this festival. Each day, the first film begins around noon. Then, there are typically two, three, or more films showing simultaneously. How do you watch two movies at once? Well, you don’t. And nothing is worse than being excited to see a movie, finally sitting in that movie, and twenty minutes in, discovering that the movie isn’t as good as you had hoped. But what is good is the movie showing next door. You can hear the rumbling laughter. You even turn your head to the black wall as if you can see the movie. However, you hesitate to leave, imagining that the filmmakers of the movie you are in will be watching you leave, feeling each of your steps as steps crushing a piece of their souls. So, you wait it out.
But do what you can beforehand to prevent this situation. I recommend researching every film at the festival before attending. The more research, the better your chances are of leaving the event feeling fulfilled.
How to Meet People During the Festival
You will encounter beautiful people in and out of the entertainment industry who want to talk about one thing: film. You can meet quick acquaintances, make lifelong friends, and introduce yourself to people you’ve followed on social media for years. I suggest bringing a portable phone charger. Brag about your battery life all you want, I guarantee you will SUFFER after all the numbers you might acquire, pictures you will take, or Instagram pages you have to look up. Furthermore, you will want to go live on social and boast about who you are currently standing next to, and how you didn’t plan on being shoe gurus with Shudder’s Sam Zimmerman. (This totally happened to me!)
How to Survive the Parties at the Festival
Last year, I attended a party every night. I don’t ever remember partying so much in my life. There were bars, booze, babes, and booming music to keep me dancing until sunrise. I even did karaoke at like 2:00 AM—with people I only knew from social media (a.k.a. complete strangers). Before, I only ever felt comfortable doing karaoke in front of family and close friends. But beware! Fantasia parties will turn you into a completely different person.
And Let’s Not Forget that We Are in Montreal
If you are not from Montreal, the temptation to explore never goes away. The city is rich with enchanting locations such as the Montreal Museum of Fine Art, St. Patrick’s Basilica, Atwater Market, Botanical Gardens and much more. Also, Montreal is known for its Underground City. Initially, I knew little of what this meant. But then this mystery became clear as I began to discover underground department stores, restaurants, hotels, and residences.
This year, Fantasia Film Festival promises to be better than ever. Therefore, I am writing this article as my personal checklist for what I will do when I get there. If it helps you, fine. If it doesn’t, so what. Just remember that I was the one who guaranteed the “turn up” on your trip to the festival. And for that, you are welcome.
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