'Uncanny Stories' Preview: A Sneak Peek into a Horror Anthology of Animation (Fantasia 2021 Short Film Review)

Fantasia International Film Festival - Animation has always been a major part of the cinematic arena.  From Heavy Metal to Fritz the Cat to the newest Space Jam, animated movies range from the twisted, to the sexual, to the athletic.

Uncanny Stories, a horror anthology of six animated stories based on the works of H.P. Lovecraft, Edgar Allen Poe, and the Brothers Grimm among many others, is currently in production.  This preview short is currently playing at the 2021 Fantasia Fest.

This preview gives us a sneak peek of this animated film that is currently in production.  The main creator of this anthology is Izú Troin, the 2019 César Award Winner for his horror animated short Fierce: Féroce. In addition to Izú Troin, there are six other directors on this project such as Jean Loup Felicoli and Alain Gagnol (A Cat in Paris), Fabrice Luang-Vija (He Who Has Two Souls), Benoît Razy (Marottes), Morten Riisberg Hansen (Phantom Boy), and Hefang Wei (The Banquet of the Concubine). In this preview, many of these directors conduct a brief interview about how horror influenced them, their previous work and how their animated style will mesh with the other directors.

While this short film feels more like a pitch than a preview, I was fascinated by the various clips of the different stories and styles of animation and it gives me wonder on how all these numerous and varied animated stories will fit together. Despite these differences, the passion and conviction of these talented artists would convince me to contribute.  I look forward to the finished product.

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Author

Paul Grammatico was forbidden to see graphic films as a child and limited to edited TV movies, Paul received his horror information second hand through stories from older friends and siblings. He also vacationed in a desolate cottage, raised in houses with creepy basements, and lived in an apartment with a “full torso apparition”.Inspired by his experiences, Paul is a multi-award-winning screenwriter with an affinity of the weird and unexplained.