The 30th Fantasia International Film Festival, running from 16 July-2 August in Montreal, will showcase an impressive line-up of European productions, including five world premieres from acclaimed and emerging filmmakers, alongside a host of international, North American and Canadian premieres. Leading the European contingent are five high-profile world premieres from some of the continent's most exciting voices.

Polish filmmaker Agnieszka Smoczyńska (The Lure, The Silent Twins) returns with Hot Spot, a dystopian AI thriller starring Noomi Rapace, exploring the consequences of an increasingly technology-driven society. Denmark's Kasper Kalle presents No Rest for The Wicked, an ambitious queer vampire epic set in the isolated Faroe Islands of the 19th century.

Belgian director Bob Colaers premieres Attack on Paradise, a frenetic action film that promises to push the boundaries of contemporary European genre filmmaking, while Nicky Murphy’s I Love Paris, presents a stylish, music-driven vampire mockumentary blending horror, comedy and romance. Completing the world-premiere selection is Godhead, in which US filmmaker Mark H Rapaport delivers a striking black-and-white psychological thriller about eccentric twins convinced they are prophets.

The festival will also introduce audiences to a number of notable European productions making their first appearances outside their home territories. Andrea Corsini's Italian feature Ferine receives its international premiere, while Jim Queen, directed by Nicolas Athané and Marco Nguyen, and Blaise, by Dimitri Planchon and Jean-Paul Guigue, both celebrate their North American premieres after having bowed at Cannes.

Further highlights include Berlinale competitor Nightborn, directed by Finland's Hanna Bergholm, a UK-France-Finland-Lithuania co-production making its North American premiere, and IFFR title Motherwitch, a Greek-North Macedonian-US folk horror feature by Minos Papas. The Canadian audience will also discover After School, the Belgian-Dutch collaboration by Merijn Scholte Albers and Tobias Smeets, alongside The Peril at Pincer Point, the UK-Slovakia co-production directed by Jake Kuhn and Noah Stratton-Twine.

Opening the festival is the Canadian premiere of Nicolas Winding Refn's new film Her Private Hell, world-premiered out of competition in Cannes. Ahead of the screening, the acclaimed Danish filmmaker will receive the festival's Cheval Noir Career Achievement Award, recognising his enduring contribution to international cinema.

"For three decades, Fantasia has championed filmmakers who challenge conventions and redefine genre cinema. This year's European selection perfectly reflects that spirit, bringing together visionary established directors and remarkable new talents whose films demonstrate the incredible diversity, ambition and creative energy flourishing across Europe today," said festival artistic director Mitch Davis.