As reported byVariety,Nicolas Cageis set to receive this year’s Cheval Noir Career Achievement Award at Fantasia International Film Festival. While chatting with the outlet about theNational Treasurestar’s talents, artistic director Mitch Davis praised Cage’s acting abilities.
Davis stated, “He is one of the most individualistic and captivating screen presences in the last 40 years. Beyond his unique charisma, the kinds of atypical characters he’s been drawn to and what he can bring to them is so special and rare.”
He continued, “Audiences lose their minds when he goes to these energetically extreme places: ‘Vampire’s Kiss’ was my first experience with that and I was absolutely floored. But they are also transfixed by the quiet, textured qualities he brings to more somber characters. He’s a one-of-a-kind treasure in American film.”
The artistic director noted that Cage is no stranger to genre films and has found plenty of success in this area of entertainment.
Davis said, “He’s someone who sincerely loves cinema and has always embraced genre storytelling. I wish he could have been in the room for our ‘Mandy’ screening several years ago. My ears are still ringing.”
In addition to receiving the award,theRenfieldstar’s movie,Sympathy for the Devil(directed by Yuval Adler), will also be shown at the Canadian festival.
RELATED:Nicolas Cage Could Have Been Cast as Dracula Way Before Renfield
Mitch Davis Said “There Is Something Wonderful” About Honoring Nicolas Cage
Davis noted, “There is something wonderful about awarding him the year after we gave John Woo this same trophy and it’s especially nice to be doing it while world-premiering a film as strong as Yuval’s.”
Fantasia has also revealed the fest’s third and final wave of programming. Its closing film will beWe Are Zombiesfrom Quebecois collective RKSS (François Simard, Anouk Whissell, and Yoann-Karl Whissell).
Other new titles include the Mark H. Rapaport-directed film,Hippo(which is executive produced by Danny McBride, David Gordon Green, and Jody Hill), Lim Sun-ae’sMs. Apocalypse, and Mary Dauterman’sBooger. Films like John Rosman’sNew Life, Austin Jennings’sEight Eyes, and Hei Yau Lin’sThe Moon, Sky and Youare also set to make their world premieres.
Festival attendees will also get to seeSquid Gamesstar Park Hae-soo inUnmask the Phantomin addition to watching Sam H. Freeman and Ng Choon Ping’s filmFemme. Director Amanda Nell Eu will also be showing her filmTiger Stripes(which won this year’s Critics' Week Grand Prize at Cannes).
Eu said, “The audience reactions to the film have been brilliant so far. I’m so grateful that a lot of people are able to connect with the story, but also able to enjoy the fun and playful aspects of it.”
She added, “I have always had a sense of humor when it comes to genre films, it helps me deal with a lot of serious issues that are important to me. It was always my intention to have the audience feel the emotions of my characters and their very real struggles, but then to push it to the max with the use of genre and to have fun with it.”
