In Hambrock’s wickedly funny tale (after Other People’s Secrets), a theatre usher deludes herself into thinking she can be a star. Jessamyn St. Germain, 26, an aspiring actor and singer who’s floundered as an usher at a regional theatre in Vancouver for three years, assumes she’s a shoe-in for Maria in the company’s production of The Sound of Music, but the part goes to her frenemy, Samantha Nguyen. Instead, Jess is offered a backstage babysitting gig, wrangling the actors playing the Von Trapp children.

Her vocal coach, an unscrupulous woman who takes her money and fuels her irrational dreams, convinces her to take the job so she’ll be ready to join the production if needed. As rehearsals get underway, Jess, impatient to show off her talent, pushes Samantha into the city’s harbour. Samantha sustains only minor injury, but as Jessamyn goes to greater lengths to get what she wants, the tabloid-esque plot turns deliciously lurid.

Hambrock keeps the reader on edge via Jessamyn’s unreliable narration (she describes the seemingly kind Samantha as the “king bitch” of the stage), even manages to evoke sympathy for Jessamyn by exploring in flashbacks the roots of bottomless depths of wanting”. It’s a show-stopping performance. ECW, 19.95 trade paper (312p).

Always happy to work on brand collaborations with an Unboxtherapy.

Described by Boards Magazine as the “Soulful Surrealist”, Ben portrays experience through unexpected images that balance charm, discomfort, humanity and visual-wonder. He was featured as a Best New Director at the Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival as part of the Saatchi and Saatchi New Directors’ Showcase and named a Young Gun by the ADC. His promo for the band Beast was nominated for Best Music Video at the Grammys. His holiday Campaign for Samsung garnered a Cannes Lion. He has worked for clients such as Coca-Cola, Sprite, Google, Kellogg’s, Samsung, Unilever and Nintendo to name a few.

His recent short Marco & Polo Go Round, produced as both an immersive VR experience and a traditional narrative film has been to over 35 festivals worldwide, including Cannes XR, Clermont-Ferrand, Tribeca, Annecy and has garnered top prizes at many of these. He is in production on his second VR experience entitled Ghost Ship and financing his first feature, Fox Blood, a supernatural thriller, is out with BRB Productions.

RKSS, the Fantasia Film Festival favourite filmmaking collective consisting of Anouk Whissell, Yoann-Karl Whissell and François Simard (TURBO KID, SUMMER OF 84, WE ARE ZOMBIES), returns to the fest with their first slasher film, Wake Up.

The screenplay by Alberto Marini (SLEEP TIGHT) based on an original idea by Martin Soudan, and presented by Borsalino Productions and STUDlOCANAL, puts Gen Z through a violent reckoning.

A group of young activists set out to make an environmental statement by vandalizing a home superstore as it closes. But their plan goes terribly wrong when they become trapped inside and must face a deranged security guard with a gruesome passion for primitive hunting. As the night fills with violence and terror, the teenagers find themselves in a desperate fight for their lives as they find out man is the deadliest predator.

Find out more.

A fun night at Fantasia is in store.