Montreal-based Holia Film will world premiere The Galactic Ghoul, the directorial debut sci-fi comedy from writer-director Simon Harrisson, in Official Competition at the Fantasia International Film Festival on July 28.
The wildly anticipated screening will be attended by Harrisson, lead actor, producer and co-writer Vincent Hoss-Desmarais, and Canadian genre icon Katharine Isabelle (Backrooms, American Mary), who stars as Queen Xaltalusia XXIII.
The Canadian film was in competition for Fantasia’s Northern Excellence Award.
Set in a fractured futuristic universe, The Galactic Ghoul follows Hoss-Desmarais in dual roles as galactic explorers Oscar Bravo and Lieutenant Foxtrot, who must escape the prison planet of Toum. His two performances are equally impressive, both technically and emotionally. Isabelle’s portrayal of the Queen who rules the planet, is uniquely fantastical.
The film embraces its B-movie roots with an extravagant visual style built from costumes, practical effects and digital animation. Harrisson, who also created the film’s special effects, pursued a hands-on CGI / VFX filmmaking approach, putting imagination, ingenuity and real green-screen-shot live action, at the center of the film’s world-building.
Blending tense adventure, phantasmagorical space opera and some tongue in cheek humour, The Galactic Ghoul is a story about love, battle, peace, and the enduring resilience of the human spirit in a universe fractured by conflict.
The cast also includes star Russell Yuen, as well as Frédérick Roy, Geneviève Laroche, Alexandre L’Heureux, Christian Paul and Michael Richard. The crew consists of Cinematographer: Jean-Philippe Bérubé; Composer: Mélik-Alexandre Farhat; Visual effects supervisor & additional photography: Simon Harrisson; Production designer, Property master & Costume designer: Sylvie Desmarais; Make-up artists: Annick Legout & Joan Patricia Parris; Sound recordists: Walid Damak & Sébastien Froment; Sound Mixer: Émilie Blaise; Casting of the Queen: Patricia Chica.
The Galactic Ghoul – World Premiere
Fantasia International Film Festival – Official Competition
Tuesday, July 28, 2026
Cinéma du Musée, Montreal
Cast & Crew Photo Call: 9 p.m.
Screen starts at 9:30 p.m., followed by a Q&A
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