The Fantastic Organization, a new French-registered non-profit organization dedicated to the promotion, development and worldwide recognition of fantastic films, has made its debut at the Fantastic Pavilion in Cannes.
The company will be led by director Xavier Jens, known for his films Frontière(s), Hitman and Cold Skin.
Other founding members include Alexandre O. Philippe, actor Brontis Jodorowsky, Monica García Massague, Pirka Kerol, Chris Osterom, Kiel La Janis, and Alexandra Heller-Nicolas. , Karim Hussein, David Gregory, Paco Plaza, Mitch Davis, Steph Landau, Jordi Mingel, and Fantastic Organization Vice President Pablo Guisa Kestinger. Executive Director of the Fantastic Pavilion at the Marché du Film.
Variety reported that the Fantastic organization was founded with “a clear and ambitious mission to support the creation, production, distribution and promotion of artistic and cultural works in the fantastic genre.”
What other goals do you have?
“To contribute to the advancement of culture and creativity in the general interest and to make great works and cultural practices accessible to the widest possible audience around the world.”
Developing training, education and knowledge transfer initiatives is also important to “develop the next generation of great filmmakers and strengthen the industry talent pipeline across all regions.”
The organization is equally committed to promoting great European cinema on the global stage, “fostering collaboration between festivals, cultural institutions and industry professionals on the continent and beyond.”
“I’m so honored to be part of the Fantastic Organization. Genre cinema is an international language. It’s passion, love and the extremes of all emotions. It’s a cry of ‘I love you’ to cinema itself,” Jens said.
“We’re here to prove that this country is more vibrant than ever. But more than that, we’re here to make sure the next generation has everything they need to keep screaming.”
“For the past four years, we have been building Fantastic Pavilion based on one clear belief: community is key,” said Pablo Guisa Kestinger.
“We have created the world’s most important space for networking and business dedicated to genre films. To ensure the continuation of our filmmaking tradition, we must care for the next generation of filmmakers and welcome them into the industry.”
“In a world shaped by fragmentation and new boundaries, genre cinema remains one of the last truly global languages,” said Jordi Minguel, director of strategy.
“We want to bring together a community that has always pushed the boundaries of storytelling, from filmmakers to fans, and create a space where new voices, new ideas, and new ways of making films are born. For us, diversity and inclusion are not abstract values; they are the driving force that keeps genre films alive and evolving.”
The Fantastic Organization is based in Paris, France and operates as an independent, non-partisan organization serving the global fantastic film community.
