TIFF International Premiere

JUNK WORLD 

Filmmaker Takahide Hori’s Anarchic Stop-Motion Saga
Warps Into Midnight Madness at TIFF

TRAILER

Press & Industry – September 6 – 6:30pm – Scotiabank Cinema 5
INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE – Thursday September 11 – 11:59pm – Royal Alexandra Theatre 
Public Screening 2 – September 12 – 9:15pm – Scotiabank Cinema 14
Public Screening 3 – September 14, 3:35pm – Scotiabank Cinema 7

TIFF’s legendary Midnight Madness program is set to transport audiences into the darkly imaginative realm of stop-motion auteur Takahide Hori, as his latest feature JUNK WORLD has its International Premiere at the Festival. A prequel set more than a millennium before Junk Head, Hori’s underground cult hit. 

Long ago, humanity began developing underground spaces as surface habitats declined. They created Mulligans – artificial lifeforms resembling humans – to serve as a labour force. However, the Mulligans began cloning themselves, expanding their numbers, and eventually rebelling against humanity. Two hundred and thirty years after the Third Truce Agreement, humanity lives above ground, while the Mulligans rule a vast underground world that spans the globe.

Something strange is happening below. An investigation team of humans and Mulligans is hastily assembled to uncover the cause. The human contingent, led by Captain Torys, and the Mulligan team, commanded by the original clone Dante, set out for the underground city of Kaapvaal. But along the way, they are attacked by the Gyura Cult, a radical Mulligan faction. Their target: Torys, a human woman considered a rare specimen. Fortunately, she is guarded by Robin, a powerful robot.

“Protect Lady Torys!” The investigation team battles the Gyura Cult and pushes forward, but they struggle against the enemy’s overwhelming strength. Amid the brutal conflict, they uncover a dimensional distortion. Robin then devises a plan, one that transcends dimensions to protect Torys at all costs.

Rich in tactile craft, bizarre ecosystems, and irreverent humour, JUNK WORLD electrifies with its inventive stop-motion animation, made possible by Hori and his dedicated team of artisans, each contributing their talents both behind the scenes and as the voices of the film’s eclectic inhabitants. 

“JUNK WORLD delivers the kind of fearless filmmaking Midnight Madness thrives on,” says Peter Kuplowsky, the program’s respected and beloved curator. “With incomparable imagination and DIY spirit, JUNK WORLD is not just a triumph of sci-fi fantasy storytelling, but an awe-inspiring, independent and human-made testament to the creative spirit.”

Long praised by fans and filmmakers alike, Hori stands at the vanguard of stop-motion, transforming bold vision into breathtaking reality and reminding us how far a singular creative force can take the art of independent cinema.

About Takahide Hori
Born in 1971 in Oita Prefecture.
While working in interior design, he continues to pursue artistic activities such as painting, sculpture, and doll making.

Major Works:
2009–2013: Short film “JUNK HEAD (30-minute version)”
2014–2017: Feature film “JUNK HEAD”
2022–2025: Feature film “JUNK WORLD”