Hey folks, Harry here... In all seriousness... it's that time again when we programming folks behind the scenes of FANTASTIC FEST - start looking in earnest for the jewels of this year's FANTASTIC FEST! Fantastic Fest gets underway September 24th through October 1st. I can say with the utmost confidence that this will be the largest version of FANTASTIC FEST that we've yet accomplished. I attended my first FANTASTIC FEST programming meeting where thoughts regarding all manners of FANTASTIC FEST hijinks were being concocted - along with the events leading up to FANTASTIC FEST which occur year round! Filmmakers - we look forward to your submissions and discovering future talents! Along with ushering the best of the well known talents as well. Here's the release from TIM:

Subject: Early Deadline for Fantastic Fest submission: March 4

Fantastic Fest, the largest genre film festival in the United States has announced it’s 2009 deadlines for film submissions. Fantastic Fest programs approximately 75 features and 50 short films, many of which are accepted out of the submission process. Last year, Fantastic Fest was named by Moviemaker Magazine as one of the 25 festivals worth the entry fee, and was also named by Variety president Charlie Koones as “one of the 10 festivals we love” alongside Cannes, Toronto and Telluride.

Important dates for Fantastic Fest 2009
Discount Earlybird Deadline: March 4, 2009
Regular Deadline: May 6, 2009
Late Deadline: June 3, 2009
Without A Box Extended Deadline: July 17, 2009
Schedule Announced: September 3, 2009
Festival Begins: September 24, 2009

The “discount earlybird” deadline for submitting a feature or short film to this year’s Fantastic Fest is coming up fast, this Wednesday, March 4. To submit your film or for additional information about Fantastic Fest, please visit the official website, FantasticFest.Com.

"Fantastic Fest has made my whole career. Everything related to the future of Timecrimes and mine as an American director comes through your festival. I know that some directors have a particular festival attached to their whole biography. Now I know mine." - Nacho Vigalondo, director, TIMECRIMES (worldwide rights to TIMECRIMES were purchased by Magnolia Releasing following the world premiere of the film at Fantastic Fest 2007)

"The folks at Austin's Fantastic Fest set the tone when they describe it as a place for "all around badass cinema." With kudos from Charlie Koones, former publisher of Variety, who calls it "one of the 10 Film Festivals We Love," moviemakers are definitely getting into that tender sprit, too, especially when it comes to the amount of publicity their Fantastic Fest screenings are generating. "For the size of our event, we have an incredibly high number of journalists from key publications: Variety, Twitchfilm, The Hollywood Reporter, Cinematical, Ain't It Cool News, Fangoria, Rue Morgue, indieWIRE and Film Threat just to name a few. We guarantee that your film will get a review and possibly as many as eight to ten," promises festival director Tim League. If you're hoping those good reviews will turn into a great distribution deal, this genre-focused fest has got you covered on that front, too. "We have a high volume of acquisition representatives and buyers from major and indie studios at the fest and have a media room equipped with screeners of all films for those agents who can only be on hand for part of the fest." - MOVIEMAKER MAGAZINE

Harry here again... As you can see from Nacho Vigalondo's heartfelt dedication to the wonderful world of FANTASTIC FEST - he's in love with the festival - and we feel the same. So much so - that I've decided to debut his new Mattress Commercial he's shot. And this man is even a genius in selling a mattress, BEHOLD: