Hey friends! Barbarella here, and it’s almost September. For Central Texas genre fans, that means one thing: Fantastic Fest is almost here! That’s right. From September 17 – 24, filmmakers, fans, and fun-seekers from around the world will converge in Austin, TX, for eight unforgettable days of movies, parties, and other fantastic experiences.
With thirty-five world premieres, twenty-one international and North American premieres, and fourteen U.S. premieres from around the globe, audiences are bound to find some new favorites. Below are just a handful of options available to attendees, but they are the ones about which I'm most excited.
The world premiere of Lionsgate’s BEWARE BOIÚNA opens the festival. It's Fantastic Fest alum Mike P. Nelson’s slithering horror film that is sure to please audiences with its combination of terrifying and hysterical fun.
Additionally, audiences will get a gala screening of Zach Cregger’s RESIDENT EVIL. I mean, who’s not excited to see what the mastermind behind BARBARIAN and WEAPONS does with it? I think this one will be an excellent opening-night experience for attendees.
For those who love absurdist humor, Quentin Dupieux’s FULL PHIL, starring Kristen Stewart and Woody Harrelson, will surely make people laugh. Ever since catching RUBBER, a film about a homicidal tire that killed people kinetically, I will always make an effort to catch anything the absurdist French filmmaker brings to the festival. His movies are hilariously odd, and I cannot wait to catch this one.
While the action offerings are limited, this year, a few stand out. KICK ON offers Australian mayhem in its drug-fueled crime thriller. Also on the slate is martial-arts comedy KUNG FU DEADLY. Director Fergal Costello (WE ARE NOT ALONE) and action director Lee Huang (WARRIOR NUN, THE MATRIX RESURRECTIONS) join forces to bring an uplifting story that includes some dynamic fighting. ATTACK ON PARADISE brings bone-crunching action when an ex-con seeking to reunite with his mother encounters those who’ve taken over the building where she lives.
If horror is your jam, Fantastic Fest has a lot on the menu this year. The highlights include WHAT HAPPENED TO DORIS? starring Heather Graham in the titular role of the single mom tormented by a demonic presence in her home. Fest attendees will also get the opportunity to catch the first two episodes of Mike Flanagan’s CARRIE series that will appear on Prime. PLAY HOUSE is a horror film from Nic Curcio, Kirby Gladstein, and Ben Gojer, winners of the inagural Fantastic Pitches last year. It won the pitch contest; that's all you need to know going into it. The closing night film SWALLOW promises to absorb viewers as teenagers encounter something in a section of a forest in which they should not have gone.
Once fans have had their fill of sitting in the dark theater watching movies, they’ll get to experience the thrill of a live GWAR performance at the closing night party. Bring a pancho.
You can click the following link for badges, but as of writing this, only second-half badges remain. Still, the second half includes the closing night party, so it's worth it. Fantastic Fest Badges
