Fantastic Fest is turning 17 and celebrating with 8 days of parties, events and over 70 films!
Fantastic Fest is back home at The Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar in Austin, Texas from September 22- September 28, 2022. The festival is known for its awesome programming and legendary parties and this year looks like it will be no exception. With 21 World Premieres, 14 North American Premieres, and 21 US Premieres, there is bound to be something for every fan. Don’t freak out if you can’t get to Texas, the festival will also run FF@Home, a virtual festival you can stream from September 29- October 4.
The colossal lineup was just released and here are just a few of the highlights that we’re looking forward to:
Smile- Directed by Parker Finn
Smile will have its world premier as the opening film of the festival with director Parker Finn in attendance.
After witnessing a bizarre, traumatic incident involving a patient, Dr. Rose Cotter (Sosie Bacon) starts experiencing frightening occurrences that she can’t explain. As an overwhelming terror begins taking over her life, Rose must confront her troubling past in order to survive and escape her horrifying new reality.
Birdemic 3: Sea Eagle- Directed by James Nguyen
I expressed my love for Birdemic: Shock and Terror on our Podcast episode 93- Pandemic Horror and now James Nguyen is back and will be presenting the third installment in the Birdemic trilogy! This time, “The birds are back, and global warming has them roiled!“
Bones and All- Directed by Luca Guadagnino
A story of first love between Maren, a young woman learning how to survive on the margins of society, and Lee, an intense and disenfranchised drifter; a liberating road odyssey of two young people coming into their own, searching for identity and chasing beauty in a perilous world that cannot abide who they are.
Luca Guadagnino will be in attendance at the festival to present this teen cannibal love story based on the book by Camille DeAngelis.
Decision to Leave- Directed by Park Chan-wook
In addition to presenting the US Premier of his newest romantic thriller Decision to Leave, director Park Chan-work will be presented with a lifetime achievement award in celebration of his work in the genre.
Disappear Completely- Directed by Luis Javier Henaine
In this world premiere from Mexico, After sneaking onto a crime scene to snap pictures of a corpse, an ambitious photographer stumbles into a curse that takes away his senses one by one.
Family Dinner- Directed by Peter Hengl
After making its premier at the Tribeca Film Festival, the Easter horror film comes to Fantastic Fest! This is the film I am most looking forward to seeing.
An insecure teenager begs her nutritionist aunt for help shedding weight over the Easter holiday, unaware of how extreme the diet plan will become.
Manticore- Directed by Carlos Vermut
Spanish cult director Carlos Vermut returns to the festival with an unsettling, intimate portrait of a real-life monster tortured by a grim secret.
The Menu- Directed by Mark Mylod
A couple (Anya Taylor-Joy and Nicholas Hoult) travels to a coastal island to eat at an exclusive restaurant where the chef (Ralph Fiennes) has prepared a lavish menu, with some shocking surprises. The star studded film will have its US Premier with the director in attendance.
Project Wolf Hunting- Directed by Kim Hongsun
On the choppy seas between Manila and Busan, violent convicts run amok on a hellish cargo ship in this blood-soaked slice of maritime carnage.
Something in the Dirt- Directed by Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead
Genre darlings Benson and Morehead present a film about a pair of Los Angeles misfits’ investigation into the city’s occult history {that} sends them down a rabbit hole that threatens their friendship and sanity.
Triangle of Sadness- Directed by Ruben Östlund
In Ruben Östlund’s wickedly funny Palme d’Or winner, social hierarchy is turned upside down, revealing the tawdry relationship between power and beauty. Celebrity model couple, Carl (Harris Dickinson) and Yaya (Charlbi Dean), are invited on a luxury cruise for the uber-rich, helmed by an unhinged boat captain (Woody Harrelson). What first appeared instagrammable ends catastrophically, leaving the survivors stranded on a desert island and fighting for survival.
A Wounded Fawn- Directed by Travis Stevens
Following one of our favorite films of 2021, Jakob’s Wife, Steven’s brings us a film inspired by mythology and surrealism…Bruce is erudite, handsome, and charming… but he’s also a psychotic serial killer urged to violence by the gigantic red owl that lives in his head.
This is just a tiny sampling of what Fantastic Fest 2022 has to offer. You can read about all the films and get your badges for the in person and virtual festivals on the Official Fantastic Fest Website.
All film summaries compliments of Fantastic Fest