{"id":420537,"date":"2026-08-29T21:16:12","date_gmt":"2026-08-29T21:16:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/420537\/"},"modified":"2026-08-29T21:16:12","modified_gmt":"2026-08-29T21:16:12","slug":"fantastic-fest-brings-the-best-genre-from-around-the-globe-to-austin","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/420537\/","title":{"rendered":"FANTASTIC FEST Brings the Best Genre from around the Globe to Austin!"},"content":{"rendered":"

\nPublished at: Aug. 29, 2026, 1:29 p.m. CST by Barbarella<\/a>\n<\/p>\n

Hey friends! Barbarella here, and it\u2019s almost September. For Central Texas genre fans, that means one thing: Fantastic Fest is almost here! That\u2019s right. From September 17 \u2013 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.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The world premiere of Lionsgate\u2019s BEWARE BOI\u00daNA opens the festival. It’s Fantastic Fest alum Mike P. Nelson\u2019s slithering horror film that is sure to please audiences with its combination of terrifying and hysterical fun.<\/p>\n

Additionally, audiences will get a gala screening of Zach Cregger\u2019s RESIDENT EVIL. I mean, who\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

\"Still<\/p>\n

For those who love absurdist humor, Quentin Dupieux\u2019s 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\u00a0kinetically, 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.<\/p>\n

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\u2019ve taken over the building where she lives.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Still<\/p>\n

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\u2019s 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.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Once fans have had their fill of sitting in the dark theater watching movies, they\u2019ll get to experience the thrill of a live GWAR performance at the closing night party. Bring a pancho.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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.\u00a0Fantastic Fest Badges<\/a><\/p>\n