Fantastic Fest 2012: Frankenweenie to Premiere!

Steve Barton |

Jun 29, 2012

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Fantastic Fest

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http://fantasticfest.com/

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Fantastic Fest is less than three months away, and like all dedicated genre film nerds, I’m beyond excited. Located in Austin, Texas, Fantastic Fest is the country’s largest genre festival, taking over the South Lamar Drafthouse for eight days of movies, food, parties, and like-minded film geeks choosing fun over sleep.

One of the best parts of waiting for the fest is the first e-mail, which indicates it’s time to finally start preparing.

On September 20, 2012, fest goers will be treated to Frankenweenie, Tim Burton’s stop-motion animated film about a young boy who resurrects his dead dog. It will serve as the opening night film and is frankly a pretty interesting choice, given that last year’s big opening night film involves a train of unsuspecting people being brutally sewn together ass to mouth. It is, however, Tim Burton, and his macabre aesthetic is a perfect fit for Fantastic Fest. I can’t wait.

From the Press Release
Fantastic Fest is excited to announce Walt Disney Pictures’ Frankenweenie will have its world premiere on September 20 as the opening night film for the 2012 festival, happening September 20-27 in Austin, Texas, at the Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar.

“Tim Burton stands as a titan of modern genre cinema. To world premiere the feature adaptation of his early beloved short is a huge honor for me personally and for the festival in general,” said Fantastic Fest Co-founder & Creative Director Tim League.

From creative genius Tim Burton (Alice in Wonderland, The Nightmare Before Christmas) comes Frankenweenie, a heartwarming tale about a boy and his dog. After unexpectedly losing his beloved dog Sparky, young Victor harnesses the power of science to bring his best friend back to life-with just a few minor adjustments. He tries to hide his home-sewn creation, but when Sparky gets out, Victor’s fellow students, teachers and the entire town all learn that getting a new “leash on life” can be monstrous.

A stop-motion animated film, Frankenweenie was filmed in black and white and rendered in 3D. The talented voice cast includes: Catherine O’Hara, Martin Short, Martin Landau, Charlie Tahan, Atticus Shaffer, Robert Capron, Conchata Ferrell and Winona Ryder.

Presented by Disney, Frankenweenie is directed by Tim Burton, produced by Tim Burton and Allison Abbate, from a screenplay by John August, based on an original idea by Tim Burton. Frankenweenie releases in U.S. theaters on October 5, 2012. For further information on Frankenweenie go here. Look for more programming announcements for Fantastic Fest in the weeks ahead.