Fantastic Fest Unveils Its 2024 Lineup, Including The World Premiere of ‘Terrifier 3’
Step right up for the greatest show on Earth! That’s right, Fantastic Fest is back for its 19th edition, bringing 28 World Premieres, 23 International and North American Premieres, and 15 U.S. Premieres! Plus, there will be plenty of incredible events and special guests when the festival descends on the Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar in Austin, TX.
“The Fantastic Fest team is absolutely elated about this year’s festival. We can’t wait to share the very best new films from around the world and enjoy our sensational events together this September,” says Festival Director Lisa Dreyer. “We’re also honored to be joined by a number of notable guests, and welcome our Fantastic Fest family back to Austin to celebrate cinema, whether it’s your 1st time or 19th!”
Fantastic Fest 2024 opens with a bang, featuring the world premiere of The Rule Of Jenny Pen from director James Ashcroft, Alex Aja’s new horror psychological thriller Never Let Go, and the world premiere of Terrifier 3!
The closing night film will be the world premiere of Hulu’s Mr. Crocket, director Brandon Espy’s feature debut based on his popular short.
The Events
Fantastic Fest has a variety of spectacular special events this year, including:
- The world’s only McDonald’s themed Black Sabbath cover band, Mac Sabbath, will kick off the fest with an epic opening night performance.
- Day of The Devs will bring a selection of genre video games to play with our inaugural Fantastic Games event, including Fear the Spotlight from Cozy Game Pals and Blumhouse Games, Five Nights at Freddy’s: Secret of the Mimic from Steel Wool, and several other exciting titles.
- SpectreVision Radio will host live podcast recordings, including Mike Flanagan’s Director’s Commentary with special guest Jennifer Kent, and Elijah Wood and Daniel Noah’s Visitations.
- Live events throughout the week include a Ghoulish Book Fair, a circus-themed drag show hosted by the legendary Louisianna Purchase, Fright or Wrong Trivia, a new show of video oddities from The Found Footage Festival, and more!
- And finally, Fantastic Fest essentials like the Fantastic Feud, the Fantastic Debates, and an epic Closing Night Party featuring the 999 Eyes Freakshow rounding out the week.
Check Out The Full Feature Lineup For Fantastic Fest Below:
AJ GOES TO THE DOG PARK (Burnt Ends Selection) (dir. Toby Jones)
World Premiere, 79 min
A very mediocre man must complete a heroic Odyssey-like quest to restore order to his town and protect the comforts of his routine life.
ANIMALE (dir. Emma Benestan)
North American Premiere, 99 min
After leaving a party with her male co-workers, aspiring bullfighter Nejma begins to experience physical and sensory perception changes after she’s attacked in a field in the middle of the night.
ANORA (dir. Sean Baker)
Austin Premiere, 138 min
Anora, a young sex worker from Brooklyn, gets her chance at a Cinderella story when she meets and impulsively marries the son of an oligarch. Once the news reaches Russia, her fairytale is threatened as the parents set out for New York to get the marriage annulled.
APARTMENT 7A (dir. Natalie Erika James)
World Premiere, 104 min
When a struggling, young dancer (Julia Garner) suffers a devastating injury, she finds herself drawn in by dark forces when a peculiar, well-connected, older couple promises her a shot at fame.
THE BABADOOK (dir. Jennifer Kent)
10th Anniversary Screening, 94 min
Back for its 10-year anniversary, this psychological horror and possession film terrified us in 2014 with its harrowing take on grief. Now it’s back to remind us all of the dangers of reading to children!
BABY ASSASSINS NICE DAYS (dir. Yugo Sakamoto)
Texas Premiere, 112 min
The Baby Assassins are back at Fantastic Fest to spread joy, dessert, and sick kills in the delightful third entry to this Japanese action franchise.
BIG TOP PEE-WEE (dir. Randal Kleiser)
World Premiere of 4K Restoration, 86 min
When a tornado blows a circus onto his farm, agricultural chemist Pee-wee Herman is tempted away from a life of contentment with his fiancée and her mediocre sandwiches by an alluringly beautiful acrobat.
BINARY (dir. David-Jan Bronsgeest)
International Premiere, 42 min
As Nisha prepares for gender confirmation surgery, violent and confusing images move from haunting her dreams to impacting her clients and friends, and Nisha must decide what she will do to live her authentic life.
THE BIRTHDAY (dir. Eugenio Mira)
20th Anniversary Screening of 4K Restoration, 117 min
Corey Feldman gives the performance of his career in this newly restored O.G. Fantastic Fest stunner.
THE BLACK HOLE (Burnt Ends Selection) (dir. Moonika Siimets)
Aliens land in Estonia to collect teeth and change the lives of bored, frustrated citizens in this triptych film of existential humor and strangely beautiful creature design.
BODY ODYSSEY (dir. Grazia Tricarico)
North American Premiere, 104 min
A female bodybuilder trades in her obsession with crafting the perfect body for an all-consuming pursuit of a younger man.
BONE LAKE (dir. Mercedes Bryce Morgan)
World Premiere, 94 min
In an attempt to rekindle their stagnant love life, Diego and Sage rent a property on the aptly named Bone Lake. When a mysterious young couple shows up at their door, their romantic getaway devolves into a twisted psychosexual nightmare.
BOOKWORM (dir. Ant Timpson)
US Premiere, 103 min
An 11-year-old girl sets out into the New Zealand backcountry with her estranged father to capture photographic evidence of the mythological Canterbury Panther, hoping to claim the reward and pay her mom’s medical bills.
BRING THEM DOWN (dir. Christopher Andrews)
US Premiere, 105 min
Christopher Abbott and Barry Keoghan lock horns as the sons of two warring Irish shepherding dynasties.
CARNIVAL OF BLOOD (Presented by AGFA) (dir. Leonard Kirtman)
Texas Premiere, 88 min
AGFA presents a dreamy proto-slasher from the gutters of NYC.
CHAIN REACTIONS (dir. Alexandre O. Phillipe)
Texas Premiere, 103 min
In his latest documentary—and right on time for the film’s 50th anniversary—Alexandre O. Philippe explores the profound impact and lasting influence the TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE had on five international artists.
CHAINSAWS WERE SINGING (dir. Sander Maran)
US Premiere, 117 min
Tom and Maria’s courtship is cut short by a cannibalistic spree killer and his dysfunctional family. Equal parts Stephen Sondheim and Lloyd Kaufman, this Estonian slasher musical is a truly unique odyssey.
CHILDREN OF THE WICKER MAN (dir. Dr. Chris Nunn, Justin Hardy & Dominic Hardy)
International Premiere, 90 min
Justin and Dominic Hardy reflect on their relationships with their father, Robin Hardy, and the cult classic he directed, THE WICKER MAN.
CLOUD (dir. Kiyoshih Kurosawa)
US Premiere, 123 min
Ryosuke makes his living as an online wholesaler, flipping goods from desperate sellers for a profit. As his business grows, so does his paranoia. Auteur Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s latest is another masterful examination of dread and contagion in modern Japan.
DADDY’S HEAD (dir. Benjamin Barfoot)
World Premiere, 97 min
After the death of his father, a young boy is terrorized by a gruesome creature that bears an uncanny resemblance to his dad.
DANIELA FOREVER (dir. Nacho Vigalondo)
US Premiere, 113 min
Nicolas mourns his dead girlfriend in a unique way—by taking an experimental drug that allows him to relive his memories when he dreams.
DEAD TALENTS SOCIETY (dir. John Hsu)
US Premiere, 110 min
Dying is just the beginning of one young woman’s problems when she learns the hard way that the afterlife is a competitive world of celebrity scarers and desperate wannabes, and the cost of failure is a fate worse than death.
A DIFFERENT MAN (dir. Aaron Schimberg)
Texas Premiere, 112 min
Aspiring actor Edward undergoes a radical medical procedure to drastically transform his appearance. But his new dream face quickly turns into a nightmare as he becomes obsessed with reclaiming what was lost.
DISEMBODIED (Presented by BLEEDING SKULL) (dir. William Kersten)
World Premiere of 4K Restoration, 77 min
Bleeding Skull presents a cinematic acid trip through a surreal, haunting world of mutations and murder.
DON’T MESS WITH GRANDMA (dir. Jason Krawczyk)
World Premiere, 81 min
Michael Jai White is just a grandson who loves his grandma. When a motley group of thieves attempt to break into her home, he gives them a punishing lesson in etiquette while keeping her comfortably in the dark.
THE DRAFT! (dir. Yusron Fuadi)
International Premiere, 84 min
Five college friends go to a cabin in the woods for the weekend and start to experience strange, violent events in this meta-horror movie with bloody kills and zany comedy.
DRAGON DILATATION (dir. Bertrand Mandico)
North American Premiere, 114 min
Director Bertrand Mandico puts his own unmistakable spin on two famous works: Stravinsky’s PETROUCHKA and Dante’s THE DIVINE COMEDY, in this visually arresting experimental film.
EBONY AND IVORY (dir. Jim Hosking)
World Premiere, 88 min
The untold story of Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder’s pop classic, as only the maniac behind THE GREASY STRANGLER could tell it.
ELSE (dir. Thibault Emin)
US Premiere, 99 min
A new strange pandemic has hit the world, causing the infected to fuse with their surroundings. Two freshly acquainted lovers take refuge in a flat, trying to avoid the disease that spreads through eye contact.
ESCAPE FROM THE 21ST CENTURY (dir. Li Yang)
US Premiere, 98 min
A trio of teenage friends find themselves able to inhabit their future bodies in this coming-of-age/coming-of-middle-age martial arts comedy.
THE FALL (dir. Tarsem Singh)
North American Premiere of 4K Restoration, 117 min
Los Angeles, circa 1920s, a little immigrant girl in a hospital recovering from a fall, strikes up a friendship with a bedridden man. He captivates her with a whimsical story that removes her far from the hospital doldrums into the exotic landscapes of her imagination.
FRANKIE FREAKO (dir. Steven Kostanski)
International Premiere, 82 min
The creator of PSYCHO GOREMAN introduces the raddest & baddest li’l goblin squad since the Ghoulies.
GAZER (Burnt Ends Selection) (dir. Ryan J. Sloan)
North American Premiere, 114 min
Frankie tries to reclaim her life in this paranoia/neo-noir/body horror gem about the decline of America and the terrifying and awesome power of the feminine.
GET AWAY (dir. Steffen Haars)
World Premiere, 86 min
Ignoring the warnings from the Swedish mainlanders, the Smith family takes a vacation on the small, charming island of Svälta… which turns into a killer trip.
GHOST KILLER (dir. Kensuke Sonomura)
World Premiere, 105 min
Fumika Matsuoka is a young woman with a terrible job, a friend in a bad relationship, and the ghost of an assassin bound to her until she gets revenge on his behalf.
GIRL INTERNET SHOW: A KATI KELLI MIXTAPE (Burnt Ends Selection) (dir. Kati Kelli)
Texas Premiere, 79 min
A compilation of early YouTube uploads by artist Kati Kelli posthumously showcases her deranged genius as an outsider artist and social commentator.
THE GUEST (dir. Adam Wingard)
Theatrical World Premiere of 4K Restoration, 100 min
A mysterious soldier befriends the family of a fallen comrade and quickly makes himself an indispensable part of their lives, but the secrets he’s hiding put them all in danger in THE GUEST, a nail-biting, retro-stylish thriller from director Adam Wingard and screenwriter Simon Barrett (YOU’RE NEXT, A HORRIBLE WAY TO DIE).
HEADS OR FAILS (Burnt Ends Selection) (dir. Lenny Guit & Harpo Guit)
World Premiere, 86 min
Armande Pigeon steps in more shit than a latrine cleaner, living off a series of less and less endearing gambles and grifts. When luck rolls her way, she just has to walk away, but where’s the fun in that?
HEAVIER TRIP (dir. Juuso Laatio & Jukka Vidgren)
World Premiere, 96 min
Impaled Rektum, the world’s most brutal metal band, must escape a Norwegian prison and save a reindeer slaughterhouse from foreclosure before battling a Faustian promoter offering Rock God superstardom in exchange for selling out.
HOUSE OF SPOILS (dir. Bridget Savage Cole & Danielle Krudy)
World Premiere, 101 min
Follows an ambitious chef (Ariana DeBose) as she opens a restaurant on a remote estate where she battles kitchen chaos, crushing self doubts…and a haunting presence who threatens to sabotage her at every turn.
I, THE EXECUTIONER (dir. RYOO Seung-wan)
US Premiere, 118 min
The veteran detective Seo Do-cheol (HWANG Jung-min) and his team at Major Crimes, relentless in their pursuit of criminals, join forces with rookie cop Park Sun-woo (JUNG Hae-in) to track down a serial killer who has plunged the nation into turmoil.
ICK (dir. Joseph Kahn)
US Premiere, 90 min
In Joseph Kahn’s breakneck sci-fi/horror satire, a high school science teacher (Brandon Routh) does battle with a parasitic alien entity, as well as the apathy of the small town it has been gradually absorbing.
THE INCREDIBLY STRANGE CREATURES WHO STOPPED LIVING AND BECAME MIXED UP ZOMBIES!!? (dir. Ray Dennis Steckler)
Texas Premiere of Severin Restoration, 82 min
AGFA presents the first monster musical!
THE LEGEND OF VOX MACHINA (Season 3, Episodes 1 & 2) (dir. Eugene Lee (Ep. 1) & Young Heller (Ep. 2))
World Premiere, 52 min
In Season Three of The Legend of Vox Machina, everything is at stake – our lovable band of misfits must rise above inner (and outer) demons to try and save their loved ones, Tal’Dorei, and all of Exandria.
THE LIFE AND DEATHS OF CHRISTOPHER LEE (dir. Jon Spira)
North American Premiere, 103 min
Descended from royalty and the real-life inspiration for James Bond, this documentary shows Christopher Lee’s struggle to succeed as an actor before discovering the joys of playing monsters and villains—transforming him into an icon and a legend, seemingly overnight.
LITTLE BITES (dir. Spider One)
World Premiere, 106 min
A mother, a monster, and a terrible secret.
MADS (dir. David Moreau)
North American Premiere, 88 min
Tweaked-out French club kids battle a rage virus during one crazy night, all in one single, unbroken shot.
MALDOROR (dir. Fabrice du Welz)
North American Premiere, 150 min
When a dedicated but impulsive young officer is taken off a clandestine surveillance team tasked with catching a child predator, he becomes obsessed with uncovering the truth, despite the risks to his family and his sanity.
MEMOIR OF A SNAIL (dir. Adam Elliot)
Texas Premiere, 95 min
Placed in separate foster care homes after the death of their father, two siblings grow up in families with different values. Gilbert and Grace learn to live apart, but their hope of being reunited never fades.
THE MISSION (Presented by AGFA) (dir. Johnnie To)
25th Anniversary Screening, 84 min
Come celebrate the 25th Anniversary of Hong Kong auteur Johnnie To’s towering gangster film masterpiece, presented from AGFA’s rare 35mm archival print!
MR. CROCKET (dir. Brandon Espy)
World Premiere, 88 min
A single mother thinks she’s found the key to calming her child down—a VHS copy of a strange children’s program named Mr. Crocket’s World. However, a darker, bloodier secret waits to invade their home from inside the tape.
NEVER LET GO (dir. Alexandre Aja)
Gala Screening, 101 min
From visionary director Alexandre Aja and the creative minds behind STRANGER THINGS and ARRIVAL comes NEVER LET GO. In this new psychological thriller/horror, as an evil takes over the world beyond their front doorstep, the only protection for a mother, played by Academy Award® winner Halle Berry (Actress in a Leading Role, 2001 – MONSTER’S BALL), and her twin sons is their house and their family’s protective bond. Needing to stay connected at all times – even tethering themselves with ropes – they cling to one another, urging each other to never let go. But when one of the boys questions if the evil is real, the ties that bind them together are severed, triggering a terrifying fight for survival. Lionsgate presents, in association with Media Capital Technologies, a 21 Laps / HalleHolly production.
NIGHT CALL (dir. Michiel Blanchart)
North American Premiere, 91 min
A locksmith finds himself accused of a crime he didn’t commit, kicking off the longest night of his life.
NINE QUEENS (dir. Fabián Bielinsky)
US Premiere of 4K Restoration, 114 min
In this gorgeous 4K restoration, two con artists set up a plan to sell a sheet of counterfeit rare stamps known as the Nine Queens to a collector.
PÁRVULOS (dir. Isaac Ezban)
US Premiere, 119 min
In the aftermath of a devastating global catastrophe, three brothers must fight against the dangers of a post-pandemic world and keep their family intact.
PLANET B (dir. Aude Léa Rapin)
International Premiere, 118 min
In a near future shaken by violent protests, activist Julia wakes up in an unknown world after being shot in the face with a non-lethal round. Welcome to PLANET B, a place where your worst nightmares are generated to torture you.
PLASTIC GUNS (dir. Jean-Christophe Meurisse)
North American Premiere, 96 min
A world-renowned criminal profiler leads authorities to arrest an innocent man, mistaking him for a notorious killer. Meanwhile, two amateur detectives bumble through their own investigation, and the real killer sees an opportunity to start a new life.
QUEENS OF DRAMA (dir. Alexis Langlois)
North American Premiere, 115 min
A tabloid-headline, torrid affair between a pop princess and her secret pop-punk songstress stretches into the 2050s in this camp musical.
RAZE (dir. Josh C. Waller)
Anniversary Screening, 92 min
Awakening after being abducted, Jamie finds herself in a concrete bunker, and she discovers that she is not alone.
THE REMARKABLE LIFE OF IBELIN (dir. Benjamin Ree)
Texas Premiere, 103 min
Mats Steen, a Norwegian gamer, died of a degenerative muscular disease at the age of 25. His parents mourned what they thought had been a lonely and isolated life, when they started receiving messages from online friends around the world.
RESPATI (dir. Sidharta Tata)
Texas Premiere, 112 min
Deep in the recesses of a spiritual hive mind connecting an orphaned teenager to the victims of a demon, the boy must also confront his own demons in the demented and deeply unsettling Indonesian horror RESPATI.
THE RULE OF JENNY PEN (dir. James Ashcroft)
World Premiere, 103 min
Admitted into a state care facility, Geoffrey Rush engages in a battle of wits with his deranged tormentor, John Lithgow.
SATAN WAR (Presented by AGFA) (dir. Bart La Rue)
World Premiere of Restoration, 62 min
AGFA presents a new restoration of the Satanic panic mindwarp.
THE SEVERED SUN (dir. Dean Puckett)
World Premiere, 80 min
When a headstrong woman rebels against her religious father, she unleashes a powerful beast intent on picking off members of her isolated community.
SHE LOVED BLOSSOMS MORE (dir. Yannis Veslemes)
Texas Premiere, 88 min
Three brothers enter a world of cosmic horror as they try to bring their mother back from the beyond.
SISTER MIDNIGHT (dir. Karan Kandhari)
North American Premiere, 110 min
Stuck on the outskirts of Mumbai following an arranged marriage, Uma turns to black magic to dislocate her domestic blues.
SPERMAGEDDON (dir. Rasmus A. Sivertsen & Tommy Wirkola)
North American Premiere, 79 min
A coming-of-age love story set in parallel universes: a teenage boy chasing his first experience of coitus, and two companion sperm swimming upstream in hot pursuit of their holy grail, the egg. It’s also an animated musical comedy that slays.
THE SPIRIT OF HALLOWEENTOWN (dir. Bradford Thomason & Brett Whitcomb)
World Premiere, 95 min
Have you ever dreamed of living in a place where Halloween is celebrated year-round? Welcome to St. Helens, a charming town that revolves around the cult classic film HALLOWEENTOWN.
STEPPENWOLF (dir. Adilkhan Yerzhanov)
US Premiere, 101 min
Set against a ravaged dystopian wasteland, a ruthless killer joins forces with a traumatized young mother in the search for her missing son in this hard-hitting, genre-bending B-movie from Kazakh auteur Adilkhan Yerzhanov.
STRANGE HARVEST: OCCULT MURDER IN THE INLAND EMPIRE (dir. Stuart Ortiz)
USA, 2024
World Premiere, 94 min
STRANGE HARVEST follows the investigation of one of the worst, yet least reported and discussed serial killers in the history of Southern California.
TEACUP (Season 1, Episodes 1 & 2)
World Premiere, 65 min
From James Wan’s Atomic Monster & UCP, TEACUP follows a disparate group of people in rural Georgia who must come together in the face of a mysterious threat in order to survive. Inspired by the New York Times bestselling novel STINGER by Robert McCammon.
TERRIFIER 3 (dir. Damien Leone)
World Premiere, 128 min
Art the Clown is set to unleash chaos on the unsuspecting residents of Miles County as they peacefully drift off to sleep on Christmas Eve.
TOUCHED BY ETERNITY (dir. Mārcis Lācis)
World Premiere, 95 min
Although lacking any zest for life, middle-aged hermit Fatso is obsessed with immortality. When a friendly duo of vampires materializes with a proposition, he has second thoughts when he learns what’s at stake in this playful vampire satire.
TRIZOMBIE (dir. Bob Colaers)
International Premiere, 78 min
When a zombie plague hits Belgium, a group of unlikely heroes embarks on a perilous journey to save one of their missing friends.
U ARE THE UNIVERSE (dir. Pavlo Ostrikov)
US Premiere, 101 min
After planet Earth explodes, space trucker Andriy is left alone, drifting through space with an AI computer as his sole companion. When a message from a French scientist reaches him, he risks everything to cross the universe and meet her.
UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE (dir. Matthew Rankin)
US Premiere, 89 min
A surreal, hilarious, and touching meditation on family and place.
V/H/S/BEYOND (World Premiere, 110 min)
Directors – Jordan Downey, Christian Long & Justin Long, Justin Martinez, Virat Pal, Kate Siegel, & Jay Cheel
The seventh installment of the V/H/S franchise will feature six new bloodcurdling tapes, placing horror at the forefront of a sci-fi-inspired hellscape.
WAKE IN FRIGHT (dir. Ted Kotcheff)
International Premiere of 4K Restoration, 109 min
Come witness Ted Kotcheff’s 1971 thriller about a schoolteacher marooned in an Australian town full of drunken madmen. A magnificent 4K restoration supervised by Mark Hartley (NOT QUITE HOLLYWOOD), WAKE IN FRIGHT is an unmissable cult classic.
WHAT HAPPENED TO DOROTHY BELL? (dir. Danny Villanueva Jr.)
World Premiere, 80 min
Years after a terrifying attack by her grandmother, Ozzie returns to her hometown in an attempt to understand her own mental illness and the supernatural being haunting her family.
THE WILD ROBOT (dir. Chris Sanders)
Texas Premiere, 101 min
After a shipwreck, an intelligent robot named Roz is stranded on an uninhabited island and must learn to adapt to the harsh environment, gradually bonding with the island’s animals and becoming the adoptive parent of an orphaned gosling.
WILL & HARPER (dir. Josh Greenbaum)
Texas Premiere, 115 min
When Will Ferrell finds out his close friend of 30 years is coming out as a trans woman, the two decide to embark on a cross-country road trip to process this new stage of their relationship in an intimate portrait of friendship, transition, and America.
WITTE WIEVEN (dir. Didier Konings)
International Premiere, 61 min
Frieda is desperate to get pregnant. When she’s ostracized by her medieval Dutch community for surviving a trip to the nearby woods and supposedly conspiring with the Devil, she slowly lets the darkness in.
THE WORKOUT (Burnt Ends Selection) (dir. James Cullen Bressack)
World Premiere, 82 min
Following the shocking death of his wife and facing his own terminal injury, a former Army Ranger sets out on a path of revenge in this stunt-forward, found footage action movie.
ZÉNITHAL (dir. Jean-Baptiste Saurel)
International Premiere, 80 min
A man with a giant dick is killed by a jealous, evil man attempting to take over the world. Only women can save us now! You know how it goes…
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