Fantastic Fest 2012


Horror. Fantasy. Sci-fi. Action. Check one, or check all. The largest genre film festival in the U.S., Fantastic Fest has something for everyone – well, except, maybe, for the faint of heart.

FF2012 runs Sept. 20-Sept. 27 at the Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar (1120 S. Lamar Blvd.). Conveniently located next door is the Highball (1120 S. Lamar Blvd.), home to the Fantastic Arcade and ground zero for FF afterparties.

The Chronicle's Screens team will be blogging, tweeting, and generally raising a ruckus at the fest. Check in here for our ongoing coverage.

Photo Galleries
Fantastic Fest 2012
Scenes From the Fest
Director and co-writer Tim Burton
'Frankenweenie'
Facetime with star Karl Urban, who spends all of the movie under a helmet
'Dredd 3D' Red Carpet

Film Flam

Arts in Context, Fran Lebowitz, flying kites, and cats gone wild

Kimberley Jones, Wed., Nov. 7, 2012

The Long and the Short of It

It's an uphill battle securing a future for a short film

Dan Solomon, Thu., Oct. 18, 2012

FF2012: The Good, The Bad, And the Weird of Fantastic Fest

Surviving the liver-crunching, spine tingling, head-expanding fest

Richard Whittaker, Tue., Oct. 2, 2012

FF2012: 'Here Comes the Devil'

Fantastic Fest fave Bogliano delivers demon family dynamics

Richard Whittaker, Tue., Oct. 2, 2012

FF2012: 'Flicker'

Swedish workplace comedy tugs the heartstrings at Fantastic Fest

Richard Whittaker, Mon., Oct. 1, 2012

FF2012: Now It's Your Turn For Fantastic Fest Features

'Combat Girls,' 'Vanishing Waves' acquired, more get release dates

Richard Whittaker, Sun., Sept. 30, 2012

FF2012: Rian Johnson Throws Us for a 'Looper'

Director at Fantastic Fest on time travel and the Summer of Joe

Richard Whittaker, Fri., Sept. 28, 2012

Everything Went Black: Why Fantastic Fest is as Fantastic As it Is

The best place to recalibrate your cinematic soul

Marc Savlov, Thu., Sept. 27, 2012

Fantastic Fest 2012 Awards

Big winners include 'I Declare War,' 'Flicker,' and 'Vanishing Waves' Interviews (Rian Johnson! Karl Urban!), reviews, and photo galleries galore

, Thu., Sept. 27, 2012

FF2012: 'Aftershock'

Much more realistic than 'Last Night at the Alamo'

Marc Savlov, Wed., Sept. 26, 2012

FF2012: James Moran Climbs The 'Tower Block'

UK writer and Fantastic Fest veteran on genre TV and ghettos

Richard Whittaker, Wed., Sept. 26, 2012

FF2012: 'Young Gun in the Time'

Korean time travel with a twist and a lot of heart at Fantastic Fest

Richard Whittaker, Wed., Sept. 26, 2012

FF2012: Austin's Mayor Proclaims "It's Fantastic Fest Week"

Huzzah hizzoner

Marc Savlov, Wed., Sept. 26, 2012

FF2012: I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream for 'The American Scream'

Fantastic Fest premieres home Halloween haunt doc

Richard Whittaker, Tue., Sept. 25, 2012

FF2012: Fantastic Fest Awards

'I Declare War' and 'Flicker' take top prizes

Kimberley Jones, Tue., Sept. 25, 2012

FF2012: 'The ABC's of Death'

A literacy tool for the damned

Marc Savlov, Tue., Sept. 25, 2012

Film Flam

ATX, prepare yourself for a whole lotta Nacho

Kimberley Jones, Mon., Sept. 24, 2012

FF2012: 'The Conspiracy'

Who can you trust at Fantastic Fest?

Richard Whittaker, Mon., Sept. 24, 2012

FF2012: 'The King of Pigs'

And you thought your schooldays were hellish

Marc Savlov, Mon., Sept. 24, 2012

FF2012: 'The Warped Forest'

Fantastic Fest continues its celebration of Japanese oddities

Richard Whittaker, Mon., Sept. 24, 2012

FF2012: Bumper Scars

Fantastic Fest announces top six bumpers

Marc Savlov, Mon., Sept. 24, 2012

FF2012: Fantastic Arcade Award Winners

Lord British showed, clothes were swapped, weapons were brandished

James Renovitch, Mon., Sept. 24, 2012

FF2012: 'Dredd' Heads

Alex Garland and Karl Urban talk politics and hard R comic adaptations

Richard Whittaker, Sun., Sept. 23, 2012

FF2012: 'The Final Member'

The long and short of the world's only penis museum at Fantastic Fest

Richard Whittaker, Sun., Sept. 23, 2012

FF2012: Why 'The Collection' is All About Character

Marcus Dunstan brings the mask back for Fantastic Fest

Richard Whittaker, Sun., Sept. 23, 2012

FF2012: 'Wake in Fright'

Yabba-dabba-doom

Marc Savlov, Sun., Sept. 23, 2012

FF2012: Fantastic Arcade Day 3

In which I get a taste of blood and victory

James Renovitch, Sun., Sept. 23, 2012

FF2012: 'Hail'

Australian crime drama makes men of gods and monsters

Richard Whittaker, Sun., Sept. 23, 2012

FF2012: 'Doomsday Book'

Two bangs, one whimper on Fantastic Fest apocalypse anthology

Richard Whittaker, Sat., Sept. 22, 2012

FF2012: Gamers Get Down

Fantastic Arcade snaps

James Renovitch, Sat., Sept. 22, 2012

FF2012: Barking Up a Storm at the 'Frankenweenie' World Premiere

Fantastic Fest holds star-studded premiere for Tim Burton's latest

Richard Whittaker, Fri., Sept. 21, 2012

FF2012: Rock the Red Carpet

Scenes from the 'Frankenweenie' and 'Dredd 3D' premieres

Kimberley Jones, Fri., Sept. 21, 2012

FF2012: Friday Morning Server Error!

Today's screenings not actually sold out

Marc Savlov, Fri., Sept. 21, 2012

FF2012: 'Dredd 3D'

It took until 2012 to get 2000 AD right

Marc Savlov, Fri., Sept. 21, 2012

FF2012: Day One of Fantastic Arcade

It's all about money, stories, and nerds.

James Renovitch, Thu., Sept. 20, 2012

FF2012: Kier-La Janisse is in the House...

…of Psychotic Women

Marc Savlov, Thu., Sept. 20, 2012

FF2012: Tim League Speaks!

What not to miss, why not to miss it

Marc Savlov, Thu., Sept. 20, 2012

London Falling

'Cockneys Vs. Zombies' and 'Tower Block'

Richard Whittaker, Thu., Sept. 20, 2012

Fantastic Fest Is Here To Bash Your Brains In

Shock, schlock, and awe at America's premier genre fest

Marc Savlov, Thu., Sept. 20, 2012

Bite Into Fantastic Fest

Black-and-white dogs, monster-themed vodka cocktails, and more

Virginia B. Wood, Thu., Sept. 20, 2012

Everything Went Black: Why Fantastic Fest is Motörhead…

…And vice versa.

Marc Savlov, Wed., Sept. 19, 2012

FF2012: An Hour With the Gamemaking Frenzy

Fantastic Arcade incites a 48-hour creative explosion

James Renovitch, Mon., Sept. 17, 2012

Everything Went Black: My (Fantastic Fest) Rules!

Listen up, FF peeps, wisdom abounds

Marc Savlov, Thu., Sept. 13, 2012

Fantastic Fest Adds 'Pusher', 'Antiviral' to Lineup

Final additions include docs, sequels, remakes and world firsts

Richard Whittaker, Wed., Sept. 12, 2012

Fantastic Fest Parties On

Time to plan your FF drinking, plus two sneak announcements

Richard Whittaker, Mon., Sept. 10, 2012

Whipping Gamers Into a Frenzy

A Taste of the Fantastic Arcade

James Renovitch, Thu., Sept. 6, 2012

'Red Dawn' Reboot to Close Fantastic Fest

FF to world premiere and party up the long-shelved film

Kimberley Jones, Wed., Sept. 5, 2012

The Fall Film Festival Season Takes Flight

Programming updates from AFF, Fantastic Fest, and aGLIFF

Kimberley Jones, Thu., Aug. 30, 2012

This Week's Waste of Time: Fantastic Arcade Edition

Free versions of exhibiting games

James Renovitch, Fri., Aug. 24, 2012

Fantastic Fest Gets 'Looper' For Second Wave

Stage two sees newbie Joseph Gordon-Levitt join FF veterans

Richard Whittaker, Thu., Aug. 16, 2012

Drafthouse Films Does ‘Wrong’

Surreal comedy from ‘Rubber’ director will get a 2013 release

Kimberley Jones, Tue., Aug. 7, 2012

TIFF Beats Fantastic Fest to 'Death'

Drafthouse Films' 'The ABCs of Death' debuting in Toronto

Richard Whittaker, Tue., July 31, 2012

Fantastic Fest Breaks the First Wave

'Dredd 3D' and 'The Shining' headline 2012 festival

Richard Whittaker, Mon., July 30, 2012

Fantastic Fest 2012 Announces Opening Night Film

Tim Burton's 'Frankenweenie' to open FF2012

Marc Savlov, Fri., June 29, 2012