Fantastic Fest Announces 2024 Lineup

Oscar winner Halle Berry in Never Let Go, the new horror from cult director Alejandra Aja, which will receive a gala screening at this year's Fantastic Fest

Terrifying clowns, wild robots, and the sound of chainsaws echoing across Austin! Fantastic Fest, the Alamo Drafthouse’s celebration of the best of strange and wonderful cinema running Sept. 19-26, has announced its 2024 lineup, complete with a gala screening of Never Let Go, the new film from Oscar winner Halle Berry.

In the new horror from Alexandre Aja (Crawl, The Hills Have Eyes), Berry plays a mother trying to protect her children from a world consumed by evil. The Monster’s Ball star – and subsequently the first Black woman to win the Oscar for Best Actress – is just one of the celebrities confirmed to bring their movies in person to the festival, with Will Ferrell in attendance for the world premiere of Will & Harper, the new documentary about the SNL legend and his friendship with Texan Harper Steele as they transition. The fest will also feature the Texas premiere of The Wild Robot, the new feature from DreamWorks Animation that’s already getting award-season buzz.

Speaking of awards, the fest has also secured the Austin premier of Anora, Sean Baker's follow-up to the porn industry dramedy Red Rocket. The story of the troubled romance between an Uzbek-American stripper (Mikey Madison) and the son of a Russian Oligarch (Mark Eydelshteyn), it arrives having already won this year's Palme d'Or at the 77th Cannes Film Festival.

But before all that, the fest kicks off with the world premiere of opening night title The Rule of Jenny Pen, in which director James Ashcroft (Coming Home in the Dark) pits two legendary veterans of the screen – John Lithgow and Geoffrey Rush – against each other in a tale of aging, psychological warfare, and malevolent puppets.

Wiite Wieven

However, Fantastic Fest is not just about Oscars, A-listers and future blockbusters. It’s also a place for exciting, emerging talents to arrive, many of them making their debut. In total there will be 79 premiere screenings at this year’s fest, with films from as far afield as Japan, Estonia, France, New Zealand, Canada, and Indonesia. That includes a long list of fest first timers such as Jason Krawczyk, who return to Austin after his South by Southwest smash He Never Died with his newest feature, home invasion comedy Don't Mess With Grandma.

Fantastic Fest is also famous for showing loyalty to alumni when they have something special to show off. This year is no exception, with the return of regulars such as Timecrimes director Nacho Vigalondo with his latest trip, Daniela Forever. Tommy Wirkola (an FF award winner for Dead Snow 2: Red vs. Dead in 2014) is back with animated musical comedy Spermageddon. And opening night will get gory when Damien Leone unleashes Terrifier 3, the sequel to last year’s unexpected bloody smash.

For those of you looking for something a little gentler from a familiar face, you get two for one as FF regulars Ant Timpson and Elijah Wood reunite after sinister farce Come to Daddy as director and star respectively of the delightful comedy Bookworm.

Truth can be stranger than fiction, and that’s definitely true at Fantastic Fest. This year sees the return of another alum, Alexandre O. Philippe, as he explores the impact of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre on five filmmakers in Chain Reactions. There's a different kind of intimacy to a film portrayed in Children of the Wicker Man, in which brothers Justin and Dominic Hardy probe their complicated relationship with their father, director Robin Hardy, and his most famous film, landmark British folk horror The Wicker Man. The fest this year promises to be a special one for fans of terror from across the pond with a trip inside Dracula’s cape in The Life and Deaths of Christopher Lee, a look at one of the greatest horror actors of all time.

But it’s not all about new releases. Fantastic Fest continues with its tradition of restorations and revivals, digging into the American Genre Film Archive for grindhouse classics like Carnival of Blood and The Incredibly Strange Creatures Who Stopped Living and Became Mixed-Up Zombies!!?. But as the fest enters its 19th year, there are plenty of former FF titles hitting major milestones. That includes 10th anniversary screenings of The Guest (directed by future Godzilla x Kong maniac Adam Wingard and written by his longtime creative partner Simon Barrett), and the return of Raze, the action-thriller starring stunt deity Zoë Bell. Plus, for lovers of sheer beauty in cinema there are few more eagerly anticipated restorations than the new 4K scan of Tarsem Singh's intoxicating fantasy, The Fall.

Fantastc Fest 2024 runs Sept. 19-26. Get more info at fantasticfest.com.

And don't miss alll the reviews, interviews, and breaking news at austinchronicle.com/fantastic-fest.

Now, here's the lineup so far:

AJ Goes to the Dog Park

AJ GOES TO THE DOG PARK (Burnt Ends Selection)
USA, 2024
World Premiere, 79 min.
D: Toby Jones
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
France, 2024
North American Premiere, 99 min.
D: Emma Benestan
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
USA, 2024
Austin Premiere, 138 min.
D: Sean Baker
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
USA, 2024
World Premiere, 104 min.
D: Natalie Erika James
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

THE BABADOOK
Australia, 2014
10th Anniversary Screening, 94 min.
D: Jennifer Kent
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
Japan, 2024
Texas Premiere, 112 min.
D: Yugo Sakamoto
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
USA, 1988
World Premiere of 4K Restoration, 86 min.
D: Randal Kleiser
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
The Netherlands, 2024
International Premiere, 42 min.
D: David-Jan Bronsgeest
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

THE BIRTHDAY
Spain, 2004
20th Anniversary Screening of 4K Restoration, 117 min.
D: Eugenio Mira
Corey Feldman gives the performance of his career in this newly restored O.G. Fantastic Fest stunner.

THE BLACK HOLE (Burnt Ends Selection)
Estonia, Finland, 2024
North American Premiere, 115 min.
D: 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
Italy, Switzerland, 2023
North American Premiere, 104 min.
D: Grazia Tricarico
A female bodybuilder trades in her obsession with crafting the perfect body for an all-consuming pursuit of a younger man.

Bone Lake

BONE LAKE
USA, 2024
World Premiere, 94 min.
D: Mercedes Bryce Morgan
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
New Zealand, 2024
US Premiere, 103 min.
D: Ant Timpson
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
Ireland, UK, Belgium, 2024
US Premiere, 105 min.
D: Christopher Andrews
Christopher Abbott and Barry Keoghan lock horns as the sons of two warring Irish shepherding dynasties.

CARNIVAL OF BLOOD (Presented by AGFA)
USA, 1970
Texas Premiere, 88 min.
D: Leonard Kirtman
AGFA presents a dreamy proto-slasher from the gutters of NYC.

Chain Reactions

CHAIN REACTIONS
USA, 2024
Texas Premiere, 103 min.
D: Alexandre O. Philippe
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
Estonia, 2024
US Premiere, 117 min.
D: Sander Maran
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
UK, 2024
International Premiere, 90 min.
D: Dr. Chris Nunn, Justin Hardy, and Dominic Hardy
Justin and Dominic Hardy reflect on their relationships with their father, Robin Hardy, and the cult classic he directed, The Wicker Man.

Cloud

CLOUD
Japan, 2024
US Premiere, 123 min.
D: Kiyoshi Kurosawa
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
UK, 2024
World Premiere, 97 min.
D: Benjamin Barfoot
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
Spain, Belgium, 2024
US Premiere, 113 min.
D: Nacho Vigalondo
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

DEAD TALENTS SOCIETY
Taiwan, 2024
US Premiere, 110 min.
D: John Hsu
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
USA, 2024
Texas Premiere, 112 min.
D: Aaron Schimberg
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)
USA, 1998
World Premiere of 4K Restoration, 77 min.
D: William Kersten
Bleeding Skull presents a cinematic acid trip through a surreal, haunting world of mutations and murder.

Don't Mess With Grandma

DON’T MESS WITH GRANDMA
Canada, 2024
World Premiere, 81 min.
D: Jason Krawczyk
Michael Jai White is just a grandson who loves his grandma. When a motley group of thieves attempts to break into her home, he gives them a punishing lesson in etiquette while keeping her comfortably in the dark.

THE DRAFT!
Indonesia, 2023
International Premiere, 84 min.
D: Yusron Fuadi
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
France, 2024
North American Premiere, 114 min.
D: Bertrand Mandico
Director Bertrand Mandico puts his own unmistakable spin on two famous works: Igor Stravinsky's Petrushka and Dante’s The Divine Comedy, in this visually arresting experimental film.

Ebony and Ivory

EBONY AND IVORY
UK, 2024
World Premiere, 88 min.
D: Jim Hosking
The untold story of Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder’s pop classic, as only the maniac behind The Greasy Strangler could tell it.

ELSE
France, 2024
US Premiere, 99 min.
D: Thibault Emin
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
China, 2024
US Premiere, 98 min.
D: Li Yang
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

THE FALL
USA, South Africa and India, 2008
North American Premiere of 4K Restoration, 117 min.
D: Tarsem Singh
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
Canada, 2024
International Premiere, 82 min.
D: Steven Kostanski
The creator of Psycho Goreman introduces the raddest and baddest li’l goblin squad since the Ghoulies.

GAZER (Burnt Ends Selection)
USA, 2024
North American Premiere, 114 min.
D: Ryan J. Sloan
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

GET AWAY
UK, 2024
World Premiere, 86 min.
D: Steffen Haars
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
Japan, 2024
World Premiere, 105 min.
D: Kensuke Sonomura
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)
USA, 2023
Texas Premiere, 79 min.
D: Kati Kelli
A compilation of early YouTube uploads by artist Kati Kelli posthumously showcases her deranged genius as an outsider artist and social commentator.

The Guest

THE GUEST
USA, UK, 2014
Theatrical World Premiere of 4K Restoration, 100 min.
D: Adam Wingard
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)
Belgium, 2024
World Premiere, 86 min.
D: Lenny Guit and Harpo Guit
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
Finland, 2024
World Premiere, 96 min.
D: Juuso Laatio and Jukka Vidgren
Impaled Rektum, the world’s most brutal metal band, must escape 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

HOUSE OF SPOILS
USA, 2024
World Premiere, 101 min.
D: Bridget Savage Cole and Danielle Krudy
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 that threatens to sabotage her at every turn.

I, THE EXECUTIONER
South Korea, 2024
US Premiere, 118 min.
D: Ryoo Seung-wan
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
USA, 2024
US Premiere, 90 min.
D: Joseph Kahn
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!!?
USA, 1964
Texas Premiere of Severin Restoration, 82 min.
D: Ray Dennis Steckler
AGFA presents the first monster musical!

The Legend of Vox Machina

THE LEGEND OF VOX MACHINA (Season 3, Episodes 1 and 2)
USA, 2024
World Premiere, 52 min.
D: Eugene Lee (Ep. 1) and Young Heller (Ep. 2)
In season 3 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
UK, 2024
North American Premiere, 103 min.
D: Jon Spira
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
USA, 2024
World Premiere, 106 min.
D: Spider One
A mother, a monster, and a terrible secret.

MadS

MADS
France, 2024
North American Premiere, 88 min.
D: David Moreau
Tweaked-out French club kids battle a rage virus during one crazy night, all in one single unbroken shot.

MALDOROR
Belgium, France, 2024
North American Premiere, 150 min.
D: Fabrice du Welz
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

MEMOIR OF A SNAIL
Australia, 2024
Texas Premiere, 95 min.
D: Adam Elliot
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)
Hong Kong, 1999
25th Anniversary Screening, 84 min.
D: Johnnie To
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

MR. CROCKET
USA, 2024
World Premiere, 88 min.
D: Brandon Espy
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
USA, 2024
Gala Screening, 101 min.
Directed by: Alexandre Aja
Written by: KC Coughlin and Ryan Grassby
Produced by: Shawn Levy, Dan Cohen, Dan Levine, Alexandre Aja
Executive Producers: Halle Berry, Holly Jeter, Daniel Clarke, Emily Morris, Christopher Woodrow, Connor DiGregorio
Cast: Halle Berry, Percy Daggs IV, Anthony B. Jenkins
From visionary director Alexandre Aja (The Hills Have Eyes Crawl) 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 as 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

NIGHT CALL
France, Belgium, 2024
North American Premiere, 91 min.
D: Michiel Blanchart
A locksmith finds himself accused of a crime he didn’t commit, kicking off the longest night of his life.

NINE QUEENS
Argentina, 2000
US Premiere of 4K Restoration, 114 min.
D: Fabián Bielinsky
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
Mexico, 2024
US Premiere, 119 min.
D: Isaac Ezban
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

PLANET B
France, Belgium, 2024
International Premiere, 118 min.
D: Aude Léa Rapin
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
France, 2024
North American Premiere, 96 min.
D: Jean-Christophe Meurisse
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
France, Benelux, 2024
North American Premiere, 115 min.
D: Alexis Langlois
A tabloid-headline torrid affair between a pop princess and her secret pop-punk songstress stretches into the 2050s in this camp musical.

Raze

RAZE
USA, 2013
Anniversary Screening, 92 min.
D: Josh C. Waller
Awakening after being abducted, Jamie finds herself in a concrete bunker, and she discovers that she is not alone.

THE REMARKABLE LIFE OF IBELIN
Norway, 2024
Texas Premiere, 103 min.
D: Benjamin Ree
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
Indonesia, 2024
Texas Premiere, 112 min.
D: Sidharta Tata
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

THE RULE OF JENNY PEN
New Zealand, 2024
World Premiere, 103 min.
D: James Ashcroft
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)
USA, 1979
World Premiere of Restoration, 62 min.
D: Bart La Rue
AGFA presents a new restoration of the Satanic panic mindwarp.

THE SEVERED SUN
UK, 2024
World Premiere, 80 min.
D: Dean Puckett
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

SHE LOVED BLOSSOMS MORE
Greece, France, 2024
Texas Premiere, 88 min.
D: Yannis Veslemes
Three brothers enter a world of cosmic horror as they try to bring their mother back from the beyond.

SISTER MIDNIGHT
UK, Northern Ireland, India, and Sweden, 2024
North American Premiere, 110 min.
D: Karan Kandhari
Stuck on the outskirts of Mumbai following an arranged marriage, Uma turns to black magic to dislocate her domestic blues.

SPERMAGEDDON
Norway, 2024
North American Premiere, 79 min.
D: Rasmus A. Sivertsen and Tommy Wirkola
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.

Spirit of Halloweentown

THE SPIRIT OF HALLOWEENTOWN
USA, 2024
World Premiere, 95 min.
D: Bradford Thomason and Brett Whitcomb
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 DCOM Halloweentown.

STEPPENWOLF
Kazakhstan, 2024
US Premiere, 101 min.
D: Adilkhan Yerzhanov
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
USA, 2024
World Premiere, 94 min.
D: Stuart Ortiz
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 and 2)
USA, 2024
World Premiere, 65 min.
Writer/Executive Producer: Ian McCulloch
D: E.L. Katz
From James Wan’s Atomic Monster and 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

TERRIFIER 3
USA, 2024
World Premiere, 128 min.
D: Damien Leone
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
Latvia, 2024
World Premiere, 95 min.
D: Mārcis Lācis
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
Belgium, 2024
International Premiere, 78 min.
D: Bob Colaers
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

U ARE THE UNIVERSE
Ukraine, 2024
US Premiere, 101 min.
D: Pavlo Ostrikov
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
Canada, 2024
US Premiere, 89 min.
D: Matthew Rankin
A surreal, hilarious, and touching meditation on family and place.

V/H/S/BEYOND
USA, India, 2024
World Premiere, 110 min.
D: Jordan Downey, Christian and Justin Long, Justin Martinez, Virat Pal, Kate Siegel, and 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
Australia, 1971
International Premiere of 4K Restoration, 109 min.
D: Ted Kotcheff
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?
USA, 2024
World Premiere, 80 min.
D: Danny Villanueva Jr.
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 (Image Courtesy of Dreamworks Animation)

THE WILD ROBOT
USA, 2024
Texas Premiere, 101 min.
D: Chris Sanders
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
USA, 2024
Texas Premiere, 115 min.
D: Josh Greenbaum
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
The Netherlands, 2024
International Premiere, 61 min.
D: Didier Konings
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)
USA, 2024
World Premiere, 82 min.
D: James Cullen Bressack
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
France, 2024
International Premiere, 80 min.
D: Jean-Baptiste Saurel
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 …