BACK COVER COVER

INSIDE COVER INSIDE BACK COVER

 CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION
pg. 2
CHAPTER TWO

SPONSORS
pg. 3
CHAPTER THREE

MERCHANDISE
pg. 4
CHAPTER FOUR

ICONS
pg. 6
CHAPTER FIVE

INFORMATION
pg. 8
CHAPTER SIX

PARTIES & EVENTS

pg. 10
CHAPTER SEVEN

JURORS
pg. 12
CHAPTER EIGHT

SPECIAL PROGRAMMING
pg. 17
CHAPTER NINE

FEATURE FILMS
pg. 27
CHAPTER TEN

SHORT FILMS
pg. 103
CHAPTER ELEVEN

BURNT ENDS
pg. 118

1
 SUPPORTING SPONSORS
Introduction:

THE FUTURE IS BRIGHT!

For too long, beloved Fantastic Festers have been stuck at home, consuming content
via small screens, craving to return to the dark theaters and be backlit by a projection SPECIAL THANKS
stream. Despite all odds, we pulled off a pretty awesome fest last year… but 2022 is
the year Chingu comes back full force in a giant robot suit. Expect chaos to reign
again over South Lamar with an insane lineup of films from around the world,
scouted and selected for y’all by our amazing new programming team.

Kicking off the festivities is Parker Finn’s intense horror debut film SMILE, which
will make you jump out of your seat and grip your armrests. Among the many
countries represented at Fantastic Fest this year, we will take a journey through
cinema from Spain (which has a record breaking number of ten films playing at
the fest this year, sí, Señoras y Señores!), France (another insanely prolific country),
Slovakia, Mexico, Canada, Nepal and of course Chingu’s home turf of South Korea.
And what better way to close this year’s fest than with the disturbingly funny Cannes
Palme d’Or Winner, TRIANGLE OF SADNESS, from FF alum Ruben Östlund?

If you feel all these fantastic, weird, mind-bending and kooky films are not enough,
you can dive into a deep dark theater to experience our carefully curated Shark
Attack! sidebar or revisit wonderful restored classics during the two-day Theater
Takeover from our friends at the American Genre Film Archive (AGFA). At Fantastic
Fest, we are also championing female filmmaker voices and we are proud to join
the Woman in Fan initiative recently launched by the Sitges International Fantastic
Film Festival of Catalonia. Pushing the awareness of current filmmakers, WIF is
also about giving credit where credit is due and acknowledging female filmmakers
who worked in genre cinema throughout history. Female directed content is on the
THANK YOU
TH I S E D ITI O N O F FANTASTI C F E ST WO U LD N OT HAVE B E E N P O S S I B LE
rise and we’re extremely happy to share that women directed half of the official WITH O UT TH E K I N D S U P P O RT O F MANY, I N C LU D I N G:
competition titles this year. The future is bright! Annick Mahnert / Ahbra Perry / Alamo Video Team / Alexandra Griesmer / Anna
Bogutskaya / Austin King / Bex Feldbin / Billy Ray Brewton / Brad Johnson / Brad
We warned you: Chingu is back full force. And our signature events are returning Sorensen / Brandy Fons / Bret Berg / Bridget Garraway / Britt Keller / Brittany Wolfe
along with our little friend. From the Fantastic Feud where filmmakers, critics Caroline Frye Burruss / Celia Mattison / Chaya Rosenthal / Chris Bilheimer / Chris
and guests test the limits of their film knowledge, to the Fantastic Debates where Larsen / Clay Keller / Conner Smith / Dakota Anderson / Danielle “Dani” Thomas
personalities get to settle scores by debating verbally and physically (all in a fair and Dylan Jones / Emily Sears / Eric Lam / Estefania Monarrez / Fons PR / Gabe Chicoine / Good
controlled environment, we assure you), to the Puke and Explode food competition Things / Heather Watkins / Jake Isgar / Jake Salter / James Marsh / Jamie Flynn / Jean Anne Lauer
Jeff Annison / Jessie Maltin / Joe Ziemba / John Laird / John W. Smith / Jordan Likover
during which poor souls — who should have known better than to accept the invite — Josh Hurtado / Joshua Brown / Karrie League / Kasi Gaarenstroom / Kathlene Linehan
get a taste of the wildest food combinations our devious minds can conjure, Fantastic Khai Nguyen / Kristen Wheaton / Kwamé Berry / Laird Jimenez / Lamar Union
Fest wants you to have fun and we sincerely hope that during our eight-day event, Legion M / Leonard Maltin / Lisa Dreyer / Lori Donnelly / Louise Weard / Madison
we can somehow create an alternate timeline for you filled with joy, friendship, Pope / Mandy Bardisbanian / Marvin Sosa / Matt Jeanes / Matt Vonderahe / Michael
compassion and acceptance. Kustermann / Michaelyne Escobar / Mike Sherrill / Morgan Hendrix / Neville Garven
Nick Prueher / Olivia Irion / Patrick McFarland / Paul Scanlan / Peter Kuplowsky
And don’t forget: no talking, no texting… you know the rest. Pierce Conran / Raul Benitez / Ray Loyd / Reese Cisneros / Robin Robinson / Roger
Erik Tinch / Ryan Fons / Ryan Marker / Sandra Woolf / Savanna Heydon / Shannon
Wiedemeyer / Shelli Taylor / Sloane Smith / South Austin Gym / Suzanne Bonifaz
Let Chaos Reign The Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar Team / The Highball Team / The Projection Team
The Volunteer Team / Tiernan O’Rourke / Tim League / Tom Kiesecoms / Travis
Smith / Trish Eichelberger / Tyler Talley / Varun Raman / Zach Paul / Zack Carlson
-Fantastic Fest
2 3
 OFFICIAL FANTASTIC FEST

MERCHANDISE

CHINGU HAT $35

CHINGUBOT T $30
BANDANA $15

FILMHEDS T $30

CHAOS TOTE $12

COMIC HOODIE $50

COMIC T $30 PIN SET $18

4 POSTER $15 5
 MOVIE ICONS: Designed by kiwis Ant Timpson & Mike Sheils for
the INCREDIBLY STRANGE FILM FESTIVAL in the early 90s, “the
ABORTION ACTION
icons” are a quick visual reference guide for the movies and events in JESUS JUNGIAN JUNGLE JUVENILE KAIJU KILLER KILLER KITSCH KUNG FU LACTATION
CONCEPTS FEVER DELINQUENT CULT KID
the program. Want to watch a flick with children perilously attending
a mermaid dinner party? No problem! Don’t want to watch a cult
movie with extreme violence and animal abuse? No problem! Let the
icons before each movie summary guide you to complete cinematic
ADULTERY AFRO
satisfaction. LARGE LESBIAN LESBIAN LIPOSUC- LOOKS LIKE LOW LYNCHIAN MAD MARIJUANA MASTURBA-
ORGANS VAMPIRE TION A DICK BUDGET MAGICIAN TION

ALCOHOL ALIEN ALTERNATE ALUMNI ANARCHY ANIMAL ANIMAL ANIMAL ANIMATION APOCALYPSE MELODRAMA MENAGE MENTAL MERMAID METAL MILD MISCAR- MONSTER MONSTERS MONTAGE
ABUSE WORLDS ABUSE ATTACKS VIOLENCE A TROIS ILLNESS VIOLENCE RIAGE SEX

ASS TO FACE ASSASSINA- AUTOMATIC BACNE BAD TEETH BALD SEX BARE CHEST BEAUTIFUL BEE HIVES BIG MOTHER MOUNTAIN MOUTH TO MULLET MUSIC MUSICAL NASTY NAZIS NECRO- NICOLAS
CONTACT TION WEAPONS MEN HAIR BREASTS ISSUES TAPPING MOUTH ANIMATION PHILIA CAGE

BLACK BLINDNESS BLOCK- BOLLY- BONDAGE BREAKING BULLYING BUNNIES CANNIBAL CAR CHASE NO NOIR NOODLING NUDITY OSCAR PEDO- PENIS PET PETROL POLICE
COMEDY BUSTER WOOD 4TH WALL BUDGET SHAME PHILIA TRAUMA ABUSE SNIFFING BRUTALITY

CASTRATION CHEESY CHICKS IN CHILDREN CHRIST CINEMA CLASSIC CLOWN COCAINE COCKU- POLITICALLY PORNOGRA- POSSESSION PRETEN- PRIMATE PROSTITUTE PSYCHIC PUBIC HAIR PUNK PUPPET
FX CHAINS IN PERIL SCOPE MENTARY INCORRECT PHY TIOUS LOVE SEX

COMEDY CONFETTI COPRO- CREEPY DANCING DATE DECAPITA- DEFENES- DICKHEAD DINNER RACIST RAPE RELIGIOUS REVENGE ROBOTS SATAN SCALPING SCENERY SCHIZO SCIENCE
COOCH PILISTIC DOLLS MOVIE TION TRATION PARTY CULT CHEWING FICTION

DIRTY COPS DISTURBING DOCUMEN- DOMESTIC DOUBLE DREAM DRUGS DUBBED DWARF DYSTOPIA SCIENTIST SCOPO- SELF SEMEN SEWAGE SEXUAL SHAKEY SHOCKING SKELETON IN SLEAZY
TARY VIOLENCE FIST SEQUENCE PHILIA MUTILATION VIOLENCE FACE ENDING THE CLOSET

EATING EMOTIVE EXPLOSION EYEBALL FACE MELT FACE FACE TO FAN BOYS FAST FELLATIO SPACE EX- SPECIAL STOCK STOP STRIPPERS STROBE STRONG SEXU- STUNTS SUBTITLES SUICIDE
DISORDER CONTENT VIOLENCE SLAPPING CROTCH FOOD PLORATION EVENT FOOTAGE MOTION LIGHTS AL CONTENT

FILM WITH- FISHHOOK FLASHBACK FOOD FULL FURRIES GANG GANGBANG GAY SEX GENDER SUPER SURGERY SURPRISE SURREAL TALKING TALKING TELEPATHY TERRIFYING TOILET TORTURE
IN A FILM VIOLENCE POISIONING FRONTAL FIGHT CONFUSION POWER ENDING BRAIN ANIMALS HUMOR

GENETIC GHOSTS GIALLO GIANT GOING GRAPHIC GROSS OUT HARDBOILED HEAD HEIST TRANS4MA- TRASH TREKKIE TRIPPY TRUE TWIST ULTRA UNDERAGE VAMPIRES VEHICULAR
MUTATION INSANE VIOLENCE DIALOG TRAUMA TION DELIGHT STORY VIOLENCE SEX DEATH

HIPPY HITLER HOOK FOR HUGE HYPNOTISM INBRED INCEST INFANT INFLATABLE ISOLATION VIDEO VOODOO WEREWOLF WITCH WORKMAN’S THE WRESTLING Z-GRADE ZOMBIE
HAND MUSTACHE DEATH SEX GAMES DOCTOR CRACK WORKS
6 7
 1: Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar
1120 S Lamar Blvd
Austin, TX 78704

2: Alamo Drafthouse HQ (Baker Center)

3908 Avenue B.
Austin, TX 78751

3: Greenbelt Botanicals (Badge Pickup) More Information:

1100 S Lamar Blvd 3, Suite 3130
Austin, TX 78704 Safety first
4: The Highball
film, food, & fun in a close second
1120 S Lamar Blvd
As the world continues to spin on in this new normal, we want to assure you that
Austin, TX 78704
your safety is still top of mind at Alamo Drafthouse and Fantastic Fest.
5: Hotel Indigo COVID is still here. It isn’t the same COVID of 2020, but it is still a concern.
810 Red River St.
And as we’ll be around each other for eight days straight, we recommend showing
Austin, TX 78701
common courtesy towards the Fantastic Fest community. We recommend taking a
cue from Jason and wearing a mask when not eating or drinking.
6: Holiday Inn Express
805 Neches St.
The Alamo’s enhanced sanitization practices will also remain active so that we can
Austin, TX 78701
continue to provide the safest theater experience possible.
7: Lamar Union Plaza Forgot your mask? We’re happy to provide one.
1100 S Lamar Blvd
Austin, TX 78704

8: South Austin Gym

5700 Menchaca Rd #365
Austin, TX 78745
BADGE PICKUP
All the badges can be picked up at the location below. Remember to bring your ID.
9: Wicked Kitchen (at Gathered Foods)
440 E. St. Elmo (Bldg. D)
G R E E N B E LT B OTAN I CALS
Austin, TX 78745
1100 S Lamar Blvd 3, Suite 3130 (next to the Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar)
(9/21) 1 p.m. - 9 p.m.
COVID TESTING:
(9/22-28) 10 a.m. - 9 p.m.
10: Lamar Plaza Drug Store
At Home rapid tests available
and limited onsite testing
1509 S Lamar Blvd, Austin, TX 78704

11: CURATIVE - 2 Hr PCR

Fantastic Fest App
Tickets for every round can be reserved via our Fantastic Fest app, available in the
Lakehills Plaza SAME DAY PCR Trailer Apple and Google Stores. Just log in using your Eventive password and make your
*Parking lot next to Dong Nai* selection of fantastic movies!
4211 S Lamar Blvd, Austin, TX 78704

8 9
 EVE NT & PARTI E S:

OPENING NIGHT PARTY 9/22/22 | H I G H BALL MALTIN ON MOVIES 9/25/22 | H I G H BALL

Tonight we’re gonna party like it’s 9999!!! Our favorite experiential sonic sorcerers Legendary film critic Leonard Maltin and his daughter Jessie are the ultimate
Itchy-O are ready to kick off the fest with their special brand of musical mayhem. movie fans. They love talking about movies, especially with people who share
And hailing all the way from Vienna, Roboexotica makes its Texas-debut at our their enthusiasm—from living legends like Mel Brooks, and Quincy Jones to such
opening night party, bringing their famous cocktail-concocting robots to astonish contemporary artists as Amy Adams, Viggo Mortensen, Laura Dern, and Bryan
and amuse. DJ Adult Themes will close out the evening with his special blend of Cranston. You’ll meet all kinds of interesting people and hear their recommendations
sci-fi tinged ‘80s Italo-disco. of unsung movies you ought to know.

KINGCAST 9/23/22 | H I G H BALL 100 BEST KILLS 9/26/22 | TH EATE R

Join us for a live taping of The Kingcast, to celebrate the world premiere of the documentary Fantastic Fest’s life-defying clip show returns from the grave with a dazzling
KING ON SCREEN. This Stephen King podcast for Stephen King obsessives is hosted onslaught-er of the finest chills, shrills, and kills in a presentation you never
by former film bloggers and rabid horror fans Eric Vespe and Scott Wampler. Featuring the wanted to see, but won’t be able to look away from! 100 Best Kills dates back to
special guest, award-winning actor, writer, and director Josh Ruben. the earliest days of Fantastic Fest, a cornerstone of the fest’s grand tradition of
lowbrow pandemonium. For this year, my hungry hippos, we said to ourselves,
we must bring in Louise Weard, Filmmaker, writer, programmer, and even a
SCRIPTS GONE WILD 9/23/22 | H I G H BALL Canadian, to help make this the greatest kills of all times. We proudly raise the
A raucous on-stage all-star live reading of BACK TO THE FUTURE, featuring Fantastic flag, salute your shorts, and present 100 BEST KILLS : Texas Birth Control, Dick
Fest filmmakers, journalists, and notable personalities. Hosted by Billy Ray Brewton. Destruction... A celebration and reliably comforting countdown of castrations.

SCREEN DRAFTS 9/24/22 | H I G H BALL GAME TIME DREAM CRUSH & KING OF MOVIES: THE LEONARD MALTIN GAME
Join us for a live taping of Screen Drafts, where experts and enthusiasts competitively 9/26/22 | H I G H BALL
collaborate in the creation of screen-centric “best of ” list. Fantastic Fest is taking the “bored” out of boardgames!! Join us for two interactive
gameplays, featuring guests of the fest. Look into your heart and choose your favorite
PUKE AND EXPLODE 9/24/22 | H I G H BALL Crush, then guess who your friends are crushing on in the hilarious, totally timeless
fantasy dating game, Dream Crush. Think you know movies? Test your synopsis-
The human body is a shameful, disgusting hellscape. And it requires FUEL! So writing and BS skills against the real deal Leonard Maltin with KING OF MOVIES.
each year we invite a few of FF’s most iron-intestined warriors on the Highball stage
to participate in a pulse-pounding competitive 8-course daredevil ride through the
average citizen’s culinary nightmare zones. Each of these edible impossibilities will
be designed and executed by Alamo Executive Chef Brad Sorenson, who guarantees
LIVE FOUND FOOTAGE SHOW 9/27/22 | H I G H BALL
Join champions of VHS Joe Pickett and Nick Prueher from The Found Footage Festival,
that they are all medically safe for consumption, and no one has died yet. So sign for this special presentation of bizarre, hilarious, and unbelievable film finds.
up and take your guts on a rampaging exploration of the darkest dietary domains!!

CELEBRATION OF PARK CHAN-WOOK 9/24/22 | H I G H BALL FANTASTIC FEUD 9/27/22 | TH EATE R

Our long-running vulgar display of geek knowledge pits the globe’s greatest
Help us raise a toast to one of our favorite filmmakers, Park Chan-wook, celebrating genre goons/scholars against each other in a galactic onslaught of mental agility,
his amazing achievements in genre film. After accepting a lifetime achievement verbal hostility and brilliant stupidity! Filmmakers, journalists and various other
award from Fantastic Fest in celebration of his mind-bending, artfully crafted body movie megamasters collide in this no-holds-barred deathride of useless cinematic
of work, we’ll take to the Highball to celebrate the filmmaker’s NEXT 59 years! information and on-screen in(s)anity, all masterminded by Triviadome’s teeny-tiny
host Maxim Pozderac.
FANTASTIC DEBATES 9/24/22 | S O UTH AU STI N GYM
Filmmaker fists! Journalist jabs!! Actor attackers!!! From verbal violence to pugilistic
pummeling, we have the rage you crave at the Fantastic Debates, where the burning
CLOSING NIGHT PARTY 9/29/22 | S E C R ET LO CATI O N
Join us for our infamous closing night party, where we celebrate all the fantastic
questions facing the fan community are resolved once and for all! Past Fantastic films we’ve just gorged on all week! Powerful performances! Gargantuan games!
Debates have featured screen titans like Keanu Reeves, Elijah Wood, Michelle Delectable drinks! Non-temporary tattoos! It’s not just back... it’s all bigger and
Rodriguez, Ti West and Udo Kier (plus a surprise visit from Dolph Lundgren!), better and back-er than ever!
as well as a host of critics, bloggers, bruisers and movie maniacs. Debaters to be
announced shortly… and powerfully!

10 11
 O F F I C IAL C O M P ETITI O N J U RO RS: H O R RO R J U RO RS:
Liane Cunje (CANADA) Johannes Grenzfurthner (AUSTRIA)
Liane Cunje is a producer, and leads acquisitions for Vinegar Johannes Grenzfurthner manipulates people to positively
Syndrome Pictures, the new release label for underground and respond to his lies and made-up realities, and he feeds off these
cult distributor Vinegar Syndrome. Coming from a film studies emotions. He is an award-winning filmmaker, artist, writer, and
and TV development background in Montreal, Cunje completed performer. He is the founder and artistic director of monochrom,
an MA in Producing Film and TV in the UK before working an art and theory group and film production company. Boing
for cult label Arrow Video. A former programmer with the Boing referred to him as a “leitnerd,” a wordplay that ironically
Overlook FF, Assistant Director for Media City FF, and Festival hints at his role in nerd/hacker/art culture. His two recent films
Programming Manager at TIFF, and current programmer for are the horror features Masking Threshold (2021) and Razzennest
Aspen Shortsfest, she features on international juries and panels, (2022). Johannes is head of Arse Elektronika, an international
and is a board member for the Miskatonic Institute of Horror sex and tech conference, and organizer of Roboexotica, the
Studies. Festival for Cocktail-Robotics in Vienna. He was featured at
SXSWi, Fantastic Fest, O’Reilly ETech, FooCamp, Maker Faire,
HOPE, Chaos Communication Congress, Google Tech Talks,
Jongsuk Thomas Nam (SOUTH KOREA) ROFLCon, Transmediale, Influencers, Mozilla Drumbeat,
Columbia University, Carnegie Mellon University, and more.
Based in South Korea, Thomas has been in the film industry
for over 25 years. He runs the Network of Asian Fantastic Films
(NAFF), a film industry arm at Bucheon Int’l Fantastic Film Adam Koehler (USA)
Festival (BIFAN), and programs BIFAN’s English-language films.
He is also the curator of After Dark at India’s Jio Mami Mumbai Having worked at Sundance Institute and FilmRise prior to
Film Festival and is involved in several global film programs, IFC Films, Adam Koehler has been in the film acquisitions
including Sitges FanPitch, Focus Asia-FEFF Udine, Blood space for 8 years. Adam plays an integral role in curating the
Window/Ventana Sur, TCCF-Taiwan, and more. He is known to release slates of IFC Films, IFC Midnight and sister company
be an avid Karaoke fan. RLJ Entertainment. He has led acquisitions on films like
Hunter Hunter, Vesper and The Wretched, and is always
searching for new creative voices in filmmaking.
Lars Nilsen (USA)
Lars Nilsen has been the Lead Film Programmer at the Austin Caryn Coleman (USA)
Film Society and AFS Cinema since 2013. Prior to that he was a
film programmer and preshow curator for Alamo Drafthouse as Caryn Coleman is a film programmer based in New York and
well as repertory programmer for Fantastic Fest. He accidentally the founder of The Future of Film is Female, a non-profit that
helped to create the American Genre Film Archive and continues amplifies the work of all women and non-binary filmmakers.
to work as an advisor there. Lars is the primary author of the She is the co-curator of Horror: Messaging the Monstrous at
2021 book “Warped And Faded: Weird Wednesday and the Birth the Museum of Modern Art where she also guest-curates an
of the American Genre Film Archive,” which collects his capsule ongoing The FOFIF series. Previously, Caryn was the Director
write-ups of the films he programmed for the long-running Weird of Programming at Nitehawk Cinema where she founded the
Wednesday series at the Alamo. Nitehawk Shorts Festival in 2013. She is a fighter for gender
equality in the film industry, a lover of horror films, a short film
advocate, and an independent film supporter.

12 13
 N EXT WAVE J U RO RS: S H O RT F I LM J U RO RS:
Liz Purchell (USA) Brad Abrahams (USA)
Elizabeth Purchell is a queer film historian, programmer, Brad Abrahams is a documentary filmmaker from Toronto,
filmmaker, and the creator of Ask Any Buddy. Her work has Canada, currently in Austin, TX. His all-consuming interests in
screened at venues around the world and has been covered in weird science, fringe subcultures, and general esoterica inspire
publications such as Artforum and The New York Times. his stories. Brad’s first feature, “Love and Saucers” won a special
jury mention at Fantastic Fest ‘17, and his short pilot “Telos or
Bust” was a selection for FF ‘21. He’s currently working on a
Kerry Deignan Roy (USA) feature documentary about conspiracy theorists, another about
the world of Cryptozoologists, and a series in development about
With over 30 years in the industry, Kerry produced Lynch / Oz little-known folklore. Though he has not yet had a supernatural
(Tribeca ’22), The Taking (Fantastic Fest, BFI LFF ’21); Leap of experience, he is ready and willing.
Faith: William Friedkin on the Exorcist (Venice ’19, Sundance
‘20), MEMORY: The Origins of Alien (Sundance ’19), 78/52:
Hitchcock’s Shower Scene (Sundance ’17), The People vs. George Michelle Garza (MEXICO)
Lucas (SXSW ‘10) and Doc Of The Dead (SXSW ’14) for her
company, Exhibit A Pictures. For Milkhaus, Kerry co-produced A director and screenwriter who graduated from the Centro de
the recently released Artificial Gamer (2021). For Denver Capacitación Cinematográfica in Mexico City, Michelle Garza
Center Media, she production managed a number of award- was awarded a Chevening scholarship to study an M.F.A in
winning documentaries, including No Bigger Than a Minute, Film Directing at Goldsmiths, University of London. Her short
Stagestruck, Ancient Voices and produced Tantalus: Behind the films have been selected in over a hundred international film
Mask. Currently, she is producing the Untitled William Shatner festivals. Her debut feature HUESERA produced by Machete
documentary & Sharksploitation. and Disruptiva and distributed by XYZ Films premiered at the
Tribeca Film Festival 2022 where it won the Best New Narrative
Director and Nora Ephron awards.
Drew Taylor (USA)
Drew Taylor is a film reporter for TheWrap, living in Los Angeles, Addison Heiman (USA)
California with his wife and rescue dog. His work has appeared in
the New York Times, Vulture, Collider, Polygon and The Playlist. Addison Heimann is a queer genre filmmaker currently residing
He has a podcast, Light the Fuse, dedicated to the “Mission: in Los Angeles. His first feature Hypochondriac premiered at
Impossible” franchise. SXSW and was distributed by XYZ this year. His goal is to tell
queer stories that explore mental health in the genre space.

14 15
 American Genre Film Archive:

AGFA PRESENTS
Formed in 2009, the American Genre Film Archive (AGFA) is a 501(c)(3) non-
profit—and also Austin’s best kept secret. AGFA exists to preserve the legacy of
genre movies through collection, conservation, and distribution. Housing over six
thousand film prints and trailers, a 4K film scanner, and theatrical and home video
distribution arms, AGFA will never rest until genre movies rule the world. From
TERMINAL USA (a new restoration of Jon Moritsugu’s underground classic) to
THE STAIRWAY TO STARDOM MIXTAPE (the definitive presentation of the
most otherworldly public access TV show of all time), the AGFA team has gone all
out for this year’s festival.

Texas Premiere of 4K Restoration

FLESHEATER
19 8 8 / D I R: Bill Hinzman / 89 mins / U.S.A.
In 1986, Bill Hinzman (the “First Zombie” from George Romero's NIGHT OF
THE LIVING DEAD) was recognized by a fan at a horror convention. Inspired
by this moment, Hinzman grabbed a 16mm camera, hit the streets of Pittsburgh,
and made the world's first (and only) DIY zombie movie that takes place on
Halloween — FLESHEATER!

On Halloween night, a group of twenty-somethings take a hayride through the

woods. At the same time, the first zombie from NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD
(Hinzman) is resurrected from his grave by a construction worker. Darkness falls.
And with it comes an army of bloodthirsty, undead maniacs, all led by the First
Zombie on a mission of brain-chomping carnage.

Featuring a killer minimalist synth score by Erica Portnoy and wall-to-wall denim,
FLESHEATER is a hypnotizing, lo-fi gore epic that overflows with autumn vibes
and Halloween cheer. The movie is a fitting tribute to Romero’s chilling masterpiece,
updating the setting to the late-80s while piling on the gut-munching, throat-ripping,
and limb-tearing action. (AGFA)

16 17
AGFA PRESENTS: AGFA PRESENTS:

TERMINAL USA World Theatrical Premiere of 4K Restoration

19 93 / D I R: Jon Moritsugu / 6 0 mins / U.S.A.
Feeling like an NC-17-rated sitcom from outer space, TERMINAL USA is a smart, shocking,
and outrageous exploration of trash-art beauty from DIY legend Jon Moritsugu.

Holly (Jenny Woo), Marvin (director Moritsugu), and Katzumi (Moritsugu again)
are average Asian-American teenage siblings with not-so-average predilections for
JOINT SECURITY AREA US Premiere of Restoration sexual kinks, drug-fueled freakouts, and backstabbing. Neglected by their parents,
the kids turn to outside “help” (including the scene-stealing Amy Davis, Moritsugu’s
2 000 / D I R: Park Chan-wook / 110 mins / South Korea wife and longtime collaborator) in order to escape their bored existence. Naturally,
Before OLDBOY and THE HANDMAIDEN, legendary filmmaker Park Chan-wook this leads to gore killings, sex tapes, and the most hilarious phone conversations
unleashed JOINT SECURITY AREA — a gripping tale of deceit, misunderstanding, ever captured on 16mm film.
and the senselessness of war.
Joining the rarified air of Sarah Jacobson’s I WAS A TEENAGE SERIAL KILLER
Gunfire breaks out in the demilitarized zone between North and South Korea. Two and Gregg Araki’s THE DOOM GENERATION, TERMINAL USA is a pivotal
North Korean soldiers are killed, while a wounded South Korean soldier (Lee Byung- moment in 1990s alternative cinema. At its core, the movie is a touching exploration
hun, THE GOOD, THE BAD, THE WEIRD) flees to safety. With the tenuous peace of Asian-American identity that also functions as a giant middle finger to everything
between the two warring nations at risk, a neutral team of investigators — led by Swiss from racism to gender expectations, from alpha males to sexual politics. But the
Army Major Sophie Jean (Lee Young-ae, LADY VENGEANCE) — is dispatched to brilliance lies in the presentation; TERMINAL USA takes place in a candy-colored
determine what really happened under the cover of darkness in no-man’s land. hellscape that feels like an episode of STRANGERS WITH CANDY filmed by
Dario Argento during a three-day acid bender. Featuring gorgeous production design
The recipient of multiple accolades (including Best Film at South Korea’s 2001 Grand and a joyous punk spirit, this is the movie that HEATHERS wishes it could be.
Bell Awards), JOINT SECURITY AREA showcases Park’s iconic style in an embryonic
form while delivering a stylish, ultra-tense experience as only he can. (AGFA) AGFA is beyond honored to present a new uncut restoration of TERMINAL USA
with a Zoom Q&A featuring director Jon Moritsugu. (JOSEPH A. ZIEMBA)

THE STAIRWAY TO STARDOM MIXTAPE World Premiere

VIDEO DIARY OF A LOST GIRL World Premiere
2 022 / D I R: AG FA / 70 mins / U.S.A.
2 0 12 / D I R: Lindsay Denniberg / 9 6 mins / U.S.A.
Long before AMERICAN IDOL, there was STAIRWAY TO STARDOM — a public
access show from New York City that felt like it was broadcast from a TV station in The feature film debut from writer-director Lindsay Denniberg and co-writer Chris
David Lynch’s TWIN PEAKS. Shields, VIDEO DIARY OF A LOST GIRL is a neon-soaked dreamland that
combines a love for genre film history with a gorgeous handmade aesthetic.
Filmed on video in a Staten Island basement, STAIRWAY TO STARDOM was
hosted by lounge singer Frank Masi and his wife Tillie from 1979 to the early Louise (Pris McEver) works in a video store. But she’s also a demon. A descendent
1990s. From homemade R&B party hits to aggro stand-up comics, from interpretive of biblical demon-mother Lilith, Louise fulfills her predestined obligation to
dance by zombified children to amateur magicians, the show was a treasure trove of have sex with a man — and then kill him — every full moon. When she meets
otherworldly entertainment — all delivered through a magical combination of hot Charlie (Chris Shields), a reincarnated partner from her past, Louise struggles to
mics, neon vector graphics, and heavenly fashions. Bootlegs of STAIRWAY were a not do what she does best.
staple among VHS traders for decades, and the show helped define the culture of
early found footage mixtapes. Meticulously crafted with the use of repurposed art materials and green screen,
VIDEO DIARY is a valentine to the VHS aesthetic and an exploration of personal
THE STAIRWAY TO STARDOM MIXTAPE is the definitive presentation of this themes via the guise of body horror. The movie was influenced by everything from
fascinating cultural artifact. Meticulously edited from over 15 hours of footage, this LIQUID SKY to ROCKULA, from HEATHERS to DEAD RINGERS, resulting
compilation distills STAIRWAY TO STARDOM into a 70-minute vortex of outsider in an absurdist, experimental horror-comedy that’s genuinely funny, beautifully
songs, unhinged performances, and stupefying stand-up comedy. You’ll never think grotesque, and many years ahead of its time.
of the word “hairdresser” in the same way again. (JOSEPH A. ZIEMBA)
AGFA is thrilled to present a new preservation of VIDEO DIARY OF A LOST
GIRL along with a virtual Zoom Q&A with director Lindsay Denniberg and co-
writer/star Chris Shields. (JOSEPH A. ZIEMBA)

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 SHARK ATTACK
For a very long time, the programming team and I have
been scouting the waters around the world to find a
shark movie worthy of the spirit of Fantastic Fest. A
film that could spearhead our Shark Attack sidebar.
I’m proud to announce we found that movie stalking
the waters of the Mediterranean coast at Cannes with
fest alumni Ludovic and Zoran Boukherma’s YEAR
OF THE SHARK, celebrating its North American
Premiere here in Austin. We’re filling out the sidebar
with a feeding frenzy of other shark features, including
TINTORERA! (Mexico)—on a 35mm print directly
from Quentin Tarantino’s vault!—as well as AATANK
(India), GAMERA VS ZIGRA (Japan), MAKO: THE
JAWS OF DEATH (USA), and 12 DAYS OF TERROR
(USA). Most of these movies have never screened
in the US and are only now available thanks to our
friends at AGFA. We sincerely hope you’ll check them
all out and will plunge into these deep, dark theatrical
waters with us.

-Annick Mahnert

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 Retrospective

12 DAYS OF TERROR
2004 / DI R: Jack Sholder / 95 mins / USA

It’s July 1916 in New Jersey, and it’s hot. Unnaturally hot. People swarm the
beaches to cool down, oblivious to the world war happening across the Atlantic,
enjoying their perfect summer vacation. Alex is an athletic, young lifeguard in a
small town on the New Jersey shore. When a swimmer is attacked by an unseen
force and rescued by the lifeguards, it’s pretty obvious that it was a shark attack.
But greed takes over common sense, and Alex’s request to close the beaches is
denied by City Hall, opening up a beachgoer buffet to the juvenile great white
who has come to warm up in the cozy NJ waters. Let the hunt begin.

Originally commissioned by Discovery Channel, 12 DAYS OF TERROR

landed on Animal Planet after Discovery found out that the characters were
fictionalized, a big no-no for a channel that prides itself on its non-fiction
documentaries. Based on the true story of a great white shark that terrorized
the New Jersey beaches over a period of twelve days in July of 1916, and
adapted from the book by Richard Fernicola, Jack Sholder’s film deserves
to be pulled out of the darkness and placed on the shelf of the good, solid,
and worthy shark movies.

Primarily known for NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET 2, THE HIDDEN,

and ALONE IN THE DARK, Sholder is a fantastic storyteller who brought his
full genre experience to 12 DAYS OF TERROR. The movie doesn’t shy away
from the gore, turning an oft-kitschy film into a terrifying viewing experience.
I caught Jack Sholder’s film at the Sitges Film Festival in 2004 and it has stuck
with me since. It remains one of my favorite shark movies, and I am very
excited for y’all to see it on the big screen. (ANNICK MAHNERT)

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 North American Premiere North American Premiere

AATANK GAMERA VS ZIGRA

1996 / DI R: Prem Lalwani & Desh Mukherjee / 113 mins / India 1971 / DI R: Noriaki Yuasa / 87 mins / Japan

A small Indian fishing village is in for some big problems when greedy gangsters Sure, Godzilla has all the nice cars, fancy handbags, and is bipedal. But there’s
upset the local ecosystem while hunting for precious black pearls. Jesu, a local only one giant Japanese reptile that can blast white-hot fire out of five holes
tough guy with an affinity for fighting in Daisy Dukes and denim vests, finds while battling a hyper-intelligent mutant space shark. Check it out!
himself in the middle of the battle of a lifetime when local gang boss Alphonso
sends divers into the sea to bring up his booty. What he ends up bringing to Pollution and radiation are consuming the earth. A giant glowing bowl of
the surface is a very big, very angry man-eating shark. When the shark takes out Trix from the Zigra star system lands in Japan and kidnaps a family, who
Jesu’s brother Peter, it becomes personal, and Jesu goes full on shark hunter, quickly learns of the aliens’ vicious plan to annihilate human reality. As
all while fending off Alphonso’s goons, dancing up a storm, and drinking like the title suggests, the mighty Gamera teams up with two pre-adolescents
a fish. No diver, boat, or helicopter is safe from the deadly beast stalking the and a middle-aged SeaWorld employee to defeat the bloodthirsty Zigran
coast, and when AATANK finally arrives at its bonkers crescendo, it’s a thing sharkbastard and return the earth to the ecologically stable position that we
of low-budget beauty. all live in today. Phew!

Started in the mid-1980s and completed a decade later in 1995, AATANK Filled with explosive kaiju battles, unbelievable miniatures being crushed in
is a true B-grade Bollywood oddity. A vehicle for action icon Dharmendra slow motion, alien eyebeams, and the most misanthropic talking sea/space
(SHOLAY) as Jesu, the film was abandoned after its initial shoot and the villain in cinema, GAMERA VS. ZIGRA is a particularly entertaining, family-
resumption a decade later leads to some very strange visual discontinuity with friendly reminder that we’re doomed. Despite our inevitable fate, leave it to the
a visibly aging star changing appearance from scene to scene. anti-gravitational nuclear turtle, Gamera, to take on Zigra’s gilled devastator —
modeled after the goblin shark, nature’s most terrifying creation — with poise
All of these challenges and quirks turn AATANK into more than a simple and panache in Daei Studios’ equally bizarre answer to GODZILLA VS. THE
JAWS clone — it’s a cut and paste classic that must be seen to be believed. SMOG MONSTER... Mamma mia! (ZACK CARLSON)
Explosions, man-eating dogs, extravagant villainous lairs, a song that
ends with a shark attack, and the best/worst fake shark you’ve ever seen;
AATANK has it all! (JOSH HURTADO)

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 Texas Premiere Repertory 35mm Screening

MAKO: THE JAWS OF DEATH TINTORERA!

1976 / DI R: William Grefé / 86 mins / USA 1977 / DI R: René Cardona Jr. / 85 mins / Mexico, United Kingdom

What does a red-haired telekinetic female high school student have in common Determined to relax on his Caribbean yacht, Steve (Hugo Stiglitz) quickly
with Amity Island’s least favorite great white shark? Nothing! But that doesn’t hooks up with a tourist, Patricia (Fiona Lewis). The fling doesn’t last long
stop trailblazing low-budget Florida auteur William Grefé (THE WILD before jealousy kicks in and Steve finds his girl hanging out with Miguel
REBELS, DEATH CURSE OF TARTU) from cramming his JAWS full of (Andrés Garcia), the local Casanova. Convinced that Patricia left the island
CARRIE for this pit-stained ‘70s rampager that somehow manages to be more — when in fact she was eaten by a tiger shark — Steve and Miguel settle their
insanely unique than the films that inspired it. score, become fast friends, hunt sharks together, and start a ménage à trois with
Gabriela (Susan George), an English tourist (Oh, how quickly Patricia has been
In his seemingly successful quest to appear in every movie and TV series shot forgotten!). Just as the trio begins making plans for the future, tragedy hits.
between 1960 and 1994, Richard Jaeckel (GRIZZLY, THE AMAZING MR.
NO LEGS, BAYWATCH) plays Sonny, a Vietnam veteran who’s so obsessed Based on Ramón Bravo’s novel, René Cardona Jr.’s TINTORERA! is the
with sharks that they’ve taken over his mind... literally. In fact, Sonny’s love 1977 Mexican sharksploitation answer to JAWS. Displaying an array of sexy
for sharks is equaled only by his hatred of humans. The feeling is mutual, and women and men, everyone in Cardona’s film just wants to enjoy life and live
it isn’t long before those landlubber sonsabitches take things over the edge, carefree under the Caribbean sun. Actor Andrés García seems to have been
causing Sonny to unleash a psychic ragewave that’ll shake land and sea, as his born in a speedo, which he wears throughout the entire film (or not), and
aquatic crew manifest his wrath by tearing through the flesh and bone of every everything is glamorous. But fear not, the man-eater is there as well, lurking in
dipshit on the southeastern seaboard. the background. Decidedly bucking cinematic sensation by using real-life shark
footage rather than mechanical sharks, you have to wonder how many sharks
Prolific exploitation filmmaker Grefé — who’s still actively directing at the sank to the bottom of the ocean during the making of the film. Nowadays, this
time of this writing — wades way out into uncharted territory in this telepathic would cause quite a stir, especially considering that the author of the novel,
headwrecker that has no equal. Featuring a career-best effort from its Hollywood Ramón Bravo, was a renowned oceanographer and a staunch advocate for the
star as well as a deeply zany performance from 007 alumnus Harold “Odd protection of aquatic ecosystems.
Job” Sakata, MAKO is the cinematic equivalent of a moldy boot stuffed with
$8,000 in cash and dropped in the river. If you hate grit teeth, magic amulets, Fantastic Fest is proud to present a glorious 35mm print of TINTORERA!
shark carnage, and demonically entertaining anti-logical mayhem, avoid this direct from Quentin Tarantino’s personal vault. (ANNICK MAHNERT)
screening at all costs. (ZACK CARLSON)

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 FEATURE FILMS
OPE N I NG N IGHT / CLOSI NG N IGHT
& FEATURES

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 World Premiere US Premiere

OPENING NIGHT FILM CLOSING NIGHT FILM

SMILE TRIANGLE OF SADNESS
2022 / DI R: Parker Finn / 116 mins / USA 2022 / DI R: Ruben Östlund / 149 mins / Sweden

After witnessing a bizarre, traumatic incident involving a patient, Dr. Rose In Ruben Östlund’s wickedly funny Palme d’Or winner, social hierarchy
Cotter (Sosie Bacon) starts experiencing frightening occurrences that is turned upside down, revealing the tawdry relationship between power
she can’t explain. As an overwhelming terror begins taking over her life, and beauty. Celebrity model couple, Carl (Harris Dickinson) and Yaya
Rose must confront her troubling past in order to survive and escape her (Charlbi Dean), are invited on a luxury cruise for the uber-rich, helmed
horrifying new reality. by an unhinged boat captain (Woody Harrelson). What first appeared
instagrammable ends catastrophically, leaving the survivors stranded on a
desert island and fighting for survival.

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 Texas Premiere World Premiere

ALL JACKED UP AND FULL OF WORMS AMAZING ELISA

2022 / DI R: Alex Phillips / 72 mins / USA 2022 / DI R: Sadrac Gonzalez-Perellon / 104 mins / Spain

Worms are life, worms are love…. There are many other rich and memorable Elisa is an unusual 12-year-old girl. Obsessed with the heroine from her favorite
quotes from this movie, but out of context, this is one of the few I would be comic book, she’s convinced that she has the same superpowers. Elisa’s
allowed to print. This is a cinematic experience that needs to speak for itself, headstrong obsession with avenging her mother’s death causes nothing but
and it will, and some of you might not like what it has to say. You can find me problems for her beleaguered father as she fearlessly puts herself in increasingly
relishing amongst the other wormsheads in the crowd as ALL JACKED UP is dangerous situations. In a nearby neighborhood, Héctor, a self-absorbed and
placed amongst the legends in the arthouse horror hall of honors. emotionally distant painter, and his long-suffering, crippled wife Úrsula have
their own set of issues. While preparing for a gallery opening, Héctor discovers
The film follows two men on similar journeys of self-discovery and destruction that Úrsula has spent their savings in an unusual attempt to get an emotional
from their meeting at a seedy motel into a hallucinatory odyssey. Their addiction rise out of him at any cost. And through it all, a living, breathing incarnation of
to psychotropic worms quickly transitions from a fun-filled psychedelic Elisa’s superheroine idol stalks her way through the same city streets.
adventure to a dark nightmare leaving a wake of destruction in the unsuspecting
Chicago streets. Much like the invertebrates that act as the centerpiece to the Unfolding as a series of seemingly unconnected events, each scene draws
slimy and dirty perversions that intermingle their way through this plot, the us deeper into this strange world. Director Sadrac González-Perellón crafts
filmmaker creates a world in which both the audience and characters may just a darkly comedic thriller, full of absurd situations, simmering tension, and
need to find their place in the dirt. shocking violence. At once intimate and almost clinically cold, with parallels to
Yorgos Lanthimos’ work at times, but make no mistake, González-Perellón has
Alex Phillips’ debut feature film is a microbudget masterpiece swollen with his own distinct vision and voice. Impressive acting from the entire cast anchors
confrontational creativity and throbbing with talent. We are proud to celebrate the film (Fantastic Fest regulars will recognize Iván Massagué from 2019’s THE
the birth of Burnt Ends with a film that truly embodies the nature of the series PLATFORM), but Jana San Antonio really excels in the titular role, making
and plants the gonzo flag deep into the earth. If you have a heart in good even the most bizarre situations seem plausible. Enigmatic, stylish, and assured,
working order and a strong stomach, then this is not a theatrical experience to AMAZING ELISA is a phenomenal film that will stay with you long after you
be missed. (AHBRA PERRY) leave the theater. (LISA DREYER)

PLAYS WITH: THE BLOOD OF THE DINOSAURS - SEE: SHORTS WITH FEATURES PG 104 PLAYS WITH: GODSPEED - SEE: SHORTS WITH FEATURES PG 106

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 World Premiere Texas Premiere

THE ANTARES PARADOX ATTACHMENT

2022 / DI R: Luis Tinoco Pineda / 96 mins / Spain 2022 / DI R: Gabriel Bier Gislason / 105 mins / Denmark

Even though THE ANTARES PARADOX tends to be more of a drama than A library meet-cute between Maja (Josephine Park) and Leah (Ellie Kendrick)
pure science fiction, the plot will keep you on the edge of your seat. The sparks a whirlwind romance, even though Maja is wearing an elf costume
film begins with a simple premise: Alexandra, a SETI scientist searching for and Leah is leaving Denmark the next day to return home to England. After
extraterrestrial life, arrives for the night shift at an astronomy observatory and Leah has a seizure and injures herself, Maja accompanies her new girlfriend
discovers that the radio antenna has intercepted a signal from outer space. to the Hasidic area of London, where she must face off with Leah’s protective
With a thorough protocol in place to ensure the signal isn’t just interference mother, a peanut allergy, and a dybbuk — a Jewish spirit that possesses victims.
from other human technology, such as satellites in orbit, she only has a short ATTACHMENT examines motherhood, homophobia, and how community
window of time to verify the transmission. Her project only has access to the ties can sometimes be painful, while still offering plenty of scares and laughs
observatory for a limited amount of time each day... and that’s when the film along the way.
switches gears and floors the gas pedal.
In a movie filled with a phenomenally charming cast, Sofie Gråbøl steals
ANTARES may be a drama, but it’s a drama that will also make you reflect the show, playing Leah’s mother, Chana. No spoilers here, but Chana’s
upon your family and your priorities. What would you be willing to sacrifice to contradictions and secrets make her the beating heart of ATTACHMENT. She
prove we are not alone in the universe? How far would you go? gets to be outright wrong, loving, honest, and emotionally distant — frequently
in the same scene — but her performance deftly links these traits together into
Even though THE ANTARES PARADOX is Luis Tinoco’s first feature film, a character who feels fully realized.
it’s not his first experience in the movie business. Tinoco has worked for more
than 20 years as a 3D animator and visual effects artist on big Hollywood ATTACHMENT draws on Jewish folklore to tell a possession story that’s quite
movies. All I can say is, “Welcome to the director’s chair, Luis. I can’t wait to different from the typical Christian perspective, while tackling how culture
see what’s next.” (ANNICK MAHNERT) and community can influence the ways we receive outsiders or perceive queer
people. ATTACHMENT is honest about how someone who accepts queerness
PLAYS WITH: ZOMBIE METEOR - SEE: SHORTS WITH FEATURES PG 109 in theory can also struggle to fully accept their loved one. Or who knows,
maybe they’ve got a dybbuk inside them. (AUSTIN KING)

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 North American Premiere US Premiere

BAD CITY THE BANSHEES OF INISHERIN

2022 / DI R: Kensuke Sonomura / 118 mins / Japan 2022 / DI R: Martin McDonagh / 114 mins / UK, Ireland

Fans of Japan’s bountiful direct-to-video V-Cinema industry will be no strangers Two lifelong friends find themselves at an impasse when one abruptly ends
to the grizzled features and ultra-cool charisma of Hitoshi Ozawa. A regular their relationship, with alarming consequences for both of them.
fixture in the films of Takashi Miike, Ozawa just turned 60, but has lost none of
his speed, agility, or skill for taking out swathes of yakuza goons with a single
bloodied fist.

Writer and star of BAD CITY, Ozawa tears through the underworld of Kaiko
City, as disgraced Detective Torada, wrongfully imprisoned for murder but now
given temporary parole to lead a special off-the-books unit. Pulling together
an elite squad of trustworthy cops, Torada goes after Lily Franky’s slippery
businessman, Gojo, who announces his intentions to run for mayor. Gojo’s
underworld associations with both the yakuza and the Korean mafia trigger a
bloody turf war that descends into a series of deadly street brawls, with Torada
and his team slap band in the middle.

Helmed by veteran stunt coordinator Kensuke Sonomura, who has choreographed

action for John Woo, Donnie Yen, Mamoru Oshii, and Yudai Yamaguchi, to name
just a few, BAD CITY opens as a swaggering gangster saga bristling with high-level
corruption, but soon escalates into an endless series of breathless fistfights that
rank with the very best the genre has to offer. Eagle-eyed viewers will spy Fantastic
Fest veteran Tak Sakiguchi (VERSUS, YAKUZA WEAPON) as a silent but deadly
assassin, but the true star of the show is undeniably Ozawa, who even now, as a
bus pass wielding senior citizen, explodes off the screen like a junkyard pit bull
of untethered ferocity. (JAMES MARSH)

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 World Premiere World Premiere

BIRDEMIC 3: SEA EAGLE BLOOD FLOWER

2022 / DI R: James Nguyen / 83 mins / USA 2022 / DI R: Dain Said / 102 mins / Malaysia

“Damn Global Warming” - Evan Iqbal and his mother have a special talent for seeing things that others cannot.
Together with his father, who doesn’t share their sight, they work as exorcists
While slowly sauntering down the Santa Cruz pier, gerontologist (a scientist until one day his mother meets a tragic end, saving Iqbal from an attack by a
studying the biological aspects of aging) and Tesla Model 3 driver Evan (Ryan particularly malevolent spirit. With his mother gone, Iqbal’s father attempts to
Lord) happens to spot marine biologist Kim (Julia Culbert) collecting ocean end the family’s suffering by binding his son’s abilities by using a mystic, but
water samples for her climate change research. It doesn’t look good. It isn’t it only half works. When Iqbal and his friends inadvertently unleash a very
collisions with cargo ships, like the media is reporting, it’s global warming. nasty spirit in a fit of adolescent abandon, he learns that his abilities aren’t
Climate change, it turns out, is really bad. Remember, this is BIRDEMIC 3, completely gone... but are they strong enough to save the people he loves from
and it is not a spoiler to clue you in that the birds, in particular the sea eagles, a fate worse than death?
are super PISSED.
The latest film from Malaysian filmmaker and Fantastic Fest alum Dain Said,
The chance encounter between Evan and Kim sets up what can only be BLOOD FLOWER trades in the kind of Islamic mysticism that has been a part
described as a patented James Nguyen romantic thriller. This young couple has of Southeast Asian horror for decades. Best known for his all-out action drama
both epic adventure and steamy romance ahead of them. As the film ambles BUNOHAN, BLOOD FLOWER takes Said into full-on horror for the first
towards its enigmatic conclusion, our young couple will be packing serious time, and fans of the latest wave of Indonesian genre auteurs like Joko Anwar
heat, contemplating a space-elevator with a very mysterious, very Elon Musky (IMPETIGORE), Timo Tjahjanto (MAY THE DEVIL TAKE YOU), and Kimo
Mr. Green, disco dancing for hours, encountering booze-fueled biker gangs, Stamboel (THE QUEEN OF BLACK MAGIC) will definitely want to put this
laying waste to a shit-storm of really angry birds. on their must-see lists. (JOSH HURTADO)

Severin Films distributed the extraordinary BIRDEMIC SHOCK AND

TERROR in 2010 but was not involved in the less-well-received BIRDEMIC
2. There were just too many cooks hovering over that pot. In order to recreate
the magic of the first, they yielded 100% creative control and director’s cut to
director and screenwriter James Nguyen. Severin wrote the check, and three
years later, without ever seeing a draft of the script, Nguyen returned with
bottle filled to the brim with romantic and thrilling lightning. (TIM LEAGUE)

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 World Premiere Texas Premiere

BLOOD RELATIVES BONES AND ALL

2022 / DI R: Noah Segan / 88 mins / USA 2022 / DI R: Luca Guadagnino / 129 mins / USA

Francis has a deep appreciation for the things of decades past. He drives a A story of first love between Maren, a young woman learning how to
bitchin’ 1969 Barracuda Fastback and wears a black leather jacket that looks like survive on the margins of society, and Lee, an intense and disenfranchised
it was pilfered from the closet of Arthur Fonzarelli. Like the Fonz — another drifter; a liberating road odyssey of two young people coming into their
“nice Jewish boy” — Francis is a misunderstood loner, but he finds himself in own, searching for identity and chasing beauty in a perilous world that
the most meshugana of situations. cannot abide who they are.

Although he appears to be in his early 30s, Francis was born before the outset of
World War 2. He can’t go out in the daylight, and although he has extraordinary
physical strength, it must be maintained through a unique liquid diet. His
family long dead, he survives as a curmudgeon on society’s margins, schlepping
his way across the USA, until 15-year-old Jane shows up at the doorstep of his
dingy hotel room. Her mother has recently passed away, and Jane herself has
some curious attributes that she wants to kvetch about to Francis. Forced to
reconsider his drifter status to give his estranged daughter the tools that she’ll
need to survive, can Francis adjust to life as a run of the mill, emotionally
vulnerable, suburban dad for the sake of his newfound family?

The feature film directorial debut of longtime Fantastic Fest friend Noah
Segan, BLOOD RELATIVES is a surprisingly touching film that takes the
road movie formula and flips it on its head, recalling the classic NEAR
DARK in its deft balance of humor, family drama, and good old-fashioned
vampire violence. (LORI DONNELLY)

PLAYS WITH: BUZZKILL - SEE: SHORTS WITH FEATURES PG 104

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 Austin Premiere US Premiere

CHOP & STEELE COUNTRY GOLD

2022 / DI R: Ben Steinbauer & Berndt Mader / 81 mins / USA 2022 / DI R: Mickey Reece / 84 mins / USA

Growing up in suburban Wisconsin, Joe Pickett and Nick Prueher didn’t have Mickey Reece returns to Fantastic Fest with a black-and-white comedy about masculinity,
all that much to do. To bide their time, they started collecting castaway VHS art, and legacy. Reece stars as Troyal Brux, a country music star with commercial appeal
tapes from thrift stores and playing increasingly elaborate pranks, eventually and a busy tour schedule who accepts an invitation from country music legend George
parlaying their passion for cringeworthy absurdity into The Found Footage Jones, played by Reece regular Ben Hall, for a night out on the town in Nashville. Little
Festival, a curated roadshow of bonkers obscurities from the annals of discarded does Troyal know that Jones intends to cryogenically freeze himself in the morning.
VHS collections across the United States.
What follows is a night of booze, drugs, zealous fans, and discussions centered on the
Fueled by a desire to push the envelope of discomfort, they started pranking compromises demanded by commercial entertainment. It’s an absurdist comedy laced
unsuspecting regional morning show hosts as Chop and Steele, a couple of with existential despair and a horror movie non-sequitur. It sounds like it just might be
schlubby strongmen whose specialty workouts include wicker basket stomping too much, but COUNTRY GOLD is grounded in fundamental questions about what
and bareback stick snapping. Unamused by their antics, a media conglomerate it means to create art. As the up-and-coming Troyal faces insecurities about his ability
slaps them with a lawsuit, presenting a fork in the road for the best pals. Do to impress George, the old legend simultaneously wonders if his increasing irrelevance
they grow up and get real jobs, or do they double down and go all-in on their means he never really had talent in the first place.
most elaborate prank yet?
If you like chamber pieces with characters just trying to talk through life’s biggest
Pickett and Prueher risk financial stability, personal relationships, and problems, you’ll find a lot to love in COUNTRY GOLD. All the trademarks of Mickey
Hollywood opportunities to stick to their uncompromising vision, while Reece are here in his script, written with John Selvidge, as people talk in rooms and joke
the growing complications of legal bills, constant travel, and COVID-19 about life. Taking place over a single night, George’s impending cryogenic deadline
threaten to derail their 30-year odyssey. Featuring interviews with David forces Troyal and George to face their own successes and failures, as the morning brings
Cross, Reggie Watts, and Bobcat Goldthwait, CHOP & STEELE is a closure that neither of them can forego.
hilarious and disarmingly poignant tribute to friendship, individuality, and
the artful prank. (LORI DONNELLY) It is not just the excellent performances that power this film. Samuel Calvin‘s
monochromatic cinematography makes this film feel like a different era, a memory of
PLAYS WITH: LAST REQUEST - SEE: SHORTS WITH FEATURES PG 108 an urban legend. COUNTRY GOLD sees a rising star confront his own impending
legacy, while a fading one reflects back on his ending. (AUSTIN KING)

PLAYS WITH: VERTICAL VALOR - SEE: SHORTS WITH FEATURES PG 109

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DECISION TO LEAVE DEEP FEAR

2022 / DI R: Park Chan-wook / 138 mins / South Korea 2022 / DI R: Grégory Beghin / 80 mins / France

After gracing us with his presence six years ago with his sumptuous and On the eve of being thrust into adulthood, young students Sonia (Sofia Lesaffre)
sexually-charged period thriller, THE HANDMAIDEN, master filmmaker and Max (Kassim Meesters) take their friend Henry (Victor Meutelet) out for
Park Chan-wook returns with one of his most dizzying and riveting cinematic one last hurrah before he begins his mandatory military service.
concoctions yet. During its rapturous reception at the Cannes Film Festival
this year, where it netted Park the Best Director Award, the film was likened Following a night of heavy drinking, Sonia surprises her pals with a tour of the
to VERTIGO and BASIC INSTINCT. While neither of those tantalizing Paris catacombs. Led by urban explorer Ramy, the hesitant friends are introduced
comparisons is completely off the mark, they shortchange a work of furious to a community of “cataphiles” offering a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to
vision and invention that finds one of the world’s greatest filmmakers operating venture deep into a recently unearthed and completely uncharted section of
at the top of his powers. the catacombs believed to have been destroyed during the Second World War.

Hotshot Busan detective Hae-jun’s latest case finds him staring deep into the After a bloody encounter with a gang of skinheads, the group is chased deeper
eyes of a dead hiker and then up at the vertiginous cliff from which he fell. Was into the decades of rubble where they stumble upon the infamous 717 Bunker,
this an accident or was foul play involved? This is the riddle he must unravel an abandoned Nazi stronghold thought to be the stuff of urban legend. They
when he interrogates the man’s Chinese wife, Seo-rae, a caretaker who doesn’t quickly realize that the bunker may not be so abandoned after all.
seem particularly heartbroken by the tragedy. Hae-jun dives headfirst into the
case, but as he looks deep into Seo-rae’s eyes for answers, a different truth is An atmospheric horror full of old-school jump scares and claustrophobic
beginning to build within him. cinematography, DEEP FEAR puts a unique spin on subterranean horror
films like THE DESCENT and AS ABOVE, SO BELOW. DEEP FEAR
Just when you think you’ve seen it all before, director Park gives us a film intelligently combines the conventions established by the earlier films with
where each scene, no matter how small, dazzles us with its surprising and classic slasher elements into an entertaining ride that feels both nostalgic
intoxicating details. Whether it’s a judicious cut or an unusual prop (from and contemporary. (LORI DONNELLY)
here on out, all detectives should be issued chainmail gloves), his latest
makes all the right decisions. (PIERCE CONRAN) PLAYS WITH: EAST END - SEE: SHORTS WITH FEATURES PG 105

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DEMIGOD: THE LEGEND BEGINS DISAPPEAR COMPLETELY

2022 / DI R: Chris Huang Wen Chang / 103 mins / Taiwan 2022 / DI R: Luis Javier Henaine / 105 mins / Mexico

Before he became a formidable warrior, Su Huan-jen was but a lowly scholar, There are curses, and then there are curses that are worse than death. Ambitious
desperate to escape the mountain of suffocating debt he owed to the local but creatively frustrated, crime scene photographer Santiago (Harold Torres)
librarian. After falling back on his skills as a physician, in particular the ancient becomes the target of a gruesome witch’s curse that strips away his senses
art of acupuncture, Huan-jen ekes out a meager living, and is soon propositioned in succession, threatening to eventually reduce him to a husk of a human,
by the ailing Lord of nearby Globe Castle. Eager to sneak a peek at the treasure technically alive but unable to feel anything.
trove of sacred manuscripts locked away within the castle’s legendary library,
Huan-jen agrees to examine the nobleman, only to become embroiled in a DISAPPEAR COMPLETELY unfolds like a crime thriller with dark touches
violent power play for control of the kingdom. Formidable warriors from the of brujería that make it feel more oppressive and more claustrophobic than
real world and celestial beings from a more powerful, supernatural dimension your regular serial killer thriller. Although an unlikeable character at times,
are soon drawn into an epic battle for supremacy, with the fate of the world Santiago’s desperation increases as he realizes just how dark and powerful
hanging in the balance. the curse that’s affecting him is, and it becomes a race against time to find a
solution, supernatural or otherwise.
The Taiwanese art of bùdàixì glove puppetry has been a celebrated medium of
storytelling since the 17th century, and remains vibrantly realized to this day by As he loses his sense of smell, then taste, then touch, the curse becomes
the incredible visionaries behind DEMIGOD: THE LEGEND BEGINS. This very real, very quickly. The film leads us into a dark underground of witches,
big-screen spin-off from the hugely popular PILI television series, which has brujos, and good old fashioned corruption as Santiago tries to save himself
been running in Taiwan since the 1980s, serves as the origin story for one of its from a fate worse than death. With a new baby on the way with his long-
most popular characters, Su Huan-jen. Behind the scenes is the Huang family, time girlfriend, Santiago faces a terrible decision: Will he save himself at
who have been honing their craft for generations, seamlessly augmenting any cost? (ANNA BOGUTSKAYA)
traditional puppetry with state-of-the-art visual effects to create a ravishingly
beautiful and riotously entertaining fantasy adventure that bursts with enough
violence, intrigue, magic, and humor to rival the finest swordplay epics this
beloved genre has to offer. (JAMES MARSH)

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THE ELDERLY EVERYONE WILL BURN

2022 / DI R: Raúl Cerezo & Fernando González Gómez / 95 mins / Spain 2021 / DI R: David Hebrero / 120 mins / Spain

After his beloved wife suddenly commits suicide, octogenarian Manuel (Zorion Unable to get over the death of her son, María José’s life has fallen apart. She
Eguileor) starts behaving strangely, much to the distress of his family and his lives in a small town where everyone knows and sees everything, and holds a
increasingly independent granddaughter. He becomes aggressive, still believes grudge against the villagers who she feels are responsible for her son’s death.
that he’s talking with his dead wife, and even tries to implant a radio receptor Little Lucía appears just as she’s about to step off a bridge, triggering strange
into his chest. His family are confused and angry, and as the temperature in events and a series of horrific deaths among the local population
Madrid literally rises due to a summer heat wave (a horror film in and of itself),
it appears that Manuel isn’t the only senior citizen preparing for something big. The villagers immediately blame Lucía, who is busy putting her supernatural
All the elderly folk are acting suspicious, and they all seem to know something powers to good (or is it evil?) use. Meanwhile, María José finds new joy in
the young ones don’t. motherhood and decides to protect her adopted daughter come what may, with
the side perk that she can finally get a chance to take revenge on her son’s
Tapping into our universal fear of aging and our rejection of aged bodies, murderers.
THE ELDERLY feels like a contemporary take on INVASION OF THE
BODY SNATCHERS, with some stone-cold, impressive moments that Led by an outstanding performance by Macarena Gómez (who also appears in
linger long after the film is over. Co-directors Raúl Cerezo and Fernando Eduardo Casanova’s LA PIETÀ), director David Hebrero’s second feature is a
González Gómez weave their small story of a single family into something little gem that deserves wider exposure. Featuring a pretty awesome opening
bigger, weirder, and a lot scarier than just a few choice shots. Their film scene, this movie is reminiscent of Alex de la Iglesia’s earlier movies. Hebrero
combines body horror, science fiction, and mystery with a commentary on manages to build a continuous eerie atmosphere and plays with the culture
how we treat our elders pulsing through every scene and every argument of small town communities, where it’s impossible to escape the spotlight
about what must be done with Manuel. and where everyone knows who you are and what you’re doing. Add a pinch
of apocalypse and some religious fanatics and you’ve got a wildly explosive
TH E E LDE RLY is the latest in a new wave of eerie, high-concept Spanish cocktail. EVERYONE WILL BURN will make you think twice about wanting
genre films that confirms there’s something truly messed up brewing on to move to a small town. (ANNICK MAHNERT)
the peninsula. (AN NA BOGUTSKAYA)

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EVIL EYE FAMILY DINNER

2022 / DI R: Isaac Ezban / 100 mins / Mexico 2022 / DI R: Peter Hengl / 96 mins / Austria

Luna is sick and no treatment seems to work. Her desperate parents take her Dieting is a horror film in and of itself. Simi, a teenager who is self-conscious
to the Mexican countryside to seek an alternative treatment, where they leave about her size, visits her nutritionist aunt Claudia hoping to lose some weight,
Luna and her older sister Nala in the care of Josefa, their grandmother. Acting but her trip gets off to a weird start and then quickly gets even weirder.
in what initially seems to be an eccentric way, Josefa becomes far eerier once
the parents have left. After listening to a bedtime story from Josefa’s housemaid, Claudia’s husband Stefan flirts with Simi, while their teenage son Filipp is
Abigail, Nala is convinced the stories are true, and something is after her little abrasively rude for no apparent reason. Your usual family awkwardness takes
sister Luna. As dreadful events befall Luna, Nala gathers her courage, hellbent on a menacing tone. As Easter Sunday approaches, Simi’s diet regime proves
on defending her sibling against the evil lurking in the house. extreme, and the atmosphere in her aunt’s house grows cold and oppressive.
Claudia’s gaslighting, belittling, and manipulation become increasingly creepy
With EVIL EYE, Fantastic Fest alum Isaac Ezban strays away from science (even more so than the typical wellness influencer level of creepy) before
fiction, the genre he explored in his first three movies (EL INCIDENTE, LOS descending into a berserker final act that truly cements FAMILY DINNER as
PARECIDOS, and PARALLEL). Taking the Dominican legend of the Bacá as a the first great Easter horror film.
starting point, Ezban subtly adapts it, giving a Mexican folklore touch that turns
a clear pact with the devil into something more sinister. We have to mention Austrian writer-director Peter Hengl, who studied under Michael Haneke, builds
14-year-old actress Paola Miguel, who displays great emotional range in her tension through subtle moments of uncanniness and sharply written characters.
strong performance as Nala, the older sister protecting her younger sibling. Simi’s open-hearted confusion in the film’s opening (played brilliantly by Nina
Katlein) makes the eventual descent into madness even more affecting. Pia
Ezban is definitely one of the most interesting genre directors in Mexico, and Hierzegger creates a soft-spoken villainess in Aunt Claudia, who is at her most
we’re very happy to have him back at Fantastic Fest. (ANNICK MAHNERT) chilling when she’s watching you eat. FAMILY DINNER will certainly make
every future awkward family dinner seem like a breeze. (ANNA BOGUTSKAYA)

PLAYS WITH: CHICKS - SEE: SHORTS WITH FEATURES PG 105

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FINAL CUT THE FIVE DEVILS

2022 / DI R: Michel Hazanavicius / 111 mins / France 2022 / DI R: Léa Mysius / 103 mins / France

I don’t think I need to introduce the cult movie ONE CUT OF THE DEAD Eight-year-old Vicky possesses an unusual gift. Born with a heightened sense
to the audience of Fantastic Fest. After all, ONE CUT won the FF Audience of smell, she obsesses over capturing and recreating the exact aromas of the
and Best Director Awards in 2018. And if you haven’t seen it yet, you better fill people and places she loves by creating bizarre potions in glass jars. A social
that gap fast! outcast, she spends most of her time with her mother, Joanne, a depressed
swim instructor trapped in an unfulfilling marriage. When Vicky’s estranged
When it was announced that a French remake from the director of THE aunt Julia suddenly appears out of nowhere, Vicky takes it upon herself to
ARTIST was in the works, I sighed. Scheduled to have its world premiere at the figure out exactly why her mom is so upset to see her sister-in-law again.
Sundance Film Festival last January, the film was pulled when it was announced After faithfully crafting Julia’s aroma, she finds that smelling it allows her
that the fest would be online only. So the next obvious stop was Hazanavicius’ to travel back in time, setting a series of events into motion that will have
home turf festival, Cannes, and I have to be honest, I dragged my feet to the massive consequences for her family.
screening, with low expectations.
A fantastically inventive and surreal film, THE FIVE DEVILS plays with the
But lo and behold, the movie was a genuine surprise! Hazanavicius didn’t concept of time travel in a surprisingly innovative way. The genre elements
just remake the movie. Winking at the fans, he injected some clever and fun transform this intimate family drama into a mysterious, complex tale that will
elements that give this French remake its own identity while respecting the put you straight into Vicky’s shoes, as she struggles to deduce the truth until
original cult movie. Romain Duris is stellar as the director who takes on the job, the story’s very end.
and Berenice Bejo is fantastic as the wife who jumps in to save the live broadcast.
With no real previous experience in genre cinema, Michel Hazanavicius proves The phenomenally talented Léa Mysius’ second film features compelling
that you don’t necessarily need to be a hardcore genre fan to make a good genre performances from the entire cast, particularly by newcomer Sally Dramé as
movie. You just need to respect the material, its creators, and keep the spirit of the precocious Vicky, and award-winning actress Adèle Exarchopoulos (BLUE
the original work alive. IS THE WARMEST COLOR) as her mother. Shot on 35mm, THE FIVE
DEVILS is a visual feast, with the beautiful cinematography playing as much
I’m not quite certain the Cannes hi-so audience got the movie at the festival’s a part as the actors. For fans of magical realism, queer romance, and modern
opening ceremony, but we, the aficionados, certainly did. We’re winking back witchcraft… this one’s for you! (LISA DREYER)
at you, Michel. (ANNICK MAHNERT)

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FLOWING GARCIA!
2022 / DI R: Paolo Strippoli / 93 mins / Italy, Belgium 2022 / DI R: Eugenio Mira / 114 mins / Spain

A car accident leaves a family broken and searching for healing in Rome. Barbara Spain is enduring an unprecedented crisis: the right-wing party’s presidential
(Aurora Menetti), the young daughter, struggles to relearn how to use her body candidate for the elections, Catalina Bellido, “The Captain,” has been
after her injuries. Enrico (Francesco Gheghi), the teenage son, buries his guilt kidnapped. Her party has accused the left-wing parties, and the political tension
by acting out and having an affair with an older woman. Thomas (Fabrizio has spread to the streets.
Rongione), the widower father, resents his son for causing the tragedy.
Spain is on the verge of a second civil war. In a secret underground lab, a
As torrential rain summons a strange gas from the sewers causing mass mysterious man awakes. It is García, a super-soldier created under Franco’s
hallucinations across the city, the family relives the events leading up to the regime to fight the enemies of the nation. He has been kept in suspended
accident. A combination of repressed memory and anger drives Thomas and animation for sixty years and wakes up in a Spain he can barely recognize. But
Enrico to confront their history in a bloody, nightmarish finale. he may be the only person capable of dealing with this crisis. With the help
of Antonia, a young journalist, García will uncover the conspiracy behind the
FLOWING distinguishes its terror by allowing its characters to experience the Captain’s kidnapping, and he will face the shadows of his past.
events through a dream logic while affected by the gas. Familiar settings and
situations are stretched and twisted by the hallucinatory toxin as the characters Three-time Fantastic Fest veteran Eugenio Mira (THE BIRTHDAY, AGNOSIA,
move in and out of their present lives, their past memories, and their fantasies and GRAND PIANO) is back with a blistering adventure that seamlessly blends
and fears. As the family works through their own problems while under the Spanish culture, politics, and history with the classic Hollywood action and
influence of the gas, each fight and scare feels cathartic and powerful. adventure. You can see the influences of James Bond, Indiana Jones, Captain
America, and even Michael Caine’s Harry Palmer in GARCÍA! But they are
FLOWING further distinguishes itself through Francesco Gheghi’s ability to woven together with traditions less familiar to American audiences, such as the
bring a lot of dimension to a difficult character — a teenage bully carrying on Spanish comic books “Roberto Alcázar and Pedrin,” to create a bold, fresh, and
an affair with a maternal figure to avoid dealing with his guilt over his mother’s absolutely riveting saga.
death. Enrico would be easy to hate, but Gheghi gives his character depth by
centering his performance on Enrico’s immaturity and repressed sadness. We’ll be watching the first two hours of the six-hour adventure of GARCÍA! The
(AUSTIN KING) conclusion will be revealed on HBOMax worldwide later this year. (TIM LEAGUE)

PLAYS WITH: HELL GIG - SEE: SHORTS WITH FEATURES PG 107

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GIVE ME PITY! H4Z4RD

2022 / DI R: Amanda Kramer / 80 mins / USA 2022 / DI R: Jonas Govaerts / 86 mins / Belgium

Sissy St. Claire is the queen of the airwaves, ruling over her very own TV Noah Hazard has the dopest ride in all of Antwerp. His prized gold Lexus
special. A true diva, St. Claire can do it all — sing, dance, and act — all without is dipped, detailed, and immaculate. The custom vanity plates — H4Z4RD —
breaking a sweat. That is, until a shadowy presence begins stalking her, marring announce the self-proclaimed “driver” as a professional who will safely get you
the perfect fictional world St. Claire has crafted for herself. As reality and wherever you want to go.
fiction blur, St. Claire tries to carry on performing while grappling with her
own self-doubt and fear. When Noah accepts a job from his wayward cousin, Carlos, who casually
drops that they are picking up an old buddy from jail, he isn’t expecting to be
We’re delighted to bring back director Amanda Kramer, who last attended the drawn into a murderous drug war. The greasy fingerprints that Carlos’ cellmate
fest with her feature LADYWORLD in 2018 and her short film SIN ULTRA wipes on the pristine leather seats are the least of Noah’s worries as he and
in 2019. In her latest movie, Kramer crafts an unbelievably entertaining and Carlos frantically speed through the streets of Antwerp, trying to hunt down
stylish twist on the variety shows of the past, complete with intricate disco a mystery drug that the bumbling ex-cons foolishly swiped from a mysterious
dance routines, hilariously cheesy monologues, and canned laughter. Through sharpshooter. Things go from bad to worse as the cousins face run-ins with
the expert use of soft focus, colored lighting, and retro editing techniques, grenade-toting teenage hoodlums, determined mall cops, an urban werewolf,
GIVE ME PITY! could easily pass this off as a recently-unearthed, bizarre and a security guard with sexual hang-ups straight out of TITANE.
special from the ‘70s.
H4Z4RD is full of hilariously memorable surprises and will have audiences
Sophie von Haselberg shines as the talented, but delusional, Sissy St. Claire. talking long after the credits roll. Anchored by the chemistry between straight
Her magnetic presence and enviable comedic timing shine through every scene man Noah (Dimitri Thivaios) and scene stealer Carlos (Jeroen Perceval), it’s a
of the film. In the pressure cooker of the studio, we watch as St. Claire gradually perfect midnight buddy movie with a distinctly European flair. (LORI DONNELLY)
unravels in a spectacular fashion, giving a wonderfully multi-dimensional
performance. GIVE ME PITY! is a meticulously crafted aesthetic delight, but PLAYS WITH: CRUISE - SEE: SHORTS WITH FEATURES PG 105
there’s real substance there to compliment the style. Campy fun meets giallo-
esque thrills in this compulsively watchable film. (LISA DREYER)

PLAYS WITH: THE LAST QUEEN ON EARTH - SEE: SHORTS WITH FEATURES PG 108

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HOLY SPIDER HUESERA

2022 / DI R: Ali Abassi / 115 mins / Denmark 2022 / DI R: Michelle Garza Cervera / 97 mins / Mexico, Peru

A serial killer is stalking sex workers in the city of Mashhad, Iran, picking them Everything in mother-to-be Valeria’s life is exactly as she wants it to be:
up on his motorbike and brutally murdering them with impunity. The police she’s about to have her first child with her lovely husband Raúl, just as they
turn a blind eye, despite the increasing body count, either in tacit support of had planned, but something is off. Valeria’s getting cold feet — and seeing
the killings or with the belief that these women’s lives aren’t worth the effort to weird things.
investigate. When journalist Rahimi hears about the crimes, she makes it her
mission to find the killer and bring him to justice. But can one woman possibly A faceless creature torments her, accompanied by the sound of cracking bones.
prevail with the odds so stacked against her? Increasingly riddled with creeping self-doubt, Valeria starts to question her
life choices and whether she is leaving too much of herself behind. As her
A chillingly realistic take on the procedural and serial killer genres, this film pregnancy progresses, everyone cheers her on with supposedly encouraging
does not shy away from the inherent ugliness of its subject matter. Director proclamations: “Just wait until you’re in labor! You’ll literally feel like your
Ali Abbasi (BORDER) has taken a bold stance with HOLY SPIDER, which bones are breaking!”
is based on the true story of a serial killer who murdered sex workers in the
name of his religion. The film has been banned in Abbasi’s homeland, Iran, Haunted by a supernatural presence that only seems to target her, Valeria feels
for directly addressing how certain social and religious beliefs can actively more and more alienated from her own body. She returns to her past life of
encourage violence against women. punk concerts and night prowling to reconnect with her first love, Octavia,
hoping to figure out what the hell is going on.
Zar Amir Ebrahim deservedly won Best Actress at Cannes this year for her
phenomenal portrayal of Rahimi, a journalist undeterred by the misogyny With some imagery that will stick forever in viewers’ minds, expect some
she faces daily while just trying to do her job. A gripping thriller that pushes uncomfortable twitching in the theater when this film screens. Shockingly
the boundaries of your typical cat-and-mouse plot, HOLY SPIDER is a dark, accomplished for a debut feature, HUESERA delivers both the heart and the
devastating, but vital look at a tragically universal issue. (LISA DREYER) scares. Anchored by an earnest, no-holds-barred performance by Natalia Solián,
the film dials up the anxiety of an expectant mother through clever direction,
shadowy cinematography, and sound design that creates creepy unease through
the very simple sound of bone cracking. A trip to the osteopath will forever be
terrifying after watching this movie. (ANNA BOGUTSKAYA)

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HUNT KIDS VS. ALIENS

2022 / DI R: Lee Jung-jae / 125 mins / South Korea 2022 / DI R: Jason Eisener / 75 mins / USA

Against the tense Korean backdrop of the 1980s, when passionate student As local authorities busy themselves with the disappearance of three fishermen
protests threatened to topple an oppressive political regime, two rival on the same night that an unexplained fiery object appears in the sky, Gary
intelligence agents have been tasked with the same mission — to ferret out a and his best buds busy themselves with finishing their latest kickass movie
North Korean mole within the Korean Central Intelligence Agency (KCIA). about a group of dino-sorcerers vying for world domination and staying clear
of neighborhood toughs led by head bully Billy.
Bursting onto the global scene last fall, Lee Jung-jae became a household name
as contestant #456 in the global Netflix smash SQUID GAME. However, back Much to his chagrin, his older sister, Samantha, finds herself charmed by
in Korea, he’s been a huge star since the 1990s. This year, his storied screen Billy and agrees to host a Halloween party while their parents are out of town.
career entered a new chapter as he marched up the red carpet at the Cannes Angered by the intrusion, Gary seeks some adolescent payback at Billy’s
Film Festival with the explosive and endlessly twisty period spy yarn HUNT, expense, and as the tension between the feuding groups comes to a head, a
his debut film as a director. bright light heralds the arrival of a much more powerful and terrifying enemy.
Now Samantha must battle these blood-seeking extraterrestrials to get Gary
Lee does double duty here as he also plays Pyong-ho, the head of the foreign and his crew back while still dealing with all the baggage that only a two-timing
intelligence unit who faces off against the domestic intelligence chief Jung-do, teenage punk like Billy brings to the table.
played by fellow superstar and Lee’s real-life bestie Jung Woo-sung (ASURA:
THE CITY OF MADNESS). The action comes thick and fast in this slick and Canuxploitation favorite Jason Eisener is back with his feature-length followup
densely plotted thriller that teems with double-crosses and crackling crossfire. to the newly minted classic, HOBO WITH A SHOTGUN. Utilizing elements
The film proves to be a confident transition to the director’s chair for Lee, who from Spielberg and Donner’s templates, Eisener crafts a nostalgic homage to
gives his all both in front of and behind the camera. (PIERCE CONRAN) timeless childhood favorites like THE GOONIES and MONSTER SQUAD,
but spices them up with foul-mouthed dialogue and gallons of gore. A thrill-ride
that doesn’t take itself too seriously, KIDS VS. ALIENS is a fun take on the
STRANGER THINGS formula from our friends in the north. (LORI DONNELLY)

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KING ON SCREEN LA PIETA
2022 / DI R: Daphné Baiwir / 105 mins / France, USA 2022 / DI R: Eduardo Casanova / 84 mins / Spain, Argentina

Stephen King is not only the master of literary horror, one of the bestselling In his debut film, SKINS (PIELES), the protagonist had an anus in lieu of
authors of all time, and a name that has been a formative force (some might a mouth. The characters in that film, all suffering a disfigurement of some
say “traumatic,” but I am not “some”) for more than a generation. He’s also kind, learnt to deal with living in a world that shunned them. Five years later,
the most adapted living author, with over 80 feature films based on his work, Casanova’s second feature centers on characters who have no concern for
spanning horror classics like CARRIE (1976) and THE SHINING (1980), the normality, centering a psychologically disturbing mother-son relationship that
original IT (1990) and its recent remake, to dramas like THE SHAWSHANK redefines the extremes of mommy issues.
REDEMPTION (1990), to the coming-of-age classic STAND BY ME (1986), to
last year’s miniseries LISEY’S STORY. Newcomer Manel Llunell plays Mateo, a sickly young man who is heavily babied
by his overbearing mother, Libertad, played by the grande dame of Spanish art
Actress-turned-director Daphné Baiwir interviews some of the filmmakers who cinema, Ángela Molina. The cast is rounded off with Casanova regular Ana
have brought King to the screen, looking at the movies and shows that have Polvorosa (the buttfaced star of SKINS) and Macarena Gómez. Set against the
brought King’s body of work an entirely new life, both the films that reached backdrop of the final days of Kim Jong-il’s North Korean dictatorship, Mateo’s
the top-tier echelons of pop culture history and the ones that fell by the wayside sudden diagnosis of incurable cancer evaporates Libertad’s last remnants of
into obscurity. With an ambitious fictional introduction packed with easter sanity. The less said about the plot, the better, because much like SKINS and
eggs, references, and other winks that constant readers will find delightful, this his short film work, Casanova’s film is a visceral experience.
doc is a must-see for any King-head. (ANNA BOGUTSKAYA)
Beneath the pleasingly pink aesthetics and meticulous composition is
a seriously messed up dynamic. LA PI ETÀ is a treatise on the sick and
sticky family toxicity. Casanova wrote the script for LA PI ETÀ before
he made his first film, and has said he’s been preparing himself for
years to make it. While his earlier work bore the influences of John
Waters and David Lynch, LA PI ETÀ confirms the young director as
powerful voice in weird cinema. (AN NA B O G UTS KAYA)

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THE LEGACY OF THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE LEONOR WILL NEVER DIE
2022 / DI R: Phillip Escott / 83 mins / United Kingdom 2022 / DI R: Martika Ramirez Escobar / 99 mins / Philippines

In his latest documentary, Philipp Escott (co-director of last year’s Fantastic Leonor hasn’t directed a movie in a long while, not since a tragic incident on
Fest doc THE FOUND FOOTAGE PHENOMENON) returns to the roots of one of her sets, and now her family is struggling to make ends meet. After
THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE, accompanied by familiar filmmakers a newspaper ad prompts the director to start working on a new screenplay,
and critics, delving into the reasons behind the movie’s impact on an entire Leonor dreams up a story where her deceased son is on the run from gangsters.
generation and its perpetuating legacy. When a falling television set sends Leonor into a coma, she finds herself in the
middle of her new action movie full of fistfights and stunts.
Although Escott’s movie doesn’t necessarily bring new elements to the table,
it brilliantly gathers testimonies and thoughts, confirming that Tobe Hooper’s LEONOR WILL NEVER DIE pays homage to Filipino action movies of the
first feature was way ahead of its time. Labeled at the time as violent, unpleasant, ‘70s and ‘80s and celebrates the contributions of women to the conventionally
and trashy, THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE was also extremely bold, masculine genre. Leonor dodges gunfire and fights villains while crafting a
original and groundbreaking. new cinematic life for the son she’s lost. Featuring wonderful stunts and visual
effects, this movie examines an artist’s relationship to genre and craft while
From the fascinating poster that sent chills down your spine to the implied simultaneously making a really fun action movie. A metatextual narrative
horror and gore that left audiences in shocked awe, Hooper’s movie set the shows an incredible effect or stunt, and then takes the time to show how a
tone from the very beginning with its audacious pre-scroll text, its documentary- filmmaker pulls it off. Much of the wonder of this film comes from the way it
style cinematography, and brilliant sound design. Escott not only takes a closer reveals the process, impressing you with the skill practical effects require.
look at the different characters, their psychology, and their shifting roles in the
narrative, but he also focuses on the allegories, the depth of the Sawyer family, Consistently upending expectations, LEONOR WILL NEVER DIE is a
and shines a spotlight on one of horror’s most iconic killers. showcase for an incredible lead performance from Sheila Francisco, who gets
to be an action hero despite being a woman of a certain age. Francisco takes
My first ever screening of TCM was at the age of 15. For years, I was convinced Leonor’s fierceness and commitment to her craft as directives to fight a group
that it was one of the bloodiest and goriest movies I’d seen, until I saw it again of men intent on killing her while embracing her love of film. As real life and
and was struck by its genius. THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE is a Leonor’s movie weave together, the director and her family see how art can heal
visceral and brilliant movie, and although Tobe Hooper is no longer with us, and help process grief, even in the face of a cheesy villain. (AUSTIN KING)
I’m convinced he would have loved Escott’s homage. (ANNICK MAHNERT)

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A LIFE ON THE FARM LIVING WITH CHUCKY

2022 / DI R: Oscar Harding / 75 mins / United Kingdom 2022 / DI R: Kyra Gardner / 102 mins / USA

Try to imagine: it’s the year 1991. You live in a small farming community in When a childhood doll became possessed by the soul of a serial killer in 1988,
rural England where your closest neighbor lives a short 10 miles down the Chucky slashed his way across the silver screen and became one of the most
road. Now imagine that your farmer neighbor is David Lynch, but instead of terrifying and well-loved horror movie butchers of the ‘80s. Now, with eight
spending his free time making dark, surrealist Hollywood thrillers, he makes movies under his belt and a currently airing television series, Chucky is ready
home movies just for you.... for his next project: a documentary about his legacy.

When filmmaker Oscar Harding’s grandfather, who actually lived on a farm LIVING WITH CHUCKY is an ode to a horror franchise and a movie
in the rural English countryside, passed away, he bequeathed an extraordinary monster icon directed by Kyra Elise Gardener, the daughter of one of Chucky’s
videotape to the filmmaker—a feature-length home video from neighbor Charles longtime visual effects supervisors. Having grown up with a Chucky doll in
Carson. Harding’s debut documentary utilizes the bizarre found footage from her home since childhood, the filmmaker recounts the behind-the-scenes
Charles Carson’s feature-length home movie to investigate the obscure life of process of bringing the doll to life as well as the cultural impact of Chucky
this prolific inventor, outsider artist, and pioneer of death positivity. Carson and his bloodthirsty family on modern horror. LIVING WITH CHUCKY
is equal parts endearing and disturbing, as only a man who photographs is a delightful peek into the craft of special effects and blood spatters, with
chickens in overcoats and puppeteers dead cats can be. The documentary takes illuminating interviews from creator Don Mancini, Chucky’s voice actor Brad
a deep dive into his legacy through the help of a whole new generation of fans, Dourif, the incomparably talented Jennifer Tilly, and filmmaker and one-time
including Karen Kilgariff (MY FAVORITE MURDER), Derrick Beckles (TV murderous doll victim John Waters.
CARNAGE, HOT PACKAGE), Davy Rothbart (17 BLOCKS), Joe Pickett &
Nick Prueher (THE FOUND FOOTAGE FESTIVAL, CHOP & STEELE) and The documentary cleverly examines the way Chucky’s violence and impact
the collective Everything Is Terrible! have allowed the franchise to approach modern and sensitive subjects while
still finding time to dismember a few people along the way. LIVING WITH
A LI FE O N TH E FARM is a celebration of a remarkable life not easily CHUCKY shines a spotlight on the franchise’s affection among queer horror
forgotten, and a love letter to found footage without having put pen fans and the numerous ways the animatronic serial killer can fulfill and
to paper. The film is a well-needed refresher on the importance of challenge the ways we see gender and sexuality. So fire up your VHS tapes and
amateur filmmaking. (AH B RA PE RRY) get your one-liners ready, because Chucky’s coming to Fantastic Fest and he’s
brought a whole lot of friends. (AUSTIN KING)
PLAYS WITH: DEERWOODS DEATHTRAP - SEE: SHORTS WITH FEATURES PG 105

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LYNCH / OZ MANTICORE
2022 / DI R: Alexandre O. Philippe / 108 mins / USA 2022 / DI R: Carlos Vermut / 115 mins / Spain

Alexandre O. Philippe continues to make a name for himself for his thoughtful On the surface, there’s nothing particularly special about Julián (Nacho
deconstruction and analysis of directors and their bodies of work. After Alfred Sánchez). He enjoys his job as a video game designer; he has the occasional
Hitchcock (78/52), Ridley Scott (MEMORY: THE ORIGINS OF ALIEN) and drink with his friends; and he’s developing a crush on Diana (Zoe Stein). But
William Friedkin (LEAP OF FAITH), Philippe takes a deep dive into David from the very beginning of MANTICORE, we know there’s something off
Lynch’s obsession with THE WIZARD OF OZ and the profound impact it has about him, something creepy. But as he grows closer to Diana, we hope there
had on his career. might be a chance for him to get over his dark impulses.

Structured as six chapters narrated by Amy Nicholson, Rodney Asher, John While Carlos Vermut’s previous work flirted with the fantastical,
Waters, David Lowery, Justin Benson & Aaron Moorhead, and Karyn Kusama, MANTICORE zeroes in on a very human monster, eschewing any
each segment examines and compares OZ to Lynch’s work, from the prevalence unnecessary flourishes. It’s a deliberate story, a character study of a man
of red shoes to the importance of curtains. we don’t really want to see this close, but Sánchez’s performance keeps
us looking. Vermut allows us to peep in on his outward persona and his
The chapters cruise through world cinema, intercutting clips of Lynch’s movies darkest, most intimate moments without ever telling us which one is the
with films including: IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE, SUSPIRIA, GONE WITH real Julián. Slow-paced in the most agonizing way, there’s always darkness
THE WIND, PAN’S LABYRINTH, and THE BIG LEBOWSKI. Philippe creeping in, and there’s torturous tension in some scenes.
takes us on a journey between dreams and reality, suggesting that more movies
than we might realize are linked to THE WIZARD OF OZ and its fish-out-of- Returning to Fantastic Fest for the first time since his short film
water protagonist, Dorothy. MAQUETAS, Vermut has been one of the most interesting voices in
Spanish cinema for some time and has stepped it up a notch with his
As with his previous documentaries, Alexandre O. Philippe offers cinephiles latest. MANTICORE is uncomfortable, challenging, and is guaranteed
and movie lovers the opportunity to revisit classic movies and to look at them to provoke a reaction. (AN NA BOGUTSKAYA)
in new and thoughtful ways. Obviously fascinated by Lynch himself, Philippe
pays a great tribute to an iconic director and delivers a dynamic documentary
that never feels too academic or imposing for any audience. (ANNICK MAHNERT)

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MEDUSA DELUXE THE MENU

2022 / DI R: Thomas Hardiman / 100 mins / United Kingdom 2022 / DI R: Mark Mylod / 107 mins / USA

There’s no business like the hair business. Backstage at a competitive hairdressing From the freshly caught seafood to the meticulously grown microgreens, the
competition, the murder of one of their own sows discord amongst the stylists, exclusive restaurant Hawthorn gives new meaning to the term hyper-local, with
who gossip about the victim, the potential killer, and each other. There’s bad everything served sourced straight from the remote island it inhabits. Snagging
blood between them, anger at the favoritism of the judges, and even sabotage. a coveted reservation at this luxurious restaurant can take months — every guest
The key suspect is Cleve (Clare Perkins), who bounces between furious and is personally vetted, and the only way to get on and off the island is via a
smug. She rails against everything she thinks is wrong in the hair industry with privately chartered yacht.
an acid tongue, convinced that she’s far more talented than everyone else.
Ruling over it all with an iron fist is Chef Slowik (Ralph Fiennes), a perfectionist
In his debut feature, British writer-director Thomas Hardiman (previously mastermind, whose staff admire and fear him in equal measure. Tyler (Nicholas
known by his moniker Dear Mr. Quistgaard) continues the disco weirdness of Hoult) and Margot (Anya Taylor-Joy) have somehow managed to land an
his short films, which include a love story set against the backdrop of the British invitation for a very special evening on the island, but with every course, it’s
carpet industry (RADICAL HARDCORE) and a hallucinatory attempt to cure more and more clear that Chef Slowik has something much more sinister
a lazy eye (PITCH BLACK PANACEA). The film is an intoxicating watch, like planned for his guests than carefully plated amuse-bouches.
a woozy acid trip where you can almost smell the hair spray and a script that
elevates a toxic workplace into something nuclear. THE MENU is a biting satire of modern restaurant culture run amok. Boasting
a stellar ensemble cast, from John Leguizamo as a has-been actor to Hoult as a
Featuring cinematography by Robbie Ryan, the camera legend who shot THE self-serious foodie who perfectly encapsulates all that’s wrong with people who
FAVOURITE and AMERICAN HONEY, Hardiman brings both his art and binge-watch cooking shows but can barely boil water themselves. Taylor-Joy
commercial background into this disco noir. MEDUSA DELUXE is full of provides the perfect foil as his sardonic date, barely tolerating his ridiculous
aggressively hilarious dialogue, extreme personalities, and hair styles as batshit behavior. She’s also the first to catch on that something isn’t quite right at
as they are beautiful. (ANNA BOGUTSKAYA) Hawthorn. Fiennes dominates as a send-up of a monstrous celebrity chef, hell-
bent on communicating something truly meaningful through his cooking.
Brutally funny, with some shocking surprises, THE MENU is a wonderfully
entertaining, cinematic feast. (LISA DREYER)

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MISSING MISTER ORGAN

2022 / DI R: Shinzô Katayama / 124 mins / Japan 2022 / DI R: David Farrier / 96 mins / New Zealand

Distraught and depressed over his wife’s untimely death, widower Satoshi has Five years ago, Kiwi journalist David Farrier (DARK TOURIST) wrote a piece
nearly lost everything, except for the bond he shares with his beloved daughter, about a minor scandal involving the clamping of parked cars after business
Kaede. Once the successful proprietor of a small table tennis club, Satoshi’s hours in an Auckland shop’s private lot. The parking lot belonged to an antique
increasingly wandering mind begins to spin as the bills compound. When store, and its eccentric owner refused to allow anyone onto her property, paying
Kaede receives a call that her father has shortchanged the local grocer, it’s clear an individual to watch the lot like a hawk and then extorting huge amounts of
that this isn’t the first time this has happened, and Kaede sheepishly apologizes. money from the parking offenders. And it turns out that the entire thing was
all completely legal.
On the walk home, Satoshi casually mentions that he has crossed paths with No
Name, a fugitive serial killer who has fled from Tokyo to Osaka. Exasperated, Digging deeper, Farrier discovers that the parking guard, Michael Organ, is not
Kaede listens to what she thinks is another tall tale, as her father pontificates only the mysterious clamper but also the shop owner’s lawyer... and purportedly
about how the handsome reward for his capture could get them back on their a prince. David Farrier’s self-reflective examination of his investigation
feet. But when Satoshi suddenly disappears the following day, Kaede knows into Michael Organ’s past reveals the perils of journalistic obsession and
this was no joke. In the search for her father, the schoolgirl becomes embroiled persistence. David simply cannot step away, regardless of how bizarre, twisted,
in an unforgiving game of cat-and-mouse that will put her most deeply held and unhealthy his encounters with Michael Organ become.
loyalties to the test.
You’ve got to love David Farrier’s commitment. Most of Farrier’s interviewees,
MISSING is an ambitious, perspective-switching, emotional thriller that including Organ’s ex-roommates and estranged family members, have made a
turns the serial killer genre inside out. Director Shinzo Katayama cut his teeth determined effort to stay as far away from the man as possible. Driven by the
working as Bong Joon-ho’s assistant director, and the young filmmaker has same journalistic instincts that fueled his previous documentary, TICKLED,
inherited some of the genre master’s finest traits while carving out his own Farrier tenaciously clings to the story like a hungry pit bull, hoping to eventually
path and distinctive voice. Recalling the latter’s masterpiece MEMORIES shake the truth from his subject. Convinced that he can talk some sense into the
OF MURDER in tone and form, MISSING resists categorization, adeptly man, Farrier finds that he’s quickly in way over his head with an oft-charming
balancing humor, horror, pathos, and social commentary — sometimes within individual whose cleverness goes far beyond his initial expectations. Executive
the same scene. MISSING has the potential to be a deep-sleeper festival hit, produced by FF alum Ant Timpson. (ANNICK MAHNERT)
and heralds the arrival of a fascinating new talent in Katayama. (LORI DONNELLY)
PLAYS WITH: THE EVENT - SEE: SHORTS WITH FEATURES PG 106

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NIGHTMARE NIGHTSIREN
2022 / DI R: Kjersti Helen Rasmussen / 99 mins / Norway 2022 / DI R: Tereza Nvotová / 109 mins / Slovakia, Czech Republic

Mona and Robby are a young couple in love, with everything seemingly going Twenty years after a tragic accident involving her sister, Šarlota returns to her
their way. Robby has just landed his dream job, and the couple has scored an remote mountain hometown in Slovakia to claim an inheritance left by her
amazing deal on a spacious flat. Never mind that the flat requires quite a bit dead mother. Upon her arrival, she discovers that her mother’s house has
of renovation, Mona takes the work on in Robby’s absence, quitting her job to burned to the ground.
support him. Never mind that the neighbors’ constant fighting or screaming
baby disrupts Mona’s days. Never mind that Mona is suddenly suffering from Without a place to stay, she takes refuge in her former neighbor’s abandoned
night terrors, which intensify each time she falls asleep. But to top it all off, cabin. Šarlota slowly reconnects with the villagers and befriends Mira, a young
Robby is eager to start a family, despite Mona’s hesitance, and he’s oblivious to woman educated in herbalism who lives close to the edge of the forest. As she
Mona’s struggle against her own problems. pieces together what happened after she ran away, Šarlota is confronted by
the brutal misogyny and patriarchy of the superstitious locals who decide that
Eventually, Mona’s issues spiral too far out of control for even Robby to ignore, Šarlota must be a witch based on her behavior.
as she becomes convinced she is being attacked by a mythical demon, the Mare,
that seems intent on possessing her unborn child. NIGHTSIREN is an amazing movie about a present-day society that continues
to trivialize aggression and misogyny. By combining superstition and patriarchy
In her debut feature, writer/director Kjersti Helen Rasmussen crafts a timely and infusing subtle genre elements, director Tereza Nvotová tells a powerful
horror film that explores the consequences of a woman who no longer has story about the acceptance of violence by the village women who perpetually
control over her own body. Eili Harboe (from previous festival favorites THE stand by their abusive husbands, having never known anything else. The women
WAVE and THELMA) captures Mona’s inner turmoil and pain exquisitely, find reassurance in the patriarchal order and are threatened by the destabilizing
becoming increasingly undone as the film progresses, but never losing the will effect these two young, libertine women have on their community, ultimately
to fight for her own life. turning to superstition to make sense of their behavior.

Plenty of effective scares and disturbing imagery are interwoven into the layered From the story, the cinematography, the art design, to the fantastic casting,
story, creating a film that is compelling, shocking, and thought-provoking. Nvotová’s film is a perfect gem that should only be fully experienced on the
We’re thrilled that Fantastic Fest audiences will be the first to experience the big screen. (ANNICK MAHNERT)
thrill of Rasmussen’s NIGHTMARE. (LISA DREYER)

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NOTHING THE OFFERING

2022 / DI R: Trine Piil & Seamus McNally / 88 mins / Denmark, Germany 2022 / DI R: Oliver Park / 93 mins / USA

In NOTHING, the kids are not all right. A seventh-grade boy has an existential Art returns to his childhood home in Brooklyn with his pregnant wife,
crisis, decides that everything in life is purposeless, and climbs up a tree. His Claire, hoping to reconcile with his father, Saul, in order to clear some
classmates try everything to get him down, including pelting him with rocks, of his outstanding debt. Saul works as the undertaker for the local Hasidic
but with no success. community, and unfortunately, their latest corpse carries a Jewish demon with
plans for Claire’s unborn child. As the body count rises and the fate of Claire’s
As his outlook on life slowly becomes contagious, his classmates create a baby hangs in the balance, the family must dive into Kabbalah lore to ward off
“heap of meaning” to prove him wrong, each offering sacrifices that have deep the entity and protect their future.
personal meaning to them. It starts off with superficial donations — a pair of
shoes, a fishing rod, assorted teenage knickknacks — but soon the sacrifices take THE OFFERING is a welcome update to the haunted house genre, with
a more demanding and far darker turn. characters discussing ancient interpretations of the Torah and translating
Hebrew to build demon traps. Much of the movie takes place in a candlelit
The adults around them are at a loss to explain or alleviate the existential funeral home, which thankfully offers numerous dark corners from which the
despair the kids are feeling, and as the extreme measures the classmates take to demon can hide and jump out. The finale of THE OFFERING is a visual
just feel something, or anything, NOTHING grows dark with dread with every effects showcase as the funeral home becomes a maze of walking corpses and
passing minute. shadowy monsters.

Sitting somewhere between LORD OF THE FLIES and the works of Larry As the characters lose their sanity and the funeral home comes under the
Clark, the film is based on the Danish young adult novel by Janne Teller, which demon’s control, reality is tossed out the proverbial window in favor of unique
caused a sensation upon its release in 2010 and is now an obligatory read in set design and over-the-top setpieces. THE OFFERING continuously ups the
Denmark. The film adaptation maintains this oppressive, overwhelming tone ante until the film’s final, surprising twist. (AUSTIN KING)
of despair which descends into brutality — made even more unsettling because
the perpetrators and the victims are all children. (ANNA BOGUTSKAYA)

PLAYS WITH: THE BUSINESSMAN - SEE: SHORTS WITH FEATURES PG 104

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OINK ONE AND FOUR

2022 / DI R: Mascha Halberstad / 70 mins / The Netherlands 2021 / DI R: Jigme Trinley / 88 mins / China

Butcher Tuitjes’ troubles start when the annual King Sausage contest turns Somewhere on a frozen mountain, forest ranger Sanggye’s monotone life is
sour. Humiliated by accusations of cheating and banned from competing for disturbed by the arrival of a wounded man who storms through his door with
25 years, he abandons his family and disappears across the Atlantic into the a rifle, claiming to be a regional forestry police officer hot on the trail of a
United States. poacher. Sanggye immediately suspects the man to be the poacher himself,
but the officer takes Sanggye to the site where he crashed his car in pursuit of
Returning just in time for the 100th anniversary of that same competition, the poacher. As night falls and a blizzard approaches, the officer and the ever-
he moves into his granddaughter Babs’ little garden cabin behind their suspicious Sanggye return to the cabin. They are quickly joined by two more
family home. Babs couldn’t be unhappier about being kicked out, but their intruders, setting the stage for a four-way standoff with each man suspecting the
relationship improves when Tuitjes gifts her with a cute little piglet, which she others of being either the poacher or the poacher’s accomplice.
names Oink. Alas, unbeknownst to Babs, her grandpa has very special plans for
Oink... and I‘ll let you guess what they are. Adapted from the novel by Jamyang Tsering and constructed like a Western, this
tale of four men and the increasing distrust between them brings back memories
This stop-motion animated feature had its world premiere at the Berlin of Tarantino’s HATEFUL EIGHT. But Trinley’s film is much more than that,
International Film Festival last February. Recommended for ages six and and he resists slipping into unnecessary violence, concentrating instead on the
above, there are multiple layers and readings to this movie. Yes, it’s cute and men’s deep suspicion of each other, with an atmosphere building like a pressure
it’s charming. But if you transpose the story into the real world, you’ll discover cooker. Supported by the amazing cinematography by Lv Songye and art design
a dark tale about betrayal and survival, where our little Oink is the final pig. by Daktse Dundrup, texture and nature become characters themselves in this
The characters are all fantastically multi-layered and there’s definitely a deeper impressive first feature from Tibetan director Jigme Trinley. (ANNICK MAHNERT)
meaning to this adorable (but ultimately horrific) little piggy story. Oh, and
there’s poop. Lots of poop.

Mascha Halberstad, a seasoned animator who has helmed many shorts and
features, is supposedly currently working on KING SAUSAGE, a prequel short to
OINK. I hope it’s about sausages taking revenge on their creators. (ANNICK MAHNERT)

PLAYS WITH: EX CRETA - SEE: SHORTS WITH FEATURES PG 106

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THE PEOPLE’S JOKER PIGGY

2022 / DI R: Vera Drew / 92 mins / USA 2022 / DI R: Carlota Pereda / 90 mins / Spain

If you think you know the story of Batman’s arch-nemesis, think again. Sara’s life is a living hell. She spends her days in her small Spanish village alone
Gotham’s Clown Prince of Crime takes the superhero movie genre hostage to and alienated by teenage bullies who ruthlessly humiliate her in particularly
clear up some misconceptions. Batman is not the hero we need but a corporate cruel ways over her weight. Sara can barely find the courage to speak, keeping
branding megalomaniac, and the Joker is a trans woman attempting to liberate her increasing rage bottled up inside. After witnessing her bullies being
comedy from tech giant overlords. THE PEOPLE’S JOKER is a rebellious, violently kidnapped, she faces a moral dilemma: Does she alert the authorities
copyright-pushing ode to the Harlequin of Hate. It’s all satire, of course, just in to what she’s seen or give into her baser instincts and let her tormentors get
case any Queebso content police are poking around. what’s coming to them?

Told from her own perspective, THE PEOPLE’S JOKER reclaims one of Director Carlota Pereda’s debut film thrives off playing with the murky
comic and blockbuster movies’ most prolific antagonists as a camp, queer morality of the situation, giving the audience a reason to root for a monster,
coming-of-age hero. Director/co-writer/star Vera Drew crafts a hilarious, honest while feeling as conflicted as the main character. Pereda ramps up the tension
examination of trans identity through the lens of the most commercial and throughout the film, keeping us in suspense about what path Sara will choose
ubiquitous movie genre of the day. Pulling inspiration from the character’s until the very end. Real credit also belongs to actress Laura Galán, who inhabits
decades-long cinematic history, this Joker uses two-dimensional animation, the role of Sara so effectively that you can’t help but put yourself in her shoes
CGI, live action, and stop motion animation to honor and interrogate the and feel deep empathy for the bizarre situation she finds herself in.
Joker’s legacy.
PIGGY carries the torch of twisted coming-of-age horror classics like CARRIE,
Queer coming-of-age movies have been around as long as cinema, but what playing with and expanding on the typical genre tropes. Gloriously gruesome
makes THE PEOPLE’S JOKER so refreshing is its embrace of the queer villain and full of moral ambiguity, the film also features one of my personal favorite
trope and the honesty with which Vera Drew tackles questions around trans finales of the fest. (LISA DREYER)
identity and the modern media landscape. In an age where queer characters
are frequently reduced to palatable, non-threatening leads (or worse), THE PLAYS WITH: THE BLUE HOUR - SEE: SHORTS WITH FEATURES PG 104
PEOPLE’S JOKER is a harbinger of institutional rebellion and property
destruction. Bring your facepaint, pigtails, and estrogen vats, and get ready to
join the Caped Crusader’s Rogues Gallery yourself. (AUSTIN KING)

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PROJECT WOLF HUNTING SATANIC HISPANICS

2022 / DI R: Kim Hong-sun / 121 mins / South Korea 2022 / DI R: Mike Mendez, Demian Rugna, Eduardo Sanchez,
Gigi Saul Guerrero & Alejandro Brugués / 105 mins / USA, Mexico, Argentina
A passel of Korea’s most heinous criminals have been under lock and key in
the Philippines, but the time has come for them to be extradited back home. It starts with a police raid that uncovers a mysterious man chained up in
The last time such a transfer took place, pandemonium broke out when a man a locked room. This mysterious man, who only refers to himself as the
out for revenge turned a public arrivals hall into a scene of carnage. Rather Traveler, leads us through four stories directed by beloved Fantastic Fest
than make the headlines for all the wrong reasons again, this time they will directors and alumni.
be transported via cargo ship under heavily armed guard. But it’s a long way
between Manila and Busan. Without trying to spoil anything, here’s a glimpse of what to expect: Demian
Rugna’s eerie TAMBIEN LO VI is about a man who sees something in his
A few minutes into PROJECT WOLF HUNTING, the phrase “Korean CON house. Ed Sanchez revisits the myth of the vampire in his hilarious EL
AIR on a boat” may come to mind, but while it hits some of the same pleasing VAMPIRO, while Gigi Saul Guerrero takes us on a creepy journey into the
notes early on, this unhinged slice of genre mayhem quickly turns into a very NAHAULES culture. Last but not least, Alejandro Brugués will make you
different beast. The narrative economy allows the knives and guns to come out cry (from laughing too hard) with his HAMMER OF ZANZIBAR. These
early, and once the bodies start dropping, they never stop. four stories are tied together by Mike Mendez’s brilliant TRAVELER, which
will send chills down your spine with its awesome cinematic finale. Don’t
A midnight delight with more than a few giddily deranged aces stuffed up its forget to look for familiar faces in that one (hint hint).
bleeding sleeves, this action-packed at-sea gorefest is here to entertain. And
entertain it does, as grimacing and bloodthirsty characters, each as colorful as There is always that one movie at Fantastic Fest that comes in when you have
the ship’s many containers, tear each other apart in the labyrinthine belly of a almost locked your program. The one that irritates you because it has come
floating hellscape from which there is no escape. (PIERCE CONRAN) so late but, at the same time, excites you because you know the directors’
work and you don’t want to miss out on their new projects. What a joy
and relief it is when it turns out the wait was worthwhile. I guarantee that
you’ll leave the theater with a big smile on your face. Oh, and guess what
else? I found out that September is Hispanic Heritage Month. SATANIC
HISPANICS in your face! (ANNICK MAHNERT)

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SHIN ULTRAMAN SICK

2022 / DI R: Shinji Higuchi / 113 mins / Japan 2022 / DI R: John Hyams / 82 mins / USA

There’s never a dull day on Japan’s newly established SSSP kaiju defense As the pandemic steadily brings the world to a halt, Parker and her best friend
taskforce, led by Kimio Tamura, played by DRIVE MY CAR’s Hidetoshi Miri decide to quarantine at the family lake house alone - or so they think.
Nishijima. After a particularly challenging encounter, a giant silver robot Directed by John Hyams (ALONE), written by Kevin Williamson (SCREAM, I
descends from the sky to rescue the country. Dubbed Ultraman, this robot’s KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER) and Katelyn Crabb (SICK) and
identity and purpose are a mystery. SHIN ULTRAMAN is a delightful starring Gideon Adlon (BLOCKERS, THE CRAFT: LEGACY), Bethlehem
reimagining of one of Japan’s classic superheroes, full of cosmic twists, campy Million (AND JUST LIKE THAT), Marc Menchaca (THE OUTSIDER,
villains, and giants of all species. OZARK), and Jane Adams (TWIN PEAKS, POLTERGEIST, HACKS).

Hideaki Anno and Shinji Higuchi’s Shin franchise began with Fantastic Fest
favorite SHIN GODZILLA, which updated the lizard’s nuclear metaphor for
the 21st Century. Now their second film, SHIN ULTRAMAN, transports an
episode of the original TV show into 2022 — complete with cheesy beam effects
and villains who spell out their entire plan to the hero. Be prepared for fast
cuts, cool monsters, and more proper noun labels than a kaiju defense force
government budget can successfully itemize.

As a big fan of kaiju movies, and SHIN GODZILLA specifically, I have been
anticipating this film for years. I am delighted that, in addition to being a
celebration of one of my favorite characters, SHIN ULTRAMAN explores how
the optimistic retro-futurism of the ‘60s television show could inspire change
and combat a slide into militarism and extremism in a modern age. There
are plenty of city-destroying battles as well as discussions around the role of
government protection and the moral obligation to defy higher authority. Even
without all of this, SHIN ULTRAMAN still basks in the joy of seeing giants
walk around Japan. (AUSTIN KING)

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SICK OF MYSELF SMOKING CAUSES COUGHING

2022 / DI R: Kristoffer Borgli / 95 mins / Norway, Sweden 2022 / DI R: Quentin Dupieux / 80 mins / France

With no distinguishing interests or ambition beyond a pathological need for It’s impossible to describe the plot of French absurdist auteur Quentin
attention, Signe lives a life of quiet desperation, dying for others to take notice Dupieux’s latest film, SMOKING CAUSES COUGHING, without bursting
of her. As her equally self-absorbed boyfriend’s career as a conceptual artist into giggles... but let’s give it a try. A group of French superheroes, called the
begins to flourish, Signe feels overlooked as their toxic relationship based on “Tobacco Force” (not a typo) with names like Ammonia, Nicotine, Methanol,
games of mutual one-upsmanship begin to tilt in his favor. and Mercury, have lost their team spirit. In order to refocus before their fight
to save the world from impending doom at the hands of their nemesis Lézardin
Working the daily grind in a local coffee shop, Signe is delighted to find herself and his evil lizard henchmen (also not a typo), they head off for a week-long
the source of concern and admiration when she comes to the assistance of a mountain retreat to reconnect as a team.
woman who stumbles into the cafe suffering from a vicious dog bite. Desperate
to prolong her moment in the spotlight, Signe obnoxiously coughs her way Unbelievably productive as a director, Dupieux has two films on the festival
to center stage at a fancy celebratory dinner in honor of her boyfriend’s first circuit right now (his other comedy, INCREDIBLE BUT TRUE, is also doing
exhibition by faking a deadly nut allergy, and from here on out, Signe is hooked. the rounds). SMOKING CAUSES COUGHING is a spacey, stoner comedy
that somehow manages to fit in copious amounts of murder, mutilation, and a
Inspired by a headline about an illicit Russian drug that mysteriously causes commentary on pollution in a scant 77 minutes.
painful scarring of the flesh, Signe escalates her self-abuse and her world opens
up with opportunities beyond her wildest dreams — helpful friends flock to her Dupieux’s filmmaking style isn’t for everyone, but for fans of his
side, and she becomes the face of an inclusive modeling campaign. The more previous weird comedies like RUB B E R or DE E RSKI N, this is another
pills Signe pops, the more the lies pile up, as she careens out of control in a banger. For newcomers to his work, it’s likely to be one of the most out-
grotesque transformation of Cronenbergian proportions. there films in the Fantastic Fest line-up this year (and we’ve got sharks
this year, so that’s saying something). A guaranteed good time with no
A skillfully calibrated performance by lead actress Kristine Kujath Thorp adverse health side-effects. (AN NA BOGUTSKAYA)
(NINJA BABY) grounds the cringeworthy humor, silly visual gags, and gross-
out makeup effects. SICK OF MYSELF is a pitch black comedy that takes PLAYS WITH: RETURN TO SENDER - SEE: SHORTS WITH FEATURES PG 108
the self-serving, narcissistic tendencies of an attention-seeking, social-media-
obsessed society to outlandish extremes. (LORI DONNELLY)

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SOLOMON KING SOMETHING IN THE DIRT

1974 / DI R: Jack Bomay & Sal Watts / 85 mins / USA 2022 / DI R: Justin Benson & Aaron Moorhead / 115 mins / USA

When Solomon King’s princess girlfriend is assassinated, it’s up to him to solve Levi and John (played by filmmaking duo Justin Benson and Aaron
the case. Trained by the CIA, Solomon King is ready to take on anything and Moorhead) become fast friends after Levi bums a cigarette in the courtyard
anyone… and to do it in style. What follows is a dynamic, action-packed, and of the LA apartment complex he’s moving into a month before leaving town.
frequently humorous revenge tale, as Solomon King comes up against a variety While moving furniture into Levi’s long abandoned unit, the two discover
of villains, from the henchmen of an oil kingpin to corrupt agents, always a quartz crystal levitating on its own and emitting beams of light. When the
coming out on top. phenomenon repeats days later, the pair cobble together some filmmaking gear
to produce a documentary on their findings, hoping that the end result will
Propelled by a fabulous funk soundtrack, SOLOMON KING is not only yield the recognition they have long craved.
wildly entertaining but an important piece of Black film history. A time
capsule of Oakland in the 1970s, SOLOMON KING showcases the hard What follows is a meandering descent down an ever-expanding rabbit hole
work and dedication of Sal Watts, who not only directed the film, but also whose tenuous connections and coincidences fold onto themselves like the
wrote, produced, and starred in it. Watts leveraged his pre-filmmaking success, Russian dolls hanging in the dilapidated courtyard. The stakes grow increasingly
shooting much of the film in businesses he owned and supplied a majority of higher as the phenomenon becomes more bizarre, threatening to erode the
the disco-ready wardrobe from his own clothing stores. friendship and fragile mental state of the two loners as they attempt to find
purpose in a society that has passed them by.
Fantastic Fest is proud to present the world premiere of this fascinating piece
of lost film history. Our friends at Deaf Crocodile have done a phenomenal Following their acclaimed hit SYNCHRONIC and their work on MOON
job restoring the film, working closely with Watts’s widow, Belinda Burton- KNIGHT, Benson and Moorhead have returned to their DIY roots and crafted
Watts, who not only appears in the film briefly, but also stored the original their most personal film yet. Using a tangled web of YouTube videos, TED talks,
soundtrack elements in her closet for decades. Fans of innovative, independent subreddits, pseudo-science books, and reality TV exposés as inspiration, the
filmmaking will be bowled over by the ingenuity, heart, and hard work that filmmakers deftly weave home movies, found footage, and archival materials
went into crafting SOLOMON KING. (LISA DREYER) throughout the narrative, creating a meta-film that eludes classification.
SOMETHING IN THE DIRT is both an intimate portrait of male loneliness
and friendship, and a cautionary tale about the quest for meaning amid the
deluge of (mis)information in the internet age. (LORI DONNELLY)

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SPOONFUL OF SUGAR THE STRANGE CASE OF JACKY CAILLOU

2022 / DI R: Mercedes Bryce Morgan / 94 mins / USA 2022 / DI R: Lucas Delangle / 92 mins / France

Millicent is taking a semester off from her studies to concentrate on her thesis Jacky lives with his grandmother, a locally renowned energy healer. In a sleepy
about children with severe allergies, which makes her the perfect person to rural town high in the French Alps, his days are divided between soaking up
take care of little Johnny, a sickly, mute child who suffers from every allergy wisdom from his grandmother on the art of healing and pursuing his own
under the sun, from nickel to artificial fabric. His overbearing mother, Rebecca, artistic interests: composing ambient experimental music. Jacky is torn between
is an accomplished author who is focused on her latest book release, while carrying on the family tradition or leaving for the big city to fulfill his dreams
his dissatisfied father, Jacob, spends sweaty, shirtless days toiling away on a of making a living as a musician.
carpentry project in the backyard.
When Jacky’s grandmother suddenly passes away and a particularly compelling
Lacking a family of her own and seeking escape from the creepy arrangement young woman with a mysterious rash arrives on his doorstep, he has no choice
she has with a father figure (Austin’s own David Yow of Jesus Lizard fame), but to stay and try to help. As her condition worsens, it becomes clear that she’s
Millicent enmeshes herself in the family’s dysfunctional lives — forming afflicted with no ordinary illness. She’s transforming into something dangerous
a disturbing bond with the young Johnny, carrying on a torrid affair with before his eyes, but he’s already in too deep to abandon her.
Jacob, and taking more liberal use of the LSD that she microdoses as part of
a therapeutic regimen. As Johnny’s behavior becomes increasingly violent A subtle fairytale, THE STRANGE CASE OF JACKY CAILLOU brims with an
and Millicent’s disturbing hallucinations grow more prevalent, the threads all otherworldly atmosphere, transporting us to a place infused with the mystical.
converge, threatening to throw Rebecca’s tidy world into chaos. This beautifully realized first feature from Lucas Delangle unfolds slowly with
both humor and heart. Thomas Parigi, a musician and first-time actor, anchors
A disturbing domestic melodrama and psychological horror, the film with a mesmerizing performance as the conflicted Jacky. A variety of
S P O O N F U L O F S U GAR is a Freudian fever dream in the form of a non-actors populate other roles, giving the film a realistic charm. A personal
deranged Lifetime movie. (LO RI D O N N E LLY) favorite of mine from Cannes, THE STRANGE CASE OF JACKY CAILLOU
is a compelling, lush meditation on love and loss... with a twist. (LISA DREYER)
PLAYS WITH: EVERYBODY GOES TO THE HOSPITAL - SEE: SHORTS WITH FEATURES PG 106
PLAYS WITH: NIGHT - SEE: SHORTS WITH FEATURES PG 108

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SWALLOWED TERRIFIER 2
2022 / DI R: Carter Smith / 94 mins / USA 2022 / DI R: Damien Leone / 137 mins / USA

Ben (Cooper Koch) is on his way to start a career as an adult film star, but his Art the Clown (David Howard Thornton) is back in the long-awaited sequel
friend Dom (Jose Colon) has a get-rich-quick scheme for the childhood friends to Damien Leone’s 2016 cult slasher TERRIFIER. Sienna (Lauren LaVera),
to handle before crossing the Canada/Maine border. When the two decide the a teenage artist with a penchant for cosplay design, first encounters Art in
stakes are no longer worth it, Alice (Jena Malone) holds the two at gunpoint gruesome nightmares and fantastical hallucinations that would make Freddy
and forces them to ingest bags of drugs she describes as “exceptionally rare.” Krueger blush. The bodies start piling up when Art begins to make his way
After crossing the border, one of the bags bursts in Dom’s stomach and the closer to his prime targets, including Sienna’s misfit younger brother Jonathan
men discover the “drugs” they’ve been tasked with delivering are living, and (Elliott Fullam), dispatching Miles County’s denizens in horrifically creative
growing, inside their bodies. and gooey fashion along the way. As Art inches closer, Sienna and Jonathan
confront their dark family history, which may hold the key to their salvation
SWALLOWED is an intimate crime thriller and a gut-wrenching body horror from the deranged killer.
movie, approaching complex themes around queer men’s sexuality and the
commodification and consumption of youth. A cabin-in-the-woods style plot Thornton doesn’t disappoint with his intensely physical performance as
unfolds as Ben must balance his friend’s life with the greedy desires of Rich, the sometimes hilarious, always creepy Art, whose Marcel Marceau meets
the leader of the smuggling operation, played by NIGHTMARE ON ELM Jason Voorhees schtick would have been the stuff of legend among ‘80s
STREET 2’s Mark Patton. and ‘90s kids. This time he is joined by an unnamed but equally terrifying
female counterpart, and Art and his companion take glee in turning the
Patton is a force in this — a gay villain with depth and humanity psychological screws before unpacking a trash-bag treasure trove of self-
who is offered little redemption. You cannot help but watch as Rich made weapons, each one lovingly handcrafted to inflict maximum pain.
methodically throws characters away or abandons them to grisly fates,
all in pursuit of sex, money, and drugs. He is the stereotype of queer evil, Leone and his team of practical effects artists have outdone themselves
but the script and Patton’s performance craft a fascinating character who this time around, producing some of the most stomach churning, Savini-
is both engaging and utterly repulsive. Uncomfortable in its authenticity esque deaths in modern memory. Skirting the boundaries of good taste,
and detailed in its effects, SWALLOWE D’s queer pressure cooker of TERRIFIER 2 is an over-the-top throwback that is both nostalgic and
eroticism and hallucination is perfect for anyone who wants to see modern and is an absolute must-see for slasher fans not afraid of a little (or
beautiful men and disgusting creatures. (AUSTI N KI NG) a lot of) overkill. (LORI DONNELLY)

PLAYS WITH: HAIRSUCKER - SEE: SHORTS WITH FEATURES PG 107

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TROPIC ULTRAMAN (4K EDITION)

2022 / DI R: Edouard Salier / 110 mins / France 1066 / DI R: Samaji Nonagase, Hajime Tsuburaya & Akio Jissoji / 101 mins / Japan

Twin brothers Tristan and Lazaro are at the top of their class, training to become In conjunction with the feature SHIN ULTRAMAN, we are presenting
the first generation of European astronauts destined to launch a colonization the brand new 4k restoration of four episodes of the original Ultraman
effort. Tristan, who always performs just a bit better, is the driving force of the television series.
team. While doing a bit of extracurricular training in a pond one night, an
unidentified object crashes nearby, infecting Tristan with a disfiguring illness.
With one brother disabled, the balance of their twinhood shifts. Lazaro is
forced to step up and continue his training alone, while never fully accepting
that his brother is no longer capable of being the exceptional man he seemed
destined to become.

I have personally tracked Edouard Salier’s career since his short film HABANA,
which garnered many awards on the festival circuit in 2014 (and if you haven’t
seen it, I encourage you to seek it out on the web). In his first feature, Salier
tackles a universal theme about humanity: Does being different make you a
lesser human being? Structured in chapters, TROPIC follows Lazaro as he
deals with the changes affecting his brother: from refusal to acceptance; from
shame to pride; from monster to human; and ultimately, from rejection to love.

A disturbing and philosophical cross between science fiction and drama,

TROPIC is a fantastic debut film from a director who has worked on music
videos for bands such as Massive Attack and Metronome, as well as commercials
for Nike and Coca-Cola. What took you so long, Edouard? (ANNICK MAHNERT)

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UNICORN WARS UNIDENTIFIED OBJECTS

2022 / DI R: Alberto Vázquez / 92 mins / Spain, France 2022 / DI R: Juan Felipe Zuleta / 100 mins / USA

A good unicorn is a dead unicorn. Treacherous teddies out for blood and Set during the COVID-19 pandemic, Peter has made a point of avoiding
savagely murderous unicorns…. Who wouldn’t want to see this movie? substantial interaction with others, and his prickly nature keeps anyone firmly
at arm’s length. But when his neighbor, Winona, convinces him to accompany
UNICORN WARS is a festival of animated gore, unpolitical correctness, her on a road trip across the US and Canada to reunite with the aliens that
and mental characters, with a deeper environmentalist and anti-war message. abducted her years earlier, he quickly learns that there’s not much room to
Don’t expect CARE BEARS and MY LITTLE PONY. This is definitely not an hide in the car. While on the road, Peter will be forced to confront his own
animated feature for the kids. When the official pressbook describes the film insecurities and fears. The two embark on an illegal border crossing, encounter
as half APOCALYPSE NOW and half BAMBI, you know you’re in for a treat. extraterrestrial traffic cops, and seek answers to existential questions.

Following the journey of an army company of teddy bears with absolutely no UNIDENTIFIED OBJECTS is an intimate argument about identity and
experience whatsoever in warfare, UNICORN WARS starts as a gentle tale social obligation wrapped inside a UFO movie. This high concept is grounded
and quickly turns into an exquisite nightmare. One teddy soldier in particular by the actor who plays Peter, Matthew August Jeffers, as he and the script allow
dreams of becoming immortal. You see, he believes that if he drinks the blood Peter to be mean, difficult, and even outright wrong while laser-focusing on the
of the last unicorn, he will become God-like and live forever... and he’ll walk circumstances that have brought the character to this point. As a gay man with
over corpses to get there. dwarfism, Peter is extremely aware of the ways other people categorize him,
and much of the film sees him wrestle with his own existence in a world that
Adapted from his 2013 short film UN ICORN B LOOD, UN ICORN too often rejects him.
WARS is Alberto Vázquez’s second and most ambitious animated
feature. A seasoned illustrator and comic book artist, Vázquez is also the This is not a movie with nice, palatable people that always make the most
man behind PSICONAUTAS, which should ring a bell with Fantastic polite or kind choices, and it’s better and more authentic for this. Even
Fest audiences. (AN N ICK MAH N E RT) without the possibility of aliens, UNIDENTIFIED OBJECTS chronicles
a country and a man grappling with the failings of institutions and leaders,
PLAYS WITH: SUCKS TO BE THE MOON - SEE: SHORTS WITH FEATURES PG 109 left wondering if there is any way forward that doesn’t involve leaving the
galaxy altogether. (AUSTIN KING)

PLAYS WITH: THE COMMUNITY - SEE: SHORTS WITH FEATURES PG 105

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V/H/S/99 VENUS
2022 / DI R: Johannes Roberts, Maggie Levin, Flying Lotus, Tyler MacIntyre, 2022 / DI R: Jaume Balagueró / 100 mins / Spain
Vanessa Winter & Joseph Winter / 99 mins / USA
Lucía is a dancer at a techno nightclub in Madrid. After a show one night, she
The V/H/S franchise returns to Fantastic Fest to take us back to the yesteryear sneaks into the club owner’s locker and steals a big bag of ecstasy. Caught in
of goopy children’s competition shows, riot grrrl bands, and Y2K paranoia. the act by the bouncer, she manages to escape but is stabbed in the leg on the
That’s right, it’s time to see what monsters are hanging out in these old videos way out. Bleeding profusely and wanting to avoid the hospital, Lucía seeks
from 1999. The found footage series possesses a group of teenagers’ home refuge with her sister and young niece, who live in a rundown building on the
movies with five stories of terrifying creeps and mysterious cults. outskirts of Madrid.

Each segment is about people trying to fit into a group, whether observing a Lucía quickly senses something is very wrong with the building and the
witch coven from the outside or undergoing a supernatural hazing ritual for neighbors, three older ladies, are behaving strangely. When her sister disappears
a sorority. The anthology staple approaches themes of loneliness and social one morning, Lucía has no choice but to watch over her niece and protect her
isolation, and it’s hard not to feel for even the most grotesque subjects as shaky from what’s hiding between the walls.
camcorder footage and digital timestamps chronicle their grisly deaths.
When you think of Jaume Balagueró, you automatically think of [REC]. But
The gonzo special effects return as each segment embraces over-the-top kills few remember that the Catalán director has been active in genre cinema for
and dark humor. It’s not a V/H/S movie if the fake blood hose isn’t turned a very long time, with movies like LOS SIN NOMBRES, DARKNESS, and
up to eleven and the gags aren’t flying around like a bat out of hell. The FRÁGILES. [REC] is certainly the title that garnered him international fame,
segments for this entry were directed by Johannes Roberts, Maggie Levin, but it’s not my favorite of his movies. That would be MIENTRAS DUERMES.
Flying Lotus, Tyler MacIntyre, and Joseph and Vanessa Winter. As the The atmosphere Balagueró created in that movie is heavy and suffocating. And
millennium closes, get ready to embrace the terrifying future of a new age of he injects that same atmosphere into VENUS.
bloody dismemberment and demonic culling. Come for the ‘90s nostalgia
and leave a die-hard Bitch Cat fan. (AUSTIN KING) Contained and disturbing, with characters that send chills down your spine,
Balagueró’s latest movie seems to be a very personal project, and one he put
his entire passion for genre cinema into. It’s been five years since his last genre
movie, and I can genuinely say that the wait was worthwhile. (ANNICK MAHNERT)

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VESPER THE VISITOR FROM THE FUTURE

2022 / DI R: Kristina Buožytè & Bruno Samper / 112 mins / Belgium, France, Lithuania 2022 / DI R: François Descraques / 102 mins / France

In a dark future following the global collapse of the ecosystem, oligarchs live Alice (Enya Baroux) is an eco-activist fighting against the construction of a
in closed off cities called Citadels and have locked seeds with a genetic code so power plant, a project led by her own father. Her worst fears about a pending
that they can only produce a single harvest. Vesper, a 13-year-old girl with an climate disaster are confirmed when a snarky, nameless time traveler (Florent
innate understanding of plant genetics, is working to unlock the seeds’ genetic Dorin) pays her a visit... with every intention of killing her dad. Instead, he
code when she finds an unconscious woman in the swampy woods. takes both of them to the future — the year 2555 to be exact — to witness the
aftermath of an explosion at that very same power plant that eradicates most
Camellia, whose Citadel glider crashed, asks Vesper for help in finding her of life on Earth.
father who is still out there, promising access to the Citadel in return. When
Vesper’s uncle Jonas reaches the crash site first, he makes a decision that will Future Earth sucks. It’s got zombies, no solid food, and a giant murder cloud
unite Camellia and Vesper against the powerful, leading to a revolution that of pollution that decimates any living thing that comes into contact with it.
may save the remnants of humanity’s lower classes. Oh, and the Time Police are hot on their tail. Confronted with the very real
consequences of their decisions, Alice and her father will need to decide how
In their second feature, directors Kristina Buožytè and Bruno Samper to move forward. Do they sacrifice themselves for the good of mankind, or do
(VANISHING WAVES) stick to science fiction storytelling, tackling a subject they set the world on the path of destruction?
that doesn’t seem all that far from present reality. Our crops are already
engineered for insect resistance or herbicide tolerance, and although they’re Based on the hyper-successful web-series of the same name, the brainchild
currently illegal in many parts of the world, genetically modified single-harvest of brothers Raphaël and François Descraques, who together with their
seeds already exist, promising to reap huge profits for agricultural corporations. leading man, Florent Dorin, form the collective Frenchnerd, the feature film
It seems we could be just a few legal battles away from Buožytè and Semper’s adaptation is an irreverent take on time travel with echos of FLIGHT OF THE
dystopian future. CONCHORDS. A nerdy comedy of time errors with a distinct French flavor,
THE VISITOR FROM THE FUTURE delivers some good, old-fashioned
Supported by great VFX, fantastic art design, and beautiful cinematography, science fiction fun wrapped in internet humor. (ANNA BOGUTSKAYA)
VESPER is definitely one of the best SF discoveries of the year. (ANNICK MAHNERT)

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WE MIGHT AS WELL BE DEAD A WOUNDED FAWN

2022 / DI R: Natalia Sinelnikova / 93 mins / Germany, Romania 2022 / DI R: Travis Stevens / 91 mins / USA

Anna is a security guard in a high-rise building at the edge of the forest. It’s a Art broker Bruce Ernst (Josh Ruben) is a dream. Ruggedly handsome,
safe, harmonious place where the tenants are carefully selected by a stringent exceptionally learned, an excellent cook, and the owner of an immaculately
vetting committee. It’s a self-sustaining utopia, far away from the madness of furnished mid-century modern “cabin” on a conveniently isolated, wooded lot.
the big city. One day, a dog disappears, and its owner begins accusing the other Bruce also happens to be a deranged, misogynistic serial killer, egged on by a
tenants in the building, causing quite a stir and a big rift in the community. host of horrific demons that include, most prominently, a gigantic red owl. But
Anna already has enough on her hands since her daughter, Iris, has locked hey, nobody’s perfect!
herself in the bathroom and refuses to come out, and now she has to deal with
the creeping paranoia and fear among the tenants that’s very quickly escalating Museum curator Meredith (Sarah Lind) is struggling to move forward from
into indecency and absurdity. the wreckage of an abusive relationship when she makes the fateful decision
to accept Bruce’s invitation for a romantic weekend getaway. Although she’s
Natalia Sinelnikova’s first feature is a little gem. Conveying a subtle social initially swept off her feet, flashes of Bruce’s dark side increasingly pique her
commentary about totalitarian regimes, WE MIGHT AS WELL BE DEAD intuition. Realizing that she may be trapped inside the house of a violent killer,
is a real slap in the face about how, regardless of the height of the walls that Meredith tries to make a hasty exit, to which Bruce heartily objects. Relishing
protect us from the outside world, rampant fear will always bring out the worst the thought of another easy kill, Bruce thinks this is just another statistic in his
in human beings and destabilize a fragile harmony. In the spirit of Lanthimos’s ledger, but before the night is over, he’ll learn a hard lesson about crime and
absurd and weird movies, Sinelnikova’s debut is even more remarkable in that punishment... and when karma comes calling, she’s a bitch.
it’s her Babelsberg Film University graduation project, and was picked by the
Berlinale for its world premiere in the Perspektive Deutsches Kino German A psychodrama masquerading as a slasher drenched in bright red Giallo blood,
cinema section. Natalia Sinelnikova is setting her (first) bar very high, and I A WOUNDED FAWN defies expectations and turns genre and gender tropes
can’t wait to see where she goes from here. (ANNICK MAHNERT) on their head. Nearly indescribable and immaculately shot on gritty 16mm,
the film occupies a space somewhere in between Sam Raimi, Dario Argento,
PLAYS WITH: GARY SCREAMS FOR YOU - SEE: SHORTS WITH FEATURES PG 106 and Kenneth Anger. A WOUNDED FAWN is unapologetically experimental
and continues to establish director Travis Stevens as a singular voice in
contemporary horror filmmaking. (LORI DONNELLY)

PLAYS WITH: O, GLORY! - SEE: SHORTS WITH FEATURES PG 108

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YEAR OF THE SHARK

2022 / DI R: Ludovic Boukherma & Zoran Boukherma / 84 mins / France

Maja Bordenave is a maritime police officer who lives in La Pointe, a little

French beach town where nothing ever happens. A few days before she
reluctantly begins her retirement, tourists start to disappear and body parts
wash up on the beach. Maja suspects that a shark is roaming her shallow waters
and decides to close the beaches, thus turning the entire community against
her. Even though the case has been assigned to another team, Maja pushes her
retirement back a few days so that she can capture the shark herself. And that’s
when the movie takes an unexpected turn.

For four years, I’ve hunted for a worthy shark movie to play at Fantastic Fest.
When it was announced that the Boukherma brothers were working on one,
I held my breath. The movie is clearly an homage to JAWS, but it’s so much
more than that. Much like their film TEDDY, which played at our virtual
celebration of Fantastic Fest in 2020, YEAR OF THE SHARK is a character
study of ordinary human beings thrust into extraordinary situations.

Ludovic & Zoran Boukherma’s newest film is a jaw-dropping dark comedy with
a fantastic performance by Marina Foïs as Maja Bordenave, a guilt-ridden police
officer who needs to finish what she started to preserve her own sanity. The
supporting cast deserves a mention as well. I don’t know how the Boukhermas
SHORT FILMS
find these people, but they are all equally brilliant. Tragic but funny, YEAR SHORTS WITH FEATURES / SHORTS WITH LEGS
OF THE SHARK is not really about the shark, but rather about the people FANTASTIC SHORTS / SHORT FUSE / DRAWN & QUARTE RE D
surrounding the shark. It’s a satire about beach town politics, dynamics, and
environmental issues. (ANNICK MAHNERT)

PLAYS WITH: GOOD BOY - SEE: SHORTS WITH FEATURES PG 107

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SHORTS WITH FEATURES

2022 / DI R: Geena Hernandez / 12 mins / USA
Fitting in can be a real drag for a teenage girl, especially when the
As is our tradition, Fantastic Fest audiences will be treated to a variety of short “chicks” pressure you. This bubblegum satirical horror will make
form cinema at this year’s event, including the following selections that will you look at friendship and pillow fights in a whole new light.
PLAYS WITH: FAMILY DINNER - SEE PG 49
show up throughout the program in front of feature films.

THE BLOOD OF THE DINOSAURS Austin Premiere The Community World Premiere
2021 / DI R: Joe Badon / 18 mins / USA 2022 / DI R: Milos Mitrovic & Eric Peterson / 4 mins / Canada
A children’s television host articulates the origin of fossil Astron-6’s Adam Brooks seeks out an oblique informant
fuels in this madcap assemblage of parodic vignettes and (Fantastic Fest veteran Milos Mitrovic) in order to obtain a
distressing surrealism. precious commodity. Straight-faced absurdism born out of a 48-
PLAYS WITH: ALL JACKED UP AND FULL OF WORMS - SEE PG 30 Hour Film Challenge.
PLAYS WITH: UNIDENTIFIED OBJECTS - SEE PG 95

The Blue Hour Texas Premiere Cruise Austin Premiere

2022 / DI R: Jeremias Segovia / 13 mins / Uraguay 2022 / DI R: Sam Rudykoff / 7 mins / Canada
A woman takes a late night swim, a man forbodingly watches In this pitch-black workplace satire, a telemarketer desperately
from afar; what follows is a haunting murder in absentia, tries to give away a free cruise — and it’s a matter of life or death.
eerily and methodically depicted by FF alum Jeremias Segovia PLAYS WITH: H4Z4RD - SEE PG 55
(TOOTH FAIRY).
PLAYS WITH: PIGGY - SEE PG 79

The Businessman Texas Premiere DEERWOODS DEATHTRAP Austin Premiere

2022 / DI R: Nathan Ginter / 9 mins / USA 2022 / DI R: James P. Gannon / 9 mins / USA
A young girl encounters a mysterious salesman intent on They almost died that day, on that point Jack and Betty can
coercing her into selling fashion magazines in this unnerving agree — the rest of the details are the subject of debate.
slice of foreboding atmosphere. PLAYS WITH: A LIFE ON THE FARM - SEE PG 64
PLAYS WITH: NOTHING - SEE PG 74

Buzzkill Texas Premiere East End Texas Premiere

2022 / DI R: Peter Ahern / 5 mins / USA 2022 / DI R: Grant Curatola / 10 mins / USA
Don’t you just hate it when you’re hooking up with a cute guy, The sordid details of a vicious crime are recounted and remixed
but you’ve got something(s) in your eye? Cute ‘n creepy! through the rumor mill of a community gripped by paranoid
PLAYS WITH: BLOOD RELATIVES - SEE PG 38 fear and morbid curiosity. Its soundtrack peppered with iconic
horror cues, this round of broken telephone crescendos to an
ominous and disarming note.
PLAYS WITH: DEEP FEAR - SEE PG 43

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 The Event Texas Premiere Good Boy US Premiere
2022 / DI R: Frank Mosley & Hugo De Sousa / 11 mins / USA 2022 / DI R: Eros V / 9 mins / United Kingdom
Vince just wants Jack to make some time. A delicate cringe A tiny, adorable Pomeranian turns out to be a psychotic killing
comedy about film, friendship, and procrastination. machine, to the horror of his inexperienced dog sitter.
PLAYS WITH: MISTER ORGAN - SEE PG 71 PLAYS WITH: YEAR OF THE SHARK - SEE PG 102

EVERYBODY GOES TO THE HOSPITAL Austin Premiere Hairsucker US Premiere

2021 / DI R: Tiffany Kimmel / 9 mins / USA 2022 / DI R: Michael Jones & Paddy Jay / 4 mins / Austrailia
A myriad of traumas manifest in 1963, as a young girl is taken to To those who gag easily, please avert your eyes and shield your
a hospital for appendicitis in this stop-motion phantasmagoria ears: hairsucker’s gonna suck some hair.
inspired by the childhood memories of the mother of its writer/ PLAYS WITH: SWALLOWED - SEE PG 90
director.
PLAYS WITH: SPOONFUL OF SUGAR - SEE PG 88

EX Creta Texas Premiere Hell Gig US Premiere

2022 / DI R: Jon Portman / 6 mins / USA 2022 / DI R: Ella Gale / 9 mins / USA
Put away your papier-mâché. There’s a new arts and crafts wizard Two comedians self-deprecatingly rapid-fire riff to save their
in town, and his choice of materials is decidedly different. lives when one’s envy for the other manifests a hungry demon
PLAYS WITH: OINK - SEE PG 76 that feeds on jealous vibes.
PLAYS WITH: FLOWING - SEE PG 52

Gary Screams For You North American Premiere Huella Texas Premiere
2022 / DI R: Cody McGlashan & Nolan Sordyl / 15 mins / USA 2021 / DI R: Gabriela Ortega / 14 mins / USA
A fed up security guard possessed by the spirit of an ape fully After she receives the news of her grandmother’s death, Daniela
expresses everything we can’t after a bad day of work in this confronts a family legacy and spirits who will not leave her in
absurdist slice of life dark comedy. peace until she determines which traditions she will carry into
PLAYS WITH: WE MIGHT AS WELL BE DEAD - SEE PG 100 the future, and which she will leave behind.
PLAYS WITH: HUESERA - SEE PG 57

Godspeed World Premiere KICKSTART MY HEART Texas Premiere

2022 / DI R: Teddy Padilla / 10 mins / USA 2022 / DI R: Kelsey Bollig / 14 mins / USA
A diner. A woman eats alone. A stranger approaches her. He Following a brutal car accident, a young woman must literally
reveals he knows her dark secret. Part noir. Part sci-fi. Part crime fight against inner demons on her way back to consciousness.
caper. A taut, reinvigorating blend of fantastic cinema’s finest. Inspired by the writer/director’s incredible true story of recovery
PLAYS WITH: AMAZING ELISA - SEE PG 31 and rehabilitation.
PLAYS WITH: KIDS VS. ALIENS - SEE PG 59

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 THE LAST QUEEN ON EARTH Texas Premiere Seafoam Texas Premiere
2020 / DI R: Michael Shumway / 16 mins / USA 2022 / DI R: Izzy Stevens / 6 mins / USA
A farmer comes to embrace the unexpected upside of the In this deftly disorienting psychological thriller, a woman visits
apocalypse in this dialogue-free celebration of being true to her mother in a psychiatric health ward, triggering a plague of
yourself that explodes the limitations of narrowly defined nightmarish visions and a dizzying descent into insanity.
masculinity. PLAYS WITH: THE ELDERLY - SEE PG 46
PLAYS WITH: GIVE ME PITY! - SEE PG 54

LAST REQUEST Texas Premiere Sucks to be the moon Texas Premiere

2022 / DI R: Daniel Thomas King / 15 mins / USA 2022 / DI R: Eric Paperth & Tyler March / 11 mins / USA
A reformed bully is summoned to the deathbed of a man he once An intergalactic musical centered on the value of friendship,
cruelly terrorized and is presented with a simple, but unusual starring the Sun, the Moon, and former planet gone rogue,
request. LAST REQUEST stoically builds to a punchline that’s Pluto.
a total gas. PLAYS WITH: UNICORN WARS - SEE PG 94
PLAYS WITH: CHOP & STEELE - SEE PG 40

Night Texas Premiere Tank Fairy

2021 / DIR: Ahmad Saleh / 16 mins / Germany, Qatar, Palestine, Jordan 2021 / DI R: Erich Rettstadt / 10 mins / Taiwan, USA
In a city besieged by war, a mother searches for her child. A fantasy musical full of gas and sass in which a fairy godmother
Though she faces exhaustion, she is unwilling to sleep until she works her magic to make her protégé’s drag dreams come true.
is reunited with her loved one. Night sees all, and provides the PLAYS WITH: LA PIETÀ - SEE PG 61
mother temporary relief.
PLAYS WITH: THE STRANGE CASE OF JACKY CAILLOU - SEE PG 89

O, Glory! Texas Premiere VERTICAL VALOR World Premiere

2021 / DIR: Joe Williams & Charlie Edwards-Moss / 16 mins / United Kingdom 2022 / DI R: Alex Kavutskiy / 15 mins / USA
A psychedelic throwback to 1970s folk horror all gloriously World War III has ushered in a new draft, but what is the army
captured on 35mm film, where a psychiatric doctor and his to do with the sk8er bois that aren’t fit for combat? A darkly
assistant are summoned to examine a woman on the edge, and irreverent satire from award-winning Fantastic Fest alum Alex
are subsequently swallowed by a shared psychosis. Kavutskiy (SQUIRREL, JUDY).
PLAYS WITH: A WOUNDED FAWN - SEE PG 101 PLAYS WITH: COUNTRY GOLD - SEE PG 41

Return To Sender Texas Premiere ZOMBIE METEOR World Premiere

2022 / DI R: Russell Goldman / 18 mins / USA 2022 / DI R: Alfonso Fulgencio & Jose Luis Farias / 14 mins / Spain
Allison Tolman (FARGO) stars as the unwitting recipient of an It’s just another day on the International Space Station, until,
online delivery scam that grows ever more sinister with each well, just how does one go about fighting off the undead in zero
seemingly innocuous package. Inspired by true events and gravity?
produced by Jamie Lee Curtis (HALLOWEEN). PLAYS WITH: THE ANTARES PARADOX - SEE PG 32
PLAYS WITH: SMOKING CAUSES COUGHING - SEE PG 85

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 SHORTS WITH LEGS
Fantastic Fest’s patented bipedal program of short-subject cinema that buck HUBBARDS Austin Premiere
conventions and blur boundaries of genre, aesthetics, and taste returns with a 2021 / DI R: Kevin Ralston / 5 mins / USA
barrage of provocative peculiarities. Expect the unexpected, but prepare for an Dude just wants to find the bones of his brother, but what will give
array of unique sensibilities — from the polished to the anarchic — as absurdism him the sustenance to carry out his quest? An epic in four acts.
and experimentation abound and silliness co-mingles with severity. Featuring
the latest masterwork from acclaimed avant-garde auteur Velasco Broca (OUR
FRIEND THE MOON), an uncomfortable date photographed by Eugene
Kotlyarenko (SPREE), and a romantic rumination on Taco Bell. Live Más.

ALEGRiAS RIOJANAS World Premiere I DREAMED I HEARD A SONG CALLED HABIBI World Premiere
2022 / DI R: Velasco Broca / 28 mins / Spain 2022 / DI R: Benji Kast / 9 mins / USA
Acclaimed experimental filmmaker Velasco Broca (ECHOS An experimental mixed-media vibe that ruminates on
DER BUCHRÜCKEN, OUR FRIEND THE MOON) technology, theater, and transformation (among other notions)
catapults an ophthalmologist into a hellish purgatory populated set to a soundscape by Your 33 Black Angels.
by grotesque creatures and devils.

Amor To Love Texas Premiere PRECAUTIONARY MEASURE Texas Premiere

2022 / DI R: Ted Marsden / 12 mins / USA 2022 / DI R: Lizzy Deacon & Ika Schwander / 14 mins /
What’s a better way to ring in a five-year anniversary than United Kingdom, Portugal, Netherlands
sharing three layers of cheesy admiration, sizzling hot passionate When a woman allows a shyster life coach into her life, she embarks
ground beef, all grilled to deep perfection in Taco Bell’s new on a journey of peculiar healing and coping strategies in order to
Grilled Stuffed Corazon-a-rito? Real question. tackle her feelings of fear, rejection and grief. Hard to describe and
impossible to categorize, this WTF delight is governed by its own
insane internal logic and defiantly marches to the beat of sawing
a pigeon’s head off.
THE BREAKDOWN PARABLES Texas Premiere
2021 / DI R: Emil Benjamin / 19 mins / USA
This series of bitingly satirical vignettes captures the bizarre THE STRAIGHT BALL World Premiere
interactions between competitive actors in a purgatory-like 2022 / DI R: Eugene Kotlyarenko & Nate Wilson / 12 mins / Canada
casting office and serves as a wild, caustic takedown of the Eugene Kotlyarenko (SPREE, WOBBLE PALACE) collabs
coded toxicity endemic in the acting world. with Nate Wilson (FUCK BUDDIES) to capture this funny,
twitchy portrait of a date derailed.

FROM WATER COMES MELON Texas Premiere

2022 / DI R: Micah Vassau / 13 mins / USA
A young woman comes across a precious object, the last
watermelon on earth, and must decide whether to relinquish it
or enjoy the fruit’s life-giving qualities herself.

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 SHORT FUSE
Holy Mother of the uncanny! We’re eager to present to you this year’s totally
NIGHT SHIFT Texas Premiere
2022 / DI R: Ali Faisal Mostafa / 12 mins / United Arab Emirates
gruesome, hair-pulling extreme, and unnervingly relatable series of horrific An ambulance driver grieving his wife’s murder recollects that
films in “Short Fuse.” Get ready for a monster roller coaster that takes you to fateful night during a unnervingly long night shift.
not only the grotesquely sensual and painfully real, but also to the most surreal
of other worlds. Happy nightmares everyone!

BLOOD RITES International Premiere PROM CAR ‘91 Texas Premiere

2022 / DI R: Helena Coan / 19 mins / United Kingdom 2022 / DI R: Brian Otting / 12 mins / USA
Three voracious renegade teenagers going through major A couple of high school dorks are about to lose their virginities
changes inhabit a vacant English suburban home in hopes of in the back of a minivan on prom night when they witness the
finding some dinner. Is this all just a phase, or portents of things unspeakable. PROM CAR ‘91 is a charming coming of age story
to come? that has it all — romance, thrills, gore, and most importantly:
Kung Fu.

FROM.BEYOND US Premiere Ringworms Austin Premiere

2022 / DI R: Fredrik S. Hana / 14 mins / Norway 2022 / DI R: Will Lee / 14 mins / USA
A stunningly surreal intermedial tale that follows man’s first The dark designs of a sinister cult collide with the commitment
interaction with intraterrestrial life. Through the use of found issues of a young woman on the precipice of receiving a marriage
footage and genre mixing, the film asserts both an eerie proposal. Gnarly body-horror ensues.
uncertainty and curiosity about the unknown.

Gnomes World Premiere Roach Love World Premiere

2022 / DI R: Ruwan Heggelman / 6 mins / The Netherlands 2022 / DI R: Jacen Tan / 6 mins / Singapore
In MIME, from 2020’s Celebration of Fantastic Fest, Ruwan What seems to be a mutually shared fetish of squishing
Heggelman introduced us to an interdimensional visitor who cockroaches turns into something much more nuanced.
just can’t figure human beings out. In GNOMES, Heggelman
reveals the dark underbelly of the fairy tale forest — follow those
sparkly magical mushrooms at your peril.

IN THE FLESH Texas Premiere SWEPT UNDER Texas Premiere

2022 / DI R: Daphne Gardner / 13 mins / USA 2022 / DI R: Ethan Soo / 10 mins / USA
As an attempt to forget her ex, a down on her luck woman The grisly specter of foreign military intervention and
spends the evening in the bathtub pleasuring herself, that is generational trauma resurfaces in the form of a rug that’s gifted
until the faucet excretes a sinister black goo. With no help from to a Cambodian adoptee. A historical nightmare that feels all
her superintendent “from hell,” shit inevitably hits the fan in too topical.
this offbeat psychological body horror.

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 FANTASTIC SHORTS
Feast your eyes and ears on this eclectic smorgasbord of the year’s finest fantastic
shorts ranging from the satirical to the sensual, the mysterious to the absurd,
and the brooding to the bizarre. Here, you’ll witness solicited alien abductions,
missing children and ocean critters, risky encounters via video dating services,
snail invasions, mythical cows, wild quests for diamonds, and a Kafkaesque
fellatio-related legal nightmare. Whatever your pleasure, we’ve got you covered.

The Coupon Texas Premiere PHLEGM Texas Premiere

2022 / DI R: Laura Seay / 18 mins / USA 2021 / DI R: Jan-David Bolt / 6 mins / Switzerland
When a birthday gift’s intended recipient inadvertently changes A businessman on his way to work is driven to the edge when
hands the consequences are extremely uncomfortable and he encounters a truly inexplicable, slimy phenomena in this
litigious, escalating with superb satirical bite. absurd, grotesque oddity.

THREE MEETINGS OF THE EXTRAORDINARY COMMITTEE

THE DIAMOND Texas Premiere Texas Premiere / 2021 / DI R: Jones / 18 mins / United Kingdom
2021 / DI R: Vedran Rupic / 14 mins / Sweden In this razor sharp satirical allegory, a small Eastern European
When a lonely desperate man realizes becoming rich could help farming village committee exercises their democratic rights to
him make friends, he decides to exploit a tiny claustrophobic gamble their existence on an unfounded mythical creature.
man to help him retrieve an unreachable diamond in a tiny A reflection of the ludicrous times we live in, and a damning
hole. A bonkers dark comedy with a warm beating heart. critique of our flawed democracies when confronted with reality.

Last Seen Texas Premiere Wild Card Texas Premiere

2022 / DI R: Nathan Ginter / 13 mins / USA 2022 / DI R: Tipper Newton / 13 mins / USA
A young man grapples with the emotional aftermath of A video dating service brings a nervous man into the orbit of an
his sister’s mysterious disappearance in this masterclass in enigmatic woman in Tipper Newton’s vibrant, dreamlike tease
productive ambiguity. of an unlikely entanglement.

A MAN TREMBLES US Premiere

2021 / DI R: Mark Chua & Lam Li Shuen / 23 mins / Singapore
A family experiencing tremendous financial pressure spend a
day at an idyllic tourist location whilst harboring secret plans to
exile themselves from Earth’s miseries. A slow knife that builds
towards a spectacular, sensory conclusion.

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 DRAWN & QUARTERED
After being torn asunder, can you be made whole again? Like a Frankensteined
HAPPY NEW YEAR, JIM North American Premiere
2022 / DI R: Andrea Gatopoulos / 9 mins / Italy
body assembled out of nothing but the best bits, this year’s Drawn and Jim and Morten are playing videogames online, like any other
Quartered incorporates a diverse range of styles — from 2D computer animation day, except today is New Year’s Eve, a time for reflection. Their
to 3D, stop-motion and machinima — to take viewers on an existential journey.
Whether you’re a floating head with dangling guts exposed, a plant monster, respective decisions on how to enjoy the fireworks speaks
a sentient drone, or anything else with an awareness of life, you’ll see your volumes.
anxieties and yearning for meaning reflected in this batch of shorts centered on
being and belonging.

DRONE Texas Premiere KRASUE Texas Premiere

2022 / DI R: Sean Buckelew / 16 mins / USA 2021 / DI R: Ryo Hirano / 12 mins / Japan
A CIA public relations campaign becomes derailed when a Trying to escape a murderous mob, a yakuza finds an unlikely
weapon of war develops a conscience in this sardonic satire of ally in a creature from Thai folklore. A visceral chase unfolds as
the military-industrial-social-media complex. bloodlust and love intermingle and boundaries between species
dissolve.

GOODBYE JEROME! Texas Premiere MAGNIFIED CITY US Premiere

2021 / DIR: Adam Sillard, Gabrielle Selnet & Chloé Farr / 8 mins / France 2022 / DI R: Isaku Kaneko / 12 mins / Japan
Jérôme arrives at the pearly gates, and sets off in search of his A Magnifying Glass human falls into the clutches of a secret
beloved Maryline who preceded him. Adjusting to this afterlife society of Projector humans who are determined to use his
may take some time. lens to recapture the city’s greatness. A poignant allegory of the
creative power of cinema that warns against the danger of being
taken in by its comforting illusions.

THE GRANNIES North American Premiere PERFECT CITY: THE MOTHER US Premiere
2021 / DI R: Marie Foulston / 17 mins / United Kingdom, Australia 2022 / DI R: Shengwei Zhou / 12 mins / USA, China
A group of players venture beyond the boundaries of the In this arresting and purposeful blend of different animation
videogame Red Dead Online and discover a captivating and techniques, a plant mother faces her fears of abandonment,
ethereal space that reveals the humanity and materiality of inadequacy, and the horror of cosmetic surgery as a mask of
digital creations. self-deception when her root baby leaves the nest.

A GUITAR IN THE BUCKET Texas Premiere TRICHOTILLOMANIA! Texas Premiere

2021 / DI R: Boyoung Kim / 15 mins / South Korea 2021 / DI R: Kelly Schiesswohl / 4 mins / USA
A young woman navigates a world in which you can seemingly Filmmaker and artist Kelly Schiesswohl takes us on a visual
buy all you need from vending machines, yet none can offer her interpretation of her own experience with the hair-pulling
what she truly desires: a place to pursue her dreams. compulsion of Trichotillomania.

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 It is with great honor that we humbly introduce the world to what will now be
known as BURNT ENDS. A virtual showcase of outlier and outsider media
that intersect definitions of genre, avant-garde, and trash art, while shattering
all traditional borders of taste and convention.

The section seeks to champion eccentric independent cinema, from micro-

budget genre experiments whose aesthetics and sensibilities provoke or defy
mainstream conventions to inspired obscurities deserving of a larger cult
audience. Here you’ll find the strangest of the strange, often realized with next-
to-nil resources but major ambition and gonzo personality.
Like BBQ “burnt ends”, these films may not be to a general audience’s taste,
but those who have acclimated to their delicacy know that they are, in fact,
the best.

Sincerely,

Ahbra Perry and Peter Kuplowsky

H EAD PITMASTE RS O F B U RNT E N D S - FANTASTI C FE ST

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ALL JACKED UP AND FULL OF WORMS
Texas Premiere
2022 / DI R: Alex Phillips / 72 mins
A psychedelic journey of self-discovery leads to romance when
a man shares his addiction to psychotropic worms... and Chica-
go will never be the same.

BARBER WESTCHESTER
Texas Premiere
2022 / DI R: Jonni Phillips / 90 mins
The latest feature from prolific, and fiercely independent
animator Jonni Philips and her incredible collaborators. The
film concerns an aspiring astronomer who scores an internship
at NASA, but learns that Space isn’t real on their first day. An
extraordinary animated (and musical) epic that is as surreally
funny as it is achingly profound.

BRUTAL SEASON
World Premiere
2022 / DI R: Gavin Fields / 101 mins
An impoverished family weathers a sweltering summer in 1948
and the ominous return of an estranged kin in writer/director
Gavin Field’s absorbing and uniquely staged pastiche of Death
of a Salesman and the poverty row noirs of the 1940s.

Heros Of Africa
North American Premiere
2022 / DI R: Frank Fifii Gharbin / 80 mins
Opening with a dynamic barrage of wicked slow-mo infused
action choreography, this enthralling dramatization of the
legend of Tetteh Quarshie, a 19th century blacksmith and
agriculturalist who introduced the cocoa bean to Ghana,
further features supernatural interventions, endearing comic
foils, menacing colonial villainy and memorably hyperbolic
melodrama.

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 Hundreds of Beavers RAZZENNEST
World Premiere World Premiere
2022 / DI R: Mike Cheslik / 108 mins 2022 / DI R: Johannes Grenzfurthner / 81 mins
From the team that brought you LAKE MICHIGAN Mad Scientist, artist and filmmaker Johannes Grenzfurthner
MONSTER, comes this 19th century, black and white, no returns to Fantastic Fest after his last year’s hit MASKING
dialogue, supernatural winter epic we think both Chuck Avery THRESHOLD with an audio commentary feature film filled
and Charlie Chaplin would be proud of. A drunken applejack with surprises and inside jokes while “raining ridicule on
salesman must go from zero to hero and become North pretentious arthouse movies.”
America’s greatest fur trapper by defeating hundreds of beavers.

MIKE MIGNOLA: DRAWING MONSTERS THE THIRD SATURDAY IN OCTOBER - Part I

Texas Premiere Texas Premiere
2022 / DI R: Jim Demonakos & Kevin Konrad Hanna / 138 mins 2022 / DI R: Jay Burleson / 97 mins
Mike Mignola reflects on his career as a comic creator and artist, After having so much fun with PART V, director Jay Burleson
as well as the legacy of Hellboy, in this documentary featuring imagines how the story would have begun. Having survived a
interviews with Guillermo del Toro and Ron Perlman. botched execution, Jakkariah “Jack” Harding goes on a killing
spree as the father of one of his former victims vows his revenge.

The PEOPLE’S JOKER THE THIRD SATURDAY IN OCTOBER - Part V

US Premiere Texas Premiere
2022 / DI R: Vera Drew / 92 mins 2022 / DI R: Jay Burleson / 89 mins
The Joker finds new purpose in Gotham City after transitioning Reminiscent of the days when the only tape left at the video
and opening an illegal comedy club in Vera Drew’s handcrafted store was a sequel of the film you wanted to rent; THE THIRD
superhero genre parody. SATURDAY IN OCTOBER PART V is the first in this
collection and dives right into the horrors of unstoppable killer
Jakkariah “Jack” Harding as he stalks and kills at random before
chancing upon a football watch party.

QUANTUM COWBOYS UNIDENTIFIED

Texas Premiere World Premiere
2022 / DI R: Geoff Marslett / 99 mins 2022 / DI R: Jude Chun / 80 mins
A self-described “journey through form and content,” In 1993, UFOs appear over every major city in the world. They
QUANTUM COWBOYS is a vibrant modern-age multi-media remain floating in the sky; silent, motionless, unidentified. 29
mix of an old-fashioned western tale. Featuring the talents of years later. There is a rumor that some among us are aliens.
Lily Gladstone, David Arquette and Kiowa Gordon and live
musical performances by Neko Case, John Doe, Howe Gelb
and Xixa.

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 MOTERN MEDIA COLLECTION
Producing independent feature films since the late 1990s, the idiosyncratic and campy melodrama of their wittily verbose scripts. Fantastic Fest Burnt
cinema of Charles Roxburgh and Matt Farley pay homage to the regional low- Ends is proud to celebrate their infectiously hilarious movies by bestowing the
budget horror films of the late 1970s and early 1980s as they unravel bizarre tales filmmakers with our first annual Golden Spatula in recognition of their creative
set in and around lightly-fictionalized small New England towns. Akin to the spirit, and a partial retrospective of their inventive catalog which includes
manner in which John Waters and Kevin Smith cultivated their cult universes Local Legends (2013), Don’t Let The Riverbeast Get You (2012), and the World
out of tight-knit communities of vivid personalities, Charlie and Farley’s films Premiere of a special 2k restoration of their autumnal slasher Freaky Farley
imagine a unique portrait of Americana as they recruit an eccentric ensemble (2007), as well as more contemporary works which pursue a distinct, but just as
of folksy friends and family to endearingly perform the offbeat vernaculars wonderfully eclectic and wry comic sensibility.

DON’T LET THE RIVERBEAST GET YOU! MAGIC SPOT

Texas Premiere Texas Premiere
2012 / DI R: Charlie Roxburgh / 99 mins 2022 / DI R: Charlie Roxburgh / 87 mins
A disgraced tutor / rock ‘n’ roller returns to his small town in Two cousins use a Magic Rock to assist their uncle in the Motern
an effort to prove the existence of a local aquatic menace & crew’s warm and wonderful ode to public access television,
also win back the heart of his ex-fiancée. Concludes with the Hallmark romances, and time-travel capers.
funniest sight gag in film history.

FREAKY FARLEY - 2K RESTORATION METAL DETECTOR MANIAC

Texas Premiere Texas Premiere
2007 / DI R: Charlie Roxburgh / 83 mins 2021 / DI R: Charlie Roxburgh / 108 mins
A psychiatrist interrogates a local peeping tom about his Suspicious of the bad vibes of a local metal detector enthusiast,
traumatic past in an effort to recruit him into a supernatural two music professors embark on an ill-advised investigation.
hunting party. A brilliant homage to the regional slashers of the A shaggy-dog comedy with a punchline worthy of a Norm
1970s, & shot on 16mm film! MacDonald routine.

HEARD SHE GOT MARRIED LOCAL LEGENDS

Texas Premiere Texas Premiere
2021 / DI R: Charlie Roxburgh / 75 mins 2013 / DI R: Matt Farley / 74 mins
A washed-up musician grows suspicious of their mailman in this The Motern masterpiece. An endearingly self-aggrandizing
chiaroscuro suburban noir that shirks some of Motern Media’s meditation on the struggle between art & commerce that wages
traditional silliness for a more foreboding atmosphere and within the idiosyncratic mind of Matt Farley as he navigates his
disturbing trajectory. community of eccentric creatives and vivid personalities.

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 This edition of Fantastic Fest would not have been possible without the kind support of:

A24 Films / AG FA / Alexander Philips / Alexis Perrin / AM C Networks

Angel Sala / Ant Timpson / Aspect Ratio / Bastian Meiresonne / Best
Friend Forever / Bloom Pictures / Bridge Independant / Charades
Cinedigm / Criterion / Dark Star Pictures / Deaf Crocodile / Decal
Releasing / Dogwoof / Elle Driver / Epic Pictures / Film Factory / Film
Tank / Filmax / Fortissimo Films / Found Footage Fest / I F C Films
Intramovies / Jack Sholder / Kassie Gann / LegionM / LevelK
Logical Pictures / Loïc Valceschini / Magnolia Pictures / Meg abox
Memento International / Miramax / Mònica Garcia i Massagué
Motern Media / M U B I / Music Box Films / N E O N / Onirikal Studio
Paramount Pictures / Phillip Escott / Pokeepsie Films / Potemkino
Propag anda Italy / Pulsar Content / Quentin Tarantino / Raven Banner
Entertainment / R Einvent / Rev / Rights Cube / Rise Management
Searchlight Pictures / Severin Films / Shift72 / Shudder / Sonderbar Pictures
Sony Pictures International / Submarine / The Bear / The Coven Films
The Film Collaborative / The New Beverly / Tsemdo Thar / Tsuburaya
Productions / United Artists Releasing / Utopia / Vanishing Angle / Varios
Lobos / Visit Films / Warner Media / Well Go U SA Entertainment / Wild
Bunch International / WTFilms / XYZ Films / Yellow Veil Pictures / Zac Locke

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