October might be the best month of the year to be a movie fan in Austin.

The weather is finally starting to cooperate, patios are becoming enjoyable again, downtown gets busy with people carrying festival schedules and coffee cups, and for eight days Austin becomes one giant gathering place for filmmakers, screenwriters, actors, movie lovers and people who simply want to see something they haven’t seen before.

The big event this month is the Austin Film Festival, running October 24 through October 31 in 2024. The 31st annual festival brings together feature films, documentaries, shorts, world premieres, screenwriting panels, industry guests and networking events throughout downtown Austin.

But here’s the thing about Austin Film Festival: you don’t have to be a filmmaker to enjoy it.

You don’t even have to know anything about screenwriting.

You just have to love movies.

And if you know how to work the festival — where to go, what to see, where to eat between screenings and what to do after the movies — you can turn a single screening into an entire Austin night.

WHAT MAKES AUSTIN FILM FESTIVAL DIFFERENT?

Austin has plenty of film events.

The Austin Film Society has year-round programming.

Fantastic Fest brings the horror, science-fiction and genre crowd.

SXSW has become a massive entertainment industry event.

But Austin Film Festival has its own personality.

It’s about storytelling.

The festival’s Writers Conference is a major part of the event, with more than 150 panels, more than 200 industry panelists and more than 20 networking events in 2024.

That means you’re not just watching movies.

You’re hearing writers and filmmakers talk about how those movies actually got made.

For anyone interested in film, television or writing, that can be just as interesting as the screenings themselves.

THE 2024 FESTIVAL RUNS OCTOBER 24-31

The 2024 Austin Film Festival runs from Thursday, October 24 through Thursday, October 31.

That means the festival overlaps with Halloween, which is basically perfect for Austin.

The festival’s registration and information center was based at the Omni Austin Hotel Downtown, with screenings and conference events spread throughout downtown venues.

This is important because you shouldn’t think of AFF as one location.

It’s a downtown festival.

You’re going to be walking.

You’re going to be checking your schedule.

You’re going to be figuring out how long it takes to get from one theater to another.

And you’re going to be making decisions about which movie you want to see next.

DON’T TRY TO SEE EVERYTHING

This is the biggest beginner mistake.

You open the festival schedule.

You see hundreds of possibilities.

Suddenly you’ve scheduled eight movies in one day.

Don’t do it.

You’re going to get tired.

You’re going to miss meals.

You’re going to spend the entire day looking at your phone.

And eventually you’ll start wondering why you paid money to sit in a dark room for 14 straight hours.

Pick the movies you’re genuinely excited about.

Then leave some space.

The best festival experience isn’t necessarily the one where you see the most movies.

It’s the one where you discover something you didn’t expect.

LOOK FOR THE MOVIES THAT AREN’T ON EVERYONE’S LIST

This is one of the best Austin Film Festival strategies.

Everybody knows about the big centerpiece movies.

Everybody wants to see the major premieres.

But the smaller films are where you can sometimes find the real surprises.

The 2024 lineup included world premieres such as Crossword, The Fetch, Operation Taco Gary’s, Subtopia: The Story of Hueco Canyon, Texas Cult House and The Ego Death of Queen Cecilia.

You may not recognize those titles.

That’s okay.

That’s the point.

Look at the description.

Look at the filmmaker.

Look at the cast.

If something sounds interesting, take the chance.

OPERATION TACO GARY’S

Even the title tells you that AFF doesn’t take itself too seriously.

Operation Taco Gary’s, starring Simon Rex, Dustin Milligan, Jason Biggs and Brenda Song, was among the 2024 world premieres.

A title like that is exactly the kind of thing you should pay attention to when building your festival schedule.

Maybe it’s great.

Maybe it’s completely insane.

Maybe you love it.

Maybe you hate it.

At a film festival, either outcome can be entertaining.

THE ORDER WAS ONE OF THE BIG FILMS OF 2024

The 2024 festival featured The Order as its centerpiece film.

The film was one of the major titles AFF highlighted in its full schedule announcement, alongside The Brutalist and September 5.

This is where having a festival pass can make a difference.

The big screenings can attract major crowds, so don’t assume you can stroll in five minutes before showtime and get a great seat.

Plan ahead.

ARRIVE EARLY FOR THE BIG SCREENINGS

This is one of the most important festival rules.

If you really want to see a particular movie, don’t arrive at the last second.

Austin Film Festival has multiple venues, different screening capacities and heavily anticipated films.

A big movie can fill up.

And nothing is more frustrating than having a ticket or pass and discovering that you still need to plan your arrival carefully.

Give yourself time.

Get there early.

Find the theater.

Use the bathroom.

Get a drink.

Then relax.

THE WRITERS CONFERENCE IS WORTH CHECKING OUT

Even if you aren’t trying to become a professional screenwriter, some of the Writers Conference panels can be fascinating.

You’re getting people who actually work in the industry talking about storytelling, television, movies, characters, pitching, writing and the realities of getting something made.

In 2024, the conference featured more than 150 panels and more than 200 panelists.

That’s an enormous amount of information packed into one week.

And some of the best lessons aren’t necessarily about writing.

They’re about how movies actually get made.

DON’T JUST GO TO PANELS ABOUT WRITING

If you’re attending the conference, don’t feel like you have to choose only panels that sound directly related to your job or hobby.

A panel about producing might teach you something about writing.

A panel about television might explain why certain movies are structured differently.

A conversation with a director might completely change the way you watch movies.

The festival is about storytelling.

That’s much broader than screenwriting.

THE NETWORKING IS A BIG PART OF IT

Austin Film Festival has always had a reputation for bringing writers and filmmakers together.

But you don’t have to be some Hollywood insider to talk to people.

You’re already surrounded by people who love movies.

Talk to them.

Ask what they’ve seen.

Ask what they’re excited about.

Ask where they’re from.

Ask which screening they’re heading to next.

Somebody standing in line next to you may know more about independent film than almost anyone you’ve ever met.

And they may give you the recommendation that becomes your favorite movie of the festival.

THE LINE IS PART OF THE EXPERIENCE

This is another thing new festival attendees don’t always understand.

You’re going to stand in lines.

Use them.

This is where people talk.

It’s where you find out which movies were surprisingly good.

It’s where people tell you which panel you should attend.

It’s where you hear about parties.

And it’s where you can meet people without having to force a networking conversation.

Don’t stare at your phone the entire time.

Talk to somebody.

PLAN YOUR FOOD AROUND THE FESTIVAL

This is where Austin comes in.

You don’t need to eat at the theater between every screening.

Downtown Austin has enough restaurants, bars, coffee shops and quick-service options that you can build food into your festival schedule.

The key is don’t choose a restaurant that’s going to take 90 minutes when you have a movie in 45 minutes.

Fast casual is your friend.

Tacos.

Pizza.

Sandwiches.

Burgers.

Food trucks.

Quick coffee.

Save the long dinner for after your last screening.

BREAKFAST TACOS ARE YOUR FRIEND

If you’re going to spend all day watching movies, start with breakfast.

And this is Austin.

So obviously that means breakfast tacos.

Get something filling.

Eggs.

Potatoes.

Bacon.

Sausage.

Whatever you like.

You’re going to be sitting in dark theaters for hours.

You don’t want to be starving halfway through the second movie.

COFFEE BEFORE THE FIRST SCREENING

You’re probably going to need it.

Especially if you’re doing early panels.

October is finally cool enough that getting coffee before starting your day actually feels enjoyable.

Find a downtown coffee shop.

Get there early.

Look over the schedule.

Decide what you’re actually going to see.

Then start your festival day.

LUNCH SHOULD BE QUICK

Don’t make lunch complicated.

You have movies to see.

Find something close to your next venue.

Tacos are perfect.

Pizza is perfect.

A sandwich is perfect.

You don’t need a three-course meal at 2 p.m.

Save that for later.

DINNER IS WHEN YOU CAN SLOW DOWN

After your final movie, that’s when you can actually enjoy Austin.

Find a restaurant.

Order a real meal.

Get a cocktail.

Talk about the movies.

Argue about which one was best.

And then figure out what you’re doing afterward.

This is one of the best parts of the festival.

You’re not just going home after the movie.

The city is right outside.

CONGRESS AVENUE IS YOUR PLAYGROUND

Many festival activities take place around downtown Austin, making Congress Avenue and the surrounding streets a natural base for your evening.

You’re close to theaters.

Bars.

Restaurants.

Hotels.

Coffee shops.

Music venues.

That makes it easy to turn the festival into a full night out.

GO TO A BAR AFTER THE MOVIE

This is an Austin Film Festival tradition worth adopting.

Don’t immediately go back to your hotel.

Find a bar.

Order a drink.

Talk about what you just watched.

You’ll quickly find out that movie people have opinions.

Strong opinions.

Somebody will tell you the movie you loved was terrible.

Somebody else will tell you the movie you hated was a masterpiece.

That’s part of the fun.

THE PARAMOUNT IS PART OF THE MAGIC

Seeing a film at the Paramount Theatre is one of those Austin experiences that makes a festival screening feel different.

The historic theater itself is part of the experience.

If you get the opportunity to see one of the festival’s major screenings there, take it.

You aren’t simply watching a movie.

You’re watching a movie in one of Austin’s most recognizable theaters.

STATE THEATRE IS ANOTHER IMPORTANT STOP

The State Theatre on Congress is another major part of the downtown film experience.

In 2024, festival screenings included films such as Party People at the State Theatre, with another screening at the Rollins Theatre at The Long Center.

That makes the downtown theater district particularly convenient.

You can move between venues without having to spend your entire day driving.

DON’T FORGET THE AUSTIN FILM SOCIETY

Austin’s film culture doesn’t begin and end with Austin Film Festival.

The Austin Film Society runs programming throughout the year at AFS Cinema.

In October 2024, AFS was also presenting its Frederick Wiseman series and other special programs, including the October 11-13 To the Front series featuring independent films from the 1990s and appearances by the filmmakers.

So if you’re a serious movie fan, October is basically Christmas.

There’s something happening everywhere.

THE BEST FANTASTIC FEST VS. AUSTIN FILM FESTIVAL COMPARISON

If you’ve been to Fantastic Fest, here’s the easiest way to think about it:

Fantastic Fest: genre movies, horror, science fiction, cult films, midnight insanity and a more chaotic atmosphere.

Austin Film Festival: screenwriting, storytelling, filmmakers, independent movies, industry panels and a broader range of cinema.

Both are great.

They’re just different.

And if you love movies, you should experience both.

THE BEST WAY TO DO AFF ON A BUDGET

You don’t necessarily need to spend a fortune.

If you’re trying to save money, prioritize the movies.

Eat cheaply.

Walk between venues.

Use public transportation when practical.

Skip expensive festival parties if they’re not included.

Find bars with happy hour.

And don’t feel like you need to buy something every time you sit down.

Austin is expensive enough without turning every coffee break into a $20 purchase.

WALK BETWEEN VENUES

This is one of the biggest advantages of Austin Film Festival.

A lot of the festival activity is concentrated downtown.

That means you can walk.

Walking saves money.

It saves time compared with trying to find parking.

And it gives you a chance to experience downtown Austin while the festival is happening.

Wear comfortable shoes.

Seriously.

BRING A BACKUP PLAN

Your first-choice movie might be sold out.

A panel might fill up.

You might discover that you don’t actually want to sit through the movie you thought you wanted to see.

That’s normal.

Have a second choice.

Then a third.

The best festival attendees aren’t rigid.

They adapt.

DON’T BE AFRAID TO LEAVE A MOVIE

This is controversial.

But it’s true.

If you’re absolutely miserable 45 minutes into a movie, you don’t have to stay.

There are hundreds of other things happening.

Go find another screening.

Go to a panel.

Get food.

Get a drink.

Take a walk.

You’re at a film festival.

You have options.

THE HALLOWEEN CONNECTION

One of the fun things about the 2024 festival schedule is that it runs all the way through Halloween.

That means the final days of AFF overlap with one of Austin’s biggest party nights.

You can spend Halloween watching movies and then head into the city’s nightlife afterward.

That’s a pretty good Austin combination.

OCTOBER IS THE PERFECT TIME TO EXPLORE AUSTIN’S BAR SCENE

The temperatures are finally becoming manageable.

That means you can actually sit outside.

East Sixth becomes more comfortable.

Rainey Street is busy.

Downtown rooftops become appealing again.

Red River is packed with live music.

And neighborhood bars start opening their patios.

After spending the day indoors watching movies, getting outside for a drink feels even better.

THE BALLER ATX AFF DAY

Here’s how I’d do it.

9:00 a.m.

Breakfast tacos and coffee.

10:00 a.m.

First panel or screening.

12:30 p.m.

Quick lunch.

1:30 p.m.

Second screening.

4:00 p.m.

Coffee or a drink and a break.

5:30 p.m.

Third movie.

8:00 p.m.

Dinner.

9:30 p.m.

Bar.

11:00 p.m.

Another drink or late-night food.

Midnight

Decide whether you’re actually going to sleep or whether you’re going to a midnight screening.

That’s the beauty of Austin Film Festival.

You can make the day whatever you want.

THE MOST IMPORTANT TIP: DON’T OVERPLAN

You can’t predict which movie will become your favorite.

You can’t predict who you’re going to meet.

You can’t predict which panel will be unexpectedly great.

And you can’t predict which bar you’re going to end up at afterward.

That’s why you leave room for the unexpected.

Have a plan.

But don’t let the plan control you.

OCTOBER IN AUSTIN IS ABOUT DISCOVERY

That’s really what Austin Film Festival represents.

Discovery.

A new filmmaker.

A new writer.

A new movie.

A new restaurant.

A new bar.

A new part of downtown.

Maybe you’ll watch a movie you’ve never heard of and absolutely love it.

Maybe you’ll hear a screenwriter explain how they came up with an idea and suddenly understand why the movie worked.

Maybe you’ll meet somebody who tells you about another film festival.

Maybe you’ll walk out of a theater and discover a bar you didn’t know existed.

That’s Austin.

THE BALLER ATX OCTOBER CHECKLIST

See at least one Austin Film Festival movie.

See a movie you know nothing about.

Attend a Writers Conference panel.

See a screening at a historic downtown theater.

Eat breakfast tacos.

Find a good downtown happy hour.

Walk between venues.

Talk to somebody in line.

Go to a bar after a movie.

Try something outside your normal movie preferences.

Check out Austin Film Society programming.

And leave room for something unexpected.

THE BOTTOM LINE

Austin Film Festival is one of those events that makes Austin feel like Austin.

It brings movies into the middle of downtown.

It brings writers and filmmakers into local bars and restaurants.

It gives audiences the chance to discover movies before everybody else is talking about them.

And it gives regular Austinites another reason to spend an entire day downtown.

You don’t have to be a filmmaker.

You don’t have to be a screenwriter.

You don’t have to understand the film business.

You just have to like movies.

So grab your schedule, put on comfortable shoes, get some breakfast tacos and prepare to spend the day bouncing between theaters, panels, restaurants and bars.

And when somebody asks you which movie they should see, don’t automatically recommend the biggest one.

Tell them about the weird one you found.

Because that’s usually where the best stories begin.

Welcome to Austin Film Festival season.

There are a lot of great events in Austin. But if you ask me what event I look forward to the most every year, there is really only one answer:

Fantastic Fest.

I’ve been volunteerings and attending Fantastic Fest since 2008, and with one exception—the year the festival temporarily moved to the Alamo Drafthouse Lakeline while South Lamar was being renovated—I have made my way back to the festival year after year.

At this point, Fantastic Fest isn’t just another Austin event on my calendar.

It’s a tradition.

It’s one of those weeks that makes Austin feel like Austin.

And in September 2023, Fantastic Fest is returning to its home at Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar, running September 21 through September 28.

The festival’s 18th edition is once again bringing horror, science fiction, fantasy, action and just about every other strange corner of cinema to Austin for eight days. The 2023 lineup includes 29 world premieres, along with numerous North American and U.S. premieres.

But if you’ve never been, it’s difficult to explain what makes Fantastic Fest different.

Because it isn’t simply a film festival.

It’s an experience.

THE FIRST TIME I WENT

My Fantastic Fest history starts in 2008.

That year, I walked into a festival that already had a reputation among serious genre-movie fans, but it still felt much smaller and more mysterious than the event it would eventually become.

Fantastic Fest 2008 ran September 18–25, and the lineup included movies such as The Chaser, Deadgirl, Alien Raiders, The Burrowers, Sauna, Chocolate and Feast 2: Sloppy Seconds.

But the movies were only part of the reason to be there.

The Alamo Drafthouse atmosphere was completely different from going to a normal movie theater.

People weren’t quietly walking into a theater, watching a movie and immediately leaving.

There were parties.

Guests.

Filmmakers.

Actors.

Food.

Drinks.

Costumes.

Surprises.

And the constant possibility that something completely ridiculous was about to happen.

That’s what hooked me.

And I’ve been going back ever since.

THIS ISN’T SUNDANCE

Fantastic Fest has always had its own personality.

Other major film festivals can feel formal.

Fantastic Fest feels like somebody took a movie convention, a Halloween party, a rock concert, a food festival and an eight-day movie marathon and threw them into the same building.

The festival specializes in genre films, but that’s almost too narrow a description.

You might see a horror movie one afternoon, a science-fiction film that night, an insane action movie afterward and then stumble into a party where one of the filmmakers is standing at the bar.

That’s normal at Fantastic Fest.

And the festival has developed a reputation for events that are just as memorable as the movies.

2008: BILL MURRAY AND A VERY STRANGE CLOSING NIGHT

One of my favorite things about having attended for so many years is being able to look back at how many unbelievable moments have happened at this festival.

The 2008 festival is a perfect example.

A secret screening of City of Ember ended up featuring a surprise appearance by Bill Murray.

And that wasn’t even the end of the night.

Murray later appeared at the closing-night afterparty at Longhorn Caverns, where he famously showed up about 35 feet underground.

That is the kind of thing Fantastic Fest does.

You don’t just watch a movie.

You have no idea what the night is going to turn into.

2009: ZOMBIELAND

Then came Zombieland.

The 2009 Fantastic Fest premiere brought Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone and director Ruben Fleischer to Austin.

The movie would go on to become a major hit and one of the most recognizable zombie comedies of its generation.

But at Fantastic Fest, festival attendees got to experience it before the rest of the world really knew what it was going to become.

That has always been one of the biggest attractions of Fantastic Fest.

You aren’t necessarily watching movies that are already famous.

You’re watching movies that might become famous.

And sometimes you are watching them with the filmmakers sitting a few rows away.

2010: GETTING BURIED WITH RYAN REYNOLDS

If you want one story that perfectly explains the insanity of Fantastic Fest, look no further than Buried.

Ryan Reynolds stars in the movie as a man trapped inside a coffin.

Fantastic Fest decided that simply watching the movie wasn’t enough.

Four fans were actually placed inside coffins while watching the film on screens mounted inside.

They were then able to meet Reynolds afterward.

It was uncomfortable.

It was ridiculous.

It was completely unnecessary.

And it was absolutely Fantastic Fest.

The stunt became one of the festival’s most famous events and demonstrated that the organizers weren’t interested in simply showing movies.

They wanted people to experience them.

2011: THE HUMAN CENTIPEDE AND A FESTIVAL THAT KNEW EXACTLY WHAT IT WAS

By 2011, Fantastic Fest had fully embraced its reputation for being the place where mainstream movie events and completely bizarre genre cinema could coexist.

The festival opened with The Human Centipede 2: Full Sequence, a movie that was obviously not going to appeal to everyone.

That’s the point.

Fantastic Fest doesn’t apologize for being weird.

It celebrates it.

The 2011 festival also featured filmmakers and movies from around the world, continuing to establish Austin as an important destination for genre filmmakers.

2012: FRANKENWEENIE TAKES OVER SOUTH LAMAR

Then came one of the festival’s biggest Hollywood moments.

Tim Burton’s Frankenweenie opened Fantastic Fest in 2012.

The event was so large that Disney transformed the exterior of Alamo South Lamar for the premiere, and Burton, Winona Ryder and Martin Landau were among the talent connected to the event.

The Austin Chronicle described the 2012 festival as the year Fantastic Fest “went Hollywood.”

And that’s an important part of the festival’s history.

It proved that a festival built around strange, independent and genre films could also attract major studios and some of the biggest names in filmmaking.

THE YEAR THE FEST MOVED NORTH

There is one year that stands out differently in my own Fantastic Fest history.

The festival temporarily moved away from South Lamar and up to Alamo Drafthouse Lakeline while the South Lamar location underwent renovation.

Lakeline had just opened as a massive 10-screen, 944-seat theater, and Fantastic Fest moved there for the 2013 edition.

For me, it just wasn’t quite the same.

Fantastic Fest belongs at South Lamar.

The building.

The neighborhood.

The restaurants.

The bars.

The lobby.

The people wandering around between screenings.

The entire atmosphere.

Lakeline was a perfectly good theater, but Fantastic Fest felt different there.

When the festival came back to South Lamar, it felt like coming home.

And that is why, all these years later, I still associate Fantastic Fest with that theater.

2014: A FOOD FIGHT

If you’ve noticed a theme here, you’re probably starting to understand Fantastic Fest.

It isn’t afraid to get weird.

For the festival’s 10th anniversary in 2014, the opening-night party reportedly turned into an actual food fight.

Not a metaphorical food fight.

An actual food fight.

Because apparently a normal anniversary party wasn’t enough.

This is another reason Fantastic Fest has such a loyal following.

People don’t just attend to watch movies.

They attend because they know something unexpected might happen.

THE MOVIES THAT BECAME CULT CLASSICS

Over the years, Fantastic Fest has also become a launching pad for movies that eventually developed huge followings.

The Babadook.

It Follows.

John Wick.

Zombieland.

The Chaser.

I Saw the Devil.

The Host.

Troll Hunter.

And countless others have passed through the festival.

In 2014 alone, movies such as John Wick, The Babadook and It Follows helped make that era of Fantastic Fest especially memorable for genre fans.

And that’s why picking movies at Fantastic Fest is so much fun.

You never really know which movie you’re going to be talking about five years later.

2019: PARASITE

One of the biggest moments in the festival’s modern history came in 2019 with Bong Joon Ho’s Parasite.

The movie would go on to win the Academy Award for Best Picture.

But Fantastic Fest audiences got to experience the film during its festival run, before it became one of the most celebrated movies of the year.

After a screening, the South Lamar Alamo was even ceremonially renamed Bong Joon Ho Cinema.

That’s the kind of Austin weirdness that makes the festival special.

THEN 2020 HAPPENED

And then, of course, everything stopped.

Fantastic Fest could not operate as the normal in-person event in 2020.

The festival instead put together virtual programming, including online screenings, events, Fantastic Feud and retrospectives.

For people who had made the festival an annual tradition, it was strange.

No crowds.

No packed lobby.

No running from theater to theater.

No standing around talking about the movie you just watched.

No random celebrity walking past you.

No late-night conversations about whether the movie you just watched was brilliant or completely terrible.

It was a reminder that Fantastic Fest isn’t really just about movies.

It’s about being there.

BACK TO SOUTH LAMAR

By 2023, Fantastic Fest had returned to the physical experience that makes it so special.

And this year’s lineup is a pretty good reason to get excited.

The festival opens with The Toxic Avenger, Legendary’s new take on the cult classic, starring Peter Dinklage, Jacob Tremblay, Elijah Wood and Kevin Bacon.

The festival is also presenting The Creator, Gareth Edwards’ major science-fiction film, along with Eileen, The Book of Solutions, a prequel to Pet Sematary, and Mike Flanagan’s The Fall of the House of Usher.

And then there are the movies you don’t necessarily know about yet.

That’s where Fantastic Fest gets interesting.

A movie you’ve never heard of can suddenly become the movie everyone is talking about.

SECRET SCREENINGS ARE PART OF THE FUN

And then there are the secret screenings.

This is one of the reasons Fantastic Fest can be frustrating for somebody who wants to plan every minute.

You don’t know everything.

That’s intentional.

The festival has historically used secret screenings to surprise audiences with major films before release.

In 2023, secret-screening speculation was already running rampant among fans before the festival, with titles such as Saltburn, Dream Scenario, DogMan and Saw X eventually appearing among the secret screenings.

That is part of the experience.

You hear rumors.

You look at clues.

Someone says they heard a studio is bringing something.

Another person swears they know.

Nobody really knows.

Then the theater goes dark.

And suddenly you’re watching something that won’t be widely available for months.

FANTASTIC FEST IS ALSO A BAR SCENE

For Baller ATX, we can’t talk about Fantastic Fest without talking about the nightlife.

The festival is centered around South Lamar, which means the event naturally spills into the surrounding restaurants and bars.

People need food between movies.

People need drinks after movies.

People need somewhere to sit and argue about whether the movie they just watched was genius or terrible.

That’s part of the culture.

Fantastic Fest can easily turn into an all-day Austin experience.

Start with breakfast.

Watch a movie.

Grab lunch.

Watch another.

Get a drink.

Watch another.

Dinner.

Another movie.

Then drinks.

Then a party.

Then maybe another movie.

Then somehow it’s 2 a.m.

And you have to wake up and do it again.

For eight days.

This is not a festival for people who need eight hours of sleep.

THE PARTIES ARE AS IMPORTANT AS THE MOVIES

Fantastic Fest has developed some legendary parties and events over the years.

There have been zombie parades.

Wild premieres.

Costume events.

Celebrity karaoke.

Food events.

The famous Fantastic Debates.

And parties where the distinction between movie promotion and complete chaos becomes difficult to identify.

Celebrity karaoke has become part of the festival tradition, with stars and filmmakers taking the stage alongside festival attendees.

And the Fantastic Debates have become another signature event, combining trash talk, debate and physical competition.

According to recent retrospectives, participants over the years have included Elijah Wood, Dominic Monaghan, Michelle Rodriguez and even Keanu Reeves.

Again:

Only at Fantastic Fest.

WHAT TO WATCH IN 2023

If you’re heading to Fantastic Fest this year, the obvious big titles are worth checking out.

The Toxic Avenger is the big opening-night draw.

The Creator is another major theatrical title.

The Fall of the House of Usher is especially interesting for horror fans because it comes from Mike Flanagan.

But don’t spend your entire festival watching movies you already know about.

That’s the wrong way to do Fantastic Fest.

Pick a couple of big titles.

Then gamble.

Find something you’ve never heard of.

Read the description.

Look at the director.

Take a chance.

That’s how you find the movie you’ll be recommending to everyone six months later.

MY FAVORITE PART OF THE FESTIVAL

After attending since 2008, the best part isn’t even necessarily the movies.

It’s the people.

You start seeing the same faces every year.

People who you only see during Fantastic Fest.

People you’ve met in line.

People you recognize from previous years.

People who know that when you say, “I’ll see you at the festival,” you mean you’ll probably see them ten times over the next week.

The festival creates its own little temporary community.

For eight days, everyone is obsessed with movies.

Everyone has an opinion.

Everyone has a schedule.

Everyone is tired.

Everyone is drinking too much coffee.

And everyone wants to know:

“What did you see?”

That question gets asked constantly.

And it never gets old.

IF YOU’VE NEVER BEEN, THIS IS YOUR YEAR

If you’ve lived in Austin for years and have never attended Fantastic Fest, 2023 is a good time to change that.

You don’t have to be a hardcore horror fan.

You don’t have to know every obscure director.

You don’t need to understand Japanese horror cinema.

You don’t need to dress like a movie character.

Just be willing to try something different.

Start with one movie.

Then another.

Check out a party.

Walk around South Lamar.

Grab a drink.

Talk to people.

See what happens.

You might become hooked.

I did.

Back in 2008.

And I’m still going.

FIFTEEN YEARS LATER

That’s probably the strangest part for me.

When I went to my first Fantastic Fest in 2008, I wasn’t thinking about the fact that I’d still be talking about the festival 15 years later.

I certainly wasn’t thinking about writing an article about it.

I was just there to watch movies.

But that’s what great Austin traditions do.

They become part of your life.

You remember the movies.

You remember the parties.

You remember the celebrities.

You remember the weird stuff.

You remember the people you met.

You remember sitting in a theater at midnight wondering what the hell you had just watched.

And then you come back the next year.

And the next.

And the next.

Except for that one Lakeline year.

Even after all these years, Fantastic Fest remains one of the events that makes me proud to call Austin home.

Because it isn’t trying to be polished.

It isn’t trying to be normal.

It’s loud.

It’s weird.

It’s creative.

It’s unpredictable.

It’s obsessed with movies.

And it embraces exactly the kind of strange energy that has always made Austin special.

So as September approaches, start getting your schedule together.

Pick your movies.

Leave some room for surprises.

Find something you’ve never heard of.

Grab dinner.

Get a drink.

Talk to strangers in line.

Stay up too late.

And prepare yourself for the inevitable question:

“What are you watching next?”

Because once Fantastic Fest starts, you don’t really have a schedule anymore.

You have a mission.

Watch as many movies as humanly possible.

And hope you survive the week.

Fantastic Fest 2023 runs September 21–28 at Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar.

I’ve been going since 2008.

And if you’ve never experienced it, there’s really only one thing left to say:

Welcome to Fantastic Fest.

I personally didn’t get to see too many films at this years Fantastic Fest, but this film is one of the best I’ve seen since 2012. Before I begin, Ballers, you must first understand the amount of work that was put into this film. Takahide Hori has spent nearly 7 years creating this stop-motion animated masterpiece with little to no help. The visuals alone look as though he had backing from some big production company, but he did it all himself. That alone is an impressive feat but that’s not what makes this film fantastic. Hori first hooks us with a juicy sci-fi plot, humans achieved near immortality but lost the ability to procreate, so clones were created to help with menial tasks. Eventually, the clones rebel and move underground. Pretty good so far, then he skips us to 1300 years in the future, humans are dying and need to go underground to see how the clones have managed to survive and evolve. Reading that description in the fantastic fest program had me hooked. Once the film began I did have some reservations about the stop motion being clunky but was surprised at how well animated and smooth the characters and creatures moved. Not only did the visuals keep me interested but the soundtrack used was top notch, especially the action scenes. The story was paced pretty well and was able to provide a good backstory to important characters with out making the film drag on. Without going into spoilers, I’ll say the film had everything: thrills, chills, action, adventure, comedy and even a scene that had me tear up a bit. As of now, JunkHead doesn’t have a distributor. But Takahide has the 30 minutes know as Junk Head part 1 on youtube. Check it out here.

A Spoiler-Free Review of Stranger Things

by Traci Mondragon

From the synth beats that made my heart burst, to the superb acting by a group of very talented children… Stranger Things is everything I never knew I needed in a Netflix series.

Set in 1980’s small town Indiana, this eerie tale of missing children and monsters takes its viewers on a roller coaster ride of nostalgia and fright. I loved every second of this show and cried as I watched the finale. As a child of the 80’s, I, like so many others, fully embraced the awesome clothes, and am SALIVATING over the announcement of the release of a soundtrack. Which, by the way, was composed by Austin’s own S U R V I V E. But beyond all the feels we got from the incredibly detailed 80’s vibe of Stranger Things, this show was about monsters. Those we fight against for freedom, those we fight in the Upside Down, and those we fight within ourselves.

It all begins with the disappearance of Will Byers (Noah Schnapp). His mother, Joyce (Winona Ryder), will stop at nothing to save him, because although most of the town believes he’s dead, she knows in her heart (and with the help of some strategically placed Christmas lights) that he’s very much alive. Raise your hand if you had flashbacks to “summoning spirits” with the Ouija Board in your older cousin’s living room when your parents were out for the night! I know I did. Joyce teams up with Sherriff Hopper, a man fighting his own inner demons, and his investigative prowess leads to many discoveries.

Will’s friends Mike (Finn Wolfhard), Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo), and Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin) know he’s alive too, and they devise a plan of their own to rescue him. It is on their first late-night mission that they discover a young girl named Eleven, played by the outstanding Millie Bobby Brown, who ends up being the key to the mystery in so many ways. And completely steals my heart.

When another local kid goes missing (the ever-stylish Barb, played by Shannon Purser), her best friend Nancy (Mia Sara look-alike Natalia Dyer) teams up with local loner and brother of the missing Will, Jonathan Byers (Charlie Heaton) to find out the truth. As they uncover pieces of the puzzle themselves, this dynamic duo decides to wage an all-out war against the monster.

The audience nervously watches as these three dream teams, each in its own way, discovers more and more about the place where Will and Barb are taken, and how to get them back. We anxiously wait for them all to figure out that the others are also searching for the same things, and you long for them to join forces to defeat the monster, the evil Dr. Brenner (Matthew Modine), and their own insecurities. Each of these characters, in one way or another, feel like outsiders in their small-town world. But they all turn into heroes as we see the plot unfold and reach its climax.

From the first frame, we are sucked into this strange world, and we can’t help but see every single Stephen King, Steven Spielberg, and Wes Craven reference thrown in to bring to light one of THE most entertaining series of the decade. The crazy talented and imaginative Duffer Brothers have taken us all on an incredibly chilling journey. And I can’t wait to be sucked in again and again.