The festival takes place in September at the Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar, filling eight screens for eight days and hosting many writers, directors, and actors, either well-established or emergin. The festival has become known as a launch-pad for genre films, where critical acclaim at the fest can lead to big box office returns.[6]
A notable feature of this festival is the inclusion of "secret screenings". For these screenings, the audience often does not know what the film will be until seated, moments before it begins.[7] It also features many themed parties, outings, film-themed "feasts", and other events that are hallmarks of the original Alamo Drafthouse Cinema.
In 2007, Variety publisher Charles Koones included Fantastic Fest as one of "Ten Festivals We Love".[8] In 2008, MovieMaker named it one of "The 25 Film Festivals Worth the Entry Fee".[9] In 2017, MovieMaker included the festival on its list of the "The 25 Coolest Film Festivals in the World."[10]
In 2022, an online-exclusive section of programming was created: "Burnt Ends", in this new segment, Fantastic Fest showcases "the weirdest, wildest, most fringe films out there."[11]
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