It’s the time of the year when genre fans get excited to take part in one of the best festival events of the year. The 21st edition of Fantastic Fest kicks off at the Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar in Austin, TX, from September 17th-24th, 2026, and this year’s lineup is one for the books.
A Terrifying Still from Resident Evil (2026)
“Because we have the most diverse film slate in all of exhibition, we are in a unique position to support these films from festival premiere to theatrical release,” Alamo Drafthouse CEO Michael Kusterman said in a statement. With programming that includes 35 World Premieres, 21 International and North American Premieres, and 14 U.S. Premieres, this year’s Fantastic Fest has something for everyone. Two films people can’t stop talking about, Beware BOIÚNA (Mike P. Nelson) and Resident Evil (Zach Cregger), will kick things off. With a pair like these to start, you can expect Fantastic Fest to deliver an epic event.
Aside from the bigger titles festival-goers are looking forward to, Fantastic Fest highlights new and upcoming filmmakers through their Burnt Ends block and their Fantastic Pitches event. Burnt Ends is a lineup of four micro-budget films: I Have Proof, Mr. Creamjeans’ Hidey Hole, Magic Mtn., and Little Doors. Fantastic Pitches gives six filmmaking teams the opportunity to pitch their projects live for a chance at winning $100,000 in financing and distribution.
An Unsettling Still of I Have Proof
This year, festival-goers will get to watch last year’s winner, Play House, on the big screen. Festival Director Lisa Dreyer stated, “We really focused our programming efforts on bringing new discoveries to our audience of discerning and passionate cinephiles. I guarantee we have the next batch of breakout directors in our lineup, and you’ll discover them first at Fantastic Fest.”
Fantastic Fest is also serving up a few events worth noting, such as the Evil Laugh competition hosted by the Blerdy Massacre podcast and Fresh Frights with Rotten Tomatoes, a conversation about all things horror. Some other notable titles being presented this year include Bleecker Street’s period-piece horror starring Maika Monroe, Victorian Psycho, and the first two episodes of Mike Flanagan’s series, Carrie. To close out this year’s event, directors Kevin Kölsch and Dennis Widmyer will present their film, The Swallow, starring Grace Van Dien. And let’s not forget to mention there will be a closing night concert with gore-rock legends GWAR.
You can expect a program of 73 feature films and episodics, and a variety of short films that will be announced soon. You can get the full film guide here. Be sure to follow Horror Movie Blog for reviews and updates throughout the festival.
