Fantastic Fest Press Release

Saturday, June 27, 2009

Fantastic Fest Final Submission Deadline: July 17

Date: Sunday, June 17, 2009

Subject: Final Deadline for Fantastic Fest submission: July 17

Fantastic Fest programs approximately 75 features and 50 short films, many of which are accepted out of the submission process. Last year, Fantastic Fest was named by Moviemaker Magazine as one of the 25 festivals worth the entry fee, and was also named by Variety president Charlie Koones as “one of the 10 festivals we love” alongside Cannes, Toronto and Telluride.

Final Submission Deadline: July 17, 2009
Schedule Announced: September 3, 2009
Festival Begins: September 24, 2009

The final deadline for submitting a feature or short film to this year’s Fantastic Fest is coming up fast, Friday, July 17. To submit your film or for additional information about Fantastic Fest, please visit the official website, www.fantasticfest.com.

"Fantastic Fest has made my whole career. Everything related to the future of Timecrimes and mine as an American director comes through your festival. I know that some directors have a particular festival attached to their whole biography. Now I know mine." - Nacho Vigalondo, director, TIMECRIMES (worldwide rights to TIMECRIMES were purchased by Magnolia Releasing following the world premiere of the film at Fantastic Fest 2007)

"The folks at Austin's Fantastic Fest set the tone when they describe it as a place for "all around badass cinema." With kudos from Charlie Koones, former publisher of Variety, who calls it "one of the 10 Film Festivals We Love," moviemakers are definitely getting into that tender sprit, too, especially when it comes to the amount of publicity their Fantastic Fest screenings are generating. "For the size of our event, we have an incredibly high number of journalists from key publications: Variety, Twitchfilm, The Hollywood Reporter, Cinematical, Ain't It Cool News, Fangoria, Rue Morgue, indieWIRE and Film Threat just to name a few. We guarantee that your film will get a review and possibly as many as eight to ten," promises festival director Tim League. If you're hoping those good reviews will turn into a great distribution deal, this genre-focused fest has got you covered on that front, too. "We have a high volume of acquisition representatives and buyers from major and indie studios at the fest and have a media room equipped with screeners of all films for those agents who can only be on hand for part of the fest." - MOVIEMAKER MAGAZINE

Monday, March 2, 2009

Fantastic Fest Early Submission Deadline: March 4

Date: Sunday, March 1, 2009

Subject: Early Deadline for Fantastic Fest submission: March 4

Fantastic Fest, the largest genre film festival in the United States has announced it’s 2009 deadlines for film submissions. Fantastic Fest programs approximately 75 features and 50 short films, many of which are accepted out of the submission process. Last year, Fantastic Fest was named by Moviemaker Magazine as one of the 25 festivals worth the entry fee, and was also named by Variety president Charlie Koones as “one of the 10 festivals we love” alongside Cannes, Toronto and Telluride.

Important dates for Fantastic Fest 2009
Discount Earlybird Deadline: March 4, 2009
Regular Deadline: May 6, 2009
Late Deadline: June 3, 2009
Without A Box Extended Deadline: July 17, 2009
Schedule Announced: September 3, 2009
Festival Begins: September 24, 2009

The “discount earlybird” deadline for submitting a feature or short film to this year’s Fantastic Fest is coming up fast, this Wednesday, March 4. To submit your film or for additional information about Fantastic Fest, please visit the official website, www.fantasticfest.com.

"Fantastic Fest has made my whole career. Everything related to the future of Timecrimes and mine as an American director comes through your festival. I know that some directors have a particular festival attached to their whole biography. Now I know mine." - Nacho Vigalondo, director, TIMECRIMES (worldwide rights to TIMECRIMES were purchased by Magnolia Releasing following the world premiere of the film at Fantastic Fest 2007)

"The folks at Austin's Fantastic Fest set the tone when they describe it as a place for "all around badass cinema." With kudos from Charlie Koones, former publisher of Variety, who calls it "one of the 10 Film Festivals We Love," moviemakers are definitely getting into that tender sprit, too, especially when it comes to the amount of publicity their Fantastic Fest screenings are generating. "For the size of our event, we have an incredibly high number of journalists from key publications: Variety, Twitchfilm, The Hollywood Reporter, Cinematical, Ain't It Cool News, Fangoria, Rue Morgue, indieWIRE and Film Threat just to name a few. We guarantee that your film will get a review and possibly as many as eight to ten," promises festival director Tim League. If you're hoping those good reviews will turn into a great distribution deal, this genre-focused fest has got you covered on that front, too. "We have a high volume of acquisition representatives and buyers from major and indie studios at the fest and have a media room equipped with screeners of all films for those agents who can only be on hand for part of the fest." - MOVIEMAKER MAGAZINE

Monday, February 9, 2009

SXSW Presents Fantastic Fest at Midnight

Austin, Texas – February 9, 2008 – The South by Southwest (SXSW) Film Conference and Festival announced today a new partnership with Fantastic Fest which will manifest through a new lineup in the official film festival program: “SXSW Presents Fantastic Fest at Midnight.” Now in its 5th year, Alamo Drafthouse’s Fantastic Fest has quickly become one of the largest genre film festivals in the United States and has been dubbed “Geek Telluride” and “one of the 10 festivals we love” by Variety. “SXSW Presents Fantastic Fest at Midnight” is a representative sample of the young festival’s signature midnight genre programming, featuring six new premieres exclusive to SXSW.

“The Alamo Drafthouse has been an eleven-year partner of SXSW,” says Fantastic Fest director and Alamo Drafthouse founder Tim League. “In fact, our very first show at the original Alamo Drafthouse location was opening night of SXSW 1997. We are proud to work so closely with such a respected institution, and in 2009 with ‘SXSW Presents Fantastic Fest at Midnight,’ we plan to deliver one of the best movie experiences of the year for genre film fans.”

"We couldn't be more excited to enhance our Midnighters section with the infusion of six badass Fantastic Fest films," says SXSW Film Conference and Festival Producer Janet Pierson. "The Fantastic Fest, in its short life, has really added a lot of energy and fun here in Austin, and the Alamo Drafthouse is already such a natural and significant partner to SXSW, so it was a no-brainer to invite them to preview their program with us."

The full “SXSW presents Fantastic Fest at midnight” lineup will be announced later this month at www.sxsw.com. For more information about Fantastic Fest (September 24 - October 1) visit www.fantasticfest.com .

Thursday, November 20, 2008

2009 Fantastic Fest Submissions are live!

Date: Thursday, November 20, 2008

PRESS RELEASE: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Subject: 2009 Fantastic Fest submissions are live

Where: Alamo Drafthouse Cinema South Lamar, Austin, TX
Fantastic Fest, September 24-October 1, 2009

Contact:
Tim League
(512) 912-0529
info@fantasticfest.com
www.fantasticfest.com

Although the dust is still settling from the sold out 2008 edition of Fantastic Fest, we have now officially opened the submission season for the 2009 Festival. All submissions are handled through Without A Box, a direct link to the submission page can be found at www.fantasticfest.com.

IMPORTANT FESTIVAL DATES:
March 4, 2009: Earlybird Submission Deadline
May 6, 2009: Regular Submission Deadline
June 3, 2009: Late Submission Deadline
July 17, 2009: WAB Extended Deadline (submissions closed)
September 24: Fantastic Fest 2009 Begins

Visit the Fantastic Fest website (www.fantasticfest.com) for information on film submissions as well as 2009 festival badges.

ABOUT THE FESTIVAL:
Fantastic Fest was named by Variety President Charlie Koones as one of the “10 festivals we love” alongside industry heavy-hitters Cannes, Telluride and Toronto. Fantastic Fest was also named one of the “25 Festivals worth the entry fee” by Moviemaker magazine.

Fantastic Fest is an eight-day festival of the best new sci-fi, horror, fantasy and genre films, as well as choice classic and obscure cult titles from all over the world. The festival director and head programmer is Tim League (Alamo Drafthouse Cinema), with additional programming by Harry Knowles (Ain't It Cool News), Blake Ethridge (Cinema is Dope), Todd Brown (Twitchfilm.net), Zack Carlson (Alamo Drafthouse Cinema) and Lars Nilsen (Alamo Drafthouse Cinema). Fantastic Fest is a supporting member of the prestigious Melies European Fantastic Film Festivals Federation and a founding member of the North American Fantastic Festival Alliance. Fantastic Fest is sponsored in part by Ain’t It Cool News, Twitchfilm, Gamecock, DVD Empire, Best Buy, VIZ Pictures, Embassy Suites, Dark Sky Films, The Texas Film Commission, Room Service Vintage, Rue Morgue Magazine, Fangoria Magazine, The Austin Chronicle, The Onion and the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema South Lamar.