BILL MURRAY AND GIL KENAN "GET LIT" AT “CITY OF EMBER” SUBTERRANEAN DANCE PARTY AND SCREENING TO CLOSE FANTASTIC FEST 2008.

In Fox Walden’s October 10 release of CITY OF EMBER, Bill Murray plays the Mayor of Ember, an underground city where the generations have lived for over 200 years to escape a ravaged surface. But on September 25, 2008, this legendary performer, along with CITY OF EMBER director Gil Kenan, traveled a mile and a half underground to announce his “candidacy” for Mayor of Ember and to kick off GET LIT: THE SUBTERRANEAN DANCE PARTY, the closing night event of Fantastic Fest 2008.

Fantastic Fest, teaming with Fox Walden's CITY OF EMBER and Red Bull held GET LIT at the legendary Longhorn Caverns in Burnett, TX. Following the closing night screening of CITY OF EMBER, hosted by Ain’t It Cool News’ Harry Knowles, 400 festival attendees and special guests were transported via chartered bus to Longhorn Caverns, a Texas state park that previously played host to the Alamo Drafthouse's 2006 premiere of THE DESCENT.

Like the underground city of Ember, Longhorn Caverns became a world unlike any other as party goers were treated to the sounds of such top DJs as Kid Indie, King Louie, Markus with a K and DJ Manny, along with an open bar filled with Red Bull and a CITY OF EMBER milieu to commemorate the upcoming Fox Walden release. It was here that star Bill Murray and director Gil Kenan premiered the “Vote for Cole” national TV campaign for partygoers amidst screams of “Murray for President” from the adoring crowd. Afterwards, they mixed and mingled to promote the film’s release and to celebrate the closing night of Fantastic Fest, the largest genre film festival in the U.S., screening over 70 features and 100 shorts from all over the world. Other Fantastic Fest 2008 guests included actors Bill Pullman (SURVEILLANCE), Paul Rudd (ROLE MODELS) and Amy Smart (SEVENTH MOON), along with filmmakers Rain Johnson (THE BROTHERS BLOOM) and David Wain (ROLE MODELS).

In addition to Bill Murray, CITY OF EMBER co-stars 2008 Academy Award nominee Saoirse Ronan (ATONEMENT) and 2003 Academy Award-winner Tim Robbins. For more information, go to www.cityofember.com.

CITY OF EMBER Synopsis: For generations, the people of the City of Ember have flourished in an amazing world of glittering lights - underground. But Ember's once powerful generator is failing . . . and the great lamps that illuminate the city are starting to flicker. Now, in a race against time, the citizens must search Ember for clues that will unlock the ancient mystery of the city's existence, and escape before the lights go out forever.

Best of Fantastic Fest, Sunday 9/28, free!

Fantastic Fest draws to a close tonight, but we are having such a good time, that we don't want to let it end!

On Sunday, September 28, Fantastic Fest is hosting the BEST OF FANTASTIC FEST at the Alamo South Lamar featuring screenings of three of the most popular films of the festival. These screenings are 100% free, first come, first serve. The shows are open to badge holders and the general public alike, badge holders do not get priority seating. They are truly first come, first serve.

Let the Right One In 9/28 4:05 PM
An awkward, introverted boy (Oskar) befriends a new neighbor girl (Eli) who helps him to confront the bullies at school. Eli, however, has a dark secret, and there are bodies piling up at the local morgue.

Chocolate 9/28 7:00 PM
The director of ONG BAK returns with his new protégé, who was in training for five years for this role. Jeeja Vismistananda portrays an autistic girl who learns martial arts from watching Tony Jaa and Bruce Lee films so as to exact revenge on those who bankrupted her mother.

Donkey Punch 9/28 10:00 PM
Seven sexy young Brits are hanging out on a "borrowed" yacht for a day of drugs, debauchery, and ultimately donkey punching. It's the last activity causes everything to unravel.

For more information about Fantastic Fest, check out the official website. Film Badges are currently on sale for Fantastic Fest 2009.

Fantastic Fest 2008 Award Winners Announced!

Fantastic Fest is proud to announce the winning films of the 2008 festival. Taking top prize in the AMD Next Wave competition is the Japanese sci-fi horror film TOKYO GORE POLICE. The Audience Award goes to THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE WEIRD, stylized indie-noir SOUTH OF HEAVEN takes the AMD Fantastic Fest Online Award, and LET THE RIGHT ONE IN nabs the Best Horror Feature. Complete awards listings are below:


Bloodshots 48 Hour Filmmaking Contest:
Team: Scottish Rite Productions
Film: Meet the Maydays
Team Capt – Drew Thomas

Fantastic Fest Bumper Contest:
Team: Yer Dead
Film: Report Card
Team Capt – Jason Eisener

Animated Shorts:
First Place: Bernie's Doll
Second Place: Muto
Third Place: Violeta
Special Jury Award for Technical Merit: Facts In The Case Of Mr. Hollow

Fantastic Shorts:
First Place: The Object
Second Place: Spandex Man
Third Place: Stagman
Special Jury Award for Visual Invention: Rojo Red

Horror Shorts:
First Place:. Electric Fence
Second Place:. I Love Sarah Jane
Third Place: El Senor Puppe
Special Jury Award for sheer enjoyability: The Horribly Slow Murderer With The Extremely Inefficient Weapon

Fantastic Features:
First Place: HOW TO GET RID OF THE OTHERS
Second Place: CARGO 200
Third Place: EX DRUMMER
Special Jury Award for originality and vision: SANTOS

Horror Features:
First Place: LET THE RIGHT ONE IN (surprise!)
Second Place: ACOLYTES
Third Place: DONKEY PUNCH
Special Jury Award for most politically incorrect gore: FEAST 2
Special Jury Award for best use of latex: JACK BROOKS MONSTER SLAYER

Audience Award:
First Place: The Good, The Bad and the Weird
Second Place: Chocolate
Third Place: JCVD

AMD Fantastic Fest Online:
Best Feature Film: South of Heaven
Best Short Film: Treevenge

AMD Next Wave:
First Place: TOKYO GORE POLICE
Second Place: DEADGIRL
Third Place: LE CREME

For more information about Fantastic Fest, please visit our official website: www.fantasticfest.com.

ABOUT THE FESTIVAL:
Fantastic Fest is the largest genre film festival in the United States featuring over 100 films from over 30 countries. The event highlights 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), Todd Brown (Twitchfilm.net), Blake Ethridge (Cinema is Dope), Karrie League (Alamo Drafthouse Cinema), 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 Gamecock Media, AMD, Fosters, Embassy Suites, 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment, CITY OF EMBER, DVD Empire, Best Buy, Dark Sky Films, Envy Magazine, Anchor Bay Entertainment, Texas Film Commission, Image Entertainment, Viz Pictures, HungrymanTV.com, Book People, Room Service Vintage, Media Blasters, Big Top Candy, Austin Chronicle, The Onion, Fangoria Magazine, Rue Morgue Magazine, Twitchfilm.com, Ain't It Cool News, Smitty's Market and Louie Mueller Barbecue.

Fantastic Fest 2009 VIP Badges are SOLD OUT!

In less than 2 hours and a full year before the festival, VIP Badges for Fantastic Fest 2009 are SOLD OUT! Regular Film badges are still on sale at www.fantasticfest.com but judging by the speed of sales on the VIP badges, these may also not last long.

Fantastic Fest 2008 has posted record attendance this year, with an anticipated 16000 admissions over the eight day festival.

About Fantastic Fest
Fantastic Fest is the largest genre film festival in the United States featuring over 100 films from over 30 countries. The event highlights 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), Todd Brown (Twitchfilm.net), Blake Ethridge (Cinema is Dope), Karrie League (Alamo Drafthouse Cinema), Zack Carlson (Alamo Drafthouse Cinema) and Lars Nilsen (Alamo Drafthouse Cinema). Fantastic Fest 2008 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 Gamecock Media, AMD, Fosters, Embassy Suites, 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment, CITY OF EMBER, DVD Empire, Best Buy, Dark Sky Films, Envy Magazine, Anchor Bay Entertainment, Texas Film Commission, Image Entertainment, Viz Pictures, HungrymanTV.com, Book People, Room Service Vintage, Media Blasters, Big Top Candy, Austin Chronicle, The Onion, Fangoria Magazine, Rue Morgue Magazine, Twitchfilm.com, Ain't It Cool News, Smitty's Market and Louie Mueller Barbecue.

Late film additions to the Fantastic Fest lineup!

Sure, we sent the festival guide to the printer, but for whatever reason, we just didn't stop working on getting more amazing films for you guys to watch.

Since the close of the printed guide, here are the late additions to the festival lineup:

Vinyan (dir. Fabrice du Welz, 2008, France)
Fabrice du Welz's follow up to the brutal Calvaire (Fantastic Fest official selection 2005) was one of the most wildly anticipated films in the genre fan community this year. The film just world-premiered at Venice and is now heading down to Austin for it's US Premiere. VINYAN is a controversial and harrowing journey into the spiritual darkness that envelops two grieving parents as they search Thailand and Burma against all hope for their son, whom they believe may have survived the giant Indian Ocean tsunami disaster.

YOUR NAME HERE (dir. Matthew Wilder, 2008, USA)
With actor Bill Pullman live in person!
A surreal fantasia -- part grindhouse mutant and part arthouse object -- that imagines a day in the summer of 1974 when America's greatest science-fiction writer, William J. Frick (inspired by the public life of Philip K. Dick and portrayed by Bill Pullman) wakes up to discover he is living inside his own paranoid science fiction.

Pulse 2 (dir. Joel Soisson, 2008, USA)
Jamie Bamber (Lee Adama from Battlestar Galactica!) plays Stephen, a survivor haunted by the ghosts of his past trying to find a safe haven for his daughter in a truly frightening world. In this post-apocalyptic sequel to PULSE, cities are deserted, technology has been destroyed and the few remaining human beings eschew anything electrical in order to avoid a confrontation with the soulless ghosts that now wander the planet.

Repo! The Genetic Opera (dir. Darren Bousman, 2008, USA)
No, this isn't a new title, but we've been so FLOODED with requests to see this film that the studio agreed to set up an extra screening for non-badgeholders at midnight on Friday for people who will be driving in from out of town to see it. Tickets are for sale now for non-badgeholders here.

Secret Screenings!
We've added Secret Screening B already at midnight on Wednesday, September 24. What isn't announced yet is 2 OTHER late festival secret screenings C and D! We expect those to fall into place in the next 24 hours, so check back soon! We've added a "Secret Screening" category to the drop down menu on the website for your convenience, so you can see them all.


The festival begins in a mere 4 days! We'll see you all very, very soon. In the meantime, make sure and sign up for your B-Side account so you can build your personal schedule with their very easy, intuitive scheduling tool. Share your B-Side
account name with your friends so you can compare schedules. To sign up for a B-Side Account, click here.

Enter the Eagle Eye Scavenger Hunt!

As it was attached in front of INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL, I assume that everyone in the world has seen the heart-pounding trailer for EAGLE EYE, a race-against-time thriller starring Shia LaBeouf, Michelle Monaghan, Rosario Dawson, Anthony Mackie and Billy Bob Thornton. In EAGLE EYE, Jerry Shaw (LaBeouf) and Rachel Holloman (Monaghan) are two strangers thrown together by a mysterious phone call from a woman they have never met. Threatening their lives and family, she pushes Jerry and Rachel into a series of increasingly dangerous situations - using the technology of everyday life to track and control their every move. As the situation escalates, these two ordinary people become the country's most wanted fugitives, who must work together to discover what is really happening - and more importantly, why.

Fantastic Fest has teamed with Paramount Pictures to create the EAGLE EYE SCAVENGER HUNT. Sign up for the hunt and sometime between the hours of 2 PM and 3 PM on Friday, September 19, your cell phone will ring, the first step in your own intricate and diabolical adventure.

The scavenger hunt is free. All you need to play is a text enabled cell phone and a digital camera. Teams can be from one to four persons. The hunt will be geographically limited, in and around the Long Center/Lamar area, so you do not need a vehicle of any kind to complete the hunt. In fact, once you arrive on scene for the first clue, it will be faster to complete it on foot. Anyone is welcome: you do not need to be a Fantastic Fest badge holder to compete. This scavenger hunt is suitable for participants 12 and up. We recommend that out-of-towners include at least one local resident on their team.

The winner of the scavenger hunt will receive a mini HD Panasonic HDCSD5 camera. We will have 2nd and 3rd place prices for the runners up. Everyone who enters the contest will get free tickets for all of their team members to a special sneak preview screening of EAGLE EYE introduced by D.J. Caruso at 7:00 PM on Friday, September 19, immediately following the hunt. Prizes will be awarded after the screening.

Don't just watch the movie, completely immerse yourself in the experience, enter the EAGLE EYE SCAVENGER HUNT. To sign up your team, email us at eagleeye@fantasticfest.com and include a list of your 1-4 team numbers and your team's cell phone. We will send you a text to confirm the number prior to the start of the hunt.

As the sneak preview of EAGLE EYE will be full from Fantastic Fest VIP badge holders, the scavenger hunt may very well be your only chance to get into the show!

EAGLE EYE, released through DreamWorks/Paramount Distribution, hits screens nationwide on September 26, 2008.

Fantastic Fest to screen the original, uncut version of CONQUEST OF THE PLANET OF THE APES!

40 years ago, Franklin J. Schaffner's PLANET OF THE APES stunned moviegoers everywhere with its vision of a world where man was ruled by apes, and its four sequels paved the way for the modern blockbuster movie franchise. Unlike those modern-day movie franchises, however, the PLANET OF THE APES films were all distinctive, intelligent movies that stood on their own while all telling the story of the inevitable downfall of man and the birth of the planet of the apes.

Nowhere was this more apparent than in J. Lee Thompson's CONQUEST OF THE PLANET OF THE APES, the toughest, most violent and political of the entire series and one of the best science fiction films of its time. Test audiences in 1972 were shocked by the film's violence and call for revolution, so much so that the film was cut by over 9 minutes for fears of earning an R rating from the MPAA. For over 35 years this version of CONQUEST languished in the Fox vault, unseen by human (or ape) eyes, and now, the original, uncut version will be receiving its world premiere at this year's edition of Fantastic Fest, the largest genre film festival in the U.S., running from September 18 - 25, 2008 at the Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar in Austin, TX.

This one-time only screening will be free and open to the general public on Saturday, September 20, at 12pm. Following this, Fox Home Entertainment will make this version available exclusively in the PLANET OF THE APES 40 Year Evolution Blu-Ray Collection available in stores on November 4th. The Fantastic Fest CONQUEST screening will be in 1080p HD, making this the first public high def screening of any of the APES films, and will preceded by Fox DVD giveaways and previews. Come witness the birth of the PLANET OF THE APES like you've never seen before - before anyone else does!

This screening is sponsored by Fox Home Entertainment.

IMPORTANT FESTIVAL DATES:
Important dates have been announced for the 4th Annual Fantastic Fest in Austin, Texas.

Sunday, September 14, 2008: Fantastic Fest online begins
Thursday, September 18, 2008: Fantastic Fest begins
Saturday, September 20, 2008: 2009 Festival Badges go on sale
Monday, September 22, 2008: 2008 Fantastic Fest Awards Ceremony

For more information about Fantastic Fest, please visit our official website: www.fantasticfest.com.

ABOUT THE FESTIVAL:
Fantastic Fest is the largest genre film festival in the United States featuring over 100 films from over 30 countries. The event highlights 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), Todd Brown (Twitchfilm.net), Blake Ethridge (Cinema is Dope), Karrie League (Alamo Drafthouse Cinema), 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 Gamecock Media, AMD, Fosters, Embassy Suites, 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment, CITY OF EMBER, DVD Empire, Best Buy, Dark Sky Films, Envy Magazine, Anchor Bay Entertainment, Texas Film Commission, Image Entertainment, Viz Pictures, HungrymanTV.com, Book People, Room Service Vintage, Media Blasters, Big Top Candy, Austin Chronicle, The Onion, Fangoria Magazine, Rue Morgue Magazine, Twitchfilm.com, Ain't It Cool News, Smitty's Market and Louie Mueller Barbecue.

Fantastic Fest Schedule is now online!

The complete 2008 Fantastic Fest schedule is now active on our official website www.fantasticfest.com.

There are, however, always last minute additions to the festival lineup. To keep up-to-date on last-minute news and schedule additions, we recommend joining the Fantastic Fest Facebook Group or subscribing to the Fantastic Fest Twitter feed and blog.

BADGEHOLDERS, SIGN UP WITH BSIDE
We partner with BSide Entertainment to deliver the interactive community and scheduling portion of our website. If you are attending Fantastic Fest this year, we highly recommend that you sign up for a BSide account. You can do so at www.fantasticfest.com. It’s quick, easy and free. Once you have an account, you can use the easy scheduling tool to start putting together your personal Fantastic Fest itinerary as well as view the schedules of your friends. Once the festival is underway, you can also rate and review films as well as interact with the filmmakers and the festival community at large.

Next week, we’ll be sending out information on how to use BSide with SMS text messaging, and new this year, the Fantastic Fest BSide interface is optimized for IPhone and mobile browsing. When browsing http://www.fantasticfest.bside.com with your Iphone, you will automatically be redirected to the stripped down mobile-friendly version of the site.

A SNEAK PEAK AT THE FESTIVAL PROGRAM GUIDE
The Official 2008 Fantastic Fest program guide has been sent to the printer and will be hitting the streets next week. If you would like a sneak peek at the program, however, you can download a compressed PDF at http://www.fantasticfest.com/guide.pdf.


IMPORTANT FESTIVAL DATES:
Important dates have been announced for the 4th Annual Fantastic Fest in Austin, Texas.

Sunday, September 14, 2008: Fantastic Fest online begins
Thursday, September 18, 2008: Fantastic Fest begins
Saturday, September 20, 2008: 2009 Festival Badges go on sale
Monday, September 22, 2008: 2008 Fantastic Fest Awards Ceremony

For more information about Fantastic Fest, please visit our official website: www.fantasticfest.com.

ABOUT THE FESTIVAL:
Fantastic Fest is the largest genre film festival in the United States featuring over 100 films from over 30 countries. The event highlights 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), Todd Brown (Twitchfilm.net), Blake Ethridge (Cinema is Dope), Karrie League (Alamo Drafthouse Cinema), 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 Gamecock Media, AMD, Fosters, Embassy Suites, 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment, CITY OF EMBER, DVD Empire, Best Buy, Dark Sky Films, Envy Magazine, Anchor Bay Entertainment, Texas Film Commission, Image Entertainment, Viz Pictures, HungrymanTV.com, Book People, Room Service Vintage, Media Blasters, Big Top Candy, Austin Chronicle, The Onion, Fangoria Magazine, Rue Morgue Magazine, Twitchfilm.com, Ain't It Cool News, Smitty's Market and Louie Mueller Barbecue.

Fantastic Fest Film Badges are sold out!

As of 10:00 PM tonight, we have officially sold out of both 2008 VIP and Film Badges. We still "daytime only" and "2nd half" badges available and we will likely have individual tickets for sale to many of the shows.

We will be updating the website daily during the fest to let people know which shows are available for individual ticket sales.

If you don't want to miss out on Fantastic Fest 2009, VIP and Film badges go one sale for the 2009 Festival on Saturday, September 20.

Final Slate of films announced for Fantastic Fest 2008

Fantastic Fest, September 18-25, 2008
Austin, TX

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

We are proud to announce the final slate of feature film programming for the 2008 edition of Fantastic Fest in Austin, Texas. With over 100 films representing over 30 countries, Fantastic Fest is the largest festival of its kind in the United States. The 2008 schedule will be announced online on Thursday, September 4, 2008. If you are planning on coming to Fantastic Fest and have not yet secured a badge. Act quickly as we only have 30 film badges left and expect to be sold out by the end of the week!

FINAL BATCH: FANTASTIC FEATURES:

Alien Raiders
Special Advance Screening / dir. Ben Rock / USA / 2008 / 85 min
Director Ben Rock live in person!
A squadron of trained gunmen lay siege to a supermarket at closing time. What first appears to be a robbery soon takes on otherworldly dimensions.


Astropia (Dorks and Damsels)
North American Premiere / Dir. Gunnar Gudmundsson / Iceland / 2008 / 93 min
Director Gunnar Gudmundsson and screenerwriters Otto Borg and Johann Grimson live in person!
Hildi, a high-society socialite, is left bankrupt and alone after her corrupt husband is whisked off to prison. With no other prospects, she gets a job selling role-playing games and accessories at Astropia, the town's geek Mecca.


The Burrowers
US Premiere / Dir. J.T. Petty / USA / 2008 / 97 min
Director J.T. Petty live in person!
A cross-country manhunt searches for an abducted woman and a marauding Indian tribe, but the real villains don't ride horses... they burrow from beneath the ground.


The Chaser
North American Premiere / Dir. Hong-jin Na / South Korea / 2008 / 123 min
A serial killer is preying on call-girls from various escort agencies. In the midst of police indifference and incompetence, Jung-Ho (Yun-Seok Kim), an ex-cop-turned-pimp must dust off his old flatfoot skills to find the killer and save the life of one of his girls who has gone missing.


Fanboys
Special Advance Screening / Dir. Kyle Newman / USA / 2008 / 90 min
Director Kyle Newman, producer Matt Perniciaro, screenwriter Ernie Cline and star Jaime King live in person!
Desperate to see STAR WARS EPISODE 1: THE PHANTOM MENACE, five high school friends break into Skywalker Ranch to steal an early cut of the film.


The Good The Bad and The Weird
Regional Premiere / Dir. Ji-woon Kim / South Korea / 2008 / 139 min
Directed by Ji-woon Kim (A BITTERSWEET LIFE, A TALE OF TWO SISTERS) and setting an all-time Korean box office opening weekend record this year, THE GOOD THE BAD AND THE WEIRD, an homage to Leone's similarly named classic, is one of the year's most anticipated genre titles.


Just Another Love Story
Regional Premiere / dir Ole Bornedal / Denmark / 2007 / 100 min
JUST ANOTHER LOVE STORY is not as benign as the title might suggest. A mild mannered forensics photographer is involved in a traffic accident with a young woman. Curious, he visits her in the hospital only to be mistaken as her boyfriend. When she awakens blind and suffering from mild amnesia, he continues his charade. As you might expect, things don’t turn out so well.


Late Bloomer
Regional Premiere / dir. Gô Shibata / Japan / 2004 / 83 min
In Gô Shibata’s controversial film, Masakiyo Sumida, a severely disabled mute, is driven to madness and violence by his loneliness and isolation.


Left Bank
Dir. Pieter Van Hees / Belgium / 2008 / 75 min
A young woman moves in with her new boyfriend on the fashionable "left bank" in Antwerp only to discover that the building may have a very disturbing past.


Repo! A Genetic Opera
Special Advance Screening / Dir. Darren Bousman / USA / 2008 / 98 min
Director Darren Bousman and star/co-writer Terrance Zdunich live in person!
Darren Bousman, director of the 2nd, 3rd and 4th installments of the wildly popular SAW franchise, pulls a "what-the-f..." 180 degree turnaround to create a very personal, very demented, bloody goth rock opera about organ repossession with lead performances by Paul Sorvino, Paris Hilton and Ogre from Skinny Puppy.


Sauna
US Premiere / Dir. Antti-Jussi Annila / Finland / 2007 / 93 min
While mapping the new border between Russia and Finland after the war, the joint task force stumbles upon a mysterious sauna in a remote swamp, a sauna that allegedly has the power to wash away all sins.


The Wild Man of the Navidad
Regional Premiere / Dir. Duane Graves and Justin Meeks / USA / 2008 / 86 min
Directors Duane Graves and Justin Meeks live in person!
Purportedly based on actual events, THE WILDMAN OF THE NAVIDAD tells the story of a small Texas community along the banks of the Navidad river who were terrorized for years by a mysterious creature.


The Wreck
World Premiere / Dir James Koya Jones / USA / 2008 / 79 min
Director James Koya Jones live in person!
A very pregnant woman and her husband are trapped in the woods in a demolished sedan and her water has just broken. They are in a really bad situation, and it gets a LOT worse.


The complete festival schedule including our patented secret screening times will be posted online on Thursday, September 4 at www.fantasticfest.com

IMPORTANT FESTIVAL DATES:
Important dates have been announced for the 4th Annual Fantastic Fest in Austin, Texas.

Thursday, September 4, 2008: Final schedule announced
Sunday, September 14, 2008: Fantastic Fest online begins
Thursday, September 18, 2008: Fantastic Fest begins
Saturday, September 20, 2008: 2009 Festival Badges go on sale
Monday, September 22, 2008: 2008 Fantastic Fest Awards Ceremony

For more information about Fantastic Fest, please visit our official website: www.fantasticfest.com.

ABOUT THE FESTIVAL:
Fantastic Fest is the largest genre film festival in the United States featuring over 100 films from over 30 countries. The event highlights 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), Todd Brown (Twitchfilm.net), Blake Ethridge (Cinema is Dope), Karrie League (Alamo Drafthouse Cinema), 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 Gamecock Media, AMD and Fosters, 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment and Fox Walden.