Eight days, eight screens, 35 world premieres, and a giant snake movie to kick it all off, Austin’s legendary genre film festival celebrates its 21st year with one of its biggest lineups yet.
Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar, Austin, TX — September 17-24, 2026
Not every film festival opens with a giant, blood-soaked Amazonian snake movie, but then again, Fantastic Fest has never been like other film festivals. Now in its 21st year, the genre-obsessed event returns to Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar for eight days of horror, fantasy, sci-fi, and cult filmmaking that’s built a reputation as one of the leading genre festivals in the world.
Founded in 2005 by Tim League, the founder of Alamo Drafthouse Cinema itself, Fantastic Fest fills eight screens for eight straight days, drawing writers, directors, and actors, both rising and already established, to Austin every September. Under festival director Lisa Dreyer and head of programming Annick Mahnert, this year’s edition brings 35 world premieres, 21 international and North American premieres, and 14 U.S. premieres, a lineup organizers describe as focused on discovery and launching the next wave of breakout directors.
The festival opens with the world premiere of “Beware Boiúna,” director Mike P. Nelson’s giant-snake creature feature starring Kiana Madeira, Jessica Rothe, and Logan Marshall-Green. Right alongside it comes a special screening of “Resident Evil,” Zach Cregger’s follow-up to last year’s Oscar-winning “Weapons,” based on the long-running video game series. The timing is notably tight: Austin audiences get to see it roughly a full day before it opens nationwide.
The rest of the lineup reads like a genre fan’s dream list. Mike Flanagan’s new “Carrie” series gets its U.S. premiere, as does the period slasher “Victorian Psycho,” starring Margaret Qualley and Thomasin McKenzie. Martin McDonagh’s “Wild Horse Nine” takes a Texas premiere slot, and while it’s not horror, festival buzz already has it pegged as one of the hardest tickets in the building. Quentin Dupieux, a longtime Fantastic Fest favorite, brings his English-language debut “Full Phil,” starring Kristen Stewart and Woody Harrelson. Other highlights include the world premiere of Shudder’s “The Cycle,” starring Deborah Ann Woll, the sports-horror entry “Bloody Tennis,” and Adam Egypt Mortimer’s psychedelic “Pathetic Fallacy,” starring Scott “Kid Cudi” Mescudi.
Fantastic Fest has always leaned into a little mystery, too. The festival’s beloved secret screenings put audiences in their seats with zero idea what they’re about to watch, a tradition that’s become part of the event’s identity over the years. For filmmakers still building their careers, the Burnt Ends block spotlights four micro-budget films, while Fantastic Pitches gives six filmmaking teams a live shot at pitching their way to $100,000 in financing and distribution.
This one’s strictly for grown-up movie lovers, not a family outing, but for serious genre fans, it’s often described as one of the best film festivals in the country to actually attend rather than just read about. Whether you’re chasing a giant-snake thrill ride, a slasher premiere, or simply want to sit down for a movie with absolutely no idea what it is, Fantastic Fest gives Austin eight days every September that genre cinema fans build their whole year around.
For tickets, the full schedule, and more information, visit fantasticfest.com.
