Fantastic Fest 2024: THE RULE OF JENNY PEN, NEVER LET GO, TERRIFIER 3 to Kick Off
Every fall, soon after the Toronto International Film Festival and just before the New York Film Festival and the Sitges Festival Internacional de Cinema Fantastic de Catalunya, Fantastic Fest arrives to take our blues away with eight days of cinematic delights.
Celebrating its 19th edition -- let me just pause and say: 19? Nineteen?! -- Fantastic Fest will be held at the world-famous Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar in Austin, Texas, from September 19-26. The festival will feature 28 World Premieres, 23 International and North American Premieres, and 15 U.S. Premieres.
In addition to the films, the festival's trademark events look quite inviting, as usual, and special guests will drop by to enhance the entire event. The opening night events sound spectacular, so allow me to quote from the official release:
"Fantastic Fest 2024 opens with a bang, featuring the world premiere of The Rule of Jenny Pen from director James Ashcroft. Geoffrey Rush stars as a judge who finds himself in a nursing home after an unexpected health scare, where he encounters a bizarre resident (played by John Lithgow) hellbent on terrorizing the patients. As the stakes escalate, Rush and Lithgow battle it out in epic fashion, in this unbelievably entertaining and disturbing thriller.
"Fantastic Fest 2024's opening night gala will include Lionsgate's horror psychological thriller Never Let Go. Legendary horror director Alexandre Aja and Oscar-winning star Halle Berry and producing 21 Laps (Stranger Things, Arrival) will join us to screen their new film.
"As an evil takes over the world beyond their front doorstep, the only protection for a mother and her twin sons is their house and their family's protective bond. Needing to stay connected at all times - even tethering themselves with ropes - they cling to one another, urging each other to never let go. But when one of the boys questions if the evil is real, the ties that bind them together are severed, triggering a terrifying fight for survival. Never Let Go will keep you on the edge of your seat.
"Opening night will also feature the world premiere of Cineverse, Bloody Disgusting, Screambox, and Dark Age Cinema's Terrifier 3, featuring the infamous Art the Clown spreading holiday fear in director Damien Leone's highly anticipated Christmas-set sequel."
Badges are available now at FantasticFest. If you need more convincing, read onward for more highlights, all courtesy of the official release.
"Fantastic Fest is also proud to present a special screening of Netflix's documentary Will & Harper, with Will Ferrell, Harper Steele, and director Josh Greenbaum in attendance. The event will be livestreamed to select Alamo Drafthouses nationwide. The film follows the two friends on a road trip across the USA, so Ferrell can connect more deeply with his longtime collaborator Steele after her recent transition, and is a heartwarming, humorous, and extremely timely and important watch.
"The closing night film will be the world premiere of Hulu's Mr. Crocket, director Brandon Espy's feature debut based on his popular short. Starring Elvis Nolasco as a diabolical children's TV show host and Jerrika Hinton as a mother who will stop at nothing to protect her son, Mr. Crocket is an entertaining and imaginative slasher with a deep emotional core at the center of the story.
"Fantastic Fest is thrilled to honor Director Nacho Vigalondo with a special award for his contributions to genre film, from his legendary time-traveler thriller Timecrimes, to the charming creature feature Colossal. His latest film, Daniela Forever, an intensely personal sci-fi romance, will be screened at the festival, followed by a conversation with Vigalondo.
"Major studio films include Amazon MGM Studios and Blumhouse Television's atmospherically chilling House of Spoils, Shudder's newest installment of their popular horror anthology, V/H/S/Beyond, NEON's Palme d'Or winner, Anora, MUBI's tense thriller set in the ruthless world of Irish shepherding, Bring Them Down, Paramount+'s anticipated prequel to Rosemary's Baby, Apartment 7A, Sony Pictures International Productions' charming ghost comedy, Dead Talents Society, DreamWorks Animation's new epic feature The Wild Robot, A24's suspenseful dark comedy A Different Man, Netflix's touching documentary, The Remarkable Life of Ibelin, and IFC Films' heartfelt animated film Memoir of a Snail.
"Fantastic Fest is also proud to present the World Premieres of two highly anticipated series: Prime Video's The Legend of Vox Machina, Season 3, based on everyone's favorite tabletop and roleplaying game livestream, Critical Role, and Peacock's Teacup, a twisted tale of survival from executive producers Ian McCulloch and James Wan.
A"n esteemed jury of filmmakers, critics, and industry insiders will join us to bestow awards in four categories: Main Competition, Horror, Next Wave, and Shorts. Jurors include filmmakers Sterlin Harjo, Jennifer Kent, Adam Egypt Mortimer, Demián Rugna, Graham Skipper, and Arkasha Stevenson; actors Zoe Bell and Barbara Crampton; and writers Valerie Complex and Tim Smith.
Other World Premieres include:
● RLJE Films/Shudder's Little Bites, from writer/director Spider One, a chillingly original tale of a mother who will do anything for her daughter.
● Bone Lake, a twisted erotic thriller from festival alum Mercedes Bryce Morgan.
● What Happened to Dorothy Bell?, a terrifying found footage film from writer/director Danny Villanueva Jr."
Wait, are you still here? Great! Thank you for reading and/or skimming this far. Visit the festival's official site for even more details.
