We always thought it was a bit ambitious to hope the South Lamar remodel of the Alamo Drafthouse's main digs would be done in time for this year's Fantastic Fest. Today brings news that delays have indeed reared their ugly teeth. But never fear, the fine folks at our favorite fest have already come up with a solution: An All New Drafthouse!!
Okay, so they didn't build the new Alamo Lakeline location specifically to host Fantastic Fest 2013, but the new 10 screen house will be done just in time to play the role. The theater, located in Northwest Austin, also includes a bar and a convenient location to several hotels that should make it easy for us out-of-towners. It's a whole lot further from the excitement of 6th Street, but if we know one thing about Fantastic Fest, there will be plenty of fun surprises to make up for the slightly more remote locale.
Here is the full post from ScreenAnarchy pal Brian Kelly:
The thing about construction is that there are always delays, even in perpetually dry Texas. While the hope was strong that Alamo South Lamar would be ready by September for Fantastic Fest 2013, the reality is it will not be ready in time.
As soon as we knew that South Lamar wouldn't be able to host Fantastic Fest, we began looking at our options. All possibilities were considered and scouted, from the upcoming New Braunfels location to Slaughter Lane to Downtown Austin. At each stage we weighed impact on our in-town and out-of-town friends and guests of the festival, along with each option's ability to adhere to the core values and spirit on which Fantastic Fest was built. In the end, we settled on a space that allows us to keep the Fantastic Fest family under one roof while still providing easy access for Austin residents and hotels for those traveling.
We are excited to announce the soon-to-be completed Alamo Lakeline location as the home for Fantastic Fest 2013. The theater is situated off Highway 183 in Northwest Austin and will be completed this summer. It will have 10 screens, a bar featuring a large selection of beers and is located near several hotels. The theater will also feature a 35mm projector which will allow us to continue to support a wide range of exhibition formats.
Details are still being ironed out regarding an events and arcade location, as well as nearby hotel discounts, but we promise we'll figure all this stuff out, and we will continue to keep you up to date on new information. We look forward to all of our friends joining us on this adventure and helping us to make this the biggest and best Fantastic Fest yet!