The festival focuses on genre films such as horror, science fiction, fantasy, action, Asian, and cult. The festival takes place in September at the Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar, filling eight screens for eight days and hosting many writers, directors and actors, either well-established or unknown. A notable feature of this festival is the inclusion of "secret screenings" by Knowles. For these screenings, the audience often does not know what the film will be until seated, moments before it begins. It also features many themed parties, outings, film-themed "feasts", and other events that are hallmarks of the original Alamo Drafthouse Cinema. In 2007, Variety publisher Charles Koones included Fantastic Fest as one of "ten festivals we love". In 2008, Moviemaker named Fantastic Fest "one of the 25 film festivals worth the entry fee".
The 2005 festival was only three days long, October 6–9. Screened films included Feast, Wolf Creek, and Zathura. The official sponsors of the 2005 festival were: Milkshake Media, KOOP Radio, The Austin Chronicle, Jackson Walker L.L.P., and Independence Brewery.
US premieres
Hakugei: Legend of the Moby Dick
Texas premieres
The Big White
The Birthday
Creep
The Dark Hours
G.O.R.A.
Malefique
Marebito
Night of the Living Dorks
P
Pulse
Strings
The Wild Blue Yonder
Wolf Creek
Sneak preview of Feast
Work in progress sneak preview of Hostel
Sneak preview of the recut and extended version of Sin City
Sneak preview of Zathura
A Scanner Darkly
The theme of the 2005 Retrospective series was "Post Apocalyptic Cinema", and included
The Last Wave
Miracle Mile
No Blade of Grass
1990: The Bronx Warriors
The special effects team from The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe installed a display of costumes, creatures and props from the Narnia film. Legendary make-up and effects supervisor Howard Berger presided over a special effects Q&A.
The 2006 festival was expanded to 8 days and held September 21–28.
World premiere
Roman with Q&A by director Angela Bettis and star Lucky McKee
US premieres
Gamerz
Isolation
Lie Still with Q&A by director Sean Hogan
The Living and the Dead with Q&A by director Simon Rumley
The Woods
Blood Trails
Broken
The Host
Blood Tea and Red String
Frank and Wendy
Bug with Q&A by star Michael Shannon
The Hamster Cage with Q&A by director Larry Kent
Venus Drowning
Texas premieres
Abominable
The Beach Party at the Threshold of Hell
The District!
Firefly
Frostbite
The Glamorous Life of Sachiko Hanai
Hatchet with Q&A by director Adam Green
Inside with Q&A by director Jeff Mahler
The Last Supper
Funky Forest (aka Naisu No Mori)
Nightmare
Origin: Spirits of the Past
The Piano Tuner of Earthquakes
Puzzlehead
A Quiet Love
Renaissance
Severance
Shinobi: Heart Under Blade
Shiva
Simon Says With Q&A with star Crispin Glover
Starfish Hotel
Unrest
Wilderness
Zhest
An unfinished version of Apocalypto, followed by a question and answer session with Mel Gibson and star Rudy Youngblood
Pan's Labyrinth; director Guillermo del Toro was unable to attend but sent along a written introduction for the audience
Advance Screening of Beowulf & Grendel
Advance Screening of Terry Gilliam's Tideland
Advance Screening of The Fountain with Q&A by director Darren Aronofsky
Advance Screening of Edmond
Advance Screening of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning
There were 3 retrospective series:
The first paid homage to cult midnight films and included
Parasite 3-D
Northville Cemetery Massacre
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre with Q&A by star Edwin Neal ("The Hitchhiker")
A Nightmare on Elm Street
Fantastic Planet presented by Darren Aronofsky
The second was presented by cult author Jack Stevenson and included
A compilation of films depicting drugs in American film
Scandinavian Sinema, a presentation of postwar Scandinavian erotic cinema
Haxan: Witchcraft Through The Ages
And the third was a retrospective of the action/crime films of director Ram Gopal Varma, featuring
Ab Tak Chhappan
Company
Ek Hasina Thi
There was also Meltdown Memoirs, a documentary about the making of Street Trash, which also played.
Horror Jury Awards, for excellence in the Horror Genre
Best Picture - Isolation
Best Director - Billy O'Brien, for Isolation
Best Script - Dylan Bank and Morgan Pehme for Nightmare
Best Actor - Kane Hodder for Hatchet
Best Actress - Nicole Roderick for Nightmare
Best Supporting Actor - Lance Henriksen for Abominable
Best Supporting Actress - Kristen Bell for Roman
Best Art Direction - Alex Boynton for Unrest
Best Cinematography - Robby Ryan for Isolation
Best Special Effects - Hatchet
Best Make-up - Broken
Serving on the Horror jury were Jay Slater of FilmThreat.com, Edwin Neal of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, Peter Martin of Twitch.com, and Chris Cargill of AintItCoolNews.com.
Short Film Jury Awards
Best of Show - The Listening Dead
Best Short Form - Cost of Living
Best Long Form - Rogairi (Villains)
Best Animated - If I Had a Hammer
Best Comedy - They're Made Out of Meat
Serving on the Short Film Jury were Brian Satterwhite, Jay Knowles and Chris Cargill, all of AintItcoolNews.com.
Fantastic Fest Jury Awards, for excellence in films outside the Horror Genre
Best Film — The Living and the Dead
Best Director — Simon Rumley for The Living and the Dead
Best Script — Larry Kent and Daniel Williams for The Hamster Cage
Best Actor — Leo Bill from The Living and the Dead
Best Actress — Jodie Jameson from Venus Drowning
Best Supporting Actor — Alan Scarfe from The Hamster Cage
Best Supporting Actress — Kate Fahy from The Living and The Dead
Best Art Direction — Starfish Hotel
Best Cinematography — A Quiet Love
Best Special Effects — Puzzlehead
Best Make-up — The Living and the Dead
Special Jury Mention — Blood Tea and Red String
Serving on the Fantastic Fest Jury Awards were Christian Hallman of the Lund International Fantastic Film Festival, Wiley Wiggins of Dazed and Confused and Waking Life, and Scott Weinberg of Fearnet and Cinematical.com.
Audience Awards
1st Place - Hatchet
2nd Place - Isolation
3rd Place - Firefly
A notable highlight for the audience occurred when Mel Gibson walked into the theater.
Closing night party was Undead Till Dawn, a vampire themed dance party
There was a special screening timed with the release of 42nd STREET FOREVER VOLUME 5: ALAMO DRAFTHOUSE EDITION where every trailer was shown in 35mm
The 2007 festival was held September 20–27. In 2007, Fantastic Fest became a supporting member of the Melies European Federation of Fantastic Film Festivals (EFFFF) and helped to found the North American Fantastic Festival Alliance, along with Fantasia in Montreal, and Dead Channels in San Francisco. The official sponsors of the 2007 Fantastic Fest were: AMD, Stella Artois, AT&T, Twitch.com, B-Side, Rue Morgue, Fangoria, and Mondo Macabro.
World premieres
There Will Be Blood, with a Q&A by director Paul Thomas Anderson
Los Cronocrímenes (Timecrimes), with director Nacho Vigalondo in attendance (Timecrimes was purchased out of the festival by Magnolia Films for theatrical distribution, and remake rights were purchased by United Artists.)
US premieres
Alone
The Backwoods
The Devil's Chair
Diary of the Dead with Q&A by director George A. Romero
Flash Point
Hell's Fever
La Hora Fria (The Cold Hour)
Inside
Invisible Target
Maiko Haaaan!!!
Mirageman with Q&A by director Ernesto Diaz Espinoza and action star Marko Zaror
Rug Cop
Summer Scars
Wolfhound
Wrong Turn 2: Dead End with Q&A by director Joe Lynch
Texas premieres
Aachi & Ssipak
The Beautiful Beast
Blood, Boobs, and Beast
Death Note
Death Note 2: The Last Name
Devil's Helper: The Folk Art Films of Phil Chambliss
A Dirty Carnival
Dog Bite Dog
End of The Line
The Entrance
Exte: Hair Extensions
The Ferryman
Finishing the Game
Five Across The Eyes
Flight of the Living Dead
The Girl Next Door
The Girl Who Leapt Through Time
Hell's Ground
Kiltro with Q&A by director Ernesto Díaz Espinoza and star Marco Zaror
The Last Winter
Moebius Redux: A Life In Pictures with Q&A by director Hasko Baumann
Never Belongs To Me
OffScreen
Postal with Q&A by director Uwe Boll and actor Zack Ward
Princess
Retribution
Sex and Death 101
Son of Rambow
Spiral
The Sword Bearer
Taxidermia
Uncle's Paradise (the food/film feature of the year)
Weirdsville
Wicked Flowers
Southland Tales, the world premiere of the final version after heavy edits, with Q&A by director Richard Kelly
Persepolis
Dai Nipponjin (Big Man Japan)
El Orfanto (The Orphanage), with Q&A by director Juan Antonio Bayona.
The Nikkatsu action series featured films mainly never before shown theatrically in the United States:
Velvet Hustler
The Warped Ones
A Colt Is My Passport
Crazy Thunder Road
AMD Next Wave Award, for excellence by an up-and-coming new filmmaker
Gold Medal - Los Cronocrímenes (TimeCrimes)
Silver Medal - Spiral
Bronze Medal - Mirageman
Special Jury Prize for Innovative Vision - End of the Line
Horror Jury Award, for excellence in the Horror genre
Gold Medal - Exte (Hair Extensions)
Silver Medal - Alone
Bronze Medal - The Devil's Chair
Fantastic Fest Jury Award, for excellence outside of the Horror genre
Gold Medal - Offscreen
Silver Medal - Never Belongs to Me
Bronze Medal - Aachi and Ssipak
Special Jury Prize for Most Original Scenario - Never Belongs to Me
Horror Shorts Award
Gold Medal - "In the Wall"
Silver Medal - "The Fifth"
Bronze Medal - "Far Out"
Animated Shorts Award
Gold Medal - "Everything Will Be OK"
Silver Medal - "Raymond"
Bronze Medal - "X-Pression"
Fantastic Shorts Award
Gold Medal - "Waiting For Yesterday"
Silver Medal - "Sniffer"
Bronze Medal - "Suityman"
Audience Award
Gold Medal - Mirageman
Silver Medal - TimeCrimes
Bronze Medal - Jack Ketchum's The Girl Next Door
Shooting shotguns with the "Next Wave" directors
Impromptu Karaoke party and "Fantastic Feud" game show
Watching pornography (Japanese pinku Uncle's Paradise) in the suburban front yard of festival director Tim League's house
Q&A by director Uwe Boll and star Zack Ward after a screening of Postal
Fantastic Fest 2008 was held September 18–25.
World premieres
Feast 2: Sloppy Seconds, with director John Gulager and most of the cast in attendance
Santos, with director Nicolas Lopez in attendance
Seventh Moon, with director Eduardo Sanchez and stars Amy Smart and Tim Chiou in attendance
Zombie Girl: The Movie
US premieres
Acolytes with director Jon Hewitt in attendance
Art of the Devil 3
Sauna
Deadgirl with directors Gadi Harel and Marcel Sarmiento in attendance.
Texas premieres
Alien Raiders
Astropia
The Burrowers
Cargo 200
The Chaser
Chocolate
La Creme
Dark Floors
Doctor Infierno
Donkey Punch
Estomago: A Gastronomic Story (Food/film event)
Ex Drummer
Fanboys
Fear(s) of the Dark
Fighter
Gachi Boy: Wrestling With a Memory
The Good, The Bad, the Weird
How To Get Rid of Others
I Think We're Alone Now
Jack Brooks: Monster Slayer
JCVD
Just Another Love Story
Late Bloomer
Left Bank
Let The Right One In
Martyrs
Muay Thai Chaiya
Pulse 2: Afterlife
Repo! The Genetic Opera
Rule of Three
South of Heaven
Spine Tingler — The William Castle Story
The Substitute
Surveillance with Q&A by director Jennifer Lynch
Terra
Tokyo!
Tokyo Gore Police
Vinyan
Wicked Lake
The Wild Man of the Navidad
The Wreck
Your Name Here
Zack and Miri Make a Porno (opening night film) with guest director Kevin Smith in attendance (followed by the Air Sex World Championships)
The Brothers Bloom, with director Rian Johnson in attendance
Appaloosa
Eagle Eye (With road rally scavenger hunt)
Role Models, with Paul Rudd and David Wain in attendance
RocknRolla
City of Ember (closing night film), with Bill Murray and Gil Kenan in attendance.
There was an Ozploitation retrospective featuring Australian exploitation films from the 70s and 80s:
Dark Age
Mad Max
The Man From Hong Kong
Razorback
Road Warrior - shown on an outdoor screen in the parking lot
Turkey Shoot
And the documentary Not Quite Hollywood about Ozploitation in the golden age.
There was also a sampling of Japanese "pinku" titles, including
Blue Film Woman
Gushing Prayer
A Lonely Cow Weeps at Dawn
S&M Hunter
AMD Next Wave Award for excellence by an up-and-coming new filmmaker
Gold Medal - Tokyo Gore Police
Silver Medal - Deadgirl
Bronze Medal - La Creme
AMD Fantastic Fest Online
Best Feature Film - South of Heaven
Best Short Film - Treevenge
Horror Features, for excellence in the Horror genre
Gold Medal - Let the Right One In
Silver Medal - Acolytes
Bronze Medal - Donkey Punch
Special Jury Award for most politically incorrect gore - Feast 2
Special Jury Award for best use of latex - Jack Brooks: Monster Slayer
Fantastic Features, for excellence outside of the Horror genre
Gold Medal - How to Get Rid of Others
Silver Medal - Cargo 200
Bronze Medal - Ex Drummer
Special Jury Award for originality and vision - Santos
Horror Shorts
Gold Medal - "Electric Fence"
Silver Medal - "I Love Sarah Jane"
Bronze Medal - "El Senor Puppe"
Special Jury Award for sheer enjoyability - "The Horribly Slow Murderer with the Extremely Inefficient Weapon"
Fantastic Shorts
Gold Medal - "The Object"
Silver Medal - "Spandex Man"
Bronze Medal - "Stagman"
Special Jury Award for Visual Invention - "Rojo Red"
Animated Shorts
Gold Medal - "Bernie's Doll"
Silver Medal - "Muto"
Bronze Medal - "Violeta"
Special Jury Award for Technical Merit - "The Facts in the Case of Mr. Hollow"
Director Nacho Vigalondo covering his face with honey and shooting himself with a confetti cannon following the screening of his short films.
The "shaky-face" badge photos required attendees to submit a picture of themselves taken while violently shaking their heads back and forth. This resulted in some very unusual portraits.
The Fantastic Debates pitted film lovers against one another in spirited arguments about "Horror Remakes — Reinvented Classics, or Modern Abominations" and the like. Debators unable to resolve their differences with words then stepped into the boxing ring to settle things with fists.
Closing party, sponsored by the film City of Ember was held at Longhorn Caverns. Bill Murray attended.
100 Best Kills Party
Donkey Punch Boat Party
The Fantastic Feud (Team USA wins!)
Michael Jackson: Thrill the World - an attempt to break the world record for largest synchronized Thriller dance
Smokin' Karaoke Apocalypse Party 2008 - live band karaoke
The 2009 festival was held September 24–October 1. It was the first year of the Fantastic Fest Lifetime Achievement Award, given to director Jess Franco. The official sponsors of the 2009 Fantastic Fest were: Real D, G4, Dark Sky Films, Best Buy, Stella Artois, Jeremiah Weed, Ain't It Cool News, and Alamo Drafthouse Cinema.
World premieres
Zombieland, with a Q&A by director Ruben Fleischer and stars Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, and Emma Stone.
Gentlemen Broncos, (opening night film) with a Q&A by director Jared Hess and stars Jemaine Clement, Michael Angarano Sam Rockwell, and Mike White.
Universal Soldier: Regeneration, with Q&A by star Dolph Lundgren
REC 2
Down Terrace with Q&A by director Ben Wheatley
First Squad
Macabre
Mandrill with Q&A by director Ernesto Diaz Espinoza and action star Marko Zaror
U.S premieres
Antichrist
Daybreakers, with Q&A by star Dolph Lundgren
Survival of the Dead with Q&A by director George A. Romero
Human Centipede with Q&A by director Tom Six
Doghouse with Q&A by director Jake West
Smash Cut
RoboGeisha
Duress with Q&A by director Jordan Barker
Merantau
Metropia with Q&A by director Tarik Saleh
Sweet Karma with Q&A by director Andrew Thomas Hunt and star Shera Bechard
Van Diemen's Land with Q&A by star Mark Leonard Winter
Tokyo Onlypics
Under the Mountain
Texas premieres
Breathless
Bronson
Buratino, son of Pinocchio with Q&A by director Rasmus Merivoo
The Children
Clive Barker's Dread
Crazy Racer (Food/film event)
Cropsey
Dirty Mind
District 13: Ultimatum
Fireball
Fish Story
Groper Train
Hard Revenge Milly
House (Hausu)
The House of the Devil
Journey to Saturn
K-20: Legend of the Mask
Kaifek Murder
Kamogawa Horumo — Battle League in Kyoto
Kenny Begins
Krabat
The Legend Is Alive
Love Exposure
Morphine
Ninja Assassin
Paranormal Activity
Private Eye
Rampage with Q&A by director Uwe Boll
The Revenant
Salvage
Soloman Kane
Stingray Sam with Q&A by director Cory McAbee
Survival of the Dead
Terribly Happy
A Town Called Panic
Trick R Treat
Truffe (Food/film event) with Q&A by director Kim Nguyen
Vampire Girl vs Frankenstein Girl
Yatterman
Yesterday
Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant, with Q&A by stars John C. Reilly, Chris Massoglia, and Josh Hutcherson
The Men Who Stare at Goats
The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus
A Serious Man
A retrospective of the films of Jess Franco in support of his lifetime achievement award:
Succubus
Venus in Furs
Female Vampire (aka The Bare-Breasted Countess)
Eugenie: Story of Her Journey Into Perversion
Next Wave Award, for excellence by an up-and-coming new filmmaker
Best Feature: Down Terrace (Ben Wheatley)
Best Director: Yang Ik-june (Breathless)
Best Screenplay: Robin Hill, Ben Wheatley (Down Terrace)
Best Actor: Hwang Jung-min (Private Eye)
Best Actress: Shera Bechard (Sweet Karma)
Horror Jury Award, for excellence in the Horror genre
Best Horror Feature: Human Centipede (Tom Six)
Best Horror Director: Kerry Prior (The Revenant)
Best Horror Actor: Dieter Laser (Human Centipede)
Best Horror Actress: Neve McIntosh (Salvage)
Fantastic Fest Jury Award, for excellence outside of the Horror genre
Best Fantastic Feature: Mandrill (Ernesto Diaz-Espinoza)
Best Fantastic Director: Kim Nguyen (Truffe)
Best Fantastic Screenplay: Tamio Hayashi adapted from Kotaro Isaka (Fish Story)
Best Fantastic Actor: Marko Zaror (Mandrill)
Best Fantastic Actress: Chiaki Kuriyama (Kamogawa Horumo)
Horror Shorts Award
Best Horror Short – "Full Employment" (Thomas Oberlies, Matthias Vogel)
Special Mention – "Excision" (Richard Bates, Jr.)
Fantastic Shorts Award
Best Fantastic Short – "Terminus" (Trevor Cawood)
Special Jury Award – "Next Floor" (Denis Villeneuve)
Animated Shorts Award
Best Animated Short – "I Am So Proud of You" (Don Hertzfeldt)
Special Mention – "Alma" (Rodrigo Blaas)
Audience Award
Audience Award, Best Feature: A Town Called Panic (Stephane Aubier, Vincent Patar)
Audience Award, Honorable Mention: Fish Story
Audience Award, Honorable Mention: Breathless
Audience Award, Honorable Mention: The Revenant
Audience Award, Honorable Mention: Merantau
Watching Uwe Boll fight Alamo Drafthouse owner Tim League at the Fantastic Debates
Chaos Reigns!
Brutus and Balzaak Bash party celebrating Gentlemen Broncos opening night party
Shooting machine guns
100% medically accurate Q&A by director Tom Six after his film Human Centipede
Opening of the HighBall, the official Fantastic Fest party-place/bowling alley/bar
Double 3D Dance Party at the Highball
The Future of 3D: Panels and Presentations event
The Michael Jackson Dance Party
Sake, Shochu and Karaoke: Meet the Japanese! - party at Highball
Return of the Fantastic Feud (and win by Team USA!)
The 2010 festival was held September 23–Sept 30. It was the first year of the Fantastic Arcade, a showcase of independent video games. The presenting sponsors of the 2010 Fantastic Fest were: Dell, AMD, RealD, Ambhar Tequila, FearNet.com, Sony PlayStation and Qriocity.
World premieres
Agnosia, with a Q&A by director Eugenio Mira, veteran of FF 2005.
30 Days Of Night: Dark Days, with Q&A by director Ben Ketai, writers Kiele Sanchez and Steve Niles, and stars Diora Baird and Troy Ruptash
Undocumented, with Q&A by director Chris Peckover
Zombie Roadkill with Q&A by director David Green and stars David Dorfman and Thomas Haden Church
Helldriver, with Q&A by director Yoshihiro Nishimura
Sharktopus, with Q&A by Roger Corman and Julie Corman
True Legend, with Q&A by director Yuen Woo-ping
Troll Hunter with Q&A by director André Øvredal
Red, with Q&A by star Karl Urban
International premieres
Norwegian Ninja, with Q&A by director Thomas Cappelen Malling
Ong Bak 3
US premieres
Bedevilled with Q&A by director Jang Chul-soo
Bunraku, with Q&A by director Guy Moshe and star Josh Hartnett
Cold Fish
The Corridor with Q&A by directors Johan Lundborg and Johan Storm and star Emil Johnsen
The Dead, with Q&A by writer/directors Howard and Jonathan Ford
Fatso
Fire of Conscience
Hatchet 2 with Q&A by director Adam Green
A Horrible Way to Die, with Q&A by director Adam Wingard
The Housemaid (2010 version)
Julia's Eyes
Kidnapped with Q&A by director Miguel Angel Vivas
The Last Circus, with Q&A by director Álex de la Iglesia
Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen
Let Me In with Q&A by director Matt Reeves and stars Kodi Smit-McPhee, Elias Koteas and Dylan Minnette
Naan Kadavul
Outrage
Rammbock, with Q&A by director Marvin Kren
Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale
Red Hill
Redline
I Saw the Devil
A Somewhat Gentle Man
Sound of Noise
I Spit on Your Grave
Stake Land, with Q&A by director Jim Mickle and stars Nick Damici, Connor Paolo and Danielle Harris
Stone, with Q&A by director John Curran and star Edward Norton
Transfer
We Are What We Are
Texas premieres
13 Assassins
14 Blades
Bibliothèque Pascal
Carancho
Drones with Q&A by directors Amber Benson and Adam Busch
Gallants
Golden Slumber
Heartless
High Lane
In The Attic with Q&A by director Jiří Barta
Ip Man 2
The Life and Death of a Porno Gang
The Man From Nowhere
Mother's Day with Q&A by director Darren Bousman and star Rebecca De Mornay
Mutant Girls Squad
Never Let me Go
Primal
Red White & Blue
Rubber
Summer Wars
The Violent Kind with Q&A by directors Mitchell Altieri and Phil Flores and producer Don Lewis
Woochi
Buried, with Q&A by star Ryan Reynolds
Machete Maidens Unleashed
Nerdcore Rising (to kick off Fantastic Arcade)
Playing Columbine - played as part of Fantastic Arcade
Richard Garriott: Man on a Mission with guest star Richard Garriott
Enter The Void
Nightmares - shown as part of Terror Tuesday
For Your Height Only - presented in Foleyvision to commemorate Machete Maidens Unleashed
Class of 1984 - to celebrate the debut of the new book by Zack Carlson Destroy All Movies
The Housemaid (1960 version)
X: The Man with X-Ray Eyes - to commemorate the lifetime achievement award for Roger and Julie Corman
Snake In Eagle's Shadow - to commemorate the lifetime achievement award for Yuen Wo Ping
Five Element Ninjas - to commemorate the lifetime achievement award for Yuen Wo Ping
Joysticks shown for Weird Wednesday to commemorate Destroy All Movies
The Twilight People - special Weird Wednesday to honor Machete Maidens Unleashed
Re-Animator with special guest director Stuart Gordon and star Jeffery Combs
From Beyond’' with special guest director Stuart Gordon and star Jeffery Combs
Live Performances
The Intergalactic Nemesis, a graphic novel radio play by Jason Neulander
Nevermore, a stage performance by Jeffrey Combs as Edgar Allan Poe, directed by Stuart Gordon
Independence Day, with live commentary by Master Pancake with Bill Pullman
SpaceBalls Quote-along, hosted by Bill Pullman
The Dell/AMD Next Wave Award, for excellence by an up-and-coming new filmmaker
Best Feature: We Are What We Are
Best Director: Thomas Cappelen Malling (Norwegian Ninja)
Best Screenplay: Jorge Michel Grau (We Are What We Are)
Best Actor: Mads Ousdal (Norwegian Ninja)
Best Actress: Seo Young-hee (Bedevilled)
Horror Jury Award, for excellence in the Horror genre
Best Horror Feature: Kidnapped
Best Horror Director: Miguel Angel Vivas (Kidnapped)
Best Horror Screenplay: Simon Barrett (A Horrible Way to Die)
Best Horror Actor: A J Bowen (A Horrible Way to Die)
Best Horror Actress: Amy Seimetz (A Horrible Way to Die)
Fantastic Fest Jury Award, for excellence outside of the Horror genre
Best Fantastic Feature: The Sound of Noise
Best Fantastic Director: Pablo Trapero (Carancho)
Best Fantastic Screenplay: Sion Sono and Yoshiki Takahashi (Cold Fish)
Best Fantastic Actor: Stellan Skarsgard (A Somewhat Gentle Man)
Best Fantastic Actress: Martina Gusman (Carancho)
Horror Shorts Award
Best Horror Short – "Legend of Beaver Dam" (Jerome Sable)
Special Mention – "Deus Irae" (Pedro Cristiani)
Fantastic Shorts Award
Best Fantastic Short – "Sorry... I Love You" (Leticia Dolera)
Animated Shorts Award
Best Animated Short – "Teclopolis" (Javier Mrad)
Audience Award
Audience Award, Best Feature: Bedevilled (Jang Cheol-soo)
Audience Award, Honorable Mention: Ip Man 2
Audience Award, Honorable Mention: Rubber
Audience Award, Honorable Mention: Golden Slumber
Boys Choir singing the theme from Let Me In at opening night
Tim League boxing Michelle Rodruigez (Girl Fight, Avatar)
Bill Pullman, Elijah Wood and The Rza singing karaoke
Whole Roasted Cow and 500,000 volts of electricity at the Closing Night Party
100 Best Kills party
30 Days of Night Flashlight Dance Party
Criterion "Chaos Reigns" Karaoke Party
Fantastic Arcade Awards Ceremony/Starcade Competition
Datapop 4.0 Arcade Closing Night Party
The FearNet Fantastic Feud (Team USA wins again!)
Geeks Who Drink presents The Fantastic Fest Quiz!
Nerdeoke!
Karaoke Apocalypse with live band!
Opening Night Party 80s Dance Party and MC Frontalot Live
The 2011 Fantastic Fest film festival was held September 22–29, 2011.
World premieres
Calibre 9 - Q&A with director Jean-Christian Tassy and Producer Axel Guyot
The Human Centipede 2: Full Sequence - (opening night film) - director Tom Six, Producer Ilona Six, and Actors Ashlynn Yennie, Laurence Harvey, Maddi Black, Katherine Templar, and Emma Lock in attendance
Manborg - writer/director/producer Steve Kostanski, co-writer/actor Jeremy Gillespie, and actor Adnrea Carr in attendance
Penumbra
The Squad - Q&A with director Jaime Osorio Marquez
Zombie Ass
International premieres
The Devil's Business
How to Steal 2 Million
US premieres
Blind
A Boy and His Samurai
Bullhead - Q&A with director Michaël R. Roskam
Bunohan
Carre Blanc - Director Jean-Baptiste Léonetti, Producer Benjamin Mamou, and Executive Producer Camille Havard Bourdon in attendance
Comic-Con Episode IV: A Fan's Hope - (closing night film) Producer Harry Knowles and stars James Darling and Se Young and Holly Conrad live in person
The Corridor - Director Evan Kelly, Writer Josh MacDonald, Producer Mike Masters, and Producer Craig Cameron live in person
The Day - Producer Guy Danella, Writer Lucas Passmore and Actor Dominic Monaghan live in person
Extraterrestrial - Q&A with director Nacho Vigalondo
Headhunters
Juan of the Dead - Q&A with Director Alejandro Brugués & Producer Gervasio Iglesias Macias
Julia X - Q&A with Director P.J. Pettiette, Producer Claudie Viguerie, and Actor Kevin Sorbo
Karate-Robo Zaborgar - Q&A with Director Noboru Iguchi and Makeup/FX Supervisor Yoshihiro Nishimura
Kill Me Please - Q&A with Director Olias Barco
Last Screening - Q&A with actor Pascal Cervo
Livid
Michael
New Kids Turbo - Q&A with actors Huub Smit and Wesley van Gaalen
Rabies
Retreat
Revenge: A Love Story
Sleep Tight - Q&A with director Jaume Balagueró
Sleepless Night
Smuggler
Snowman's Land
Snowtown
Two Eyes Staring
Urban Explorer
You Said What? - Q&A with Director Patrik Syversen, Producer Kjetil Omberg, Producer Terje Stromstad, and Actor Stig Frode Henriksen
You're Next - Q&A with Writer/Producer Simon Barrett, Producers Keith Calder & Jess Wu, Actors Barbara Crampton, AJ Bowen, Sharni Vinson, & Nick Tucci
Texas premieres
A Lonely Place to Die - Q&A with Director/Co-Writer Julian Gilbey and Co-Writer/Editor Will Gilbey
Angels & Airwaves Presents LOVE - with guest Q&A from Tom Delonge
Aardvark
Beyond the Black Rainbow - Q&A with Director Panos Cosmatos
Body Temperature - Q&A with director Takaomi Ogata
Borderline
Boys On The Run
El Infierno
Elite Squad: The Enemy Within - Q&A with director José Padilha
Haunters
The Holding
Invasion of Alien Bikini
Klown (Clown) - Q&A with director Mikkel Norgaard
Knuckle - Q&A with Director Ian Palmer and James McDonagh
Let The Bullets Fly
Melancholia
Milocrorze: A Love Story
Polvora Negra - Q&A with director Kapel Furman
The Stoker
Summerland
Take Shelter
Underwater Love
We Need to Talk About Kevin
Sennentuntschi: Curse of the Alps
Yakuza Weapon
The Yellow Sea
The Skin I Live In - secret screening
Paranormal Activity 3 - secret screening
The Innkeepers - premiered at SXSW but also was shown at the closing night of Fantastic Fest
An American Werewolf in London (1981) - presented by Mondo with special edition poster and appearance by Stan Winston
House By the Cemetery Theatrical Premiere of the 2K digitally restored version
Zombie Theatrical Premiere of the 2K digitally restored version
Comin' At Ya! 3D - with producer Tom Stern and star Tony Anthony in attendance
Movies On Fire: Hong Kong Action Classics
War of the Worlds - played as part of the Alamo Kid's Club
Versus - Guest stars Tak Sakaguchi and writer Yudai Yamaguchi
Audience Award
A Boy And His Samurai (Yoshihiro Nakamura)
Runners Up: You're Next, Juan Of The Dead
AMD & Dell "Next Wave" Spotlight Competition
Best Picture — Bullhead
Best Director — Michael R. Roskam (Bullhead)
Best Screenplay — Josh MacDonald (The Corridor)
Best Actor — Matthias Schoenaerts (Bullhead)
Best Actress — Jessica Cole (Aardvark)
Special Jury Award for Boldness Of Vision: Beyond The Black Rainbow
Horror Features
Best Picture — You're Next
Best Director — Adam Wingard (You're Next)
Best Screenplay — Simon Barrett (You're Next)
Best Actor — Sean Harris (A Lonely Place To Die)
Best Actress — Sharni Vinson (You're Next)
Fantastic Features
Best Picture — Milocrorze: A Love Story
Best Director — Noboru Iguchi (Karate Robo Zaborgar)
Best Screenplay — Olafur Egilsson, Grimur Haonarson (Summerland)
Best Actor — Julián Villagrán (Extraterrestrial)
Best Actress — Sawa Masaki (Underwater Love)
Gutbuster Comedy Features
Best Picture – Clown
Best Director — Steffen Haars, Flip Van Der Kuil (New Kids Turbo)
Best Screenplay — Casper Christensen, Frank Hvam (Clown)
Short Fuse: Horror Shorts
Winner: "How To Rid Your Lover Of A Negative Emotion Caused By You" (Nadia Litz)
Runner-up: "The Unliving" (Hugo Lilj)
Special Jury Award for Outstanding Achievement in Special Effects and General Badassery: "Brutal Relax" (David Muñoz, Rafa Dengrá, Adrián Cardona)
Fantastic Shorts
Best Fantastic Short: "Decapoda Shock" (Javier Chillón)
Runner-up: "All Men Are Called Robert" (Marc-Henri Boulier)
Special Jury Mention for Acting: Robert Picardo ("The Candidate")
Drawn and Quartered: Animated Shorts
Best Animated Short: "Last Norwegian Troll" (Pjotr Sapegin)
Runner-up: Lazarov ("NIETOV")
James Quinn McDonagh versus Tim League at the Fantastic Fest Debates
The opening night film Human Centipede 2 had an ambulance on standby outside and handed out barf bags
Opening night party in celebration of Human Centipede 2 with live music from The Charles Edward Cheese band
Fantastic Feud (Team USA continues win streak over Team International)
Fantastic Arcade ran from Sept. 22, 2011 through Sept. 24th, 2011
Japan Night: Chaos Reigns Karaoke Party
100 Best Kills featuring the best of audience submitted movie deaths
Karaoke Apocalypse - karaoke with a live band
Fantastic Trivia presented by Geeks Who Drink
Fantastic Fest Closing Night Party: Superhero Carnival - featuring Aquaman’s Ocean, The Flash’s Mountain Race Challenge, Batman’s Boxing Battle, Spider-man’s Wall of Webbing, Superman’s House of Flight and carnival food
The 2012 Fantastic Fest Film Festival took place September 20–27, 2012. This was the last year Fantastic Fest was held at the Highball and South Lamar theater before it was all remodeled.
World premieres
The ABCs of Death
The American Scream - Q&A with Director Michael Paul Stephenson, producer Lindsay Stephenson and haunters Manny Souza and Victor Bariteau and family
Besties
Black Out
Bring Me the Head of the Machine Gun Woman - Q&A with director Ernesto Diaz
The Collection - Q&A with actress Emma Fitzpatrick
The Conspiracy - Q&A with Director Christopher MacBride, producer Lee Kim, actor/producer Aaron Poole, cinematographer Ian Anderson, and actor Jim Gilbert
Danger 5
The Exorcist in the 21st Century
Frankenweenie - (opening night film) - Q&A with Tim Burton and voice actors Winona Ryder and Martin Landau
The Greatest Movie Ever Rolled - Q&A with Director Ryan Polito, star Doug Benson, producer Sharon Everitt, and cinematographer Will Deloney
Hellfjord
Plan C
Red Dawn - (closing night film) - Q&A with stars Josh Peck and Adrianne Palicki, director Dan Bradley, and producers Tripp Vinson and Beau Flynn
Tebana Sankichi: Snot Rockets
Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning - Q&A with actor Scott Adkins and Mariah Bonner
International premieres
Two Rabbits (Dois Coehilos)
US premieres
Aftershock - Q&A with director Nicolás López and actor/producer Eli Roth
American Mary - Q&A with the Soska Sisters and actress Tristan Risk
Antiviral
Berberian Sound Studio
Cockneys vs. Zombies - Q&A with director Matthias Hoene and writer James Moran
Combat Girls
Come Out and Play
Crave - Q&A with director Charles de Lauzirika and actor Josh Lawson
Dead Sushi - Q&A with director Noboru Iguchi, producer Mana Fukui, and actress Rina Takeda
Dom - A Russian Family
Errors of the Human Body - Q&A with actor Michael Eklund, director Jennifer Phang, Actor/Co-Producer Jacqueline Kim, and Technical Director Jon Destoppeleire
Everybody In Our Family
Fuck Up - Q&A with director Oystein Karlsen, producer Anders Tangen, Cinematographer Pal Bugge Haagenrud, and actor Jon Oigarden
Henge
Here Comes the Devil - Q&A with director Adrián García Bogliano, Producer Andrea Quiroz Hernandez, and Actor Francisco Barreiro
Holy Motors
I Declare War - Q&A with director Rob Wilson and producer Lewin Webb
La Memoria del Muerto (Memory of the Dead) - Q&A with director Javier Diment, and writer Martin Blousson
Lee's Adventure
Looper - Q&A with director Rian Johnson
My Amityville Horror - Q&A with director Eric Walter and Producers Andrea Adams and Christine Irons
New Kids Nitro - Q&A with directors Steffen Haars and Flip van der Kuil as well as actors Huub Smit and Wesley van Gaalen
Outrage Beyond
Pusher
Tai Chi 0
Tower Block - Q&A with director Ronnie Thompson
Vanishing Waves
Vegetarian Cannibal
The Warped Forest
Young Gun in the Time
Texas premieres
Cold Blooded
Cold Steel - Q&A with director David Wu
Dredd - Q&A with writer/director Alex Garland, actress Olivia Thirlby, and actor Karl Urban
The Final Member - Q&A with directors Jonah Bekhor and Zach Math
Flicker
Graceland - Q&A with director Ron Morales and producer Rebecca Lundgren
Hail
The History of Future Folk - Q&A with Producer/Co-Director Jeremy Kipp Walker, Writer/Co-Director John Mitchell, and Actors Nil d-Aulaire and Jay Klaitz
The Kings of Pigs
No Rest for the Wicked
Paris By Night
Room 237
Taped
Unit 7
Vulgaria
Wrong
Austin premieres
Doomsday Book
Cloud Atlas - (secret screening)
Sightseers - (secret screening)
Sinister - premiered at SXSW then had a special screening at Fantastic Fest
Paranormal Activity 4 - work in progress print - Q&A with actress Katie Featherston and co-director Henry Joost
The Entity (1982) Repertory Screening as part of the House of Psychotic Women series
The Mafu Cage (1978) Repertory Screening as part of the House of Psychotic Women series
Miami Connection (1987) - Q&A with actor/producer Grandmaster YK and actors Joe Diamond, Maurice Smith, Angelo Jannotti, and Vince Hirsch
Secret Ceremony (1968) Repertory Screening as part of the House of Psychotic Women series
The Shining (1980) - played simultaneously back and forth over each other
Wake in Fright (1971)
'Audience Award
I Declare War (dir. Robert Wilson & Jason Lapeyre)
AMD "Next Wave" Spotlight Competition
Best Picture: Flicker (dir. Patrik Eklund)
Best Director: Charles de Lauzirika (Crave)
Best Screenplay: Max Porcelijn (Plan C)
Best Actor: Michael Eklund (Errors of the Human Body)
Best Actress: Alina Levshin (Combat Girls)
Fantastic Features
Best Picture: Vanishing Waves (dir. Kristina Buozyte)
Best Director: Kristina Buozyte (Vanishing Waves)
Best Screenplay: Bruno Samper, Kristina Buozyte (Vanishing Waves)
Best Actor: Rene Bitorajac (Vegetarian Cannibal)
Best Actress: Jurga Jutaite (Vanishing Waves)
Horror Features
Best Picture: Here Comes the Devil (dir. Adrián García Bogliano)
Best Screenplay: Adrián García Bogliano (Here Comes the Devil)
Best Director: Adrián García Bogliano (Here Comes the Devil)
Special mention: Hajime Ohata (Henge)
Best Actor: Francisco Barreiro (Here Comes the Devil)
Best Actress: Laura Caro (Here Comes the Devil)
Special mention: Katherine Isabel (American Mary)
Gutbuster Comedy Features
Best Picture: New Kids Nitro (dir. Steffen Haars & Flip Van der Kuil)
Best Director: Dario Russo (Danger 5)
Best Screenplay: John Mitchell (The History of Future Folk)
Best Actor: Chapman To (Vulgaria)
Best Actress: Rina Takeda (Dead Sushi)
Documentary Features
Best Picture: The American Scream (dir. Michael Stephenson)
Best Director: Rodney Ascher (Room 237)
Short Fuse: Horror Shorts
Winner: "At The Formal" (Andrew Kavanagh, Australia)
Runner-up: "The Sleepover" (Chris Cullari, USA)
Fantastic Shorts
Winner: "Record/Play" (Jesse Atlas, USA)
Runner-up: "Love" (Kaveh Nabatian, Canada)
Drawn and Quartered: Animated Shorts
Winner: "Bendito Machine IV" (Jossie Malis, Spain)
Runner-up: "Tram" (Michaela Pavlátová, Czech Republic)
Front of Drafthouse Lamar painted up for Frankenweenie world premiere
Special Frankenweenie screening for dogs and their owners
Chaos Reigns Karaoke Party with reunited Dragon Sound at the Highball
Opening night Monsters Ball where attendees were encouraged to wear their favorite silver screen monster costume
"The American Scream" Homemade Haunted House
Datapop party celebrating 8-Bit music and culture for Fantastic Arcade
"Hellfjord" Norwegian Party
Tim League fighting YK Kim at the Fantastic Debates
Closing night party was Red Dawn themed. The Austin American Legion was decorated as a maximum-security prison with free prison tattoos and head shaving
Fantastic Feud (Team International first victory over Team USA)
The 2013 festival was hosted for the first time at the brand new Alamo Drafthouse Lakeline location from September 19–26.
World premieres
Coherence
Detective Downs
Goldberg and Eisenberg
Grand Piano
Greatful Dead
LFO
Machete Kills - (opening night)
Ninja: Shadow of a Tear
Ragnarok
Septic Man
North American premieres
Chanthaly
The Congress
A Field in England
Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons
Kid's Police
Maruyama the Middle Schooler
Mirage Men
Miss Zombie
Monsoon Shootout
Nothing Bad Can Happen
Our Heroes Died Tonight
Patrick
She Wolf
The Zero Theorem
US premieres
Afflicted
Almost Human
Blue Ruin
Borgman
Commando - A One Man Army
Confession of Murder
The Fake
Gatchaman
Love Eternal
Man of Tai Chi
Moebius
Mood Indigo
On The Job
Proxy
R100
Rigor Mortis
The Sacrament
"Sleep Clinic"
The Strange Colour of Your Body's Tears
Vic + Flo Saw a Bear
We Gotta Get Out of This Place
Why Don't You Play in Hell?
Witching & Bitching
Wolf
Texas premieres
Big Bad Wolves
The Dirties
Escape from Tomorrow
Fatal
Halley
Hentai Kamen: Forbidden Super Hero
Jodorowsky's Dune
Metallica Through the Never
Narco Cultura
Nightbreed - The Cabal Cut
Northwest
The Resurrection of a Bastard
O'Apostolo
We Are What We Are
Austin premieres
Eega
Tales from the Organ Trade
Cheap Thrills - special encore presentation
The Green Inferno - (secret screening)
Gravity - (secret screening)
Child of God - (secret screening)
The Rundown - a movie interruption from Doug Benson
All the Boys Love Mandy Lane
Timecrimes - special screening with Mondo poster and vinyl of soundtrack with director Nacho Vigalondo
The Devils
Audience Award
Best Documentary: Jodorowsky’s Dune (director Frank Pavich)
Best Narrative Feature: Blue Ruin (director Jeremy Saulnier)
"Next Wave" Spotlight
Best Picture: The Dirties (director Matt Johnson)
Best Director: Oren Carmi (Goldberg and Eisenberg)
Best Screenplay: James Ward Byrkit (Coherence)
Best Actor: Yorick van Wageningen (The Resurrection Of A Bastard)
Best Actress: Swantje Kohlhof (Nothing Bad Can Happen)
Fantastic Features
Best Picture: The Congress (director Ari Folman)
Best Director: David Perrault (Our Heroes Died Tonight)
Best Screenplay: Ari Folman (The Congress)
Best Actor: Svein André Hofsø Myhre (Detective Downs)
Best Actress: Robin Wright (The Congress)
Horror Features
Best Picture: Afflicted (directors Derek Lee and Clif Prowse)
Best Director: Derek Lee and Clif Prowse (Afflicted)
Best Screenplay: Derek Lee and Clif Prowse (Afflicted)
Best Actor: Jason David Brown (Septic Man)
Best Actress: Julia Garner (We Are What We Are)
Gutbuster Comedy Features
Best Picture: Why Don’t You Play In Hell (director Sion Sono)
Best Director: Sion Sono (Why Don’t You Play In Hell)
Best Screenplay: Kankurô Kudô (Maruyama The Middle Schooler)
Best Actor: Fuku Suzuki (Kid’s Police)
Best Actress: Qi Shu (Journey To the West: Conquering The Demon)
Documentary Features
Best Picture: Jodorowsky’s Dune (director Frank Pavich)
Best Director: Shaul Schwarz (Narco Cultura)
Short Fuse: Horror Shorts'
Winner: Remember Me (director Jean-François Asselin)
Runner-up: Perfect Drug (director Toon Aerts)
Fantastic Shorts
Winner: Beasts In The Real World (director Sol Friedman)
Runner-up: My Pain Is Worse Than Your Pain (director Adam Hall)
Drawn and Quartered: Animated Shorts
Winner: The Sad House (director Sofia Catalina Carrillo Ramírez)
Runner-up: Kick-Heart (director Masaaki Yuasa)
Fantastic Arcade
Best In Show and Audience Choice: Samurai Gunn (developed by Teknopants)
Danger Gods!: The True Daredevils of Hollywood Legend - live stunt show
Fantastic Arcade Panels and Tournaments
Fantastic Fest Opening Night Party: MACHETE DON’T STOP
Fantastic Fest presents Doug Loves Movies
Chaos Reigns!!! Karaoke Party
The Fantastic Debates Presented By Man of Tai Chi
Cards Against Humanity Happy Hour
Fantastic Arcade: VideoHeroeS Tournament and Arcade Awards
You Guys Like Tequila?: The Fantastic Arcade After Party
Nerd Rap Throwdown
Fantastic Feud (win by Team USA)
Fantastic Trivia presented by Geeks Who Drink
Metal Meltdown with Karaoke Apocalypse - live band karaoke
Fantastic Fest Closing Night Party
The 2014 festival returned to the Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar location from September 18–25 for the 10 year anniversary
World premieres
The ABCs of Death 2
Danger 5 (Season Two)
Relocos Y Repasados
Horsehead
Dios Local
Wyrmwood
The Absent One
Dwarves Kingdom
Felt
I Am Here
I Am Trash
Purgatory
Redeemer
Everly
From the Dark
Future Shock! The Story of 2000AD
The Hive
My Life Directed by Nicolas Winding Refn
Confetti of the Mind: The Short Films of Nacho Vigolando
North American premieres
Whispers Behind the Wall
El Incidente
Naturaleza Muerte (Still Life)
Tombville
Tommy
As Seen by the Rest
Free Fall
Necrophobia 3D
Realiti
Wastelander Panda:Exile
Darkness by Day
Lost Soul: The Doomed Journey of Richard Stanley’s Island of Dr. Moreau
Nymphomaniac (Director’s Cut)
US premieres
Alleluia
Bro’s Before Ho’s
The Man in the Orange Jacket
Norway
Tusk
V/H/S:Viral
The Creeping Garden
The Editor
Electric Boogaloo: The Wild, Untold Story of Cannon Films
Force Majeure
Nightcrawler
Over Your Dead Body
Spring
The Tale of Princess Kaguya
Tokyo Tribe
The Treatment
Automata
Cub
The Duke of Burgundy
Haemoo
Hardkor Disco
I Am A Knife With Legs
It Follows
Let Us Prey
Shrew’s Nest
The Tribe
Waste Land
When Animals Dream
The World of Kanako
Texas premieres
The Babadook
Closer to God
Jacky In The Kingdom of Women
Blind
Dead Snow: Red vs. Dead
In Order of Disappearance
No Man’s Land
Austin premieres
Man From Reno
Horns
Kung Fu Elliott - Fantastic Fest premiere
John Wick - special gala screening
Goodnight Mommy - (secret screening)
Miami Connection - a movie interruption from Doug Benson
The Look of Silence - a Drafthouse Alliance special screening
The Island of Dr. Moreau - Master Pancake screening
Bugsy Malone - Kid Power! Book Launch
Death Wish III
The Astrologer
Ninja III: The Domination
The Soultangler
Audience Award
The Tale of Princess Kaguya (director Isao Takahata)
"Next Wave" Spotlight
Best Picture: It Follows (director David Robert Mitchell)
Best Director: Miroslav Slaboshpitsky (THE TRIBE)
Best Screenplay: David Robert Mitchell (IT FOLLOWS)
Best Actor: Lou Taylor Pucci (SPRING)
Best Actress: Amy Everson (FELT)
Fantastic Features
Best Picture: ALLELUIA (director Fabrice Du Welz)
Best Director: Fabrice Du Welz (ALLELUIA)
Best Screenplay: Tetsuya Nakashima, Miako Tadano and Nobuhiro Monma (THE WORLD OF KANAKO)
Best Actor: Laurent Lucas (ALLELUIA)
Best Actress: Lola Dueñas (ALLELUIA)
Horror Features
Best Picture: THE BABADOOK (directed Jennifer Kent)
Best Screenplay: Jennifer Kent (THE BABADOOK)
Best Director: Martín De Salvo (DARKNESS BY DAY)
Best Actor: Noah Wiseman (THE BABADOOK)
Best Actress: Essie Davis (THE BABADOOK)
Gutbuster Comedy Features
Best Picture: DEAD SNOW 2: RED VS DEAD (director by Tommy Wirkola)
Best Director: Hans Petter Moland (IN ORDER OF DISAPPEARANCE)
Best Screenplay: Vegar Hoel, Stig Frode Henriksen and Tommy Wirkola (DEAD SNOW 2: RED VS DEAD)
Best Actor: Pål Sverre Hagen (IN ORDER OF DISAPPEARANCE)
Best Actress: Sylvia Hoeks (BROS BEFORE HOS)
Documentary Features
Best Picture: KUNG FU ELLIOT (director Jaret Belliveau)
Best Director: Tim Grabham, Jasper Sharp (THE CREEPING GARDEN)
Short Fuse: Horror Shorts'
Winner: THE STOMACH directed by Ben Steiner
Runner-up: INVADERS directed by Jason Kupfer
Fantastic Shorts
Winner: THE VOICE THIEF directed by Adan Jodorowsky
Runner-up: MY FATHER IS A BIRD (director Boaz Debby) and SOLITUDO (director Alice Lowe)
Drawn and Quartered: Animated Shorts
Winner: THE CHAPERONE (director Fraser Munden)
Runner-up: DAY 40 (director Sol Friedman)
Fantastic Arcade
Best in Show: BANANA CHALICE (developed by Kyle Reimergartin)
‘Mercado Fantastico’
Gold Prize: HAVANA VAMPIRE TERRITORY (director Carlos Lechuga) and THE TURNED (director Andrés Rosende)
Silver Prize: FIERCE (director Francisco Lorite)
Bronze Prize: HURT (director Pablo Proenza)
Special Jury Mention for "Keeping the Spirit of the 80's Alive": THE SHADOWDWELLERS (producer Erick Salomon)
Jury Award for Work in Progress, and Chemistry Award: FRONDOSO EDEN DEL CORAZON (director Juan Manuel Fodde)
Morbido/Latam Consultation Award: EAT ME (director David Michán)
Maltin’s Game Tournament hosted by Leonard Maltin
The Meltdown with Jonah and Kumail
Fantastic Debates
Nerd Rap Throwdown
Opening Night: 10th Birthday Armageddon (featuring food fight and human piñata)
Fantastic Feud (Winner: Team USA)
Fantastic Arcade
Chaos Reigns! Karaoke Party
Metal Meltdown with Karaoke Apocalypse
Fantastic Fest ABCs of Closing Night Party
The 2015 festival returned to the Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar location from September 24 – October 1.
World premieres
Bone Tomahawk
Darling
Dirty Romance
Gridlocked
La Granja
Lazer Team
Man Vs Snake
The Passing
Sensoria
The Similars
What We Become
Zinzana
North American premieres
The Brand New Testament
Coz Ov Moni 2
Der Bunker
In Search of Ultra Sex
Lovemilla
Speed
US premieres
April and the Extraordinary World
Assassination Classroom
Baskin
The Club
Demon
German Angst
Green Room
High-Rise
The Lobster
Love and Peace
Ludo
The Missing Girl
Office
Remake, Remix, Rip-off
Stand By For Tape Back Up
Texas premieres
The Keeping Room
L'affaire SK1
The Witch
Yakuza Apocalypse
The Martian
The Invitation
Audience Award
1st Place - Green Room (director Jeremy Saulnier)
2nd Place - Liza The Fox Fairy (director Károly Ujj Mészáros)
3rd Place - Stand By For Take Back-Up (director Ross Sutherland)
"Next Wave" Spotlight
Best Picture: Der Bunker (director Nikias Chryssos)
Best Director: Can Evrenol for BASKIN
Fantastic Features
Best Picture: THE CLUB
Best Director: Duke Johnson & Charlie Kaufman for ANOMALISA
Horror Features
Best Picture: DEMON
Best Director: Joe Begos for THE MIND’S EYE
Comedy Features
Best Picture: THE BRAND NEW TESTAMENT
Best Director: Anders Thomas Jensen for MEN & CHICKEN
Documentary Features
Best Picture: MAN VS SNAKE
Best Director: Heath Cozens for DOGLEGS
Horror Shorts'
Best Picture: SISTER HELL
Best Director: Ryan Spindell for THE BABYSITTER MURDERS
Fantastic Shorts
Best Picture: MOVIES IN SPACE
Best Director: Jeremy David White for ENHANCED
Fantastic Arcade
Best in Show: SECRET LEGEND developed by Andrew Shouldice
Audience Award Winner: SUPER RUSSIAN ROULETTE developed by Andrew Reitano
Mercado Fantastico
1st Place: THE DUMP by Fernando Montes de Oca and Xavier Sánchez Mercado
2nd Place: PARADISE HILLS by Alice Waddington
3rd Place: EL GIGANTE by Gigi Saul Guerrero
FANTASTIC BUMPER COMPETITION - Presented by SourceFed Nerd
THE JURY directed by Joe Nicolosi
