Fantastic Fest 2023: What to expect from this year's fest at Austin's Alamo Drafthouse

Amethyst Martinez, Austin American-Statesman
·2 min read
Kiernan Shipka is one of the stars of "Totally Killer," the closing night film at Fantastic Fest 2023.
Kiernan Shipka is one of the stars of "Totally Killer," the closing night film at Fantastic Fest 2023.
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Creepy crawlers, shocking kills, fun thrills and more are all promised at this year's Fantastic Fest, which just announced its September 2023 programming.

The fest is featuring a packed lineup: 29 world premieres, 24 North American premieres and 18 U.S. premieres, with tiered passes now on sale.

When is Fantastic Fest?

The 18th edition of the genre festival will take place from Sept. 21 to Sept. 28 at the Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar, 1120 S Lamar Blvd.

2022 highlights: Cannibal teens, Pinhead and more film freaks to see out of Fantastic Fest

What are some highlights of this year's Fantastic Fest?

One of Angus Cloud's last performances, a thriller titled "Your Lucky Day," will premiere at the event. Cloud died July 31 at age 25.

“The Fantastic Fest team was deeply saddened to hear about the passing of Angus Cloud. His performance in 'Your Lucky Day' immediately won over our team, and we want to pay tribute to his talents and life at the festival,” director of programming Annick Mahnert said in a news release about the fest.

The film kicking off the festival is the world premiere of "The Toxic Avenger," a reimagined version of a classic Troma film by director Macon Blair. Actors starring in the film include Peter Dinklage, Jacob Tremblay, Elijah Wood and Kevin Bacon.

The cast of "The Fall of the House of Usher" includes, from left: Sauriyan Sapkota as Prospero Usher, Kate Siegel as Camille L'Espanaye, Rahul Kohli as Napoleon Usher, Matt Biedel as Bill-T Wilson, Samantha Sloyan as Tamerlane Usher and Mark Hamill as Arthur Pym. The series will premiere at Fantastic Fest before streaming on Netflix.
The cast of "The Fall of the House of Usher" includes, from left: Sauriyan Sapkota as Prospero Usher, Kate Siegel as Camille L'Espanaye, Rahul Kohli as Napoleon Usher, Matt Biedel as Bill-T Wilson, Samantha Sloyan as Tamerlane Usher and Mark Hamill as Arthur Pym. The series will premiere at Fantastic Fest before streaming on Netflix.

The closing night film is the world premiere of a slasher-comedy, "Totally Killer" by director Nahnatchka Khan and starring Kiernan Shipka "as a time-traveling teen out to stop the infamous 'Sweet Sixteen Killer.'"

Other big premieres at the event include "Pet Sematary: Bloodlines," "The Creator," "Eileen" and "The Origin."

The fest also will premiere two TV shows: HBO's "30 Coins" (season two) from Spanish director Álex de la Iglesia and "The Fall of the House of Usher" from Mike Flanagan and coming to Netflix in October.

More: Alamo Drafthouse at 25 years: A history of cult classics and queso

Other events at Fantastic Fest

Fantastic Fest will also feature live events and performances, such as a Ghoulish Book Fair, a closing night party, an opening night musical performance by Austin band The Octopus Project, the Fantastic Debates and more.

A reparatory sidebar is dedicated to the creepy crawly critters of the horror scene. The films "Vermin," "The Nest," "Bugged," and "Centipede Horror," will all be a part of the sidebar showcase.

How do I attend Fantastic Fest?

Badges, $275-$1,495, are on sale at FantasticFest.com, where you also can see the full lineup.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Fantastic Fest 2023: Film lineup, spooky sidebars and more in Austin