One of Austin's favorite arts festivals, Fantastic Fest, is back with a long lineup of films for 2025. The festival is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year with 45 world premieres, 15 international and North American Premieres, and 13 U.S. premieres September 18-25 at Alamo Drafthouse Cinema on South Lamar Boulevard.

Alamo Drafthouse started the festival when the cinema chain was still less than a decade old. By now, Alamo calls Fantastic Fest the largest genre film festival in the U.S., which means that it champions films that are created with a specific genre in mind (in this case mostly horror), often indicating a certain level of nicheness. Fantastic Fest also emphasizes film studios more than most other festivals.

Before readers' imaginations carry them away, note that badges are on sale now, but only the final four days of the festival remain ($275). This festival is so popular, it was largely sold out before the lineup was announced on August 14. However, you can still see many of the films without a badge. Tickets open to the general public 10 minutes prior to start time for $15. Badges simply give priority to holders.

“We’re excited to celebrate 20 years of Fantastic Fest at Alamo Drafthouse,” said Alamo Drafthouse CEO Michael Kustermann in a press release. “Fantastic Fest was created by Alamo Drafthouse Cinema to celebrate genre and horror films. We’re thrilled that these films continue to perform well at the box office and are honored to be the launchpad for our studio partners and independent filmmakers.”

Festival director Lisa Dreyer pointed out that this is the most world premieres the festival has ever offered, and called it a "celebration of cinematic excellence and excess."

"The fest has grown immensely over the years, and we are proud to find new impactful ways to champion genre cinema and bring our audience the best of the best," said Dreyer.

Here are some notable films on the newly announced lineup, slightly edited for readability:

• Opening film: Paramount’s Primate, from director Johannes Roberts, in which a group of friends’ tropical vacation turns into a terrifying, primal tale of horror and survival. Featuring an incredible ensemble cast led by Johnny Sequoyah and Oscar-winning Troy Kotsur, Primate is an unbelievably entertaining horror film, filled with gory mayhem, in theaters January 9, 2026.
• Closing film: World premiere of Independent Film Company and Shudder’s crowd-pleasing horror film Whistle, from director Corin Hardy (The Nun) and writer Owen Edgerton. A group of high-school students discover an ancient Aztec death whistle that unleashes a deadly curse upon their town. As the teens are hunted down one by one to meet their deaths in spectacularly gruesome ways, it’s a race against time to discover how to stop the demonic force before it's too late.
• World premiere of Sony Pictures’ Stage 6 Films and Screen Gems’ Sisu: Road To Revenge
• World premiere of Paramount Pictures’ chilling new horror film from writer and director Bryan Bertino, Vicious
• World premiere of Universal Pictures and Blumhouse’s highly anticipated Black Phone 2
• U.S. premieres of Neon’s Shelby Oaks and Cannes jury-prize winner Sirât
• World premiere of Lionsgate’s The Strangers – Chapter 2
• World premieres of Shudder’s latest installment of their popular franchise V/H/S/Halloween, and two episodes from the fan-favorite series The Creep Tapes Season 2
• Texas premiere of A24’s kinetic If I Had Legs I’d Kick You
• World premiere of Shudder's Crazy Old Lady from producer J.A. Bayona

New this year are Fantastic Pitches, a support initiative ultimately offering $100,000 and a global distribution deal from new genre label Chroma. Finalists will get to pitch their project to a live jury at the festival, which will include director Matt Johnson, whose 2025 comedy film Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie had its world premiere at South by Southwest (SXSW).

Other festival events and highlights include:

• Awards in four categories: Main Competition, Horror, Next Wave, and Shorts. Jurors include actor Patton Oswalt, director and musician Fred Durst, author Otessa Moshfegh, filmmakers Aaron Schimberg and Mercedes Bryce Morgan, and more.
• The Burnt Ends sidebar for micro-budget, outlier cinema, including an animation block.
• An opening night party played by heavy metal band Castle Rat and presented by Shudder.
• A 20th anniversary celebration for TV series The Masters Of Horror. Mick Garris, Don Coscarelli, and Ernest Dickerson will appear in conversation.
• A fundraiser for the Transgender Film Center, with exclusive merch from Super Yaki.
• A Ghoulish Book Fair
• A medieval drag show hosted by legendary local queen Louisianna Purchase
• Comedian Doug Benson’s live chat Movie Interruption
• Video oddities from the Found Footage Festival

There's much more to see on the Fantastic Fest lineup at fantasticfest.com.