Fantastic Fest 2026

Fantastic Fest returns to the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema South Lamar from September 17 to 24, 2026, for its 21st edition. It's the largest genre film festival in the United States, and it stays focused on horror, fantasy, sci-fi, action, and just plain fantastic movies from around the world. This year's lineup brings world premieres and surprise guests to the screen, and the festival runs for eight days, so there's plenty of room to see a few films without clearing your entire week.

If you're not familiar with its track record, the festival has hosted world premieres of There Will Be Blood, Apocalypto, and Eagle Eye. The guest list over the years has been just as wide: Mel Gibson, Bill Murray, Paul Rudd, Bill Pullman, Paul Thomas Anderson, Kevin Smith, Jon Favreau, George Romero, Darren Aronofsky, and Mike Judge have all made appearances. It's a festival that doesn't stick to one corner of the genre world, and that's part of the draw.

The screenings happen primarily at the Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar, a cinema Entertainment Weekly once named the best in America. It's a full-service theater, so food and drink come to your seat without interrupting the movie. That's a nice perk when you're settling in for a double feature or a long night of screenings.

Variety president and publisher Charlie Koones listed Fantastic Fest among his "10 Film Festivals we Love," alongside Cannes, Toronto, and Telluride. It runs from September 17 to 24 at the Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar in Austin.