Fantastic Fest 2013 Announces the First Wave of Programming

It’s almost here, it’s almost here! Less than 2 months from now, Fantastic Fest 2013 will start in the new Alamo Drafthouse Lakeline location and I plan to be there covering the event. This event is something I look forward to all year. Good people, great films, amazing times. The official announcement has been released and while I can cross off some of the guesses that would play the fest, I can’t believe I missed out on one obvious title, Man of Tai Chi. Read below for what has been announced for the first wave!

From the Press Release

Austin, TX-Wednesday, July 24, 2013– Fantastic Fest is tying on the black belt for the red carpet premiere of MAN OF TAI CHI and the festival’s initial lineup of incredible genre films. Fantastic Fest will take place September 19-26 in Austin, Texas at the Alamo Drafthouse Lakeline.

“Every year we scour the globe for the freshest and craziest genre films,” says Fantastic Fest founder and creative director Tim League.  “This first incredible selection of films gives a small taste of the fun, but I can assure you there are lots of surprises yet to come.  2013 should be remembered a vintage year for Fantastic Fest.”

Keanu Reeves stars in and makes his directorial debut in the multi-lingual narrative, MAN OF TAI CHI. Partly inspired by the life of Reeves’ friend, stuntman Tiger Chen, MAN OF TAI CHI tells the story of a young martial artist whose unparalleled Tai Chi skills land him in a highly lucrative underground fight club. As the fights intensify so does his will to survive and his desire to protect his way of life.

For more information about MAN OF TAI CHI, please visit https://www.facebook.com/RadiusTWC.

See below for the initial lineup of films at this year’s festival. Stay tuned for more programming announcements in the near future.

BIG BAD WOLVES (Israel, 2013)
Texas Premiere
Director- Navot Papushado & Aharon Keshales, 110 mins

The directing team behind the 2010 cult smash RABIES return to Fantastic Fest with one of the best genre films of 2013.

 

BORGMAN (The Netherlands, 2013)
North American Premiere
Director – Alex van Warmerdam, 113 mins

Something wicked this way comes in the form of the ordinary, the polite and the normal as a drifter and his followers invade the home of a bourgeois family.

 

CHEAP THRILLS (United States, 2013)
Regional Premiere
Director – E.L. Katz, 85 mins

A recently fired father facing eviction is paid to take on an escalating series of insane challenges from a rich couple with a twisted sense of humor.

 

COMMANDO – A ONE MAN ARMY (India, 2013)
US Premiere
Director- Dilip Ghosh, 120min

Singing! Dancing! Extreme violence and goofy one-liners from Bollywood’s answer to Tony Jaa and Marko Zaror! If Cannon Films were to relocate to India, COMMANDO would be the result!

 

EEGA (India, 2012)
Austin Premiere
Director – SriSaila Sri Rajamouli, 107 mins

A murdered man reincarnates as a fly to wreak vengeance on the villain who took his life and his lover. EEGA is an inventive, insane take on a revenge story unlike anything you’ve seen before.

 

HALLEY (Mexico/The Netherlands, 2013)
Texas Premiere
Director – Sebastian Hofmann, 83 mins

Though Beto’s life may technically be over, he allows himself to experience it one last time before his body completely falls apart in this unique and contemplative horror film.

 

KID’S POLICE (Japan, 2013)
North American Premiere
Director – Yuichi FUKUDA, 100 mins

When evil criminal organization Red Venus strikes, there’s only one team of highly specialized cops who can help. Unfortunately, they’ve been dosed with anti-aging gas that has turned them all into children.

 

LFO (Sweden/Denmark, 2013)
World Premiere
Director – Antonio Tublen, 94 mins

A solitary man discovers audio frequencies that open the human mind wide to hypnotic suggestion and, ultimately, his total control in this slyly deadpan dark comedy from Sweden.

 

MAN OF TAI CHI (United States, 2013)
US Premiere
Director – Keanu Reeves, 105 mins

Keanu Reeves stars in and directs this epic tale about a young martial artist who must compete in an underground fight club to protect his way of life. As the fights intensify so does his will to survive.

 

NARCO CULTURA (United States, 2013)
Texas Premiere
Director – Shaul Schwarz, 103 mins

NARCO CULTURA is a graphically disturbing documentary that examines the parallels between the Mexican drug war and the increasingly popular musical style of narcocorridos (drug ballads).

 

NIGHTBREED – THE CABAL CUT (United Kingdom, 2012)
Texas Premiere
Directors – Russell Cherrington, 144 mins

NIGHTBREED: THE CABAL CUT is a new director’s cut of Clive Barker’s horror classic that places the film in an entirely different light.

 

NORTHWEST (Denmark, 2013)
Regional Premiere
Director – Michael Noer, 91 mins

A teen hoodlum in Copenhagen becomes entangled in the criminal underworld

NOTHING BAD CAN HAPPEN (Germany, 2013)
North American Premiere
Director – Katrin Gebbe, 110 mins

Tore, a member of the counter-culture Christian movement Jesus Freaks, is befriended and taken in by a family who play an increasingly cruel, violent game and push his capacity to love to its limits.

ON THE JOB (Philippines, 2013)
US Premiere
Director – Erik Matti, 200 min

Corruption abounds in this stylish, Cannes-selected, ripped-from-the-headlines story of prisoners released on a day pass to work as killers. The cops must bring them in, never knowing how far the corruption spreads and who they can trust.

RESURRECTION OF A BASTARD, THE (The Netherlands, 2013)
Regional Premiere
Director – Guido van Driel, 89 mins

Adapted from his own graphic novel by first time writer-director Guido van Driel, RESURRECTION OF A BASTARD tells the darkly funny, Coen-esque tale of a career thug caught in an existential crisis.

SHE WOLF  (Argentina, 2013)
North American Premiere
Director – Tamae Garateguy, 92 mins

A sexual predator roams the streets and trains of Buenos Aires, a beautiful woman who uses sex to lure in her victims. A potent, punk rock spin on Euro-sleaze influences in this raw, erotic thriller.

VIC + FLO SAW A BEAR  (Canada, 2013)
US Premiere
Director – Denis Côté, 95 mins

An ex-con named Vic and her lover Flo retreat to a sugar shack in a small Quebec town to start anew. Their attempt to live a normal life slowly and disastrously unravels.

 

Look for more film & event programming announcements for Fantastic Fest in the weeks ahead.
For the latest developments visit the Fantastic Fest official site  www.fantasticfest.com and follow us on Facebook & Twitter.

 

About Fantastic Fest

Fantastic Fest is the largest genre film festival in the U.S., specializing in horror, fantasy, sci-fi, action and just plain fantastic movies from all around the world. In years past the festival has been home to world premieres of FRANKENWEENIE, RED DAWN, PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 3 & 4, THERE WILL BE BLOOD, APOCALYPTO, ZOMBIELAND and RED while the guest roster has included such talent as Tim Burton, Andy and Lana Wachowski, Mel Gibson, Bill Murray, Edward Norton, Ryan Reynolds, Karl Urban, Josh Hartnett, The RZA, Dolph Lundgren, Paul Rudd, Bill Pullman, Paul Thomas Anderson, Kevin Smith, Jon Favreau, George Romero, Darren Aronofsky and Mike Judge. Fantastic Fest also features world, national and regional premieres of new, up-and-coming genre films. Fantastic Fest has seen the acquisition of many titles, including BULLHEAD, KILL LIST, MONSTERS, KLOWN, THE FP, PENUMBRA, HERE COMES THE DEVIL, NO REST FOR THE WICKED, VANISHING WAVES, COMBAT GIRLS and I DECLARE WAR. Fantastic Fest is held each year at the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema in Austin, Texas. Alamo Drafthouse has been named the best theater in the country by Entertainment Weekly, Wired and TIME.  Variety included Fantastic Fest in a list of “10 Film Festivals We Love,” and was also named one of the “25 coolest film festivals” by Moviemaker Magazine.

 

Our Partners
Presenting Sponsors for Fantastic Fest include Texas’ own Shiner Beer, whose family of products will be featured throughout the festival; Fandango, the #1 moviegoer destination and Alamo Drafthouse ticketing partner; Sony 4k, which delivers an immersive theatrical experience with ultra-high resolution digital projection technology; and FEARnet, a multi-platform programming service delivering original and acquired horror, thriller, and suspense content as a cable TV network, a video-on-demand service and website.

 

About Alamo Drafthouse
Alamo Drafthouse is an entertainment brand comprised of the acclaimed cinema-eatery chain, the largest genre film festival in the United States and a collectible art gallery. Named “the best theater ever” by Time Magazine, the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema has built a reputation as a movie lover’s oasis not only by combining food and drink service with the movie-going experience, but also introducing unique programming and high-profile, star studded special events. Alamo Drafthouse Founder & CEO, Tim League, created Fantastic Fest, a world renowned film festival dubbed “The Geek Telluride” by Variety. Fantastic Fest showcases eight days of offbeat cinema from independents, international filmmakers and major Hollywood studios. The Alamo Drafthouse’s collectible art gallery, Mondo, offers breathtaking, original products featuring designs from world-famous artists based on licenses for popular TV and Movie properties including Star Wars, Star Trek & Universal Monsters. The Alamo Drafthouse Cinema is expanding its brand in new and exciting ways, including the launch of Drafthouse Films, a new film distribution label and plans to extend its theaters and unique programming philosophy to additional markets across the United States. More information about Alamo Drafthouse franchise opportunities are available on the official websitewww.drafthouse.com.