When it comes to being a journalist who attends film festivals, they can be overwhelming. You’re seeing a lot of movies all at once, you’re trying to get it all done quickly, and you often are so stressed out that fun is kind of a pipe dream. Luckily, Fantastic Fest exists to make it all worth it.
For 20 years, Fantastic Fest has been sharing the love of genre films and I was reminded this year why it made me fall in love with Austin in the first place. My first festival was in 2024. I flew in for a day, was mad I had to leave, and made plans to come back for SXSW almost instantly after. So it should be no surprise that I made sure to head to Austin for the entire festival this time around.
