The first-ever Austin Fantastic Fest (October 6 - 9) will present sneak previews of Jon Favreau’s ZATHURA, Robert Rodriguez & Frank Miller’s SIN CITY: RECUT & EXTENDED, and Werner Herzog’s THE WILD BLUE YONDER; work-in-progress screenings of John Gulager’s FEAST and Eli Roth’s HOSTEL; behind-the-scenes peeks at the making of Richard Linklater’s A SCANNER DARKLY and Andrew Adamson’s THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDOBE; and over a dozen other feature films from a dozen countries, October 6-9, 2005.

The Opening Night film is ZATHURA, director Jon Favreau’s adaptation of Chris Van Allsburg’s best-selling sci-fi adventure. Favreau, actor Dax Shepard and producer Peter Billingsley will attend the screening and after-party (at the Austin Elks Lodge), which will feature live music, beers from Independence Brewery, appetizers catered by Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar executive chef John Bullington, and a Zathura-inspired room of vintage board games.
[NOTE: Please contact Gena Hyde at Moroch for interview requests and red carpet access at ghyde@moroch.com / 713-223-2796.]

Fantastic Fest is a new four-day international genre film festival devoted to sci-fi, horror, fantasy, and animation, presented October 6-9, 2005, by the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema South under the direction of Tim League (“#1 Theater Doing It Right” - Entertainment Weekly). It was conceived by co-chairs Paul Alvarado-Dykstra and Tim McCanlies (The Iron Giant, Secondhand Lions), who comprise a programming team that also includes Harry Knowles (Ain’t It Cool News), Matt Dentler (SXSW Film Festival), and Kier-La Janisse (Cinemuerte Film Festival). Fantastic Fest is sponsored by Milkshake Media, Ain’t It Cool News, Jackson Walker, Independence Brewery, ME Television, and KOOP 91.7 FM.

For more information, visit fantasticfest.com.



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