Fantastic Fest in Austin, Texas, has revealed its 2026 lineup, and European cinema has carved out a significant place among the premieres. The festival, one of the world’s leading genre film events, will run from September 17 to 24 at the Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar, marking its 21st edition.
The numbers point to a particularly packed year: 73 features and episodic titles in total, including 35 world premieres, 21 international or North American premieres, and 14 U.S. premieres. Festival director Lisa Dreyer explained that this year’s selection is especially focused on launching new talent and bringing lesser-known voices in genre filmmaking to a wider audience.
Among the European world premieres, Adult Supervision, from Swedish director Alex Schulman, stands out. It follows three fathers chaperoning their teenage daughters on a school trip, a seemingly relaxed getaway that quickly turns into a darker test of nerve. Slovenia makes its mark with Girl in the Night, an absurdist comedy from Luka Marčetić about a man dragged into a vigilante’s nocturnal escapades after stealing her bicycle. From Spain comes Upiro, directed by Óscar Martín, set in an isolated monastery where a girl sent to atone for her sins uncovers a mysterious illness tied to a supernatural presence.
There’s also a notable directorial debut: Polish actress Agata Trzebuchowska, best known for starring in Ida, presents Sick, the story of two siblings caring for their ailing grandmother. France brings No Way Down, directed by Mohamed Chabane and Théo Jourdain, in which four friends become trapped inside a sealed tower and must fight to survive. Finland contributes two feature debuts: Red Snow by Ilja Rautsi, a co-production with Estonia and Sweden about a vampire disguised as Santa Claus, and The Squirrel by Markus Lehmusruusu, also produced with Germany, the Netherlands and Sweden, following a robotic-toy designer whose rescue of an injured squirrel leads to a journey of self-discovery.
The program also includes European titles that have already played other festivals. Attack on Paradise, from Belgian director Bob Colaers, arrives fresh from Canada’s Fantasia Film Festival, while 3 Weeks After, by Serbian director Miroslav Terzić — a co-production between Serbia, Bulgaria, Italy, Croatia and Luxembourg — had its world premiere at Karlovy Vary. Bloody Tennis, from German director Nikias Chryssos, comes off the back of its Locarno premiere. Established names are represented too: Roma Elastica by Bertrand Mandico, starring Marion Cotillard, premiered at Cannes and now makes its North American debut, as does Full Phil by Quentin Dupieux, starring Kristen Stewart and Woody Harrelson, returning with a new cut billed as a premiere for American audiences.
Alongside these titles, Fantastic Fest keeps its identity as a major crowd-pleasing event, with a gala screening of the Resident Evil reboot directed by Zach Cregger and the American preview of Prime’s new Carrie series. But it’s in the interplay between blockbuster fare and European arthouse genre cinema that the 2026 edition seems to find its balance.
PhotoCredits: Foto di Krists Luhaers su Unsplash
