The Menu, Triangle of Sadness and Decision to Leave headline Fantastic Fest

Fantastic Fest 2022 has announced its line-up, and the eight-day celebration of all things weird and wonderful in the world of film includes 21 world premieres, as well as strands dedicated to sharks and Park (Chan-wook).

Running from September 22 to 29 at the Alamo Drafthouse cinema in Austin, Texas, Fantastic Fest is the ultimate genre festival, and this year’s line-up is filled with films from all over the world.

Proceedings kick off with the world premiere of Smile, a horror film with a synopsis as follows: After witnessing a bizarre, traumatic incident involving a patient, Dr. Rose Cotter (Sosie Bacon) starts experiencing frightening occurrences that she can’t explain. As an overwhelming terror begins taking over her life, Rose must confront her troubling past in order to survive and escape her horrifying new reality.

The week ends with the U.S premiere of Ruben Östlund Palme d’Or winning Triangle of Sadness, wherein “social hierarchy is turned upside down, revealing the tawdry relationship between power and beauty.“

Honoring Park Chan-wook

Having directed the likes of Oldboy, Lady Vengeance, and The Handmaiden, Park Chan-Wook is one of the most important names in world cinema, and Fantastic Fest will be honoring him with a lifetime achievement award.

The festival will also be screening his 2000 war drama JSA – aka Joint Security Area. Meanwhile, Chan-wook’s new film – Decision to Leave – will receive its U.S. premiere at the fest, with the film being described as follows…

Laced with wicked humor, master filmmaker Park Chan-wook’s dazzlingly cinematic romantic thriller surprises and delights to the very last.

More Fantastic Fest Premieres

Dexerto will be attending Fantastic Fest, and the films we’ll be writing up include Martin McDonagh’s The Banshees of Inisherin, Luca Guadagnino’s Bones and All (starring Timothée Chalamet) and The Menu (featuring an all-star cast that includes Ralph Fiennes, Nicholas Hoult, and Anya Taylor-Joy).

There’s also a sidebar dedicated to sharks, featuring films that have never before screened in the U.S., as well as the American premiere of Year of the Shark.

“It’s been far too long since we’ve all been able to gather together and celebrate film the Fantastic Fest way,” says Festival Director Lisa Dreyer. “We’ve really put our all into crafting an extraordinary week, from the exceptional programming that spans exciting discoveries to highly-anticipated features, to our signature events that will inject a much-needed dose of fun into 2022.”

Full details can be found at the official Fantastic Fest site.