Step into the dark and dazzling world of Fantastic Fest — Austin’s legendary genre film festival, now celebrating 20 years of bold visions and unforgettable stories. In this episode, hear from an industry insider with a lifelong devotion to cinema, a Japanese director who turns social media into a haunting curse, the filmmaker and actor behind a campy horror film that transforms menstruation into monster, metaphor, and muse, and the creators of a documentary honoring Austin’s public access archives. Together, their stories reveal the art of discovery, connection, and the joy of filmmaking.

Fantastic Fest: https://www.fantasticfest.com/

Fantastic Fest IG: https://www.instagram.com/fantastic.fest/?hl=en

SIRAT directed by Oliver Laxe: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt32298285/

XYZ Films: https://www.xyzfilms.com/

XYZ Films IG: https://www.instagram.com/xyzfilms/?hl=en

The Curse directed by Kenichi Ugana: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5572219/K

Kenichi Ugana IG: https://www.instagram.com/kenichiugana/?hl=en

The Cramps: A Period Piece directed by Brooke H. Cellars and starring Lauren Kitchen: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt37983278/

The Cramps IG: https://www.instagram.com/thecrampsfilm/?hl=en

Brooke H. Cellars IG: https://www.instagram.com/brookehcellars/?hl=en

Lauren Kitchen IG: https://www.instagram.com/lauren_in_the_kitchen_/?hl=en

When We Were Live directed by John Moore and produced by Keeley Steenson: https://www.whenwewerelive.com/?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAafeGfkwb2Zx_QUgnyLRmfwM_3pSEprdnxykmd3s-ULdGQ9X2gfvtgCEayQLuA_aem_K6a24RvYVyHaUUdPiPS-Nw

When We Were Live IG: https://www.instagram.com/whenwewerelive/?hl=en

Voice-over Actor: Ann Morris based in Austin, Texas

Music by Neng Jemping from Pixabay