Fantastic Fest to Open with 'Gentlemen Broncos'

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Gentlemen Broncos

The Fantastic Fest pre-season is in full swing, with last night's screening of [Rec] satisfying many a local badgeholder, and making those not in Central Texas green with envy, and that's even before The Collector and Deadgirl screen later this month.

Earlier today, Horror Squad broke the first announcement about the 2009 lineup, which includes a mix of 32 features and shorts. The official press release is on the Fantastic Fest website.

The opening-night film will be Gentleman Broncos (pictured above), the latest film by Napoleon Dynamite writer-director Jared Hess. The cast alone will make it a hit with the indie/genre fans: Sam Rockwell (Moon, Galaxy Quest), Jemaine Clement (Flight of the Concords), Jennifer Coolidge (American Pie), and Michael Angarano (Sky High). Angarano plays a home-schooled kid whose first story is ripped off by his favorite author, Ronald Chevalier (Clement), and being filmed as well.

Fantastic Fest will also present its first Lifetime Achievement award to Jess Franco. With nearly 200 films to his credit, and nearly as many aliases, I'm looking forward to see which of his films they bring to Fantastic Fest.

Within the initial lineup, the first film that jumps out at me is what promises to be a parkour-packed actioner, District 13 Ultimatum. I loved the first District 13 film, so I'm really looking forward to this one. Next, a musical space-seed treatment for Pinocchio, in the Estonian film, Buratino: Son of Pinocchio. Russia's Aleksey Balabanov, director of the disturbingly too-real Cargo 200 is bringing us Morphine. Liverpool gets a bloodbath from paramilitary forces that are either massacring the population or saving it in Salvage. Tokyo Gore Police's director Yoshihiro Nishimura is bringing us Vampire Girl Vs. Frankenstein Girl.

And then there are the parties. Every Alamo addict has been waiting impatiently for the new bowling/karaoke paradise the Alamo team is opening in the old Salvation Army space just a minute's walk from the South Lamar Alamo. The original liquor license app on the windows named the space The Palace, but apparently it's been renamed The Highball, and it will be party central for Fantastic Fest. And Fantastic Fest loves to party

Remember, this is just the first announcement, there will be more. And it's already shaping up to be a memorable Fantastic Fest. Got your badge yet?

Fantastic Fest runs September 24 through October 1, 2009. For up-to-date information, follow the fest on twitter.