Amazing Fantasy Fest 2026

Friday, September 11th – Thursday, September 17

Dipson’s Amherst Theatre, 3500 Main Street in Buffalo

106 Films: 36 produced in Western New York. 15 Features, 91 Shorts.

A Full Festival Fantasy Pass costs $80 ($60 for students and seniors) and is available at the Amherst Theatre box office.

Day Passes cost $30 (Fri, Sat or Sun) or $20 (Mon, Tues, Wed, or Thurs) and will be available at the box office.

Single block admissions are $15, matinees before 5pm Mon - Thurs are $10. These will only be available online at www.dipsontheatres.com or at the box office beginning September 1st.

PLEASE NOTE: Dipson’s ticketing system requires you to select seats as a formality, but ALL SEATING IS OPEN, first come-first serve! This applies to passholders as well.

Friday, September 11th

1:10 BLOCK 1 Big City Pizza (Animation/WTF, US, 81 mins)

A WTF animated feature NSFW and not for kids! A crazy day in the life of Boney, a skeleton pizza delivery man. Trailer: https://vimeo.com/1118943522?fl=pl&fe=sh

2:45 BLOCK 2 Seven Amazing Shorts (US & CAN) 95 mins

Blindsided (Thriller, US, 8 mins); Battle of L.A . (SF, US, 15 mins); Fireflies in the Dusk (Fantasy, US, 18 mins); He’s Sick (Horror, US, 7 mins); Pocket Change (Thriller, US, 15 mins); Choice (Dark Fantasy, CAN, 16 mins); The Beast is Loose (Horror, US-PR, 17 mins).

4:40 BLOCK 3 Horrorbuku (Horror, US and Malaysia, 87 mins)

A surreal tale about a horror author in Canada who finds a mysterious mask that compels him to writ an intense novel set in Malaysia. Very creepy! Shorts: Vowels (Horror, US, 6 mins); El Otro Lado (US-PR, 7 mins) Subtitled in English. 100 mins.

7:00 BLOCK 4 Mindflip (Horror/SF, WNY, 90 min) DCP pending; will have a backup file on rive.

Our Opening Night Feature: the World Premiere of a WNY sci-fi/horror comedy written and directed by Ken Rowe, starring genre icon Lynn Lowry, Chad Ridgely, Bob Bozek, and many talented Western New Yorkers! An ageing horror movie queen seeks to transplant her mind into a younger body with horrifying and hilarious results. Q&A with Ken. Trailer: https://vimeo.com/1173763417?fl=pl&fe=sh.

Short: King Karno (Animation, US, 3 mins). Attending filmmaker: Richard C. Thompson. (repeats Monday)

9:30 BLOCK 5 Broken Spear (Martial Arts, China, 94 mins)

One of the best of the fest! In the twilight of the Tang Dynasty, a legendary spear-master must take up his weapon again when the ghosts of his past come hunting for him. Trailer: https://vimeo.com/1181067138?fl=pl&fe=sh

Short: Gante (US-PR, 20 mins) An extraordinary vigilante/slasher/crime drama from Puerto Rico! Subtitled in English. Attending filmmaker Raul Gabriel.

Saturday, September 12th

1:00 BLOCK 6 Segments of Jonah presents... "Journal of the Homunculus" (Fantasy/Surreal, US, 119 minsLynn Lowry and Debbie Rochon co-star in this surreal fantasy epic created by Tommy Graef and aimed at fans of Alejandro Jodorowsky (El Topo, Holy Mountain). A truly mindboggling cinema experience unlike anything you’ve seen before! Trailer: https://vimeo.com/1207880401/ccaad842dd?fl=pl&fe=sh

Shorts: Let’s Go to Space (Stop Motion Animation, WNY, 3 mins), attending filmmaker Clifton Gunn; The Next Door (Animation, WNY, 3 mins), attending filmmaker Elijah Henry.

3:50 BLOCK 7 Raging Midlife (Comedy, US, 96 mins)

Mid-lifers Alex and Mark set out to recover the tank top of their favorite 80s wrestler, “Raging Abraham Lincoln,” while pursued by a big game hunter. Featuring Paula Abdul, Edie Griffin and Walter Koenig. Q&A with screenwriter and star Nic Costa. Trailer: https://youtu.be/jrUXcdDYghg?si=DH9SJ6jI1tUEPuk5

Shorts: House Haunting (WNY, 6 mins), attending filmmaker Allison Courtney; and Fragility of a Party-Goer (Comedy, WNY, 17 mins), attending filmmakers Josh McMillan and Hope Muehlbauer.

7:00 BLOCK 8 WNY Horror Short Premieres (76 mins plus Q&As)

Join us for the World Premieres of five new horror shorts produced in Western New York, including the final chapter in the “Junk Food” Trilogy! One of our hottest blocks. Picture Perfect (5 mins) and Abel’s Nightmare (8 mins), attending filmmaker Bradley Liverman; Beast of the Frontier (18 mins), attending filmmakers Josh McMillan and Hope Muehlbauer; We Like Red (21 mins), attending filmmaker Christopher D’Addario; The Eucharist (24 mins), attending filmmakers Angel Barber and Connor.

9:20 BLOCK 9 Amazing Horror Shorts (84 mins plus Q&As)

Some of the best horror shorts of the year, including two produced in Western New York.

Noctis Monstorum (US, 6 mins), attending filmmaker P.J. Rahall; Bird Flu (NYS, 13 mins); Bishop’s Day (US, 11 mins), attending filmmaker Chritopher Kelly; Babysitting the Demons on Maple Street (WNY, 18 mins), attending filmmaker Amanda L. Woomer;

Do You Hear What I Hear? (NYS, 9 mins), attending filmmaker Manny Serrano; Manic (WNY, 18 mins), attending filmmaker Amelia Favata; Shroomery (US, 20 mins), attending filmmaker Dane A. Benko.

Sunday, September 13th

1:00 BLOCK 10 Shattered Dreams (Horror. WNY, 57 mins)

The latest production from WNY’s September Brothers is a psychological thriller starring Amelia Favata. Q&A with attending filmmakers Michael Buttino and Golden Groves.

Preceded by three shorts: two from WNY filmmakers and one from Puerto Rico. DCP short - Deadman’s Float (WNY, 9 mins), attending filmmaker Andrew Reardon; The Wrongest Yard (US, WNY Filmmaker, 10 mins), attending filmmaker Nick Smith; Make ur Dreams Real (US-PR, 13 mins), attending filmmaker Cesar M. Arroyo and Ashmarie Ramos Sanchez. 89 mins plus Q&As.

3:15 BLOCK 11 Amazing Feminine Perspectives (46 mins plus Q&As)

Seven wildly different shorts.

Impermanence (Animation, WNY,1 min), attending filmmaker Sharon A. Bennett; The Observers (Comedy, WNY, 3 mins), attending filmmaker Jo Oo’Donnell; My Long Covid Story (WNY, 3 mins), attending filmmaker Sabrina Pena Young; Kissing the Lipless (WNY, 5 mins), attending filmmaker Amanda Besl;

Quota (UK/US, 7 mins), attending filmmaker Delilah Gyves-Smart; A Genre Fluid Film (US/MA18 mins) attending filmmaker Adam (Jessica) Griswold; Eviction (US/MA, 9 mins), attending filmmaker Ashes Homon-Rahall. 46 mins plus Q&As.

5:00 The AFF Awards - Film is Art, not a competition, and it’s an honor just to be nominated... but someone has to win these plaques. Presented in our venue.

6:30 BLOCK 12 The Pitchfork Retreat (Horror, NYS, 95 mins)

Three horror authors arrive at a private island for a retreat, hell-bent on winning a life-changing competition. Starring Tony Todd, Danielle Harris, Dee Wallace and Adrienne Barbeau. Trailer: https://youtu.be/438rTKeCYpY?si=DPzbKXM_NYD6Dgz_ This epic block is essentially a double feature: Pitchfork will be preceded by four shorts with Q&As and will start at 8pm.

Neko Neko Night (CAN, Animated, 3 mins), attending filmmaker Fanelie Ollivier; 11:11 (Surreal Thriller, WNY, 20 mins), attending filmmakers Connor Greczyn and Anna Logan; My Friend Johnathon (Surreal Thriller, WNY, 13 min), attending filmmaker Kevin Thompson; El Jacho: A Puerto Rico Legend (Horror, US-PR, 20 mins), attending filmmakers Arian Borges and Linda Maymi. 2 hrs 31 mins plus Q&As.

Monday, September 14th

2:30 BLOCK 13 Amazing US Shorts (93 mins)

Nine amazing shorts produced in the U.S.: Maev’s Mirror (Fantasy, 7 mins); These Colors Don’t Run (Horror, 10 mins); Volatile (Post Apocalyptic, 11 mins); Do Evil Thoughts Make an Evil Man? (Thriller, 13 mins); Old Smoke (Supernatural,6 mins); Camp Evergreen (Horror, 10 mins); The Three Pawns (Medieval Action,15 mins); The Light (Horror, 6 mins); Turnbuckle (Sports Drama,15 mins).

4:30 BLOCK 14 Amazing Animation (71 mins plus Q&A)

14 amazing animated shorts from around the world: King Karno (US Encore, 3 mins); Impermanence (WNY Encore, 1 min); The Town without Laws (US, 3 mins); Neko Neko Night (CAN Encore, 3 mins); The Fangs I’m After (US, 3 mins); Tetanus (US, 5 mins); The Next Door (WNY Encore, 3 mins); Snacktime (France, 8 mins); Barbed Wire (Iran, 9 mins); Yokaitopia (US, 8 mins); Hephaestus and Aphrodite (US, 8 mins); Unstable Diffusion (US, 3 mins); Let’s Go to Space (WNY Encore, 3 mins); Tin Tune (US, 11 mins), attending filmmaker Carolyn Gair.

6:00 BLOCK 15 WNY Shorts I (39 mins plus Q&As)

Four amazing shorts produced in Western New York, followed by Q&As: Oblivion (Drama, 5 mins), attending filmmaker Maxwell Sebastian; Blessed Are the Unclean (Spiritual Drama,13 mins), attending filmmaker Paige Cummings; Pie (Thriller, 6 mins), attending filmmaker George Pavlidis; Cosmos (Romance, 15 mins), attending filmmakers Gabrielle Nunzio and Marissa Graves. Support local artists!

7:30 BLOCK 16 Sprites of Spring (Drama, WNY, 111 mins plus Q&A)

World Premiere of a WNY thriller about a missing person’s case that takes many unsuspecting turns. Written and directed by Brian Dudeman Zubrycki and starring Alexandria Romanov, Cloe Weiser Fisher, Paul McGinnis and Sean C. Sanders. Trailer: https://youtu.be/yR32jYRIreU?si=p4gsaw7C48i5HnyO

Tuesday, September 15th

2:00 BLOCK 17 International Shorts I (103 mins)

Four longer shorts from around the world: Dance the Light Away (Creatures, NZ, 20 mins); Golio Corvo (Thriller, Italy, 25 mins); Sheathed (Martial Arts, China, 29 mins); Are You a Human Being? (SF, France/Switzerland, 29 mins).

4:00 BLOCK 18 City Exterminator (Experimental/Dystopian, Lebanon, 87 mins)

A unique dystopian thriller from experimental filmmaker Christophe Karabache. Strong, powerful images combined with subtextual themes. Trailer: https://vimeo.com/1078237678?fl=pl&fe=sh

6:00 BLOCK 19 WNY Shorts II (36 mins plus Q&As)

Five local shorts with filmmaker Q&As: No Bar (Noir, 2 mins), attending filmmaker Jo O’Donnell; The Passing of the Good Dr. Marlow Green (Drama, 6 mins), attending filmmakers Al Waren and Rick Masi; Trilobite (Experimental, 7 mins), attending filmmaker Amana Besl; The Man in the Vinyl Curtain (Surreal Thriller, 10 mins), attending filmmaker Mathhew David Green; Palace (Supernatural Thriller, 18 mins), attending filmmaker, Shane Collins. Support local artists!

7:45 BLOCK 20 The Demonatrix (Horror, US, 90 mins)

When a phony séance leads to a dominatrix being possessed by a demon, a priest must team up with his mentor to send it back to hell. Co-written and co-directed by Jeff Feller and goth rocker Aurelio Voltaire, who also stars with Doug Bradley (Hellraiser) and Larry Fessenden (Habit). Excellent creature effects! Attending filmmaker – Voltaire! Trailer: https://youtu.be/-RVdkzyVxmg?si=mWHe35mQmdKdzOBD

Short: Specter Nectar and the Death Machine (Animated, WNY, 3 mins), attending filmmaker Emily Sugar.

Wednesday, September 16th

2:30 BLOCK 21 International Shorts II (78 mins)

Seven stunning shorts from around the world: Hunted (Action, Croatia, 3 mins); The Old Man and the Grave (S. Korea, 6 mins); Spark (Germany, 4 mins); Ethereal (Iran, 13 mins); The Last Unit (Spain, 22 mins); Astray (Netherlands, 15 mins); Jasmine. Home. Mother (Lithuania, 15 mins).

4:00 BLOCK 22 Angel Lust (Dark Fantasy, UK, 105 mins)

A possessed woman hanged in 1792 travels through the corridors of time in a twisty, erotic thriller written and directed by Michael Fausti (EXIT, Burnt Flowers), one of our favorite directors. Trailer: https://youtu.be/7HR22jA90nc?si=AuQ1EmngRYK3faip

6:00 BLOCK 23 WNY Shorts III (46 mins plus Q&As)

Four short films produced in Western New York: See You Around (Thriller, 5 mins), attending filmmaker Maxim Mezzio; Planet Heart (SF, 10 mins), attending filmmaker, Samantha Zotara; Grace Again (Drama/Thriller, 16 mins), attending filmmaker Nathan Barbour ; Plastic Accordions (Dramedy,15 mins), attending filmmaker, Joseph Marciniak. Support local artists!

7:30 BLOCK 24 It’s Always Almost Over (Comedy/Drama/Romance, NYS, 105 mins)

Dramedy about a man whose plan to leave his small upstate New York town is derailed when he meets a vibrant woman. Charming and well-acted. Attending filmmaker Jay Leonard, who previously impressed us with his feature Break Glass. Trailer: https://youtu.be/dYna56189ro?si=lKYtYDKM4U-mSv5J

Thursday, September 17th

2:30 BLOCK 25 US Shorts II (70 mins)

Three amazing short films produced in the U.S., two of them in Puerto Rico: Last Call (US, 20 mins); Grief (US-PR, 21 mins); I’m Leaving (US-PR, 29 mins).

4:00 BLOCK 26 RIP (Supernatural Comedy, Italy, 105 mins)

A stylish and offbeat supernatural comedy about an obituary writer whose life is turned upside down by a group of ghosts, including that of his father. Subtitled in English. Trailer: https://youtu.be/SexwJpEVq3Q?si=JEvrOjJOZzZAtq4D

6:00 BLOCK 27 Sci-Fi Shorts (69 mins)

Four entertaining and mind-bending shorts with Q&As: Illuminagents: Bermuda Short (CAN, 6 mins), attending filmmaker Herman Wang; Encyclopedia Galactica (US, 11 mins), attending filmmaker Kenneth Reynolds; Terminus (US, 15 mins), attending filmmaker; Continuity Error (SF/Comedy, WNY, 37 mins), attending filmmaker Jim Perri.

7:40 BLOCK 28 The Girl Inside the Photograph (Thriller, CAN, 108 mins)

Our Closing Night Feature is an intense thriller: A young woman searching for her missing cat uncovers a sinister past lurking behind the walls of her home. Trailer: https://vimeo.com/854233142?fl=pl&fe=sh

SEE YOU NEXT YEAR!

Tickets for AMAZING FANTASY FEST are not on sale yet. Full Fantasy Festival Passes are on sale only at the Dipson Amherst Theatre box office .

Single block tickets will be available online and at the theater box office beginning September 1st. Please note that the ticketing system requires you to select seats in order to purchase for the show you want, but this is only a technical requirement - each screening is actually OPEN SEATING because the system does not account for our Full Fantasy Festival Passes and Day Passes (which can only be purchased at the box office, in person). We always encourage people to buy these passes in advance.

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Welcome to our 16th year of bringing edgy independent films to Buffalo. We're screening 106 films over seven days: AFF 2026 runs Friday, Sept. 11th - Thursday, Sept. 17th at Dipson's Amherst Theatre, 3500 Main Street in Buffalo.

Admission Prices

Full Fantasy Festival Pass - $80 cash or $60 cash for Students and Seniors. BARGAIN! Available only at the Dipson Amherst Theatre box office beginning Monday, August 10th.

NOTE: The Full Fantasy Pass is the only ticket we offer with a special discount for Students and Seniors. We also offer a special price of $10 for matinee shows before 5pm Mon - Thurs.

Day Passes for Friday 9/11 , Saturday 9/12 or Sunday, 9/13 - $30. Available only at the Dipson Amherst Theatre box office beginning Monday, August 24th.

Day Passes for Monday, 9/14, Tuesday, 9/15, Wednesday, 9/16 or Thursday, 9/17 - $20 . Available beginning Monday, August 24th.

Single block admission (one show) - $15. Available online at the Dipson Theatres box office Monday, August 31st. Special price for matinees Mon, 9/14 - Thurs, 9/17 before 5 pm - only $10!

Filmmakers - Each Official Selection film team will receive two VIP badges good for the entire festival. You must notify us of the names you want on those badges by August 15th. You will pick up your badges at the AFF table in the theater when the festival begins. We only make badges for attending filmmakers and do not mail them as souvenirs.

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AMAZING FAVTASY FEST 2025

AMAZING FANTASY FEST 2025 SCHEDULE

Nine Days, 94 Films, 30 Blocks, two Venues! Blocks with features list the features first and then the shorts, but the shorts will play before the features. All Q&As are tentative.

Friday, September 12th at Dipson’s Amherst Theatre

2:15 Block 1 Journey (Fantasy, Australia, 71 mins) Epic sword and sorcery quest with exciting visual effects. Preceded by Foil Guy vs. Anvil (Stop Motion Animation, US, 1 min), Summon a Gravedigger (Stop Motion, US, 7:30), and and Caliburn (Fantasy, US, 16 mins), based on King Arthur.

4:15 Block 2 The Box, the Con, and the Handsomest Man in Fandom (Doc, CA, 40 mins) – The contents of a bookstore box provide a lighthearted look at geek culture history. Q&A with director Paul Johnson. Shorts: Deb & Joan (SF, US, 14:20) and Frea (Fantasy, US, 10 mins), Q&A with director Ashlyn Nolan.

6:40 Block 3 Frenzy Moon - Festival director Greg Lamberson’s werewolf movie filmed in Clarence, starring a cast of talented locals. Encore screening Mon 9/15. Short: Like Me (Horror, US, 6:40), Q&A with director Ashley Lauren.

9:15 Block 4 Straight On Till Morning (Horror, US, 104 mins) – Two women on a road trip encounter a twisted family of psychopaths in this nail-biting journey into terror! Short: The End of October (Horror, US, 7 mins), Q&A with director Tess Holbrook.

Saturday. September 13th at Dipson’s Amherst Theatre

1:30 Block 5 A Serbian Documentary (Documentary, US, 83 mins) Stephen Biro’s entertaining look at the making of A Serbian Film, possibly the most controversial horror film ever made.

3:15 Block 6 Zombie Chronicles (Horror, NYS, 1 hr. 55 mins) An exciting and terrifying look at the zombie apocalypse in NYC. Q&A with filmmaker Marvin Suarez. Short: The Good, the Blood and the Bloodthirsty: Sun’s Salvation (Animated, US, 5 mins).

6:20 Block 7 Three Amazing Horror Shorts: Le Singe Bleu (Dark Fantasy, CAN, 12 mins directed by Jennifer Miville: An immortal man faces the inevitable death of his wife. Mother Grimm (Experimental, MA, 36 mins) directed by Jason Lake: A New England woman is trapped in a surrealist nightmare. The Showffeur (Horror, WNY, 38 mins) directed by Taylor Martin: Two coupes kidnapped by a ride share driver are forced to attend his sadistic birthday party. Q&As with all three directors.

9:00 Block 8 Humanoids from the Deep: Special 45th Anniversary screening of Roger Corman’s exploitation classic about mutant sea creatures driven to mate with human women. Short: Multi-Level Massacre (Horror Comedy, MA, 9 mins). Q&A with director Ashes Homon-Rahall.

OFF BEAT SUNDAY, Sept. 14th at Dipson’s Amherst Theater

1:15 Block 9 Tales from Clipper Coffee (Anthology, NYS, 60 mins) The denizens of a Bronx coffee shop experience strange phenomena. Q&A with director Jerry Landi. Shorts: Sugarcrash (Satire, WNY Student, 1 min), Q&A with Eva Rose Young, and Creation (Experimental, MA, 5 mins), Q&A with Skip Shea.

3:30 Amazing Fantasy Awards (“The Festers”)

4:45 Block 10 Dyngus Day (Horror Comedy, WNY, 99 mins). The September Brothers decided Western New York needed its own holiday horror slasher film folk horror comedy! Q&A with Michael Buttino and Golden Groves. Short: A Rough Start (Horror-Comedy, US, 5 mins).

7:10 Block 11 Three Buffalo Horror Comedies: Arcade Daze (21 mins) Q&A with Daniel Conklin and Bill Murray III; Kiss the Cook (sequel to Junk Food, 23 mins) Q&A with Angel Barber and Connor Greczyn; and Phantom Frights (25 mins) Q&A with Kristen Skeet and Eugene Bofill.

9:00 Block 12 WTF - Astral Plane Drifter (90 mins) – The best western/sci-fi/Kung Fu comedy in the history of ever! Q&A with filmmaker/star Mike Caravella. Preceded by Midnight Snack (Horror Comedy, USA, 4 mins)

Monday, September 15th at Dipson’s Amherst Theatre

2:00 Block 13 Burnt Flowers (Thriller, UK, 99 mins) Michael Fausti’s 1960s- set crime thriller is part noir, part conspiracy thriller, and part serial killer chiller. Fausti previously directed No Exit, which we screened. Excellent cinematography and score.

4:00 Block 14 Daydreamers (Experimental, China, 50 mins) – The most immersive film of the festival: In a world where life after death is fact, two friends get high while taking supernatural drugs. Short: Black Moon (Action, US,14 mins) directed by Buffalo native Van Dinh.

6:00 Block 15 Nastell (Drama, WNY, 51 mins) A drama about young people, fashion, and the drug culture. Q&A with director Cydney Ramos. Short: by Forever (CNY Student, 14 mins), Q&A with George Pavlidis, and Escaping Gravity (CNY Student, 18:45).

8:15 Block 16 Frenzy Moon (Horror, WNY, 81 mins) Encore screening of festival director Gregory Lamberon’s werewolf film. Q&A with Lamberson, cast and crew.

Tuesday, September 16th at Dipson’s Amherst Theatre

4:00 Block 17 Vincent – A Story of Supernatural Friendship (Horror, Denmark, 83 mins – English subtitles) A small town coming of age story about ice cream, friendship, and monsters. Short: Midnight Snack (Horror, Canada, 2 mins).

6:00 Block 18 Best Served Cold (Mixed Genres, WNY, 55 mins) Women use murder to get what they want. Q&A with Larry Saunders and Keith Lukowski. Short: Endurance (Comedy, WNY, 8 mins) Q&A with Owen Greene.

7:45 Block 19 Cain Came Home (Supernatural, US, 80 mins). A surreal, time-bending ghost story about estranged twin brothers written, starring, and co-directed by Brett Cameron Glassberg (with Kennedy J. Baruch). Shorts: The Invaders (WNY, 1:20) and There Was (WNY, 5 mins), both created by Amanda Besl; and the crime drama Gaspers (WNY, 13 mins), directed by Geno Delmar. Q&As with all three filmmakers.

Wednesday, September 17th at Dipson’s Amherst Theatre

2:20 Block 20 International Shorts (97 mins; subtitled): Cloudy Day (Stop Motion, Poland, 1:18); Nakay: Gold & Blood (Adventure, Italy, 7 mins); Anecoica (Horror, Spain, 7 mins); The City (Dystopian, Ukraine, 8 mins); Script (Horror, Italy, 8 mins); I’m Here (Horror, Cambodia, 10 mins); Umbra (Horror, Spain, 10 mins); Primacy (Horror, Spain, 20 mins); On the Shore of an Ancient Sea (Fantasy, Russia, 11 mins); Evil Sex (1Spain, 14 mins).

4:30 Block 21 United Kingdom Shorts (80 mins): Grab (Experimental, 1:33); Aster (Stop Motion Animation, 6 mins); Where Are All the Gay Superheroes? (Comedy, 15 mins); The Dead of Winter (Horror, 12 mins); Cariddi’s Graveyard: Tales of Mare Nostrum (Adventure, 45 mins).

6:15 Block 22 AngelFish (Comedy-Drama, WNY, 105 mins) World Premiere of Justin Brylinski’s debut feature, a lighthearted romantic ccomedy about a young man searching for his perfect match, his white whale, his angelfish. Q&A with Justin.

8:40 Block 23 Bizarre Buffalo: Close Your Eyes (Crime, 5 mins) directed by Hope Muehlbauer; 3 Strikes You’re Dead (Crime/Horror, 10 mins) directed by Ryan Zunner and Rachel Jennetti; The Paradox Payout (Crime/Sci-Fi, 13 mins) directed by Erica Frase; Contempt (Crime, 11 mins) directed by Cat Martinez; Realm of Reality (Fantasy, 14 mins) directed by Jo O’Donnell. Q&As with all the filmmakers.

Thursday. Sept.18th at Dipson’s Amherst Theatre

4:00 Block 24 Dead, White & Blue (Comedy/Experimental) – An outrageous, over-the-top satire of politics and racism constructed entirely from public domain stock footage that was then dubbed. See it!

6:00 Block 25 Western New York Love: Three unusual tales of 716 romance. Reverie (Romantic Comedy, 21 mins) directed by Gabrielle Nunzio; Brainless (Sci-Fi/Romance, 23 mins) directed by Phill Will; Courting Death (Supernatural Comedy, 32 mins) directed by J.A. Latona. Q&As with each.

8:20 Block 26 Western New York Horror Shorts: Eight tales of 716 terror! Cupcake (3 mins) directed by Amanda L. Woomer; Dead Men (7 mins) directed by Cat Martinez & Tim Watson; Departure (12 mins) directed by Josh McMillan; Shadows (11 mins) directed by Tim Watson; Thrillogy (16 mins) directed by Ryan Elizabeth Brady; The Monster of My Mind (10 mins) directed by Bradley Liverman; Aaron My Friend (6 mins) directed by Chris D’Addario; Underbelly (8 mins) directed by Taylor Martin. Q&As for all!

Friday, September 19th at The Screening Room Cinema Arts Cafe

6:30 Block 27 Cherry Baby (Crime Drama/LGBTQ, CNY, 83 mins) World Premiere: A waitress and an ex-con run off to Vegas, only to be targeted by the waitress’s vindictive ex-husband. Filmed in Binghamton! Q&A with writer-director Adam Holley and cast members.

8:30 Block 28 Shadow Creature (Horror, WNY, 90 mins): Special 30th Anniversary Screening! James Gribbins’s campy monster movie is part of Buffalo’s movie legacy and has become a hard-to-find cult film. Q&A with Jimmy after the show.

Saturday, September 20th at The Screening Room Cinema Arts Cafe

5:30 Block 29 Amazing Animation Festival: 15 Animated shorts from around the world, including Western New York: Oh! My God (China,1:30); Undertow (US, 2:32); Be Careful of the Vampire (Korea, 3:36); Time Flies (US, 4:25); Soul-less (Animated, SA, 4:38); Robot Tank 2030 (US, 4:59); The Titanium Angel (UK, 8 mins); The Adjudicator’s Pawn II (US, 8:20); The Resort of Magic, Fantasy and Definitely NOT Monsters (US, 5:33); Birds of a Feather (WNY, 4:44) directed by Katie Coboss; The Lost Echo (Canada, 8:20); The Corridor (Iran, 8:36); I Am Duck (US, 12:30); In Half (Animation, Spain, 24 mins); Torch and Hammer (WNY, 3:30) directed by Rev. Samuel.

8:00 Block 30 The Other Christmas Show (Musical Comedy, MA, 118 mins) – We end this year on HILARIOUS (and not-so-spiritual) notes: A down-on-his-luck theatre director attempts a musical spectacular to capitalize on the publicity of a large-scale production of “A Christmas Carol - think Waiting for Guffman with songs! Q&A with writer-director-star Adam W. Griswald. A Must See for everyone in Buffalo’s theatre community!

Sunday, Sept. 21st at The Screening Room Cinema Cafe

THE SECRET CINEMA

"Secret Cinema" is a FREE Bonus Day for our Sponsors, Full Fantasy Festival Pass holders, and Official Selection filmmakers, closed to the public! It's a private movie party for those cinephiles for whom nine days was not enough. You won't know what we're showing until the movies begin. We are planning two feature films, a double feature of chilling entertainment, at approimately 1:00 pm and 3:20 pm.

2024 Schedule

1:30 pm Block 1: Fragment (US, Horror, 91 mins) Buffalo Premiere: Isolated in her desert home, a computer programmer struggles to cope with unexplainable occurrences that unravel her reality. Written by Katey Baldwin and Kristy Shimek, directed by Robert Vornkahl. Cosmic horror, nudity. Short: Three Baths (NYC, Horror, 7 mins).

3:30 pm Block 2: Flesh of the Unforgiven (NYS, Horror, 89 mins, Q&A) World Premiere: Debbie Rochon stars in this extreme horror tale about a couple falling prey to sinister forces at a mountain getaway. Written and directed by Joe Hollow. Nudity, sexual situations, S&M imagery, violence, gore. The good stuff!

6:00 pm Block 3: Nickel City Tinseltown (WNY, Documentary, 1 05 mins, Q&A) World Premiere: Immensely entertaining look at Western New York's independent filmmaking community, featuring interviews, clips and historical background. Directed by Adrian Esposito and Curt Markham. World Premiere Short: Eccentrip (WNY, Horror, 20 mins, Q&A).

***The 9:20 om Block 4 Screening of SLASHER DAYS OF SUMMER is SOLD OUT! Unfortunately, no additional screenings were permitted. Passes purchased before the sellout will include this film, and any sold after the sellout (Saturday, Sept. 7th) DO NOT include it. All Sponsors will get seats for this screening; Official Selection filmmakers who did not RSVP (as per our FilmFreeway notification) will not be able to attend this one. Look for future area screenings scheduled by the producers.***

9:20 pm Block 4: Slasher Days of Summer (WNY, Horror-Comedy, 89 mins, Q&A) World Premiere: Celebrate Friday the 13th by watching a homegrown slasher comedy filmed in Akron and Lancaster, with a large cast of locals. Written by Ty Cheman and Kristen Skeet, directed by Kristen. Watch out for he Woodsman! Short: Just Another Day in Paradise (WNY, Comedy, 3 mins, Q&A).

Saturday, September 14th - SATURDAY SHOCKERS

1:00 pm Block 5: Ragdoll Assassin (WNY, Comedy, 99 mins, Q&A) World Premiere: Hilarious Rochester comedy about a female assassin, her sentient ragdoll, the incompetent henchmen hunting them, and the supervillain behind it all. Written and directed by Curt Markham, our Filmmaker of the Year, who also plays the supervillain!

3:20 pm Block 6: Rich Interior Lives (US, Fantasy/Drama, 99 mins, Q&A) Film Festival Premiere: Noel Coward meets Alan Moore in this brain teaser about a dinner party where one guest may be a psychotic superhero. For fans of The Boys. Written by former Depew native Andrew Bonazelli and directed by Ken Whiting.

6:00 pm Block 7: They Call Her Death (US, Western/Supernatural, 92 mins, Q&A) Film Festival Premiere: Wildy entertaining, violent Euro-style revenge western filmed on 16mm film! Molly Pray is on a bloody crusade against the criminal forces that wronged her. Pray she doesn't come for you! Written and directed by Austin Snell. Buffalo Premiere Short: Forward (WNY, Horror, 11 mins, Q&A) .

9:00 pm Block 8: Black Eyed Susan (NYC, Science Fiction, 80 mins, Q&A) New York Premiere: Cult filmmaker Scooter McCrae (Shatter Dead, Sixteen Tongues) makes his Buffalo debut with this transgressive science fiction thriller about a robot sex doll harboring a dark secret. World Premiere Short: Jane & the Brain (WNY, Horror, 15 mins, Q&A).

Sunday, September 15th - OFF BEAT SUNDAY

1:00 pm Block 9: Florence (US, Horror, World Premiere, 80 mins, Q&A) World Premiere: Florence journeys into her own psyche and Dante's circles of Hell while a masked killer circles closer, pushing her to the brink of sanity. Directed by Skip Shea (Trinity, Seed), with Italy sequences directed by Luigi Cozzi (Starcrash)! World Premiere Short: Agency (WNY, Thriller, 21 mins, Q&A).

3:30 pm Block 10: First Person Savior (US, Drama/Thriller, 81 mins, Q&A) World Premiere: Former Rochester native John Karyus stars in this unusual, 70's style drama about a man seeking purpose in a fog of video games, junk food, and insomnia. Written and directed by Ramzi Abed. Buffalo Premiere Short: Moonlight Sonata, with Scissors (US, Horror, 8 mins, Q&A).

5:45 – 6:45 Awards: The AFF Awards are presented in the Amherst Theatre and are open to the public.

7:00 pm Block 11: Massacre at Femur Creek (Canada, Horror, 78 mins, Q&A) US Premiere: Kyle Hytonen wrote and directed this 80's style slasher comedy about a masked killer wreaking havoc upon a bachelor party camping trip. Short: Noonday Demon (Canada, Animated, 9 mins, Q&A) Buffalo Premiere.

9:00 pm Block 12: Bronx Lore (NYC, Horror Anthology, 82 mins, Q&A) Buffalo Premiere: Jerry Landi (Batratticus) returns with this compilation of shorts produced in the Bronx. World Premiere Short: The Gory Hole (United Kingdom, Horror, 9 mins, Q&A) , a WTF from Richard Rowntree and Ash Mountain Films.

Monday, September 16th - MONDAY MOVIES

2:00 pm Block 13: US Shorts (103 mins)

Seven amazing horror, sci-fi, fantasy, and comedy shorts produced around the US.:

Night Feeding (US, Horror, 6 mins)

Banjo (US, Horror Comedy, 15 mins)

Sentinels (US, Fantasy, 15 mins)

Bloodlines (US, Fantasy, 3 mins)

Others (US, Science Fiction,19 mins)

Dad’s New Roommate (US, Comedy/Fantasy, 23 mins)

Interitus Adfectus (US, Horror, 20 mins)

4:00 pm Block 14: The Pocket Film of Superstitions (United Kingdom, Fantasy/Documentary, 88 mins) New York Premiere: Caroline Munro and Lynn Lowry are among the stars Tom Lee Rutter's quaint, creepy, and extremely cinematic merging of folkloric horror, the supernatural , and superstitions through the ages.

6:00 pm Block 15: Short Films: WNY & Beyond (66 mins + Q&As)

Shorts produced in Western New York, and in our expanding community that includes Canada, NYC and MA.

Missed. Carriage (WNY, 5 mins, Q&A)

BeeHarmony (MA, Comedy, 1:15) New York Premiere

Joey (NYC, Comedy, 16 mins, Q&A) Buffalo Premiere

Just Right Justice (MA, Comedy, 1 :46)

Duck and Cover (Canada, Comedy, 9 mins, Q&A) – Buffalo Premiere

Road to Roadkill (MA, Comedy, 1 :17 ) -Buffalo Premiere

What Silence Looks Like (WNY, Thriller, 9 mins, Q&A) – World Premiere

Bat Country (MA, Drama/Fantasy, 23 mins)

7:50 pm Block 16: Inbetweening (US, Comedy/Fantasy, 118 mins, Q&A)

World Premiere: Returning filmmaker Mel House's dark comedy/fantasy about the travails of a bi-racial filmmaker, augmented by puppets, animation, a musical number, and Fishbone's Angelo Moore, playing himself, and co-starring Debbie Rochon. A special movie!

Tuesday, September 17th - TUESDAY TALKING PICTURES

2:00 pm Block 17: International Shorts (104 mins)

Six amazing shorts from around the world!

Mystery of the Keeper, (Ukraine, 15 mins)

Dancing with My Mother (Australia, 12 mins)

The Lure (UK, 1:28)

O.U. (US, 20 mins)

The Fawn of Healwood, the Edge (France, 15 mins)

The Detachment (Korea, 39 mins)

4:10 pm Block 18: Life of Pain (WNY, Documentary, 76 mins) World Premiere: Tim O'Hearn produced and Chad Diamond Dann directed this documentary aboout Ted Travis, following his career from collegiate wrestler to pro wrestler "Dr. Pain" to world champion powerlifter. Ted will attend with Tim.

6:00 pm Block 19: Reset (WNY, Horror, 80 mins) World Premiere: A science fiction/horror creature feature written and directed by Michael Yammine, featuring cast and special effects personnel from last year's Demon Behind the Glass. A broken father whose daughter was taken by an otherworldly force fights for his life against a monstrous foe in a never ending cycle of hell. Short: Howl If You Love Me (US, Animated, 8 mins).

8:30 pm Block 20: Local Shorts (WNY, 70 mins + Q&As)

Seven amazing local shorts covering Experimental, Documentary, Thriller, Horror and Science Fiction. Support local art!

Requiem (WNY, 1 min Q&A)

The Harvest (WNY, 4 mins, Q&A)

An Illustrated Guide to Flowering Houseplants (5 mins, Q&A)

Fin. (2 mins, Q&A)

Car Spider (WNY, 11 mins, Q&A)

The Surgeon (WNY, 14 mins, Q&A)

Lake in VR (WNY, 17 mins, Q&A)

Frostbyte (WNY, 17 mins, Q&A)

Wednesday, September 18th - WICKED WEDNESDAY

2:00 pm Block 21: Animated Shorts (104 mins)

Eleven amazing animated shorts from around the world!

The House of Weird (US, 3:29 mins)

Letter from a Stranger (Iran, 6 mins)

Ethel (Switzerland, Stop Motion, 8 mins)

The Bell (Philippines, 11 mins)

The Bitter Desert (Norway, 15 mins)

We Are Here to Help (UK, 5 mins)

The Adjudicators’ Pawn (US, 6 mins)

Sulayman (Philippines, 8 mins)

Les Betes (US, Stop Motion, 12 mins)

Black Sanga: The Prototype (Spain, 14 mins)

On the Streets of Willoughby (US, 15 mins)

4:00 pm Block 22: Voices Carry (Canada, Thriller, 81 mins, Q&A)

New York Premiere: A man gets more than he bargained for when he stays at a BNB.

6:00 pm Block 23: 7 Kills, 3 Songs & A Banana (WNY, Comedy, 93 mins, Q&A) Film Festival Premiere:

The only musical comedy/slasher-thriller produced in Niagara Falls, utilizing familiar locations and a large cast of local performers.

8:20 pm Block 24: WNY Shorts (62 mins + Q&As)

Six locally produced horror thrillers!

Slasher (WNY, 4 mins, Q&A)

Damn Thing (WNY, 9 mins, Q&A)

Junk Food (WNY, 13 mins, Q&A)

Slash Squatch (WNY, 6 mins, Q&A)

Nokk (WNY, 17 mins, Q&A)

Twice (WNY, Thriller, 11 mins, Q&A) – World Premiere

Thursday, September 19th - THRILLING THURSDAY

2:00 pm Block 25: Buried on Shine Mountain (US, Drama/Fantasy, 90 mins) New York Premiere: A prospector leads two young farmhands up haunted Shine Mountain in search of life-changing fortune.

4:00 pm Block 26: US Shorts (74 mins)

Six amazing shorts from across the country.

The Vulture (US, Fantasy, 6 mins)

The Thaw (US, Horror, 17 mins)

Split second (US, Horror, 22 mins)

Routine (US, Mixed media, 5 mins)

Concessions (US, Drama, 7 mins)

Tales from the End! (US, Science Fiction, 26 mins)

6:00 pm Block 27: Special Needs Revolt (WNY, Action/Comedy, 1 13 mins, Q&A) World Premiere: Rochester filmmaker Adrian Esposito's long-in-the-works, epic comedy-action film in the Troma mold. A man with Down Syndrome awakens from a coma to discover the US has been taken over by an egomaniacal dictator with bad hair, and must lead the revolt against totalitarianism! Co-written by Adrian, co-star Bill Weeden, and Curt Markham.

8:50 pm Block 28: The Damnation (Canada, Horror, 80 mins, Q&A) World Premiere: Indigenous residents of an ignored community battle vampire-like creatures! A very fun creature feature with social underpinnings, written and produced by Chris Darton,who co-directed with Seb Godin.

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