Fantastic Fest is a film festival that I feel has a distinct advantage over others. The programming is so subversive and different that you really never know what you’re going to get. Sure, there are a few commercial titles like Frankenweenie, Looper, and others that you have an idea of going in. But other than that, no film ever plays out exactly the way you expect. As a genre festival, it’s very easy to get caught up searching for a hard-edged, violent action or horror film in the mix to champion. Certainly, there are some, but I’ve found that every year the films that tend to win me over the most are the ones with the most heart.

Setting forth on Day 2 of Fantastic Fest, my hopes were high for a packed schedule of multiple films I was very excited to see. Unfortunately, fate is a fickle bitch. After securing a really great spot in the online ticketing system, a server error kicked many of my colleagues and I back to the far end of the line. Ultimately, I managed to secure a ticket to only one film, but it was worth the headache regardless.

Fantastic Fest is a double-edged sword. It’s simultaneously the most fun and most stressful film festival I attend. Packed to the brim with programming and events, the festival always brings together the most wonderful and weird films from all over the world in a genre festival that movie geeks from everywhere can appreciate.