25 West Coast Premieres, 16 World Premieres, and Free Screenings Sponsored by Neon
Beyond Fest, the annual celebration of genre films returns this year with its most extensive program to date. Running from Sept. 25 to Oct. 9, the festival will feature 82 films across four theaters: the Egyptian Theatre, Santa Monica’s Aero Theatre, Los Feliz 3, and Vista Theatre. Tickets go on sale Friday, September 13 at 10 a.m. PST. on the American Cinematheque website. This is a cinema event not to be missed.
This year’s lineup boasts 25 West Coast premieres and 16 world premieres. Highlights include the world premiere and opening night screening of Gary Dauberman’s Salem’s Lot, Sean Baker’s Anora on 35mm, and Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s new horror film Cloud alongside a seven-film retrospective of his work.
Film buffs can also look forward to Brady Corbet’s Venice Film Festival winner’s epic The Brutalist in 70mm, Marielle Heller’s dark comedy Nightbitch, and Joe Begos’ nightmarish Jimmy and Stiggs. Other notable screenings include Steven Soderbergh’s ghost story Presence, Damien Leone’s gruesome Terrifier 3, and Ali Abbasi’s docudrama of Donald Trump’s life, The Apprentice.
In a special tribute, My Hero Academia: You’re Next will have its international premiere, along with a Godzilla double feature from Toho Studios, marking the first-ever desaturated screenings of Shin Godzilla and Godzilla Minus One/Minus Color at the Egyptian Theatre.
The festival will also host multiple in-person events with stars like Kyle MacLachlan for Blue Velvet, Dune, and The Hidden; Al Pacino for Scarface; and Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock for a 30th-anniversary reunion of Speed, horror legend Sam Raimi Brings a 35MM Triple Feature of Darkman, Drag Me to Hell and The Quick and the Dead, actor Ron Perlman and Hellboy, director Jennifer Kent, and The Babadook and The Nightingale, premiere restorations of The Cell and The Fall with auteur Tarsem Singh, The Ultimate Shane Black Marathon, and the official Hollywood premiere of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre with 12 members of the original cast and crew. Don’t forget about a double feature of The Hot Spot and A Boy and His Dog with actor Don Johnson, director Mike Flanagan presenting Hush (The Shush Cut) and Lake Mungo.
The excitement continues with the beginning of a seven film retrospective of director Kiyoshi Kurosawa, with the director in attendance at the West Coast premiere of his newest film Cloud, and screenings of Pulse and Serpent’s Path, and the West Coast premiere of Canadian auteur Guy Maddin’s Rumours with a screening of his other films The Green Fog, The Saddest Music in the World, and Brand on the Brain. Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia’s newest examinations of class war through the lens of horror The Platform 2 and Rich Flu.
Thanks to sponsor NEON, 22 world and international premieres at the Los Feliz 3 will be free, including Zero From Saloum mastermind Jean Luc Herbulot, A Mother’s Embrace From Cristian Ponce, Above the Knee from Good Boy Director Viljar Bøe, Kensuke Sonomura’s Action Epic Ghost Killer, the return of Can Evrenol with Sayara, Fabrice du Welz’s Maldoror, Michiel Blanchart’s electrifying Night Call, Magnus von Horn’s incredible Oscar submission The Girl With the Needle, Nacho Vigalondo’s Daniela Forever, Joshua Erkman’s dreamy neo-noir A Desert, a Surprise 4K World Premiere From the Twisted Minds at Terror Vision, and Cinematic Void Presents A Bell From Hell.
Beyond Fest is presented by NEON in partnership with the American Cinematheque, with all ticket sales benefiting the non-profit film institution.
