Park Chan-wook and Yorgos Lanthimos Films Open and Close Los Angeles’ Biggest Genre Film Festival, Featuring World Premieres, Cult Classics, and In-Person Appearances by Cinema Legends.
Beyond Fest, Los Angeles’ biggest film festival and the highest-attended genre film festival in the U.S., returns this week with its largest program yet, announcing a massive 2025 lineup featuring 90 feature films, including eight world premieres and 25 West Coast debuts.
Beyond Fest 2025 promises a celebration of fearless filmmaking unlike anything Los Angeles has previously experienced, delivering an epic slate of pulse-pounding premieres, electrifying restorations, and in-person encounters with some of Cinema’s most iconic and cult legends.
Every year, I am astounded anew by each new slate of films, and 2025 is no exception.
The festival, presented exclusively by NEON and produced in partnership with the American Cinematheque, will run September 23 through October 8 across three Los Angeles venues: the Egyptian Theatre, Aero Theatre, and Los Feliz 3.
All ticket sales will benefit the nonprofit American Cinematheque.
This year’s festival will open with Park Chan-wook’s No Other Choice and close with Yorgos Lanthimos’ Bugonia. The 15-day event promises a packed slate of genre films, cult classics, and live discussions with celebrated filmmakers and actors.
High-profile premieres include Aziz Ansari’s comedy Good Fortune, starring Seth Rogen, Keke Palmer, Sandra Oh, and Keanu Reeves; Bryan Fuller’s horror entry Dust Bunny, featuring Mads Mikkelsen and Sigourney Weaver; and Scott Derrickson’s highly anticipated sequel Black Phone 2. Luca Guadagnino’s drama After the Hunt and Gore Verbinski’s action-comedy Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die will also make their West Coast debuts.
International highlights include Palme d’Or winner It Was Just an Accident by Jafar Panahi, Kleber Mendonça Filho’s The Secret Agent, and Oliver Laxe’s Sirāt. Additional premieres include Radu Jude’s Dracula, Genki Kawamura’s Exit 8, and Bi Gan’s visionary Resurrection.
The festival’s action lineup features stunt legend Kenji Tanigaki’s The Furious, Jalmari Helander’s Sisu: Road to Revenge, and Steven Kostanski’s revival of cult favorite Deathstalker.
Beyond Fest will also honor Japanese cinema icon Meiko Kaji with a rare retrospective featuring newly restored classics like Lady Snowblood and Blind Woman’s Curse. Filmmaker Sean Baker will join Kaji for a live conversation.
Other special events include appearances by Tim Robbins for the 4K restoration of Jacob’s Ladder, John Carpenter for a 70mm screening of Big Trouble in Little China, and Rob Zombie and Sheri Moon Zombie celebrating the 20th anniversary of The Devil’s Rejects.
Restorations will play a key role in the lineup, including new 4K versions of Tobe Hooper’s Salem’s Lot, Abel Ferrara’s Ms. 45, and Ruggero Deodato’s uncut Cannibal Holocaust.
The free Los Feliz 3 programming will spotlight emerging talent with premieres such as Ned Crowley’s Killing Faith, Julie Pacino’s I Live Here Now, and Alice Maio Mackay’s queer horror film, The Serpent’s Skin.
Tickets for Beyond Fest 2025 are on sale now at americancinematheque.com, with multiple screenings already sold out. Don’t be disheartened; sometimes tickets will be released, and you can join the standby line if tickets to your favorite screening are not available.
