Amazing Fantasy Fest

Valkyrie International Film Festival 🎬 Don't miss the 4th Annual Valkyrie International Film Festival at...

Thank you to everyone who submitted work for consideration for Amazing Fantasy Fest 2026! We do have one more deadline, our "Post Apocalyptic Deadline," on JULY 8th,

Valkyrie International Film Festival, showcasing films directed by women, has closed for submissions and will announce Official Selections soon. Anyone who submitted genre work to VIFF is eligible for a 50% discount to submit that same film to AFF. The two festivals run about one month apart this year, which doesn't usually happen.

Our next deadline is June 7th. We have one more after that, on July 8th. AFF runs for 7 days, Fri Sept. 11th - Thurs Sept. 17th, at Dipson's Amherst Theatre in Buffalo.

Did you know that AFF has a "sister" festival? Valkyrie International Film Festival, showcasing films directed by women, is run by my wife, Tamar Lamberson, and our daughter Kaelin. Their fourth year is coming up. When they started, they ran in March (for Women's History Month), a full six months before AFF's mid-September berth. Then Kaelin went off to college, and they had to move to late May to accommodate her schedule (her chorus went on tour in Europe). Just recently, The Screening Room Cinema & Arts Cafe - where all our festivals started - was evicted by an evil landlord that only gave them one month to get out. We really hope the SR comes back, but this sudden development left Valkyrie homeless. And speaking of home, it was a highly stressful month while Tamar and I searched for a new place. I'm happy to report the Femmes Valkyrie approved an AWESOME venue, noted below. Very exciting! But they had to move their dates. Now VIFF will end ONE MONTH before ADD begins! And five or six weeks later will be our first Empire State Film Festival: New York's Finest Films in Ithaca...

We’re excited to announce that Valkyrie International Film Festival 2026 will be held at Hallwalls Contemporary Arts Center (aka Hallwalls) Friday, August 7th - Tuesday, August 11th! Located in downtown Buffalo, Hallwalls is within walking distance of many restaurants, bars and cafes. A non-profit art organization, Hallwalls has shown and shows the work of contemporary artists of diverse backgrounds who work in film, video, literature, music, performance, media and the visual arts. The ideology behind Hallwalls has always been: “Hallwalls provides direct access to developing ideas in Art for Western New York and Southern Ontario. This is accomplished through exhibitions, a visiting Artist/Critic program, and correspondence with other organizations involved with recent art in the United States, Canada and Europe.” Our vision for VIFF is highly compatible with that of Hallwalls, and visiting filmmakers and attending patrons alike will appreciate the intimate screening space (seating up to 80 people) located below the main art gallery!

CONGRATULATIONS to all the horror/sci-fi/fantasy films that scored Oscar nominations! Whether or not you disliked one of the nominees is entirely beside the point.

The 2026 Oscar nominations feature a historic, record-breaking year for horror, with Ryan Coogler's Sinners leading with 16 nominations, including Best Picture. Other major horror and horror-adjacent nominees include Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein, Yorgos Lanthimos's Bugonia, Weapons, and The Ugly Stepsister.

Key horror/horror-adjacent films and nods for the 2026 Oscars (honoring 2025 films):
These nominations mark a significant shift, with horror making a major impact on the Academy.

Sinners: Secured 16 nominations, including Best Picture.
Frankenstein: Major contender with multiple nominations, including Best Picture.
Bugonia: Recognized with top nominations, including Best Picture.
Weapons: Nominated in top categories.
The Ugly Stepsister: Nominated in top categories.
Other Potential Nominees: F1, Marty Supreme, The Secret Agent, and Sentimental Value.

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Reset Review: A Gorgeous, Mind-Bending Nightmare - Gazettely Some films present a problem to be solved. Michael Yammine’s Reset presents a condition to be endured. Its protagonist is Lucas, a man so thoroughly hollowed