Ryan Koo and Jourdan Aldredge report from Fantastic Fest 2026 in Austin, Texas, where they explore how the festival is expanding beyond exhibiting genre films to helping filmmakers actually get movies made. They break down the first completed feature from Fantastic Pitches, Nicholas Curcio’s Playhouse, what filmmakers can learn from its $100,000 production, and this year’s ambitious winning pitch, Father Figure. They also discuss the value of pitching even when you don’t win, the advantages of designing films around microbudget constraints, and some of the movies and filmmaking communities they’ve encountered at the festival.
In this episode, No Film School's Ryan Koo and Jourdan Aldredge discuss...
How Playhouse went from winning Fantastic Pitches to premiering at Fantastic Fest in just one year
Designing a $100,000 movie around limitations like one location, a small cast, and practical aesthetics
Why microbudget filmmakers need a creative “hack” that makes their limitations work for the movie
How filmmakers can make a live pitch memorable with props, costumes, trailers, and a strong presentation
Why being selected for Fantastic Pitches can create opportunities even if you don't win
The ambitious Technocrane strategy behind this year’s winning pitch, Father Figure
What Ryan and Jordan noticed about the DIY films, filmmaking collectives, and genre community at Fantastic Fest
Why festivals can have a bigger impact by supporting filmmakers before their movies are made
Memorable Quotes:
“With filmmaking it's always good, fast, cheap. Pick two. And with Fantastic Pitches, they're trying to do all three.”
“You've gotta have a hack to make your pitch audience-friendly.”
“The best route is the one that's available to you probably.”
“It's easy to select things that turned out well. It's much harder to bet on them at the beginning and to actually help them bring something to fruition.”
Resources:
Fantastic Fest
Fantastic Pitches
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