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Beyond Fest 2023 lineup includes The Abyss Special Edition, The Creator, and more

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Are you ready to go beyond? The 11th annual Beyond Fest will return to Los Angeles later this month with a 15-day event across multiple theaters that celebrates the best genre films of the past and the present. And while the writers and actors remain on strike, several prominent directors will be guests at Beyond Fest screenings for some of their most memorable movies. This year’s guests include James Cameron for The Abyss Special Edition, Brad Bird for The Iron Giant, Guillermo del Toro for Pacific Rim, Michael Mann for Manhunter, and a special tribute to Roger Corman. The latter will feature the legendary director and producer alongside some of his previous collaborators, including Ron Howard, Jon Davison, Amy Holden Jones, Joe Dante, and Allan Arkush.

However, Beyond Fest isn’t just about retrospective screenings. Several new titles will premiere at this year’s event, including Rogue One director Gareth Edwards’ new sci-fi flick The Creator, Nicolas Cage’s Dream Scenario, Macon Blair’s new remake of The Toxic Avenger, the Christmas slasher flick It’s a Wonderful Knife, Joe Lynch’s Suitable Flesh, and many more.

Jane Widdop in It's a Wonderful Knife.
Divide/Conquer

“With over 19,000 attendees in 2022, our goal this year was to go bigger while also exposing audiences to new filmmakers who represent the future,” said Evrim Ersoy, Beyond Fest’s head of programming. “We’ve delivered on that promise with a program that has the world’s most celebrated artists like James Cameron, Guillermo del Toro, and Roger Corman joining us alongside some of Cinema’s boldest new voices, including Nikhil Nagesh Bhat, Demián Rugna and Macon Blair.”

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“Fifty-five movies across 15 days adds up to a true celebration of the theatrical experience — the very mission at the heart of the American Cinematheque,” added American Cinematheque’s Grant Moninger. “It is an honor to give back to the incredible film-loving community that supports us year-round and the city that was literally built by cinema.”

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Beyond Fest will run from September 26 to October 10, with screenings at the Aero Theatre, Los Feliz 3, and Regency Village Theatre. Tickets are slated to go on sale at American Cinematheque’s official site at 10 a.m. PT on Friday, September 15. More information can be found at that site and on BeyondFest.com.

The complete lineup and locations for Beyond Fest 2023 are below.

An otherworldly encounter in The Abyss.
20th Century Studios

Regency Village Theatre

The Abyss: Special Edition
Special screening
Director: James Cameron
Country: U.S.
Runtime: 171 minutes
1989
Guests: Director James Cameron

Aero Theatre Presented by Neon

The Creator
Special screening
Director: Gareth Edwards
Country: U.S.
Runtime: 133 minutes
2023

Kill
West Coast premiere
Director: Nikhil Nagesh Bhat
Country: India
Runtime: 106 minutes
2023
Guests: Director Nikhil Nagesh Bhat

The Royal Hotel
West Coast premiere
Director: Kitty Green
Country: U.S.
Runtime: 91 minutes
2023

Crash – NC-17 Cut
Special screening
Director: David Cronenberg
Country: U.S.
Runtime: 100 minutes
1996
Guests: With virtual intro by podcaster Karina Longworth

Manhunter
Special screening
Director: Michael Mann
Country: U.S.
Runtime: 120 minutes
1986
Guests: Director Michael Mann

Caligula: The Ultimate Cut
Special screening
Principal Photography: Tinto Brass
Country: U.S., Italy
Runtime: 173 minutes
1979
Guests: Actor Malcolm McDowell and archivist/author Thomas Negovan, moderated by critic/historian Stephen Farber

Rock ’N’ Roll High School
Special screening
Directors: Allan Arkush, Joe Dante
Country: U.S.
Runtime: 93 minutes
1979
Guests: Director Allan Arkush

Grand Theft Auto
Special screening
Director: Ron Howard
Country: U.S.
Runtime: 84 minutes
1977

Piranha
Special screening
Director: Joe Dante
Country: U.S.
Runtime: 94 minutes
1978
Guests: Director Joe Dante

The Raven
Special screening
Director: Roger Corman
Country: U.S.
Runtime: 86 minutes
1963
GUESTS: Director Roger Corman

The Toxic Avenger
West Coast premiere
Director: Macon Blair
Country: U.S.
Runtime: 102 minutes
2023
Guests: Director Macon Blair

When Evil Lurks
West Coast premiere
Director: Demián Rugna
Country: Argentina
Runtime: 99 minutes
2023
Guests: Director Demián Rugna

V/H/S 85
West Coast premiere
Directors: David Bruckner, Gigi Saul Guerrero, Natasha Kermani, Mike Nelson, and Scott Derrickson
Country: U.S.
Runtime: 110 minutes
2023
Guests: Directors Scott Derrickson, David Bruckner, Natasha Kermani, Gigi Saul Guerrero

Adam Chaplin
Extended version – theatrical premiere
Directors: Emanuele De Santi, Giulio De Santi
Country: Italy
Runtime: 94 minutes
2011

Anatomy of a Fall
West Coast premiere
Director: Justine Triet
Country: France
Runtime: 151 minutes
2023

Foe
West Coast premiere
Director: Garth Davis
Country: Australia
Runtime: 110 minutes
2023

Totally Killer
West Coast premiere
Director: Nahnatchka Khan
Country: U.S.
Runtime: 106 minutes
2023
Guests: Director Nahnatchka Khan

Suitable Flesh
West Coast premiere
Director: Joe Lynch
Country: U.S.
Runtime: 100 minutes
2023
Guests: Director Joe Lynch

Cemetery Man
4K Restoration – world premiere
Director: Michele Soavi
Country: Italy
Runtime: 105 minutes
1994

All of Us Strangers
West Coast premiere
Director: Andrew Haigh
Country: U.K.
Runtime: 105 minutes
2023

True Romance
Special screening – Hosted by Rucking Fotten
Director: Tony Scott
Country: U.S.
Runtime: 120 minutes
1993

Iron Giant
Special screening
Director: Brad Bird
Country: U.S.
Runtime: 86 minutes
1999
Guests: Director Brad Bird

Pacific Rim
Special screening
Director: Guillermo Del Toro
Country: U.S.
Runtime: 131 minutes
2013
Guests: With Director Guillermo Del Toro in attendance

The Raid: Redemption
4K Restoration – North American premiere
Director: Gareth Evans
Country: Indonesia
Runtime: 101 minutes
2011

Final Destination
Special screening
Director: James Wong
Country: U.S.
Runtime: 98 minutes
2000
Guests: Jeffrey Reddick

Welcome Space Brothers
World premiere
Director: Jodi Wille
Country: U.S.
Runtime: 101
2023
Guests: Director Jodi Wille with moderator Daniel Noah and special Unarian guests in attendance

It’s Wonderful Life
World premiere
Director: Tyler MacIntyre
Country: U.S.
Runtime: 90 minutes
2023
Guests: Director Tyle MacIntyre

The Wicker Man
Special screening
Director: Robin Hardy
Country: U.S.
Runtime: 96 minutes
1973
Guests: Actor Britt Ekland

The Church
4K Restoration – world premiere
Director: Michele Soavi
Country: Italy
Runtime: 110 minutes
1989

Dream Scenario
West Coast premiere
Director: Kristoffer Borgli
Country: U.S.
Runtime: 100 minutes
2023

Neon theatre at Los Feliz 3

Spooktacular!
West Coast premiere
Director: Quinn Monahan
Country: U.S.
Runtime: 105 minutes
2023
GUESTS: With director Quinn Monahan, Linda Blair and Kane Hodder, Spencer Charnas and Spooky World founder David Bertolino

Mancunian Man: THhe Legendary Like of Cliff Twemlow
West Coast premiere
Director: Jake West
Country: U.S.
Runtime: 124 minutes
2023
Guests: With Director Jake West and actor John Saint Ryan

Enter the Clones of Bruce
West Coast premiere
Director: David Gregory
Country: U.S.
Runtime: 100 minutes
2023
Guests: Director David Gregory and producer/expert Michael Worth

History of Evil
World premiere
Director: Bo Mirosseni
Country: U.S.
Runtime: 90 minutes
2023

To Fire You Come at Last
North American premiere
Director: Sean Hogan
Country: U.K.
Runtime: 46 minutes
2023
Guests: Director Sean Hogan

Raging Grace
Special screening
Director: Paris Zarcilla
Country: U.K.
Runtime: 99 minutes
2023

So Unreal
West Coast premiere
Director: Amanda Kramer
Country: U.S.
Runtime: 95 minutes
2023
Guests: Director Amanda Kramer

Omen
U.S. premiere
Director: Baloji
Country: Belgium, Netherlands, The Democratic Republic Of The Congo, France, South Africa
Runtime: 90 minutes
2023

The Funeral
U.S. premiere
Director: Orcun Behram
Country: Turkey
Runtime: 90 minutes
2023

Femme
U.S. Premiere
Director: Sam H. Freeman, Ng Choon Ping
Country: U.K.
Runtime: 99 minutes
2023

Hostile Dimensions
North American premiere
Director: Graham Hughes
Country: U.K.
Runtime: 80 minutes
2023
Guests: Director Graham Hughes

Nowhere
Special screening
Director: Gregg Araki
Country: U.S., France
Runtime: 78 minutes
1997
Guests: Director Gregg Araki

All You Need is Death
World premiere
Director: Paul Duane
Country: Ireland
Runtime: 90 minutes
2023

Slashers
New restoration – world premiere
Director: Maurice Deveraux
Country:  U.S.
Runtime: 99 minutes

The Cassandra Cat
4K Restoration – U.S. Premiere
Director: Vojtěch Jasný
Country: Poland
Runtime: 101 minutes
1963

Mayhem!
U.S. premiere
Director: Xavier Gens
Country: France
Runtime: 96 minutes
2023

Night of the Hunted
World premiere
Director: Franck Khalfoun
Country: U.S.
Runtime: 90 minutes
2023
Guests: Director Franck Khalfoun

Vincent Must Die
U.S. premiere
Director: Stéphan Castang
Country: France
Runtime: 108 minutes
2023

Last Straw
North American remiere
Director: Alan Scott Neal
Country: U.S.
Runtime: 90 minutes
2023

The Becomers
U.S. premiere
Director: Zach Clark
Country: U.S.
Runtime: 86 minutes
2023

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