By Eric Ortiz
The Fantastic Pavilion presents a weekly recap with the most relevant news about the world of genre cinema.
News
The official trailer for the horror movie This Is Not a Test (2025) has been unleashed. Part of the zombie/infected subgenre, This Is Not a Test hits U.S. cinemas on February 20.
Synopsis: “Sloane and a small group of her classmates take cover in their high school to escape their suddenly apocalyptic hometown. As danger relentlessly pounds on the doors, Sloane begins to see the world through the eyes of people who actually want to live and takes matters into her own hands.”
Festivals
Regensburg’s HARD:LINE Film Festival unveiled the poster for its 13th edition, taking place from April 16 to 19 at the Ostentor Kino and from April 17 to 22 at Kinos im Andreasstadel.
The SXSW Film & TV Festival announced its 2026 lineup and it includes a bunch of genre pictures. American Dollhouse (2025), Drag (2026), Fifteen (Quince, 2026), Grind (2026), Imposters (2026), Monitor (2026), and Never After Dark (2026) are all part of the Midnighter section. Kirill Sokolov’s They Will Kill You (2026), Maya Annik Bedward’s documentary Black Zombie (2026), and Curry Barker’s Obsession (2025) will also screen at the festival (March 12-18).
The Lund Fantastic Film Festival has confirmed the dates for its 2026 edition: October 28 to November 4. Film submissions open on January 20.
Another fest that just revealed its 2026 dates is the Baltimore-based New/Next Film Festival: October 1 to 4. You can submit your feature or short via FilmFreeway.
Death Does Not Exist (La mort n’existe pas, 2025) – winner of the Audience Award for Best Animated Feature at the 2025 Fantasia Festival – is now heading to Animation First (February 3-8), “the biggest animation festival in the United States.” Check out the fest’s full program here.