Fantastic Fest Was Fucking Fantastic!

For years, Jen and I dreamed of the opportunity to go to Fantastic Fest. Being the overly ambitious women that we are - we wanted to make a film that would play there. This year - thanks to Tim &  Karrie League and Todd Brown - that dream became a reality. AMERICAN MARY had her US Premiere at Fantastic Fest and Jen, myself, my awesome mom, Katie, and Tristan were all in attendance for the awesome.

Now, allow me to preface - Fantastic Fest is unlike any festival you will ever go to. The feeling of acceptance and commodity comes the moment you get off the plane. The Fantastic Fest volunteers are there at the airport to get you in a shuttle to your hotel and then they pretty much adopt you, you become family, and you have the best time of your life.

Example, we had our American Premiere of the film, had lunch at the League's home where Jen sabered a bottle like a ninja while Tim held the bottle (ensuring career success - thank God, she got the cork off), then Carrie introduced us to their adorable twin daughters (who with a family as cool as they have are bound for world domination), then we got to go to the range and fire shotguns, have a karaoke sing off which ended in beer guzzling post singing, then got to participate in the Fantastic Debates in Kitana and Mileena costumes (thank you Chivonn Anderson and Carrie Matherly) where we were the first girl on girl fighters, followed by two more screenings, I learned how to swim (thank you, Ti), Katie won a special jury award for her performance in the film which was awarded in a mug filled with beer to chug, we got to go on a tour to Troublemaker Studios where I pretty much died of fangirl, we met Elizabeth Avellan, we made a fantastic-pede on the red carpet, and it was pretty much the most amazing time of time of our lives.

Many people warn you about Fantastic Fest. That once you come, you come every following year. It's like summer camp for genre lovers - and it's true. We are hopeless hooked and utterly in love with the festival. Thank you to everyone who came out and checked out AMERICAN MARY, to everyone who hung out with us to make a wonderful experience for us, and the team of Fantastic Fest that created this festival that is truly remarkable and unlike anything else.

I will be back. Fuck, maybe we'll try to get a movie out every year just so we have an excuse for coming back every year!

-Sylv