Chilling new sci-fi and horror premieres are set to awe movie enthusiasts, along with a classic flashback at Austin’s first and only sci-fi film festival.

Back for the fourth year, the Other Worlds Austin Sci-Fi Film Festival will be held four days from Dec. 7 – 10 at Flix Brewhouse in Round Rock.

Seventeen films are on the lineup, including three shorts programs. Movie lovers can enjoy premiers of “Tuftland” and “Restoration,” the Texas premiere (on the closing night) of “Curvature,” and the special retro screening of the 1979 Disney classic, “The Black Hole,” with director Gary Nelson, who will also serve as the festival’s so-called “Defender of the Universe” this year.

“If I had to pick one film I am dying to see on the big screen, it has to be our retrospective screening of “The Black Hole” with Gary Nelson,” says Other Worlds Austin Founder and Artistic Director, Bears Fonté. “I remember demanding my parents take me to see it (I was four, I think) and being utterly terrified. I can’t believe Disney made this film.”

Film submissions for Other Worlds Austin are open to anyone. Organizers say the competition to get into the festival gets more and more fierce every year. “Other Worlds Austin is becoming an important part of the Austin festival scene,” says festival Director of Marketing & Development, Don Elfant. “In fact, not only is it Austin’s only dedicated sci-fi festival, it has become one of the most important sci-fi/horror fests in the country.”

Several hundred filmgoers are expected to attend and binge-watch films this year, some visiting from other states and cities. With a laid back and fun vibe that’s true to the spirit of Austin, the film festival is held at Flix Brewhouse, allowing festivalgoers to enjoy great food and craft beer. This year’s festival also includes an interactive remaking of the “Big Quiz Thing.” Based on the world’s first bar-trivia TV show, the contest debuts at the festival on Friday, Dec. 8.

Badges start at $60 per person. “You’ll see a lot of great films and attend some great parties for not a lot of money,” says Elfant. Badges are good for all four days and include admission to all films and some parties.

Buy Other World Austin badges here
Cover photo:Robert Forster, Joseph Bottoms, and Yvette Mimieux in The Black Hole (1979) | Image © Walt Disney Productions