Animation Festivals Directory

Amazing Fantasy Fest is Western New York’s Festival of Imaginative Cinema, celebrating Action, Animation, Fantasy, Horror, and Science Fiction. Although this is technically our first year, it picks up where Buffalo Dreams Fantastic Film Festival left off; festival founder Gregory Lamberson programmed Dreams for 10 years before it wrapped up in August 2023, and many of the same people will be working on AFF.

Animation plays such an important role in fantastic cinema, and we’ve screened so many wonderful animated films over the years; that AFF will feature two Animated Shorts categories: one for 2D and 3D animation, and one for stop motion.

AFF runs for seven days every September, in the Dipson Amherst Theatre in Buffalo, featuring a large screen, awesome sound, and comfortable recliners. We continue the Dreams tradition of only playing films on one screen, with no counter-programming, so audience members do not have to choose between films. We do not have an online component because we are committed to the theatrical experience. Every attending Selected Filmmaker will receive a Q&A and two passes good for the entire festival.

Year established: 2021

Is this festival exclusively animation?: No - this is a film festival but with a specific animation category

Is there a marketplace at this festival?: No

Physical event or online?: Physical Festival