The world premiere ofLions Gate's Monster Man and theWest Coast premiere of Beyond Re-Animator are among the highlights of the inaugural ManiaFest sci-fi, fantasy andhorror festival, which runs in Santa Monica from Sept 18-21.

The four-day event features classic screenings, panel discussions,a competition strand and panel discussions with Friday The 13th director Sean Cunningham and Scream creator Wes Craven, among others.

A Comic Books To Film panel will include Stan Lee, Blade 2 director Guillermo Del Toro and X2 writer David Hayter.

Stan Winston, the animatronic master behind films like JurassicPark and TheTerminator, will bepresented with the first annual ManiaFest Lifetime Achievement Award at theclosing night awards ceremony.

A talent competition will showcase the year's bestamateur-produced short films, screenplays and features, with festivalscreenings and $12,000 in cash and prizes for the top finalists.

The festival is produced by Mania Entertainment, publisher ofCinescape magazine and producer of the Cinescape Saturn Awards, and proceedswill go towards the Boys & Girls Club of Santa Monica.

"We believe that ManiaFest will soon become the Sundance FilmFestival of the science fiction, fantasy and horror genre," festival chairwomanChase Masterson said in a statement.

"ManiaFest hasbeen developed to unite the limitless creativity of genre film-making and thespirit of our dedicated audience."