by Jon Partridge
It’s that time of year again when Austin gives itself over to a ever growing deluge of tech hopefuls, film lovers and more musicians than you can shake a taco at. That’s a Austin taco mind you, not one of those inferior San Antonio ones may I add. Yes, SXSW is upon us and as in years past, Cinapse will be there to bring you coverage. Read on for our attendees most anticipated features as well as a brief rundown of what’s screening this year.
Ed Travis: @Ed_Travis
While I’m feeling woefully unprepared and more unaware of the film slate than in any other year due to personal life busyness, that doesn’t mean I’m not hugely excited for yet another SXSW film festival to be upon us. As the years have gone on, I’ve actually often found myself preparing less and less ahead of time, and more going with the flow, picking film selections on the fly, and largely doing pretty well for myself in that way. This is possible precisely because of how wonderful the programming is at this festival. There’s a great chance you’ve never heard of the vast majority of the films programmed… but there’s an even better chance that if you take a risk, it’ll pay off. That said, I do want to mention a few films that I’m most anticipating heading into the fest, and I’ll mention a few of them below.
Midnight Special: I first discovered Jeff Nichols’ last film, Mud, at SXSW. And I’ll do whatever is necessary to discover this much larger scale tale Nichols tale at SXSW as well. I believe Nichols to be one of the finest American directors working today, and his regular collaboration with Michael Shannon is a cinematic pairing I could watch forever. He’s done a form of magical realism before, but Midnight Special looks to take Nichols into full sci-fi mode, and I couldn’t be more excited.
Hardcore Henry: Formerly known only as Hardcore, this first person perspective feature length film made huge buzz at Toronto International Film Festival and is about as far up my alley as a movie can get. A high concept, hard-R toned action/sci-fi film with vaguely Russian origins? I’m basically already in line for this one and although I’m certain Midnight Special will be a better film, this is probably my most anticipated screening experience of SXSW this year.
The Bandit: As a major fan of old school Hollywood stunt work, and specifically a fan of famed stuntman and filmmaker Hal Needham, I’m pretty excited to catch this documentary all about Burt Reynolds and Needham’s infamous Hollywood friendship and specifically their creation of Smokey and The Bandit. This just has “feel good doc of the year” written all over it.
Hunt For The Wilderpeople: I discovered Taika Waititi at SXSW when taking a chance on What We Do In The Shadows, which became one of my favorite film’s of that year’s fest. He’s blowing up huge and directing a Marvel movie next, but this one looks more in line with his smaller indie comedy roots and had a trailer that made me laugh a good baker’s dozen times. I feel certain this will be a belly-aching good time at the movies.
The Trust: All I know about this movie is that it has Nic Cage and Elijah Wood as a star duo. That’s all I need to know to make it a top priority at this year’s festival.
Elizabeth Stoddard: @elizs
My sketchy schedule for the fest is documentary-heavy. The film I’m most excited to see is YARN from Icelandic director Una Lorenzen. Given the trailer, I expect a feminist take on the craft of knitting, using multiple storytelling methods.
Last year I made a point to only see SXSW movies by female filmmakers; this year my selections also include filmmakers of color. I’m hoping to work in screenings of A Strayby Musa Syeed, 9 Rides by Matthew Cherry, and Jean of the Joneses by Stella Meghie. Fingers crossed and I get to the lines in time!
Jon Partridge: @Texas_Jon
Like Ed I haven’t formulated too rigid a plan, partially because of how overwhelmingly packed the schedule is but also because the “leaf on the wind” approach of selecting as you go can result in some delightful surprises. As ever, there are a few that make my “must see” list.
Fede Alvarez brought his take on the Evil Dead to SXSW a few years ago and while I wasn’t overly enamored with it (a stance that has softened over time) there was enough to suggest he has a talent for horror and his new Untitled/Ghost House thriller , being uncoupled from an established property should make for a interesting watch. Plus Jane Levy and Stephen Lang!
Slash from Clay Liford, a look at erotic fan-fiction, is sure to be entertaining as well as a source of some solid commentary on some of the weird fan boy behavior that is ripe all over the internets these days. It’s also a expansion of a short film he previously screened at SXSW back in 2013 so fingers crossed this one has “fleshed out” well.
The Other Half makes my list solely on the presence of Tatiana Maslany portraying a bipolar woman. I am a unabashed fan of Orphan Black, which showcases her spectacular acting range and I am eager to see anything she applies her talents to.
Ti West (The House of the Devil, The Innkeepers) is another SXSW staple and his take on a wild west vengeance story sounds interesting enough, but factor in a cast featuring Ethan Hawke, Taissa Farmiga, Karen Gillan and John Travolta (and whatever hair he decided to wear for this film) and In a Valley of Violence could be one of the festival standouts.
Finally the new film from John Michael McDonagh, War on Everyone. Having written and directed the outstanding Calvary a few years ago is reason enough to see his latest, but a black action comedy featuring Michael Peña and Alexander Skarsgård as corrupt cops? How can that not be fucking great. I mean look at that still below, just look at it!
You’ll be able to see all our coverage of the fest on Cinapse by following the SXSW 2016 tag. Read on for some of the highlights from this year’s SXSW Film lineup. For the full listings including the 24 beats per second and shorts programs, as well as for information on attending SXSW, checkout http://www.sxsw.com/film/festival/lineup.
NARRATIVE FEATURES COMPETITIONTen world premieres: ten unique ways to celebrate the art of storytelling. Selected from 1,442 narrative feature submissions in 2016.
The Arbalest
Director/Screenwriter: Adam Pinney
The inventor of the world’s greatest toy reflects on his decade-long obsession with a woman who hates him. Cast: Mike Brune, Tallie Medel (World Premiere)
Before The Sun Explodes
Director: Debra Eisenstadt, Screenwriters: Debra Eisenstadt, Zeke Farrow
After his wife kicks him out, an anxious comedian is lured in by an intriguing woman with a stalker. Cast: Bill Dawes, Sarah Butler, Christine Woods, Michael Rivkin, Amir Arison, Keri Safran, Anna Margaret Hollyman, Gene Serritella, Kristin Slaysman, Eric Fillipkowski (World Premiere)
Claire in Motion
Directors/Screenwriters: Lisa Robinson, Annie J. Howell
Claire is sure of herself, her work, and family, until — like a bad dream — her husband disappears, leaving a trail of puzzling secrets that shatter her certainty. Cast: Betsy Brandt, Chris Beetem, Zev Haworth, Anna Margaret Hollyman, Sakina Jaffrey (World Premiere)
collective:unconscious
Directors: collective:unconscious (Lily Baldwin, Frances Bodomo, Daniel Patrick Carbone, Josephine Decker, Lauren Wolkstein), Screenwriters: Jamal Batts, Lily Baldwin, Frances Bodomo, Daniel Patrick Carbone, Mariama Diallo, Lauren Wolkstein, Concept by: Dan Schoenbrun
Five of independent film’s most adventurous filmmakers adapt each other’s dreams for the screen. This is going to get strange… Cast: Frank Mosley, Will Blomker, Lily Baldwin, Tonya Pinkins, Daniel Ryan, Ryan Cassata, Sanda Weigl, MJ Frank, Samuel John Damon, Jamal Batts (World Premiere)
Donald Cried
Director: Kris Avedisian, Screenwriters: Kris Avedisian, Kyle Espeleta, Jesse Wakeman
Returning home to working class Warwick, Rhode Island, Peter Latang encounters childhood friend Donald Treebeck for what starts as a simple favor and turns into a long van ride into two friends past. Cast: Kris Avedisian, Jesse Wakeman, Louisa Krause (World Premiere)
Hunter Gatherer
Director/Screenwriter: Josh Locy
After a three-year stint in prison, an unreasonably optimistic middle-aged man returns to his stagnant neighborhood to win back his girlfriend only to find that she and his family have done what they always wanted to do — forget he exists. Cast: Andre Royo, George Sample III, Kellee Stewart, Ashley Wilkerson, Kevin Jackson, Antonio D. Charity, Celestial, Alexis DeLaRosa, Jeanetta Arnette (World Premiere)
Miss Stevens
Director: Julia Hart, Screenwriters: Julia Hart, Jordan Horowitz
Stuck at a crossroads in her personal life, it falls on Miss Stevens to chaperone three of her students — Billy, Margot, and Sam — on a weekend trip to a drama competition. Cast: Lily Rabe, Timotheé Chalamet, Lili Reinhart, Anthony Quintal, Rob Huebel, Oscar Nuñez (World Premiere)
The Other Half (Canada)
Director/Screenwriter: Joey Klein
A grief-stricken man and a bipolar woman fall in love and try to forge a simple life together. Cast: Tom Cullen, Tatiana Maslany, Suzanne Clement, Henry Czerny, Mark Rendall, Deragh Campbell, Nancy Palk (World Premiere)
A Stray
Director/Screenwriter: Musa Syeed
Trying to outrun his bad luck, a young Muslim refugee in Minneapolis seems like he just might make it — until he crosses paths with a stray dog. Cast: Barkhad Abdirahman, Faysal Ahmed , Christina Baldwin, Ayla, Fathia Absie, Jamaal “Happy Khalif” Farah, Abdullahi Haji-Mohamed, Ifrah Mansour, Rhiana Yazzie, George McCauley (World Premiere)
Transpecos
Director: Greg Kwedar, Screenwriters: Greg Kwedar, Clint Bentley
For three US Border Patrol agents, the contents of one car reveal an insidious plot within their own ranks. The next 24 hours may cost them their lives. Cast: Johnny Simmons, Gabriel Luna, Clifton Collins, Jr. (World Premiere)
DOCUMENTARY FEATURES COMPETITION
Ten world premieres: ten real world stories that demonstrate innovation, energy, and bold voices. Selected from 1,013 feature documentary submissions in 2016.
Accidental Courtesy: Daryl Davis, Race & America
Director: Matt Ornstein
Daryl Davis has an unusual hobby. As a musician, he has played with legends like Chuck Berry and Little Richard, but in his spare time he likes to meet and befriend members of the Ku Klux Klan. Join Daryl on his personal quest to understand racism. (World Premiere)
Alive and Kicking
Director/Screenwriter: Susan Glatzer
Alive and Kicking gives the audience an intimate, insider’s view into the culture of the current swing dance world while shedding light on issues facing modern American society. (World Premiere)
* SXsports screening
Best and Most Beautiful Things
Director: Garrett Zevgetis
In a celebration of outcasts everywhere, a precocious young blind woman disappears into quirky obsessions and isolation. With humor and bold curiosity, she chases love and freedom in the most unexpected of places: a provocative fringe community. (World Premiere)
Goodnight Brooklyn — The Story of Death By Audio
Director: Matthew Conboy
Death By Audio, an underground art and music venue, is forced to close in 2014. The film focuses on the struggles of maintaining a community in the face of Brooklyn property development, hostile construction workers, and a one billion-dollar company. (World Premiere)
The Liberators
Director: Cassie Hay
A tiny Texas town. $350 million worth of medieval treasure. The discovery is just the beginning. (World Premiere)
Orange Sunshine
Director/Screenwriter: William A. Kirkley
The never-before-told story of the Brotherhood of Eternal Love — a spiritual group of surfers and hippies in California who became the largest suppliers of LSD and Hash in the world during the 60s and 70s. (World Premiere)
Ovarian Psycos
Directors: Joanna Sokolowski, Kate Trumbull-LaValle
In East Los Angeles, three young misfit women find solace in an unapologetic, feminist bicycle crew. They call themselves the Ovarian Psycos Bicycle Brigade. (World Premiere)
The Seer
Director: Laura Dunn
The Seer is a cinematic portrait of farmer and writer Wendell Berry. Through his eyes, we see both the changing landscapes of rural America in the era of industrial agriculture and the redemptive beauty in taking the unworn path. (World Premiere)
* SouthBites screening
The Space in Between — Marina Abramovic and Brazil (Brazil)
Director: Marco Del Fiol, Screenwriters: Marco Del Fiol, Marina Abramovic, Fabiana Werneck Barcinski
In search of personal healing and artistic inspiration, Marina Abramovic travels through Brazil experiencing sacred rituals and exploring the limits between art and spirituality. How far will she go to create another work of art? (World Premiere)
TOWER
Director: Keith Maitland
An animated and action-packed look at America’s first mass school shooting, when the worst in one man brought out the best in so many others. (World Premiere)
HEADLINERS
Big names, big talent: Headliners bring star power to SXSW, featuring red carpet premieres and gala film events with major and rising names in cinema.
Demolition
Director: Jean-Marc Vallee, Screenwriter: Bryan Sipe
Davis (Jake Gyllenhaal), a successful investment banker, struggles after losing his wife in a tragic car crash. Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Naomi Watts, Chris Cooper, Judah Lewis (U.S. Premiere)
Don’t Think Twice
Director/Screenwriter: Mike Birbiglia
An improv group loses the lease on their home theater at the same time that one of their cast members gets chosen for the biggest sketch comedy show on TV. Cast: Keegan-Michael Key, Gillian Jacobs, Mike Birbiglia, Kate Micucci, Tami Sagher, Chris Gethard (World Premiere)
Everybody Wants Some
Director/Screenwriter: Richard Linklater
In Richard Linklater’s anticipated “spiritual sequel” to Dazed and Confused, a group of college friends navigate their way through the freedoms and responsibilities of the wild final weekend of the summer of 1980. Cast: Will Brittain, Zoey Deutch, Ryan Guzman, Tyler Hoechlin, Blake Jenner, J. Quinton Johnson, Glen Powell, Wyatt Russell (World Premiere)
* SXsports screening
Hardcore Henry (Russian Federation)
Director/Screenwriter: Ilya Naishuller
An unflinchingly original, first-person action film where YOU are the main character, Henry. Resurrected from death with no memory by your wife, your mission is find her, solve the mystery of your existence, and discover the truth behind your identity. Cast: Sharlto Copley, Danila Kozlovsky, Haley Bennett, Andrey Dementyev, Dasha Charusha, Sveta Ustinova (U.S. Premiere)
In A Valley of Violence
Director/Screenwriter: Ti West
From Blumhouse, the film tells the story of a drifter named Paul who arrives in a small town, seeking revenge on the thugs who murdered his friend. Sisters Mary Anne and Ellen, who run the town’s hotel, help Paul in his quest for vengeance. Cast: Ethan Hawke, Taissa Farmiga, James Ransone, Karen Gillan, John Travolta (World Premiere)
Midnight Special
Director/Screenwriter: Jeff Nichols
A father goes on the run to protect his young son and uncover the truth behind the boy’s special powers in writer/director Jeff Nichols’ sci-fi thriller Midnight Special, a film as supernatural as it is intimately human. Cast: Michael Shannon, Joel Edgerton, Kirsten Dunst, Adam Driver, Jaeden Lieberher, Sam Shepard (North American Premiere)
Pee-wee’s Big Holiday
Director: John Lee, Screenwriters: Paul Reubens, Paul Rust
In Pee-wee’s Big Holiday, a fateful meeting with a mysterious stranger inspires Pee-wee Herman to take his first-ever holiday in this epic story of friendship and destiny. Cast: Paul Reubens, Joe Manganiello, Jessica Pohly, Alia Shawkat, Stephanie Beatriz (World Premiere)
Tony Robbins: I Am Not Your Guru
Director: Joe Berlinger
Granted unprecedented access, Tony Robbins: I Am Not Your Guru captures renowned life and business strategist Tony Robbins behind the scenes of his mega seminar Date with Destiny, pulling back the curtain on this life-altering and controversial event. (World Premiere)
War On Everyone (UK)
Director/Screenwriter: John Michael McDonagh
Two corrupt cops in New Mexico set out to blackmail and frame every criminal unfortunate enough to cross their path in this volatile jet-black action comedy. Cast: Michael Peña, Alexander Skarsgård, Theo James, Tessa Thompson (North American Premiere)
NARRATIVE SPOTLIGHT
High profile narrative features receiving their World, North American, or U.S. premieres at SXSW.
9 Rides
Director/Screenwriter: Matthew A. Cherry
An Uber driver gets life changing news on the busiest night of the year. Cast: Dorian Missick, Omar Dorsey, Robinne Lee, Xosha Roquemore, Amin Joseph, Skye P. Marshall, Thomas Q. Jones, Tracie Thoms, Aasha Davis, Sujata Day (World Premiere)
Another Evil
Director/Screenwriter: Carson D. Mell
After encountering a ghost in his family’s vacation home, Dan and his wife Mary hire an “industrial-grade exorcist” named Os to get rid of the beings. Cast: Steve Zissis, Mark Proksch, Jennifer Irwin, Dax Flame, Steve Little, Dan Bakkedahl (World Premiere)
BLACK (Belgium)
Directors: Adil El Arbi, Bilall Fallah, Screenwriters: Nele Meirhaeghe, Adil El Arbi, Bilall Fallah, Hans Herbots
Mavela, 15, is a Black Bronx. She falls madly in love with Marwan, a charismatic member of a rival gang, the 1080s. The young couple is forced to make a brutal choice between gang loyalty and the love they have for one another. An impossible dilemma. Cast: Martha Canga Antonio, Aboubakr Bensaihi (U.S. Premiere)
Black Mountain Poets (UK)
Director/Screenwriter: Jamie Adams
Two professional con artist sisters go on the run and assume the identities of The Wilding Sisters, guest stars of the a poetry retreat in the depths of the Black Mountains. A romantic comedy drama about love, crime, spirituality, and soul. Cast: Alice Lowe, Dolly Wells, Tom Cullen, Rosa Robson, Richard Elis, Laura Patch, Roger Evans, Hannah Daniel, Ben McGregor, Claire Cage (North American Premiere)
From Nowhere
Director: Matthew Newton, Screenwriters: Matthew Newton, Kate Ballen
Three undocumented Bronx teenagers are graduating from high school while navigating the treacherous waters of trying to get their papers to stay in the US. Cast: Julianne Nicholson, Denis O’Hare, J. Mallory McCree, Octavia Chavez-Richmond, Chinasa Oghuagu, Raquel Castro, Tashiana Washington, Sydni Boudin, Jim Norton, Portia Johnson (World Premiere)
I Am Not A Serial Killer (Ireland/UK)
Director: Billy O’Brien, Screenwriters: Billy O’Brien, Chris Hyde
In a small Midwestern town, a troubled teen with homicidal tendencies must hunt down and destroy a supernatural killer whilst keeping his own inner demons at bay. Cast: Max Records, Christopher Lloyd, Laura Fraser, Karl Geary (World Premiere)
Jean of the Joneses (Canada/USA)
Director/Screenwriter: Stella Meghie
Chaos ensues after the estranged patriarch of the Jones family dies on their doorstep. When the paramedic who answers their 911 call tries to win over acerbic Jean Jones, his attempts are disrupted by old conflicts that come to a boil at the funeral. Cast: Taylour Paige, Sherri Shepherd, Gloria Reuben, Michelle Hurst, Erica Ash, Mamoudou Athie, Francois Arnaud, Demore Barnes, Anna Hopkins (World Premiere)
Long Nights Short Mornings
Director/Screenwriter: Chadd Harbold
An examination of the romantic life of a young man in New York City and his sometimes fleeting, sometimes profound experiences with the women he encounters. Cast: Shiloh Fernandez, Ella Rae Peck, Paten Hughes, Layla Koshnoudi, Christine Evangelista, Cassandra Freeman, Helen Rogers, Stella Maeve, Natalia Dyer, Ebonee Noel, Addison Timlin, Louis Balletta (World Premiere)
The Master Cleanse
Director/Screenwriter: Bobby Miller
Down, out, and heartbroken, Paul attends a spiritual retreat to cleanse himself and fix his broken life, but soon discovers that the cleanse releases more than everyday toxins… a lot more. Cast: Johnny Galecki, Anna Friel, Kyle Gallner, Diana Bang, Kevin J. O’Conner, Oliver Platt, Anjelica Huston (World Premiere)
My Blind Brother
Director/Screenwriter: Sophie Goodhart
Love for the same woman causes conflict between an over-achieving blind athlete and the brother who made him that way. Cast: Adam Scott, Nick Kroll, Jenny Slate, Zoe Kazan, Charlie Hewson, Maryann Nagel, Greg Violand (World Premiere)
* SXsports screening
Rainbow Time
Director/Screenwriter: Linas Phillips
A developmentally delayed 40-year-old man named Shonzi is sent to live with his brother Todd. But when Shonzi developes a crush on Todd’s new girlfriend Lindsay, he threatens to reveal past secrets that could ultimately tear the couple apart. Cast: Melanie Lynskey, Linas Phillips, Timm Sharp, Tobin Bell, Lauren Weedman, Artemis Pebdani, Jay Duplass, Reagan Yates, Austin Fryberger (World Premiere)
Shovel Buddies
Director: Si&Ad, Screenwriter: Jason Mark Hellerman
After the death of their best friend, Jimmy (Alex Neustaedter) enlists childhood friend Dan (Kian Lawley), little brother Lump, and crush Kate (Bella Thorne) to fulfill his last request. Cast: Bella Thorne, Kian Lawley, Alex Neustaedter, Anton Starkman, Philip Labes, James C. Burns, Jenny Cooper (World Premiere)
Slash
Director/Screenwriter: Clay Liford
Neil is a questioning teen who secretly writes erotic fan fiction about popular sci-fi characters. When his classmate Julia discovers his writing, she leads him down a rabbit hole deep into the world of ‘slash’ fiction. Cast: Michael Johnston, Hannah Marks, Michael Ian Black, Missi Pyle, Jessie Ennis, Peter Vack, Sarah Ramos, Robert Longstreet, Tishuan Scott, Lucas Neff (World Premiere)
Suntan (Greece)
Director: Argyris Papadimitropoulos, Screenwriters: Argyris Papadimitropoulos, Syllas Tzoumerkas
On a hedonistic Greek island, a local doctor becomes obsessed with a young female tourist when she lets him tag along with her group of hard-partying friends. Cast: Efthymis Papadimitriou, Elli Triggou, Dimi Hart, Hara Kotsali (North American Premiere)
The Trust
Directors: Ben Brewer, Alex Brewer, Screenwriters: Ben Brewer, Adam Hirsch
Two corrupt Las Vegas police officers plan to rob a large stash that they find in connection to a local drug operation. Cast: Nicolas Cage, Elijah Wood, Sky Ferreira, Jerry Lewis (World Premiere)
The Waiting
Director: Kasra Farahani, Screenwriters: Mark Bianculi, Jeff Richard
Two high school filmmakers decide to create the illusion of a haunting on an unsuspecting neighbor. Cast: James Caan, Logan Miller, Keir Gilchrist, Laura Innes, Edwin Hodge, Bailey Boble, Lili Reinhart, Anne Dudek, Mindy Sterling, Tamlyn Tomita (World Premiere)
DOCUMENTARY SPOTLIGHT
Shining a light on new documentary features receiving their World, North American, or U.S. premieres at SXSW.
Asperger’s Are Us
Director: Alex Lehmann
In this coming of age documentary, four friends on the autism spectrum whom have bonded through humor and performed as the comedy troupe Asperger’s Are Us will prepare for one final, ambitious show before going their separate ways. (World Premiere)
The Bandit
Director: Jesse Moss
The Bandit is a film about 70s superstar Burt Reynolds, his best friend, roommate, and stunt-double Hal Needham, and the making of their unlikely smash-hit Smokey & The Bandit. (World Premiere)
Beware the Slenderman
Director: Irene Taylor Brodsky
Beware the Slenderman tells the story of a Boogeyman lurking on the internet and two 12-year-old girls who would kill for him. A horrifyingly modern tragedy, this film explores children’s accountability in the online age. (World Premiere)
Chicken People
Director: Nicole Lucas Haimes
In a high stakes world where a single broken feather can mean a shattered dream, Chicken People follows the trials and tribulations of those who breed exotic birds in the world of competitive poultry. (World Premiere)
* SXsports screening
The Dwarvenaut
Director: Josh Bishop
The Dwarvenaut is a dreamlike documentary chronicling Brooklyn-based artist Stefan Pokorny’s lifelong quest to inspire humanity through the one medium he knows best: Dungeons & Dragons. (World Premiere)
Fantastic Lies
Director: Marina Zenovich
Ten years after the Duke Lacrosse case exploded into the national media, we revisit the case which divided America and explore how it affected the lives of those involved. (World Premiere)
* SXsports screening
Hit it Hard
Directors: Gabe Spitzer, David Terry Fine
Hitting it hard is the only way John Daly knows. It’s how he plays golf. It’s how he lives life. After 25 years of extreme highs and devastating lows, this film explores why Daly has remained one of America’s most beloved athletes. (World Premiere)
* SXsports screening
The Hollywood Shorties
Director/Screenwriter: Ryan Steven Green
In 1980s Los Angeles, a professional dwarf basketball team composed of recognizable-but-typecast actors finds itself the unwitting vanguard of a revolution to represent little people as something other than objects of curiosity. (World Premiere)
* SXsports screening
The Incomparable Rose Hartman
Director: Otis Mass
With a career spanning decades Photographer Rose Hartman is known for her iconic photos from Studio 54 and the fashion world, her boisterous personality, and ever presence capturing the New York social scene. (World Premiere)
* SXstyle screening
Insatiable: The Homaro Cantu Story
Director: Brett A. Schwartz
Chef and inventor Homaro Cantu helped put Chicago on the culinary map and wanted to change the world. Insatiable takes you on a dizzying and thrilling ride with Cantu, in a story that moves from redemption and inspiration to tragedy and back again. (World Premiere)
* SouthBites screening
Learning To See
Director: Jake Oelman
One man’s transformational journey to find the Amazon’s strangest creatures. (World Premiere)
Mr. Gaga (Israel)
Director/Screenwriter: Tomer Heymann
Mr. Gaga tells the story of Ohad Naharin, renowned choreographer and artistic director of the Batsheva Dance Company, an artistic genius who redefined the language of modern dance. (North American Premiere)
Seven Songs for a Long Life (UK)
Director: Amy Hardie
The intimate story behind our changing relationship with death — with great songs! (North American Premiere)
Silicon Cowboys
Director: Jason Cohen, Screenwriters: Steven Leckart, Jason Cohen
Three friends dream up a portable computer at a Texas diner in 1981, and soon battle IBM, the world’s most powerful tech company, for PC supremacy. Compaq Computer’s improbable journey altered the future of computing and shaped the world we now know. (World Premiere)
The Slippers (Canada)
Director: Morgan White, Screenwriters: Derek Lageunesse, Morgan White
The Slippers pulls back the Wizards curtain the unbelievable story of Dorothy’s Ruby Slippers from The Wizard of Oz, and their impact on popular culture, and the now multi-million dollar a year industry of Hollywood memorabilia collecting. (World Premiere)
Starving the Beast
Director/Screenwriter: Steve Mims
The story of money, power, and politics and the well organized, yet little noticed, efforts to radically disrupt and reform America’s public universities. (World Premiere)
Thank You Del: The Story of the Del Close Marathon
Director: Todd Bieber
Fifteen years after Del Close’s death, thousands of comedians (both famous and unknown) gather to celebrate modern comedy’s most important person that no one knows. (World Premiere)
VISIONS
Visions filmmakers are audacious, risk-taking artists in the new cinema landscape who demonstrate raw innovation and creativity in documentary and narrative filmmaking.
The Alchemist Cookbook
Director: Joel Potrykus
Self-made chemist Sean, a recluse living in an old trailer in the woods, suffers from pill-popping delusions of fortune. When his manic attempts at cracking the ancient secret of alchemy go awry he unleashes something far more sinister and dangerous. Cast: Ty Hickson, Amari Cheatom (World Premiere)
American Fable
Director/Screenwriter: Anne Hamilton
When an 11-year-old girl named Gitty discovers that her father is holding hostage a wealthy man on their family’s remote farm, she chooses to dive into a dark and magical world in this Midwestern-set, fairytale thriller. Cast: Kip Pardue, Peyton Kennedy, Gavin MacIntosh, Rusty Schwimmer, Zuleikha Robinson, Marci Miller, Richard Schiff (World Premiere)
Baby Bump (Poland)
Director/Screenwriter: Kuba Czekaj
Growing up is not for kids. Cast: Kacper Olszewski, Agnieszka Podsiadlik (U.S. Premiere)
Boone
Director: Christopher LaMarca
A unique sensory and unsentimental peek beneath the veil of the Utopian dream of farming. Stripped of interviews with farmers or agricultural experts, a sense of time and place serve as a meditation on the gritty reality of three young goat farmers. (World Premiere)
I Am Belfast (UK)
Director/Screenwriter: Mark Cousins
A visual, poetic depiction of Belfast and its citizens, told with love and passion by someone who has left the city many years ago, but is still fascinated by it. (North American Premiere)
In Pursuit of Silence
Director: Patrick Shen
In Pursuit of Silence is a meditative film that explores our relationship with silence, sound, and the impact of noise on our lives. (North American Premiere)
Jules and Dolores (Brazil)
Director: Caito Ortiz, Screenwriters: Lusa Silvestre, Caito Ortiz
Jules and Dolores is a pop comedy about the theft of the World Cup Trophy that occurred in Brazil in 1983. Curiously enough, nobody truly knows the details surrounding this unbelievable event, until now. Cast: Paulo Tiefenthaler, Taís Araujo, Danilo Grangheia, Milhem Cortaz, Fabio Marcoff, Pedro Wagner, Álvaro Diniz, Thelmo Fernandes, Otto Jr. (World Premiere)
* SXsports screening
Karaoke Crazies (Republic of Korea)
Director: Kim Sang Chan
Welcome to ADDICTION KARAOKE and let’s sing till the end! (World Premiere)
Little Sister
Director/Screenwriter: Zach Clark, Story by Zach Clark, Melodie Sisk
A young nun returns home to visit her estranged family. Cast: Addison Timlin, Ally Sheedy, Keith Poulson, Peter Hedges, Kristin Slaysman, Molly Plunk, Barbara Crampton (World Premiere)
LOEV (India)
Director/Screenwriter: Sudhanshu Saria
A weekend trip between friends takes a sudden turn, making them each examine what love is and what it means to them. Cast: Shiv Pandit, Dhruv Ganesh, Siddharth Menon (North American Premiere)
My Beautiful Broken Brain (UK)
Directors: Sophie Robinson, Lotje Sodderland
Her brain is broken. Her mind is limitless. A film about a young woman’s cerebral hemorrhage with outcomes no one could have predicted. (North American Premiere)
Operator
Director: Logan Kibens, Screenwriters: Sharon Greene, Logan Kibens
JOE, a programmer and obsessive self-quantifier, and EMILY, a budding comedy performer, are happily married until they decide to use one another in their work. Operator is a dark comedy about love, technology, and what can’t be programmed. Cast: Martin Starr, Mae Whitman, Nat Faxon, Cameron Esposito, Retta, Christine Lahti, Kate Cobb, Kristopher Lofton, Tim Hopper, Trevor Dawkins (World Premiere)
Spaceship (UK)
Director/Screenwriter: Alex Taylor
A girl fakes her own alien abduction and disappears, leaving her father to search for her in a strange teenage world of unicorns and black holes. Cast: Antti Reini, Alexa Davies, Lara Peake, Lucian Charles Collier, Tallulah Haddon, Steven Elder, Jack Winthrop, Kristof Gerega, Harry Jarvis (World Premiere)
Teenage Cocktail
Director: John Carchietta, Screenwriters: John Carchietta, Sage Bannick, Chris Sivertson, Story by: Amelia Yokel
Teenage Cocktail is the story of how Annie and Jules fell in love and how it all got weird. Cast: Nichole Bloom, Fabianne Therese, Pat Healy, Michelle Borth, Joshua Leonard, AJ Bowen (World Premiere)
Under the Sun (Czech Republic/Germany/Korea/Democratic People’s Republic of Latvia, Russian Federation)
Director: Vitaly Mansky
“My father says that Korea is the most beautiful country,” says schoolgirl Zin-mi. Despite continuous interference by government handlers, Under The Sun reveals a never-before-seen glimpse of one family’s life in North Korea. (North American Premiere)
MIDNIGHTERS
Scary, funny, sexy, controversial — provocative after-dark features for night owls and the terminally curious.
Carnage Park
Director/Screenwriter: Mickey Keating
The year is 1978. A team of wannabe crooks botch a small-town bank heist and flee with their hostage deep into the California desert, where they find themselves in a harrowing fight for survival against a psychotic ex-military sniper. Cast: Ashley Bell, Pat Healy, Alan Ruck, Darby Stanchfield, Larry Fessenden, Graham Skipper, James Landry Hebert, Michael Villar
Hush
Director: Mike Flanagan, Screenwriters: Mike Flanagan, Kate Siegel
A deaf woman is stalked by a psychotic killer in her secluded home. Cast: Kate Siegel, John Gallagher Jr., Michael Trucco, Samantha Sloyan (World Premiere)
I Am a Hero (Japan)
Director: Shinsuke Sato, Screenwriter: Akiko Nogi
Japan’s first major zombie movie based on a blockbuster manga series! Cast: Yo Oizumi, Kasumi Arimura, Masami Nagasawa (U.S. Premiere)
Jack Goes Home
Director/Screenwriter: Thomas Dekker
After his father is killed in a car crash, Jack travels home to Colorado to help nurse his mother (who was injured in the crash) back to health. There, he uncovers long buried secrets and lies within his family, his friends, and his very identity. Cast: Rory Culkin, Lin Shaye, Daveigh Chase, Natasha Lyonne, Louis Hunter, Nikki Reed, Britt Robertson (World Premiere)
Johnny Frank Garrett’s Last Word
Director: Simon Rumley, Screenwriters: Ben Ketai, Marc Haimes, Tony Giglio
When a young man is executed for committing murder, he leaves behind a curse letter in which he promises to take vengeance on all those connected to his trial. Cast: Sean Patrick Flanery, Erin Cummings, Devin Bonne, Mike Doyle (World Premiere)
My Father Die
Director/Screenwriter: Sean Brosnan
A young deaf boy avenges the death of his brother, and the killer happens to be his father. Cast: Joe Anderson, Gary Stretch, Candance Smith, Kevin Gage, John Schneider, Gabe White, Ross Britz, Michael Francis Murphy, William Mark McCullough, Frances Reagan James (World Premiere)
Pet
Director: Carles Torrens, Screenwriter: Jeremy Slater
A lonely man fatefully reunites with a former high school classmate. When she spurns his advances, he takes her prisoner, only to find that she is not what she seems. Cast: Dominic Monaghan, Ksenia Solo, Jennette McCurdy, Nathan Parsons, John Ross Bowie, Da’Vone McDonald, Janet Song (World Premiere)
PHANTASM: Remastered
Director/Screenwriter: Don Coscarelli
Filmmaker J.J. Abrams and his company Bad Robot have undertaken a meticulous 4K restoration of writer/director Don Coscarelli’s beloved horror fan favorite about a young boy confronting the embodiment of death in the form of the sinister “Tall Man.” Cast: Michael Baldwin, Bill Thornbury, Angus Scrimm, Reggie Bannister, Kathy Lester
Under the Shadow (Jordan, Qatar, UK)
Director/Screenwriter: Babak Anvari
As a mother and daughter struggle to cope with the terrors of the post-revolution, war torn Tehran of the 80s, a mysterious evil begins to haunt their home… Cast: Narges Rashidi, Avin Manshadi, Bobby Naderi, Arash Marandi, Ray Haratian, Hamid Djavdan, Nabil Koni
Untitled Fede Alvarez/Ghost House Thriller
Director: Fede Alvarez, Screenwriters: Fede Alvarez, Rodo Sayagues
A group of teens break into a blind man’s home thinking they’ll get away with the perfect crime. They’re wrong. Cast: Jane Levy, Dylan Minnette, Daniel Zovatto, Stephen Lang (World Premiere)
EPISODIC
Featuring innovative new work aimed squarely at the small screen, Episodic tunes in to the explosion of exciting material on non-theatrical platforms, including serialized TV, webisodes, and beyond. (New for 2016: Open to all badgeholders)
Outcast
Director: Adam Wingard, Screenwriter: Robert Kirkman, Showrunner: Chris Black
Outcast, based on the Skybound/Image comic title by creator Robert Kirkman and artist Paul Azaceta, follows Kyle Barnes, a young man who has been plagued by demonic possession all his life. Cast: Patrick Fugit, Philip Glenister, Wrenn Schmidt, Reg E. Cathey, David Denman (World Premiere)
Preacher
Directors: Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, Screenwriter: Sam Catlin
Preacher is a supernatural, twisted, and darkly comedic drama that follows a West Texas preacher named Jesse Custer, who — along with his ex-girlfriend Tulip and an Irish vagabond named Cassidy — is thrust into a crazy world, much bigger than he is. Cast: Dominic Cooper, Ruth Negga, Joseph Gilgun, Ian Colletti, W. Earl Brown, Lucy Griffiths (World Premiere)
Search Party
Directors/Screenwriters: Sarah-Violet Bliss, Charles Rogers
Search Party is a dark comedy about four self-absorbed twenty-somethings who become entangled in an ominous mystery when a former college acquaintance suddenly disappears. Cast: Alia Shawkat, John Early, John Reynolds, Meredith Hagner (World Premiere)
Vice Principals
Directors: Jody Hill, David Gordon Green, Screenwriters: Danny McBride, Jody Hill
A dark comedy series that tells the story of a high school and the two people who almost run it, the vice principals, who are engaged in an epic power struggle for the top spot. Cast: Danny McBride, Walton Goggins, Kimberly Hébert Gregory, Georgia King, Busy Philipps, Shea Whigham, Sheaun McKinney (World Premiere)
You Me Her
Director: Nisha Ganatra, Screenwriter/Showrunner: John Scott Shepherd
An impulsive “date” between suburbanite Jack and escort Izzy spins into a three-way affair including Jack’s wife Emma, posing the question: What if your truest, happiest life looked nothing like you imagined? Would you be brave enough to live it? Cast: Greg Poehler, Rachel Blanchard, Priscilla Faia, Jarod Joseph, Melanie Papaila (World Premiere)
SXGLOBAL
A diverse selection of International filmmaking talent, featuring innovative narratives, artful documentaries, premieres, festival favorites, and more.
BODKIN RAS (Belgium/Netherlands/UK)
Director/Screenwriter: Kaweh Modiri
The people in Forres don’t work. Between 9 and 5 they dissolve into the pubs, where the light shines as a warm glow in their midst. Then the stranger Bodkin arrives into town. He has come to this remote corner of Europe to hide and lay low. Cast: Sohrab Bayat, Lily Szramko, Eddie Paton, James Macmillan (North American Premiere)
Dead Slow Ahead (Spain)
Director: Mauro Herce, Screenwriters: Mauro Herce, Manuel Muñoz
A freighter crosses the ocean. The hypnotic rhythm of its gears reveals the continuous movement of machinery devouring its workers: the last gestures of the old sailors’ trade disappearing under the mechanic pace of 21st century. (U.S. Premiere)
Ghostland (Germany)
Director: Simon Stadler
For the first time the Ju/Hoansi Bushmen travel through the Kalahari and then right into the heart of Europe. What starts as a look at their fascinating culture becomes an even more fascinating look on our Western lifestyle. (North American Premiere)
KILL ME PLEASE (Brazil)
Director: Anita Rocha Da Silveira
After an encounter with death, she will do anything to make sure she’s alive. (U.S. Premiere)
Papagajka (Australia/UK)
Director/Screenwriter: Emma Rozanski
A stranger arrives in Sarajevo and barges into Damir’s reclusive world. Little by little she takes over his life. She absorbs his dreams, until finally she threaten his very existence. Cast: Adnan Omerovic, Susanna Cappellaro, Tina Kerserovic, Sabina Mrgan, Don Guido (World Premiere)
Semana Santa (Mexico)
Director/Screenwriter: Alejandra Márquez Abella
Dali and her 8-year-old son Pepe take a vacation with Dali’s boyfriend, Chavez. Instead of bringing them closer, their beach holiday brings out things in each of them that threaten to pull this emerging family apart. Cast: Anajosé Aldrete, Tenoch Huerta, Esteban Ávila (U.S. Premiere)
UIO: Take me for a Ride (Colombia/Ecuador/Mexico)
Director/Screenwriter: Micaela Rueda
How do you deal with being ‘different‘? Cast: Samanta Caicedo, María Juliana Rángel, Diego Naranjo, Paty Loor, Monserrat Astudillo, Miranda Zepeda, Anne Dominque Correa, Domenica Blanco, Ana Belén Bermeo (World Premiere)
YARN (Iceland)
Directors: Una Lorenzen, Thordur Jonsson, Heather Millard, Screenwriters: Krishan Arora, Barbara Kingsolver
International artists and knitters take a simple skein of yarn to create their extraordinary ideas and stories. (World Premiere)
* SXstyle screening
FESTIVAL FAVORITES
Acclaimed standouts and selected previous premieres from festivals around the world.
Cameraperson
Director: Kirsten Johnson
Exposing her role behind the camera, Johnson reaches into the vast trove of footage she has shot over decades around the world. What emerges is a visually bold memoir and a revelatory interrogation of the power of the camera.
Chevalier (Greece)
Director: Athina Rachel Tsangari, Screenwriters: Efthimis Filippou, Athina Rachel Tsangari
Six men on a fishing trip on a luxury yacht decide to play a game to compete. Things will be compared. Things will be measured. Songs will be butchered, blood will be tested. Friends will become rivals and rivals will become hungry. Cast: Yorgos Kentros, Panos Koronis, Vangelis Mourikis, Makis Papadimitriou, Yorgos Pirpassopoulos, Sakis Rouvas
* SXsports screening
Free In Deed
Director/Screenwriter: Jake Mahaffy
Free in Deed depicts one man’s attempts to perform a miracle when a single mother brings her young boy to church for healing. Cast: David Harewood, Edwina Findley, RaJay Chandler, Kathy Smith
Gleason
Director: Clay Tweel, Screenwriters: Seth Gordon, Clay Tweel
At the age of 34, Steve Gleason was handed a death sentence. When doctors diagnosed him with ALS, they gave the former NFL defensive back and New Orleans hero two to five years to live. So that is what Steve chose to do — LIVE.
* SXsports screening
The Greasy Strangler
Director: Jim Hosking, Screenwriters: Jim Hosking, Toby Harvard
Ronnie runs a Disco walking tour with his son, Brayden. When a sexy woman takes the tour, it begins a competition between father and son for her love. It also signals the arrival of an oily strangler who stalks the streets at night. Cast: Michael St Michaels, Elizabeth De Razzo, Sky Elobar, Joe Walters, Gil Gex, Abdoulaye NGom, Sam Dissanayake, Holland MacFallister
Hunt For The Wilderpeople (New Zealand)
Director/Screenwriter: Taika Waititi
Ricky (Julian Dennison) is a defiant city kid who finds himself on the run with his cantankerous foster uncle (Sam Neill) in the wild New Zealand bush, in this hilarious and heartfelt adventure from director Taika Waititi (What We Do In The Shadows). Cast: Julian Dennison, Sam Neill, Rima Te Wiata, Rachel House, Oscar Kightley, Rhys Darby, Stan Walker, Cohen Holloway, Mike Minogue, Troy Kingi
Morris from America
Director/Screenwriter: Chad Hartigan
Morris From America is an endearing, heartfelt coming-of-age comedy about Morris, a 13-year-old African-American boy who has just moved to Heidelberg, Germany with his caring but troubled single father. Cast: Markees Christmas, Craig Robinson, Carla Juri
Newtown
Director: Kim A. Snyder
Newtown documents the aftermath of the deadliest mass shooting of schoolchildren in American history. A cast of characters within Newtown and beyond interconnect to weave an intimate story of trauma, grief, and community resilience.
Operation Avalanche
Director: Matt Johnson, Screenwriters: Matt Johnson, Josh Boles
In 1967, four undercover CIA agents were sent to NASA posing as a documentary film crew. What they discovered led to one of the biggest conspiracies in American history. Cast: Matt Johnson, Owen Williams, Josh Boles, Ray James
Presenting Princess Shaw (Israel)
Director: Ido Haar
Presenting Princess Shaw is the true story of the incredible Princess Shaw and the enigmatic composer Kutiman, who discovers her from the other side of the world.
Richard Linklater — dream is destiny
Directors: Louis Black, Karen Bernstein
Richard Linklater — dream is destiny is a feature-length documentary on the filmmaker Richard Linklater and an unusual look at a fiercely independent film style that emerged from Austin, Texas in the 1990s.
Sing Street (USA/Ireland)
Director/Screenwriter: John Carney
A boy growing up in Dublin during the 1980s escapes his strained family life by starting a band and moving to London. Cast: Ferdia Walsh-Peelo, Lucy Boynton, Jack Reynor, Aidan Gillen, Mark McKenna, Maria Doyle Kennedy
Trapped
Director: Dawn Porter, Screenwriters: Dawn Porter, Sari Gilman
Trapped follows the clinic workers, women, and lawyers on the frontlines of the battle as they fight to keep abortion safe and legal across the US for millions of poor and uninsured women caught in a political quagmire.
SPECIAL EVENTS
Live soundtracks, cult re-issues, and much more. Our Special Events section offers unusual, unexpected, and unique one-off film events.
Doug Benson & Master Pancake Interrupt Leprechaun 4: In Space
Directors: Doug Benson, John Erler
In honor of St. Patrick’s Day, Doug Benson (Doug Loves Movies), and Master Pancake (resident film-talkers at the Alamo Drafthouse) verbally disrupt Leprechaun 4: In Space (1997). Cast: Warwick Davis, Brent Jasmer, Jessica Collins, Guy Siner, Gary Grossman
Free SXSW Outdoor Film Screening — Darkon: 10th Anniversary screening
Directors/Screenwriters: Luke Meyer, Andrew Neel
10th Anniversary screening of the cult-hit documentary Darkon about American LARPers. The film covers an epic war raging through the fantasy realm of Darkon, investigating our complex relationship with fantasy and reality.
This screening will take place on Saturday, March 12 and is open to the public with the free SXSW Guest Pass.
Free SXSW Outdoor Film Screening — Heavy Metal Parking Lot: 30th Anniversary Screening
Directors: John Heyn, Jeff Krulik
Hailed as one of the greatest rock films ever, this short documentary follows the tailgating antics of metal fans in a parking lot before a Judas Priest concert in 1986. This year marks the 30th anniversary of a pre-internet viral video cult classic. The Barton Hills Choir will perform Judas Priest’s ‘You’ve Got Another Thing Coming’ with heavy metal/hard rock living legend Jason McMaster aka Pastor McMaster from the Church of Disaster.
This screening will take place on Saturday, March 12 and is open to the public with the free SXSW Guest Pass.
Free SXSW Outdoor Film Screening — Smokey and the Bandit
With an intro by The Bandit himself, Mr. Burt Reynolds.
Director: Hal Needham, Screenwriters: James Lee Barrett, Charles Shyer, Alan Mandel, Story by: Hal Needham, Robert Levy
The Bandit is hired on to run a tractor trailer full of beer over county lines in hot pursuit by a pesky sheriff. Cast: Burt Reynolds, Sally Fields, Jerry Reed, Paul Williams, Jackie Gleason
This screening will take place on Sunday, March 13 and is open to the public with the free SXSW Guest Pass.
Free SXSW Outdoor Film Screening — Cartoon Network presents: The Powerpuff Girls
Directors: Nick Jennings, Bob Boyle
Before the broadcast debut of the newly re-imagined series this Spring, Cartoon Network will take over the Long Center in Austin and host a fun-filled event under the stars to celebrate the premiere of The Powerpuff Girls! Join us and be amongst the first in the world to see episodes from the new series, along with fun, food, and surprises galore. (World Premiere)
This screening will take place on Monday, March 14 and is open to the public with the free SXSW Guest Pass.
Judd Apatow and Friends
Following the World Premiere of Pee-wee’s Big Holiday, comedic mastermind Judd Apatow, the film’s producer, who brought Trainwreck to SXSW last year, will perform stand up comedy with friends. Those seated for the Pee-wee film can stay through the performance!
Last Night at the Alamo
Director: Eagle Pennell, Screenwriter: Kim Hinkel
A stunning restoration of Eagle Pennell’s important feature that has been lost for 30 years. Sonny Davis and Lou Perryman return to star in Kim Henkel note-perfect script under Pennell’s direction. Classic indie filmmaking. Restoration Premiere. Cast: Sonny Carl Davis, Lou Perryman, Steven Mattila, Tina-Bess Hubbard, Doris Hargrave, Peggy Pinnell, Kim Hinkle, J. Michael Hammond, Amanda Lamar, Earnest Huerta Jr. (World Premiere)
