After its premiere at 2015’s SXSW Film Festival (where it won the Grand Jury and Audience awards), Trey Edward Shults’ Krisha received comparisons to the likes of John Cassavetes and Terrence Malick. Given that Shults has worked on several of Malick’s recent films—starting out as an intern on The Tree of Life—those comparisons feel obvious, even though they’re earned. The Cassavetes comparisons come from both Shults’ low-budget, indie origins and his close-knit cast (almost everyone in the film is a family member). These associations with such big names in American indie filmmaking have critics and audiences making their point clear: Krisha marks the arrival of a new, bold voice for indie films.

Then again, referring to Shults’ work as nothing but an amalgamation of potential influences only does a good job describing what Krisha is like, rather than what it actually is. There’s something here that sets Shults apart from every other up and coming American director getting their break at film festivals around the country, and it’s evident right from the beginning: a close-up of the title character (Krisha Fairchild, Shults’ real-life aunt) staring the camera down, with ominous strings surging on the soundtrack. That stark opening shot is followed by a complex long take, where Krisha walks around a suburban neighbourhood looking for a house, finds it after winding up at the wrong place, and then introduces herself to the guests inside. It’s soon revealed that the guests are Krisha’s own family, who she hasn’t seen in over a decade, and she’s arrived to celebrate Thanksgiving with them. Shults’ decision to film the sequence in one lengthy shot implies either a keen understanding of his own material—the high-wire act of pulling off such a sequence feeding into the awkward nature of the family reunion—or a showy stunt, the kind first-time directors like to make as a way to get noticed.

What differentiates Shults from the pack has less to do with story (he’s far from the first person to tackle a disastrous holiday reunion) and more to do with his execution. Krisha’s decade-long absence from her family’s lives is due in large part to her addictions and penchant for self-destructive behaviour, and Shults lets the film’s form act as a gateway into his lead character’s anxious perspective. Using quick cuts, whirling camera movements, an abrasive score (courtesy of Brian McOmber), shifting aspect ratios, and plenty of other tricks, the film becomes a cacophony that reflects Krisha’s immense, self-imposed stress. Despite the invite from her sister Robyn (Robyn Fairchild, Shults’ mother), Krisha senses the anger and resentment brewing just underneath her relatives’ friendly demeanor. She expects every interaction with one of her family members to turn confrontational at any second.

But how can Krisha work as an entrance into its protagonist’s mind when there’s no proper context for it? The bulk of Krisha’s concerns come from the fear of her family calling out her poor behaviour over the years, yet Shults cares little about establishing his other characters’ relationships to her. Beyond a basic establishing of her past issues and the uncomfortable nature of the reunion, Shults doesn’t bother trying to convey a full understanding of what brought Krisha and her family to their current emotional states. That makes the inevitable sour turn of events, culminating in Krisha’s relapse, unearned; her downward spiral feels manufactured for maximum melodrama, and her relatives the pawns designed to carry the story to its emotionally charged destination.

So if we want to find a different filmmaker to compare Shults to, one that helps explain his sensibilities rather than the conditions of his production, we just have to look north. Much like Canadian director Xavier Dolan’s work—more specifically Mommy and Tom at the Farm—Shults shows an interest in emotional intensity for its own sake. They prefer to let the visceral qualities of shouting matches and familial angst compensate for the lack of any weight behind these intense feelings, all while wrapping it up in superfluous or ineffective formal quirks that amplify the content, instead of complementing or supporting it. Granted, Shults’ approach is an effective one, even if it’s transparent; Fairchild gives a great performance, and there’s something inherently involving about watching this family fall apart. But it only works up to a certain point. As Krisha keeps going, it’s obvious that its director only knows how to operate in loud, shrill tones, and what the film amounts to is a fireworks show: loud, short bursts of excitement that fade fast and get old quick. It doesn’t come as a surprise when the film ends during its most heated moment, cutting off mid-scream to a dedication before the credits start rolling. With Krisha, Shults shows that he knows how to get people’s attention—figuring out what to do with it is another story altogether.

It feels like sibling filmmakers are becoming more of a thing lately. In the last two years, movies of all varieties have been made by the Coens (the musically-themed Inside Llewyn Davis), the Wachowskis (big-budget sci-fi Jupiter Ascending), the Farrellys (franchise comedy Dumb and Dumber To), and the Russos (superhero tentpole Captain America: The Winter Soldier). Even a foreign drama is represented by siblings, as evidenced by Ronit and Shlomi Elkabetz’s Gett: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem.

This year, another pair of filmmaking siblings are introduced to the scene: Ben and Chris Blaine, with their first feature film Nina Forever.

Holly (Abigail Hardingham) has a romantic interest in Rob (Cian Barry), her coworker at a local grocery store. Her friends try to warn her away from him, though—he’s been suicidal since the accidental death of his girlfriend more than a year ago. Fate steps in when Rob is injured at work and Holly, who is studying to be a paramedic, offers to examine his wound. There’s a spark between them, and on their first date, that spark becomes a flame when they find their way to Rob’s bedroom. Their heat is quickly cooled, however, by the sudden appearance (in bed next to them, no less) of Rob’s ex-girlfriend—the very dead, very chatty Nina (Fiona O’Shaughnessy).

Nina, whose corpse is still bloodied and broken from the car accident that took her life, becomes a greater presence—and a greater nuisance—in the new couple’s life. As Rob struggles to figure out how to stop Nina’s appearances, Holly considers the opposite approach by embracing the decedent’s presence.

Who are these Blaine Brothers and where have they been hiding? Nina Forever is a sensational film, and while the presence of a talking corpse might tempt some to hang a horror tag on it, don’t take the bait. This is a deliciously dark comedy/psychological drama hybrid, using the horror device of Nina’s corpse as a symbol for guilt and loss, then doubling-down and using her unwillingness to leave Rob and Holly alone as a metaphor for the couple’s inability to properly deal with the loss (It also uses her wit for the funny bits—and there are plenty of those).

The film, co-written by the Blaines, has a strong foundation in the construct of its three lead characters. Rob is so burdened by loss and guilt (he was driving the car in the accident that killed Nina) that he has become mostly non-functioning. Holly is a wannabe paramedic—a healer, a rescuer, a fixer of things—and he is something she can fix. And Nina—poor, dead Nina—might be a symbol for something deeper, but on the surface she’s still the girlfriend who has been jilted, at least by circumstance (her insistence that Rob not refer to her as his “ex-girlfriend” because they never technically broke up is hysterically played).

O’Shaughnessy, Hardingham, and Barry all turn in solid performances, as do David Troughton and Elizabeth Elvin in key supporting turns as Nina’s parents.

As the story progresses, the characters evolve in a way that so many other writers struggle to make happen on the page. There is an organic fluidity to how the trio act, react, and interact throughout the length of the film. Also, Nina’s first reveal could have been treated as some type of singular moment that the rest of the film winds up tethered to until the end. Not so in the Blaines’ hands. That first reveal of Nina truly is the jumping-off point for a longer game with a wickedly smart ending I did not see coming. Sparkling dialogue that any actor would want to deliver tops off a script any director would want to helm.

There is a strong confidence to the Blaines’ direction, too. They are clearly not afraid to take creative chances, and this confidence results in that sweet spot between storytelling and artistry. This is an engaging story that is also great to look at. (Oh, and the fellas know how to film a scorching sex scene, too.) While they get key help from Oliver Russell’s gorgeous cinematography, their secret weapon is their editing. The Blaines join the growing list of filmmakers who edit their own work (a practice I’ve grown to appreciate). There are present-day moments in the film, such as Rob and Holly’s first date, that integrate glimpses from the past and teases from the future to offer a complete picture before the picture has even developed. Not only does that take confidence to attempt, it’s difficult to execute, but the directors make it work.

Nina Forever is the film to follow, and with it, the Blaine Brothers have brought serious game to the screen. It’s clear the film world’s latest sibling tag-team has come to play.

A version of this review was originally published on March 15th, 2015, as part of our coverage of the SXSW film festival.

Released in Los Angeles on June 19th and being released in theaters on July 3rd in San Francisco, I Believe in Unicorns follows the drastic highs and lows of a dangerous young love. Award winning student director Leah Meyerhoff uses magical realism to weave the tale through teenage angst in a love gone bad.

Told from the fantastical and imaginative perspective of 16-year-old Davina (Natalia Dyer), who longs to escape from her role as sole caretaker of her disabled mother when she falls in love with an older boy named Sterling (Peter Vack). I Believe in Unicorns offers a complex look into troubled young love.

Making the official selection for the 2014 SXSW and Edinburgh Film Festivals, the film was also the Grand Jury Prize Winner at the 2014 Atlanta Film Festival and won for Best Original Song at the 2014 Nashville Film Festival. I Believe in Unicorns is currently available on Vimeo On Demand. Also, check out the film’s Facebook page and the official trailer.

Exclusive Behind the Scenes Clip of I Believe in Unicorns

I Believe in Unicorns Movie Poster

Remember last week when we said that It Follows was being planned for a slow build in theaters and a Video On-Demand release on 3/27? Well, when you open to the second highest per screen average of the year, plans can change. The unsettling horror film expanded to 32 screens this past weekend, and now according to Slashfilm, distributor Radius-TWC will quickly expand to around 1,000 theaters. The downside is that the VOD release has been postponed, perhaps until the film leaves the big chain theaters it now will be seen in. Truthfully, this is a good trade-off, as It Follows is best seen in a dark room, surrounded by strangers. Here’s what you may have missed from last week’s entertainment news:

SXSW 2015 Wraps, Krisha Wins Top Prize

After premieres of 100 films including first looks at hotly anticipated films Furious 7 and Trainwreck, this year’s SXSW Film Festival was bigger and better than ever. Trey Edward Shults’s family drama Krisha became the first film to win both the Narrative Feature and Audience Award at the the SXSW Film Festival since Natural Selection in 2011. Peace Officer took home the top prize for feature documentary. You can find the complete list of jury winners here. And don’t forget to check out our coverage directly from the fest.

Criterion Collection June Titles Headlined by André and Wallace

The landmark 1981 indie My Dinner with André (Criterion #479) is getting a Blu-ray upgrade, being packaged with already enshrined Vanya on 42nd Street (#599) and new release Jonathan Demme’s A Master Builder for a new boxset focused on the collaboration between theater director André Gregory and actor Wallace Shawn. Other films being released in the June 2015 haul are Bernhard Wicki’s antiwar film The Bridge, Gilliam-Bridges-Williams masterwork The Fisher King, Czech cult film Valerie and Her Week of Wonders, and a standalone release of Jack Nicholson’s iconic performance in Five Easy Pieces (the film was original released as part of the BBS boxset).

Amirpour Follow-Up Casts Carrey, Keanu, Momoa

Ana Lily Amirpour’s debut A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night was a striking, original entry in vampire cinema, standing out as one of last year’s best indie films. For her follow-up, she’s turning to cannibalism, a horror subgenre that isn’t as popular but could use a fresh re-imagining. According to Deadline, The Bad Batch won’t be an uncovered gem with the recent casting of Jim Carrey, Keanu Reeves and Aquaman himself, Jason Momoa. The trio will join leads Diego Luna and Suki Waterhouse in this dystopian love story set in the heart of Texas. Production is set to begin in April.

Errol Morris Making True-Crime Series for Netflix

Fresh off the mind-blowing conclusion to HBO’s series The Jinx, documentary legend Errol Morris told the Business Insider that his upcoming project with Netflix “has an element of true crime in it.” It was impossible not to connect recent cultural dynamos Serial and The Jinx to The Thin Blue Line, the landmark in pulpy true crime docs, so it is exciting to the see the originator is back in the game. If you haven’t seen The Thin Blue Line, it is being released by the Criterion Collection tomorrow.

Mondo Takes on Malick

Mondo, the fine purveyors of awesome original posters, recently announced an upcoming series on the work of film master Terrence Malick. The first, for his debut Badlands, was released on Thursday and promptly sold out, as is usually the case for their work. If you want to get your hands on the limited prints for Days of Heaven or The Tree of Life, you’re going to have to act fast. The Badlands print was sold at $45 (275 quantity), with 125 variant editions being sold at $65. The beautiful work and exclusivity are definitely worth the price if you can manage to be one of the lucky few.

Trailer of the Week: Sunshine Superman

Base jumping is one of the most dangerous and awe-inspiring extreme sports. Marah Stauch’s profile of Carl Boenish, who is credited as the movement’s innovator, features incredible footage from his life and many daring escapades. Sunshine Superman premiered at the 2014 TIFF and will open in limited release on May 22. Check out the heart-pounding trailer below!

Danny Fields is a name you’ve probably never heard. But his influence, as exemplified by the rock-doc Danny Says, was wildly far-reaching during one of the most pivotal times in music and cultural history. Fields was instrumental in the stardom of some of the biggest bands in the ’60s and ’70s from The Stooges to the Ramones to The Doors, acting as a manager, a publicity director, and a writer and editor of such popular magazines as 16.  Fields was everywhere, so much so that his biography might read more like a who’s-who list of the music world. His story (and the stories in his story) is unprecedented, as is that such a figure, well known in the music industry, could stay so faceless to the world at large. More so than anything else, it seems like director Brendan Toller was interested in giving Danny the credit he has long deserved.

The film starts with some rapid-fire interviews from music legends such as Iggy Pop and Alice Cooper, as all offer quick insights about who Fields was (these churn by so quickly they are easily forgotten). Then, after the title sequence we are taken back and formally introduced to Danny Fields. Fields himself then talks us through his early years and up through college and Harvard Law, where he eventually dropped out and moved to New York. Once there he spent several rogue years of his 20s discovering his sexuality and falling in line with the likes of Andy Warhol at The Factory.

From there Fields began working as a writer and editor, finding an in into the rock world through his pre-established channels and solidifying his ear for the next big thing. Next came his long tenure at Elektra Records, where he worked with The Doors and was instrumental in signing such artists as MC5 and The Stooges (Iggy Pop). After being fired from Elektra he became the manager for the Ramones.

The list goes on, and the name dropping comes fast and heavy throughout Danny Says, which may be its greatest fault. Ostensibly, this is a film about Danny Fields, and on the surface it is. In the early moments of the film there is even a bit of focus on Fields’ personal life, his homosexuality, and his intense drug use. But as the film shifts into Fields’ time in the music industry, almost all aspects of him as a person fall by the wayside, as the focus zooms between micro stories about Jim Morrison, Nico, Edie Sedgwick, MC5, and the insane Iggy Pop. But, while these stories are fascinating glimpses into the antics of the icons of the era, they seem to have very little to do with Fields other than the fact that he was there, trying his best to make records sell and prevent everyone from overdosing. And these stories never quite add up to any sort of overarching narrative. Things, for the most part, seem to unravel chronologically, moving ever forward through the ups and downs, with no real structure in sight.

Danny Says is by no means a bad film. Fields himself is hilarious throughout, as he recounts his roles in some of the biggest moments in music history (at one point he takes credit for The Beatles death threat-laden 1966 tour). But Toller can’t seem to decide what the film is about. Is it about Fields’ influence throughout two pivotal decades? Is it about the artists that Fields worked with? Or is it about the life of Danny Fields himself? At seemingly random junctions, talks move toward legacy, love, aging, and death. But the topics vanish as quickly as they appeared, and another story about Nico or The Modern Lovers begins.

Funded through Kickstarter in 2012 for $20,000, Danny Says is brimming with hilarious stories about the heyday of rock and roll, and does a great job of highlighting the importance of the guy in the back of every photo, the ghost behind the scenes, the credit-less guiding light of modern punk music.

In recent years, there’s been a trend of documentary films I like to call “musical discoveries.” My guess is that it started around 2008 with Anvil! The Story of Anvil, a documentary about an unknown Canadian rock band that influenced the likes of Metallica. Since then, other documentaries have come out shining a light on some sort of incredible musician(s) not getting the fame and popularity they deserve. The breakthrough film for this would be Searching for Sugar Man, which won the Oscar for Best Documentary in 2013. One year later, 20 Feet from Stardom, a musical discovery doc more audacious than Sugar Man (this time, the discovery was under our nose the whole time!) took home an Oscar in the same category. Other films, like A Band Called Death, Riot on the Dance Floor, and The Wrecking Crew have all used similar concepts.

That brings me to The Jones Family Will Make a Way, the next documentary to capitalize on this recent movement. This time the act yet to be discovered is The Jones Family Singers, a gospel group from rural Texas. The father, Bishop Fred Jones, is a preacher with a wife and eight children, all of whom have some role in the group. Years earlier, they had a shot at fame after touring across the south at Pentecostal churches, but after a recording contract fell through they gave up any dreams of making it big. Now, Austin music critic Michael Corcoran wants to try and give them the success they deserve. After discovering the group for himself and befriending them, he eventually convinces Jones and his family to perform at the SXSW music festival.

This beginning section of the documentary amounts to the kind of boilerplate material seen in other discovery documentaries. The only major difference comes from watching the Jones family perform together. Their performances in a tiny church blow the roof off every time, with their music a living reminder of how much soul and rock music gets its roots from gospel. Live footage gets sandwiched between the sort of overdone, obvious points hammered home in the earlier-mentioned films: sadness over not getting discovered, some sort of expert (in this case, Corcoran) explaining exactly why these musicians are so great, backstories on the group’s members to show their humble lifestyles, among other basic establishing techniques. Anyone familiar with this kind of story knows it’s only a matter of time before the Jones family gets their shot.

That shot ends up happening almost a year after their SXSW performance, when a producer offers to record an album for them. Once director Alan Berg starts dedicating things to the recording process, his film picks up considerably. Early on, Corcoran talks about how disappointing it is that there are no proper recordings of The Jones Family Singers. Now, with the family getting their shot at making an album, Berg profiles the difficulty in translating their power from the church to the studio. It’s a difficult process, with the producer’s tactics clashing against the way the Jones are used to performing. Those kinds of moments, where Berg speaks more about the challenge of capturing a specific experience, are where the film shines.

But once the album is finished, Berg switches back into making his film about the Jones’ getting their due, a disappointing and conventional choice. There are a few moments where Berg manages to slip in a few interesting bits, like when Corcoran tries giving advice to Bishop Jones about the album release. He asks them if they want to bless some of their albums or do “some kind of water thing” for fans, despite telling them moments earlier to downplay their religion. It’s a moment showing the reality of how artists get pressured to compromise themselves in the hopes of broadening their appeal, but Berg doesn’t seem too interested in exploring that. Instead, he closes the film with the family’s triumphant performance at the Lincoln Center, a happy ending meant to show the Jones’ getting closer to achieving their dreams. The Jones Family Singers certainly deserve all the success they can get; they also deserve a better film.

After a whirlwind week of movies where 145 feature films were shown, including 100 premieres, the grand jury prizes were handed out at the SXSW film festival Tuesday. The Narrative Feature award was given to Krisha, a Thanksgiving-set family drama from writer-director-star Trey Edward Shults. The Documentary Grand Jury prize went to Peace Officer, Scott Christopherson and Brad Barber’s film about a former Utah sheriff reflecting on the SWAT team he established that led to tragic circumstances later.

The awards ceremony was hosted by SNL’s Vanessa Bayer, who also features in Judd Apatow and Amy Schumer’s Trainwreck which got a pre-finished screening at the festival.

The complete list of winners from this year’s SXSW festival are below. Audience awards will be given this Saturday.

2015 SXSW FILM FESTIVAL AWARDS

“In 1999, Tower Records made over one billion dollars. Five years later, they filed for bankruptcy.” That statement opens All Things Must Pass, Colin Hanks’ documentary about the famous chain of record stores that crashed and burned after the end of the 20^th century. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out why Tower Records could no longer sustain their worldwide operation (hint: rhymes with “schminternet”), and Hanks thankfully doesn’t dwell on stating the obvious impact MP3s had on physical media. Hanks also avoids turning his film into a eulogy for the days when shopping for music was a more communal experience, keeping things relatively straightforward as a rise and fall story about Tower Records. It’s a simple, entertaining documentary, one that prefers to sit back and let its entertaining subjects guide the film.

Starting back in the 1960’s, Hanks lets Tower Records founder Russ Solomon detail the meteoric rise of his company from a tiny record shop in Sacramento to one of the world’s biggest music stores. Hanks frames this section through the eccentric types who ran Tower Records, charting their rise from store clerks in the ’60s to VPs and Managers of a billion-dollar business decades later. Those kinds of success stories are inherently fascinating to learn about, and the close-knit, family-like nature of Tower Records leads to a variety of great anecdotes (one example: the company’s successful expansion into Japan started with a drunken conversation between Solomon and a receiving clerk).

And yet, despite a tumultuous fall from grace, no one interviewed by Hanks seems to hold any animosity over what happened with each other (most hatred seems directed towards the banks, who forced a restructuring and, arguably, kicked the downfall into motion). Everyone at Tower fondly reminisces the fun times they had, but they all have an awareness that it could never have lasted forever. The only misstep from Hanks with this message comes at the very end, as a trip to Japan—where Tower Records still thrives—feels too congratulatory and unnecessary, falling into a nostalgia trap the film avoided up to that point. But just like the title says, everything has to come to an end, and All Things Must Pass benefits largely from its progressive attitude. Hanks doesn’t lament the past; he celebrates it, and All Things Must Pass is all the better for it.

True crime documentary films have the power to set the record straight, to observe facts and events with a clear eye. Films like Paradise Lost and The Thin Blue Line set men free from life or death sentences for crimes they did not commit. During last night’s mini-series finale of The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst, something else happened. Andrew Jarecki’s entertaining pulp profile of the millionaire real estate family and the suspicion surrounding three murders ended with the filmmakers uncovering the smoking gun. Durst had been determined not guilty in a previous case and was a prime suspect in two others, but without proof that could fully link him. If you didn’t watch The Jinx finale (or any of it), it is a prime example of the power of film and its real-world effect. You can also see the wonderful New York Times rendering of events, news that broke shortly before we saw it all play out on HBO. And here are other news items from the week that you may have missed:

RIP Richard Glatzer, Co-director of Still Alice

Remembering a film artist that has passed on wasn’t intended to be a staple in this weekly feature, but that is unfortunately how things have played out recently. Richard Glatzer, who battled ALS while continuing his career as a writer and film director, is a true hero. His last film, Still Alice, is a beautiful portrayal of how disease can affect an entire family, but also a stirring tribute to those who don’t let their ailments deter them from life. The film will always be a touching tribute to Glatzer’s career. For a tribute on the man, please read the Hollywood Report.

It Follows Big Hit in Limited Release

While only grossing an estimated $163,000 in its opening weekend, the indie horror flick had the top per screen average of the weekend at $40,750. This puts It Follows as the second highest per screen opening average of the year, behind A Most Violent Year, and 9th overall in the past 12 months. The film has garnered rave reviews on the festival circuit, and we called its inventive monster one the scariest ever. It Follows will be spreading to more theaters in the coming weeks before it infects Video On-Demand on March 27.

Kevin Smith Announces Clerks III, Possible Other Films

A few years back, while we were all hotly anticipated Red State, Kevin Smith announced that he was going to retire from filmmaking to focus on podcasting and film distribution. Well, the prolific indie filmmaker has apparently had a change of heart. From The Dissolve, Smith has announced that he’ll be revisiting the series that put him on the map, as Clerks III will begin shooting in May. Currently, Smith has a few other projects in the works, including Yoga Hosers (a sorta spiritual sequel to Tusk), and potentially a sequel to his early film Mallrats.

Martin Scorsese (Maybe) Directing Mike Tyson Biopic

In other director attaching news, Jamie Foxx teased that the legendary director will be helming his long anticipated Mike Tyson biopic during an interview on Uproxx. Scorsese, of course, made the greatest profile of a boxer of all time, so this would be an interesting return to the ring. Raging Bull defined how combat sports are put on film and Scorsese could be the perfect fit for the dynamic and ferocious personality of Mike Tyson. At this point, there is no confirmation, but we can dream a little, can’t we?

SXSW Opens Its 2015 Fest

Austin’s SXSW film festival has grown into one of the biggest destinations for indie and genre films, with films like Tiny Furniture, Bridesmaids, The Cabin in the Woods and Chef making their world premieres in recent years. Couldn’t make it to Austin this year? Well, we have you covered with reviews from the festival all week. You can check out the full lineup here.

Trailer of the Week: Iris

Last week I mentioned the late filmmaker Albert Maysles’s upcoming film Iris, and now the first trailer for the doc has dropped. The portrait of legendary fashion icon Iris Apfel looks to fit alongside a number of recent fantastic documentary profiles of aging artists such as Bill Cunningham New York, Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work, Elaine Stritch: Shoot Me and Jiro Dreams of Sushi. Check out the trailer below!

Describing A Woman Like Me to an outsider gets a little complicated. When put as simply as possible its a documentary made by director Alex Sichel, who upon receiving the news that she has metastatic breast cancer decides to process this information by directing a film about a woman facing the same diagnosis with as much positivity as she can…while simultaneously documenting this process and her own treatment for what would become this documentary. It’s not quite a movie within a movie so much as it is two movies playing out side by side with behind-the-scenes footage playing at the same time as well. Confusing? Yes. Meta? Maybe. Moving? Absolutely.

Co-directed by Alex Sichel and first-time director Elizabeth Giamatti (wife to Paul and producer of many of his films), a majority of the film is diary-style with Alex speaking directly into her handheld camera, and in this way the actual documentary part of the film feels a lot like a look into the last few years of a woman who has a form of cancer she knows she won’t survive. Along with her husband Erich, Alex faces this stunning news with shock at first, then starts making hard decisions about her treatment. Knowing any sort of treatment is more about prolonging the inevitable, she prefers to attempt holistic care first, pulling from her Buddhist beliefs and consulting with healers. Eventually she does begin pill-based chemotherapy, but continues to watch her diet and go to meditative retreats.

As she makes each decision along the way, or seeks out new forms of healing, the film will switch over to her ongoing film project simply called Untitled Film About Anna, “Anna” being Anna Seashell, the alter-ego Alex has written to be the upbeat positive version of her own experience, played by Lili Taylor. The production of the film is shown as part of the documentary, with a focus on moments when Alex gives Lili direction on her scenes—scenes that are actual moments of Alex’s life—and one has to wonder if she directs her to behave exactly as she did when experiencing them in reality, or if she directs Lili to perform it the way Alex wishes she had.

Is Alex justifying her own decisions in how she has chosen to approach her illness? Her parents—interviewed on camera for the documentary—make it clear they wish she’d do everything the modern Western doctors tell her to in order to live as long as she can. Her husband interrupts her in the middle of a dinner party at one point, disagreeing with her interpretation of what a doctor told them, preferring to be more realistic than optimistic. It’s such a perfect example of the way one’s body is seen as no longer one’s own when an illness takes it over in a way that affects others lives too.

Alex often blurs the lines between her various roles throughout the documentary, making for an interesting take on this unique woman. She clearly identifies as a creator, it comes out of her even at a time when most people would find it difficult to be artistic. Her role as a mother and wife mingling with her artistic nature and need to capture this part of her life. This especially is perfectly captured in a scene of the family, Alex, Erich, and their daughter, sitting down for a meal together. Their daughter is more inclined to play than eat, so Alex moves her food back into the kitchen and Erich accuses her of moving it to make the “scene” look better.

It may be hard for some to understand Alex Sichel’s documentary and the way she chose to face her diagnosis. But with a disease that allows for almost no control over one’s body it isn’t hard to imagine that a woman who clearly likes to direct the stories of others would want to find a way to direct the story of her own life. The film about Anna feels somewhat weak when paired with the documentary, especially in how bright and optimistic it is compared to the reality of Alex’s life, but it’s exactly this juxtaposition that provides multi-layered insight into Alex’s experience, most especially in understanding her.

A Woman Like Me is heartbreaking but not sad. If anything good can be said of cancer, it’s that it has pulled out of many a talented artist greater works than they probably thought themselves capable of. It’s difficult to watch the misfortunes of others, but Alex Seichel’s way of dealing with her diagnosis, as bizarre as it sometimes feels, is raw and real, even as she weaves a fantasy around it. Equal amounts hopeful and hopeless, it’s exactly as complex as I imagine living with cancer must be.

Directed by Van Neistat A Space Program is a documentary recording Tom Sachs’ live show, “Space Program 2.0”, which premiered in New York’s Park Avenue Armory in 2012. In the film, Sachs, an artist renowned for his ability to recreate “engineering masterpieces” with everyday items, produces an ambitious show in which he creates a “mission to Mars” in search of life, complete with spacesuits and spaceships made out of a mix of materials including plywood and cardboard.

Van Neistat has a reputation for making subversive short films such as the now notorious iPod’s Dirty Secret, in which he and his brother stencil over Apple adverts in protest of their lack of a policy for replacing faulty batteries. Their rebellious, counter-cultural nature fits in well with Sachs’ work, which plays the joke of the absurdity of the fake Mars mission straight-faced. The show features such wonders as a landing of the spacecraft on an old Atari console, the use of an old boom box to introduce Mars’ possible life to Earth culture, and the dispersal of opium poppy seeds on the new planet (because narcotics can help with future funding of space programs) via poppy-seed bagels. The sheer level of imagination and inventiveness is impressive, especially when combined with Sachs’ dark sense of humour. For those who missed out on the live show, it’s worth a watch.

It’s dawn on a random summer morning in California and young boy Eli (Elias Graham) is content to finally stick the landing on the front-flip he’s been trying on the rickety trampoline in his back yard. When he hears his mother get into her car, he races to the front of the house to let her know they need milk; mom ignores Eli and speeds away. This is the beginning of a day when Eli and his three younger brothers Arri, Ezra, and Jonah (all Grahams also), are cared for by their eldest sibling, 13-year-old sister Harper (Graham). Their day consists of so many things children do, but as the hours pass, mom is unresponsive to Harper’s phone calls.

Making its world premier at SXSW, God Bless the Child, from first-time directors Robert Machoian and Rodrigo Ojeda-Beck, is a surprisingly compelling look at a (summer) day in the life of a quintet of children left to their own devices. I say “surprisingly” from the perspective that the film is 92 minutes of children spending their day as children do: playing, fighting, eating popsicles, washing the dogs, going on neighborhood adventures, and so on. Presented in a style that suggests it’s a documentary (it’s not), the film has almost no plot to speak of, and the kids’ dialogue throughout seems mostly unscripted. This doesn’t sound compelling. And yet.

There is something incredibly appealing about how genuine this film is. In the wake of Richard Linklater’s Boyhood, which focuses on the life of one middle-class white kid over the course of a dozen years, God Bless the Child is refreshingly uncontrived. Its subjects are not one but five, they are of ethnic or mixed heritage, they are poor, and their single-day microcosm gets a thorough examination. There is no parental drama as there is in Boyhood because the parents (both the mother and at least two different fathers) are absentee. Call it “Childhood.”

The film is also an interesting study in the consequences of absentee parents. Despite mom’s dramatic exit on this particular day, it is clear these kids, who don’t blink at being home alone all day, have lived this existence every day and for a long time.  These repeated experiences are shaping them. Of particular note are the two oldest, Harper and Eli.

As the oldest, Harper is forced to abandon her role of sister (along with any teenage dreams she might have) and play mother to four boys, including a 1-year-old. It’s an enormous responsibility, but Harper wearily shuffles through the day caring for the boys like a mother three times her age. It’s sad, but with what appears to be stifled ambition and a hopeless situation, Harper’s future, at only 13, seems bleak.

Next oldest is Eli, who is clearly the Alpha Male. He holds that title not only by right of age, but because of his assertive — at times angry — approach to his younger brothers and conflict resolution. He isn’t violent with them, but I would add “yet” to that statement because he shows flashes of a temper that his parents aren’t around to see and that his sister, despite her best efforts, is too young to properly manage.

The film struggles, though, when it attempts to manufacture drama. There are a few instances — one involving a potential “stranger danger” situation and another involving a chance meeting with Harper’s classmate/romantic interest — that feel forced and have no sense of authenticity to them. It’s understandable to want to include moments like these in a story like this, but in these cases, it’s to the film’s detriment.

Also working against the film, oddly enough, is the mother’s absence. Her hurried departure and unwillingness to return Harper’s calls aside, there is never any real sense of abandonment, nor is there any sense the kids are in peril. Just as it feels like nothing more than curious behavior to the viewer, so too does it feel like only curious behavior to Harper — and if Harper isn’t panicked, the viewer isn’t either.

As someone whose youth was closer to that of the story found in Boyhood, there is nothing I can personally connect with in God Bless the Child. Still, I found it to be an incredibly engaging film that made me care for its characters without forcing it.

The third and final installment of Hal Hartley’s Henry Fool saga sees Ned Rifle (Liam Aiken), son of Henry (Thomas Jay Ryan) and Fay Grim (Parker Posey), on a quest to find and kill his father for ruining his mother’s life. Returning to this desert-dry whimsical world of misfits, along with Ryan, Posey, and Aiken, is James Urbaniak as garbage-man-turned-poet-laureate Simon Grim, who steals every scene he’s in with his succinct and deadliest deadpan delivery of Hartley’s epigrammatic dialogue. Ned Rifle picks up four years after the events of Fay Grim, during which Ned has found God while living with a devoutly Christian family, Fay has been incarcerated for life without parole, and Henry has, well, revealing where he’s been surely counts as a spoiler, but thirsty fans of the trilogy will feel quenched. The newcomer to the familiar ensemble is Parks and Recreation‘s Aubrey Plaza. She not only radiates intelligence without speaking a word and then blasts everyone away with it when she does, but, by the film’s halfway mark, twists that same world around her little finger with her feral screen presence. A package of talent that Hartley earnestly exploits. She plays Susan, a woman who is stalking Simon for her own reasons (which, naturally, revolve around Henry).

The greatest compliment one can give Ned Rifle is that even those who’ve never seen Henry Fool or Fay Grim will be stimulated enough to sympathize and laugh with—and sometimes at—Hartley’s egomaniacal troupe of characters. “Don’t be taken,” says a doctor at one point, “he’s a great tragic actor.” A sentiment that applies to practically everyone in the entire film except Ned, who instills a sense of righteousness (even if it so easily invites mockery) much needed to complete the saga. That said, one gets the sense that Ned Rifle‘s hurried conclusion will leave those who haven’t seen the previous two films slightly gutted. Nothing but a minor quibble, however, given everything that came before. With its droll highbrow vocabulary, cozy half-serious tone, and finger-snapping running time, Ned Rifle invites people to seek out all things related to the impressionable degenerate that is Henry Fool, and triumphantly concludes a fun-loving trilogy.

Those who know of The Residents, an obscure and strange-to-say-the-least underground band known for their prolificness and highly enforced mystery, either are unsure how to handle their bemusing weirdness, don’t care for them at all, or fall into a select group of cult-like fans. Theory of Obscurity: A Film About the Residents, a new documentary from Don Hardy Jr. (Batkid Begins), focuses its attention on these super-fans—since it’s not as though they’d have been able to secure interviews with the band members. Filled with the same fringe aesthetic The Residents subscribe to, the film is a psychedelic landscape of footage of The Resident’s performances, bits and pieces of their videos (they were among the first music-video enthusiasts) and plenty of fan-tales of the influence they had upon the people who love them.

The band was produced over 60 albums and been on seven world tours. The film interviews each of the members of The Cryptic Corporation, the band’s management company, formed just to handle the massive outpouring of art from The Residents and their various artistic endeavors. As insiders, they clearly lack the perspective to provide much of what would be highly coveted information around The Residents’ identities. The band is seen throughout the film in a live-filmed performance, the camera providing glimpses of the real people behind the band, mostly which just confirms that these guys are getting pretty old. With a 40-year career span it is of course impressive to hear they not only still produce, but also hold tight to their obscurity and non-identity. As they state repeatedly in the film, for them it’s not about talent—they even say knowing how to play an instrument is of no real importance to them—it’s about having the freedom to do things exactly the way they feel like doing them. Something their discretion affords them the ability to do.

Those who recognize the band either by their music or their iconic eyeball heads will be intrigued to hear more. Those who prefer to find meaning in their favorite music and artists may find the befuddlement of The Residents entirely too chaotic. No matter your musical tastes, the enduring power of any group of people to continue to inspire others, especially those who find themselves on the outskirts of the status quo, is a worthy feat and Theory of Obscurity pays tribute where tribute is due.

Now that the Sundance Film Festival is over, it’s time to start preparing for Austin’s South by Southwest Film Festival. Over the years, SXSW has been the premiere festival for indie films such as Lena Dunham’s Tiny Furniture, Short Term 12, and last year’s Chef.

This year’s festival spans nine days and 145 feature films–60 from first-time filmmakers, 100 world premieres, and 11 U.S. premieres. A few highlights from the schedule include a sneak-peek at Judd Apatow’s Trainwreck, the latest from David Gordon Green, Alex Gibney’s Steve Jobs doc, Ryan Gosling’s directorial debut Lost River, Paul Feig’s Spy and the Will Ferrell/Kevin Hart comedy Get Hard. There will also be a special presentation of George Miller’s The Road Warrior (just in time for the hotly anticipated Fury Road).

SXSW 2015 Film Line-up

NARRATIVE FEATURE COMPETITION

Ten world premieres, ten unique ways to celebrate the art of storytelling. Selected from 1,372 films submitted to SXSW 2015.

6 Years
Director/Screenwriter: Hannah Fidell
A young couple bound by a seemingly ideal love begins to unravel as unexpected opportunities spin them down a volatile and violent path and threaten the future they had always imagined. Cast: Taissa Farmiga, Ben Rosenfield, Lindsay Burdge, Joshua Leonard, Jennifer Lafleur, Peter Vack, Dana Wheeler-Nicholson, Molly McMichael, Jason Newman (World Premiere)

The Boy
Director: Craig Macneill, Screenwriters: Craig Macneill, Clay McLeod Chapman
THE BOY is an intimate portrait of a 9-year-old sociopath’s growing fascination with death. Cast: David Morse, Rainn Wilson, Jared Breeze, Bill Sage, Mike Vogel, Zuleikha Robinson, Aiden Lovekamp (World Premiere)

Creative Control
Director: Benjamin Dickinson, Screenwriters: Benjamin Dickinson, Micah Bloomberg
In near future Brooklyn, an ad executive uses a new Augmented Reality technology to conduct an affair with his best friend’s girlfriend…sort of. Cast: Benjamin Dickinson, Nora Zehetner, Dan Gill, Alexia Rasmussen, Reggie Watts, Gavin McInnes, Paul Manza, Himanshu Suri (World Premiere)

Funny Bunny
Director/Screenwriter: Alison Bagnall
Funny Bunny is a serious comedy about a friendless anti-obesity crusader and a trust fund manchild who vie for the heart of a reclusive animal activist and incest survivor, releasing her demons and forming an unlikely ‘family’ in the process. Cast: Kentucker Audley, Joslyn Jensen, Olly Alexander, Anna Margaret Hollyman, Josephine Decker, Louis Cancelmi, Grace Gonglewski, Nicholas Webber, Caridad de la Luz (World Premiere)

The Grief of Others
Director/Screenwriter: Patrick Wang
Based on Leah Hager Cohen’s critically-acclaimed novel, a family struggles with a tragic loss when an unexpected visitor arrives. She stirs the pain of past betrayals but might also offer an unforeseen gift: a way out of their isolating grief. Cast: Wendy Moniz, Trevor St. John, Oona Laurence, Jeremy Shinder, Sonya Harum, Mike Faist, Rachel Dratch, Chris Conroy (World Premiere)

KRISHA
Director/Screenwriter: Trey Edward Shults
When Krisha returns for a holiday gathering, the only things standing in her way are family, dogs, and turkey. Cast: Krisha Fairchild, Robyn Fairchild, Bill Wise, Chris Doubek, Olivia Grace Applegate, Chase Joliet, Alex Dobrenko, Bryan Casserly, Augustine Frizzell, Trey Edward Shults (World Premiere)

Manson Family Vacation
Director/Screenwriter: J. Davis
The story of two brothers: one who’s devoted to his family, the other who’s obsessed with the Manson Family. Cast: Jay Duplass, Linas Phillips, Leonora Pitts, Tobin Bell, Adam Chernick, Davie-Blue (World Premiere)

Quitters
Director: Noah Pritzker, Screenwriters: Noah Pritzker, Ben Tarnoff
A teenager’s family falls apart, so he goes in search of a better one.
Cast: Benjamin Konigsberg, Mira Sorivno, Greg Germann, Kara Hayward, Kieran Culkin, Morgan Turner, Saffron Burrows, Scott Lawrence (World Premiere)

Sweaty Betty
Directors/Screenwriters: Joseph Frank, Zachary Reed
On the border of Washington DC, two stories of big dreams take place – a family is determined to turn their 1000 pound pig into the Redskins’ football team mascot, and two teenage fathers scheme a better life for themselves and their children. Cast: Rico Mitchell, Seth Dubose, Floyd Rich III, Chris Rich, Tarich Rich, Floyd Rich V, Chrissy Rich, Charlotte the Pig, Cassy the Dog (World Premiere)

Uncle John
Director: Steven Piet, Screenwriters: Erik Crary, Steven Piet
Uncle John is an intimately told story that revolves around the struggle to keep a mysterious disappearance unsolved. Cast: John Ashton, Alex Moffat, Jenna Lyng, Ronnie Gene Blevins (World Premiere)

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE COMPETITION

Selected from 1,018 submissions, ten world premieres, ten real world stories that demonstrate innovation, energy and bold voices.

Breaking a Monster
Director: Luke Meyer
Breaking a Monster chronicles the break-out year of the band Unlocking The Truth, as the 12 and 13-year-old members first encounter stardom and the music industry, transcending childhood to become the rock stars they always dreamed of being. (World Premiere)

Deep Time
Director: Noah Hutton
Ancient oceans teeming with life, Norwegian settlers, Native Americans and multinational oil corporations find intimacy in deep time. (World Premiere)

FRAME BY FRAME
Directors: Alexandria Bombach, Mo Scarpelli
After decades of war and an oppressive Taliban regime, four Afghan photojournalists face the realities of building a free press in a country left to stand on its own – reframing Afghanistan for the world and for themselves. (World Premiere)

Madina’s Dream
Director: Andrew Berends
An unflinching and poetic glimpse into a forgotten war, Madina’s Dream tells the story of rebels and refugees fighting to survive in Sudan’s Nuba Mountains. (World Premiere)

Peace Officer
Directors: Scott Christopherson, Brad Barber
A former sheriff will stop at nothing to confront the SWAT team he founded. (World Premiere)

Poached
Director: Timothy Wheeler
Obsessive egg thieves rob the nests of rare birds while a UK national police force tries to stop them. Poached delves into the psychology of these criminals, showing that when passion turns it can destroy the very object of one’s desire. (World Premiere)

The Sandwich Nazi
Director: Lewis Bennett
Deli owner Salam Kahil is an art collector, a former male escort, an amateur musician, and a sandwich maker to the homeless in Vancouver’s poorest neighbourhood but his true passion is talking about blowjobs. (World Premiere)

She’s The Best Thing In It
Director: Ron Nyswaner
Broadway legend Mary Louise Wilson teaches her first acting class, smashing her students’ red carpet illusions. An examination of acting and the sacrifices required, featuring Frances McDormand, Melissa Leo, Tyne Daly, Valerie Harper and others. (World Premiere)

Twinsters
Directors: Samantha Futerman, Ryan Miyamoto
Imagine there was someone out there who you’d never met, looked exactly like you and was born on your birthday. Twinsters is the story of two strangers who discovered they were potentially twin sisters separated at birth. (World Premiere)

A Woman Like Me
Directors: Alex Sichel, Elizabeth Giamatti
By creating a fictional character based on herself, filmmaker Alex Sichel learns how to navigate a terminal disease with grace and humor. (World Premiere)

HEADLINERS

Big names, big talent: Headliners bring star power to SXSW, featuring red carpet premieres and gala film events with major & rising names in cinema.

BRAND: A Second Coming
Director: Ondi Timoner
BRAND: A Second Coming follows comedian/author Russell Brand’s evolution from addict & Hollywood star to unexpected political disruptor & newfound hero to the underserved. Brand is criticized for egomaniacal self-interest as he calls for revolution. (World Premiere)

Ex Machina
Director/Screenwriter: Alex Garland
Alex Garland, writer of 28 Days Later and Sunshine, makes his directorial debut with the stylish and cerebral thriller Ex Machina, starring Domhnall Gleeson, Oscar Isaac, and Alicia Vikander. Cast: Domhnall Gleeson, Oscar Isaac, Alicia Vikander (North American Premiere)

Get Hard
Director: Etan Cohen, Screenwriters: Story By Adam McKay And Jay Martel & Ian Roberts, Screenplay By Jay Martel & Ian Roberts And Etan Cohen
With a ten-year stint in San Quentin hanging over his head, yuppie Brad hires city Darnell to toughen him up for prison life. Cast: Will Ferrell, Kevin Hart, Tip “T.I.” Harris, Alison Brie, Craig T. Nelson. (World Premiere)

Hello, My Name is Doris
Director: Michael Showalter, Screenwriters: Laura Terruso, Michael Showalter
An isolated 60-year-old woman is motivated by a self-help seminar to romantically pursue a younger coworker, causing her to stumble into the spotlight of the local hipster social scene. Cast: Sally Field, Max Greenfield, Beth Behrs, Wendi Mclendon-Covey, Stephen Root, Elizabeth Reaser, Jack Antonoff, Natasha Lyonne, Tyne Daly. (World Premiere)

Love & Mercy
Director: Bill Pohlad, Screenwriters: Oren Moverman, Michael Alan Lerner
Love & Mercy presents an unconventional portrait of Brian Wilson, iconic leader of the Beach Boys. Cast: John Cusack, Paul Dano, Elizabeth Banks, Paul Giamatti (U.S. Premiere)

Manglehorn
Director: David Gordon Green, Screenwriter: Paul Logan
Reclusive small town locksmith, A.J. Manglehorn, who has never recovered from his losing his true love embarks on a new tenuous relationship with a local woman he meets at the bank. Cast: Al Pacino, Holly Hunter, Harmony Korine, Chris Messina (U.S. Premiere)

Spy
Director/Screenwriter: Paul Feig
Susan Cooper (Melissa McCarthy) is an unassuming, deskbound CIA analyst, and the unsung hero behind the Agency’s most dangerous missions. But when her partner (Jude Law) falls off the grid and another top agent (Jason Statham) is compromised, she volunteers to go deep undercover to infiltrate the world of a deadly arms dealer, and prevent a global disaster.
Cast: Melissa McCarthy, Jason Statham, Rose Byrne, Miranda Hart, Bobby Cannavale, Allison Janney, Peter Serafinowicz, Morena Baccarin and Jude Law (Premiere)

Steve Jobs: The Man in the Machine
Director: Alex Gibney
An evocative portrait of the life and work of Steve Jobs that re-examines his legacy and our relationship with the computer. (World Premiere)

NARRATIVE SPOTLIGHT

High profile narrative features receiving their World, North American or U.S. premieres at SXSW.

7 Chinese Brothers
Director/Screenwriter: Bob Byington
A man unaccustomed to telling the truth learns to at least describe it. Cast: Jason Schwartzman, Tunde Adebimpe, Eleanore Pienta, Olympia Dukakis, Stephen Root (World Premiere)

The Automatic Hate
Director: Justin Lerner, Screenwriters: Justin Lerner, Katharine O’Brien
When Davis Green’s alluring young cousin Alexis shows up on his doorstep, he discovers a side of his family that had been kept secret his entire life. As the two get closer, they set out to uncover the shocking secret that tore their families apart. Cast: Joseph Cross, Adelaide Clemens, Richard Schiff, Yvonne Zima, Vanessa Zima, Catherine Carlen, Caitlin O’Connell, Ricky Jay, Deborah Ann Woll (World Premiere)

Bone in the Throat
Director: Graham Henman, Screenwriters: Graham Henman, Mark Townend
Bone in the Throat based on celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain’s novel of the same, is a gritty fast paced story about a young ambitious chef who is mixed up with the East End London mob. While showing off his culinary skills, he finds himself trapped. Cast: Ed Westwick, Tom Wilkinson, Rupert Graves, Vanessa Kirby, John Hannah, Steve Mackintosh, Andy Nyman (World Premiere)

The Final Girls
Director: Todd Strauss-Schulson, Screenwriters: M. A. Fortin, Joshua John Miller
Max and her friends are mysteriously transported into a famous 1980s horror movie that starred Max’s mother, a celebrated scream queen. Reunited, they team up to fight the film’s maniacal killer and find their way back home. Cast: Taissa Farmiga, Malin Akerman, Adam DeVine, Thomas Middleditch, Alia Shawkat, Alexander Ludwig, Nina Dobrev (World Premiere)

Fresno
Director: Jamie Babbit, Screenwriter: Karey Dornetto
Fresno is a comedy that follows lonely but stoic lesbian Martha (Natasha Lyonne), whose sister Shannon (Judy Greer), a sex addict with no impulse control and a long history of poor decisions, winds up back in Fresno cleaning hotel rooms with her. Cast: Natasha Lyonne, Judy Greer, Aubrey Plaza, Fred Armisen, Jessica St. Clair, Molly Shannon, Michael Hitchcock, Ron Livingston (World Premiere)

The Frontier
Director: Oren Shai, Screenwriters: Webb Wilcoxen, Oren Shai
A desperate young woman, on the run from the law, discovers a violent gang of thieves at a desert motel and hatches a plan to steal their loot. Cast: Jocelin Donahue, Kelly Lynch, Jim Beaver, Izabella Miko, Jamie Harris, AJ Bowen, Liam Aiken (World Premiere)

The Goob
Director/Screenwriter: Guy Myhill
The Goob combines the dirty roar of stock car thunder with the visceral vision of a teenage boy’s first love. Cast: Liam Walpole, Sean Harris, Sienna Guillory (North American Premiere)

I Dream Too Much
Director/Screenwriter: Katie Cokinos
Dora Welles is an imaginative college grad ready to experience all the excitement of life. Instead she finds herself in snowy upstate New York caring for her reclusive great aunt (who has lived a much more exciting life than anyone realizes). Cast: Eden Brolin, Diane Ladd, Danielle Brooks, James McCaffrey, Christina Rouner (World Premiere)

Ktown Cowboys
Director: Daniel (DPD) Park, Screenwriters: Danny Cho, Brian Chung
Against the alluring backdrop of LA’s Koreatown, 5 legendary partiers go out for one more night of “Ktown” debauchery, eventually growing up by throwing down like they did in their glory days. Cast: Danny Cho, Bobby Choy, Peter Jae, Sunn Wee, Shane Yoon, Eric Roberts, Steve Byrne, Kim Young Chul, Simon Rhee, Daniel Dae Kim (World Premiere)

Lamb
Director/Screenwriter: Ross Partridge
When a man meets a young girl in a parking lot he attempts to help her avoid a bleak destiny by initiating her into the beauty of the outside world. The journey shakes them in ways neither expects. Cast: Oona Laurence, Ross Partridge, Scoot McNairy, Jess Weixler, Lindsay Pulsipher, Joel Murray, Tom Bower, Jennifer Lafleur (World Premiere)

Life in Color
Director/Screenwriter: Katharine Emmer
With no place to live, two strangers are stuck house sitting together. To get back on their feet, this odd couple reluctantly help each other overcome the very personal obstacles that are holding them back in life and from each other. Cast: Josh McDermitt, Katharine Emmer, Adam Lustick, Fortune Feimster, Jim O’Heir (World Premiere)

The Little Death
Director/Screenwriter: Josh Lawson
An outrageous romantic comedy about sex; secrets; fate; fetish; told through the lives and desires of five ordinary couples. Cast: Bojana Novakovic, Josh Lawson, Damon Herriman, Kate Mulvany, Patrick Brammall, Kate Box, Alan Dukes, Lisa McCune, Erin James, TJ Power (U.S. Premiere)

Mania Days
Director/Screenwriter: Paul Dalio
Two manic-depressive poets meet in a psychiatric hospital and begin a romance which brings out all the beauty and horror of their condition until they have to choose between sanity and love. Cast: Katie Holmes, Luke Kirby, Christine Lahti, Griffin Dunne, Bruce Altman (World Premiere)

Night Owls
Director: Charles Hood, Screenwriters: Seth Goldsmith, Charles Hood
After Kevin has a one night stand with Madeline, he discovers she’s actually his boss’ jilted mistress. When she takes a bottle of sleeping pills, Kevin has to keep her awake… and over the course of the night they begin to fall for each other. Cast: Adam Pally, Rosa Salazar, Rob Huebel, Peter Krause, Tony Hale (World Premiere)

Wild Horses
Director/Screenwriter: Robert Duvall
A Texas ranch family’s idyllic life unravels as the Texas Rangers reopen and investigate a 15 year-old missing person case. Cast: Robert Duvall, James Franco, Josh Hartnett, Luciana Duvall, Adriana Barraza, Jim Parrack, Angie Cepeda, Devon Abner (World Premiere)

DOCUMENTARY SPOTLIGHT

Shining a light on new documentary features receiving their World, North American or U.S. premieres at SXSW.

Bikes vs Cars
Director/Screenwriter: Fredrik Gertten
The bicycle, an amazing tool for change. Activists and cities all over the world are moving towards a new system. But will the economic powers allow it? (World Premiere)

Bounce: How the Ball Taught the World to Play
Director: Jerome Thélia, Screenwriters: John Fox, Jerome Thélia
Bounce: How the Ball Taught the World to Play takes us to the far reaches of the globe and the deep recesses of our ancient past to answer the question: Why do we play ball?(World Premiere)

A Brave Heart: The Lizzie Velasquez Story
Director: Sara Hirsh Bordo
From the producers of the most viewed TEDWomen event of 2013 comes A Brave Heart: The Lizzie Velasquez Story, a documentary following the inspiring journey of 25-year-old, 58-pound Lizzie from cyber-bullying victim to anti-bullying activist. (World Premiere)

Deep Web
Director/Screenwriter: Alex Winter
Deep Web gives the inside story of one of the the most important and riveting digital crime sagas of the century — the arrest of Ross William Ulbricht, the entrepreneur alleged to be “Dread Pirate Roberts,” leader of online black market Silk Road. (World Premiere)

For Grace
Directors: Kevin Pang, Mark Helenowski
A documentary about food, family and sacrifice: The kitchen became Curtis Duffy’s refuge after an unimaginable tragedy. Now as one of the country’s most renowned chefs, he’s building his dream restaurant – but at another point of personal crisis. (World Premiere)

For the Record
Director: Marc Greenberg
For the Record explores the “steno culture,” tracking several court reporters and captioners as they strive to attain the Guinness title of World’s Fastest Court Reporter. (World Premiere)

GTFO: Get The F% Out
Director: Shannon Sun-Higginson
Almost half of all gamers are women; yet, female gamers are disproportionately subject to harassment and abuse. GTFO seeks to investigate misogyny in video game culture and questions the future of this 20 billion dollar industry. (World Premiere)

Kingdom of Shadows
Director: Bernardo Ruiz
The drug war casts a dark shadow on the lives of a Mexican nun, a U.S. Federal agent and a former drug smuggler who wrestle with the far-reaching repercussions on both sides of the border. (World Premiere)

Knock Knock, It’s Tig Notaro
Directors: Michael LaHaie, Christopher Wilcha
In Knock Knock, It’s Tig Notaro, comedian Tig Notaro travels across the country in order to put on a series of performances in the homes, back yards, barns, and basements of her most loyal fans. (World Premiere)

Out To Win
Director: Malcolm Ingram
Out to Win is a documentary film that serves as an overview and examination of lives and careers of aspiring and professional gay and lesbian athletes who have fought and struggled to represent the LGBT community and their true selves. (World Premiere)

Raiders!
Directors: Jeremy Coon, Tim Skousen
In 1982, two 11 year-olds in Mississippi set out to remake Raiders of the Lost Ark. After seven turbulent years, they finished every scene except one. 30 years later, they attempt to finally finish their fan film and realize their childhood dream. (World Premiere)

Rolling Papers
Director: Mitch Dickman
In 2014, recreational marijuana sales began in Colorado. With all eyes on ground zero of the green rush, The Denver Post appointed the world’s first marijuana editor. Pot is legal, journalism is ignited and The Cannabist is covering it as it unfolds. (World Premiere)

Sneakerheadz
Directors: David T. Friendly, Mick Partridge, Screenwriter: David T. Friendly
An in-depth look into the exploding subculture of sneaker collecting and the widespread influence it has had on popular culture around the world. (World Premiere)

Son of the Congo
Director/Screenwriter: Adam Hootnick
Serge Ibaka’s improbable journey has taken him from the violence of Congo to the top of the NBA. In Son of the Congo, Ibaka returns home, hoping his basketball success can help rebuild a country and inspire a new generation to dream of a better life. (World Premiere)

Stone Barn Castle
Director: Kevin Ford, Adrien Brody
Stone Barn Castle is a documentary portrayal of the pursuit of dreams and the distance one must travel to achieve them. (World Premiere)

Tab Hunter Confidential
Director: Jeffrey Schwarz
In the 1950s, Tab Hunter was number one at the box office and on the music charts. Nothing, it seems, can damage his skyrocketing career. Nothing, that is, except for the fact that Tab Hunter is secretly gay. (World Premiere)

T-Rex
Directors: Drea Cooper, Zackary Canepari
17-year-old Claressa ‘T-Rex’ Shields from Flint, Mich. dreams of being the first woman in history to win the gold medal in Olympic boxing. But in order for her to succeed, she’ll need to stand her ground both inside and outside the ring. (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.

Ava’s Possessions
Director/Screenwriter: Jordan Galland
Ava is recovering from demonic possession. With no memory of the past month, she must attend a Spirit Possessions Anonymous support group to figure out what happened. Ava’s life was hijacked by a demon, now it’s time to get it back. Cast: Louisa Krause, Whitney Able, Deborah Rush, William Sadler, Zachary Booth, Wass Stevens, Annabelle Dexter-Jones, John Ventimiglia, Jemima Kirke, Stella Schnabel (World Premiere)

Babysitter
Director/Screenwriter: Morgan Krantz
A dysfunctional L.A. family hires a mysterious babysitter who changes their lives in this modern twist on the Mary Poppins narrative. Cast: Max Burkholder, Daniele Watts, Valerie Azlynn, Lesley Ann Warren, Amy Landecker, Kitty Patterson (World Premiere)

Barge
Director: Ben Powell
Dry land’s misfits find purpose and direction twenty-eight days at a time as the steady hands of a towboat due for the port of New Orleans. (World Premiere)

Disaster Playground
Director: Nelly Ben Hayoun
Hollywood relies on Bruce Willis to save the world in Armageddon, but who are the real-life heroes seeking to save our civilization from the next major asteroid impact? (World Premiere)

God Bless the Child
Directors: Robert Machoian, Rodrigo Ojeda-Beck, Screenwriter: Robert Machoian
After their mother leaves at dawn, Harper, 13, spends the day looking after her four younger brothers, uncertain whether or not her mother will return. Cast: Harper Graham, Elias Graham, Arri Graham, Ezra Graham, Jonah Graham (World Premiere)

Honeytrap
Director/Screenwriter: Rebecca Johnson
Honeytrap is a tragic teen romance, set in London and inspired by true events. It tells the story of 15 year old Layla, who sets up the boy in love with her to be killed. Cast: Jessica Sula, Lucien Laviscount, Ntonga Mwanza, Naomi Ryan, Danielle Vitalis, Lauren Johns, Savannah Gordon-Liburd, Tosin Cole (North American Premiere)

Just Jim
Director/Screenwriter: Craig Roberts
In a small town where people talk to themselves we meet Jim. Sixteen,mediocre looking and frankly quite boring. Things change dramatically when Dean moves in next door. They quickly become friends and set on a journey together to help Jim come of age. Cast: Emile Hirsch, Craig Roberts (World Premiere)

Naz & Maalik
Director/Screenwriter: Jay Dockendorf
Two closeted Muslim teens have their Friday afternoon ruined by FBI surveillance when their secretive behavior and small-time scheming start to look like fledgling steps toward violent radicalism. Cast: Curtiss Cook Jr., Kerwin Johnson Jr., Annie Grier, Anderson Footman, Bradley Custer, Ashleigh Awusie (World Premiere)

Nina Forever
Directors/Screenwriters: Chris Blaine, Ben Blaine
A fucked up fairy tale. Holly loves Rob and tries to help him through his grief – even if it means contending with his dead girlfriend Nina, who comes back, bloody and broken, every time they make love. Cast: Abigail Hardingham, Cian Barry, Fiona O’Shaughnessy, Elizabeth Elvin, David Troughton (World Premiere)

The Nymphets
Director/Screenwriter: Gary Gardner
A well-to-do 30-something man invites two rowdy young girls to party in his loft, leading to a night of provocation and cruelty, all in the name of getting laid. Cast: Kip Pardue, Annabelle Dexter-Jones, Jordan Lane Price, Paulina Singer (World Premiere)

One & Two
Director: Andrew Droz Palermo, Screenwriters: Andrew Droz Palermo, Neima Shahdadi
Two siblings discover a supernatural escape from a troubled home, but find their bond tested when reality threatens to tear their family apart. Cast: Kiernan Shipka, Timothee Chalamet, Elizabeth Reaser, Grant Bowler (World Premiere)

Petting Zoo
Director/Screenwriter: Micah Magee
A story of love, sex and teen pregnancy in San Antonio, Texas. Petting Zoo is the portrait of a young woman coming into her own, in an environment that does not always present ideal circumstances. Cast: Devon Keller, Austin Reed, Deztiny Gonzales, Kiowa Tucker (North American Premiere)

Planetary
Director: Guy Reid, Screenwriter: Steve Watts Kennedy
A contemplative exploration into what it means to live on Earth, the roots of our current crises, and the change in perspective that could transform our shared future. (World Premiere)

Sailing A Sinking Sea
Director: Olivia Wyatt
Sailing a Sinking Sea is a feature-length experimental documentary exploring the culture of one of the smallest ethnic minority groups in Asia, the Moken of Thailand and Burma. (World Premiere)

Uncle Kent 2
Director: Todd Rohal, Screenwriter: Kent Osborne
In a desperate search to create a follow-up to Joe Swanberg’s 2011 film Uncle Kent, Kent Osborne travels to a comic convention where he confronts the end of the world. Cast: Kent Osborne, Kate Herman, Lyndsay Hailey, Jennifer Prediger, Steve Little, Joe Swanberg (World Premiere)

Unfriended
Director: Leo Gabriadze, Screenwriter: Nelson Greaves
Ushering in a new era of horror, Universal Pictures’ Unfriended unfolds over a teenager’s computer screen as she and her friends are stalked by an unseen figure who seeks vengeance. Cast: Shelley Hennig, Moses Jacob Storm, Renee Olstead, Will Peltz, Jacob Wysocki, Courtney Halverson, Heather Sossaman (U.S. Premiere)

A Wonderful Cloud
Director/Screenwriter: Eugene Kotlyarenko
When Eugene’s ex-GF Katelyn lands in LA to disband their business, the two of them must negotiate between past tensions and future possibilities, in this raw bittersweet rom-com that walks the line between fiction and reality. Cast: Kate Lyn Sheil, Eugene Kotlyarenko, John Ennis, Vishwam Velandy, Rachel Lord, Lauren Avery, Elisha Drons, Niko Karamyan, Tierney Finster, Mikki Olson (World Premiere)

EPISODICS

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.

Angie Tribeca
Director: Steve Carell, Screenwriters: Steve Carell, Nancy Carell
From the minds of Steve & Nancy Carell comes the new TBS comedy Angie Tribeca, a wildly satirical take on police procedurals starring Rashida Jones, Hayes MacArthur, Jere Burns, Deon Cole and Andree Vermeulen. Cast: Rashida Jones, Hayes MacArthur, Deon Cole, Andree Vermeulen, Jere Burns (World Premiere)

The Comedians
Director: Larry Charles
Pilot Written by Ben Wexler, Matt Nix, Larry Charles, Billy Crystal
Episode Two Written By: Ben Wexler
In FX’s The Comedians, Billy Crystal plays a comedy legend who is reluctantly paired with Josh Gad, an edgier up-and-coming star, in an unfiltered, behind-the-scenes look at a fictional late night sketch comedy show where egos and generations collide. Cast: Billy Crystal, Josh Gad (World Premiere)

iZOMBIE
Director: Rob Thomas, Screenwriters: Rob Thomas, Diane Ruggiero-Wright
From Rob Thomas and based on the comic book, the CW Network’s iZOMBIE centers on Olivia “Liv” Moore, a bright young woman who’s also a newly turned zombie. She clings to her humanity by working in the city morgue and helping the police investigate unsolved murders. Cast: Rose McIver, Malcolm Goodwin, Rahul Kohli, Robert Buckley, David Anders (World Premiere)

Mr. Robot
Director: Sam Esmail
Mr. Robot is a psychological thriller about a young programmer who works as a cyber-security engineer by day and a vigilante hacker by night. The USA Network series stars Rami Malek (24) and Christian Slater (Adderall Diaries). Cast: Rami Malek, Christian Slater, Portia Doubleday, Carly Chaikin (World Premiere)

UnREAL
Director: Peter O’Fallon, Screenwriters: Marti Noxon, Sarah Gertrude Shapiro
From Co-Creators Marti Noxon (Mad Men) and Sarah Gertrude Shapiro (Sequin Raze), Lifetime’s highly-anticipated scripted series UnREAL is a provocative drama that gives a fictitious behind-the-scenes glimpse into the chaos surrounding the production of a dating competition program. Cast: Shiri Appleby, Constance Zimmer, Craig Bierko, Freddie Stroma (World Premiere)

24 BEATS PER SECOND

Showcasing the sounds, culture & influence of music & musicians, with an emphasis on documentary. New for 2015: Open to Music badgeholders

808
Director: Alexander Dunn, Screenwriters: Alexander Dunn, Luke Bainbridge
The heart of the beat that changed music. (World Premiere)

All Things Must Pass
Director: Colin Hanks, Screenwriter: Steven Leckart
All Things Must Pass is a feature documentary that explores the rise and fall of Tower Records, and the legacy forged by its rebellious founder, Russ Solomon. (World Premiere)

THE DAMNED: Don’t You Wish That We Were Dead
Director: Wes Orshoski
From Lemmy filmmaker Wes Orshoski comes the story of the long-ignored pioneers of punk, The Damned. (World Premiere)

Danny Says
Director: Brendan Toller
Danny Says is a documentary unveiling the amazing journey of Danny Fields. Fields has played a pivotal role in music and culture with seminal acts including: the Doors, the Velvet Underground, the Stooges, MC5, Nico, the Ramones and beyond. (World Premiere)

Dominguinhos
Directors: Joaquim Castro, Eduardo Nazarian, Screenwriter: Di Moretti
Dominguinhos reveals this genius of Brazilian music, creator of a deeply authentic, universal and contemporary work. The film values the sensory cinematic experience, a journey driven by Dominguinhos himself. (U.S. Premiere)

The Ecstasy of Wilko Johnson
Director/Screenwriter: Julien Temple
The most extraordinary rock ‘n’ roll story of recent times. A legendary musician diagnosed with incurable cancer who managed to defy his death sentence. (World Premiere)

Gloria
Director: Christian Keller, Screenwriter: Sabina Berman
A bold and compelling tale of ambition, betrayal and redemption, Gloria, based on a true story, chronicles the life of international pop star Gloria Trevi, the “Mexican Madonna.” Cast: Sofía Espinosa, Marco Pérez, Tatiana Del Real, Ximena Romo (U.S. Premiere)

Hot Sugar’s Cold World
Director: Adam Bhala Lough
After a very public break-up with his internet-famous girlfriend, Nick Koenig (aka Hot Sugar) – a brilliant young musician – takes a magical journey around the world to find new sounds for his album, and find himself. (World Premiere)

JACO
Directors: Paul Marchand, Stephen Kijak, Screenwriters: Paul Marchand, Robert Trujillo
JACO tells the story of Jaco Pastorius, a self-taught, larger-than-life musician who changed the course of modern music. Never-before-seen archive unveils the story of Jaco’s life, his music, his demise, and the lasting victory of artistic genius. (World Premiere)

The Jones Family Will Make a Way
Director/Screenwriter: Alan Berg
A rural, Pentecostal preacher and a jaded rock critic form an unlikely alliance that pushes them both in unexpected ways. (World Premiere)

Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck
Director/Screenwriter: Brett Morgen
Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck is a raw and visceral journey through Kurt Cobain’s life and his career with Nirvana through the lens of his home movies, recordings, artwork, photography, and journals.

Landfill Harmonic
Directors: Brad Allgood, Graham Townsley
Landfill Harmonic follows the Recycled Orchestra, a youth group that plays instruments made entirely from trash. When their story goes viral, they are catapulted into the world spotlight. However, a recent event could present their biggest challenge. (World Premiere)

Made in Japan
Director/Screenwriter: Josh Bishop
Made in Japan is the remarkable story of Tomi Fujiyama, the world’s ?rst Japanese country music superstar. It is a funny yet poignant multi-cultural journey through music, marriage, and the impact of the corporate world on the dreams of one woman. (World Premiere)

Mavis!
Director: Jessica Edwards
Her family group, the Staple Singers, inspired millions and helped propel the civil rights movement with their music. After 60 years of performing, legendary singer Mavis Staples’ message of love and equality is needed now more than ever. (World Premiere)

A Poem Is A Naked Person
Director: Les Blank
A time capsule of Les Blank’s take on Oklahoma in 1974 about Leon Russell and his band, with Willie Nelson, George Jones, and some amazing eccentric characters. At least two major critics have declared it the best film ever made on Rock and Roll. (World Premiere)

Sir Doug and the Genuine Texas Cosmic Groove
Director: Joe Nick Patoski, Screenwriters: Joe Nick Patoski, Jason Wehling
Wild hippie cowboy musician with too much music inside, takes his talent from San Antonio to San Francisco to Austin and the world. (World Premiere)

Theory of Obscurity: a film about The Residents
Director/Screenwriter: Don Hardy
Theory of Obscurity tells the story of the renegade sound and video collective The Residents. A story that spans over 40 years and is clouded in mystery. Many details surrounding the group are secret, including the identities of its members. (World Premiere)

They Will Have To Kill Us First
Director: Johanna Schwartz, Screenwriters: Johanna Schwartz, Andy Morgan
Islamic extremists have banned music in Mali, but its world-class musicians won’t give up without a fight. From conflict, to exile, to homecoming, this film follows the story of Mali’s musicians as they fight for their right to sing. (World Premiere)

We Like It Like That
Director: Mathew Ramirez Warren
We Like It Like That tells the story of Latin boogaloo, a colorful expression of 1960s New York City Latino soul. From its origins to its recent resurgence, it’s the story of a sound that redefined a generation and was too funky to keep down. (World Premiere)

Y/OUR MUSIC
Directors: David Reeve, Waraluck Hiransrettawat Every
The sounds of Thailand from ricefield to leftfield. (North American Premiere)

SXGLOBAL

A diverse selection of International filmmaking talent, featuring innovative narratives, artful documentaries, premieres, festival favorites and more.

15 Corners of the World
Director/Screenwriter: Zuzanna Solakiewicz
Imagine the sound that can be touched and seen by each of us. You can see unknown corners of the world. Just let your eyes follow your ears. (U.S. Premiere)

The Avian Kind
Director/Screenwriter: Shin Yeon-Shick
A novelist’s search for his wife, who disappeared from view 15 years ago. Cast: KIM Jeong-Suk, Soy KIM, JUNG Han-Bi (North American Premiere)

The Ceremony
Director/Screenwriter: Lina Mannheimer
France’s most famous dominatrix, two close friends and two lovers share their innermost thoughts about love, friendship, dominance and submission – as we meet the unusual and fascinating author Catherine Robbe-Grillet and her inner circle. (North American Premiere)

Free Entry
Director/Screenwriter: Yvonne Kerékgyártó
Free Entry is an adventurous journey to adulthood as two 16-year-old girls risk their first steps towards independence, in different ways at the biggest international summer festival of Hungary. Cast: Luca Pusztai, Ágnes Barta, Péter Sándor, Róbert Kardos, Ádám Kovács, Barnabás Janka, Tibor Szolár, Anna Nemes, Katica Nagy (North American Premiere)

Good Things Await
Director: Phie Ambo, Screenwriters: Phie Ambo, Maggie Olkuska
Niels is one of the last idealistic farmers in the agricultural country of Denmark. But Niels’ ways of farming in accordance with the planets and the primal instincts of the animals are not too popular with the authorities. (U.S. Premiere)

Invasion
Director: Abner Benaim
Invasion documents the US military siege of Panama that ousted dictator Noriega 25 years ago while wreaking untold collateral damage. It sets out to shatter the willful amnesia of a country all too eager to bury its troubled past.

Limbo
Director/Screenwriter: Anna Sofie Hartmann
A small town on the outskirts of Denmark. Two women – a teenage girl and her schoolteacher – build a strange connection that transforms both of them. A subtle, beautiful, personal film on the state of youth and the uncertainty of being. Cast: Annika Nuka Mathiassen, Sofía Nolsøe (North American Premiere)

Monte Adentro
Director/Screenwriter: Nicolás Macario Alonso
Monte Adentro explores the universe of one of the last muleteer families in Colombia and follows the lives and mule train of two brothers as they get together for an epic mule driving journey to the highest peaks of the Andes. (North American Premiere)

FESTIVAL FAVORITES

Acclaimed standouts & selected previous premieres from festivals around the world.

Adult Beginners
Director: Ross Katz, Screenplay: Jeff Cox, Elizabeth Flahive
Out of a job after a disastrous product launch, a big-city yuppie retreats to his suburban childhood home, in this heart-warming and hilarious film about crashing hard, coming home and waking up. Cast: Nick Kroll, Rose Byrne, Bobby Cannavale, Joel McHale (U.S. Premiere)

Being Evel
Director: Daniel Junge, Screenwriters: Daniel Junge, Davis Coombe
Millions know the man; few know his story. Academy Award-winning director Daniel Junge and producer Johnny Knoxville take a candid look at American daredevil Evel Knievel, while reflecting on our voracious public appetite for heroes and spectacle.

Best of Enemies
Directors: Morgan Neville, Robert Gordon
Best of Enemies is a behind-the-scenes account of the explosive 1968 televised debates between the liberal Gore Vidal and the conservative William F. Buckley Jr., and their rancorous disagreements about politics, God, and sex.

City of Gold
Director: Laura Gabbert
City of Gold is a documentary portrait that takes us into Jonathan Gold’s universe to tell the improbable story of a revolution inspired by the pen, but driven by the palate.

Entertainment
Director: Rick Alverson, Screenwriters: Rick Alverson, Gregg Turkington
En route to meet his estranged daughter and attempt to revive his dwindling career, a broken, aging comedian plays a string of dead-end shows in the Mojave desert. Cast: Gregg Turkington, John C. Reilly, Tye Sheridan

Finders Keepers
Directors: Bryan Carberry, Clay Tweel
Finders Keepers follows recovering addict and amputee John Wood in his stranger-than-fiction battle to reclaim his mummified leg from Southern entrepreneur Shannon Whisnant, who found it in a grill he bought at an auction.

Heaven Knows What
Directors: Joshua Safdie, Benny Safdie, Screenwriters: Ronald Bronstein, Josh Safdie
The latest from acclaimed sibling directors Josh and Benny Safdie (Daddy Longlegs) blends fiction, formalism and raw documentary as it follows a young heroin addict who finds mad love in the streets of New York. Cast: Arielle Holmes, Caleb Landry Jones, Buddy Duress, Necro

The Last Man on the Moon
Director: Mark Craig
One man’s part in mankind’s greatest adventure… (North American Premiere)

The Look of Silence
Director: Joshua Oppenheimer
Director Joshua Oppenheimer’s follow-up to the earth-shattering, Academy Award® nominated The Act of Killing.

Lost River
Director/Screenwriter: Ryan Gosling
A family tries to hold on to their home in the ruins of a disappearing city. Cast: Christina Hendricks, Iain De Caestecker, Saoirse Ronan, Matt Smith, Reda Kateb, Barbara Stele, Eva Mendes, Ben Mendelsohn (US Premiere)

Ned Rifle
Director/Screenwriter: Hal Hartley
Ned Rifle is the third and final chapter of Hal Hartley’s tragicomic epic begun with Henry Fool (1998) and continued with Fay Grim (2007). In this swiftly paced and expansive conclusion, Henry and Fay’s son, Ned, sets out to find and kill his father. Cast: Liam Aiken, Martin Donovan, Aubrey Plaza, Parker Posey, Thomas Jay Ryan, James Urbaniak, Robert John Burke, Bill Sage, Karen Sillas (US Premiere)

The Overnight
Director/Screenwriter: Patrick Brice
Two families meet at the park and set up a playdate that has unexpected outcomes for all. Cast: Adam Scott, Jason Schwartzman, Taylor Schilling, Judith Godrèche

Results
Director/Screenwriter: Andrew Bujalski
A take on self improvement culture in America – with all it’s promise and absurdity – stuffed into a peculiar romantic comedy. Cast: Guy Pearce, Cobie Smulders, Kevin Corrigan, Giovanni Ribisi, Anthony Michael Hall, Brooklyn Decker, Constance Zimmer

Salt of the Earth
Director: Wim Wenders, Juliano Riberio Salgado, Screenwriters: Juliano Ribeiro Salgado, Wim Wenders
For the last 40 years, photographer Sebastião Salgado has been travelling through the continents, in the footsteps of an ever-changing humanity. He is now embarking on the discovery of pristine territories, which is a tribute to the planet’s beauty.

Unexpected
Director: Kris Swanberg, Screenwriters: Kris Swanberg, Megan Mercier
An inner-city high school teacher discovers she is pregnant at the same time as one of her most promising students and the two develop an unlikely friendship while struggling to navigate their unexpected pregnancies. Cast: Cobie Smulders, Anders Holm, Gail Bean, Elizabeth McGovern

The Visit
Director/Screenwriter: Michael Madsen
This film documents an event that has never taken place – man’s first encounter with intelligent life from space.

Welcome to Leith
Directors: Michael Beach Nichols, Christopher K. Walker
A white supremacist attempts to take over a small town in North Dakota.

Western
Directors: Bill Ross, Turner Ross
For generations, all that distinguished Eagle Pass, Texas, from Piedras Negras, Mexico, was the Rio Grande. But when darkness descends upon these harmonious border towns, a cowboy and lawman face a new reality that threatens their way of life.

SPECIAL EVENTS

Experiential cinema, cult re-issues & much more. Our Special Events section offers unusual, unexpected & unique one-off film events.

7 Days In Hell
Director: Jake Szymanski, Screenwriter: Murray Miller
A fictional documentary-style expose on the rivalry between two tennis stars who battled it out in a 1999 match that lasted seven days. Cast: Andy Samberg, Kit Harrington, Michael Sheen, Will Forte, Lena Dunham, Fred Armisen, Mary Steenburgen, Karen Gillan, John McEnroe, Serena Williams (World Premiere)

Doug Benson & Master Pancake interrupt Leprechaun 3 (1995)
Director: Brian Trenchard-Smith
“The directness with which this movie went to video is apparent in nearly every single element.” Tim Brayton, Antagony and Ecstasy. Cast: Warwick Davis, John Gatins, Lee Armstrong

Jonathan Demme Presents Made In Texas
Directors: Louis Black, Mark Rance
The restoration of six films made in Austin in the early 1980s including David Boone’s Invasion of the Aluminum People. The program was originally curated by Jonathan Demme and presented at the Collective for Living Cinema in NYC. (World Premiere)

The Road Warrior
Director: George Miller, Screenwriters: Terry Hayes, George Miller
In the post-apocalypse future, where humans fight over the few remaining stores of gasoline, Mad Max offers to drive a tanker through a gauntlet of psychos to safety on the coast. Special Q&A to follow with George Miller. Cast: Mel Gibson, Bruce Spence, Virginia Hey, Emil Minty, Kjell Nilsson, Max Phipps, Vernon Wells, David Slingsby, Steve J. Spears

A Space Program
Director: Van Neistat, Screenwriters: Van Neistat, Tom Sachs
The artist Tom Sachs and his team of bricoleurs build a handmade space program and send two female astronauts to Mars. Cast: Sam Ratanarat, Mary Eannarino, Tom Sachs, Evan Murphy, Chris Beeston, Pat McCarthy, Nick Doyle, Kevin Hand, Jeff Lurie, Jared Vandeusen (World Premiere)

Trainwreck
Director: Judd Apatow, Screenwriters: Amy Schumer, Judd Apatow
Blockbuster filmmaker Judd Apatow (The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Knocked Up, This Is 40) directs Universal Pictures’ Trainwreck, starring breakout comedic actress Amy Schumer (Inside Amy Schumer). Cast: Amy Schumer, Bill Hader, Brie Larson, Colin Quinn, Vanessa Bayer, Tilda Swinton, Lebron James, John Cena (Debut of a Work in Progress)

Vertical Cinema
Director: Sonic Acts
Vertical Cinema is a series of ten newly commissioned large-scale works by experimental filmmakers and audiovisual artists, which are presented on 35mm celluloid and projected vertically with a custom-built projector. (North American Premiere)

I was pleasantly surprised in the amount of quality films that I saw at the 2014 SXSW Film Festival, although I admit that I was fairly selective in the titles I wanted to see. My favorites range from time-traveling comedies to 80s throwbacks to absurd cult deprogramming. There were only a couple letdowns in the little more than a dozen films I saw, but even those had at least some redeeming qualities to them. A quick list of the more buzzed about films at the festival that I didn’t get a chance to see (thus didn’t make my list); Boyhood, Wild Canaries, Buzzard, and 10,000KM (Long Distance).

7 Favorite Films From SXSW 2014

#7 – Frank

What makes Frank such an entertaining watch is its whimsical approach to the outlandish storytelling. I had a couple minor issues with the film, but as a whole Frank is a sidesplitting comedy about finding one’s inner creativity.
Frank review

#6 – Ping Pong Summer

Apparently it was the year for 80s throwbacks at SXSW. While The Guest (also on this list) is a throwback to the action/thriller genre from that era, Ping Pong Summer is a nostalgic family vacation story that is filled with just about every cheesy cliché from the decade. It’s totally rad!
Ping Pong Summer review

#5 – The Internet’s Own Boy: The Story of Aaron Swartz

You don’t have to be a tech geek to understand the brilliance of computer programming guru Aaron Swartz or the impact of his work that prematurely ended when extraneous federal charges pressured him into committing suicide. This documentary reminds us that limiting the access to information is crippling on all levels.
The Internet’s Own Boy: The Story of Aaron Swartz review

#4 – Open Windows

Serving as an exploitation of technology and a satire on our obsession with Hollywood stars, Nacho Vigalondo’s Open Windows is a high concept thrill ride with numerous twists and turns along the way. Comparisons to a 21st century Rear Window aren’t unjust.
Open Windows review

#3 – The Infinite Man

The Infinite Man is an impressive directorial debut from Hugh Sullivan who bravely tackles the complex subject of time-travel with relative comfort. Intending to fix an anniversary weekend gone awry, the main character creates a machine to travel back in time to save his relationship.
The Infinite Man review

#2 – The Guest

The only midnight film I caught at the festival happened to be one of my favorites. The Guest is a 80s inspired atmospheric thriller that wonderfully combines Terminator like action with a pulsating soundtrack and thrills of Halloween. This is the perfect film to watch with a rowdy midnight crowd.
The Guest review

#1 – Faults

One of the most unique films I saw at the festival this year was an off the wall comedy called Faults, a film about an eccentric cult deprogrammer who is hired by a couple to help snap their daughter out of a cult spell. Faults is completely absurd and challenging in all the right ways.
Faults review

Before I Disappear

Shawn Christensen converts his Academy Award winning short film featuring a man who discovers his motivation to stay alive into a full feature film with Before I Disappear. Richie (Christensen) is asked to turn the other way when a woman is found dead on the floor of a bathroom from a heroin overdose. Feeling a stronger connection to her than any living person in his life, Richie considers this to be the final straw of his own miserable life. But as he sits in a bathtub filled with his own blood, a phone call interrupts his attempted suicide. On the other line is his estranged sister (Emmy Rossum) begging him to watch her daughter niece (Fatima Ptacek) Sophia.

Richie reluctantly agrees to look after Sophia for the night, but as the night progresses he realizes that this opportunity for him to actually do something worthwhile in his life. There are other subplots in the film involving Richie owing a debt to a mysterious man and befriending the boyfriend of the dead woman he found in the beginning, but these developments to not add much to enhance the central narrative. Just as she does in the short film, Ptacek steals the show with her sassy, but smart role as the pivotal component that turns Richie’s life around. It’s difficult to say if Before I Disappear generates the same level of heartfelt emotions that the short film it was based from did, however, fans of the source material are likely to at least appreciate this extension.

RATING: 6.8

The Internet’s Own Boy: The Story of Aaron Swartz

Through the abundant use of early home videos, Brian Knappenberger’s documentary The Internet’s Own Boy: The Story of Aaron Swartz shows that Aaron Swartz was somewhat of a prodigy at an early age when he begins to recite the alphabet and read. Going up on computers at a young age, Swartz effortlessly learned how to write programming languages and soon become obsessed with them. Before he finished high school, Swartz built an open-access encyclopedia that allowed others to add and edit entries. This sounds very similar to the idea behind the 5th most visited website on the planet, Wikipedia. Though Swartz wrote his own version years before Wikipedia was even launched. Other impressive technology accolades in his life include helping develop RSS, co-founding Reddit, and launching Creative Commons.

Swartz had always been a programming wunderkind, but alongside his technical abilities was his enthusiastic philosophy that information should be accessible by the public. He eventually became a political hacktivist and wrote a script that would automatically download all of the academic journal articles from JSTOR that MIT had access to. The FBI took notice and later outrageously charged him with 13 counts of felony and a fine of up to $1 million.

It was nice to see the documentary not dwelling on the actual details of Swartz’s suicide and instead keeping the focus on the impact of death on everyone around him. Occasionally the film meanders on some of the topics it brings up, specifically when it went into more detail surrounding the SOPA bill than it needed.

It’s absolutely heartbreaking that a man who believed information should be free would be bullied by the government just to be made an example of, ultimately leading him to take his own life. Through Aaron Swartz’s tragic but inspiring story, The Internet’s Own Boy delivers the important message of just how critical access to knowledge is, and that by limiting our access, it limits our ability to learn, evolve, and create. And that’s a message worth listening to.

RATING: 7.7

Frank

An aspiring keyboardist named Jon (Domhnall Gleeson) stumbles into an impeccable opportunity when he walks passed a band that just so happens to need a keyboardist after theirs recently tried to drown himself in the ocean. The best part about this band is that the lead singer, Frank (played by Michael Fassbender), wears a giant papier mache head at all times—even while sleeping and eating, making those situations hysterical. When Jon asks the band member how Frank is able to brush his teeth, he is given the perfect reply, “You’re going to just have to go with it.” It’s this kind of tongue-in-cheek attitude that makes Frank so entertaining to watch.

Unfortunately, Frank doesn’t always bother to follow its own rules. Inside of the third act, the film felt obligated to explain too much of its self, disrupting the go with the flow mentality that came before it. That being said, Frank is still an absurdist comedy about discovering inner creativity that is worth seeking out–especially at SXSW since the festival makes an appearance in the film.

RATING: 7.3

The Guest

Perhaps the most exciting collaboration in the horror genre as of late is director Adam Wingard and writer Simon Barrett. Together the duo has previously worked on the V/H/S series and more recently in the horror/comedy You’re Next. Continuing with their trend of genre mashing, their latest effort in The Guest takes the action and badassery of The Terminator and mixes it with the style and sound of Halloween.

A solider (Dan Stevens) shows up at a door claiming to know the owners son before he passed away in the war. He is a charming man with hypnotic blue eyes and is handsomely built. The family accepts him into the house after he plays his cards right, radiating more cool than even Ryan Gosling could exude. Eventually one of the family members begins to grow suspicious of him after showing signs of trying to hide his true identity.

Using the same equipment used on the soundtrack of John Carpenter’s Halloween 3, the energetic synth soundtrack in The Guest superbly produces the pacing for the mayhem that unfolds. Even though the main character is clearly the villain, I found myself still rooting for him at times—like when he helps one of the family members from being bullied at school. The Guest is like an atmospheric 80s action thriller that is intentionally overacted and exaggerated. The story is not very elaborate, but that doesn’t matter when you’re having this much fun.

RATING: 8.2

Joe

Director David Gordon Green returns to the indie festival circuit after last year’s Prince Avalanche with a new film starring Nicholas Cage and Tye Sherdian entitled, Joe. Named after one of the main characters (Cage), Joe is about an ex-con who operates a forest clearing business. Set in the hot and humid summer in the Deep South, Joe hires a 15-year-old drifter named Gary (Sherdian) who is eager to work under any circumstances.

If Gary isn’t throwing punches at people that underestimate his strength, he is receiving punches from his abusive piss drunk father. Joe takes it upon himself to take Gary under his wing and begins to form a father figure type bond with the young teenager. What unfolds is brutally violent film that centers on this unlikely friendship that provides a safe haven from his nasty home life.

The biggest problem in Joe is that the film insists on reinforcing what has already been well established. Just about everyone in the film holds a drink in one hand and a cigarette in the other, and if you add up the aspirations of all the characters, it would amount to almost nothing. Strong performances and beautiful scenery found within Joe are undeniable, but the graphic exploitation of its characters takes so much focus that it becomes overwhelmingly exhausting.

RATING: 6.6

Faults

Austin native Riley Stearns hits it out of the park with his first feature-length film Faults, which follows an eccentric cheapskate named Ansel Roth (expertly played by Leland Orser) who is considered an expert deprogrammer of cult members. Willing to do anything for a free breakfast, Ansel agrees to hear out a husband and wife’s plea to deprogram their daughter named Claire (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), who has been brainwashed by a cult called Faults. He accepts the job after his previous manager demands a large sum of cash that he is unable to pay back.

Faults starts off as a comedy–a fantastic opening scene involves Ansel trying to use an invalid coupon at a restaurant–then quickly morphs into darker territory when Ansel is hired to kidnap and deprogram Claire. This beyond bizarre comedy features an incredible plot twist near the end that involves Ansel losing own mind while attempting to correct Claire’s. Faults is challenging film in all the right ways and was the most satisfying film that I have seen at SXSW so far.

RATING: 8.4

The Infinite Man

It’s pretty hard to believe that The Infinite Man is Hugh Sullivan’s feature directorial debut as very few attempt to make a science fiction film in the independent world because of budget restraints. And only a fraction of those who do take the leap would even consider doing a sophisticated time-travel story. The Infinite Man takes a rather simple idea and expands on it by adding several layers of visual flair and complexity due to interweaving time-travel–imagine Nacho Vigalondo’s Timecrimes with an influence of Wes Anderson’s stylishness.

The question at the center of The Infinite Man asks, if you could time-travel back into the past, would you try to fix certain parts that went wrong or try to redo the whole thing? At the beginning we are introduced to a peculiar engineer named Dean (Josh McConville) who dreams about the perfect anniversary weekend to spend with his girlfriend Lana (Hannah Marshall). As a sucker for nostalgia, Dean takes Lana out to the same place they went to last year (even wearing the same clothes), but upon arrival they realize that the once hopping hotel is now completely deserted. And this is only the start of their problems.

Not long after they pop a bottle of champagne, the couple’s anniversary gets cut extremely short when Lana’s ex-boyfriend Terry (Alex Dimitriades) shows up out of nowhere. Terry is essentially the alter ego of Dean; muscular body type, exudes confidence, and plays it cool with a cigarette hanging out of his mouth at all times. Luckily, Dean is able to create a machine that goes back in time, so that he can stop the man from stealing away his girl. Which sounds good in theory, but what ensues is a hilarious infinite time loop of running into his future self while attempting to overwrite the past.

The Infinite Man received a lot of well-deserved laughs from the audience and roaring applause during the credits. The film was gorgeously shot on a semi-abandoned motel park in South Australia, which makes the perfect location for this science experiment gone wrong. One of the strongest assets of the film was its special effects editing–considering the plot often featured the same character on screen interacting with alternate versions of themselves. The Infinite Man might just be the best time traveling indie film since Primer.

RATING: 8

After last year’s surprise breakout film Short Term 12, many people are wondering if the SXSW Film Festival will premiere another indie sensation. Only time will tell if lightning will strike twice in Austin, but at the very least the festival’s reputation is at an all-time high. With a hefty lineup of 133 feature films, there are plenty of independent films to choose from, but I managed to narrow down ten of my most anticipated films at the 2014 SXSW Film festival.

I will be attending SXSW this year for Way Too Indie, so make sure to check back for coverage and follow us on Twitter for instant updates.

Creep

I am not ashamed to admit that the main reason Creep landed on this list is because Mark Duplass is listed as a co-writer and lead actor. And then I read the wacky synopsis for the film–a man strapped for cash comes across a Craigslist ad for a $1,000 one-day job in a remote mountain town, but then discovers that the client may not be who he says he is. Adding to the overall intrigue, Creep supposedly fits into the genres of comedy, horror, and romance; a curious mixture that I cannot wait to witness.

Frank

Despite receiving a mixed response from its premiere at Sundance, Frank remains a must-see for me at the festival. This oddball comedy features Michael Fassbender as the mysterious musical genius who spends the majority of the film wearing a gigantic plastic head. The satirical tone of the film looks to be only outmatched by its absurdity, making it easy to understand why audiences are so divided on Frank.

Open Windows

Open Windows is Spanish filmmaker Nacho Vigalondo’s third feature film and the first of which to be in the English-language. This is a real-time suspense thriller about a man’s desperate search to track down his abducted girlfriend. Open Windows is said to be heavily influenced by ‘70s paranoid thrillers and is shown through the point of view of a screen on a laptop computer. I am excited to see what the filmmaker has up his sleeve, considering his history of making high-concept sci-fi thrillers (Timecrimes and Extraterrestrial).

Boyhood

Richard Linklater’s coming of age drama, Boyhood, received the Best Director award a couple weeks ago at the Berlin Film Festival. This ambitious project follows a family over the course of 12 actual years, which allows the audience to observe the cast members mature as they would in real life. Although Boyhood is not a documentary like Michael Apted’s Up series, Linklater experiments with a similar concept and the results could be quite intriguing.

Animals

In his first full-length feature, Collin Schiffli’s Animals tells the story of a troubled young couple who live out of their car and rely on stealing in order to survive. The reality of their situation is realized when one of them gets hospitalized. The film stars David Dastmalchian (Prisoners, The Dark Knight) and Kim Shaw (The Good Wife) and has one of the founding members of Passion Pit (Ian Hultquist) as the composer for the original score.

The Heart Machine

After combing through the entire festival lineup (a daunting task), The Heart Machine caught my eye for a few reasons. The primary reason is that the film stars John Gallagher Jr., who was the talk of the town in Austin after starring in last year’s Short Term 12. Another attention-grabbing credit is the director Zachary Wigon, a current film critic for The Village Voice. Lastly, the idea behind the film is fascinating–a man in a long-distance relationship begins to suspect his girlfriend to actually be living in the same city as him all along.

Joe

There are many reasons why the film Mud comes to mind when looking at David Gordon Green’s Joe. Not only are both films named after the three-letter name of their main character, but both films also star Tye Sheridan as a young kid who forms an unlikely bond with said characters. This indie film might just be what Nicholas Cage’s career needs at this point in order for people to start respecting him as an actor again.

Oculus

Our very own C.J. Prince caught Oculus last year at the Toronto International Film Festival and praised the film for its originality and well-written screenplay. Mike Flanagan’s Oculus will screen in the Midnighters section of SXSW, a program that features various hair-raising horror films to a midnight crowd. The film centers on an antique mirror called the Lasser Glass, which forces its owners to harm themselves as well as others. There is a good chance that audiences in Austin are going to be freaked out by the film, I surely hope I am as well.

The Guest

Another film I want to see from the Midnighters program is Adam Wingard’s The Guest. Similar to his recent work in You’re Next, Wingard seems to mix together equal parts humor and horror in this throwback thriller. The Guest received unanimously positive responses from the midnight crowd during its world premiere at Sundance earlier this year. And I expect similar results at SXSW.

Before I Disappear

Based on his 2013 Academy Award winning short film Curfew, Shawn Christensen’s film is about a man whose suicidal thoughts are suddenly interrupted by a phone call from his estranged sister. The wide range of emotions he was able to pack into a short film impressed me, but I wondered how the film would transition into a full-length feature some day. Luckily, I will not have to wonder for much longer.

The dust is now settling in Park City after Sundance finished up a week or two ago, meanwhile the people in Austin are getting prepared for the onslaught of crowds for the SXSW festival of films, music, and technology. Today the lineup for the 2014 SXSW Film Festival has been revealed. As usual, there were a couple Sundance standouts such as Richard Linklater’s Boyhood and Lenny Abrahamson’s Frank that will be making an appearance at the festival. Other noteworthy titles in the lineup include; Creep that was written by and stars Mark Duplass, Nacho Vigilondo’s Open Windows, David Gordon Green’s Joe, Nicholas Stoller’s Neighbors, Bad Words, and many, many more. See the full list of films below.

I will be attending SXSW this year, so be sure to check back for coverage and follow us on Twitter for instant updates.

SXSW 2014 Full Lineup

NARRATIVE FEATURE COMPETITION

Eight world premieres, eight unique ways to celebrate the art of storytelling. Selected from 1,324 films submitted to SXSW 2014. Films screening in Narrative Feature Competition are:

10,000KM (Spain)
Director: Carlos Marques Marcet, Screenwriters: Carlos Marques-Marcet, Clara Roquet Autonell
A year of a long distance relationship, two computers and two cities – Los Angeles and Barcelona, can love survive 6,000 miles? Cast: Natalia Tena, David Verdaguer (World Premiere)

Animals
Director: Collin Schiffli, Screenwriter: David Dastmalchian
Jude and Bobbie are a young, homeless couple who masterfully con and steal in an attempt to stay one step ahead of their addiction. They are ultimately forced to face the reality of their situation when one of them is hospitalized. Cast: David Dastmalchian, Kim Shaw, John Heard (World Premiere)

Before I Disappear
Director/Screenwriter: Shawn Christensen
Based on the 2013 Academy Award® winning short film Curfew. At the lowest point of his life, Richie gets a call from his estranged sister, asking him to look after his eleven-year-old niece, Sophia, for a few hours. (World Premiere)
Cast: Shawn Christensen, Fatima Ptacek, Emmy Rossum, Paul Wesley, Ron Perlman, Richard Schiff

Fort Tilden
Directors/Screenwriters: Sarah-Violet Bliss, Charles Rogers
It shouldn’t be this hard for Allie and Harper to get to the beach. (World Premiere)
Cast: Bridey Elliott, Clare McNulty, Griffin Newman, Jeffrey Scaperrotta, Neil Casey

The Heart Machine
Director/Screenwriter: Zachary Wigon
A man begins to suspect that his long-distance girlfriend, whom he met online but has never met in person, has been living in the same city the whole time and sets out to find her. (World Premiere)
Cast: John Gallagher Jr., Kate Lyn Sheil, David Call, Louisa Krauss

I Believe in Unicorns
Director/Screenwriter: Leah Meyerhoff
I Believe in Unicorns follows the lyrical journey of an imaginative teenage girl who runs away from home with an older punk rock drifter, but not even unicorns can save her now. (World Premiere)
Cast: Natalia Dyer, Peter Vack, Julia Garner, Amy Seimetz, Toni Meyerhoff

The Mend
Director/Screenwriter: John Magary
A dark comedy about rage, doubt, lust, madness and other brotherly hand-me-downs. (World Premiere)
Cast: Josh Lucas, Stephen Plunkett, Lucy Owen, Mickey Sumner, Austin Pendleton

Wild Canaries
Director/Screenwriter: Lawrence Michael Levine
When their elderly neighbor suddenly drops dead, a young Brooklyn couple investigates signs of foul play. (World Premiere)
Cast: Sophia Takal, Lawrence Michael Levine, Alia Shawkat, Annie Parisse, Jason Ritter

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE COMPETITION

Selected from 892 submissions, the eight world premieres in the Documentary Feature category bring real world stories to life, demonstrating innovation, energy and bold voices.

Films screening in Documentary Feature Competition are:

Beginning With The End
Director: David Marshall
Beginning With the End takes viewers on a profound, and profoundly moving, journey with a group of high school seniors working as trained hospice volunteers — a story of beginnings and endings in a year of self-discovery and awakening. (World Premiere)

Born To Fly
Director: Catherine Gund
Born To Fly pushes the boundaries between action and art, daring us to join choreographer Elizabeth Streb and her dancers in pursuit of human flight. (World Premiere)
*SXsports screening

The Great Invisible
Director: Margaret Brown
Penetrating the oil industry’s secretive world, The Great Invisible examines the Deepwater Horizon disaster through the eyes of oil executives, explosion survivors and Gulf Coast residents who were left to pick up the pieces when the world moved on. (World Premiere)

The Immortalists
Directors: Jason Sussberg, David Alvarado
Two eccentric scientists struggle to create eternal youth in a world they call “blind to the tragedy of old age.”  As they battle their own aging and suffer the losses of loved ones, their scientific journeys ultimately become personal. (World Premiere)

Impossible Light
Director: Jeremy Ambers
Impossible Light reveals the drama and the daring of artist Leo Villareal and a small team of visionaries who battle seemingly impossible challenges to turn a dream of creating the world’s largest LED light sculpture into a glimmering reality. (World Premiere)

Mateo
Director: Aaron I. Naar
Mateo follows America’s most notorious white mariachi singer on his misadventures in Cuba. (World Premiere)

Print the Legend
Directors: Luis Lopez, Clay Tweel
The 3D Printing revolution has begun. Who will make it? (World Premiere)

Vessel
Director: Diana Whitten
A fearless sea captain, Dr. Rebecca Gomperts, sails a ship through loopholes in international law, providing abortions on the high seas, and leaving in her wake a network of emboldened activists who trust women to handle abortion on their own terms. (World Premiere)

HEADLINERS

Big names, big talent: Headliners bring star power to SXSW, featuring red carpet premieres & gala film events with major & rising names in cinema.

Films screening in Headliners are:

Chef
Director/Screenwriter: Jon Favreau
Chef is a rich and vibrant comedy – the story of Carl Casper (Favreau), who loses his chef job and cooks up a food truck business in hopes of reestablishing his artistic promise. At the same time, he tries to reconnect with his estranged family.
Cast: Jon Favreau, Sofia Vergara, Scarlett Johansson, John Leguizamo, Bobby Cannavale, Dustin Hoffman, Oliver Platt, Robert Downey, Jr., Emjay Anthony (World Premiere)

Joe
Director: David Gordon Green, Screenwriters: Larry Brown, Gary Hawkins
A gripping mix of friendship, violence and redemption erupts in the contemporary South in this adaptation of Larry Brown’s novel. Cast: Nicolas Cage, Tye Sheridan
(U.S. Premiere)

Neighbors
Director: Nicholas Stoller, Screenwriters: Andrew J. Cohen, Brendan O’Brien
Seth Rogen, Zac Efron and Rose Byrne lead the cast of Neighbors, a comedy about a young couple suffering from arrested development who are forced to live next to a fraternity house after the birth of their newborn baby. Cast: Seth Rogen, Zac Efron, Rose Byrne, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Dave Franco, Ike Barinholtz, Lisa Kudrow
(Worldwide Debut – work-in-progress)

Predestination (Australia)
Directors/Screenwriters: Michael Spierig, Peter Spierig
A riveting adventure through time centered on a secret government time traveling agency designed to prevent future killers and terrorists from committing their crimes.
Cast: Ethan Hawke, Sarah Snook, Noah Taylor
(World Premiere)

Veronica Mars
Director/Screenwriter: Rob Thomas, Screenwriter: Diane Ruggiero
Years after walking away from her past as a teenage private eye, Veronica Mars gets pulled back to her hometown, an ex-boyfriend with baggage, and an unraveling murder mystery.
Cast: Kristen Bell, Jason Dohring, Krysten Ritter, Ryan Hansen, Enrico Colantoni
(World Premiere)

NARRATIVE SPOTLIGHT

High profile narrative features receiving their World, North American or US Premieres at SXSW.

Films screening in Narrative Spotlight are:

Break Point
Director: Jay Karas, Screenwriters: Gene Hong, Jeremy Sisto
Two estranged brothers reunite to make an improbable run at a grand slam tennis tournament. The mismatched pair, with some unlikely help from a precocious 11-year-old boy, re-discover their game and their brotherhood.
Cast: Jeremy Sisto, David Walton, Joshua Rush, J.K. Simmons, Amy Smart (World Premiere)
*SXsports screening

CESAR CHAVEZ
Director: Diego Luna, Screenwriters: Keir Pearson, Timothy J. Sexton
Chávez chronicles the birth of a modern American movement led by famed civil rights leader and labor organizer, Cesar Chavez. Cast: Rosario Dawson, John Malkovich, Michael Pena, America Ferrera, Gabriel Mann (North American Premiere)

Faults
Director/Screenwriter: Riley Stearns
An expert on cults is hired by a mother and father to kidnap and deprogram their brainwashed daughter. He soon begins to suspect the parents may be more destructive than the cult he’s being hired to save her from. Cast: Leland Orser, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Chris Ellis, Lance Reddick, Jon Gries (World Premiere)

The Frontier
Director/Screenwriter: Matt Rabinowitz, Screenwriter: Carlos Colungu
An estranged son travels back home to confront his overbearing father to see if there is any relationship left between them.
Cast: Max Gail, Coleman Kelly, Anastassia Sendyk, Katherine Cortez, Oliver Seitz
(World Premiere)

Kelly & Cal
Director: Jen McGowan, Screenwriter: Amy Lowe Starbin
Kelly & Cal explores the heartfelt, somewhat absurd moments in our lives when we seek out a little bit of extra attention. Cast: Juliette Lewis, Jonny Weston, Josh Hopkins, Cybil Shepherd
(World Premiere)

The Mule (Australia)
Directors: Angus Sampson, Tony Mahony, Screenwriters: Leigh Whannell, Angus Sampson
In 1983, a naive man is detained by Australian Federal Police with lethal narcotics hidden in his stomach. Caught, ‘The Mule’ makes a desperate choice…to defy his bodily functions and withhold the evidence…literally. Cast: Hugo Weaving, Angus Sampson, Leigh Whannell, Ewen Leslie, Geoff Morrell, Georgina Haig, Noni Hazlehurst, John Noble
(World Premiere)

A Night In Old Mexico (USA / Spain)
Director: Emilio Aragón, Screenwriter: William D. Wittliff
Forced to give up his land and home, Texas rancher Red Bovie isn’t about to retire quietly in a dismal trailer park. Instead he hits the road with his estranged grandson for one last adventure.
Cast: Robert Duvall, Jeremy Irvine, Angie Cepeda, Luis Tosar, Joaquín Cosio
(World Premiere)

Patrick’s Day (Ireland)
Director/Screenwriter: Terry McMahon
A young man with mental health issues becomes intimate with a suicidal air hostess but his obsessive mother enlists a dysfunctional cop to separate them.
Cast: Kerry Fox, Moe Dunford, Catherine Walker, Philip Jackson
(World Premiere)

Sequoia
Director: Andy Landen, Screenwriter: Andrew Rothschild
Faced with stage three cancer, a young woman sets out to end her life on her own terms, in Sequoia National Park. Cast: Aly Michalka, Dustin Milligan, Todd Lowe, Demetri Martin, Sophi Bairley
(World Premiere)

She’s Lost Control
Director/Screenwriter: Anja Marquardt
Ronah’s life unravels when she starts working with a new client, Johnny.
Cast: Brooke Bloom, Marc Menchaca, Dennis Boutsikaris, Laila
(North American Premiere)

Take Care
Director/Screenwriter: Liz Tuccillo
After being hit by a car, a woman (Leslie Bibb) comes home to realize her friends don’t really want to take care of her. Desperate for help, she turns to an unlikely source.
Cast: Leslie Bibb, Thomas Sadoski, Betty Gilpin, Michael Stahl David, Nadia Dajani
(World Premiere)

Thank You a Lot
Director/Screenwriter: Matt Muir
A struggling, two-bit music manager will lose his job unless he signs a reclusive country music singer, James Hand, who also happens to be his estranged father. Cast: Blake DeLong, James Hand, Robyn Rikoon, Sonny Carl Davis, Jeffery Da’Shade Johnson
(World Premiere)

Things People Do
Director: Saar Klein, Screenwriters: Joe Conway, Saar Klein
Bill Scanlin loses his job and embarks on a life of crime. As Bill stays ahead of the law, he discovers that sometimes the only thing worse than getting caught is getting away with it.
Cast: Wes Bentley, Jason Isaacs, Vinessa Shaw, Haley Bennett
(North American Premiere)

Two Step
Director/Screenwriter: Alex R. Johnson
Two Step is a fast-paced Texas thriller in which the lives of James, a directionless college dropout, and Webb, a career criminal with his back against the wall, violently collide.
Cast: Beth Broderick, James Landry Hébert, Skyy Moore, Jason Douglas, Ashley Rae Spillers
(World Premiere)

We’ll Never Have Paris
Directors: Jocelyn Towne, Simon Helberg, Screenwriter: Simon Helberg
We’ll Never Have Paris is a clumsy and at once human account of screwing up on a transcontinental level in a noble effort to win back “the one.” Cast: Simon Helberg, Maggie Grace, Melanie Lynskey, Alfred Molina, Zachary Quinto, Jason Ritter
(World Premiere)

DOCUMENTARY SPOTLIGHT

Shining a light on new documentary features receiving their World, North American or U.S. Premieres at SXSW.

Films screening in Documentary Spotlight are:

Above All Else
Director: John Fiege
A former stuntman and high wire artist puts his family and future on the line when he rallies a group of East Texas landowners and activists to blockade the controversial Keystone XL pipeline. (World Premiere)

Butterfly Girl
Director: Cary Bell
Abbie came of age in honky tonks, defying her life threatening disease, but all the while longing for an identity of her own. Now that she is 18, how much is she willing to sacrifice for her independence? (World Premiere)

DamNation
Directors: Travis Rummel, Ben Knight
This powerful film odyssey across America explores the sea change in national attitude from pride in big dams as engineering wonders to the growing awareness that our own future is bound to the life and health of our rivers. (World Premiere)

Doc of the Dead
Director: Alexandre O. Philippe
The definitive zombie culture documentary, from the makers of The People vs. George Lucas. Doc of the Dead traces the rise and evolution of the zombie genre, its influence on pop culture, and investigates the possibility of an actual zombie outbreak. (World Premiere)

Harmontown
Director: Neil Berkeley
A comedic, brutally honest documentary following self-destructive TV writer Dan Harmon (NBC’s Community) as he takes his live podcast on a national tour. (World Premiere)

LADY VALOR: The Kristin Beck Story
Directors: Sandrine Orabona, Mark Herzog
A former U.S. Navy Seal seeks life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness living life as a transgender woman. (World Premiere)

The Legend Of Shorty (UK)
Directors: Angus MacQueen, Guillermo Galdos
The Legend of Shorty is the story of a man and a myth. (World Premiere)

Manny
Directors: Ryan Moore, Leon Gast
From abject poverty to international hero, Manny Pacquiao rose to fame in the boxing ring. At the height of his career, Manny entered the political arena. As history’s only boxing Congressman, Manny is faced with a new challenge. (World Premiere)
*SXsports screening

Seeds of Time
Director: Sandy McLeod
Seeds of Time follows agriculture pioneer Cary Fowler’s global journey to save the eroding foundation of our food supply in a new era of climate change. (North American Premiere)

Supermensch
Director: Mike Myers
Mike Myers makes his directorial debut with this star-packed documentary about the legendary Shep Gordon, who managed the careers of Alice Cooper, Blondie, Luther Vandross, and Raquel Welch — and still had time to invent the “celebrity chef”. (U.S. Premiere)

That Guy Dick Miller
Director: Elijah Drenner
That Guy Dick Miller is the incredible true story of the wannabe-writer, turned accidental character-actor.
(World Premiere)

Wicker Kittens
Director: Amy C. Elliott
Every January, the country’s largest jigsaw puzzle contest is held in St. Paul, Minnesota. Wicker Kittens invites you to choose your favorite team and watch them try to put the pieces back together. (World Premiere) *SXsports screening

VISIONS

Audacious, risk-taking artists in the new cinema landscape that demonstrate raw innovation and creativity in documentary and narrative filmmaking.

Films screening in Visions are:

Arlo and Julie
Director/Screenwriter: Steve Mims
A neurotic couple’s obsession with a mysterious puzzle comically unravels their world, disconnecting them from reality and jeopardizing their fragile relationship.
Cast: Alex Dobrenko, Ashley Spillers, Chris Doubek, Sam Eidson, Hugo Zesati (World Premiere)

Beyond Clueless (UK)
Director: Charlie Lyne
Narrated by cult teen star Fairuza Balk, Beyond Clueless is a dizzying journey into the mind, body and soul of the teen movie, as seen through the eyes of over 200 modern coming-of-age classics. (World Premiere)

Big Significant Things
Director/Screenwriter: Bryan Reisberg
A week before they move across the country together, Craig lies to his girlfriend in order to go on his first road trip – to the south. Alone. Cast: Harry Lloyd, Krista Kosonen (World Premiere)

Buzzard
Director/Screenwriter: Joel Potrykus
Devil masks, metal, video games, Mountain Dew, and a Party Zone. Scheming slackers of the world unite and take over!
Cast: Joshua Burge, Joel Potrykus, Teri Ann Nelson, Alan Longstreet, Rico Bruce Wade (World Premiere)

Creep
Director/Screenwriter: Patrick Brice, Screenwriter: Mark Duplass
When a videographer answers a Craigslist ad for a one-day job in a remote mountain town, he finds his client is not at all what he initially seems. Cast: Mark Duplass, Patrick Brice (World Premiere)

Cumbres (Heights) (Mexico)
Director/Screenwriter: Gabriel Nuncio
Due a tragedy, two sisters abruptly escape from their hometown in Northern Mexico. Their journey creates a bittersweet relationship marked by pain, guilt and love.
Cast: Aglae Lingow, Ivanna Michel, Abdul Marcos, Sergio Quiñones, Ganzo Cepeda (U.S. Premiere)

The Dance of Reality (Chile / France)
Director/Screenwriter: Alejandro Jodorowsky
The Dance of Reality is a 2013 independent autobiographical film written, produced and directed by Alejandro Jodorowosky. Cast: Brontis Jodorowsky, Pamela Flores, Jeremias Herskovits, Cristobal Jodorowsky, Bastián Bodenhöfer, Alejandro Jodorowsky (U.S. Premiere)

Evaporating Borders (USA / Cyprus)
Director: Iva Radivojevic
Evaporating Borders is a poetically photographed and rendered film on tolerance and search for identity. Told through 5 vignettes portraying the lives of migrants on the island of Cyprus, it passionately weaves themes of displacement and belonging. (North American Premiere)

Evolution of a Criminal
Director: Darius Clark Monroe
How does a 16 year-old evolve into a bank robber? (World Premiere)

Housebound (New Zealand)
Director/Screenwriter: Gerard Johnstone
When Kylie Bucknell is sentenced to home detention, she’s forced to come to terms with her unsociable behaviour, her blabbering mother and a hostile spirit who seems less than happy about the new living arrangement.
Cast: Morgana O’Reilly, Rima Te Wiata, Glen-Paul Waru, Cameron Rhodes, Millen Baird (World Premiere)

The Infinite Man (Australia)
Director/Screenwriter: Hugh Sullivan
The Infinite Man is a time travel comedy-romance about a man whose attempts to construct the perfect romantic weekend backfire when he traps his lover in an infinite loop.
Cast: Josh McConville, Hannah Marshall, Alex Dimitriades (World Premiere)

Open Windows (Spain)
Director/Screenwriter: Nacho Vigalondo
Nick’s a lucky guy – he’s having dinner with Jill Goddard, the hottest actress on earth. Then a guy named Chord calls: dinner’s been canceled. And it’s Jill’s fault. But Chord’s got something better… A 21st Century Rear Window. Cast: Elijah Wood, Sasha Grey, Neil Maskell, Adam Quintero, Ivan Gonzalez (World Premiere)

Other Months
Director/Screenwriter: Nick Singer
Marking time as an itinerant plumber, and haunted by recurrent nightmares, Nash hungers for the fleeting ecstasies of nightclubs and bedrooms. Other Months is a stark, honest portrait of disconnection—a young man coming to face his paralysis. Cast: Christopher Bonewitz, Britannie Bond, Emma Morrison-Cohen, Liam Ahern, David Rudi Utter (World Premiere)

The Possibilities Are Endless (UK)
Directors: Edward Lovelace, James Hall
Scottish musician, Edwyn Collins’ world was shattered by a devastating stroke. After fighting back from the brink of death, he discovers that life, love and language mean even more to him that he could ever have imagined. (World Premiere)

Premature
Director/Screenwriter: Dan Beers, Screenwriter: Mathew Harawitz
On the most important day of his young life, a high school senior is forced to relive his failed attempt at losing his virginity over and over again, until he gets it right.
Cast: John Karna, Katie Findlay, Craig Roberts, Carlson Young, Adam Riegler (World Premiere)

Song from the Forest (Germany)
Director: Michael Obert
A modern epic set between rainforest and skyscrapers. (North American Premiere)

Space Station 76
Director/Screenwriter: Jack Plotnick, Screenwriters: Jennifer Cox, Sam Pancake, Kali Rocha, Michael Stoyanov
Welcome to the future of the past.
Cast: Patrick Wilson, Liv Tyler, Matt Bomer, Marisa Coughlan, Kylie Rogers (World Premiere)

Surviving Cliffside
Director: Jon Matthews
A West Virginia family faces illness, addiction, and gun violence—while their daughter makes a run for Little Miss West Virginia. (World Premiere)

The Wilderness of James
Director/Screenwriter: Michael Johnson
A restless teenager explores the wilderness of his city while struggling with the absence of his father. Cast: Kodi Smit-McPhee, Virginia Madsen, Isabelle Fuhrman, Evan Ross, Danny DeVito (World Premiere)

EPISODIC (*New screening section)

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.

Shows premiering in Episodic are:

COSMOS: A SpaceTime Odyssey
Directors: Brannon Braga, Bill Pope, Screenwriters: Ann Druyan, Steven Soter
COSMOS: A SpaceTime Odyssey is a thrilling, 13-part adventure across the universe of space and time revealed by science, exploring humanity’s heroic quest for a deeper understanding of nature.
Narrator: Neil deGrasse Tyson

Deadbeat
Director: Troy Miller, Written And Co-Created By: Cody Heller, Brett Konner
Kevin Pacalioglu may have no money and no clue, but he does have one thing–he can see dead people. Faced with New York’s most stubborn ghosts, our hapless medium goes to whatever lengths necessary to help finish their unfinished business. Cast: Tyler Labine, Cat Deeley, Brandon T. Jackson, Lucy DeVito (World Premiere)

From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series – Pilot
Director/Screenwriter: Robert Rodriguez
The Gecko Brothers are back. Based on the thrill-ride film, From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series is a supernatural crime saga from Creator, Director and EP Robert Rodriguez premiering March 11 on El Rey Network.
Cast: D.J. Cotrona, Zane Holtz, Eiza González, Jesse Garcia, Lane Garrison, and Wilmer Valderrama, and Don Johnson (World Premiere)

Halt and Catch Fire
Director: Juan Jose Campanella, Screenwriters: Christopher Cantwell, Christopher C. Rogers
Halt and Catch Fire captures the rise of the PC era in the early 1980s, during which an unlikely trio – a visionary, an engineer and a prodigy – take personal and professional risks in the race to build a computer that will change the world as they know it. Cast: Lee Pace, Scoot McNairy, Mackenzie Rio Davis, Kerry Bishe, Toby Huss, David Wilson Barnes (World Premiere)

Penny Dreadful (USA / UK)
Directors: John Logan, Juan Antonio Bayona, Screenwriter: John Logan
Penny Dreadful is a psychological horror series that re-imagines literature’s most terrifying characters (Dr. Frankenstein, Dorian Gray and iconic figures from the novel Dracula) in a whole new light.
Cast: Josh Hartnett, Timothy Dalton, Eva Green, Reeve Carney, Rory Kinnear, Billie Piper, Danny Sapani, Harry Treadaway (World Premiere)

Silicon Valley
Director: Mike Judge, Created By: Mike Judge & John Altschuler & Dave Krinsky,
Episode One Written By Mike Judge & John Altschuler & Dave Krinsky.
Episode Two Written By Carson Mell.
The new HBO series Silicon Valley takes a comic look at the modern-day epicenter of the high-tech gold rush, where the people most qualified to succeed are the least capable of handling success.
Cast: Thomas Middleditch, T.J. Miller, Zach Woods, Kumail Nanjiani, Martin Starr, Josh Brener, Christopher Evan Welch, Amanda Crew, Matt Ross (World Premiere)

24 BEATS PER SECOND

Showcasing the sounds, culture & influence of music & musicians, with an emphasis on documentary.

Films screening in 24 Beats Per Second are:

The 78 Project Movie
Director: Alex Steyermark
The 78 Project is a journey to connect today’s musicians with the recordings of the past. Using a 1930’s Presto recorder, artists get one take to cut a 78rpm record anywhere, finding in that adventure a new connection to our shared cultural legacy. (World Premiere)

AMERICAN INTERIOR (Wales)
Directors: Dylan Goch, Gruff Rhys
Two men. Two quests. Two centuries apart. Four ways to experience the search for a lost tribe. Film. Book. Album . App. (World Premiere)

The Case of the Three Sided Dream
Director: Adam Kahan
The documentary film on the life and legacy of Rahsaan Roland Kirk – a one of a kind musician, personality, activist and windmill slayer who despite being blind, becoming paralyzed, and facing America’s racial injustices – did not relent. (World Premiere)

Deep City
Directors: Dennis Scholl, Marlon Johnson
Deep City is an inspirational story that explores the early days of soul music in South Florida, the pioneers of that era and their lasting contributions to the broader American musical landscape. (World Premiere)

God Help the Girl (UK)
Director/Screenwriter: Stuart Murdoch
An indie musical from Stuart Murdoch of Belle and Sebastian about two girls and a boy and the music they made one Glasgow summer.
Cast: Emily Browning, Olly Alexander, Hannah Murray, Pierre Boulanger, Cora Bissett

JOHNNY WINTER: DOWN & DIRTY
Director: Greg Olliver
A down & dirty documentary on the life and career of blues legend Johnny Winter, featuring Edgar Winter, James Cotton, Billy Gibbons, Warren Haynes, Luther Nallie, Tommy Shannon, Susan Tedeschi, Derek Trucks and more. (World Premiere)

Leave The World Behind (UK)
Director: Christian Larson
A documentary following the break-up of Swedish House Mafia and their subsequent One Last Tour. A rare look at the electronic scene, amazing live footage and the psychological drama of 3 guys who walked away from everything to save their friendship. (World Premiere)

Our Vinyl Weighs A Ton (This Is Stones Throw Records)
Director: Jeff Broadway
Our Vinyl Weighs A Ton is a feature-length documentary about avant-garde Los Angeles-based record label Stones Throw Records.

Que Caramba es la Vida (Germany)
Director: Doris Dörrie
In the macho world of Mariachi music, very few women can hold their own. Just like the songs they play, this film is a snapshot of life, death and the things in between – seen from a bird’s-eye perspective. (World Premiere)

Road To Austin
Director: Gary Fortin
Road To Austin, chronicles how Austin, Texas became the Live Music Capital of the World, dating from 1835 to present day. The film builds to a climax and weaves its way towards an all-star live performance led by Stephen Bruton and his 14-piece band. (World Premiere)

Rubber Soul
Director/Screenwriter: Jon Lefkovitz
Rubber Soul reconstructs portions of two historical interviews with John Lennon and Yoko Ono based on available transcripts and audio, juxtaposing them in order to explore the dynamic nature of Lennon’s identity over time. Cast: Joseph Bearor, Denice Lee, Dillon Porter, Andrew Perez (World Premiere)

Sheffield: Sex City (UK)
Director: Florian Habicht
Dylan said ‘Don’t Look Back’ – but what happens if you do? (World Premiere)

Soul Boys of the Western World (UK)
Director: George Hencken
A voyage through the heart of the 80s with one of the decade’s most iconic bands, Spandau Ballet, this archive-only film tells the story of a group of working-class London lads who created a global music Empire, but at a price none of them imagined. (World Premiere)

SVDDXNLY
Director: David Laven
SVDDXNLY uncovers the young life and career of A$AP Rocky and the A$AP Mob, from humble Harlem beginnings to their rapid rise to fame. (World Premiere)

Take Me to the River
Director: Martin Shore
Take Me to the River is a film about the soul of American music. The film follows the recording of a new album featuring legends from Stax records and Memphis mentoring and passing on their musical magic to stars and artists of today. (World Premiere)

The Winding Stream
Director: Beth Harrington
The Winding Stream is the story of the American music dynasty, the Carters and Cashes, and their decades-long influence on popular music. (World Premiere)

SXGLOBAL

A diverse selection of International filmmaking talent, featuring innovative narratives, artful documentaries, premieres, festival favorites and more.

Films screening in SX Global are:

The Desert (Argentina)
Director: Christoph Behl
The failed story of a love triangle in a post-apocalyptic world.
Cast: Victoria Almeida, William Prociuk, Lautaro Delgado (North American Premiere)

For Those in Peril (UK)
Director/Screenwriter: Paul Wright
In a remote Scottish town, a young man is the lone survivor of a strange fishing accident that claimed the lives of 5 men. Spurred on by sea-going folklore, the village blames him for this tragedy, making him an outcast amongst his own people.
Cast: George Mackay, Michael Smiley, Nichola Burley, Kate Dickie (North American Premiere)

The Special Need (Germany / Italy / Austria)
Director: Carlo Zoratti
Searching for “the first time” Alex, Carlo and their autistic friend Enea find a lot more than they were looking for… (North American Premiere)

Ukraine Is Not A Brothel (Australia)
Director: Kitty Green
A feature documentary that reveals the truth behind Ukraine’s topless feminist sensation, ‘Femen’.

Wetlands (Germany)
Director: David F. Wnendt, Screenwriters: Claus Falkenberg, David F. Wnendt
18-year-old Helen has her very own view on life, hygiene and good sex. she loves to shock people with unexpected and un-girly behavior.
Cast: Carla Juri, Christoph Letkowski, Meret Becker, Marlen Kruse, Peri Baumeister

A Wolf at the Door (Brazil)
Director/Screenwriter: Fernando Coimbra
A nerve-rattling tale of a kidnapped child and the distraught parents left behind that captures the darkness that ensues when panic breeds suspicion and love turns to hate.
Cast: Milhelm Cortaz, Leandra Leal, Fabiula Nascimento (U.S. Premiere)

FESTIVAL FAVORITES

Acclaimed standouts & selected previous premieres from festivals around the world.

Films screening in Festival Favorites are:

Bad Words
Director: Jason Bateman, Screenwriter: Andrew Dodge
Jason Bateman’s feature directorial debut is the subversive comedy Bad Words. Bateman stars as Guy, who finds a loophole in the rules of a national spelling bee and causes trouble by hijacking the competition.
Cast: Jason Bateman, Kathryn Hahn, Rohan Chand, Philip Baker Hall, Allison Janney

Boyhood
Director/Screenwriter: Richard Linklater
One family’s journey shot over the course of 12 years.
Cast: Patricia Arquette, Ethan Hawke, Ellar Coltrane, Lorelei Linklater

The Case Against 8
Directors: Ben Cotner, Ryan White
A behind-the-scenes look inside the case to overturn California’s ban on same-sex marriage. Shot over five years, the film follows the unlikely team that took the first federal marriage equality lawsuit to the U.S. Supreme Court.

The Dog
Directors: Allison Berg, Frank Keraudren
An astonishing documentary portrait of the late John Wojtowicz, whose attempted robbery of a Brooklyn bank to finance his male lover’s sex-reassignment surgery was the real-life inspiration for the classic Al Pacino film Dog Day Afternoon.

For No Good Reason (England)
Director: Charlie Paul
Johnny Depp pays a call on his friend and hero Ralph Steadman and we take off on a high-spirited, raging and kaleidoscopic journey discovering the life and works of one of the most distinctive radical artists of the last 50 years.

Frank
Director: Lenny Abrahamson, Screenwriters: Jon Ronson, Peter Straughan
Frank is a comedy about a young wannabe musician, Jon, who discovers he’s bitten off more than he can chew when he joins a band of eccentric musicians led by the mysterious and enigmatic Frank and his terrifying sidekick, Clara. Cast: Domhnall Gleeson, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Michael Fassbender, Scoot McNairy, Carla Azar

Hellion
Director/Screenwriter: Kat Candler
When 13-year-old Jacob’s delinquent behavior results in the authorities placing his little brother Wes with their aunt, he and his emotionally absent father must finally take responsibility for their actions and each other in order to bring Wes home. Cast: Aaron Paul, Juliette Lewis, Josh Wiggins, Deke Garner, Jonny Mars

The Internet’s Own Boy:  The Story of Aaron Swartz
Director: Brian Knappenberger
The story of programming prodigy and information activist Aaron Swartz, from the development of RSS and Reddit to his groundbreaking work in political organizing and the tragic taking of his own life at the age of 26.

JIMI: All Is By My Side
Director/Screenwriter: John Ridley
Covering a year in Hendrix’s life from 1966-67, the film presents an intimate portrait of the sensitive young musician on the verge of becoming a rock legend.
Cast: Andre Benjamin, Hayley Atwell, Imogen Poots, Ruth Negga, Adrian Lester (U.S. Premiere)

Kumiko, The Treasure Hunter
Director/Screenwriter: David Zellner, Screenwriter: Nathan Zellner
A lonely Japanese woman abandons her structured life in Tokyo to seek a satchel of money rumored to be hidden in the Minnesota wilderness.
Cast: Rinko Kikuchi, Nobuyuki Katsube, David Zellner, Nathan Zellner, Shirley Venard

No No: A Dockumentary
Director: Jeffrey Radice
In the 1970s Dock Ellis pitched a no-hitter on LSD and courted conflict and controversy, but his latter years were spent helping others recover from addiction. No No: A Dockumentary weaves a surprising story of a life in and out of the spotlight.
*SXsports screening

Obvious Child
Director/Screenwriter: Gillian Robespierre
Obvious Child is an unapologetically honest comedy about what happens when 27 year‑old Brooklyn stand-up comedian Donna Stern (Jenny Slate) gets dumped, fired and pregnant just in time for Valentine’s Day.
Cast: Jenny Slate, Jake Lacy, Gaby Hoffmann, Gabe Liedman, David Cross

Only Lovers Left Alive
Director/Screenwriter: Jim Jarmusch
A story centered on two vampires who have been in love for centuries.
Cast: Tom Hiddleston, Tilda Swinton, Mia Wasikowska, John Hurt, Anton Yelchin

Ping Pong Summer
Director/Screenwriter: Michael Tully
Coming soon…Summer 1985.
Cast: Susan Sarandon, John Hannah, Lea Thompson, Amy Sedaris, Robert Longstreet

The Raid 2
Director/Screenwriter: Gareth Evans
Picking up from right where the first film ends, The Raid 2 follows Rama as he goes undercover and infiltrates the ranks of a ruthless Jakarta crime syndicate in order to protect his family and uncover the corruption in the police force.
Cast: Iko Uwais, Yayan Ruhian, Arifin Putra, Oka Antara, Tio Pakusadwo

SPECIAL EVENTS

Live Soundtracks, cult re-issues & much more. Our Special Events section offers unusual, unexpected & unique film event one-offs.

All American High: Revisited
Director: Keva Rosenfeld
All American High: Revisited is a time capsule of teen life in the 1980s, a long-lost documentary that captures an unforgettable era through the eyes of those who lived it.

Double Play: James Benning and Richard Linklater (France / Portugal / US)
Director: Gabe Klinger
A documentary portrait of the friendship between the renowned filmmakers James Benning and Richard Linklater. (U.S. Premiere)

GODZILLA: THE JAPANESE ORIGINAL (Japan)
Director: Ishiro Honda, Screenwriters: Takeo Murata, Ishiro Honda
The 1954 classic that inspired the modern monster movie (national re-release from Rialto Pictures in April). Q&A with Gareth Edwards, director of the summer 2014 film Godzilla, from Warner Bros Pictures and Legendary Pictures. Cast: Takashi Shimura, Akira Takarada, Momoko Kochi

The Grand Budapest Hotel – Extended Q&A with Wes Anderson
Director/Screenwriter: Wes Anderson
The Grand Budapest Hotel recounts the adventures of Gustave H, a legendary concierge at a famous European hotel between the wars; and Zero Moustafa, the lobby boy who becomes his most trusted friend.  The story involves the theft and recovery of a priceless Renaissance painting; a raging battle for an enormous family fortune; a desperate chase on motorcycles, trains, sleds, and skis; and the sweetest confection of a love affair – all against the back-drop of a suddenly and dramatically changing Continent.
Cast: Ralph Fiennes, Tony Revolori, F. Murray Abraham, Mathieu Amalric, Adrien Brody, Willem Dafoe, Jeff Goldblum, Jude Law, Bill Murray, Edward Norton, Saoirse Ronan, Jason Schwartzman, Tilda Swinton, Tom Wilkinson, Owen Wilson

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre – 40th Anniversary Screening
Director/Screenwriter: Tobe Hooper, Screenwriter: Kim Henkel
An idyllic summer afternoon becomes a terrifying nightmare for five young friends after they stumble upon the home of a depraved Texas clan. Cast: Marilyn Burns, Paul A. Partain, Edwin Neal, Jim

The winners of the 2013 SXSW Film Festival were announced last night with Destin Daniel Cretton’s Short Term 12 winning the Grand Jury prize for Narrative Feature. The other Grand Jury Winner was Ben Nabors’ documentary William and the Windmill.

The full list of 2013 SXSW Film Festival Award Winners:

Grand Jury Winner: Short Term 12
Director: Destin Daniel Cretton

Special Jury Recognition for Ensemble Cast: Burma
Christopher Abbott
Gaby Hoffmann
Christopher McCann
Dan Bittner
Emily Fleischer
Jacinta Puga
Matt McCarthy
Kelly Aucoin

Special Jury Recognition for Acting: Tishuan Scott, The Retrieval

Grand Jury Winner: William and the Windmill
Director: Ben Nabors

Winner: Ellen is Leaving
Director: Michelle Savill

Honorable Mention: Sequin Raze
Director: Sarah Gertrude Shapiro

Honorable Mention: SKIN
Director: Jordana Spiro

Winner: SLOMO
Director: Josh Izenberg

Winner: The Apocalypse
Director: Andrew Zuchero

Winner: Oh Willy…
Directors: Emma De Swaef & Marc James Roels

Winner: Vitalic, “Stamina”
Director: Saman Keshavarz

Winner: The Benefactress
Director: Alina Vega

Winner: Kiss of the Damned
Designer: Akiko Stehrenberger, Gravillis Inc

Special Jury Recognition: We Always Lie To Strangers
Designer: Erik Buckham, PALACEWORKS

Winner: Joven & Alocada
Designer: Pablo González, Fabula

Special Jury Recognition: Crave
Designer: Raleigh Stewart, Iron Helmet

Winner: Hannah Fidell for A Teacher

Special Mention: Katie Graham for Zero Charisma

Winner: Loves Her Gun
Directors: Geoff Marslett

Presented to: Jim Hession

The Jury and Audience Award winners of the 2012 SXSW Film Festival have been announced. Taking the top honors are Gimme The Loot for Grand Jury Winner for Narrative Feature and Beware of Mr. Baker for Grand Jury Winner for Documentary Feature.

2012 SXSW Film Festival had a total of over 5,300 film submissions, which was nearly a 7% increase over last year (which held the previous record of 4,911). Of the 275 selected films there were 74 world premieres, 17 North American premieres and 11 U.S. premieres. There were close to 150 documentaries that were selected this year.

The entire list of 2012 SXSW Film Festival Award Winners:

Grand Jury Winner: Gimme The Loot
Director: Adam Leon

Special Jury Recognition for Performance:
Jamie Chung – Eden
Besedka Johnson – Starlet
Nico Stone – Booster

Grand Jury Winner: Beware of Mr. Baker
Director: Jay Bulger

Winner: Eden
Director: Megan Griffiths

Winner: Bay of All Saints
Director: Annie Eastman

Winner: The Chair
Director: Grainger David

Winner: CatCam
Director: Seth Keal

Winner: Don’t Hug Me I’m Scared
Directors: Rebecca Sloan & Joseph Pelling

Winner: The Perfect Fit
Director: Tali Yankelevich

Winner: (notes on) biology
Director: Danny Madden

Winner: Battles, “My Machines”
Director: DANIELS

Winner: Spark
Director: Annie Silverstein

Winner: Boom
Director: Daniel Matyas & Brian Broder

Winner: Man & Gun
Designer: Justin Cox

Special Jury Recognition: Pitch Black Heist/em>
Designer: Andrew Cranston