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

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