SXSW Film Alumni Releases – October and November 2020

We are heading into fall with some new releases to cozy up with.

SXSW Film Festival alumni films on release this October and November include Alex Fischer and Eleanor Wilson's Save Yourselves!, a comedy following a disconnected couple who miss the news that the planet is under attack; Paul Shoulberg's Ms. White Light; Cooper Raiff's Shithouse, the winner of the 2020 SXSW Film Grand Jury Award for Narrative Feature Competition; and more.

Catch more alumni films already in theaters or streaming from our September releases to add to your watchlist. Subscribe to SXSW Film Community Newsletters to stay up to date with Film news and more.

Insert Coin

World Premiere Documentary Feature, 2020

Insert Coin is the amazing behind-the-scenes story of one of the greatest video game studios of all time – Midway Games. Led by the “Godfather of Videogames” Eugene Jarvis, the company pioneered the concept of live action gaming, kickstarting a new arcade boom and grossing billions of dollars in the process with massive hits like Mortal Kombat and NBA Jam. Through intimate and often hilarious interviews with the people who were there, we witness how a small, tight-knit group of friends deal with next level success and the roller coaster ride that comes with it.

Alamo Drafthouse on Demand and Virtual Cinemas November 25.

Coded Bias

Documentary Feature, 2020

A groundbreaking documentary feature on bias in artificial intelligence, and the women data scientists fighting to expose its threat to civil rights and democracy.

In Virtual Cinemas November 11.

The Climb

Narrative Feature, 2020

Kyle and Mike are best friends who share a close bond — until Mike sleeps with Kyle's fiancée. The Climb is about a tumultuous but enduring relationship between two men across many years of laughter, heartbreak and rage. It is also the story of real-life best friends who turn their profound connection into a rich, humane and frequently uproarious film about the boundaries (or lack thereof) in all close friendships.

In theaters November 13.

Crazy Not Insane

World Premiere Documentary Feature, 2020

Why do we kill? Why do some of us kill, and others resist the temptation? What makes a serial killer? Dr. Dorothy Otnow Lewis, a psychiatrist who's worked with numerous serial killers, including Ted Bundy, Arthur Shawcross and Joel Rifkin, has been looking to answer these questions for decades. Fascinated by the human brain and its capacity for ruthlessness, she has spent her life investigating the interior lives of violent people. With each case, she came closer to developing a unified field theory of what makes a killer. Along the way - steering away from the conventional wisdom of her colleagues - she explored the world of multiple personality disorder.

On HBO November 18.

Donut King

Documentary Feature, 2020

The Donut King, Ted's story is one of fate, love, survival, hard knocks, and redemption. It's the rags to riches story of a refugee escaping Cambodia, arriving in America in 1975 and building an unlikely multi-million dollar empire baking America’s favorite pastry, the donut. Ted sponsored hundreds of visas for incoming refugees and helped them get on their feet teaching them the ways of the donut business. By 1979 he was living the American Dream. But, in life, a great rise can come with great falls.

In theaters October 30 and VOD November 20.

Zappa

World Premiere Documentary Feature, 2020

There has yet to be a film about the life and times of the brilliant and genuinely maverick musician Frank Zappa. Director Alex Winter and his team have crafted a documentary from over a thousand hours of mostly unseen material from Zappa’s personal vault. Zappa is an expansive and intimate portrait of an extraordinary artist who was also fully engaged with the turbulent politics of his day.

In theaters and on demand November 27.

Shithouse

World Premiere, Narrative Feature 2020

A homesick college freshman goes to a party at Shithouse and ends up spending the night with his sophomore RA who's had a shitty day and wants someone to hang out with.

In theaters and on demand October 16.

Ms. White Light

World Premiere, Narrative Feature, 2019

Ms. White Light is the story of Lex Cordova, a young woman who counsels terminally ill clients that have trouble letting go. While proving uniquely talented in her ability to connect with the dying, Lex is at a total loss when it comes to dealing with everyone else. Armed with only the misguided guidance of Gary, her father and business partner, unsolicited loyalty from Nora, a former client obsessed with samurai culture, and an awkward romance with Spencer, a seductive, but morally ambiguous psychic, Lex struggles to help Valerie, her most challenging client yet.

Digital release October 6.

The Pushback

World Premiere, Documentary Feature, 2020

The Pushback is a documentary about progressive Texans standing up and fighting for social justice across their state.

Virtual Release October 5.

Save Yourselves!

Narrative Feature, 2020

A young Brooklyn couple head upstate to disconnect from their phones and reconnect with themselves. Cut off from their devices, they miss the news that the planet is under attack.

In theaters October 2.

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