Emily Blunt in A QUIET PLACE, from Paramount Pictures.

2018 Film Lineup

The 2018 SXSW Film Festival lineup featured an outstanding range of new films, screening bold independent productions alongside the year's standout Hollywood blockbusters.


About Films

 

For nine days in March, creatives of all stripes gather for the acclaimed SXSW Film Festival Program to celebrate raw innovation and emerging talent from both behind and in front of the camera. Browse the 2018 lineup by screening section below.

Browse by section: Narrative Feature Competition | Documentary Feature Competition | Headliners | Narrative Spotlight | Documentary Spotlight | Visions | Midnighters | Episodic | 24 Beats Per Second | Global | Festival Favorites | Special Events | Narrative Shorts | Documentary Shorts | Animated Shorts | Midnight Shorts | Music Videos | Texas Shorts | Texas High School Shorts | Independent Episodics | VR | Title Design Competiton.

Narrative Feature Competition

 

Ten world premieres; ten unique ways to celebrate the art of storytelling. Selected from 1,408 narrative feature submissions in 2018.

Family (World Premiere)
Director/Screenwriter: Laura Steinel
When an emotionally stunted 30 year-old woman is tasked with watching her awkward and bullied 12 year old niece for the week, she finds her life unfurling when the girl runs away to be a juggalo. Cast: Taylor Schilling, Bryn Vale, Brian Tyree Henry, Jessie Ennis, Blair Beeken, Matt Walsh, Allison Tolman, Eric Edelstein, Kate McKinnon, Fabrizio Guido.

First Match (World Premiere)
Director/Screenwriter: Olivia Newman
Hardened by years in foster care, a teenage girl from Brooklyn's Brownsville neighborhood decides that wrestling boys is the only way back to her estranged father. Cast: Elvire Emanuelle, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Colman Domingo, Jharrel Jerome, Jared Kemp.

Jinn (World Premiere)
Director/Screenwriter: Nijla Mu'min
A shape-shifting, pepperoni-loving, black teenage Instagram celebrity explores her identity and sexuality in the midst of her mother's conversion to Islam. Cast: Zoe Renee, Simone Missick, Kelvin Harrison, Jr., Hisham Tawfiq, Kelly Jenrette, Dorian Missick, Ashlei Foushee, Maya Morales, Damien D. Smith.

The New Romantic (Canada - World Premiere)
Director/Screenwriter: Carly Stone
Frustrated with the lack of chivalrous guys her own age, a college senior gives up on dating for love to date an older man in exchange for gifts instead. Cast: Jessica Barden, Hayley Law, Brett Dier, Timm Sharp, Avan Jogia, Camila Mendes.

SADIE (World Premiere)
Director/Screenwriter: Megan Griffiths
While her father is away serving in the military, Sadie battles to preserve his place on the home front when her mother takes an interest in a new man. Cast: Melanie Lynskey, Sophia Mitri Schloss, John Gallagher Jr., Danielle Brooks, Tony Hale, Keith Williams, Tee Dennard.

Shotgun (World Premiere)
Directors/Screenwriters: Hannah Marks, Joey Power
A young couple's relationship develops quickly when one of them is diagnosed with a life-changing illness. Cast: Maika Monroe, Jeremy Allen White, DeRon Horton, Marisa Tomei, Sasha Lane, Joe Keery, Gina Gershon, Dean Winters, Olivia Luccardi.

Summer '03 (World Premiere)
Director/Screenwriter: Becca Gleason
On her deathbed, Jamie’s grandmother leaves her with two pieces of information: one involves a baptism, the other a blowjob. This sets Jamie and her family on an emotional roller coaster ride while she falls for the wrong guy at the wrong time. Cast: Joey King, Andrea Savage, Paul Scheer, Jack Kilmer, Erin Darke, Stephen Ruffin, Kelly Lamor Wilson, Logan Medina, June Squibb.

Thunder Road (World Premiere)
Director/Screenwriter: Jim Cummings
Officer Arnaud loved his Mom. Cast: Kendal Farr, Jim Cummings, Nican Robinson, Jocelyn DeBoer, Macon Blair, Bill Wise, Jordan Fox, Chelsea Edmondson .

The Unicorn (World Premiere)
Director: Robert Schwartzman, Screenwriters: Nick Rutherford, Kirk C. Johnson, Will Elliott
Facing the fourth year of their engagement, an indecisive couple is thrust into the most uncomfortable night of their lives by intentionally and unintentionally involving a third party in their relationship. Cast: Lauren Lapkus, Nick Rutherford, Lucy Hale, Beck Bennett, Dree Hemingway, Beverly D'Angelo, John Kapelos, Maya Kazan, Darrell Britt-Gibson, Kyle Mooney.

Write When You Get Work (World Premiere)
Director/Screenwriter: Stacy Cochran
Write When You Get Work is a comedy of money and access, a NY love story set in the Bronx and at a pricey school for girls on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. Years after they’ve parted ways, Jonny Collins pursues Ruth Duffy for love -- and profit. Cast: Emily Mortimer, Finn Wittrock, Rachel Keller, Scott Cohen, Jessica Hecht, James Ransone, Andrew Schulz, Tess Frazer, Afton Williamson, Zarif Kabier.

Documentary Feature Competition

 

Ten world premieres: ten real world stories that demonstrate innovation, energy and bold voices. Selected from 1,050 feature documentary submissions in 2018.

Chi-Town (World Premiere)
Director: Nick Budabin
An underdog basketball player from Chicago goes on a meteoric rise to become one of the best college point guards in the nation. But while he pursues dreams of the NBA, his success contrasts with the effects of gun violence on his friends back home.

Garry Winogrand: All Things are Photographable (World Premiere)
Director: Sasha Waters
Freyer Artist. Iconoclast. Man of his time. All Things are Photographable is a revealing documentary portrait of the life and work of acclaimed photographer Garry Winogrand – the epic storyteller in pictures of America across three turbulent decades.

The Gospel of Eureka (World Premiere)
Directors: Michael Palmieri, Donal Mosher, Screenwriter: Donal Mosher
Faith, love and civil rights collide on voting day in a small Southern town that hosts a famous performance of the last days of Christ and an infamous gospel drag show. The new documentary by the award winning directors of October Country.

¡Las Sandinistas! (Nicaragua, United States) (World Premiere)
Director: Jenny Murray
¡Las Sandinistas! uncovers the disappearing stories of women who shattered barriers to lead combat and social reform during Nicaragua’s 1979 Sandinista Revolution, and who continue to lead Nicaragua's current struggle for democracy and equality.

People's Republic of Desire (China) (World Premiere)
Director: Hao Wu
In China’s popular live-streaming showrooms, three millennials – a karaoke singer, a migrant worker and a rags-to-riches comedian – seek fame, fortune and human connection, ultimately finding the same promises and perils online as in their real lives.

Social Animals (World Premiere)
Director: Jonathan Ignatius Green, Screenwriters: Carol Martori, Jonathan Ignatius Green, Peter Garriott
A daredevil photographer, an aspiring swimsuit model, and a midwest girl next door are all looking for the same things from their Instagram accounts––a little love, acceptance and, of course, fame––and they’ll do just about anything to get it.

This One's For The Ladies (World Premiere)
Director: Gene Graham
This One’s For The Ladies explores the sexual and social identity of contemporary black America through intimate, eye opening and often hilarious accounts from women and men who find love and community in the underground world of exotic dancing.

TransMilitary (World Premiere)
Directors: Gabriel Silverman, Fiona Dawson, Screenwriters: Jamie Coughlin, Gabriel Silverman
At a time when transgender people are banned from serving in the U.S. military, four of the thousands of transgender troops risking discharge fight to attain the freedom they so fiercely protect.

Weed The People (World Premiere)
Director: Abby Epstein
Weed the People captures the uplifting and heart-wrenching struggles of families who treat their cancer-stricken children with marijuana, some with astonishing results.

The World Before Your Feet (World Premiere)
Director: Jeremy Workman
For over 6 years, Matt Green, 37, has been walking every street in New York City – a total of more than 8000 miles. The World Before Your Feet tells the story of one man’s unusual quest and the journey of discovery, humanity, and wonder that ensues.

Headliners

 

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

A Quiet Place (World Premiere)
Director: John Krasinski, Screenwriters: Bryan Woods, Scott Beck, and John Krasinski, Producers: Platinum Dunes
If they can’t hear you, they can’t hunt you. Cast: Emily Blunt, John Krasinski, Noah Jupe, and Millicent Simmonds.

Blockers (World Premiere)
Director: Kay Cannon, Screenwriters: Brian Kehoe & Jim Kehoe, Jon Hurwitz & Hayden Schlossberg, Eben Russell
When three parents discover their daughters’ pact to lose their virginity at prom, they launch a covert one-night operation to stop the teens from sealing the deal. Cast: Leslie Mann, Ike Barinholtz, John Cena, Kathryn Newton, Geraldine Viswanathan, Gideon Adlan.

Boundaries (World Premiere)
Director/Screenwriter: Shana Feste
Laura and her troubled son Henry are forced to drive her estranged, pot-dealing, carefree father Jack across country after being kicked out of a nursing home. Cast: Vera Farmiga, Christopher Plummer, Lewis MacDougall, Bobby Cannavale, Kristen Schaal, Dolly Wells, Yahya Abdul-Mateen , Christopher Lloyd, Peter Fonda.

PARADOX (World Premiere)
Director/Screenwriter: Daryl Hannah
A loud Poem. A whimsical western tale of music and love. Cast: Neil Young, Lukas Nelson, Micah Nelson, Corey McCormick, Anthony LoGerfo, Tato Melgar, Willie Nelson, Charris Ford, Dulcie Clarkson Ford.

Final Portrait (United Kingdom, United States) (North American Premiere)
Director/Screenwriter: Stanley Tucci
Final Portrait is the story of the touching and offbeat friendship between world renowned artist Alberto Giacometti and American writer and art-lover James Lord, based on Lord’s memoir. Cast: Geoffrey Rush, Armie Hammer, Clémence Poésy, Tony Shalhoub, Sylvie Testud. *

Isle of Dogs (North American Premiere) (United States, United Kingdom)
Director/Screenwriter: Wes Anderson
Set in Japan, Isle of Dogs follows a boy's odyssey in search of his dog. Cast: Bryan Cranston, Koyu Rankin, Edward Norton, Bob Balaban, Bill Murray, Jeff Goldblum, Kunichi Nomura, Akira Takayama, Greta Gerwig, Frances McDormand, Akira Ito, Scarlett Johansson, Harvey Keitel, F. Murray Abraham, Yoko Ono, Tilda Swinton, Ken Watanabe, Mari Natsuki, Fisher Stevens, Nijiro Murakami, Liev Schreiber, Courtney B. Vance.

Narrative Spotlight

 

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

6 Balloons (World Premiere)
Director/Screenwriter: Marja Lewis Ryan
Over the course of one night, a woman drives across LA with her heroin addict brother in search of a detox center, with his two year old daughter in tow. Cast: Abbi Jacobson, Dave Franco, Charlotte Carel, Madison Carel, Jane Kaczmarek, Dewan Owens, Tim Matheson, Jen Tullock, Maya Erskine, Heidi Sulzman.

All Square (World Premiere)
Director: John Hyams, Screenwriter: Timothy Brady
A down-on-his-luck bookie befriends an ex-girlfriend's son and gets the bright idea to take bets on hi(Noerth American Premiere)s youth league baseball games; only to realize he's killed what's pure about the sport as the games turn ugly when money is on the line. Cast: Michael Kelly, Josh Lucas, Pamela Adlon, Tom Everett Scott, Isiah Whitlock Jr., Harris Yulin, Yeardley Smith, Jesse Ray Sheps, Jay Larson, Craig Walker.

Anchor and Hope (Spain) (North American Premiere)
Director/Screenwriter: Carlos Marques-Marcet
When the best friend of a bohemian lesbian couple agrees to be their surrogate, the three friends set out on an unconventional journey to start a family. Cast: Natalia Tena, Oona Chaplin, David Verdaguer, Geraldine Chaplin.

A Bluebird in My Heart (Belgium, France) (World Premiere)
Director/Screenwriter: Jérémie Guez
Attempting to lead a quiet reformed life, an ex-con finds refuge in a motel run by a single mother and her daughter Clara. The peace and freedom he has found in this safe haven disappears when Clara is assaulted, forcing him to face his old demons Cast: Roland Moller, Veerle Baetens, Lola Le Lann, Lubna Azabal.

The Breaker Upperers (New Zealand) (World Premiere)
Directors/Screenwriters: Jackie van Beek, Madeleine Sami
Two women run a business breaking up couples for cash but when one develops a conscience their friendship unravels. Cast: Jackie van Beek, Madeleine Sami, Celia Pacquola, James Rolleston, Ana Scotney.

Brother’s Nest (World Premiere) (Australia)
Director: Clayton Jacobson, Screenwriter: Jaime Browne
With their Mother dying of cancer, intent on changing her will to benefit her “new” husband before she dies, two brothers go to extreme and deadly lengths to protect their inheritance from being signed away before it’s too late. Cast: Shane Jacobson, Clayton Jacobson, Lynette Curran, Kim Gyngell, Sarah Snook.

Fast Color (World Premiere)
Director: Julia Hart, Screenwriters: Julia Hart, Jordan Horowitz
In this genre-bending supernatural drama, a woman is forced to go on the run when her extraordinary abilities are discovered. Years after having abandoned her family, the only place she has left to hide is home. Cast: Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Lorraine Toussaint, Saniyya Sidney, Christopher Denham, David Strathairn.

First Light (Canada) (World Premiere)
Director/Screenwriter: Jason Stone A close encounter with mysterious lights sends two teens on the run after one discovers she has extraordinary but dangerous powers. Cast: Stefanie Scott, Theodore Pelerine, Said Taghmaoui.

Galveston (World Premiere)
Director/Screenwriter: Melanie Laurent
After surviving a setup by his criminal boss, a hitman rescues a young prostitute and flees with her to Galveston, Texas, where the two find strength in each other as dangerous pursuers and the shadows of their pasts follow close behind. Cast: Ben Foster, Elle Fanning, Beau Bridges, Adepero Aduye, Robert Aramayo, Lili Reinhart, Maria Valverde.

The Legacy of a Whitetail Deer Hunter (World Premiere)
Director: Jody Hill
The great hunter Buck Ferguson (Josh Brolin) and his trusted cameraman Don (Danny McBride) set out for an epic weekend adventure to reconnect with Buck’s young son (Montana Jordan). Cast: Josh Brolin, Danny McBride, Scoot McNairy, Montana Jordan.

Most Likely To Murder (World Premiere)
Director: Dan Gregor, Screenwriters: Dan Gregor, Doug Mand
Billy, the coolest kid in high school, comes back to his hometown 15 years later to find he's no longer cool and the girl he still has feelings for now dates the former town outcast. Billy becomes obsessed with proving the outcast is a murderer. Cast: Adam Pally, Rachel Bloom, Vincent Kartheiser, John Reynolds, Didi Conn, Ethan Phillips, Doug Mand, Hasan Minhaj, Rebecca Naomi Jones, Julia Goldani Telles.

Neurotic Quest for Serenity (Brazil) (North American Premiere)
Directors/Screenwriters: Paulinho Caruso, Teodoro Poppovic
Kika is going through a lot. She’s a famous actress. She has millions of fans. She’s about to star in a post apocalyptic soap opera. And she has obsessive compulsive disorder. Cast: Tatá Werneck, Vera Holtz, Bruno Gagliasso, Daniel Furlan.

Outside In (U.S. Premiere)
Director: Lynn Shelton, Screenwriters: Lynn Shelton, Jay Duplass
An ex-con struggling to readjust to life in his small town forms an intense bond with his former high-school teacher. Cast: Jay Duplass, Edie Falco, Kaitlyn Dever, Ben Schwartz.

Support The Girls (World Premiere)
Director/Screenwriter: Andrew Bujalski
The general manager at a highway-side 'breastaurant' has her incurable optimism and faith--in her girls, her customers, and herself--tested over the course of a long, strange day. Cast: Regina Hall, Haley Lu Richardson, Shayna McHayle, James LeGros, Dylan Gelula, AJ Michalka, Brooklyn Decker, Lea DeLaria, Jana Kramer, John Elvis.

Unlovable (World Premiere)
Director: Suzi Yoonessi, Screenwriters: Charlene deGuzman, Sarah Adina Smith, and Mark Duplass
A sex- and love-addicted woman learns what real intimacy is when she starts making music with a reclusive man. Cast: Charlene deGuzman, John Hawkes, Melissa Leo, Paul James, Ellen Geer, Gigette Reyes.

A Vigilante (World Premiere)
Director/Screenwriter: Sarah Daggar Nickson
A once abused woman, Sadie (Olivia Wilde), devotes herself to ridding victims of their domestic abusers while hunting down the husband she must kill to truly be free. Cast: Olivia Wilde, Morgan Spector, Kyle Catlett, CJ Wilson, Tonye Patano, Chuck Cooper, Betsy Aidem, Judy Marte.

Who We Are Now (U.S. Premiere)
Director/Screenwriter: Matthew Newton
Beth, recently released from prison, tries to get custody of her son again and find her way back into the outside world, along the way realizing who she is isn't about where she’s been, it’s about where she's going. Cast: Julianne Nicholson, Emma Roberts, Zachary Quinto, Jess Weixler, Jimmy Smits, Jason Biggs, Lea Thompson, Scott Cohen, Octavia Chavez-Richmond, J. Mallory McCree.

Wild Nights With Emily (World Premiere)
Director/Screenwriter: Madeleine Olnek
Molly Shannon plays Emily Dickinson in Wild Nights With Emily, a humorous drama. This independent film explores her vivacious, irreverent side that was covered up for years — most notably Emily’s lifelong romantic relationship with another woman.Cast: Molly Shannon, Amy Seimetz, Susan Ziegler, Brett Gelman, Jackie Monahan, Kevin Seal, Dana Melanie, Sasha Frolova, Lisa Haas, Al Sutton.

WILDLING (World Premiere)
Director: Fritz Bohm, Screenwriters: Fritz Bohm, Florian Eder
A blossoming teenager uncovers the dark secret behind her traumatic childhood. Cast: Bel Powley, Brad Dourif, Liv Tyler, Collin Kelly-Sordelet, James Le Gros, Troy Ruptash, Arlo Mertz, Aviva Winick.

You Can Choose Your Family (World Premiere)
Director: Miranda Bailey, Screenwriter: Glen Lakin
A seventeen-year-old boy blackmails his father after discovering his secret second family. Cast: Jim Gaffigan, Logan Miller, Anna Gunn, Samantha Mathis, Alex Karpovsky, Hayes MacArthur, Michelle Hurd.

Documentary Spotlight

 

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

Agave: The Spirit of a Nation (Mexico, United States) (World Premiere)
Directors: Nicholas Kovacic, Matthew Riggieri, Screenwriter: Chantal Martineau
In Mexico, families have passed down the tradition of distilling agave for generations and now, this once obscure Mexican drink is everywhere. Discover, how one delicate plant has carried the weight of a nation and the people trying to protect it.

Ali & Cavett: The Tale of the Tapes (World Premiere)
Director: Robert Bader, Screenwriters: Robert S. Bader, Dick Cavett
The life and times of Muhammed Ali shown through the lens of his numerous appearances on The Dick Cavett Show. The film features new interviews with Dick Cavett, Rev. Al Sharpton, and Larry Merchant, as well as archival material from the Cavett Show.

Alt-Right: Age of Rage (World Premiere)
Director/Screenwriter: Adam Bhala Lough
In the first year of Trump’s Presidency, Daryle Lamont Jenkins, an Antifa activist, combats the rise of the Alt-Right movement, while Richard Spencer, an Alt-Right leader, fights to gain ground, culminating in a tragic showdown in Charlottesville.

The Bill Murray Stories: Life Lessons Learned From A Mythical Man (World Premiere)
Director: Tommy Avallone, Screenwriters: Tommy Avallone and Max Paolucci
One man's journey to find meaning in Bill Murray's many unexpected adventures with everyday people, rare and never-before seen footage of the comedic icon participating in stories previously presumed to be urban legend.

Brewmaster (World Premiere)
Director/Screenwriter: Douglas Tirola
Brewmaster follows a young ambitious New York lawyer who struggles to chase his American dream of becoming a brewmaster and a Milwaukee-based professional beer educator, as he attempts to become a Master Cicerone.

Daughters of the Sexual Revolution: The Untold Story of the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders (World Premiere)
Director: Dana Adam Shapiro
Daughters of the Sexual Revolution is the never-before-told story of Suzanne Mitchell, the fiercely-loyal den mother of the original Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders.

The Dawn Wall (Austria, United States) (North American Premiere)
Directors: Josh Lowell, Peter Mortimer
Legendary free climber Tommy Caldwell tries to get over heartbreak by scaling 3000ft of an impossible rock face: the Dawn Wall of El Capitan.

The Director and the Jedi (World Premiere)
Director: Anthony Wonke, Screenwriter: Tylie Cox
An intimate look at Rian Johnson's journey, a new director to the Star Wars universe, as he takes the helm of making The Last Jedi.

From All Corners (Japan) (World Premiere)
Director: Ryusuke Okajima
Fuyuki Shimazu, the cardboard picker and artist, creates wallets made from used cardboard which he picks up from 25 countries. His wallets travel around the world to advocate the concept of "upcycling" which is the mind beyond recycling or re-use.

Getting Over (World Premiere)
Director/Screenwriter: Jason Charnick
A man discovers a box of interviews with his father, a lifelong heroin addict who died of AIDS in 1997. What he finds will uncover generations of family secrets, forcing him to redefine his own past, doubt his present, and question his future.

Nossa Chape (Brazil, Colombia, United States) (World Premiere)
Directors/Screenwriters: Jeff Zimbalist, Michael Zimbalist
Nossa Chape tracks the rebuilding of the Chapecoense football club in Brazil after an airplane carrying the team crashed on November 28th, 2016, and left all but three of the players dead.

Operation Odessa (World Premiere)
Director: Tiller Russell
The stranger-than-fiction true story of a Russian mobster, a Miami playboy, and a Cuban spy who teamed up in the early 90’s to sell a Soviet submarine to the Cali Cartel.

Take Your Pills (World Premiere)
Director: Alison Klayman
Every era gets the drug it deserves. In America today, where competition is ceaseless from school to the workforce and everyone wants a performance edge, Adderall and other prescription stimulants are the defining drugs of this generation.

Time Trial (United Kingdom) (North American Premiere)
Director: Finlay Pretsell
Time Trial takes us into the final races of cyclist David Millar’s career, leading to his last encounter with the Tour de France. The film reveals how the human spirit is driven by forces deeper than success and glory.

They Live Here, Now (World Premiere)
Director/Screenwriter: Jason Outenreath
Austin based refugee house, Casa Marianella, is one of the most prominent refugee houses in the United States, providing life saving services for thousands of immigrants each year. Meet the people who live here now.

Visions

 

Visions filmmakers are audacious, risk-taking artists in the new cinema landscape who demonstrate raw innovation and creativity in documentary and narrative filmmaking.

1985 (World Premiere)
Director/Screenwriter: Yen Tan
A young man goes home for the holidays and struggles to reveal a distressing secret to his loved ones. Cast: Cory Michael Smith, Virginia Madsen, Michael Chiklis, Jamie Chung, Aidan Langford, Ryan Piers Williams.

Don't Leave Home (World Premiere)
Director/Screenwriter: Michael Tully
An American artist’s obsession with a disturbing urban legend leads her to an investigation of the story’s origins at the crumbling estate of a reclusive painter in Ireland. Cast: Anna Margaret Hollyman, Lalor Roddy, Helena Bereen, David McSavage, Karrie Cox.

Elizabeth Harvest (United Kingdom) (World Premiere)
Director/Screenwriter: Sebastian Gutierrez
Elizabeth Harvest is a science fiction reimagining of the French folktale of Bluebeard, in which a violent nobleman in the habit of murdering his wives is confronted by a new wife trying to avoid the fate of her predecessors. Cast: Abbey Lee, Ciaran Hinds, Carla Gugino, Matthew Beard, Dylan Baker.

Friday's Child (World Premiere)
Director/Screenwriter: A.J. Edwards
Fresh out of foster care at age 18, a young drifter turns to petty crime to survive, and discovers an impossible love in an unlikely friend. Cast: Tye Sheridan, Imogen Poots, Jeffrey Wright, Caleb Landry Jones.

Meow Wolf: Origin Story (Word Premiere)
Directors: Morgan Capps, Jilann Spitzmiller, Screenwriters: Jilann Spitzmiller, Morgan Capps, Christina Procter
A group of artists, punks, and weirdos create a subversive DIY collective to disrupt the art establishment in Santa Fe, NM, which in the face of internal turmoil evolves into a cultural phenomenon on the path to becoming a global creative empire.

More Human Than Human (Belgium, Netherlands, United States) (World Premiere)
Directors:Tommy Pallotta, Femke Wolting
More Human Than Human explores what it means to live in the age of intelligent machines. During this quest, the filmmaker finds out how much of his creativity and human values are at stake as he builds his own robot to replace himself as a filmmaker.

Perfect (World Premiere)
Director: Eddie Alcazar, Screenwriter: Ted Kupper
A young man with a violent past enters a mysterious clinic where the patients wildly transform their bodies and minds using genetic engineering. Cast: Garrett Wareing, Courtney Eaton, Tao Okamoto, Maurice Compte, Abbie Cornish, Martin Sensmeier, Sarah McDaniel, Chris Santos, Leonardo Nam, Regan 'Busdriver' Farquhar.

Pet Names (World Premiere)
Director: Carol Brandt, Screenwriter: Meredith Johnston
When her ill mother urges her to take a vacation from her caretaking, grad-school-dropout Leigh invites her ex along on the camping trip. The two soon find that confronting old wounds during a weekend in the woods is anything but restful. Cast: Meredith Johnston, Rene Cruz, Stacy Parish, Chelsea Norment, Jake Bradley, Lilliana Winkworth, Christina Seo.

Profile (North American Premiere)
Director: Timur Bekmambetov, Screenwriters: Britt Poulton, Timur Bekmambetov, Olga Kharina
Looking to investigate recruitment techniques of ISIS to lure women into Syria, Amy Whitaker, a journalist, creates a Facebook profile of a Muslim convert. When an ISIS recruiter contacts her online character, she experiences the process first hand. Cast: Valene Kane, Shazad Latif, Christine Adams, Morgan Watkins, Amir Rahimzadeh.

Prospect (Canada, United States) (World Premiere)
Directors/Screenwriters: Zeek Earl, Chris Caldwell
A teenage girl and her father travel to a remote moon on the hunt for elusive riches. But there are others roving the moon's toxic forest and the job quickly devolves into a desperate fight to escape. Cast: Sophie Thatcher, Pedro Pascal, Jay Duplass, Andre Royo, Sheila Vand, Anwan Glover.

Relaxer (United States) (World Premiere)
Director/Screenwriter: Joel Potrykus
Y2K is approaching fast, but Abbie can't get off the couch until he beats an unbeatable level on Pac-Man. Cast List: Joshua Burge, David Dastmalchian, Andre Hyland, Adina Howard, Amari Cheatom.

Rukus Director: Brett Hanover, Screenwriters: Brett Hanover, Alanna Stewart, Rukus
A hybrid of documentary and fiction, Rukus is a queer coming-of-age story set in the liminal spaces of furry conventions, southern punk houses, and virtual worlds.

Thy Kingdom Come (World Premiere)
Director: Eugene Richards
A cancer patient mad at God; a Klansman seeking redemption; a mother blamed for her baby’s death; an elderly woman never not in love; a priest who doesn’t pass judgment, who listens: Interwoven, unscripted stories of life in a small mid-America town. Cast: Javier Bardem, Callie Eldred, Tasia Moore, Joshua Collins, Adam Watters, Samantha Jo Chism Watters, Melvin Kemp, Melvin Cook, Kathryn Von Glahn, Eric Eudy.

Wild Honey Pie! (United Kingdom) (World Premiere)
Director/Screenwriter: Jamie Adams
Gillian and Oliver have reached the Seven Year Itch moment in their Marriage, being of the melodramatic persuasion they itch till their relationship bleeds! Cast: Jemima Kirke, Alice Lowe, Sarah Solemani, Brett Goldstein, Joanna Scanlon, Richard Elis, Dan Clark, William Thomas.

Wobble Palace (World Premiere)
Director: Eugene Kotlyarenko, Screenwriters: Story by Dasha Nekrasova and Eugene Kotlyarenko
A week before the 2016 election, a couple on the verge of a nervous break-up decide to split their home over the weekend and test the waters of independence. Cast: Dasha Nekrasova, Eugene Kotlyarenko, Jack Kilmer, Paige Elkington, Caroline Hebert, Casey Jane Ellison, Vishwam Velandy, Janiva Ellis, Kim Ye, Elisha Drons.

Midnighters

 

Scary, funny, sexy, controversial – provocative after-dark features for night-owls and the terminally curious.

Ajin: Demi-Human (North American Premiere)
Director: Katsuyuki Motohiro, Screenwriter: Kouji Seko
Endless battle between human being and immortal demi-human “Ajin”. A stunning, strikingly original action masterpiece! Cast: Takeru Satoh, Go Ayano, Tetsuji Tamayama, Yu Shirota, Yudai Chiba, Rina Kawaei, Minami Hamabe.

Blood Fest (World Premiere)
Director/Screenwriter: Owen Egerton
In Blood Fest, fans flock to a festival celebrating the most iconic horror movies, only to discover that the charismatic showman behind the event has a diabolical agenda. Cast: Robbie Kay, Jacob Batalon, Seychelle Gabriel, Tate Donovan, Barbara Dunkelman, Nick Rutherford, Zachary Levi.

Untitled Blumhouse-Bazelevs (World Premiere)
Director/Screenwriter: Stephen Susco
A 20-something finds a cache of hidden files on his new laptop and is thrust into the deep waters of the dark web. From the makers of Unfriended, this thriller unravels in real-time, entirely on a computer screen. A warning for the digital age. Cast: Colin Woodell, Betty Gabriel, Rebecca Rittenhouse, Andrew Lees, Conor del Rio, Stephanie Nogueras, Savira Windyani.

Field Guide to Evil (World Premiere) (Austria, Germany, Greece, Hungary, India, Poland, Turkey, U.S.)
Directors: Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala, Peter Strickland, Agnieszka Smoczynska, Katrin Gebbe, Can Evrenol, Calvin Reeder, Ashim Ahluwalia, Yannis Veslemes They are known as dark folklore. Created to give logic to mankind’s darkest fears, these stories and others laid the foundation for what we now call the horror genre.

Ghost Stories (United Kingdom) (North American Premiere)
Directors/Screenweriters: Jeremy Dyson, Andy Nyman
An arch skeptic debunker of the supernatural embarks upon a terror filled quest when he stumbles across a long lost file containing details of three cases of inexplicable 'hauntings'. Adapted from the Olivier Award Winning hit stage play. Cast: Martin Freeman, Alex Lawther, Jill Halfpenny, Andy Nyman, Paul Whitehouse.

Hereditary
Director/Screenwriter: Ari Aster
When Ellen, the matriarch of the Graham family, passes away, her daughter’s family begins to unravel cryptic and increasingly terrifying secrets about their ancestry. Cast: Toni Collette, Gabriel Byrne, Ann Dowd, Alex Wolff, Milly Shapiro.

A Prayer Before Dawn (North American Premiere) (United States, France)
Director: Jean-Stéphane Sauvaire, Screenwriters: Jonathan Hirschbein, Nick Saltrese
Based on the international best-seller, A Prayer Before Dawn is the true story of Billy Moore, a troubled young British boxer sent to one of Thailand's most notorious jails. Cast: Joe Cole, Vithaya Pansringar, Panya Yimmumphai, Nicolas Shake

The Ranger (World Premiere)
Director: Jenn Wexler, Screenwriters: Jenn Wexler, Giaco Furino
Teen punks, on the run from the cops and hiding out in the woods, come up against the local authority—an unhinged park ranger with an axe to grind. Cast: Chloë Levine, Granit Lahu, Jeremy Pope, Bubba Weiler, Amanda Grace Benitez, Jeremy Holm, Larry Fessenden.

Upgrade (World Premiere)
Director/Screenwriter: Leigh Whannell
In a utopian near-future when technology controls everything, a technophobe avenges his wife's murder and his own paralysis-causing injury with the help of an experimental computer chip implant - STEM - that turns out to have a mind of its own. Cast: Logan Marshall-Green, Betty Gabriel, Harrison Gilbertson, Benedict Hardie.

What Keeps You Alive (World Premiere) (Canada)
Director: Colin Minihan, Screenwriters: Colin Minihan, Brittany Allen
Majestic mountains, a still lake and venomous betrayals engulf a female married couple attempting to celebrate their one-year anniversary. Cast: Hannah Emily Anderson, Brittany Allen, Martha Macisaac, Joey Klein, Charlotte Lindsay Marron.

Episodic

 

Featuring innovative new work aimed squarely at the small screen, Episodic tunes in to the explosion of exciting material on non-theatrical platforms, including serialized TV, webisodes and beyond.

Barry (World Premeire)
Director: Bill Hader, Screenwriters: Alec Berg and Bill Hader
Barry features Bill Hader as a low-rent hitman from the Midwest. Lonely and dissatisfied in his life he begrudgingly travels to Los Angeles to kill someone and ends up finding an accepting community in a group of eager hopefuls within the LA theater scene. Cast: Bill Hader, Henry Winkler, Stephen Root, Sarah Goldberg, Glenn Fleshler, Anthony Carrigan.

Condor (World Premiere)
Directors: Lawrence Trilling, Andrew McCarthy, Screenwriters: Jason Smilovic and Todd Katzberg
Inspired by Paramount’s Sydney Pollack 1975 political thriller Three Days of the Condor. Condor follows Joe Turner (Max Irons), a young CIA analyst whose idealism is tested when he stumbles onto a terrible plan that threatens millions of lives. Cast: Max Irons, William Hurt, Leem Lubany, Mira Sorvino, Brendan Fraser, Bob Balaban, Angel Bonnani, Katherine Cunningham, Christina Moses, Kristen Hager.

Krypton (World Premiere)
Directors: Colm McCarthy, Ciaran Donnelly, Screenwriters: Cameron Welsh, Damian Kindler and David S. Goyer, Story by David S. Goyer, Ian Goldberg
What if Superman had never existed? Seg-El, Superman’s grandfather, is faced with a conflict: Save Krypton? Or let it be destroyed in order to secure the future of his grandson-to-be? Cast: Cameron Cuffe, Georgina Campbell, Elliot Cowan, Ann Ogbomo, Aaron Pierre, Rasmus Hardiker, Wallis Day, Blake Ritson, Ian McElhinney, Shaun Sipos, Colin Salmon.

The Last O.G. (World Premiere)
Creator and Executive Producer: Jordan Peele, Executive Producers: Tracy Morgan and John Carcieri, Director: Jorma Taccone
The Last O.G. is a show about humanity, second chances and redemption. Morgan plays Tray an ex-con who is shocked to see just how much the world has changed when he returns to the free world after 15 years in prison. Cast: Tracy Morgan, Cedric the Entertainer, Allen Maldonado, Tiffany Haddish, Joel Marsh Garland, Gino Vento, Natalie Carter, Taylor Mosby, Ryan Gaul.

Vida (World Premiere)
Directors: Alonso Ruizpalacios, So Yong Kim
Vida is about two estranged Mexican-American sisters from the Eastside of Los Angeles who couldn't be more different. Circumstances force them to return home where they are confronted by the past and surprising truth about their mother's identity. Cast: Melissa Barrera, Mishel Prada, Ser Anzoategui, Chelsea Rendon, Carlos Miranda, Maria Elena Laas.

Warriors of Liberty City (World Premiere)
Directors: Evan Rosenfeld, Andrew Cohn
Warriors of Liberty City from showrunner Evan Rosenfeld follows a season with the Liberty City Warriors, a youth football program founded by an unlikely mentor: Luther Campbell, better known as Uncle Luke from 2 Live Crew. Cast: Luther "Uncle Luke" Campbell, Chad "Ochocinco" Johnson, Lavalrick Lucas, Jr., Lavalrick "Dread" Lucas, Sr. , George Harris, Jr. , George Harris, Sr., Barry Jenkins, Herbert Ritchie, Chatarius "Tutu" Atwell, Jr., Robert "Lamont" Beneby, Jr..

24 Beats Per Second

 

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

Being Frank: The Chris Sievey Story (World Premiere) (United Kingdom)
Director/Screenwriter: Steve Sullivan
The hilarious and bizarre story of Frank Sidebottom, the cult British comedian in a papier mâché head, and the secretive life of Chris Sievey, the artist trapped inside.

BLAZE Director: Ethan Hawke, Screenwriters: Ethan Hawke, Sybil Rosen
The story of an unsung country music legend who gave up paradise for the sake of a song. Cast: Benjamin Dickey, Alia Shawkat, Charlie Sexton, Josh Hamilton, Wyatt Russell, Jenn Lyon, Kris Kristofferson, Sam Rockwell, Steve Zahn, Richard Linklater.

Elvis Presley The Searcher Film 1 and Film 2 (World Premiere)
Director: Thom Zimny
The documentary focuses on Elvis Presley as a musical artist. It explores how he accumulated his influences, deconstructs why his sound and his style were so revolutionary and examines the creative and personal struggles that preceded his death.

Hearts Beat Loud
Director: Brett Haley, Screenwriters: Brett Haley, Marc Basch
A father and daughter become an unlikely song writing duo before she leaves for college. Cast: Nick Offerman, Kiersey Clemons, Ted Danson, Toni Collette, Blythe Danner, Sasha Lane.

Heavy Trip (Finland) (World Premiere)
Directors: Jukka Vidgren, Juuso Laatio, Screenwriters: Jukka Vidgren, Juuso Laatio, Aleksi Puranen, Jari Olavi Rantala
A young man is trying to overcome his fears by leading the most unknown heavy metal band in to the hottest metal festival of Norway. The journey includes heavy metal, grave robbing, Viking heaven and an armed conflict between Finland and Norway. Cast: Johannes Holopainen, Minka Kuustonen, Max Ovaska, Antti Heikkinen, Samuli Jaskio, Chike Ohanwe, Ville Tiihonen.

If I Leave Here Tomorrow: A Film About Lynyrd Skynyrd (World Premiere)
Director: Stephen Kijak
The story of Lynyrd Skynyrd; The Greatest American Rock Band Ever. We fly beyond Free Bird to celebrate the life & times of leader Ronnie Van Zant, from boogie-woogie beginnings in Jacksonville’s Shantytown to a tragic end in a Mississippi swamp.

Making the Grade (Ireland) (North American Premiere)
Director: Ken Wardrop
A feel-good musical journey of piano playing from absolute beginner through to accomplished pianist.

Milford Graves Full Mantis (North American Premiere)
Directors: Jake Meginsky, Neil Young (Co-Director)
Milford Graves Full Mantis weaves blistering performance footage from Europe, Japan, and the U.S. with a sublimely restrained, intimate glimpse into a world-renowned jazz percussionist’s singular voice and complex cosmology.

The Potential of Noise - Conny Plank (Germany) (North American Premiere)
Directors: Stephan Plank, Reto Caduff, Screenwriters: Stephan Plank, Reto Caduff, Zisak Riemann Movie about Conny Plank, the famous German music producer.

Rapture (World Premiere)
Directors: Sacha Jenkins, Ben Selkow, Geeta Gandbhir, Steven Caple Jr., Marcus A. Clarke, Gabriel Noble
Rapture showcases the definitive impact of hip hop on global culture. Over 8 episodes featuring Nas, Dave East, T.I., Rapsody, Logic, G-Eazy, A Boogie wit da Hoodie, 2 Chainz and Just Blaze.

Ruben Blades Is Not My Name (Panama) (World Premiere)
Director/Screenwriter: Abner Benaim
Ruben Blades Is Not My Name portrays one of Latin America´s most beloved singer-songwriters in a journey across his 50-year career. In an intimate way, the film gives us a chance to get to know the artist, his music, and the stories behind them.

A Tuba To Cuba (World Premiere)
Directors: T.G Herrington, Danny Clinch, Screenwriter: T.G Herrington
A son seeking to fulfill his late father’s dream takes his band from the storied city of New Orleans to the shores of Cuba, where — through the universal language of music — dark and ancient connections between their peoples reveal the roots of jazz.

Global

 

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

Jeannette, The Childhood of Joan of Arc (France)
Director/Screenwriter: Bruno Dumont
France, 1425. In the midst of the Hundred Years’ War, the young Jeannette, at the still tender age of 8, looks after her sheep in the small village of Domremy. Cast: Lise Leplat Prudhomme, Jeanne Voisin, Lucile Gauthier, Victoria Lefebvre, Aline Charles.

A Little Wisdom (Nepal) (North American Premiere)
Director: Yuqi Kang
See the world through the eyes of five-year-old Tibetan novice monk Hopakuli and share in his joys and sorrows as he endures the rigors of monastic life. A Little Wisdom endeavors to tell a story of children who find happiness through religious life.

Martyr (Lebanon) (North American Premiere)
Director/Screenwriter: Mazen Khaled A heartfelt farewell to the beauty and sensuality of life, youth, friendship, and love. Cast: Carol Abboud, Hamza Mekdad, Mostafa Fahs, Hady Bou Ayash, Rachad Nassereddine, Rabih el Zaher, Raneem Mourad.

Number 37 (South Africa) (World Premiere)
Director/Screenwriter: Nosipho Dumisa Number 37 is the story of Randall, wheelchair bound, playing a cat and mouse game blackmailing a powerful criminal whilst evading a sadistic loan shark who will kill him and his girlfriend if his loan is not paid back by the end of the week. Cast: Irshaad Ally, Monique Rockman, Ephraim Gordon, David Manuel, Sandy Schultz, Deon Lotz, Danny Ross, Amrain Essop, Elton Landrew, Jeff Moss.

Rush Hour (Mexico, Turkey, United States) (U.S. Premiere)
Director: Luciana Kaplan
Rush Hour is an intimate approach to personal stories of three commuters who spend hours of their lives going from home to work and back, reflection a common reality shared by billions of people.

Team Hurricane (Denmark) (U.S. Premiere)
Director/Screenwriter: Annika Berg
Team Hurricane – Radical Girls in an Ordinary World is a punk chick flick that mixes documentary material with highly stylized fiction. Cast: Eja Penelope Roepstorff, Ida Glitre, Ira Rønnenfelt, Maja Leth Bang, Mathilde Linnea Daugaard Jensen, Mia My Elise Pedersen, Sara Morling, Zara Munch Bjarnum.

Theatre of War (Argentina) (U.S. Premiere)
Director/Screenwriter: Lola Arias
Theatre of War is an essay on how to represent war, performed by former enemies. British and Argentinian veterans of the Falklands war come together to discuss, rehearse and re-enact their memories 35 years after the conflict.

Virus Tropical (Colombia)
Director: Santiago Caicedo
Born in a not-so-conventional family, Paola grows up between Ecuador and Colombia and finds herself unable to fit in any mold. With a unique feminine vision of the world, she will have to fight against prejudice and struggle for her independence.

Festival Favorites

 

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

American Animals (United States, United Kingdom)
Director/Screenwriter: Bart Layton
The unbelievable but true story of four young men who mistake their lives for a movie and attempt one of the most audacious art heists in US history. Cast: Evan Peters, Barry Keoghan, Blake Jenner, Jared Abrahamson, Ann Dowd, Udo Kier.

Blindspotting
Director: Carlos Lopez Estrada, Screenwriters: Rafael Casal, Daveed Diggs
Lifelong friends Daveed Diggs and Rafael Casal co-wrote and star in this timely and wildly entertaining story about the intersection of race and class set against the backdrop of a rapidly gentrifying Oakland. Cast: Daveed Diggs, Rafael Casa, Janina Gavankar, Jasmine Cephas Jones.

Chef Flynn
Director: Cameron Yates
Chef Flynn captures the coming of age of a prodigy chef, as he navigates a sea of sudden fame, bullying, and his mother’s camera.

Constructing Albert (Spain)
Directors: Laura Collado, Jim Loomis, Screenwriter: Laura Collado
In the world of haute cuisine, the name Adrià is synonymous with creativity. Constructing Albert is a portrait of the younger brother Albert as he strives to establish his own reputation in the world of international haute cuisine after elBulli.

Damsel
Directors/Screenwriters: David Zellner, Nathan Zellner
An affluent pioneer ventures deep into the wilderness of the American West to join his fiancée. Cast: Robert Pattinson, Mia Wasikowska, David Zellner, Nathan Zellner, Robert Forster, Joe Billingiere.

Eighth Grade
Director/Screenwriter: Bo Burnham
Thirteen-year-old Kayla endures the tidal wave of contemporary suburban adolescence as she makes her way through the last week of middle school—the end of her thus far disastrous eighth grade year—before she begins high school. Cast: Elsie Fisher, Josh Hamilton, Emily Robinson, Jake Ryan.

First Reformed
Director/Screenwriter: Paul Schrader
The pastor of a small New England church (Ethan Hawke) spirals out of control after a soul-shaking encounter with an unstable environmental activist and his pregnant wife (Amanda Seyfried) in this taut, chilling thriller. Cast: Ethan Hawke, Amanda Seyfried, Cedric Kyles, Michael Gaston, Philip Ettinger, Victoria Hill

Generation Wealth
Director/Screenwriter: Lauren Greenfield
Simultaneously personal journey and historical essay, Lauren Greenfield’s latest documentary bears witness to the global boom–bust economy, the corrupted American Dream, and the human costs of late stage capitalism, narcissism, and greed.

Half the Picture
Director/Screenwriter: Amy Adrion
Half the Picture is a feature length documentary about the dismal number of women directors working in Hollywood, featuring top female directors sharing their experiences in the industry.

Lean on Pete
Director/Screenwriter: Andrew Haigh
From acclaimed filmmaker Andrew Haigh (Weekend; 45 Years), and based on the beloved novel by Willy Vlautin, comes Lean on Pete —a deeply moving story about love, loneliness, family, and friendship, told through the unique prism of one boy’s connection to a very special racehorse. Cast: Charlie Plummer, Chloë Sevigny, Steve Buscemi, Travis Fimmel.

Narcissister Organ Player Director/Screenwriter: Narcissister
This hybrid performance/documentary film explores how the artist's complex family history, in particular her relationship with her mother, compelled her to create the masked, erotic performance character Narcissister.

Never Goin' Back
Director/Screenwriter: Augustine Frizzell
Jessie and Angela, high school dropouts, are taking a week off to chill at the beach. Too bad their house got robbed, rent's due, they're about to get fired and they're broke. Now to avoid eviction and get to the beach, no matter what! Cast: Maia Mitchell, Cami Morrone, Kyle Mooney, Joel Allen, Kendal Smith, Matthew Holcomb, Atheena Frizzell, Spencer Rayshon, Marcus Mauldin, Liz Cardenas.

On Her Shoulders
Director: Alexandria Bombach
Nadia Murad is a 23-year-old Yazidi survivor of genocide and sexual slavery by ISIS. Repeating her horrific story to politicians, the media, and the United Nations, she must navigate bureaucracy, politics and sudden fame to get the world to listen.

Pass Over Director: Spike Lee, Screenwriter: Antoinette Nwandu
Academy Award nominee and Honorary Oscar winner Spike Lee captures the poetry, humor and humanity of this urgent and timely play about two young black men talking trash, passing the time, and dreaming of the promised land. A provocative riff on Waiting for Godot, Pass Over is written by newcomer Antoinette Nwandu. Cast: Jon Michael Hill, Julian Parker, Ryan Hallahan, Blake DeLong.

The Rider
Director/Screenwriter: Chloé Zhao
After a tragic riding accident, a young cowboy, once a rising star of the rodeo circuit, is warned that his competition days are over. Back home, he struggles to find himself when he can no longer do what what gives him a sense of purpose. Cast: Brady Jandreau, Tim Jandreau, Lilly Jandreau, Lane Scott, Cat Clifford.

Science Fair Directors: Cristina Costantini, Darren Foster, Screenwriters: Jeffrey Plunkett, Darren Foster, Cristina Costantini
Nine high school students from around the globe navigate rivalries, setbacks, and of course, hormones, on their journey to compete at the international science fair. Facing off against 1,700 of the smartest, quirkiest teens from 78 different countries, only one will be named Best in Fair.

Sorry To Bother You
Director/Screenwriter: Boots Riley
In an alternate present-day version of Oakland, telemarketer Cassius Green discovers a magical key to professional success, propelling him into a macabre universe. Cast: Lakeith Stanfield, Tessa Thompson, Armie Hammer, Terry Crews, Steven Yeun, Omari Hardwick, Jermaine Fowler, and Danny Glover.

Won’t You Be My Neighbor?
Director: Morgan Neville
Won’t You Be My Neighbor? looks at children’s television host Mr. Rogers' hard-fought campaign to influence generations of kids and adults in the ways of kindness.

Special Events

 

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

The Atomic Café (World Premiere)
Director: Kevin Rafferty, Jayne Loader & Pierce Rafferty
The Atomic Cafe is a cult classic documentary from 1982. This is the 4K digital restoration.

Cartoon Network Screening at SXSW
For the third year in a row, Cartoon Network presents a fun-filled family event open to all fans. Be among the first to watch upcoming adventure series, Craig of the Creek plus catch brand new episodes of favorite shows Ben 10 and Unikitty! And fans are in for a special treat with a never-before-seen look at Teen Titans Go! to the Movies, coming to theaters this summer.

Doug Benson Master Pancake and Doug Loves Movies Podcast
Doug Benson returns in the continuing tradition of our annual St. Patrick's Day screening of the Leprechaun series. On March 17 we present Leprechaun 5: In The Hood, directed by Rob Spera.

This Is Us (World Premiere)
Director: Various
Everyone has a family. And every family has a story. This grounded, life-affirming dramedy reveals how the tiniest events in our lives impact who we become, and how the connections we share with each other can transcend time, distance and even death. Cast: Milo Ventimiglia, Mandy Moore, Chrissy Metz, Sterling K. Brown, Justin Hartley.

20th Century Fox Presents Alita: Battle Angel SXSW Opening Night Party For the first time ever, 20th Century Fox welcomes SXSW Platinum and Film badgeholders to Iron City, the movie set where Alita: Battle Angel was filmed. SXSW Platinum and Film badgeholders are invited to join the cast and filmmakers at Robert Rodriguez’s Troublemaker Studios for the 2018 SXSW Opening Night Party in celebration of the upcoming Alita: Battle Angel. Attendees will be picked up at the 5th Street side entrance of the Hilton Hotel in Downtown Austin by Alita: Battle Angel branded shuttles and will be transported to the futuristic Iron City movie set. From 9:30pm to 12:30am on Friday March 9, guests will enjoy cocktails, bites from local food trucks and great music, all within an immersive film set, featuring props from the film.

Narrative Shorts

 

A selection of original, well-crafted films that take advantage of the short form and exemplify distinctive and genuine storytelling.

Allen Anders - Live at the Comedy Castle (circa 1987)
Director: Laura Moss, Screenwriter: Tony Grayson
Footage of Allen Anders famed 1987 performance at the Comedy Castle.

Are We Good Parents? (World Premiere)
Director: Bola Ogun, Screenwriters: Hailey Chavez and (story by) Bola Ogun
When Lauren and Bill’s 14-year-old daughter says she’s going to her first dance with her classmate Ryan, they question their preconceived notions of her sexuality and their openness as parents.

The Big Day (World Premiere) (United Kingdom)
Director: Dawn Shadforth, Screenwriter: Kellie Smith
Jess is super excited to attend her step-sister’s wedding and truly become part of the family, but after only recently finding out about her existence, her stepfamily are less than delighted about her presence on the big day.

Brian and Charles (United Kingdom)
Director: Jim Archer, Screenwriters: David Earl, Chris Hayward
A comedy about two friends who share a cottage in the English countryside. Brian is a poorly groomed, gravelly voiced farmer who struggles with depression and loneliness. Charles is a robot.

Caroline (World Premiere)
Directors: Logan George, Celine Held
When plans fall through, a six-year-old is faced with a big responsibility on a hot Texas day.

Carro (World Premiere) (Brazil, United States)
Director/Screenwriter: Gustavo Rosa
An undocumented Brazilian immigrant living in the Boston area decides to buy a car in an effort to better his life before returning home.

Emergency
Director: Carey Williams, Screenwriter: K.D. Dávila
Faced with an emergency, a group of young Black and Latino friends weigh the pros and cons of calling the police.

Guilt (World Premiere) (Mexico)
Director/Screenwriter: Moisés Aisemberg
Guilt is a direct window into the undeniable violence experienced by children today and the involuntary repression that they must undergo within a society that tolerates abuse.

Haven (North American Premiere) (Canada)
Director/Screenwriter: Kelly Fyffe-Marshall
When a little girl finds solace in between her mother’s legs, biggest fears become reality.

Intercourse (North American Premiere) (Sweden)
Director/Screenwriter: Jonatan Etzler
“I’ll give you 100 bucks” he suggests, and jokingly she agrees, and neither of them see the gravity of the situation. When a sexual boundary is crossed and the balance of power is shifted - what will happen to their peaceful and normal relationship?

Jay-Z - 'Moonlight'
Director/Screenwriter: Alan Yang
The One Where No One's Ready.

Kimchi (World Premiere)
Director/Screenwriter: Jackson Kiyoshi Segars
As his family argues about his end-of-life care, an elderly Korean man reflects on his life with a stranger.

Kira Burning (World Premiere) Director/Screenwriter: Laurel Akira Parmet
Teenage Kira attempts to take revenge after a heartbreaking betrayal by her ex-best friend.

Krista
Director: Danny Madden, Screenwriters: Danny Madden, Will Madden
In a high school theater class, Krista uses her scene study as catharsis.

Men Don't Whisper
Director: Jordan Firstman, Screenwriters: Charles Rogers, Jordan FIrstman
After being emasculated at a sales conference, gay couple Reese and Peyton set out to do the most masculine thing they can think of - sleep with some women.

Pink Trailer (North American Premiere)
Director: Mary Neely, Screenwriters: Macey Isaacs, Jenny Leiferman
Best friends Lucy and Julie are spending their summer hiding from a terrorizing neighbor until Lucy runs out of her antidepressant, and they're forced to fight for their lives.

Shiva Baby (World Premiere) (Canada)
Director/Screenwriter: Emma Seligman
At a Jewish funeral service with her parents, a college student runs into her sugar daddy.

Tangles and Knots (Australia)
Director: Renée Marie Petropoulos
An intimate, unique bond between mother and daughter becomes threatened when the mother helps her teenage daughter throw a party to impress new, more popular friends.

The Things You Think I'm Thinking (Canada)
Director: Sherren Lee, Screenwriter: Jesse LaVercombe
A black male burn-survivor and amputee goes on a date with a regularly-abled man.

Tooth and Nail (U.S. Premiere)
Director: Sara Shaw, Screenwriters: Sara Shaw, Amanda Verwey
A sister makes a bargain with her terminally ill brother. He agrees to let her use his sperm for future use with a partner if she comes out to her family that night.

We Forgot to Break Up (U.S. Premiere)(Canada)
Director: Chandler Levack, Screenwriters: Steven McCarthy, Chandler Levack
After a few years absence, Evan unexpectedly returns one night to face his now-famous former bandmates. The surprise reunion is bittersweet, in this intimate depiction of the knotty complexities of relating to old friends after everything has changed.

We Win (World Premiere)
Director: Michael Stahl-David, Screenwriters: Ana Nogueira, Michael Stahl-David
A happy couple’s relationship unravels during a game of “Mafia."

Wren Boys (United Kingdom)
Director: Harry Lighton, Screenwriters: Harry Lighton, John Fitzpatrick
On the day after Christmas, a Catholic priest from Cork drives his nephew to prison.

Documentary Shorts

 

Slices of life from across the documentary spectrum.

The Earth is Humming (World Premiere)
Director: Garrett Bradley
In Japan, earthquake preparedness is a way of life—and a full-blown industry.

The Coffin Club (World Premiere) (New Zealand)
Director: Briar March, Screenwriter: Kim Harrop, Nick Ward, Briar March
A group of rebellious, creative Kiwi seniors give death the finger, one crazy coffin at a time.Jean McGaffin, Kevin Quick, David Mackie, Members of the Kiwi Coffin Club.

Dead. Tissue. Love. (World Premiere) (United Kingdom)
Director: Natasha Austin-Green
Dead. Tissue. Love. is an intimate experimental documentary exploring the character of a female necrophile, as she recounts her life experiences and sexual awakening.

Death Metal Grandma (World Premiere)
Director: Leah Galant, Screenwriters: Sean Weiner, Leah Galant
Death Metal Grandma follows 97-year-old Holocaust survivor, Inge Ginsberg, who has decided to break out as a singer of Death Metal music.

Lonesome Willcox (World Premiere)
Directors: Ryan Maxey, Zack Wright
Willcox, Arizona is a country music town that isn’t what it used to be. The town’s only radio station has but one employee - a local pariah who lives in the studio, and has a complicated and difficult relationship with the music he plays every day.

My Dead Dad's Porno Tapes (Canada)
Director: Charlie Tyrell, Screenwriters: Josef Beeby, Charlie Tyrell
Filmmaker Charlie Tyrell seeks to better understand his emotionally distant late-father through the random objects he left behind, including a stack of tacky, 1980s VHS pornography.

A Night at The Garden
Director: Marshall Curry
Months before the start of World War II, 22,000 Americans gathered in New York’s Madison Square Garden to rally in support of Nazism.

On My Way Out: The Secret Life of Nani and Popi (Canada)
Directors: Brandon Gross, Skyler Gross
Ruth (Nani) and Roman (Popi) are Holocaust survivors married for 65 years. After six decades of marriage, a painful truth tests their enduring union. Brandon and Skyler Gross' moving portrait of their grandparents raises more questions than it answers.

Roadside Attraction
Directors: Patrick Bresnan, Ivete Lucas
Palm Beach International Airport's newest snowbird has become one of the fastest growing roadside attractions in the United States.

Santa Ana
Director: César Pesquera, Screenwriters: Kako Mendez, Christian Lopez, César Pesquera
Part art-film, part documentary, Santa Ana aims to elucidate the link between evil and the famed Santa Ana winds, extremely dry down-slope winds in Southern California supposedly responsible for a tense, uneasy, wrathful mood among the people.

Sister Hearts (World Premiere)
Director: Mohammad Gorjestani
Maryam Uloho spent thirteen years in prison in Louisiana. After her release in 2013, she was homeless and lived as a squatter for over 2 years. This experience led her to discover her lifelong mission: To help incarcerated women re-enter society.

The Terrorist Hunter (Canada, United States)
Director/Screenwriter: Ann Shin
The Terrorist Hunter follows controversial spy Rita Katz, lauded by some for her work fighting terrorism, and criticized by others who say she creates terrorist plots where none exist. The film explores how fear and terror play out in our society.Rita Katz, Bruce Hoffman, Trevor Aaronson, Tim Edgars, Stephen Downs, Lisa Stampnitzky.

Xavier Corbero: Portrait of an Artist in Winter (World Premiere) (Spain, United Kingdom)
Director: Nathalie Biancheri
The first and last glimpse into the universe of iconic Spanish sculptor Xavier Corberó. A kaleidoscopic life and career that traversed a turbulent moment of Spanish history.

Animated Shorts

 

An assortment of stories told using traditional animation, computer-generated effects, stop-motion, and everything in-between.

Abnie Oberfork: A Tale of Self-Preservation (World Premiere)
Director/Screenwriter: Shannon Fleming
A 12-year-old girl pickles herself to escape the malaise of childhood.

Agua Viva
Director/Screenwriter: Alexa Lim Haas
A Chinese manicurist attempts to describe feelings she doesn't have the words for in a language she does not speak.

Intimity (Switzerland)
Director/Screenwriter: Elodie Dermange
As she is showering, dressing, putting on her make-up, a woman bares her soul. She speaks of her fears, her complexes, and the process of accepting – even loving – herself.

Jeom
Director: Kangmin Kim
A father and a son both have the same big birthmark on their butt. Believing that the two birthmarks are connected, the son scrubs his father's birthmark to remove it – but he just can't get rid of it.

Manivald (Estonia)
Director: Chintis Lundgren, Screenwriters: Chintis Lundgren, Draško Ivezić
Tinged with typically absurdist Estonian humour, Manivald mixes the surreal and the heartfelt in its timely tale of an emotionally unnourished generation that continue to live with their parents well into their adult lives.

Octane (World Premiere)
Director: Jeron Braxton
A street race that reflects America’s genocidal history and the parallels between slavery and the private prison system.

People of Color (World Premiere)
Director: Raghav Arumugam
An animated documentary about race and perception in America.

The Shivering Truth
Directors: Vernon Chatman, Cat Solen, Screenwriter: Vernon Chatman
An omnibus of painfully riotous daymares dripping with dream logic; a slate of emotional parables from the deepest caverns of your unconscious, lovingly animated in stop-motion. In other words, it is the Truth.

Sog (Germany)
Director: Jonatan Schwenk, Screenwriters: Jonatan Schwenk, Merlin Flügel
The dystopic drama Sog is about the cruel efforts of a people of humanlike creatures to lash out viciously against a shoal of fish that had unintentionally entered their desolate land.

Solar Walk (U.S. Premiere) (Denmark, Hungary)
Director/Screenwriter: Réka Bucsi
Solar Walk shows the a cosmic journey of individuals and their passion for creation, through the unique and playful texture of the animation craft itself.

Undiscovered (U.S. Premiere)
Director: Sara Litzenberger
Sasquatch has always remained elusive in photos--but not for the reasons we think.

Midnight Shorts

 

Bite-sized bits for all of your sex, gore, and hilarity cravings.

Asian Girls (World Premiere) (Australia)
Director/Screenwriter: Hyun Lee
Chan is a Chinese factory worker who lives alone. Every night, she suffers from horrific nightmares involving the woman in the apartment next door, a Japanese office lady.

Brendan Maclean - 'House of Air' (United Kingdom)
Director: Brian Fairbairn and Karl Eccleston
An exploration of hanky codes and visual signifiers in 1970s San Francisco. Inspired by Hal Fischer's 'Gay Semiotics', House of Air humorously investigates a clash between coded and explicit representations of gay sex.

Crying Bitch (World Premiere) (Japan)
Director/Screenwriter: Reiki Tsuno
Crying Bitch is a dark tale about a woman's grudge, mixed with comedy, horror, and a homage to 80s cinema. A dark tale about a man who discovers his wife's dark side after having an affair with a young girl.

Hair Wolf (World Premiere)
Director/Screenwriter: Mariama Diallo
In a black hair salon in gentrifying Brooklyn, the local residents fend off a strange new monster: white women intent on sucking the lifeblood from black culture.

Lil Dicky - 'Pillow Talking'
Director: Tony Yacenda, Screenwriters: Lil Dicky, Dave Burd
A story about a man, a woman, and a brain.

Long Distance Relationship (U.S. Premiere) (Brazil)
Director/Screenwriter: Carolina Markowicz
A brief story about a gentleman who's obsessed about having sex with ETs.Matias Singer.

The Mangina Exit (U.S. Premiere)
Director: Byron Brown, Screenwriters: Byron Brown, David James Ward
Two people. Zero broken hearts. One harmless little mangina.

Milk (World Premiere) (Canada)
Director/Screenwriter: Santiago Menghini
On a late night, a young teen goes into the kitchen for a glass of milk. Upon encountering his sleepless mother, he quickly realizes things are not as they seem.

Neverlanding. A Bad Thriller. (Belgium)
Director/Screenwriter: Wim Reygaert
A reclusive Michael Jackson impersonator dedicates his whole life to the perfection of his act.

Perfect Town (Switzerland)
Director/Screenwriter: Anais Voirol
In search of perfection a city obeys to selection. A constant struggle. Trying and trying again. Where is the difference between endurance and madness?

Who's the daddy (World Premiere) (Hong Kong)
Director/Screenwriter: Wong Ping
A journey finding my root of shame.

Music Videos

 

A range of classic, innovative, and stylish work showcasing the scope of music video culture.

Aisha Badru - 'Mind on Fire' / Director/Screenwriter: Thoranna "Tota" Sigurdardottir

Amanda Palmer & Edward Ka-Spel - 'The Clock At The Back Of The Cage' (Australia) / Directors: Chris Bennett, Christy Flaws, Luke O'Connor

The Blaze - 'Territory' / Director: The Blaze

Capital Cities - 'Vowels' / Director/Screenwriter: Remy Cayuela

CATHEDRALS - 'Try To Fight' / Director/Screenwriter: Jesse Fleece

Chris Lake - 'I Want You' / Director/Screenwriter: NORTON

COM TRUISE - 'Propagation' / Directors/Screenwriters: Karrie Crouse, Will Joines

Cray - 'Lotus' / Director: Ariel Fisher, Screenwriters: Ariel Fisher and Cray

Every Time I Die - 'Map Change' / Director: Kyle Thrash

JAY-Z - 'Smile' / Director/Screenwriter: Miles Jay

JIL - 'All Your Words' / Director: Anton Tammi

Moses Sumney - 'Doomed' / Director: Allie Avital

Oly. - 'Growing Young' (Poland) / Director: Katarzyna Sawicka

Oren Lavie - 'Second Hand Lovers' (Israel) / Director/Screenwriter: Oren Lavie

Peejay - 'NA B YA' (Korea, Republic of) / Directors: Jinwoo Lee, Jungsu Lee

POLO & PAN - 'Coeur Croisé' (France) / Director: PABLO MAESTRES

salute - 'Storm' (United Kingdom) / Director: Raine Allen Miller

The Shins - 'Half A Million' / Director: LAMAR+NIK

siyyu - 'stop us' (United Kingdom) / Director: This is Felo

Sue the Night - 'Mind Dear' (Netherlands) / Director: Thessa Meijer

Texas Shorts

 

An offshoot of our regular narrative shorts program, composed of work shot in, about, or somehow relating to the Lone Star state.

An Uncertain Future
Directors: Iliana Sosa, Chelsea Hernandez
In Austin, Texas, two expectant mothers—one undocumented and one US citizen—must contend with increased ICE raids and mounting hostility towards immigrants under President Trump.

Come & Take It (World Premiere)
Directors: Ellen Spiro, PJ Raval
*This short documentary film captures the transformation of a young woman to leadership of America’s most irreverent anti-gun violence movement called #CocksNotGlocks. After concealed carry of handguns is legalized on the University of Texas campus, Jessica Jin posts clever humor on social media, and with the help of a tight-knit group of young female students, a movement is born: The Great Texas Dildo Revolt.

Don't Be a Hero
Director/Screenwriter: Pete Lee
Lizzy Jo still lives with mom at 45 and battles her loneliness and boredom by robbing banks in the guise of a cowboy on her lunch break. After the adrenaline rush wears off, she still has to deal with her deeply unhappy life. Based on a true story.

Ghosted Featuring Kamille - 'Get Some'
Director/Screenwriter: Fidel Ruiz-Healy
A story about youthful animalistic lust and how it presents itself under the glow of the full moon light. The answer is it’s messy and there is lots of biting.

Heavy Chemistry (World Premiere)
Director/Screenwriter: Blair Rowan
Feelings get complicated and oddly mutual amongst a trio of friends in Heavy Chemistry, a short comedy about love, friendship, attraction, hunger, lust, and other complex chemical reactions.

Maude
Director/Screenwriter: Anna Margaret Hollyman
Teeny thought it was just another routine babysitting job—until she's shocked to meet the client. As the day goes on, Teeny decides to become the woman she had no idea she always wanted to be ... until she gets caught.

Nice Ass (World Premiere)
Director: Carlyn Hudson, Screenwriter: Jeff Whitaker
After a failed date, Jake maintains a friendly connection with a part of Brooke no one saw coming.

Texas High School Shorts

 

A preview of the next filmmaking generation, as Texas High Schoolers present shorts of 5 minutes or less.

#RefugeesWelcome
Director/Screenwriter: Ramiro Cantu
In order to survive, a young Syrian woman leaves her home, family and country behind to seek refuge in the United States.

The Art of War
Director/Screenwriter: Cal Etcheverry
There are only two realms in which rules are broken – art and war. This film explores the deontological ethics of war through the deep contrast of the utopian life of a painter and the chaotic life of a battle-bruised soldier.

CCISD Strong
Director: Sofia Rasmussen
These are the stories of people who stepped up in the tough times after Hurricane Harvey and brought hope to the people who needed the support of their community in and around Clear Creek Independent School District.

Confined
Director: The Zavitsanos Brothers
When Myles is held at gunpoint in crime-ridden Baltimore, his life is forever changed…

Contact
Director/Screenwriter: Lindsay Wolf
Contact follows two awkward teenagers on a movie date, struggling with whether or not to show their true feelings for each other through subtle physical contact.

Escape
Directors/Screenwriters: Jada Harbin, Karina Harchandani
A 19-year-old drunk is triggered to drink when her boyfriend fails to keep his promise. A friend cleans her up and is her shoulder to cry on, maybe even more. Is it too good to be true?

How You See Us
Director/Screenwriter: Susannah Joffe
How You See Us is my way of giving a voice to all the women who are done with being disrespected, and I hope it encourages men to rethink the over-sexualization of women in society.

Hunned Effort
Directors: Nicholas Luna, Alan Lawson
High School Music Video for Alan Lawson's Hunned Effort. Shot and edited by Nicholas Luna.

Kopecke
Director: C. Fears
Koepcke is an experimental animation about the experience of a 17-year-old girl in 1971.

Loveless
Director/Screenwriter: Weston Bering
A couple who meets at a masquerade ball is interrupted by another couple's plan to heist them.

Molly and Me
Directors: Colton Vanlandingham, Collin Grant, Screenwriters: Sydney Sexton, Mary Patrello, Gaby Fernandez
Party animal Bryce and sweet Molly meet each other at a party and decide to get to know each other better. They start to find out that neither one of them are who they seem.

The Night I Lost My Favorite Jacket
Director/Screenwriter: Jenna Krumerman
A girl tells her friend about her Saturday night. She loses her favorite jacket and a little of herself while meeting new characters and trying to get by.

Pursuit of a Dream
Director/Screenwriter: Scott Larson
A man working a dead end nine to five has to let go of his past in order to pursue his future.

Pursuit: 21XX
Director: Ben Phillips, Screenwriters: Ben Phillips, Billy Nguyen, Edward Nuno A cybernetically enhanced man must track down the criminal who stole his wallet by chasing the masked thief through a futuristic city, and will have to make the ultimate decision between what is right and wrong.

Puzzle Pieces: Living Life on The Spectrum
Director/Screenwriter: Georgia
Puzzle Pieces: Living Life on The Spectrum explores children and teens that have autism spectrum disorder.

Return Policy
Directors: Demar Gunter, Victoria Hartson, Screenwriter: Demar Gunter
In a dystopian future, where life holds monetary value, a family must make a tough decision.

The Risk For Freedom Director: Alex Le
This documentary follows the early life of a Vietnamese immigrant, the director's grandmother and her struggle to get to America.

Roommate
Director/Screenwriter: Jinho Rhee
Everyone has roommate problems at one point; However, none is like the one Nayeon has to face.

Silent Fist
Directors: Jose Martinez, Nana Achempong, Screenwriters: Jose Martinez, Nana Achempon, and Brandon Mai
A silent Buddhist prays for peace when a loud, angry boxer next door challenges him to enter the ring.

Take a Chance
Director/Screenwriter: Weatherly Giblin
Take a Chance is a powerful and visually pleasing dance film that plays with florescent lighting, intense music, and movement to match.

What It Takes
Director: Kourtney Williams
This documentary was created to help express the point of view of a male gymnast. There's a lot that goes into the sport of gymnastics and what it takes to be successful. The story takes you through 3 different perspectives to show their passion.

Independent Episodics

 

Innovative and new Independent web series, pilots and docs aimed squarely at the small screen.

Beast (World Premiere)
Director: Ben Strang
When his father mysteriously goes missing at sea, a teenager rallies the help of his small fishing-island town to find him and figure out once and for all why people keep disappearing on Smith Island.

Cleansed (World Premiere)
Directors/Screenwriters: Flora Birnbaum, Sarah Scarlett Downing
A jaded Los Angeles thirty-something goes on a magical juice cleanse to fix her life.

Everything is Okay: Robot
Director: Adam Sacks, Screenwriter: Cirocco Dunlap
A better you is just a click away.

First World Problems (World Premiere)
Director/Screenwriter: X. Dean Lim
Harold, an Asian-American, comes to realizes his family are apathetic douchebags. But when a mysterious crisis starts a ticking clock, he alienates them all to prove they’re more than Amazon, Audi and Autopay. The question is: can he be wrong?

Hold To Your Best Self (World Premiere)
Director/Screenwriter: Emily Hagins
Over the course of a prom night, young adults tackle big questions concerning identity, relationships, self-esteem, and the future - their adolescent ideas and expectations are fundamentally challenged by high school coming to an end.

My Dead Ex (World Premiere)
Director: Chris Nelson, Screenwriter: Drew Hancock
A little thing like death can’t stop these two teens from falling in love. Or maybe it can.

Night Owl (World Premiere) (Canada)
Directors: R. Miskin, Gillian Muller, Screenwriter: R. Miskin
One Girl’s quest to face her fears, step outside her comfort zone and make some real friends!... in the middle of the night at a 24-hour grocery store. Well?... What do you do when you can't sleep?

One Eye Small (World Premiere)
Director/Screenwriter: Jane Stiles
Two female strangers become affectionate friends over the course of a frenetic evening in NYC.

Otis (World Premiere)
Director/Screenwriter: Alexander Etseyatse
A young calm, mentally unstable man attempts to convince his new buddy that they don't belong at a Psych ward by inciting an uprising while trying to win back the affection of his ex-fiancée and daughter.

Polar (World Premiere) (Denmark, Greenland)
Directors: Natalia Anna Ciepiel, Alexander Ohrt, Screenwriter: Morten Mortensen
Terrorized by an unbearable sound a group of teenagers commit suicide in the habour of Nuuk. After being declared dead, Ivik, awakes again. As the phenomenon returns to haunt the young population of Nuuk, Ivik sets out to find the nature of the sound.

She's the Ticket
Director: Nadia Hallgren
Five different women from around the country see Donald Trump get elected to the presidency on November 8th, 2016 and decide to do something about it. Run for office.

Unspeakable (World Premiere) Director: Milena Govich, Screenwriter: David Cornue
A young woman in a desperate situation averts authorities by claiming to be a girl who disappeared years ago as a child. But when the missing girl’s family welcomes the impostor home, she’s forced to keep the deception alive or face the consequences.

Virtual Cinema

 

Virtual reality and augmented reality technologies are finding new ways to enhance our ability to perceive the world that surrounds us, and in many instances they are redefining how we experience the world. The 25 projects presented in our new Virtual Cinema emphasize storytelling, ingenuity and also showcase how other industries are embracing this new medium.

Aeronaut (World Premiere)
Discover an ever-changing virtual landscape created by Viacom NEXT and Isobar (with Tilt Brush art by Danny Bittman), where a volumetric 3D model of two-time Grammy award winning artist Billy Corgan sings and plays the piano to his single Aeronaut.

The Atrium (World Premiere)
Director: Brian Solomon, Screenwriters: Brian Solomon, James Longmire
The Atrium, Meow Wolf’s first mixed reality installation, builds on the story of the acclaimed immersive exhibition, House of Eternal Return. Voyage through the surreal lullaby of the multiverse — and unravel a mystery spanning multiple dimensions.

Awake: Episode One (World Premiere) (Australia, United States) Director: Martin Taylor, Screenwriters: Martin Taylor, Mike Jones, Christian Cantamessa
Harry is a prisoner in his own house, obsessed with discovering the truth behind a recurring dream and a cryptic message within it. The arrival of a new presence promises to save Harry from his darkness and unlock the potential of humanity’s future.

Beethoven's Fifth (World Premiere) (United Kingdom, United States)
Director: Jessica Brillhart, Screenwriters: Jessica Brillhart, Esa-Pekka Salonen
Journey into interstellar space with a performance of Beethoven’s Fifth by the Philharmonia Orchestra, London - conducted by Principal Conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen. The film was inspired by content on Voyager's Golden Record, launched by NASA in 1977.

Chorus
Director: Tyler Hurd
Transform into fantastical female warriors in this social virtual reality experience. Six people can band together to battle evil in this epic journey of empowerment, all orchestrated to the song "Chorus" by Justice.

Dinner Party
Director: Angel Manuel Soto, Screenwriters: Charlotte Stoudt, Laura Wexler Dinner Party, the pilot episode for a true-life supernatural anthology series The Incident, is a 3D virtual reality experience based on the true story of Betty and Barney Hill, an interracial couple who in 1961 reported the first known UFO abduction.

Everything Flows (World Premiere) (China, United States)
Director: Yumeng Du
Everything Flows is a VR film experience that presents the time and space in an artistic way. It invites you to a journey of Director's hometown, Wuhan, China. It is a mixture of painting, video capture, sounds, dreaming, memory, and reality.

The Evolution of Testicles (World Premiere) (United States, Ireland, United Kingdom)
Director: Ryan Hartsell
A testicular romp through the evolution of man told via CGI, a giant testicle-shaped hot air balloon, and narrator Chris O’Dowd—all in the name of bringing awareness to male cancer prevention.

The Four Worlds (World Premiere) (United States, Australia)
Directors: Jonathan Zawada, Mark Pitchard
The Four Worlds consists of four installations comprised of looping VR experiences augmented with extra sensory stimulation IRL. Each scene is a microcosm of a different environment, accompanied by an exquisite soundtrack by Mark Pritchard.

GFE (World Premiere)
Director: Michael Jacobs An immersive 360 experimental film that offers a first-person experience of going on a date with a sex worker.

Greenland Melting (North American Premiere)
Directors: Catherine Upin, Nonny de la Peña, Screenwriters: Catherine Upin, Nonny de la Peña, Julia Cort NASA scientists are studying a troubling cause, Greenland is melting faster and faster. Using cutting edge VR technology, people can experience standing in front of a glacier, traveling underwater, and flying over some of the world's stunning scenery.

Hold The World (North American Premiere) (United Kingdom) Director: Dan Smith
Hold the World (“HTW”) is a world-first interactive VR entertainment experience hosted by Sir David Attenborough at the London’s Natural History Museum.

Isle of Dogs: Behind the Scenes (in Virtual Reality)
Directors: Felix Lajeunesse, Paul Raphael, Wes Anderson
Come face to face with the ‘dog’ cast of Wes Anderson’s upcoming stop-motion film, while the crew creates the animation around you.

The Journey (World Premiere) (United States, Chad, Ethiopia, South Sudan, United Kingdom)
Director: Charlotte Mikkelborg
The Journey through childhood in 3 of the toughest environments on Earth. Our 3 children will take you on a sensory journey into their worlds – immersing you in their past, present and future.

Living With Jaguars (World Premiere) (Canada)
Directors: Patrick McGuire, Jeff Orlowski, Screenwriter: Kate Lunau
Living With Jaguars is an interactive virtual reality film documenting wild jaguars in Brazil. Users explore the complex and interconnected perspectives of four key stakeholders: jaguars, ranchers, conservation researchers, and ecotourism operators.

MONO – Blackwater (World Premiere)
Director: Ben Wolstenholme, Screenwriters: Ben Wolstenholme, Felipe Marino, Anthony Brock
MONO, the former assassin to the queen and legendary ape-man, returns from exile to save his daughter, and reluctantly, Mankind.

One Eighty (World Premiere) (United States, India)
Director: Eren Aksu
One Eighty is the story of an Indian mother, Vijai Kumari, who spent 20 years behind bars, and her son, Kanhaiya Kumari, who was born in prison...and their quest to clear their names and live in freedom.

Parragirls Past, Present – unlocking institutional memories of 'care' (North American Premiere) (Australia)
Directors: Media artists and Parragirls, Parragirls/Parramatta Female Factory Precinct Memory Project, Screenwriters: Bonney Djuric, Lily Hibberd, Jenny McNally
Parragirls Past, Present is a deeply moving immersive experience presenting former residents’ contemporary visions of Parramatta Girls Home to unlock memories of institutional 'care' within the punitive Australian child welfare system.

RONE (Australia) (North American Premiere)
Director: Lester Francois
A distinctive portrait in VR of street artist Rone, whose stunning large-scale portraits are often seen in forgotten spaces. A mix of 360' video and a virtual art gallery to explore, RONE will draw you into the world of street art like never before.

Sanctuaries of Silence Directors: Adam Loften, Emmanuel Vaughan-Lee
Sanctuaries of Silence is an immersive listening journey into Olympic National Park, one of the quietest places in North America.

Space Explorers: A New Dawn
Directors: Felix Lajeunesse, Paul Raphael
Space Explorers: A New Dawn is a cinematic VR series about the new age of space exploration. Witness the lives of NASA astronauts as they navigate the trials and sacrifices of their training and missions. Space Explorers: A New Dawn will shine a light on mankind’s most ambitious journey to understand our planet, our universe and our origins.

Space x Girl (World Premiere) (Korea, Republic of)
Director: Minhyuk Che
A story about a girl and her space. The girl has a special sense of feeling the heart of the space. One day the space of the girl begins a conversation. It is about her memories that she was not aware of.

Spheres: Songs of Spacetime
Director/Screenwriter: Eliza McNitt
Dive into the heart of a black hole and uncover the hidden songs of the cosmos. In this VR experience, the breakthrough discovery of gravitational waves transforms how we see the Universe. Fall into the darkness, and you will find the light.

Summation of Force (Australia)
Directors: Trent Parke, Narelle Autio, Matthew Bate, Screenwriters: Trent Parke, Narelle Autio In a moonlit suburban backyard, two brothers battle one another in an otherworldly game of cricket in this stunning black and white live-action study of the motion, physics, and psychology of sport. Created by photographers Trent Parke and Narelle Autio, in collaboration with filmmaker Matthew Bate, this VR artwork offers a cosmic, darkly beautiful, and dreamlike metaphor for life.

Sun Ladies VR
Directors: Celine Tricart, Christian Stephen
In 2014, ISIS invaded Iraq and targeted the Yazidi community. The men were killed, and the women taken as sex slaves. Some of the ones who escaped decided to join the Kurdistan army and started a female-only fighting unit called the Sun Ladies.

Tiniest Tremor (World Premiere)
Directors: Nicholas Manting Brewer, Megan Simon
An emotionally immersive and visually poetic journey into the issue of Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome through the story of a woman who suffered from substance abuse disorder to Opioids and her child.

Together (World Premiere)
Director: Terrence Malick Together is a VR experience about the power of human connection. The piece fuses dance and technology, putting the viewer in the middle of an emotional narrative about breaking down barriers and bringing people closer.

We're Still Here (World Premiere)
Director: Jesse Ayala Aiden Short Cloud, a Two-Spirit artist and historian in Boise, Idaho, struggles to preserve and revive his heritage in a race against time.

Wonderful You VR (North American Premiere) (United Kingdom)
Director: John Durrant
Wonderful You VR, a Virtual Reality experience narrated by Academy Award nominee Samantha Morton, is a journey through the strange world of your developing senses: sight, sound, touch, taste and smell.

Title Design Competition

 

Inspired by an essential part of the theatrical experience, these are works of art in their own right. The 16 sequences selected represent the very best and most original of the past year.

Big Mouth / Company: Titmouse Inc. / Designer: Mike Roush

Book of Henry / Company: Imaginary Forces / Creative Director: Alan Williams

Britannia / Company: Me & the Bootmaker / Designer: Manija Emran

Comtes de Barcelona (Counts of Barcelona) / Company: Freelance / Designer: J. A. Duran

Counterpart / Company: Imaginary Forces / Creative Director: Karin Fong

Dark / Company: Self employed / Designer: Lutz Lemke

Divide / Company: Ringling College of Art and Design / Designer: Ioana Oprescu

Exhalación / Company: Mordisco Films / Designer: Alberto Díaz López

Godless / Company: Method Studios / Designer: John Likens

Narcos Season 3 / Company: Digital Kitchen / Designer: Harshit Desai

National Geographic Breakthrough / Company: Imaginary Forces / Creative Director: Karin Fong

OFFF CDMX Opening titles / Company: Diecinueve36 / Designer: Maribel Martínez

OFFF Barcelona 2017 / Company: Sailor Productions / Designer: Vallee Duhamel

Orient City: Ronin & The Princess / Company: Spoke Lane Entertainment / Designer: Zsombor Huszka

Paa Joe & The Lion / Company: Bottletop / Designer: Mark Pyper

Semi Permanent Festival / Company: Framestore / Designer: Akira Thompson

SOLO / Company: Plexus

Star Trek: Discovery / Prologue Films / Designers: Kyle Cooper, Ana CriadoPost / Designer: Vijesh Rajan

Taboo / Company: Method Studios / Designer: John Likens

TEDx Sydney / Company: Substance / Designer: Scott Geersen

Also, a special viewing of SXSW Gaming Awards Open 2017 / Company: Imaginary Forces / Designer: Jeremy Cox

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