SXSW Film Alumni Releases – April 2021

We know you just got off the couch reeling with excitement from all of the Film Festival screenings last month during SXSW Online, but we have some more goodies for April. Buckle up!

SXSW Film Festival alumni films on release this month include WeWork: or The Making and Breaking of a $47 Billion Unicorn – a documentary following the rise of frenetic founder Adam Neumann; a journey through the halls of high school from the view of a 14-year-old pubescent Persian boy, Chad; Hysterical, a documentary spotlighting stand-up comedy’s most boundary-breaking women; and more.

Read more about this month's releases and where to watch below. Subscribe to Film Community Newsletters to stay up to date with Film news and more from SXSW.

Dark City Beneath the Beat

World Premiere, Documentary Feature, 2020

Dark City Beneath the Beat is a musical documentary reimagining the narrative of Baltimore, a city rising above social and economic turmoil to develop a vibrant and close-knit community for the arts through its homegrown sound, Baltimore club music.

Streaming on Netflix, April 16.

Golden Arm

World Premiere, Narrative Feature, 2020

When her best friend Danny ropes her into taking her spot at the Women’s Arm Wrestling Championship, nice girl baker Melanie must trade whisks for barbells to fight the reigning champ for a chance at the grand prize and newfound badassery.

Apple TV, digital and select theaters starting April 30.

Best Summer Ever

World Premiere, Documentary Feature, 2021

Sage and Anthony have had the "Best Summer Ever" after falling in love at a dance camp in Vermont. Not expecting to see each other again until the following summer, Sage, by a twist of fate, arrives unexpectedly at the same high school as Anthony. Now faced with the drama of high school cliques, an evil cheerleader, and the illegal secret that keeps Sage's family on the move, they are forced to reevaluate their relationship as Tony struggles to be both the high school football star and the dancer he’s always wanted to be.

Available on DVD and VOD April 27.

Made for Love

World Premiere, Episodic, 2021

Based on Alissa Nutting’s tragicomic novel, Made for Love is a dark, absurd and cynically poignant story of divorce and revenge following Hazel Green (Cristin Milioti), a thirty-something woman on the run after 10 years in a suffocating marriage.

Streaming on HBO Max April 1.

WeWork: or The Making and Breaking of a $47 Billion Unicorn

World Premiere, Documentary Feature, 2021

How do you lose $47 billion in six weeks? Let us count the ways. Exploring the rise and fall of one of the biggest corporate flameouts and venture capitalist bubbles in recent years – this is the story of WeWork and its hippie-messianic leader Adam Neumann who makes you beg the question, was he trying to create a cult?

Streaming on Hulu, April 2.

Shiva Baby

World Premiere, Narrative Feature, 2020

College student Danielle must cover her tracks when she unexpectedly runs into her sugar daddy at a shiva— with her parents, ex-girlfriend and family friends also in attendance.

In theaters and TVOD April 2.

Hysterical

World Premiere, Documentary Feature 2021

Hysterical is an honest and hilarious backstage pass into the lives of some of stand-up comedy’s most boundary-breaking women, exploring the hard-fought journey to become the voices of their generation and their gender.

Streaming on Hulu April 3.

Chad

World Premiere, Episodic, 2021 (2020 Spotlight Section)

Chad is a single-camera comedy that follows a 14-year-old pubescent Persian boy (Nasim Pedrad) as he navigates his first year of high school on a mission to become popular. Chad's friendships and sanity are pushed to the limits as he uses every tactic at his disposal to befriend the cool kids, while enduring his mother's new dating life and reconciling with his cultural identity.

Premieres on TBS April 6.

Them

World Premiere, Episodic, 2021

The Emorys move to Compton, but Palmer Drive isn’t what it seems. From Executive Producers Lena Waithe and Little Marvin – Them.

Streaming only on Amazon Prime, April 9.

Jakob’s Wife

World Premiere, Narrative Feature, 2021

The disappearance of a young woman threatens to change the beige and banal lives of Anne Fedder (Barbara Crampton) and her pastor husband Jakob Fedder (Larry Fessenden) forever.

In theaters and On Demand, April 16.

Confronting a Serial Killer

World Premiere, Episodic, 2021

Confronting a Serial Killer tells the story of the unprecedented relationship between author Jillian Lauren and serial killer Sam Little while investigating the devastating impact of bias against marginalized women in the criminal justice system.

Available on Starz, April 18.

Sasquatch

World Premiere, Episodic, 2021

Sasquatch is a true crime doc series following investigative journalist David Holthouse as he attempts to solve a bizarre twenty-five year old triple homicide that was said to be the work of a mythical creature.

Streaming on Hulu April 20.

Cruel Summer

World Premiere, Episodic, 2021

From Exec Producer Jessica Biel, Freeform’s Cruel Summer is a psychological thriller taking place over three summers when a popular girl goes missing and an awkward outlier transforms to queen bee and eventually, the most despised person in America.

Premieres on Freeform April 20, next day on Hulu.

Sisters with Transistors

World Premiere, Documentary Feature, 2020

Think of early electronic music and you’ll likely see men pushing buttons, knobs, and boundaries. While electronic music is often perceived as a boys club, the truth is from the very beginning women have been integral in inventing the devices, techniques and tropes that would define the shape of sound for years to come. As one of the film’s subjects, Laurie Spiegel explains: “We women were especially drawn to electronic music when the possibility of a woman composing was in itself controversial. Electronics let us make music that could be heard by others without having to be taken seriously by the male-dominated establishment.”

Opens Virtually Nationwide on April 23.

Stay Connected

Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook for the latest SX news.