Long after all the popcorn is swept off the Paramount floor and the red carpets are rolled away into storage; 2023 SXSW Film & TV Festival official selections continue to drop each month, ready to watch at home or in your nearest theater!
October releases bring the producers of Get Out and a mythological demonic spirit in It Lives Inside while a young fashion designer's self-doubt sprouts into some sort of Appendage. Dive into more SXSW Film & TV Festival alumni releases below.
Robert Irwin: A Desert of Pure Feeling
Texas Premiere, Documentary Feature 2023
The life and career of legendary artist Robert Irwin, whose installations have radically expanded the possibilities of what art can be. Irwin began as a painter in LA’s “Cool School” scene, before developing a new way of working that made perception itself the subject. Irwin’s notable works include the Central Garden at the Getty Center in LA and untitled (dawn to dusk) in Marfa, Texas.
Releases in theaters, Amazon Prime and Apple TV October 20.
It Lives Inside
World Premiere, Narrative Feature 2023
Sam is desperate to fit in at school, rejecting her Indian culture and family to be like everyone else. When a mythological demonic spirit latches onto her former best friend, she must come to terms with her heritage in order to defeat it. From the producers of Get Out.
Releases in theaters September 22.
Appendage
World Premiere, Narrative Feature 2023
A young fashion designer seems fine on the surface but secretly struggles with debilitating self-doubt. Soon these buried feelings begin to make Hannah physically sick and sprout into a ferocious growth on her body: The Appendage.
Streaming on Hulu October 2.
OMOIYARI
World Premiere, Documentary Feature 2022
Internationally acclaimed composer and songwriter Kaoru Ishibashi (professionally known as "Kishi Bashi") embarks on a personal quest by creating his music in locations relevant to the Japanese American Incarceration during WWII. It is on this journey in which Kishi Bashi comes to terms with his own Japanese American identity and uncovers a myriad of social issues that have gripping modern relevance. OMOIYARI is a genre breaking, artistic exploration that fuses history, music, and the complexities of the human condition.
Releases in theaters October 6.
Plan C
Texas Premiere, Documentary Feature 2023
A determined group of blue state advocates, midwives and doctors have been networking to increase access to abortion pills in the United States outside of a clinic setting, regardless of where you live. In 2014, Francine, a social scientist based in Los Angeles, and her partners launched Plan C for the purpose of spreading the word about how and where to buy abortion pills online. This is the story of that work between 2020 and the overturning of Roe in 2022: the pipelines they built, the access they expanded, the criticism they faced, and the hope they have for the future.
Releases in theaters October 6.
Joan Baez: I am a Noise
Texas Premiere, Documentary Feature, 2023
In this biography that opens with her farewell tour, Joan Baez takes stock in an unsparing fashion, confronting often painful memories and opening up about her history with mental illness, her family, drugs, aging and questions of guilt and forgiveness. For the first time on record, she speaks to her relationship with Bob Dylan, how she used her fame to launch his career, and the pain of their later estrangement. The film interweaves diary entries and Baez’s own illustrations with extensive conversations and backstage moments from the tour.
Releases in theaters and Digital October 6.
Story Ave
World Premiere, Narrative Feature 2023
South Bronx teen Kadir (Asante Blackk) is a gifted visual artist who loses his way following the death of his younger brother. Overcome with grief and struggling with the pressures of school and family, he escapes into the thrilling yet dangerous world of graffiti gangs, seeking an outlet for the creative force threatening to explode out of him. To prove himself and join his neighborhood’s ruling gang, Kadir tries to rob no-nonsense MTA conductor Luis (Luis Guzmán) on the Story Ave subway platform. He is caught off guard when Luis agrees to give Kadir the cash if he’ll sit down to a meal with him. Following their conversation and the delicate, transformative friendship that grows out of it, Kadir sees for the first time how his artistic talent could lead to a better life. Winner of the Best Cinematography prize at SXSW.
Releases in theaters October 6.
Down Low
World Premiere, Narrative Feature 2023
https://youtu.be/yuRwoncMWUM?si=xaflnwFeO6o4cWUL
A deeply repressed man, the uninhibited young man that gives him a happy ending, and all the lives they ruin along the way.
Streaming on October 10.
Bitch Ass
World Premiere Narrative Feature, 2022
The year is 1980. Young Cecil is bullied by kids in the 6th Street gang for being fat, shy, and always playing board games. They all pick on him and call him Bitch Ass. On a gang initiation night they jump him and leave him for dead. Fast forward to 1999. No one has seen or heard from Bitch Ass since, and he has become an urban legend. Now, a new crop of 6th Street recruits are gearing up for another initiation night. They get tasked with robbing a house, but little do they know they're walking into Bitch Ass' house, and he has been plotting his revenge by building deadly versions of the childhood games they bullied him for playing. Let the games begin!
Streaming on Showtime October 14.
We Forgot About the Zombies
World Premiere Short Film, 2023
Two dudes think they found the cure for zombie bites.
Available on Vimeo October 15.
Another Body
World Premiere, Documentary Feature 2023
Another Body follows a college student’s search for answers and justice after she discovers deepfake pornography of herself circulating online. SXSW Special Jury Award winner for Innovation in Storytelling.
Releases in theaters and on demand October 20.
If You Were the Last
World Premiere Narrative Feature 2023
Adam and Jane are three years into a NASA mission that has gone very wrong. Their ship is broken and now they drift between Jupiter and Saturn, finding ways to pass the time as they become more certain that no one is coming to save them. Adam paints, Jane attempts to repair the ship. They argue over what movies to watch. And every day, they dance. One day, Adam poses that maybe they should sleep together. Jane laughs the idea off — why mess up their great dynamic just to add one more (admittedly very fun) activity to their list of time-passing options? Thus begins a friendly, flirty debate about whether they’re better off spending their remaining days as friends or something more.
Streaming on Peacock October 20.
More to Watch
From Iconic Moments to chance encounters that lead to dream jobs, SXSW remains one of the most anticipated events of the year. If that’s not enough to get you pumped for the 2024 event, check out additional SXSW Alumni Films and past Red Carpet Q&As for a taste of what's to come.
Theres so much to watch while we await 2024 announcements, subscribe to the Film & TV Community Newsletter to keep up with all the SX cinematic magic.
See You in 2024
SXSW brings Film & TV students, industry leaders, and fans to Austin, TX each year. Join us from March 8-16 for one of the most anticipated festivals of the year. Discover more about SXSW registration and housing to ensure your festival accommodations are all set.
(Teaser) Plan C - 2023 SXSW Film & TV Festival Official Selection, It Lives Inside – 2023 SXSW Film & TV Festival Official Selection
