South by Southwest is thrilled to officially announce the World Premiere and Opening Night Film for the 2026 Film & TV Festival, NEON's I Love Boosters directed by visionary filmmaker Boots Riley. I Love Boosters features an epic star-studded ensemble cast including Keke Palmer, Naomi Ackie, Taylour Paige, Poppy Liu, Eiza Gonzalez, LaKeith Stanfield, Don Cheadle and Demi Moore.
The mind-bending story centers around a crew of professional shoplifters known as The Velvet Gang who take aim at a cutthroat fashion maven. Revealing any more than that would do a disservice to the SXSW opening night crowd that will be lucky enough to experience Riley's latest cinematic revelation in one of the best festival atmospheres on the planet.
After first appearing at the festival in 2018 with the macabre social satire Sorry To Bother You, Boots Riley returned in 2023 with the world premiere of his hit series I'm A Virgo. I Love Boosters is Riley's second original feature film, after a successful music career with groups The Coup and the Street Sweeper Social Club with Tom Morello from Rage Against the Machine fame.
“The Velvet Gang has officially cased Austin and decided Opening Night at SXSW 2026 will be the start of their global takeover! We are beyond thrilled to kick off the festival with the World Premiere of Boots Riley's I Love Boosters," said Claudette Godfrey, VP of Film & TV. "Boots has created another wildly original and boundary-pushing vision that's deliciously unpredictable. We can’t wait for our audience to be sucked into his singular, subversive world where razor-sharp social commentary meets fearless, surreal storytelling and eye-popping imagery—all powered by a ridiculously stacked cast of some of the most talented actors on the planet. I Love Boosters is audacious, entertaining, and guaranteed to get our festival off to an unforgettable start. Trust us, you'll want to be there when The Velvet Gang bursts onto the scene!"
So, mark your calendars for March 12, 2026 for the World Premiere of I Love Boosters as the Opening Night Film, and be sure to check back when the 2026 SXSW Film & TV Festival announces our slate of programming in January.
Join Us at SXSW 2026
Be sure to book your calendar for March 12-18 in Austin, TX for the 2026 SXSW Conference & Festivals. You don't want to miss out on the unique range of experiences from learning about the latest trends across diverse fields to discovering new artists, films, tech, and creatives from around the world.
Badge prices are set to increase on December 5. Register now and book your hotel for the best available rates. Explore exclusive group rates as well
