‘The Guest,’ ‘Oculus’ lead South by Southwest Midnighters section

Adam Wingard’s “The Guest” and Mike Flanagan’s “Oculus” are among the horror films set to screen as part of the Midnighters lineup at the South by Southwest Film Conference and Festival in Austin, Texas, organizers announced Wednesday.

This year, the Midnighters section will spotlight 10 genre titles. Wingard’s (“You’re Next”) film centers on a soldier concealing dark secrets about his past who pays a visit to the family of a fallen comrade; it premiered last month at the Sundance Film Festival.

“Oculus,” which stars Karen Gillan, Brenton Thwaites, Rory Cochrane, James Lafferty and Katee Sackhoff, follows two adult siblings who team up to destroy the supernatural entity responsible for their family’s tragic past. Relativity is set to release the thriller in the U.S. on April 11.

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“The Blair Witch Project” filmmaker Eduardo Sanchez returns to horror with “Exists,” which tracks five friends who encounter a beast in the East Texas woods during a camping trip. “The Last Exorcism” director Daniel Stamm’s new film “13 Sins” will world premiere at SXSW — Mark Webber stars as a salesman who is promised rewards for completing 13 increasingly gruesome tasks.

The French film “Among the Living,” pitched as a cross between “Stand by Me” and “Friday the 13th,” also will have its world premiere.

Other films set to screen in the section include “Stage Fright,” in which a killer terrorizes a musical theater camp; “Starry Eyes,” about a desperate actress; “Late Phases,” in which a veteran sets out to protect a retirement community under siege; “Honeymoon,” which tracks newlyweds who encounter unexpected turmoil; and “Home,” about a Realtor who crosses paths with a property’s previous occupant.

SXSW also announced the 113 live-action and animated short films that will play in 11 curated programs throughout the festival. The shorts were selected from a record 4,249 submissions, an overall increase of 19% over 2013.

The South by Southwest Film Conference and Festival runs March 7-15.

To see the complete SXSW Film Lineup, visit https://sxsw.com/film/screenings/film-lineup.

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