The features lineup for this year’s South by Southwest Film Conference and Festival is a typically unpredictable group of films that leans toward the eclectic and unusual. With their program announcement released Tuesday, the Austin, Texas-based festival, which this year runs from March 11 to 19, looks to maintain its position on the festival calendar as a home for fresh talent and outsider voices.
Among the titles in Tuesday’s release are comedian Mike Birbiglia’s “Don’t Think Twice,” featuring Keegan-Michael Key, Gillian Jacobs and himself; Jean-Marc Vallee’s “Demolition,” starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Naomi Watts; John Michael McDonagh’s “War on Everyone,” starring Michael Peña, Alexander Skårsgard and Tessa Thompson; Ti West’s “In a Valley of Violence,” starring Ethan Hawke and John Travolta; and Jesse Moss’ “Bandit,” a documentary look at the friendship between Burt Reynolds and Hal Needham and the making of “Smokey and the Bandit.”
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Previously announced titles include the opening-night world premiere of Richard Linklater’s “Everybody Wants Some” and John Lee’s “Pee-Wee’s Big Holiday,” featuring Paul Reubens’ return to his signature character. Other announced titles include Jeff Nichols’ “Midnight Special”; Athina Rachel Tsangari’s “Chevalier”; Taylor Brodsky’s true-crime documentary “Beware the Slenderman”; and Joe Berlinger’s documentary “Tony Robbins: I Am Not Your Guru.”
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For the Record
Feb. 2, 2:45 p.m.: An earlier version of this article incorrectly gave the name of “Pee-Wee’s Big Holiday” director John Lee as Jeff Lee.
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An additional program announcement is expected on Feb. 9.
Though this year’s lineup may on first glance lack such obvious crowd-pleasing titles, such as last year’s “Trainwreck” or “Spy,” Janet Pierson, head of SXSW Film, points out, that films such as those by Linklater or Nichols are still major studio releases.
“It’s so interesting this year that our studio films happen to be from the kind of filmmakers who come more from the independent world,” Pierson said in a phone call from Austin this week.
Every year festival programmers are asked to sift through their lineup in search of new themes, and for Pierson this year represents continuity rather than change.
“I don’t know if anything is new this year except for our commitment to discovery and fresh voices. Which isn’t new, it’s a continuation,” Pierson said. “Every year it gets harder as there are more and more alums that we love. But in a lot of cases we opted for new voices. We’re very committed to that.
“It’s not easy, there’s no easy trend,” she added. “Some years they jump out at me, and this year I was staring at the board trying to think of how do I answer this question when it comes up.”
The festival will feature 139 feature films, including 52 from first-time filmmakers, and 89 world premieres. The selection comes from more than 2,400 feature films submitted.
The 10 films in the narrative feature competition are all world premieres and include “The Arbalest, directed by Adam Pinney; “Before the Sun Explodes” from Debra Eisenstad; “Claire in Motion,” directed by Lisa Robinson and Annie J. Howell; “collective: unconscious” by Lily Baldwin, Frances Bodomo, Daniel Patrick Carbone, Josephine Decker and Lauren Wolkstein; “Donald Cried,” directed by Kris Avedisian; “Hunter Gatherer, directed by Josh Locy; “Miss Stevens,” directed by Julia Hart; “The Other Half” from Joey Klein; “A Stray” from Musa Syeed; and “Transpecos,” directed by Greg Kwedar.
We’re interested in anything that’s interesting.
— Janet Pierson, head of SXSW Film Festival
The 10 films having their world premieres as part of the documentary competition are “Accidental Courtesy: Daryl Davis, Race & America,” directed by Matt Ornstein; “Alive and Kicking,” directed by Susan Glatzer; “Best and Most Beautiful Things,” directed by Garrett Zevgetis; “Goodnight Brooklyn -- The Story of Death By Audio,” directed by Matthew Conboy; “The Liberators,” directed by Cassie Hay; “Orange Sunshine,” directed by William A. Kirkley; “Ovarian Psycos,” directed by Joanna Sokolowski and Kate Trumbull-LaValle; “The Seer,” directed by Laura Dunn; “The Space in Between -- Marina Abramovic and Brazil,” directed by Marco Del Fiol; and “TOWER,” directed by Keith Maitland.
Julia Hart will be premiering her feature directing debut “Miss Stevens” as part of the competition. Though she had previously been to Austin for the local Fantastic Fest in the fall with “The Keeping Room,” a film she wrote, this will be Hart’s first time attending South by Southwest.
“I’ve always wanted to go. I’ve gotten the sense that it’s an innovative and inclusive festival,” Hart said.
“I am more than a little excited that my first film will be premiering at a festival run by a woman,” Hart noted via email. “I feel honored to be added to the list of female filmmakers whose work SXSW has championed.”
Among other world premieres announced Tuesday are Sophie Goodhart’s “My Blind Brother,” starring Adam Scott, Nick Kroll, Jenny Slate and Zoe Kazan; Linas Phillips’ “Rainbow Time,” starring Melanie Lynskey, Phillips and Jay Duplass; Clay Liford’s “Slash,” starring Michael Johnston, Michael Ian Black and Missi Pyle; and Ben Brewer and Alex Brewer’s “The Trust,” starring Nicolas Cage, Elijah Wood and Jenny Lewis.
“In a Valley of Violence” filmmaker Ti West has had numerous films premiere at the festival, starting with his 2005 debut feature “The Roost,” and he expressed excitement at returning to the event.
“What better place to premiere a western than Texas?” West said this week. West credits the festival’s early support in providing his films with appreciative audiences and giving him the boost he needed to continue.
“It’s really hard to express just how meaningful that is to a filmmaker unless you experience it yourself,” said West. “South by Southwest was the first big festival to really showcase micro-budget films and filmmakers, and without them taking those kinds of chances I wouldn’t have a career today.”
Zach Clark will be premiering a film at the festival for the fourth time when he appears with his new “Little Sister.” Clark was even at the festival before he had a film of his own, first attending in 2006 for a film he edited, Aaron Katz’s “Dance Party U.S.A.”
“I think 75 people showed up for our world premiere and that felt amazing,” said Clark this week. “You could make a movie for no money and people would take it seriously, who knew?”
SXSW was also among the first film festivals to give attention to new television programs, going back to when it first premiered Lena Dunham’s “Girls” in 2012. Now it has become quite common for festivals to premiere series work made for television or streaming.
“It feels great we were there early,” said Pierson, “but it was a little inevitable too.”
This year five series will have their world premieres during the festival. The supernatural “Preacher,” directed by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg and starring Dominic Cooper, will play, as will “Vice Principals,” from the creative team of Danny McBride, Jonah Hill and David Gordon Green.
“Outcast,” directed by Adam Wingard, who made “You’re Next” and “The Guest,” will also premiere in the television section. “Search Party,” starring Alia Shawkat,” is written and directed by Sarah-Violet Bliss and Charles Rogers, who won the festival’s feature competition in 2014 with their “Fort Tilden.” John Scott Sheperd’s “You Me Her” will also premiere.
While the recently concluded Sundance Film Festival was marked by a frenzy over unprecedented sales deals and a buying spree from streaming services such as Netflix and Amazon, Pierson notes that SXSW defines itself by different terms.
“We define success basically on how strong the work is, how well received it is, and even more so by what kind of experience the filmmakers have within their own community,” Pierson said. “One of the things we hear over and over again is, ‘I met the collaborators of my film this year while I was at the festival two or three years ago.’ There’s this alchemy where people meet really significant other people. And we love that, we’re sort of an inspirational melting pot. That’s how we define success, not by the conventional acquisitions market.”
Put more succinctly, Pierson defined the mission of the festival when she said, “We’re interested in anything that’s interesting.”
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Kelly Rowland speaks during her “Chasing Destiny” SXSW interview at the Austin Convention Center on March 19.
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DJ Steve Aoki poses with a fan at the Pandora Discovery Den on March 19.
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The Roots brought their legendary Jam Sessions to the festival for the first time during an exclusive performance at the Bud Light Factory on March 19.
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Rapper Tory Lanez performs at the Pandora Discovery Den on March 18.
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Actor Paul Reubens answers questions at the premiere of “Pee-wee’s Big Holiday” at the Paramount Theatre on March 17.
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Actors Joe Manganiello and Sofia Vergara attend the premiere of “Pee-wee’s Big Holiday” at the Paramount Theatre on March 17.
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Wynonna Judd, center, with her band the Big Noise attend the Pandora Discovery Den on March 17.
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DNCE perform at Music Is Universal Styld.by Gap presented by Marriott Rewards and Universal Music Group at the JW Marriott Austin on March 17.
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Rae Sremmurd take the stage at the Bud Light Factory during the Interscope Showcase on March 17.
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Har Mar Superstar performs on a table at the McDonald’s Loft on March 17.
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The Cactus Blossoms perform onstage during the Pandora Discovery Den on March 17.
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Iggy Pop performs at ACL Live the Moody Theater on March 16.
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Chvrches’ Lauren Mayberry performs at the MTV Woodies/10 for ’16 taping on March 16.
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Anderson.Paak performs at the MTV Woodies/10 for ’16 taping on March 16.
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Ryan Adams performs at Music Is Universal on March 16.
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John Legend headlines the AXE Collective + Crew on March 17.
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Musicians Thao Nguyen, center, and the Avett Brothers attend a screening of “A Song For You: The Austin City Limits Story” on March 17.
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Actor-director Don Cheadle attends the screening of “Miles Ahead” on March 16,
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First Lady Michelle Obama speaks at the South by Southwest festival on March 16.
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Big Boi performs at South by Southwest Interactive’s closing party at Stubb’s on March 15.
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Actor Don Cheadle poses in the Samsung Studio at the South by Southwest festival on March 15.
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Aluna Francis of AlunaGeorge performs at Spotify House during the South by Southwest festival on March 15.
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From left, recording artists Sleepy Brown, Ray Murray and Rico Wade of Organized Noize attend a screening of “The Art of Organized Noize” at the Paramount Theatre during the South by Southwest festival on March 15.
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Texas meets Hollywood near the Paramount Theatre as the South by Southwest festival kicks off in Austin, Texas.
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A general view of “The Powerpuff Girls” parade and screening at SXSW on March 14.
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Seth Rogen, left, and Evan Goldberg answer questions at the premiere of the work-in-progress “Sausage Party” at the Paramount Theatre on March 14.
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Actor Greg Poehler, from left, actress Rachel Blanchard, “You Me Her” creator John Scott Shepherd and actresses Priscilla Faia and Melanie Papalia attend the SXSW premiere of AT&T’s Audience Network’s “You Me Her” on March 15.
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Actors Melanie Papalia, from left, Priscilla Faia and Greg Poehler attend a brunch celebrating the premiere of AT&T’s Audience Network’s “You Me Her” on March 15.
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Bella Thorne, a “Shovel Buddies” cast member, attends the movie’s South by Southwest screening on Monday.
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Motivational speaker Tony Robbins attends the screening of the documentary “Tony Robbins: I Am Not Your Guru” on Monday.
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Andrew Jarecki, director of the documentary “The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst,” speaks at SXSW on Monday.
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Actor Craig Robinson, at SXSW with the movie “Morris From America,” poses for photos in the Samsung Studio on Monday.
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Comedian Hannibal Buress serves as host at the Spotify House on Monday.
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Rapper Tory Lanez performs at the Spotify House on Monday.
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Actors Dominic Cooper, from left, Ruth Negga and Joseph Gilgun attend the screening of “Preacher” at the Paramount Theatre in Austin, Texas on Monday during the South By Southwest festival.
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Directors Evan Goldberg, left, and Seth Rogen attend the screening of “Preacher” at Paramount Theatre during SXSW on Monday.
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Director J.J. Abrams speaks after the screening of “Secrets of the Force Awakens: A Cinematic Journey” at the Paramount Theatre during SXSW on Monday.
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R2-D2 attends the screening of “Secrets of The Force Awakens: A Cinematic Journey” at the Paramount Theatre during SXSW.
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Sia performs at Samsung Galaxy Life Fest at SXSW on March 13.
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Sia, background, and dancers perform at Samsung Galaxy Life Fest.
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Willie Nelson performs at the Spotify House during SXSW on March 13.
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James Caan attends a screening of his new film “The Waiting” at the Paramount Theatre on March 13.
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Andrei Dementiev, wearing the GoPro camera setup, attends a screening of “Hardcore Henry” at the Paramount Theatre on March 13.
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Singer Elle King performs onstage at Samsung Galaxy Life Fest at SXSW on March 13.
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Actor Johnny Galecki experiences Samsung Gear VR at the Samsung Studio at SXSW.
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Actresses Kate Micucci, left, Alia Shawkat and Gillian Jacobs at the Samsung Studio on March 13.
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Director Mike Birbiglia attends a screening of “Don’t Think Twice” at the Paramount Theatre on March 13.
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“Scandal” actress Kerry Washington speaks during South by Southwest at the Austin Convention Center.
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“Mr. Robot” actor Rami Malek speaks during South by Southwest.
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“Mr. Robot” actor Christian Slater speaks during South by Southwest.
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Anthony Bourdain speaks during South by Southwest at the Austin Convention Center.
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Jake Gyllenhaal, left, Jean-Marc Vallée and Bryan Sipe arrive at the screening of “Demolition” during South by Southwest at the Paramount Theatre.
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Actor Alexander Skarsgård, left, director John Michael McDonagh and actor Michael Peña at a screening of their new movie “War on Everyone” during the South by Southwest Film Festival.
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Actors Jordan Peele, left, and Keegan-Michael Key attend the screening of “Keanu” during the 2016 SXSW Music, Film + Interactive Festival in Austin.
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Miguel performs as part of the SteelHouse Concert Series during the South by Southwest Interactive Festival.
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Burt Reynolds sits on a 1977 Pontiac Trans-Am at the world premiere of “The Bandit” during the South by Southwest Film Festival.
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Ellen Page speaks at a panel discussion during South by Southwest.
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“Vice Principals” Georgia King, left, David Gordon Green, Jody Hill, Kimberly Hebert Gregory, Danny McBride and Walton Goggins gather during the South by Southwest Film Festival.
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Zoey Deutch arrives at the premiere of “Everybody Wants Some” at the Paramount Theatre.
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Director Richard Linklater at the premiere of “Everybody Wants Some” at the Paramount Theatre.
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Actors Glen Powell, left, Juston Street, Austin Amelio and Wyatt Russell at the Samsung Studio at SXSW.
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Dallas Mavericks wwner Mark Cuban speaks during “Sports and VR,” presented by Gear VR, at the Samsung Studio at SXSW.
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Festival goers experience Samsung Gear VR at the Samsung Studio at SXSW.
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Actors Nathan Parsons and Ksenia Solo at the Samsung Studio at SXSW.
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President Barack Obama, right, talks with Texas Tribune Editor in Chief/CEO Evan Smith at the Center for Performing Arts in Austin as part of the South by Southwest Festival.
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President Barack Obama waves upon his arrival on Air Force One at Austin Bergstrom International Airport. He’ll speak at SXSW and attend two Democratic National Committee fundraisers.
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The First Order, from “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” has landed at SXSW.
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The Austin Convention Center is ready for the public’s arrival on the first day of South by Southwest in Austin, Texas, on Friday.
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A state trooper and a volunteer walk through the hall inside the Austin Convention Center before the public was let in on the first day of the South by Southwest festival.
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People line up inside the Austin Convention Center to register on the first day of SXSW.
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People wait in line to see President Obama participate in a South by Southwest interactive panel on March 11 in Austin, Texas.
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Visitors look over movie posters inside the Austin Convention Center at SXSW.
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