SXSW Film Festival Announces 2013 Lineup

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The South by Southwest (SXSW) Film Conference and Festival—marking its 20th anniversary this year—has just announced its feature-film lineup.  One hundred and nine films were selected from a record-breaking 2,096 submissions. The festival’s main categories are Narrative Feature and Documentary Feature: eight films in each will be making their world premieres and are eligible to win their respective Grand Jury prizes.  Also announced were several Headliners—non-competing films with major stars and directors, also making their world or U.S. premieres.  This year’s festival (held, as always, in Austin, TX) runs from March 8 to 16.

NARRATIVE FEATURE COMPETITION

Awful Nice, directed by Todd Sklar

Burma, directed by Carlos Puga

Improvement Club, directed by Dayna Hanson

LICKS, directed by Jonathan Singer-Vine

The Retrieval, directed by Chris Eska

Short Term 12, directed by Destin Daniel Cretton

Swim Little Fish Swim, directed by Ruben Amar & Lola Bessis

This Is Where We Live, directed by Josh Barrett & Marc Menchaca

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE COMPETITION

12 O’Clock Boys, directed by Lotfy Nathan

Big Joy: The Adventures of James Broughton, directed by Stephen Silha & Eric Slade

Hey Bartender, directed by Douglas Tirola

Los Wild Ones, directed by Elise Salomon

The Short Game, directed by Josh Greenbaum

Touba, directed by Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi

We Always Lie to Strangers, directed by AJ Schnack & David Wilson

WILLIAM AND THE WINDMILL, directed by Ben Nabors

HEADLINERS

Evil Dead  

(Director/Screenwriter: Fede Alvarez, Screenwriter: Rodo Sayagues) Five friends, holed up in a remote cabin, discover a Book of the Dead that unwittingly summons up dormant demons which possess the youngsters in succession until only one is left to fight for survival. Cast: Jane Levy, Shiloh Fernandez, Lou Taylor Pucci, Jessica Lucas, Elizabeth Blackmore

Hawking

(Director: Stephen Finnigan)  A brief history of the life of Stephen Hawking

The Incredible Burt Wonderstone  

(Director: Don Scardino, Story by Chad Kultgen & Tyler Mitchell and Jonathan Goldstein & John Francis Daley. Screenplay by Jonathan Goldstein & John Francis Daley) As superstar Vegas magicians and former best friends Burt and Anton grow to secretly loathe each other, their long-time act implodes, allowing an ambitious rival street performer the big break he’s been waiting for.  Cast: Steve Carell, Steve Buscemi, Olivia Wilde, with Alan Arkin, James Gandolfini and Jim Carrey

Spring Breakers

(Director/Screenwriter: Harmony Korine)  Four college girls who land in jail after robbing a restaurant in order to fund their spring break vacation find themselves bailed out by a drug and arms dealer who wants them to do some dirty work. Cast: James Franco, Selena Gomez, Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Benson, Rachel Korine, Gucci Mane

When Angels Sing

(Director: Tim Mccanlies, Screenwriter: Lou Berney)  Michael despises Christmas. Now Christmas is getting even. Cast: Harry Connick Jr., Connie Britton, Chandler Canterbury, Fionnula Flanagan, Lyle Lovett, Dana Wheeler-Nicholson, Eloise DeJoria, Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson