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