SXSW 2026 announces its first wave of programming, including Ready or Not 2!
The 33rd edition of the South by Southwest Film & TV Festival is set to run from March 12 -18, 2026, and two months out from the event, the first wave of programming has been announced! The lineup includes the horror comedy sequel Ready or Not 2: Here I Come, which is set to receive a wide theatrical release on March 27th.
Opening Night
The Opening Night TV Premiere is the Apple TV series Margo’s Got Money Troubles, which is coming our way from Emmy-winning producer David E. Kelley. Based on the best-selling novel by Rufi Thorpe, the show is described as “a bold, heartwarming and comedic family drama featuring an all-star cast including Elle Fanning as Margo, a recent college dropout and aspiring writer who is forced to make her way with a new baby, a mounting pile of bills and a dwindling amount of ways to pay them, Michelle Pfeiffer and Nick Offerman as Margo’s ex-Hooter’s waitress mom and ex-pro-wrestler dad, alongside Nicole Kidman, Thaddea Graham, Oscar winner Marcia Gay Harden, Oscar and Emmy Award-winner Greg Kinnear, Michael Angarano, Rico Nasty and Lindsey Normington.” Margo’s Got Money Troubles will make its global debut on Apple TV on April 15, 2026, but SXSW attendees will get to see it a month early.
Claudette Godfrey, the festival’s VP Film & TV, provided the following statement: “David E. Kelley’s Margo’s Got Money Troubles has pure SXSW energy and is the perfect match for our Opening Night TV Premiere slot. Elle Fanning is absolutely magnetic as Margo, and Michelle Pfeiffer delivers a performance that reminds you why she’s an absolute legend. The mother-daughter dynamic these two create together is going to really get people talking. Nick Offerman will catch people completely off guard, as will the rest of the incredibly impressive cast. With its killer soundtrack, genuine heart, and sharp attitude and edge, this show captures the exact spirit that makes SXSW special and the bold, distinctive storytelling we love to open with!”
A press release lets us know that feature films in the SXSW 2026 lineup will screen in the following categories: Headliner; Narrative Feature Competition presented by Kickstarter; Documentary Feature Competition; Narrative Spotlight; Documentary Spotlight; Visions; Midnighter; Global presented by MUBI; 24 Beats Per Second, and Festival Favorite. The TV program consists of TV Premiere and the Independent TV Pilot Competition. The SXSW 2026 Shorts Film Program will present six competitive sections: Narrative Short Competition, Documentary Short Competition, Animated Short Competition, Midnight Short Competition, Texas Short Competition, and Music Video Competition. XR Experience Competition, XR Spotlight and XR Special Event programming round out the Film & TV Festival program. All Categories will be eligible for section-specific Audience Awards.
Godfrey said, “We’re thrilled to unveil the first round of exciting projects joining our Opening Night Film, I Love Boosters for SXSW 2026! From bold indies and can’t-miss studio events to genre-bending thrillers and sharp comedies, from revelatory documentaries and innovative series to immersive XR and international discoveries—this year’s program is packed with the kind of storytelling our audiences love. We can’t wait to welcome filmmakers and movie lovers to Austin for another remarkable year of screenings at SXSW!“
Let’s dig into the Film Program:
I Love Boosters
Director/Screenwriter: Boots Riley, Producers: Aaron Ryder, Andrew Swett, Allison Rose Carter, Jon Read, Boots Riley
A crew of professional shoplifters take aim at a cutthroat fashion maven. It’s like community service. Cast: Keke Palmer, Naomi Ackie, Taylour Paige, Poppy Liu, Eiza González, LaKeith Stanfield, Will Poulter, Demi Moore (World Premiere)
Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice
Director/Screenwriter: BenDavid Grabinski, Producers: Andrew Lazar, Richard Middleton, Vanessa Humphrey
A hilarious, stylized, R-rated action-comedy about two gangsters and the woman they love trying to survive the most dangerous night of their lives. As if that wasn’t enough, there’s one wild ingredient added to the mix: a time machine. Cast: Vince Vaughn, James Marsden, Eiza González, Keith David, Jimmy Tatro, Stephen Root, Lewis Tan, Ben Schwartz, Emily Hampshire, Arturo Castro (World Premiere) Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice will debut March 27 on Hulu.
Over Your Dead Body
Director: Jorma Taccone, Producers: Kelly McCormick, David Leitch, Lee Kim, Guy Danella, Nick Spicer, Aram Tertzakian, Screenwriters: Nick Kocher, Brian McElhaney
A dysfunctional couple head to a remote cabin to supposedly reconnect, but each has secret plans to kill the other. Cast: Samara Weaving, Jason Segel, Timothy Olyphant, Juliette Lewis, Paul Guilfoyle, Keith Jardine (World Premiere)
Ready or Not 2: Here I Come
Directors: Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillett, Producers: Tripp Vinson, James Vanderbilt, William Sherak, Bradley J. Fischer, Screenwriters: Guy Busick, R. Christopher Murphy
After surviving the Le Domas attack, Grace faces the next level of the deadly game – now with her estranged sister Faith. With four rival families hunting them, Grace must survive, protect her sister, and claim the High Seat that rules it all. Cast: Samara Weaving, Kathryn Newton, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Shawn Hatosy, Néstor Carbonell, David Cronenberg, Elijah Wood (World Premiere)
They Will Kill You
Director: Kirill Sokolov, Producers: Andy Muschietti, Barbara Muschietti, Dan Kagan, Screenwriters: Kirill Sokolov, Alex Litvak
A high-octane horror-action-comedy in which a woman must survive the night at the Virgil, a demonic cult’s mysterious, twisted death-trap, before becoming their next offering in a uniquely brazen battle of epic kills and wickedly dark humor. Cast: Zazie Beetz, Myha’La, Paterson Joseph, Tom Felton, Heather Graham, Patricia Arquette. (World Premiere)
NARRATIVE FEATURE COMPETITION Presented by Kickstarter
World premieres showcasing the art of storytelling by emerging voices.
Thank you to our sponsor Kickstarter, the leading crowdfunding and launch platform for creative projects of every size, for supporting the Narrative Feature Competition Film Screening section.
Brian
Director: Will Ropp, Producers: Thomas Mahoney, Casey Hanley, Will Ropp, Screenwriter: Mike Scollins
An acerbic high school student prone to panic attacks runs for class president to get closer to the teacher he’s hopelessly in love with. Cast: Ben Wang, William H. Macy, Edi Patterson, Randall Park, Natalie Morales, Joshua Colley, Sophia Macy, Peyton Elizabeth Lee, Thomas Barbusca, Jacob Moskovitz (World Premiere)
Edie Arnold is a Loser
Director/Screenwriter: Megan Rico, Kade Atwood, Producer: Bryson Alejandro
Timid dork Edie accidentally makes waves when she starts a punk band with her fellow “turds,” becoming an icon to the rest of the losers at her Catholic school while pissing off the hot girls, the nuns, and the horniest altar boy you’ve ever seen. Cast: Adi Madden Cabrera, McKenna Tuckett, Cherish Rodriguez, Niki Rahimi, Alexa Paige, Luseane Pasa, Star Herrmann, Alana Mei Kern, Gabe Root, Lucas Van Orden (World Premiere)
Mallory’s Ghost
Director/Screenwriter: Arabella Oz, Producer: Claire Sinofsky
An insecure young woman becomes convinced that she is being haunted by the ghost of her boyfriend’s ex-lover and muse. Cast: Arabella Oz, Nick Canellakis, Anjelica Bosboom, Delphi Harrington, Shahjehan Khan, Evangeline Beasley (World Premiere)
Plantman & Blondie: A Dress Up Gang Film
Director: Robb Boardman, Producers: Mark Ankner, Robb Boardman, Cory Loykasek, Donny Divanian, Frankie Quinones, Jay Patumanoan, Adam Karm, Ben Wagner, Screenwriters: Robb Boardman, Cory Loykasek, Donny Divanian, Frankie Quinones
A lonely man escapes working from home when he meets Plantman…a mysterious man saving the neglected house plants of Los Angeles. Cast: Cory Loykasek, Donny Divanian, Frankie Quinones, Kate Berlant, Blake Anderson, Kirk Fox, Brent Weinbach, Jamar Neighbors, Christian Duguay, Kevin Camia (World Premiere)
Seahorse (Canada)
Director/Screenwriter: Aisha Evelyna, Producer: Natalie Remplakowski
A struggling sous chef’s pursuit of stability is tested by the return of her estranged father, now living on the streets of Toronto. Cast: Aisha Evelyna, Ruth Goodwin, Brett Donahue, Joseph Marcell, Alden Adair (World Premiere)
Sender
Director/Screenwriter: Russell Goldman, Producers: Jamie Lee Curtis, Molly Hallam, Jake Katofsky
After receiving a series of unwanted packages containing unnervingly targeted items, a woman tumbles down a paranoid rabbit hole to find her mysterious sender. Cast: Britt Lower, Rhea Seehorn, Jamie Lee Curtis, Anna Baryshnikov, David Dastmalchian, Utkarsh Ambudkar, Mike Mitchell, Edward Torres, Alyssa Limperis, Inger Stratton (World Premiere)
The Snake (Canada)
Director: Jenna MacMillan, Producers: Sharlene Kelly, Melani Wood, Screenwriter: Susan Kent
When an ungovernable 40 something wild child collides with her venomous mother, her life blows up spectacularly leaving her newly evicted, partially single, and in bed with her best friend’s husband. Cast: Susan Kent, Robin Duke, Jonathan Torrens, Emma Hunter, Daniel Petronijevic, Jimbo, Kim Roberts, Kenny Robinson, Jacqueline Robbins, Joyce Robbins (World Premiere)
Wishful Thinking
Director/Screenwriter: Graham Parkes, Producers: Matt Smith, Dan Gedman, Kara Durrett, Lewis Pullman
When a volatile couple discovers their emotional state has supernatural consequences on the world around them, they must decide whether to fight for their relationship or accept that their powerful connection might be doing more harm than good. Cast: Lewis Pullman, Maya Hawke, Randall Park, Jake Shane, Kate Berlant, Amita Rao, Eric Rahill (World Premiere)
DOCUMENTARY FEATURE COMPETITION
World premieres of captivating, real stories by emerging voices.
The Ascent
Directors: Edward Drake, Scott Veltri, Francis Cronin, Producers: Edward Drake, Scott Veltri
The Ascent is the inspiring true story of Colorado Springs bilateral-amputee climber Mandy Horvath’s record-breaking attempt to crawl to the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro and the mysterious circumstances under which she lost her legs at the age of 21. Featuring Mandy Horvath, Julius John White aka ‘Whitey’, Carel Verhoef, Sally Grayson (World Premiere)
The Last Critic
Director: Matty Wishnow, Producers: Paul Lovelace, Ben Wu
Robert Christgau, The Dean of American Rock Critics, whose work has inspired & infuriated readers for sixty years, is still at it in his eighties—grading records, interrogating commas & listening to absolutely everything (except Metal & Prog). Featuring Robert Christgau, Carola Dibbell, Thurston Moore, Boots Riley, Randy Newman, Colson Whitehead, Ann Powers, Joe Levy, Amanda Petrusich, Greil Marcus (World Premiere)
The Life We Leave
Director: JJ Gerber, Producers: Clementine Briand, Ann Rogers, Melanie Miller, JJ Gerber
When Washington legalizes human composting, entrepreneur Micah bets everything on a new vision of deathcare. With funeral directors Brie and Katey, he builds the first large-scale terramation facility, reshaping how we grieve and return to the Earth. (World Premiere)
My NDA
Directors: Juliane Dressner, Miriam Shor, Producers: Elizabeth Woodward, Hanna Gray Organschi, Juliane Dressner, Miriam Shor
Three people bound by non-disclosure agreements face extreme personal risk to expose how a simple intellectual property contract is weaponized to silence, manipulate and control. (World Premiere)
Phoenix Jones: The Rise and Fall of a Real Life Superhero
Director: Bayan Joonam, Producers: Claire Chubbuck, Marlowe Blue, Duncan Dickerson
Phoenix Jones is a real life superhero who fights crime on the streets of Seattle, but a recent arrest calls his motives into question. Featuring Phoenix Jones, Rainn Wilson, Jon Ronson, Midnight Jack, Freedom Fodor, Caros Fodor, Ryan McNamee, Ghost, Lance Coulter, El Caballero (World Premiere)
Stormbound
Director: Miko Lim, Producers: Trevor Jones, Miko Lim, Adam McKay, Todd Schulman, John Turner
Go inside the eye of the hurricane and the life of one of America’s top stormchasers. Utilizing a 30-year archive and a new storm season set to be deadlier than ever, Jeff Gammons’ search for the ultimate shot could see him chase his final storm. Featuring Jeff Gammons, Sara Gammons (World Premiere)
Summer 2000: The X-Cetra Story
Director: Ayden Mayeri, Producers/Screenwriters: Ayden Mayeri, Barry Rothbart
Four friends reunite when the album they made as pre-teens becomes a cult hit on the internet and scores a record deal twenty years later. Together, they revisit their friendship and early 2000s girlhood. Featuring Ayden Mayeri, Jessica Hall, Janet Kariuki, Mary Washburn, Robin O’Brien (World Premiere)
#WhileBlack
Directors: Sidney Fussell, Jennifer Holness, Producers: Ann Shin, Mariam Bastani, Screenwriters: Ann Shin, Jennifer Holness, Sidney Fussell
Darnella Frazier, who filmed George Floyd’s death, steps forward in this powerful documentary on viral videos that ignited global movements revealing the cost of going viral while Black: trolls, surveillance, and platforms that profit from pain. Featuring Darnella Frazier, Diamond Reynolds, Matthew Cagle, Matthew Mitchell, Safiya Noble, Allissa Richardson (World Premiere)
NARRATIVE SPOTLIGHT
Unforgettable features receiving their World, North American, or U.S. premieres.
Campeón Gabacho (Mexico)
Director: Jonás Cuarón, Producers: Gabriela Rodríguez, Alfonso Cuarón, Jonás Cuarón, Nicolás Celis, Screenwriters: Jonás Cuarón, Aura Xilonen
Campeón Gabacho tells the story of Liborio, a spirited Mexican migrant who fights, literally and figuratively, for a better life in the United States, punching through prejudice with heart, humor, and hope to become an unlikely hero. Cast: Juan Daniel García Treviño, Leslie Grace, Rubén Blades, Eddie Marsan, Rosario Dawson, Cheech Marin, Marvin Jones III, Carlos Carrasco, Dolores Heredia (World Premiere)
Downbeat
Director: Danny Madden, Producer: Benjamin Wiessner, Screenwriters: Danny Madden, Daniel Rashid, Addie Weyrich, Arkira Chantaratananond
Fleeing mistakes in Atlanta, Mauro crashes on his sister’s couch in Boston. He takes to bucket drumming on the streets for a way out, but can’t stop screwing things up and drawing everyone else into his own feral shortcomings. Cast: Daniel Rashid, Addie Weyrich, Arkira Chantaratananond (World Premiere)
Family Movie
Directors: Kyra Sedgwick, Kevin Bacon, Producers: Kevin Bacon, Kyra Sedgwick, Sosie Bacon, Travis Bacon, Vince Jolivette, Casey Durant, Greg Lauritano, Russell Wayne Groves, Screenwriter: Dan Beers
A filmmaking family’s low-budget horror movie turns into a real-life slasher when a dead body shows up on set. Chaos ensues as the Smiths fight to keep the production on track. After all – the show must go on! Cast: Kevin Bacon, Kyra Sedgwick, Sosie Bacon, Travis Bacon, Liza Koshy, John Carroll Lynch, Jackie Earle Haley, Andrea Savage, Austin Amelio, Scoot McNairy (World Premiere)
Forbidden Fruits
Director: Meredith Alloway, Producers: Mason Novick, Mary Anne Waterhouse, Diablo Cody, Trent Hubbard, Screenwriters: Meredith Alloway, Lily Houghton
Free Eden employee Apple leads a secret witch cult with coworkers Cherry and Fig. New hire Pumpkin questions their sisterhood, forcing them to confront inner darkness or meet violent ends. Cast: Lola Tung, Victoria Pedretti, Lili Reinhart, Alexandra Shipp, Emma Chamberlain, Gabrielle Union (World Premiere)
Mam (France)
Director: Nan Feix, Producer: Marine Garnier, Screenwriters: Nan Feix, Marine Garnier
A self-taught chef from Texas arrives in New York to open a Vietnamese restaurant. Broke but relentless, he teams up with a witty waitress, and together they cook up an unlikely journey of passion, resilience, and friendship in the city’s underbelly. Cast: Jerald Head, Nhung Dao Head, Tuan Bui, Henry Wong, Linh Phan, Lang A Nguyen, Maxence Victor, Kim Hoang, Naoto Ono, An Nguyen Xuan (U.S. Premiere)
Pizza Movie
Directors/Screenwriters: Brian McElhaney, Nick Kocher, Producers: Jeremy Garelick, Will Phelps, Billy Rosenberg, Jason Zaro, Molle DeBartolo, Max A. Butler
A group of college students go downstairs to their dorm lobby to get a delivery pizza. There’s only one issue: They’re insanely high on a home-made drug, turning their simple journey down two sets of stairs into a mind-bendingly transformative quest. Cast: Gaten Matarazzo, Sean Giambrone, Lulu Wilson, Jack Martin, Peyton Elizabeth Lee, Marcus Scribner, Caleb Hearon, Sarah Sherman, Miguel-Andres Garcia, Justin Cooley (World Premiere)
Power Ballad
Director: John Carney, Producers: Anthony Bregman, John Carney, Peter Cron, Rebecca O’Flanagan, Robert Walpole, Screenwriters: John Carney, Peter McDonald
Power Ballad follows a talented but past-his-prime wedding singer and a young rockstar who uses the wedding singer’s songwriting prowess to revitalize his own career. Cast: Paul Rudd, Nick Jonas, Peter McDonald, Marcella Plunkett, Havana Rose Liu, Jack Reynor (North American Premiere)
Seekers of Infinite Love
Director/Screenwriter: Victoria Strouse, Producers: Dylan Sellers, Chris Parker, Marty Bowen, Wyck Godfrey
After learning their youngest sister has joined a traveling cult, three estranged siblings must come together to find and bring her back. Cast: Hannah Einbinder, Justin Theroux, John Paul Reynolds, Griffin Gluck, Justine Lupe, Greg Kinnear (World Premiere)
The Sun Never Sets
Director/Screenwriter: Joe Swanberg, Producers: Jake Johnson, Ashleigh Snead, Joe Swanberg, Dakota Fanning, Cory Michael Smith
Wendy’s life is thrown into chaos when her boyfriend, Jack, who is older and divorced with children, insists they take space to evaluate the relationship. During their break, Wendy runs into her ex, Chuck, forcing them into a volatile triangle. Cast: Dakota Fanning, Jake Johnson, Cory Michael Smith, Debby Ryan, Anna Konkle, Lamorne Morris, Karley Sciortino (World Premiere)
Their Town
Director: Katie Aselton, Producer: Mary Budd, Screenwriter: Mark Duplass
When Abby’s boyfriend drops out of the high school play, she finds herself helping a school outlier step into the role opposite her. They spend a long night wandering around their town, examining their futures and unearthing surprises from their past. Cast: Ora Duplass, Chosen Jacobs, Will Parker, Kim Shaw, Jeffery Self, Daveed Diggs, Leonardo Nam, Annie Henk, Brad LaBree (World Premiere)
DOCUMENTARY SPOTLIGHT
Incredible features receiving their World, North American, or U.S. premieres.
Adam’s Apple
Director: Amy Jenkins, Producers: Brit Fryer, Amy Jenkins, Screenwriter: Adam Sieswerda
A transgender teen and his mother chronicle their lives, artistically weaving a rare and intimate portrait of a family in transition. Two decades of footage trace a boy’s path to manhood and his parents’ vulnerability as they reckon with change. (World Premiere)
Amazing Live Sea Monkeys
Directors/Producers: Mark Becker, Aaron Schock
From her crumbling estate on the Potomac, Yolanda Signorelli battles to wrest control of her late husband Harold’s iconic toy Amazing Live Sea-Monkeys from the corporate men who stole them from her and from the stain of her husband’s dark legacy. (World Premiere)
Black Zombie (Canada)
Director/Screenwriter: Maya Annik Bedward, Producers: Maya Annik Bedward, Hannah Donegan, Kate Fraser
From the flickering screens of Hollywood horror, to the haunted cane fields of colonial Haiti, Black Zombie unearths the buried origins of the zombie, reclaiming it as a symbol of survival and spiritual resistance. Featuring Yves-Grégory Francois, Anderson Mojica, Erol Josué, Mambo Labelle Déese Botanica, Slash, Tom Savini, Tananarive Due, Zandashé Brown (World Premiere)
Capturing Bigfoot
Director: Marq Evans, Producers: Tamir Ardon, Marq Evans, Nick Spicer
A reel of 16mm film locked away for over 50 years turns the Bigfoot debate on its head. Featuring Clint Patterson, Bob Gimlin, Bob Heironimus, Larry Lund, Greg Long, Vaile Thompson, Sandy Collier, Bill Munns, Teresa Brooks, Jeff Meldrum (World Premiere)
Ceremony (Canada)
Director/Producer: Banchi Hanuse
At ramshackled Nuxalk Radio in Bella Coola, an inquiry into the vanished ooligan run unravels a buried history of erasure and ignites the quiet revolution of a Nation that refuses to disappear. Featuring Megan F. Moody, Qwaxw Siwallace, Snuxyaltwa Deric Snow, Nuskmata Jacinda Mack, Q’umulha Schooner, Sunhwrna Schooner, Jason E. Moody, Snxakila Clyde Tallio, Kmalsuuncw Orden Mack, Tom Swanky (World Premiere)
Drift
Director: Deon Taylor, Producers: Roxanne Avent Taylor, Deon Taylor, Inbal Lessner, Kaitlin McLaughlin, Screenwriters: Kaitlin McLaughlin, Martine Biehn, Kevin Hibbard
Isaac “Drift” Wright, a self-taught photographer and Army veteran haunted by trauma, finds healing through breathtaking, illegal climbs of the world’s tallest structures. But his pursuit of art sparks a high-stakes battle with law enforcement in this intimate portrait of risk, resilience, and freedom in modern America. Featuring Isaac Wright (World Premiere)
My Brother’s Killer
Director: Rachel Mason, Producer: Dion Labriola
Impassioned members of the LGBTQ community band together to try to solve one of the most gruesome and mysterious murders in Los Angeles history. Featuring Christopher Rice, Eric Shaw Quinn, Clark Williams, ChiChi LaRue, Kevin Clarke, Krystal DeLight, Phil St. John, Sabin Grey, John Lamberti, Wendi Berndt (World Premiere)
#Skyking
Director: Patricia Gillespie, Producer: Chris Cowen
#Skyking tells the story of Richard “Beebo” Russell, a ground service agent who stole an airplane belonging to his employer, and took off on a flight that would come to embody the hopes, dreams, and despair of the American working class. (World Premiere)
The Way We Move
Directors/Screenwriters: Vanessa Dumont, Nicolas Davenel, Producers: Hubert Cornet, Mathieu Belghiti, Arnaud Le Guilcher, Eleonore Dailly, Edouard de Lachomette
Amber Galloway, a trailblazer in ASL interpretation, takes us on a journey into the deep bond between the Deaf world and music. We follow her as she teaches struggling recruits who she hopes will have what it takes to join her at ACL music festival. Featuring Amber Galloway, Julian Ortiz, Angela “AV” Villavong, Joshua Goertz (World Premiere)
MIDNIGHTER
Exciting after-dark features for genre lovers and the terminally curious.
“The 2026 SXSW Film & TV Midnighters represent so many different things of what we love about genre filmmaking,” said Peter Hall, SXSW Senior Film & TV Festival Programmer. “They’re scary, but still wildly entertaining. They’ve got dark senses of humor without sacrificing heart. They’re creative, unexpected and usher in a new round of filmmakers we are going to be proud to call alums.”
American Dollhouse
Director/Screenwriter: John Valley, Producers: David Axe, Samuel Butler, Shane Greb
Caught between a grotesque Christmas fantasy and her own childhood trauma, a woman’s search for a fresh start in her home town is violently interrupted by a psychopathic neighbor. Cast: Hailley Lauren, Kelsey Pribilski, Tinus Seaux, Danielle Evon Ploeger, Richard C. Jones (World Premiere)
Drag
Directors/Screenwriters: Raviv Ullman, Greg Yagolnitzer, Producers: Jake DeVito, Lucy DeVito, Danny DeVito
A routine robbery at a rural house turns into a nightmare for two amateur burglars when one of them throws out her back. Things spiral out of control as they try to escape before the homeowner returns. Cast: Lizzy Caplan, Lucy DeVito, John Stamos, Christine Ko (World Premiere)
Fifteen (Argentina, Mexico)
Directors: Jack Zagha, Yossy Zagha, Producers: Jack Zagha, Yossy Zagha, Elsa Reyes, Valentín Javier Diment, Vanesa Pagani, Screenwriters: Andrzej Rattinger, Ricardo Álvarez Canales
A Mexican girl’s quinceañera spirals into chaos when supernatural rumors and small-town gossip collide, forcing her to face adulthood sooner than expected. Cast: Greta Marti, Macarena Oz, Aminta Ireta, Martha Claudia Moreno, Enrique Arreola, Mercedes Hernández, Malena Sandy, Cloe Juresa Furgan, Andre Fajardo, Silvia Villazur (World Premiere)
Grind
Directors: Brea Grant, Ed Dougherty, Chelsea Stardust, Producer: Chelsea Stardust, Screenwriters: Brea Grant, Ed Dougherty
Four interconnected tales of workplace horror tackle the most terrifying aspect of modern life: making a living! With a wild tone as darkly comic as it is relevant, Grind is the most fun you’ll have in a late stage capitalistic hellscape. Cast: Rob Huebel, Barbara Crampton, Vinny Thomas, Jessika Van, Christopher Rodriguez-Marquette, James Urbaniak, Courtney Pauroso, Jon Gabrus, Ify Nwadiwe, Aubrey Shea (World Premiere)
Imposters
Director/Screenwriter: Caleb J Phillips, Producers: Thomas Bond, Sara Seligman, Joe Bandelli
After a couple’s baby boy is taken, the desperate mother learns of a way to bring him back. However, her husband begins to suspect that what she returned with isn’t their son. Cast: Jessica Rothe, Charlie Barnett, Yul Vazquez, Bates Wilder, Luisina Quarleri, Thomas Parobek, Ian Lyons, Taylor Karin, Lee Bennett, Declan Bennett (World Premiere)
Monitor
Directors/Screenwriters: Matt Black, Ryan Polly, Producers: Marty Bowen, Wyck Godfrey, Isaac Klausner, John Fischer, Adrian Guerra
A social media moderator unleashes a deadly terror when she refuses to publish a cryptic video. Cast: Brittany O’Grady, Taz Skylar, Viveik Karla, Ines Høysæter Asserson, Gunner Willis, Sara Alexander, Camila Wahlgren (World Premiere)
Never After Dark (Japan)
Director/Screenwriter: Dave Boyle, Producers: Dave Boyle, Kento Kaku, Kosuke Tsutsumi
A medium travels deep into the Japanese countryside to perform a routine exorcism, where she is forced to confront the most terrifying enemy of all: the living. Cast: Moeka Hoshi, Kento Kaku, Kurumi Inagaki, Mutsuo Yoshioka, Bokuzo Masana, Tae Kimura (World Premiere)
FESTIVAL FAVORITE
Acclaimed standouts from festivals around the world.
The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist
Directors: Daniel Roher, Charlie Tyrell, Producers: Jonathan Wang, Daniel Kwan, Shane Boris, Diane Becker, Ted Tremper
A father-to-be tries to figure out what is happening with the AI insanity, exploring the existential dangers and stunning promise of this technology that humanity has created. (Texas Premiere)
Erupcja
Director: Pete Ohs, Producers: Pete Ohs, Charli xcx, Luke Arreguin, Jeremy O. Harris, Josh Godfrey, Screenwriters: Pete Ohs, Charli xcx, Lena Góra, Jeremy O. Harris, Will Madden
Set in Poland, Erupcja follows two women as they complicate their romantic lives. Nel lives in Warsaw where she works at a flower shop. When her childhood friend Bethany comes to visit with a new boyfriend, a volcano erupts. Cast: Charli xcx, Lena Góra, Jeremy O. Harris, Will Madden (U.S. Premiere)
Obsession
Director/Screenwriter: Curry Barker, Producers: James Harris, Haley Nicole Johnson, Christian Mercuri, Roman Viaris
After breaking the mysterious “One Wish Willow” to win his crush’s heart, a hopeless romantic finds himself getting exactly what he asked for but soon discovers that some desires come at a dark, sinister price. Cast: Michael Johnston, Inde Navarrette, Cooper Tomlinson, Megan Lawless, Andy Richter
See You When I See You
Director: Jay Duplass, Producers: Fred Bernstein, Jay Duplass, Kumail Nanjiani, Emily V. Gordon, Adam Cayton-Holland, Screenwriter: Adam Cayton-Holland
With the help of his family, a comedy writer battles PTSD after the tragic death of his sister. Cast: Cooper Raiff, David Duchovny, Kaitlyn Dever, Hope Davis, Lucy Boynton, Ariela Barer (Texas Premiere)
VISIONS
Audacious, risk-taking artists who demonstrate innovation and creativity.
And Her Body Was Never Found
Director: Polaris Banks, Producers: Polaris Banks, Mor Cohen, Hilarion Banks, Screenwriters: Polaris Banks, Mor Cohen
A couple treks deep into the wilderness to make a movie about their troubled relationship, but takes the opportunity to kill each other instead. Cast: Mor Cohen, Polaris Banks, Grae Drake (World Premiere)
Daughters of the Forest: Mycelium Chronicles (Mexico)
Director/Screenwriter: Otilia Portillo Padua, Producers: Paula Arroio, Elena Fortes, Otilia Portillo Padua
Deep in Mexico’s forests, this immersive sci-fi doc follows the unusual, fungi-driven paths of two indigenous mycologists as they seek to reconcile the past and present while reimagining the future for themselves and the changing world they inhabit. Featuring Eliseete Ramirez Carbajal, Julieta Serafina Amaya, Julia Dolores Raimundo, Zenaida Perez, Magdalena Martínez, Olivia Ayala (North American Premiere)
24 BEATS PER SECOND
Vibrant films showcasing the sounds, culture and influence of music and musicians.
Los Lobos Native Sons
Directors/Screenwriters: Doug Blush, Piero F. Giunti, Producers: Robert Corsini, Doug Blush, Piero F. Giunti, Flavio Morales, Rafael Augustin, Patricia Harris DiLeva
Los Lobos Native Sons is the definitive chronicle of the global Latin rock ’n’ roll legends Los Lobos, offering an unparalleled 50-year musical journey through exclusive access to the band’s personal archives and extraordinary legacy. Featuring Cesar Rosas, Louie Perez, David Hidalgo, Conrad Lozano, Steve Berlin, Linda Ronstadt, Tom Waits, George Lopez, Cheech Marin, Danny Elfman (World Premiere)
We Are The Shaggs
Director/Screenwriter: Ken Kwapis, Producers: Reynolds Anderson, Jeremy Seifert
We Are The Shaggs is a music documentary about The Shaggs, an all-girl band that created some of the most provocative and polarizing music in rock-and-roll history. Featuring Dorothy Wiggin, Betty Wiggin (World Premiere)
GLOBAL Presented by MUBI
Artful international films, featuring premieres, festival favorites, and more.
Thank you to our sponsor, MUBI: the global streaming service, production company and film distributor dedicated to elevating great cinema, from iconic directors to emerging auteurs.
“The SXSW Global program has always showcased audacious, fearless creativity from an international perspective and this year is no exception. These first three features include a world premiere from Mexico by a Global alum and debuts from France/Lebanon/Germany/Qatar and the Dominican Republic, said Jim Kolmar, SXSW Consulting Film Programmer. “Each of these documentaries paint well outside conventional lines, taking bold artistic risks to convey deeply personal stories with vibrant conviction. It’s a privilege to introduce this first wave of international titles.”
Do You Love Me (Lebanon)
Director: Lana Daher, Producers: Jean-Laurent Csinidis, Lana Daher, Screenwriter: Lana Daher, Qutaiba Barhamji
Welcome to Beirut. Disorientation is part of the journey. (U.S. Premiere)
Mickey (Mexico)
Director: Dano García, Producers: Dano García, Indira Cato, Joceline Hernandez, Alejandra Guevara Castillo, Christian Giraud, Screenwriters: Dano García, Tonatiuh Israel
A journey through self-perception and the anti-punitive confrontation of the past. Featuring Mis$ Mickey, Jesse Sakeri López, Arturo Cundapí Bustamante, Angélica María Bustamante Andrews, Loreto Pozos Trejo, Javier Lizárraga Contreras, David Allegre (World Premiere)
Scarlet Girls (Dominican Republic, Germany, Mexico)
Director: Paula Cury, Producers: Paula Cury, Samuel Didonato, Screenwriters: Claudia Galeano, Paula Cury
What does it mean to be a woman in a country where abortion is banned in all circumstances? (North American Premiere)
TV PROGRAM
TV PREMIERE
World premieres of prestige TV series premieres from acclaimed showrunners and directors.
The Audacity
Showrunner/Screenwriter: Jonathan Glatzer, Director: Lucy Forbes, Producer: Gina Mingacci
A would-be tech titan and his therapist play dangerous games with privacy while trying to find happiness. Cast: Billy Magnussen, Sarah Goldberg, Zach Galifianakis, Lucy Punch, Simon Helberg, Rob Corddry, Meaghan Rath, Paul Adelstein (World Premiere)
Margo’s Got Money Troubles
Showrunner/Screenwriter: David E. Kelley, Directors: Dearbhla Walsh, Kate Herron, Producers: David E. Kelley, Elle Fanning, Dakota Fanning, Nicole Kidman, Matt Tinker, Brittany Kahan Ward, Per Saari, Michelle Pfeiffer, Rufi Thorpe, Eva Anderson, Boo Killebrew
Margo’s Got Money Troubles is a bold, heartwarming, and comedic family drama following recent college dropout and aspiring writer Margo as she’s forced to make her way with a new baby, a mounting pile of bills, and a dwindling amount of ways to pay them. Cast: Elle Fanning, Michelle Pfeiffer, Nick Offerman, Thaddea Graham, Nicole Kidman, Greg Kinnear, Marcia Gay Harden, Michael Angarano, Rico Nasty, Lindsey Normington (World Premiere)
Monsters of God
Showrunner: Jeremy McBride, Director: Eric Goode, Producers: Tom Petersen, James Liu, Callie Barlow, Lissa Rivera, Charles Divak, Adrienne Gits, Daniel Johnson, Screenwriters: Jeremy McBride, Eric Goode, Tom Petersen
A group of reptile fanatics builds a global smuggling empire, while a scrappy team of animal cops risks everything to stop them. (World Premiere)
INDEPENDENT TV PILOT COMPETITION
Discover new pilots from indie talent.
Are We Still Married?
Showrunner/Director/Screenwriter: Kit Steinkellner, Producer: Barry Galperin
Over the course of one night Laura must decide if she will invite her husband Jack, who has recently been turned into a vampire, back into their house. Cast: Taylor Misiak, Dustin Milligan (World Premiere)
Birth is For P*ssies
Showrunner/Screenwriter: Hannah Shealy, Directors: Hannah Shealy, Celine Sutter, Producer: Celine Sutter
A rookie doula is thrust into her first birth with a mother she’s never met. After a rocky start, she quickly learns supporting women through labor is messier, funnier, and more profound than any training could have prepared her for. Cast: Hannah Shealy, Madeline Wise, Danny Deferrari, Evelyn Howe, Peter Jay Fernandez, Sohina Sidhu, Katherine George, LA Head
(World Premiere)
Codependent
Showrunners/Screenwriters: Wade McElhaney, Weston McElhaney, Director: Caitlyn Phu, Producers: Emily Ince, Rosie Cummings, Emily Partida
After getting fired, dysfunctional twin brothers secretly apply for the same position and fly to New York to compete against each other, only to have their crippling codependency sabotage their chances. Cast: Wade McElhaney, Weston McElhaney, Riley Sigler, Rhoda Bell, Josie Totah, Lola Berry, Payson Mitchell, Alex Tobias, Eliot, Edgar Garcia (World Premiere)
Cold Call
Showrunner/Director: Elise Kibler, Producer: Manon Blackman, Screenwriter: Emma Lenderman
Cold Call is a twisted dark comedy about a cult of office workers attempting to return to their home planet by scamming strangers out of credit card information, and Penny, the office superstar, on the day a caller threatens to force her off script. Cast: Emma Lenderman, Gabriel Ebert, Daniel Pearce, Amelia Workman (World Premiere)
In My Blood
Showrunner/Director/Screenwriter: Alex Bendo, Producers: Alex Bendo, Yumeng Han, Elias Putnam, Max Wilson, Jorge Sistos Moreno
Desperate to live up to his father’s expectations, a talented but inconsistent minor league baseball player turns to steroids, igniting a dangerous transformation of body and mind.
Cast: Daniel Diemer, Will Chase, Ian Blackman, William Hill (World Premiere)
Son of a Bikram
Showrunners/Screenwriters: Ash T, Johnny Rey Diaz, Director: Johnny Rey Diaz, Producers: Johnny Rey Diaz, Christian Rose, Ash T
After discovering he’s the illegitimate son of yoga guru Bikram Choudhury, an office worker is thrust into a heated identity crisis, desperate to connect with the father he never knew.
Cast: Ash T, Carlos Santos, Jeffrey Nicholas Brown, Vee Kumari, Anwar Molani, Zhaleh, David Chernyavsky, Melanie Johnson, Max Cutler, Matthew Peschio (World Premiere)
SHORT PROGRAM Presented by Vimeo
Thank you to our Shorts Program Presenting sponsor, Vimeo: the premier home for video professionals and the best short films on the internet.
“This year’s shorts program reflects how absurdity has become our shared language for making sense of the world,” said Francis Román, SXSW Senior Film & TV Festival Programming Manager and Gabe Van Amburgh, SXSW Senior Manager Film & TV Programming. “When reality seems stranger than fiction, these filmmakers turn to the surreal to capture what it truly feels like to be human right now. We’re incredibly proud to champion these storytellers as they lean into the unusual, and sometimes uncomfortable, taking you on a wild ride where bodies revolt, identities fracture, and intimacy gets redefined. Through it all, these films dig at deeper truths and help us find connection in the chaos.”
NARRATIVE SHORT COMPETITION
Exceptional storytelling that captivates, surprises, and excites.
Achiever
Director: Charlie Traisman, Producers: Katherine Romans, Sarah Whelden, Elizabeth Valenti, Chelsea Pace, Screenwriter: Claire McFadden
When Alexa finds she can no longer orgasm due to her new Lexapro prescription, she embarks on a desperate journey to get off by any means possible, only to find herself “getting close” through an unexpected connection. (World Premiere)
Best Friends with the Devil
Director/Screenwriter: Hugo De Sousa, Producers: April S. Chang, Vicki Syal, Sarah Whelden, Kelly Wilcox
Lola’s looking for her best friend. A stranger offers to help. One lie changes everything. (World Premiere)
Buah (Singapore)
Director/Screenwriter: Jen Nee Lim, Producer: Ke Ning Lee
In a time and place where abortion is illegal, a pregnant woman’s repeated attempts to end her pregnancy fail until she crosses paths with a strange bus driver. (Texas Premiere)
Can I Put You On Hold
Director: James Cutler, Producer: Jack Hessler, Screenwriter: James Cutler, Matthew Cutler
A man struggles with the crushing bureaucracy of immigration as he waits on hold with his immigration lawyer, trying to keep hope alive for his future with his fiancée, only to face a devastating setback that forces him to reconsider everything. (World Premiere)
Copy, Save
Director/Screenwriter: Alyssa Loh, Producers: Katherine Romans, Charlie Traisman, Jessica Li
When two teen sisters discover each other’s secret internet cash schemes, they’re forced to confront the murky morals of their digital lives. (World Premiere)
Dua Ji
Director/Screenwriter: YuHan Tsai, Producers: CheKuei Chang, YuHan Tsai
At her mother’s funeral, the eldest daughter challenges the patriarchal traditions of her rural Taiwanese family, confronting loss and the quiet burden of duty. (World Premiere)
Gamberra (Spain)
Director: Marine Auclair March, Producers: Cristina Bas, Sergi Casamitjana, Screenwriters: Marine Auclair March, Lucía G Romero, Dante Schmitz
Marta lives in a religious student residence affiliated with the far-right. Sexual misinformation leads her to seek the morning-after pill, while her colleagues prepare an unforgettable hazing. (World Premiere)
Gender Studies
Director/Screenwriter: Jamie Kiernan O’Brien, Producer: Kirsten Pasewaldt
When a trans college student learns the girl she idolizes is sleeping with their teaching assistant, she takes drastic steps to emulate her. (Texas Premiere)
I Saw You In The Flood
Director/Screenwriter: Kevin Xian Ming Yu, Producers: Shayan Ajmal Farooq, Camila Grimaldi, Kevin Xian Ming Yu
As their grandfather’s health worsens in Northeast China, Kai, a genderqueer Chinese-American in Queens, is visited by a familiar ghost while helping their mother, Li, deal with a heavy storm. (World Premiere)
Imago
Director/Screenwriter: Ariel Zengotita, Producers: Juan J. Arroyo, Colt Kozal, Sonia Rivera
When Ana’s mom starts transforming into a bug, their codependent relationship reaches its boiling point. (U.S. Premiere)
Marga en el DF
Director/Screenwriter: Gabriela Ortega, Producers: Karla Luna Cantu, Carlos Lopez Estrada, Natalia Gonzalez, Eugenio Valero, Glenn Kiser, Amanda Schneider
A Dominican woman’s life unravels at 21 weeks pregnant during a surprise visit to Mexico City in the aftermath of Selena Quintanilla’s murder. (Texas Premiere)
A Shot at Art (Netherlands)
Director/Screenwriter: Ilke Paddenburg, Producers: Layla Meijman, Maarten van der Ven, Marcelle Bartels
When two seasoned volunteers at an international art festival start participating in a highly controversial art installation, the situation spirals completely out of control… but who was actually crossing the line here? (North American Premiere)
Souvenir (Australia)
Director/Screenwriter: Renée Marie Petropoulos, Producer: Yingna Lu
While stuck on a family vacation, a young closeted teen must confront the unnerving hold her girlfriend has over her after she takes unwarranted photos of her during sex. (North American Premiere)
Stairs
Director/Screenwriter: Riley Donigan, Producers: Anton Vicente Kliot, Sam Callahan
A woman’s life unravels after she becomes addicted to throwing herself down flights of stairs. (Texas Premiere)
Supper
Director/Screenwriter: Savannah Braswell, Producers: Mariah Christian, Savannah Braswell
A lonely man’s obsession with an online mukbang livestreamer leads to a tense confrontation with an unsuspecting dinner guest. (World Premiere)
Talk Me (Spain)
Director/Screenwriter: Joecar Hanna, Producers: Joecar Hanna, María Belén Poncio, Patricia Picazo, Mai Batalla, Lina Badenes, Ana Camacho
In a world where words replace intimacy, a local outsider in a Spanish village must choose between a loveless marriage and the promise of true connection with a kindred stranger.
(U.S. Premiere)
Them That’s Not
Director/Screenwriter: Mekhai Lee, Producers: Charles Hopkins, Redd Coltrane
A sudden prison furlough unexpectedly bonds an estranged father with his emotionally avoidant daughter at their matriarch’s repass. (Texas Premiere)
Visitors
Director/Screenwriter: Minnie Schedeen, Producers: Zola Elgart Glassman, Sabina Friedman-Seitz, Gilana Lobel, Sarah Yarkin
A young woman in the throes of early pregnancy starts to question her own reality when strange things begin to happen to the people closest to her. (World Premiere)
Vomit
Director/Screenwriter: Roi Cydulkin, Producers: EJ Argenio, Roi Cydulkin, Miles Skinner
Wildcard addict on the run from trouble shows up bloodied and battered at the door of his home health aide ex-girlfriend, turning both their lives upside down in this super dark comedy about love, death, drugs, and ferrets. (World Premiere)
We Were Here (India)
Director/Screenwriter: Pranav Bhasin, Producer: Yash Gonsai
In a crumbling Indian town, three retired men stage a protest against machines taking over human jobs, by pretending to be household appliances. (North American Premiere)
DOCUMENTARY SHORT COMPETITION
Authentic storytelling that captivates, surprises, and excites.
Air Horse One (Belgium, Switzerland)
Director/Screenwriter: Lasse Linder, Producers: Philipp Ritler, Valentin Leblanc, Delphine Duez
Training, Take-Off, Grand Prix. Legacy is one of the most valuable and celebrated horses in show jumping. In pursuit of victories, she is flown between competition venues across the globe. (North American Premiere)
Divorce Resort
Director: Coby Becker, Producers: Marco Meily, Alana Saad, Coby Becker
Married in a country where divorce is prohibited, a 72-year-old lovelorn man finds a legal loophole requiring a seven-day stay on the island of Guam. As he wanders through this tropical limbo, he reckons with his loss and newfound freedom. (World Premiere)
Eructation
Director: Victoria Trow, Producer: Jeremy Schneier
The world record for loudest female burp is 107.3 decibels. Kaylee wants to beat it.
(World Premiere)
Glacier’s Requiem (United Kingdom)
Director: Saddiq Abubakar, Producers: India Lee, Tarquin Ramsay, Screenwriters: Saddiq Abubakar, Collins “Colloboh” Oboh
Amid Iceland’s melting glaciers, modular synthesis artist Colloboh records the dying rhythms of ice and sea, uncovering a living language within nature itself – a requiem for the planet and for us. (World Premiere)
He’s Out There
Directors/Producers: Kurt Andrew Schneider, Sam Davis
An Autistic Bigfoot hunter meets his heroes. (World Premiere)
How To Catch A Butterfly (Netherlands)
Director/Screenwriter: Kiriko Mechanicus, Producer: Ilja Roomans
Filmmaker Kiriko Mechanicus writes letters to a young mass shooter to find the root of their mutual obsession for one another. (World Premiere)
I Got My Brother
Director: Victor K. Gabriel, Producer: Rachel Earnest
Two brothers reflect on their candid and often humorous memories of surviving the foster care system and prison, realizing along the way that their path to healing has always been each other. (World Premiere)
In the Morning Sun (Canada, Philippines)
Director: Serville Poblete, Producers: Nicole Dane, Serville Poblete
A Filipino mother finds comfort in her Alexa — weather updates, love songs, and the time back home become a magical link to the Philippines, gently reflecting the quiet struggles of immigration and the comforts that sustain us. (World Premiere)
A New Inferno
Directors/Producers: Nita Blum-Reddick, Jonathan Pickett
Filmed during the hottest days of Phoenix, Arizona’s summer heatwave, A New Inferno follows paramedics as they race to save the lives of heatstroke victims using a radical new treatment: ice immersion therapy. (World Premiere)
Not Scared, Just Sad (Bulgaria, Lebanon)
Director: Isabelle Mecattaf, Producers: Kamen Velkovsky, Atilla Yücer, Diane Daccache
November 2024, as the war escalates in a nearby suburb, a family in Beirut tries to live as normally as possible. (U.S. Premiere)
A Wolf in the Suburbs (Canada)
Director/Screenwriter: Amélie Hardy, Producer: Rosalie Chicoine Perreault
Welcome to Mississauga where lawns are clipped, neighbors are watchful and no blade of grass dares misbehave. Except at Wolf Ruck’s place. His lawn grows wild, and so does the trouble. (World Premiere)
Yiyíistsʼą́ą́ʼ (Listen)
Director/Screenwriter: Malakye Zaayin Tsosie, Producer: Kaitlyn Sanchez
The Navajo language is spoken less often across generations. However, its resilience continues through a small Navajo radio station, the director’s family members, and the people of the Navajo Nation. (Texas Premiere)
ANIMATED SHORT COMPETITION
A whirlwind tour of hand drawn, stop-motion, and digital revelries.
Hag (United Kingdom)
Director: Anna Ginsburg, Producer: Becky Perryman, Screenwriters: Anna Ginsburg, Miranda Latimer
One woman’s search for love and meaning in a hellscape of waning fertility, dating apps and the rotten stench of the patriarchy. In a world where being yourself makes you monstrous, what is the cost of compromise and repressing your authentic self? (World Premiere)
Im Auto Tapes und Butterbrot (Germany)
Director/Screenwriter: Kiana Naghshineh, Producers: Henrik von Müller, Antoine Liétout, Ivan Zuber, Kiana Naghshineh
In the face of her body fading into stardust, Shari realizes what truly matters to her.
(North American Premiere)
In The Beginning (Poland, Portugal, Spain)
Director: Ala Nunu, Producers: Bruno Caetano, Bruno Simões, Carlota Pou, Marcin Podolec, Screenwriters: Ala Nunu, Sophie Colfer
A spaceprobe called Beresheet, legless birds of paradise, hamster cull and humanity trying to make the world make sense. (World Premiere)
Paper Trail
Director/Producer/Screenwriter: Don Hertzfeldt
A life, seen through paper. (Texas Premiere)
Praying Mantis (Taiwan)
Director: Joe Hsieh, Producer: Yonfan, Screenwriters: Joe Hsieh, Jie Zhan
A praying mantis mutant seduces and preys on men out of desperation to save her child. A failed mission led to revelations of her past and dark secrets as the story unfolds.
(U.S. Premiere)
Tell Me When You Get Home
Director/Screenwriter: Tshay, Producers: Sydney Rodriguez, Jackie Payton, Patrice Worthy
During a reggae house party, 15-year-old Honest Cardamom encounters the spirit of a lost loved one. (World Premiere)
What We Leave Behind (Canada)
Directors/Producers/Screenwriters: Jean-Sébastien Hamel, Alexandra Myotte
Dan has a gaping hole in his neck that won’t heal. Why? He can’t remember, nor talk about it. Back in the sinister arena of his childhood, he must find the part of himself he once left behind that prevents him, now an adult, from being whole. (U.S. Premiere)
MIDNIGHT SHORT COMPETITION
Indulge your cravings for horror, gore, and dark comedy.
Jealous People Are Ugly People (United Kingdom)
Director/Screenwriter: Theo James Krekis, Producer: Isabel Pritchard-Smith
Consumed by his jealousy of his best friend’s sudden career success, Vasilly’s resentment festers, feeding a dark, supernatural force within him. (International Premiere)
Man Eating Pussy
Director/Screenwriter: Emily Lawson, Producers: Emily Lawson, Lucy Belgum
A dying man seeks the ultimate release: birth in reverse. (World Premiere)
Mantis Stream! Like & Subscribe
Directors/Screenwriters: Lincoln Robisch, Sarah Maerten, Producer: Mark Neil
A livestreamer’s boyfriend chokes to death on an egg. His friends, family, paramedics and the police performatively profit off of his suffering as his life fades away. (Texas Premiere)
The Seeing Eye Dog Who Saw Too Much
Director/Screenwriter: Eric Jackowitz, Producer: Colton Mastro
A blind violinist ascends to first chair at the Rome Symphony, just as a black-gloved killer begins stalking the orchestra. The only witness to the murders is her loyal seeing-eye dog.
(World Premiere)
A Stable Marriage
Director: Josephine Decker, Producers: Kristin Slaysman, Josephine Decker, Sean Drummond, Screenwriters: Kristin Slaysman, Josephine Decker
A woman’s sexual fantasy is fulfilled – with surprising ramifications. (World Premiere)
Tongue (Korea, Republic of)
Director/Producer/Screenwriter: Lim Da Seul
After enduring her husband’s incessant chatter, a wife finally decides to cut out his tongue. (North American Premiere)
Wax (Canada)
Director/Screenwriter: Alexandre Forgues, Producer: Hanna Donato
With finals approaching, a university student ignores a growing ear infection, spiraling into psychological distress as the pressure mounts. (World Premiere)
TEXAS SHORT COMPETITION
Vibrant work filmed in, inspired by, or connected to the Lone Star State.
Forcefield of Love
Directors: Liz Moskowitz, Riley Engemoen, Producer: Liz Moskowitz
Doris and Dan’s lives are full of dancing, sex, and other intimate pleasures as they defy traditional expectations of how we can embrace life, death, and aging. (World Premiere)
Freedom At Stake
Directors: Raeshem Nijhon, Stacey Young, Producers: Karlie Kloss, Phoebe Gates, Nicole Galovski, Carri Twigg, Lauren Cynamon
Activists in Texas fight back against Prop A, a measure targeting those who help others seek abortions across state lines. As legal risks grow, so does their determination to protect access and bodily autonomy. (World Premiere)
Una Nave Fragil / A Fragile Vessel
Director: Samuel Díaz Fernández, Producer: Ái Vuong, Screenwriters: Samuel Díaz Fernández, Ái Vuong, Rafa V Fernando
As the world around them scorches under record heat, a family walks into the woods, asking what the future holds in this thermal dystopia. Their conversations map survival in a world reshaped by heat. (World Premiere)
Shut The Fuck Up When We Speak
Director: Ryan Darbonne
Five Black musicians reflect on art, identity, and the radical act of making noise in a world that wants them silent. (Texas Premiere)
Stalin Boys
Directors: Ora DeKornfeld, Bianca Giaever, Producers: Alejandra Vasquez, Ora DeKornfeld, Bianca Giaever
Four middle-school boys in a Texas border town have developed an unusual obsession: Joseph Stalin. When they hear about the Texas State History Fair, they write a play about the Soviet dictator and his efforts to destroy all who opposed him. (Texas Premiere)
Winter Ceremony
Director/Screenwriter: Sidi Wang, Producers: Santiago Pacheco, Erik Skattum
In a Texas winter, a long-divorced Chinese couple comes together for their daughter’s college graduation. (World Premiere)
MUSIC VIDEO COMPETITION
A dynamic mix of creativity and stylish visuals where music and storytelling collide.
Bricknasty – ‘Vinland’ / Director: Hugh Mulhern
Chappell Roan – ‘The Subway’ / Director: Amber Grace Johnson
Confidence Man & Jade – ‘Gossip’ (United Kingdom) / Director: India Rose Harris
Doechii – ‘Anxiety’ / Director: James Mackel
Dzsúdló – ‘Presso’ (Hungary) / Director/Screenwriter: Viktor Horvath
Ed Sheeran – ‘Azizam’ / Director: Saman Kesh
FKA twigs – ‘Eusexua’ / Director: Jordan Hemingway
Funny Weather – ‘Time Bandit’ (Sweden) / Director/Screenwriter: Unlimited Time Only
Great Grandpa – ‘Doom’ / Director: Chamberlain Staub
Hot Chip – ‘Devotion’ (United Kingdom) / Director/Screenwriter: Will Kindrick
Kendrick Lamar & SZA – ‘Luther’ / Director: Karena Evans
This Lonesome Paradise – ‘Blue For You’ (Canada, Mexico) / Director/Screenwriter: Sebastian Ortiz Wilkins
Lowswimmer – ‘IRL’ (United Kingdom) / Directors/Screenwriters: Victor Nauwynck, Leo Villares
Model/Actriz – ‘Cinderella’ / Director/Screenwriter: Nathan Castiel
OK Go – ‘”Love”‘ / Directors: Aaron Duffy, Miguel Espada, Damian Kulash
People R Ugly – ‘Wake Up’ / Directors: Joseph Larkin, Tristan Kevitch, Zak Dossi, Screenwriters: Zak Dossi, Tristan Kevitch, Nick Furlong, Bill Biers, Julian Del grosso
Rawayana, Bomba Estereo – ‘Fogata’ (Colombia) / Director/Screenwriter: Paola Ossa
Tyler, The Creator – ‘Sugar On My Tongue’ / Director: Tyler Okonma
Woodz – ‘I’ll Never Love Again’ (Korea, Republic of) / Director/Screenwriter: Lafic
Xinobi – ‘Strides’ / Director: Ben Callner, Screenwriters: Ben Callner, Adam Callner
XR EXPERIENCE
The immersive arts enhance and redefine how we experience the world. These projects emphasize ingenuity and storytelling across diverse industries.
XR Experience Competition
World premieres of mind bending immersive art.
Ascended Intelligence (Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom)
Director/Screenwriter: Karen Palmer, Producer: Diane Knarr
Ascended Intelligence is an emotionally responsive XR experience set in a 2030 Smart City, where your voice becomes the interface—translating tone into branching cinema and shifting AI from a system of control into a mirror for human agency. (World Premiere)
The Baby Factory is Closed (United Kingdom)
Director/Screenwriter: Deepa Mann-Kler, Producer: Eva Robinson
You fall inside a body that refuses to behave. The system wants obedience. Zoraan wants a riot. (World Premiere)
Body Proxy
Directors/Screenwriters: Danny Cannizzaro, Samantha Gorman, Producers: Yuxin Gao, J Noland
Human-as-a-Service: The AI does the thinking, you do the heavy lifting. (World Premiere)
Crafting Crimes: The Mona Lisa Heist (France)
Director: Chloé Rochereuil, Producer: Victor Agulhon
This immersive podcast lets you reconstruct legendary crime scenes as miniatures in mixed reality. Relive the theft of the Mona Lisa at the Louvre and uncover how her disappearance turned absence into legend. (World Premiere)
Cycle (Netherlands)
Directors/Screenwriters: Matunda Groenendijk, Amit Palgi, Producer: Amit Palgi
Cycle starts with three words: Endlessly, we repeat, alone. Depending on how you order them, you craft a personalised vr poem composed of music, recorded movement and interactive moments. (World Premiere)
A Deception of Senses (Italy)
Directors/Screenwriters: John Volpato, Valentina Temporin, Producers: Ultra, Ferryman Collective
A Deception of Senses is a narrative experience exploring humanity’s enduring fascination with the deception of perception as a gateway to alternate understandings of reality. (World Premiere)
Escape The Internet (Part 1)
Director/Screenwriter Lucas Rizzotto, Producers: Carolina Rizzotto, Esme Robinson
Imagine you enter a movie theater, but instead of watching a movie you & the entire audience play a game using your phones. A game about escaping the internet and discovering who the people in the room really are. Yeah, it’s going to be crazy. (World Premiere)
Fabula Rasa: Dead Man Talking (Brazil)
Directors: Luiza Justus, Marcelo Marcati, Producer: Erika Nakayama, Screenwriters: Eduardo Nicolau, Pedro Penna
An interactive VR experience where the story unfolds through real-time conversations with AI-powered characters. Each character listens and talks back with a unique personality, creating an improvised storyline that unfolds differently every time. (World Premiere)
The Forgotten War (France)
Director: Hayoun Kwon Producer: Jang Hyunhee
In June 1950, the United Nations sent military forces under American command to support the South Korean army, attacked by North Korea and China. The Forgotten War is based on the testimonies of the various protagonists of this major war event. (World Premiere)
Frustrain: Trainman (Estonia, France)
Director: Pavel Pavlyukov, Producers: Georgy Molodtsov, Pavel Pavlyukov, Screenwriters: Pavel Pavlyukov, Anna Pimen, Kirill Komarov
A first-person anti-utopian narrative blending puzzles and psychological horror, set in a surreal Eastern European world where a train becomes a gateway to fragmented memories and distorted realities. (World Premiere)
The Great Dictator: A participatory AI installation about power, rhetoric, and memory
Director: Gabo Arora, Producers: Prashast Thapan, Nishant Mohanchandra, John Clendenen, Yuval Shapira, Wilson Brown, Gabo Arora
Like Chaplin’s masterpiece, we use performance and cinema to examine the power—and danger—of rhetoric. (World Premiere)
Inter(mediate) Spaces (Germany)
Director/Producer: Chloé Lee
Inter(mediate) Spaces is a poetic mixed-reality encounter where two strangers reshape a shared world through dialogue and proximity, moving through collective memories to ask whether AI can support deeper connection in an age of disconnection. (World Premiere)
Lionia Is Leaving (Slovakia)
Director/Producer: Volodymyr Kolbasa, Screenwriter: Lucas Abrahao
In war-torn Ukraine, an elderly man must decide whether to abandon his lifelong home or face destruction — an immersive mixed-reality drama based on the true story of Lionia and his account of the war’s beginning in the small town of Okhtyrka. (World Premiere)
loss·y
Director: Lisa Jamhoury
Situated at the physical-virtual threshold, loss·y memorializes corporeal passing and digital rebirth. The work intertwines animated sculptural “dances” with interactive spatial audio, inviting audiences to navigate invisible thresholds as they move. (World Premiere)
Love Bird
Director: Cameron Kostopoulos
Welcome to Love Bird, the reality dating show where YOU are the star. Win hearts, stir drama, charm the nation—or crash and burn while trying. (World Premiere)
Watsonville
Director: Cory McKague
In this immersive VR horror set in 1990s Watsonville, navigate a surreal childhood haunted by generational trauma, vanishing identity, and monsters both real and imagined—where memory itself becomes a maze. (World Premiere)
Winterover (Canada)
Directors/Screenwriters: Nir Saar, Ido Mizrahy, Producers: Nimrod Shanit, Francois Le Gall, Marion Guth, Ido Mizrahy, Nir Saar
A groundbreaking discovery on Mars delays your return to Earth, sending your daughter into a tailspin. Caught between saving her and completing your mission, you must navigate these clashing paths in a gripping VR thriller. (World Premiere)
XR Experience Spotlight
Masterful immersive art from around the world.
The Clouds Are Two Thousand Meters Up (Taiwan)
Director: Singing Chen, Producers: Singing CHEN, SUNG Chin-Hsuan, Screenwriters: Singing CHEN, LOU Yi-An
Guided by fragments of a lost voice, a man journeys through memory and myth to find what was left unsaid. (North American Premiere)
The Dollhouse (Canada, Luxembourg)
Directors/Screenwriters: Charlotte Bruneau, Dominic Desjardins, Producers: Rayne Zukerman, Hélène Walland, Christian Newman,
In the unfolding paper world of The Dollhouse, a little girl uses the power of play to untangle her troubled memories. (U.S. Premiere)
Fillos do Vento: A Rapa (Spain)
Directors: Brais Revalderia, Maria Fernanda Ordonez Morla, Producers: Maria Fernanda Ordonez Morla, Alberto Jose Rey Basteiro
In the hills of Galicia, the ancient Rapa das Bestas festival becomes a modern-day Quixote story, as villagers battle to preserve their wild horses and cultural heritage against the looming “giants” of industrial wind farms. (North American Premiere)
The Great Orator (Netherlands)
Director: Daniël Ernst
Visitors join the Great Orator, once a famous TV preacher and now an AI, in a nonlinear VR Story World. Her followers join her in a shared consciousness, where a live news feed and their memories feed her stories. The Great Orator is never the same. (North American Premiere)
Insider Outsider (France)
Director: Philippe Cohen Solal, Producers: Lucid Realities (Alessandra Bogi), Science & Mélodie (Philippe Cohen Solal), Grand Palais RMN, Centre Pompidou, CDA Enghiens Les Bains
INSIDER-OUTSIDER is an interactive virtual reality musical experience inspired by the life of Henry Darger, a world-renowned “outsider artist” whose work remained unknown until his death. (North American Premiere)
Lacuna (Netherlands)
Directors: Maartje Wegdam, Nienke Huitenga Broeren, Producer: Corine Meijers and Ilja Kok, Screenwriter: Maartje Wegdam
Sonja has no memory of the crucial moment in her childhood that saved her life. The discovery of three long-lost rings spark a riveting journey into imagination. Wander through a deeply personal VR documentary between what is left and what is lost. (North American Premiere)
Lesbian Simulator (Netherlands)
Director: Iris van der Meule, Producer: Corine Meijers, Screenwriter: Iris van der Meule
‘Lesbian Simulator’ is an interactive virtual reality artwork and videogame that immerses the user in the experiences of a lesbian. It’s an ode to sexual orientation and love with a serious issue: the discrimination that lesbians still face today. (International Premiere)
A Long Goodbye (Belgium)
Directors: Kate Voet, Victor Maes, Producers: An Oost, Emmy Oost, Donato Rotunno, Richard Valk, Screenwriters: Kate Voet, Victor Maes
The heart remembers. (North American Premiere)
Lost Love Hotline (United Kingdom)
Directors: Niki Harman, Producer: Lee Nicholls, Niki Harman, Screenwriter: Niki Harman
An immersive XR experience transforming personal heartbreak into a reverent, evolving audio archive, where participants leave a message for their heartbreak, lost, forgotten or imagined. Together, they form a collective mythology of longing. (International Premiere)
Out of Nowhere (Austria, Germany)
Directors: Kris Hofmann, Andreas Wuthe, Producers: Kris Hofmann, Richard Pusch, Screenwriter: Ira Wedel
Our weather is getting angrier. Everywhere. By protecting nature, we can protect ourselves. What happens if we fail to do that? (North American Premiere)
Spectacular: The Art of Jonathan Yeo in Augmented Reality (France, United Kingdom)
Director: Jonathan Yeo
A unique artistic experience conceived by British artist Jonathan Yeo in collaboration with Snap AR Studio Paris. It offers a playful, futuristic vision of museum visitation and a personalized journey into the heart of Yeo’s pictorial universe. (International Premiere)
XR Experience Special Event
Celebrating exciting, out-of-the-box ways artists are using technology to bring their art to life.
Layers of Place: Austin (U.S.)
Producers: MIT Open Documentary Lab, Sarah Wolozin, Akmyrat Tuyliyev, Courtney B. Cook, Rashin Fahandej, Halsey Burgund
Layers of Place encourages exploration of often unseen dimensions of Austin’s public spaces—changing our relationship to place and each other through a co-created collection of six location-based AR experiences. (World Premiere)
Projects include:
The Founders Pillars
Directors: Meghna Singh, Lesiba Mabitsela, Simon Wood
Transform neoclassical pillars into memorials confronting histories of slavery through futurist AR
Humble Monuments
Directors: Nadav Assor, Rashin Fahandej, Joanna Wright
Reimagine overlooked urban ecology as living monuments to coexistence, resilience & climate futures
Moving Memory
Director: Lori Landay
An AR experience bridging memory, nature, and technology through layered public art ft. Kempelen’s Owls
Open Access Memorial
Director: Yucef Merhi
AR memorial honoring Aaron Swartz, internet pioneer, activist, and advocate for open access
Oryza: Healing Ground
Director: Tamara Shogaolu
AR installation using Afrocentric AI to reimagine colonial archives, centering Black land stewards
Paper Boat
Directors: Mathieu Pradat, Sahar Sajadieh
Playable AR artwork confronting sea level rise through floods, melting glaciers & plastic waste
And there’s the first wave of SXSW 2026 programming! What do you think of this lineup, and will you be attending the festival? Let us know by leaving a comment below.
The post SXSW 2026 announces its first wave of programming, including Ready or Not 2! appeared first on JoBlo.