SXSW 2024 Announces Rest of Lineup Including World Premiere of Dev Patel’s ‘Monkey Man’
South by Southwest (SXSW) (March 8-16, 2024) announced the rest of the 2024 lineup, including the world premieres of Dev Patel’s directorial debut Monkey Man, the Sydney Sweeney nun on the run horror drama Immaculate, the 1999-set Y2K starring Rachel Zegler, Jaeden Martell and Mason Gooding, the dystopian Arcadian with Nicolas Cage, Maxwell Jenkins and Martell again, plus the music doc Thank You, Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story and more.
The 50 additional projects bring the line up to 115 features including 89 World Premieres, 3 International Premieres, 6 North American Premieres, 4 U.S. Premieres, 13 Texas Premieres + 80 Short Films including 19 Music Videos. The TV program includes 7 TV Premieres, 8 TV Spotlight World Premieres and 6 Independent TV Pilots. The XR Experience program includes 38 projects.
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“The time has come to rev up the anticipation for SXSW 2024 and reveal the remaining titles in our slate!” said Claudette Godfrey, VP Film & TV. “We invite you to join our renowned audiences in exploring this wide range of work including explosive studio films, surprising indie dramas and comedies, riveting TV, powerful documentaries, gripping gems from around the world, and groundbreaking XR. Come immerse yourself in the joy of the shared cinema experience as our community unites in Austin to be inspired and celebrate! We’ll see y’all soon!”
Feature films in the SXSW 2024 lineup screen in the following categories: Headliner; Narrative Feature Competition; Documentary Feature Competition; Narrative Spotlight; Documentary Spotlight; Visions; Midnighter; Global presented by MUBI; 24 Beats Per Second; Festival Favorite, and Special Event. The TV program consists of TV Premiere, TV Spotlight, and the Independent TV Pilot Competition. The SXSW 2024 Shorts Film Program presented by You42 will present six competitive sections. 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.
Here is the complete list of the added lineup by section.
HEADLINER
Big names, big talent featuring red carpet premieres and gala film events with major and rising names in cinema.
Immaculate
Director: Michael Mohan, Producers: David Bernad, Sydney Sweeney, Jonathan Davino, Teddy Schwarzman, Michael Heimler, Screenwriter: Andrew Lobel
A devout American nun embarks on a new journey in a remote convent in the picturesque Italian countryside. Her warm welcome quickly devolves into a nightmare as it becomes clear her new home harbors a sinister secret and unspeakable horrors. Cast: Sydney Sweeney, Álvaro Morte, Dora Romano, Benedetta Porcaroli, Giorgio Colangeli, Simona Tabasco (World Premiere)
Monkey Man
Director: Dev Patel, Producers: Dev Patel, Jomon Thomas, Jordan Peele, Win Rosenfeld, Ian Cooper, Basil Iwanyk, Erica Lee, Christine Haebler, Anjay Nagpal, Screenwriters: Dev Patel, Paul Angunawela, John Collee
Dev Patel achieves an astonishing directing debut with this action thriller about a man’s vengeance against the men who murdered his mother. Cast: Dev Patel, Sharlto Copley, Pitobash, Vipin Sharma, Sikandar Kher, Sobhita Dhulipala, Ashwini Kalsekar, Adithi Kalkunte, Makarand Deshpande (World Premiere)
Y2K
Director: Kyle Mooney, Producers: Jonah Hill, Matt Dines, Alison Goodwin, Chris Storer, Cooper Wehde, Evan Winter, Screenwriters: Kyle Mooney, Evan Winter
On the last night of 1999, two high school juniors crash a New Years Eve party, only to find themselves fighting for their lives in this dial-up disaster comedy. Cast: Rachel Zegler, Jaeden Martell, Julian Dennison, Lachlan Watson, Daniel Zolghadri, Mason Gooding, The Kid Laroi (World Premiere)
NARRATIVE SPOTLIGHT
Unforgettable features receiving their World, North American, or U.S. premieres.
Arcadian (Ireland)
Director: Ben Brewer, Producers: David Wulf, Braxton Pope, Nicolas Cage, Mike Nilon, Arianne Fraser, Delphine Perrier, Screenwriter: Mike Nilon
After a catastrophic event depopulates the world, a father and his two sons must survive their dystopian environment while being threatened by mysterious creatures that emerge at night. Cast: Nicolas Cage, Jaeden Martell, Maxwell Jenkins, Sadie Soverall (World Premiere)
Desert Road
Director/Screenwriter: Shannon Triplett, Producers: Steven Schneider, Josh Clayton, Kirk Martin, Alec Roth, Lauren Bates, Sam Cohan
A young woman crashes her car and walks down the road seeking help, only to find no matter which way she walks she ends up back at her car. As night falls, she realizes she’s going to die in this endless loop… unless she can find a way to escape. Cast: Kristine Froseth, Frances Fisher, Beau Bridges, Ryan Hurst, D.B. Woodside, Max Mattern, Ratchel Dratch, Edwin Garcia II (World Premiere)
The Greatest Hits
Director/Screenwriter: Ned Benson, Producers: Michael London, Shannon Gaulding, Ned Benson, Stephanie Davis, Cassandra Kulukundis
Harriet finds art imitating life when she discovers certain songs can transport her back in time – literally. Cast: Lucy Boynton, Justin H. Min, David Corenswet, Austin Crute (World Premiere)
The Gutter
Directors: Yassir Lester, Isaiah Lester, Producers: Liz Destro, Jared Hess, Helen Estabrook, Tristen Tuckfield, Jillian Apfelbaum, Screenwriter: Yassir Lester
Walt (lover of threesomes, hater of shirts) strikes up an unlikely friendship with a former Pro Bowler as they discover he might be THE GOAT of the lanes. The only things standing in their way are racism, alcoholism and Linda “The Crusher” Curson. Cast: Shameik Moore, Susan Sarandon, D’Arcy Carden, Jay Ellis, Jackée Harry, Paul Reiser (World Premiere)
High Tide
Director/Screenwriter: Marco Calvani, Producers: Mickey Liddell, Pete Shilaimon, Marco Calvani
Heartbroken and adrift, undocumented Brazilian immigrant Lourenço searches for purpose in the queer mecca of Provincetown, where he sparks an unexpected romance with Maurice. Together the two reconcile their pasts they’ve left behind and their uncertain futures. Cast: Marco Pigossi, Mya Taylor, James Bland, Marisa Tomei, Bill Irwin, Sean Mahon (World Premiere)
Música
Director: Rudy Mancuso, Producers: McG, Mary Viola, Screenwriters: Rudy Mancuso, Dan Lagana
Música follows a young man, plagued by the music in his head, who has to come to terms with an uncertain future while balancing love, family and Brazilian culture in Newark, New Jersey. Cast: Rudy Mancuso, Camila Mendes, Francesca Reale, Maria Mancuso, J.B. Smoove (World Premiere)
Omni Loop
Director/Screenwriter: Bernardo Britto, Producers: Ben Cohen, Patrick Donovan, David Hinojosa
Diagnosed with a black hole growing inside her chest, a woman from Miami, Florida decides to solve time travel in order to go back and be the person she always intended to be. Cast: Mary Louise Parker, Ayo Edebiri, Hannah Pearl Utt, Chris Witaske, Carlos Jacott, Harris Yulin, Steven Maier, Eddie Cahill (World Premiere)
Switch Up
Director: Tara Pirnia, Producers: Elizabeth Avellan, Marcela Ronquillo, Tara Pirnia, Cristian de la Fuente, Melissa Bickerton, Angela Blair, Screenwriters: Felice Heather Monteith, Tara Pirnia, Tina Contogenis, Pamela Beach
One of the nation’s top talk show hosts finds himself stranded at a homeless shelter where he meets a young widow. He falls in love and realizes the path to happiness lies in helping others. Cast: Cristian de la Fuente, Julieth Restrepo, Jeff Fahey, Shondrella Avery, R. Brandon Johnson, Temple Baker, Donnell Rawlings, Alicia Witt, Manuel Uriza, Felice Heather Monteith (World Premiere)
Timestalker (UK)
Director/Screenwriter: Alice Lowe, Producers: Vaughan Sivell, Mark Hopkins, Natan Stoessel, Tom Wood
From the creative team behind Prevenge comes a reincarnation rom-com about the eternal humiliation that is the search for love, spanning the most romantic epochs of history. Cast: Alice Lowe, Jacob Anderson, Aneurin Barnard, Tanya Reynolds, Nick Frost (World Premiere)
Wakhri
Director/Screenwriter: Iram Parveen Bilal, Producers: Abid Aziz Merchant, Apoorva Bakshi, Iram Parveen Bilal
A school teacher becomes a viral sensation overnight when she accidentally unleashes her unabashed opinions on social media. This newfound fame comes with its own challenges as she has to navigate archaic mindsets and secret identities. Cast: Faryal Mehmood, Gulshan Majeed, Shees Sajjad Gul, Saleem Meraj, Sohail Sameer, Bakhtawar Mazhar, Akbar Islam, Tooba Siddiqui (North American Premiere)
Yasmeen’s Element (US, Pakistan)
Director: Amman Abbasi, Producers: Amman Abbasi, Jeffrey E. Stern, Alex Nystrom, Sana Jafri, Missy Laney, Screenwriters: Amman Abbasi, Jeffrey E. Stern, Sana Jafri
After losing her homework in the winding paths of her mountain town, resourceful Yasmeen sets off alone on an unexpected journey to find her Professor. Cast: Eeshal Fatima, Nazir Ahmed Bulbul, Abeera Rubab, Naveed Hassan (World Premiere)
DOCUMENTARY SPOTLIGHT
Incredible features receiving their World, North American, or U.S. premieres.
7 Beats Per Minute (Canada)
Director/Screenwriter: Yuqi Kang, Producers: Ina Fichman, Sherien Barsoum
Director Yuqi Kang’s documentary captures the descent of a lifetime, when freediving champion Jessea Lu returns to the site of her near-death experience to face the traumas of her past and find a way back to connection. (World Premiere)
A King Like Me
Director: Matthew O. Henderson, Producers: Fisher Stevens, Maura Anderson, Darcy McKinnon, Terry Dugas
A King Like Me follows members of the Zulu Club, New Orleans’ first and century-old Black Mardi Gras krewe, as they work to bring Zulu back to the streets for Mardi Gras 2022. (World Premiere)
The Antisocial Network
Directors: Giorgio Angelini, Arthur Jones, Producers: Giorgio Angelini, Arthur Jones, Jordan Wynn, Andrew Fried, Dane Lillegard
From the rise of QAnon to the January 6th riots, The Antisocial Network explains how a group of bored teenagers built an online community out of their shared loneliness but accidentally shattered consensus reality in the process. (World Premiere)
Billy & Molly: An Otter Love Story
Director: Charlie Hamilton James, Producer: Jeff Wilson
From National Geographic and Silverback Films, Billy & Molly: An Otter Love Story is a heart-warming story of love between a wild otter and a man set in the remote Scottish islands of Shetland. (World Premiere)
Brandy Hellville & the Cult of Fast Fashion
Director: Eva Orner, Producers: Jonathan Chinn, Simon Chinn, Eva Orner
Hiding behind the shiny Instagram façade of Brandy Melville, the go-to clothing brand for young women, is a shockingly toxic culture that lies within the global fast fashion industry. (World Premiere)
Clemente
Director: David Altrogge, Producers: Mike Blizzard, Mary Sabol, Sarah Altrogge, Jocelyn Hartnett, Stephen Turselli, Keith Ayers, Andrew Calvetti, Steve Burman, Screenwriters: Elise Andert, David Altrogge
An immersive documentary about the remarkable life and legacy of MLB icon Roberto Clemente. Featuring Vera Clemente, Rita Moreno, Roberto Clemente Jr., Michael Keaton, Luis Roberto Clemente, Bob Costas, Tom Morello, Francisco Lindor, Yadier Molina, Richard Linklater. (World Premiere)
Fly
Directors/Producers: Shaul Schwarz, Christina Clusiau
To stand on the edge and jump into the wind, one must be willing to lose everything. That could mean the love of your life, or the life you love. Over seven years, three couples in the world of BASE jumping risk everything to feel alive. (World Premiere)
The Hobby (Canada)
Director: Simon Ennis, Producers: Kim C. Roberts, Tina Pehme, Justin Rebelo
Are games the meaning of life? The Hobby is a funny, affectionate, character-driven portrait of the massive subculture of modern board games, featuring a fascinating and diverse group of subjects who find deep meaning in “meaningless” pursuits. (World Premiere)
How Music Got Free
Showrunner/Director: Alexandria Stapleton, Producers: Philip Byron, Marshall Mathers, Paul Rosenberg, LeBron James, Maverick Carter, Steve Stoute, Jamal Henderson, Bridgette Theriault, Dan Sacks, James Chapman, Steve Berman, John Janick, Anthony Seyler, Stephen Witt, Alexandria Stapleton, Bruce Gillmer, Michael Maniaci, Malik Johnson
How Music Got Free is a documentary by Alexandria Stapleton, that reveals the true story of Dell Glover, a CD factory worker turned piracy pioneer, who sparked a global file-sharing revolution. (World Premiere)
Stormy
Director: Sarah Gibson, Producers: Sarah Gibson, Erin Lee Carr, Emelia Brown
From reporters to lawyers to politicians, many have attempted to define Stormy Daniels. Stormy tells the unvarnished truth about an unlikely American icon – this time, in her own words. (World Premiere)
The Truth vs. Alex Jones
Director: Dan Reed, Producers: Dan Reed, Marguerite Gaudin
How grieving Sandy Hook families defeated conspiracy giant Alex Jones in two historic trials, holding him to account for the lies he spread about the 2012 mass shooting. Fake news on trial, with unprecedented access to a Travis County courtroom. (World Premiere)
VISIONS
Audacious, risk-taking artists who demonstrate innovation and creativity.
7 Keys (UK)
Director/Screenwriter: Joy Wilkinson, Producers: Cassandra Sigsgaard, Dylan Rees
Daniel has kept the keys to all the places he’s lived. Lena wants to use them for a wild weekend getting to know each other intimately in other people’s homes. But what begins as a risky fantasy soon becomes a deadly threat. Cast: Emma McDonald, Billy Postlethwaite, Kaylen Luke, Joey Akubeze, Amit Shah, Jane Goddard (World Premiere)
Doppelgängers³ (US, Algeria, Armenia, France, UK)
Director/Screenwriter: Nelly Ben Hayoun- Stépanian, Producers: Sandra Leeming, Luke Moody, Victoria Adams, Amina Castaing, Nelly Ben Hayoun-Stépanian
Three doppelgängers meet in outer space to imagine diasporic and eco-feminist futures. (World Premiere)
Sew Torn (US, Switzerland)
Director: Freddy Macdonald, Screenwriters: Freddy Macdonald, Fred Macdonald, Producers: Fred Macdonald, Barry Navidi, Sebastian Klinger, Diamantis Zavitsanos, Socratis Zavitsanos
A seamstress gets tangled in her own thread after stealing a briefcase from a drug deal gone bad. In an escalating game of cat and mouse, her different choices lead to drastically different outcomes along the way. Cast: Eve Connolly, Calum Worthy, John Lynch, K Callan, Ron Cook, Thomas Douglas, Werner Biermeier, Veronika Herren-Wenger, Caroline Goodall (World Premiere)
24 BEATS PER SECOND
Vibrant films showcasing the sounds, culture and influence of music and musicians.
Any Other Way: The Jackie Shane Story (Canada)
Directors/Screenwriters: Michael Mabbott, Lucah Rosenberg-Lee, Producers: Amanda Burt, Sam Dunn, Scot McFadyen, Michael Mabbott, Justine Pimlott
Any Other Way: The Jackie Shane Story reveals the extraordinary rise, sudden disappearance, and resurgence of trailblazing Black trans soul singer Jackie Shane. (World Premiere)
Billy Preston: That’s The Way God Planned It
Director: Paris Barclay, Producers: Stephanie Allain Bray, Jeanne Elfant Festa, Nigel Sinclair, Screenwriters: Cheo Hodari Coker, Paris Barclay
Billy Preston: That’s the Way God Planned It is a celebration of Billy Preston’s extraordinary musical legacy, and an examination of the personal and social forces that haunted him throughout his life. Featuring Billy Preston, Eric Clapton, Billy Porter, Merry Clayton, Ringo Starr, Olivia Harrison, Suzanne de Passe, Tony Jones, Cory Henry, Gloria Jones (World Premiere)
Dandelion
Director/Screenwriter: Nicole Riegel, Producers: Rian Cahill, Adam Cobb, Nicole Riegel, Peter McClellan
Dandelion follows a singer-songwriter in a downward spiral as she takes a last effort gig at a motorcycle rally in South Dakota where she meets Casey, a guitarist who walked away from his dream long ago. Cast: Kiki Layne, Thomas Doherty, Melanie Nicholls-King, Brady Stablein, Jack Stablein, Grace Kaiser (World Premiere)
Freaknik: The Wildest Party Never Told
Director: P. Frank Williams
Freaknik: The Wildest Party Never Told is a celebratory exploration of the boisterous times of Freaknik, the iconic Atlanta street party that drew hundreds of thousands of people in the 80s and 90s, helping put Atlanta on the map culturally. Featuring 21 Savage, Too $hort, Jermaine Dupri, Killer Mike, Luther “Uncle Luke” Campbell, Ceelo Green, Jalen Rose, Kenny Burns, Lil’ Jon, Legendary Jerry, Sharon Toomer, Emma Horton, Monique Tolliver, Amadi Boon, Stacy Lloyd (World Premiere)
FESTIVAL FAVORITE
Acclaimed standouts from festivals around the world.
Black Box Diaries (US, Japan, UK)
Director: Shiori Ito, Producers: Eric Nyari, Hanna Aqvilin, Shiori Ito
Journalist Shiori Ito embarks on a courageous investigation of her own sexual assault in an improbable attempt to prosecute her high-profile offender. (Texas Premiere)
Dìdi (弟弟)
Director/Screenwriter: Sean Wang, Producers: Carlos López Estrada, Josh Peters, Valerie Bush, Sean Wang
In 2008, during the last month of summer before high school begins, an impressionable 13-year-old Taiwanese American boy learns what his family can’t teach him: how to skate, how to flirt, and how to love your mom. Cast: Izaac Wang, Joan Chen, Shirley Chen, Chang Li Hua (Texas Premiere)
Every Little Thing (Australia)
Director/Screenwriter: Sally Aitken, Producers: Bettina Dalton, Anna Godas, Oli Harbottle
All that stands between a wounded hummingbird and its survival is Terry Masear, the busiest hummingbird rehabilitator in Hollywood. Follow Terry’s unique mission to heal these tiny birds, and how in turn she shows us how to heal ourselves. (Texas Premiere)
Ghostlight
Directors: Kelly O’Sullivan, Alex Thompson, Producers: Alex Thompson, Chelsea Krant, Pierce Cravens, Ian Keiser, Eddie Linker, Alex Wilson, Screenwriter: Kelly O’Sullivan
When a construction worker unwittingly joins a local theater’s production of Romeo and Juliet, the drama onstage starts to mirror his own life. Cast: Keith Kupferer, Dolly De Leon, Katherine Mallen-Kupferer, Tara Mallen (Texas Premiere)
Girls Will Be Girls (India)
Director/Screenwriter: Shuchi Talati, Producers: Richa Chadha, Claire Chassagne, Shuchi Talati
16-year-old Mira finds her sexy, rebellious coming-of-age hijacked by her mother who never got to come of age herself. Cast: Preeti Panigrahi, Kani Kusruti, Kesav Binoy Kiran (Texas Premiere)
I Saw The TV Glow
Director/Screenwriter: Jane Schoenbrun, Producers: Emma Stone, Ali Herting, Dave McCary, Kevin Kelly, Sam Intilli, Sarah Winshall
Owen is just trying to make it through life in the suburbs when his classmate introduces him to a mysterious TV show — a vision of a supernatural world beneath their own. In the pale glow of the television, Owen’s view of reality begins to crack. Cast: Justice Smith, Brigette Lundy-Paine, Ian Foreman, Helena Howard, Fred Durst, Danielle Deadwyler (Texas Premiere)
Kneecap (Ireland, UK)
Director/Screenwriter: Rich Peppiatt, Producers: Trevor Birney, Jack Tarling
There are 80,000 native Irish speakers in Ireland. 6,000 live in the North of Ireland. Three of them became a rap group called Kneecap. This is the real life story of how this anarchic Belfast trio became the unlikely figureheads of a civil rights movement to save their mother tongue. Cast: Naoise Ó Cairealláin aka “Móglaí Bap”, Liam Óg Ó Hannaidh aka “Mo Chara”, JJ Ó Dochartaigh aka “Dj Provaí”, Josie Walker, Fionnuala Flaherty, Jessica Reynolds, Adam Best, Simone Kirby, Michael Fassbender (Texas Premiere)
Love Machina
Director: Peter Sillen, Producers: Brendan Doyle, Peter Sillen
Love Machina follows Bina48, a humanoid AI, commissioned in 2007 by Martine and Bina Rothblatt. An early sketch of potential digital consciousness, Bina48 is our vehicle to explore the Rothblatt’s futurist ideas and their quest to be in love forever. (Texas Premiere)
Never Look Away (New Zealand)
Director: Lucy Lawless, Producers: Matthew Metcalfe, Lucy Lawless, Tom Blackwell, Screenwriters: Matthew Metcalfe, Tom Blackwell, Lucy Lawless, Whetham Allpress
New Zealand born, ground-breaking CNN camerawoman Margaret Moth, risks it all to show the reality of war from inside the conflict. Moth stares down danger and she confronts those that perpetuate it. (Texas Premiere)
Pet Shop Days (Italy, UK, US)
Director: Olmo Schnabel, Producers: Galen Core, Francesco Melzi, Alex Coco, Bebe Moratti, Marie Savare, Olmo Schnabel, Screenwriters: Olmo Schnabel, Galen Core, Jack Irv
Impulsive black sheep Alejandro and pet store employee Jack, enter a whirlwind romance that sends them down the rabbit hole of depravity in Manhattan’s underworld. Cast: Jack Irv, Dario Yazeb Bernal, Willem Dafoe, Peter Sarsgaard, Jordi Molla, Louis Cancelmi, Maribel Verdu (Texas Premiere)
Smugglers (Republic of Korea)
Director: Ryoo Seung-wan, Producers: Kang Hye-jung, Cho Sung-min, Ryoo Seung-wan, Screenwriters: Ryoo Seung-wan, Kim Jung-youn, Choi Cha-won
Two women get unexpectedly caught up in a high stakes smuggling scheme in 1970’s Korea. Cast: Kim Hye-soo, Yum Jung-ah, Zo In-sung, Park Jeong-min, Kim Jong-soo, Go Min-si (U.S. Premiere)
TV PROGRAM
TV PREMIERE
World premieres of prestige TV series premieres from acclaimed showrunners and directors.
STAX: Soulsville, U.S.A.
Director: Jamila Wignot, Producers: Jamila Wignot, Kara Elverson
In 1960s Memphis, an audacious set of interracial collaborators dared to make their own music on their own terms, forming Stax Records, one of America’s most influential creators of Black music. (World Premiere)
Thank You, Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story
Director: Gotham Chopra
This all-access docuseries chronicles the history and uncertain future of one of the most recognizable bands in the world and its front-man Jon Bon Jovi. A legend on the precipice as a vocal injury threatens to bring everything to a screeching halt. (World Premiere)
TV SPOTLIGHT
World premieres of new seasons of acclaimed shows and exciting series episodes.
Long Time Sun
Showrunners/Producers: Joanna Forscher, Chloe Chapman, Director: Joanna Forscher
Long Time Sun is a four-part epic chronicling the rise of Kundalini Yoga and 3HO Sikh Dharma. Spanning sixty years, this community is a microcosm of American life through which to explore themes of power, family, capitalism, and forgiveness. (World Premiere)
Duplass Brothers Indie TV Showcase
A showcase of four independently produced pilots by Duplass Brothers Productions featuring Penelope, Ryley Walker and Friends, The Broadcast, and The Long Long Night. Mark Duplass, Mel Eslyn, Natalie Palamides, Courtney Pauroso, and Barret O’Brien will be in attendance for a Q&A after the screening.
The Broadcast
Directors/Screenwriters: Natalie Palamides, Courtney Pauroso, Producer: Emily A. Neumann
In an absurd dystopian future, two female scientists find themselves responsible for the world’s only remaining televised news source. Cast: Natalie Palamides, Courtney Pauroso (World Premiere)
The Long Long Night
Director/Screenwriter: Barret O’Brien, Producer: Rory O’Neill Schmitt
It’s been six months since that disastrous night in the motel and these two guys are nowhere near over it. Cast: Mark Duplass, Barret O’Brien (Texas Premiere)
Penelope
Showrunner/Director: Mel Eslyn, Screenwriters: Mark Duplass, Mel Eslyn, Producer: Meghan Mowery
Feeling out of place in modern society, a 16-year-old is drawn into the unknown wilderness, where she begins forming a new life for herself. Cast: Megan Stott, Austin Abrams (Texas Premiere)
Ryley Walker & Friends
Director: Mark Duplass, Producer: Daniel Chelemer
Ryley visits English singer-songwriter Bridget St. John. (World Premiere)
XR EXPERIENCE
The immersive arts enhance and redefine how we experience the world. These projects emphasize ingenuity and storytelling across diverse industries. XR Experience is presented by ASU MIX Center and the Herberger Institute.
XR Experience Competition
World premieres of mind bending immersive art.
Last We Left Off (Canada)
Directors: The Expats: Connor Illsley, Jon Riera, Grayson Moore, Aidan Shipley, Producers: Cameron MacLaren, Peter Fisher, Connor Illsley, Jon Riera
When a group of friends hire a Dungeon Master to lead them through a tabletop role-playing game, they get more than they bargained for. As the lines between fantasy and reality blur, our characters’ inescapable pasts come back to haunt them. (World Premiere)
We Speak Their Names in Hushed Tones (Nigeria, South Africa)
Director: Omoregie Osakpolor, Producers: Ingrid Kopp, Steven Markovitz, Antoinette Engel
Family members of missing migrants who traveled through irregular migration routes to Europe struggle with anxiety, pain and unresolved hope. (World Premiere)
XR Experience Spotlight
Masterful immersive art from around the world.
444.2 (South Africa)
Director: Nirma Madhoo, Producers: Ingrid Kopp, Steven Markovitz, Antoinette Engel
The first star cluster mapped by the original stargazers constellates 444.2 light years away from Earth. African cosmology and volumetric fashion performance on the site of the Southern African Large Telescope mesmerize on a sublime journey to space.
(North American Premiere)
Energēia (France)
Director/Screenwriter: Ugo Arsac
Energēia is an immersive documentary experience that questions the future of energy use. Freed from gravity, the visitor can explore ghostly buildings, built from 3D scans within French nuclear power plants to discover hidden interviews. (International Premiere)
The Imaginary Friend (Netherlands)
Director/Screenwriter: Steye Hallema, Producer: Corine Meijers
A young child with a vivid imagination struggles to make sense of the world around him, he needs YOU–his imaginary friend–to help him navigate his feelings. (North American Premiere)
Shadowtime (US, Netherlands, Turkey)
Directors/Screenwriters: Sister Sylvester, Deniz Tortum, Producers: Firat Sezgin, Ecegül Bayram
You are in two worlds at the same time. Your body is in the other world, but your heart is in this one. (North American Premiere)
Songs for a Passerby (Netherlands)
Director: Celine Daemen
A dreamlike VR-opera about our experience of time. How do we relate to a world of things that are passing? Are we a part of it? Or are we just looking at it? (North American Premiere)
He is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic, accredited by the Cannes Film Festival, Telluride Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival and more, is a member of the International Cinephile Society (ICS), The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics (GALECA), Hollywood Critics Association (HCA) and the International Press Academy. Among his many achieved goals with AwardsWatch, he has given a platform to underrepresented writers and critics and supplied them with access to film festivals and the industry and calls the Bay Area his home where he lives with his husband and son.
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