SXSW 2021: Festival Guide
by imdb-eds | last updated - 1 week ago1. Best Summer Ever (2020)
72 min | Musical
A fresh and exhilarating take on the beloved teen musical genre featuring eight original songs and a fully integrated cast and crew of people with and without disabilities.
Directors: Michael Parks Randa, Lauren Smitelli | Stars: Eric Carl Adams, Maya Albanese, Giulia Alexander, Alec Bandler
Votes: 5
Category: 2020 Spotlight
2. Clerk (2021)
Documentary | Completed
A documentary on the career and life of filmmaker and raconteur Kevin Smith.
Director: Malcolm Ingram
Category: 2020 Spotlight
3. Executive Order (2020)
103 min | Drama
In a dystopian near future in Brazil, an authoritarian government orders all citizens of African descent to move to Africa - creating chaos, protests, and an underground resistance movement that inspires the nation.
Director: Lázaro Ramos | Stars: Taís Araújo, Paulo Chun, Jéssica Ellen, Emicida
Votes: 11
Category: 2020 Spotlight
4. Violet (II) (2021)
92 min | Drama | Completed
A film development executive realizes that "guiding voice" inside her head has been lying to her about everything.
Director: Justine Bateman | Stars: Olivia Munn, Justin Theroux, Laura San Giacomo, Colleen Camp
Category: 2020 Spotlight
5. We Are As Gods (2021)
Documentary | Completed
"We are as gods and might as well get good at it," Stewart Brand wrote in '68. The pioneer of LSD, cyberspace, futurism, and modern environmentalism now urges people to use our god-like powers to fight extinction by reviving lost species.
Directors: David Alvarado, Jason Sussberg | Stars: Peter Coyote, Brian Eno, Stewart Brand, Paul Ehrlich
Category: 2020 Spotlight
6. We Are the Thousand (2020)
80 min | Documentary, Musical
What is the world's greatest rock band? A thousand musicians and fans gather in Cesena, Italy to celebrate their favorite, the Foo Fighters.
Director: Anita Rivaroli | Stars: Foo Fighters, Marco Sabiu, Fabio Zaffagnini
Votes: 11
Category: 2020 Spotlight
7. Witch Hunt (I) (2021)
92 min | Fantasy, Horror, Thriller | Post-production
In a modern America where witches are real and witchcraft is illegal, a sheltered teenager must face her own demons and prejudices as she helps two young witches avoid law enforcement and cross the southern border to asylum in Mexico.
Director: Elle Callahan | Stars: Abigail Cowen, Elizabeth Mitchell, Christian Camargo, Gideon Adlon
Category: 2020 Spotlight
8. Without Getting Killed or Caught (2021)
95 min | Documentary
Guy Clark, the dean of Texas songwriters, struggles to write poetic songs while balancing a complicated marriage with wife Susanna, and a deep friendship with writer Townes Van Zandt, on whom Susanna forged a passionate dependence.
Directors: Tamara Saviano, Paul Whitfield | Stars: Jo Harvey Allen, Terry Allen, Guy Clark, Susanna Clark
Category: 2020 Spotlight
9. Disintegration Loops (2021)
Documentary
As the 20th anniversary of 9/11 looms near, William Basinski contemplates the enduring legacy of "The Disintegration Loops" (his elegy to the 2001 Attacks), while quarantined in the midst ... See full summary »
Director: David Wexler
Category: 24 Beats Per Second
10. J'ai été au bal (1989)
84 min | Documentary, Music
Film on the history of the toe-tapping, foot-stomping music of French Southwest Louisiana.
Directors: Les Blank, Chris Strachwitz | Stars: Barry Jean Ancelet, Alphonse Ardoin, Dewey Balfa, Rodney Balfa
Votes: 74
Category: 24 Beats Per Second
11. Poly Styrene: I Am a Cliché (2021)
89 min | Documentary
Directors: Celeste Bell, Paul Sng | Stars: Kathleen Hanna, Poly Styrene, Don Letts, Thurston Moore
Category: 24 Beats Per Second
12. Soy Cubana (2016)
17 min | Documentary, Short
The Vocal Vidas are a female a cappella quartet from Santiago de Cuba - the cradle of Afro-Cuban music - this documentary explores their unique sound and tells the story of crafting a ... See full summary »
Directors: Ivaylo Getov, Jeremy Ungar
Votes: 5
Category: 24 Beats Per Second
13. Under the Volcano (2021)
90 min | Documentary | Completed
On a remote Carribean island, under the shadow of an active volcano, the world's biggest recording artists made music and myth that defined an era.
Director: Gracie Otto | Stars: Sting, Jimmy Buffett, Mark Knopfler, Stewart Copeland
Category: 24 Beats Per Second
14. Introducing, Selma Blair (2021)
Documentary
A deeply intimate and raw portrait of Selma Blair after she is diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis and tries to slow the progression of her disease.
Director: Rachel Fleit | Star: Selma Blair
Category: Documentary Feature Competition
15. Kid Candidate (2021)
Documentary | Completed
Kid Candidate tells the story of Hayden Pedigo, a 24-year old experimental musician and his unlikely run for city council in Amarillo, Texas after his Harmony Korine inspired spoof campaign video went viral.
Director: Jasmine Stodel | Star: Hayden Pedigo
Category: Documentary Feature Competition
16. Lily Topples the World (2021)
Documentary | Post-production
Lily Topples The World follows 20-year-old Lily Hevesh - the world's greatest domino toppler and the only woman in her field - in a coming-of-age story of artistry, passion, and unlikely triumph.
Director: Jeremy Workman
Category: Documentary Feature Competition
17. Not Going Quietly (2021)
96 min | Documentary | Completed
An intimate, inspiring look at activist and loving father Ady Barkan, diagnosed with ALS at age 32 and who, in spite of declining physical abilities, embarks on a nationwide campaign for healthcare reform.
Director: Nicholas Bruckman | Stars: Nate Smith, Ana Maria Archila, Racheal King, Tracey Corder
Category: Documentary Feature Competition
18. Subjects of Desire (2021)
Documentary
Subjects of Desire is a culturally significant, thought-provoking documentary that ultimately deconstructs what we understand about race and the power behind the beauty.
Director: Jennifer Holness | Stars: Jully Black, Alexandra Germain, Brittany Lee Lewis, Seraiah Nicole
Category: Documentary Feature Competition
19. The Oxy Kingpins (2021)
Documentary | Post-production
It follows the untold story of how a network of pharmaceutical manufacturers, distributors, and retailers worked together to orchestrate and perpetuate the opioid crisis that has killed over half a million people in America.
Director: Brendan Fitzgerald
Category: Documentary Feature Competition
20. The Return: Life After ISIS (2021)
Documentary
Shamima Begum and Hoda Muthana made it into worldwide headlines when they left their countries to join ISIS. When they return, their countries don't want them back.
Director: Alba Sotorra
Category: Documentary Feature Competition
21. United States vs. Reality Winner (2021)
93 min | Documentary | Completed
A state of secrets and a ruthless hunt for whistleblowers - this is the story of 25-year-old NSA contractor Reality Winner.
Director: Sonia Kennebeck | Stars: Natalia Dyer, Edward Snowden, John Kiriakou, Thomas Drake
Category: Documentary Feature Competition
22. Alien on Stage (2020)
86 min | Documentary
Alien On Stage is a Documentary about a unique crew of Dorset Bus Drivers from Dorset, whose amateur dramatics group decide to ditch doing another pantomime and try something different. ... See full summary »
Directors: Lucy Harvey, Danielle Kummer
Votes: 10
Category: Documentary Spotlight
Category: Documentary Spotlight
24. Hysterical (II) (2021)
Documentary | Completed
Hysterical is an honest and hilarious backstage pass into the lives of some of stand-up comedy's most boundary-breaking women, exploring the hard-fought journey to become the voices of their generation and their gender.
Director: Andrea Blaugrund Nevins | Stars: Iliza Shlesinger, Fortune Feimster, Sherri Shepherd, Margaret Cho
Category: Documentary Spotlight
25. Mau (2021)
Documentary | Post-production
Mau is the first-ever, feature-length documentary about the design visionary Bruce Mau. The film explores the untold story of his unlikely rise in the creative world, and ever-optimistic ... See full summary »
Directors: Benjamin Bergmann, Jono Bergmann
Category: Documentary Spotlight
26. Spring Valley (2021)
Documentary
A viral video shows a white policeman throwing a Black teenager from her school desk. One woman helps the girl, faces the officer, and dismantles the system.
Director: Garrett Zevgetis
Category: Documentary Spotlight
27. The Hunt for Planet B (2021)
Documentary | Completed
Taking us behind the scenes with NASA's high-stakes Webb Space Telescope, The Hunt for Planet B follows a pioneering group of scientists - many of them women - on their quest to find another Earth among the stars.
Director: Nathaniel Kahn | Stars: Sara Seager, Jill Tarter, Nick Lane, Natalie Batalha
Category: Documentary Spotlight
28. The Lost Sons (2021)
Documentary
A baby is kidnapped from a hospital, months later, a toddler is abandoned. Could he be the same baby?
Director: Ursula Macfarlane
Category: Documentary Spotlight
29. WeWork (2021)
104 min | Documentary | Post-production
An account of the six-week death spiral that brought down the company's IPO, a behind-the-scenes look at WeWork's frat-boy culture.
Director: Jed Rothstein
Category: Documentary Spotlight
30. When Claude Got Shot (2021)
96 min | Documentary
Claude Motley thought he'd beaten the odds: a business owner who moved his family from the violence of Milwaukee to the suburbs of Charlotte. Yet there he is on a trip home for a high ... See full summary »
Director: Brad Lichtenstein | Stars: Victoria Davison, Nathan King, Claud Motley, Regina Ragland
Category: Documentary Spotlight
31. Who We Are: A Chronicle of Racism in America (2021)
Documentary
Jeffery Robinson's talk on the history of U.S. anti-Black racism, with archival footage and interviews.
Directors: Emily Kunstler, Sarah Kunstler
Category: Documentary Spotlight
32. Dear Mr. Brody (2021)
Documentary | Completed
A documentary about Michael Brody Jr., a 21-year-old hippie millionaire who in 1970 promised to give away his $25M inheritance in an effort to usher in a new era of world peace.
Director: Keith Maitland | Stars: Josephine McAdam, Chris Doubek, Frank Mosley, Geoff Marslett
Category: Festival Favorites
33. How It Ends (2021)
82 min | Comedy
On the last day on Earth, one woman goes on a journey through LA to make it to her last party before the world ends, running into an eclectic cast of characters along the way.
Directors: Zoe Lister-Jones, Daryl Wein | Stars: Zoe Lister-Jones, Cailee Spaeny, Whitney Cummings, Tawny Newsome
Votes: 142
Category: Festival Favorites
34. In the Same Breath (2021)
95 min | Documentary
How did the Chinese government turn pandemic cover ups in Wuhan into a triumph for the Communist party?
Director: Nanfu Wang
Votes: 69
Category: Festival Favorites
35. Ma Belle, My Beauty (2021)
93 min | Drama, Romance
A surprise reunion in the South of France reignites passions and jealousies between two women who were formerly polyamorous lovers.
Director: Marion Hill | Stars: Idella Johnson, Hannah Pepper, Lucien Guignard, Sivan Noam Shimon
Votes: 43
Category: Festival Favorites
36. R#J (2021)
91 min | Drama
A modern-day adaptation of Shakespeare's romantic tragedy 'Romeo and Juliet'.
Director: Carey Williams | Stars: DeShawn Cavanaugh, RJ Cyler, María Gabriela de Faría, Denise Dorado
Votes: 52
Category: Festival Favorites
37. Violation (2020)
107 min | Drama, Horror
A troubled woman on the edge of divorce returns home to her younger sister after years apart. But when her sister and brother-in-law betray her trust, she embarks on a vicious crusade of revenge.
Directors: Dusty Mancinelli, Madeleine Sims-Fewer | Stars: Madeleine Sims-Fewer, Anna Maguire, Jesse LaVercombe, Obi Abili
Votes: 204
Category: Festival Favorites
38. Bantú Mama (2021)
Drama | Completed
After being arrested in the Dominican Republic, an Afropean woman escapes and is sheltered by 3 minors, in a dangerous district of Santo Domingo. By becoming their protégée and maternal figure, she will see her destiny change inexorably.
Director: Ivan Herrera | Stars: Clarisse Albrecht, Donis Taveras, Euris Javiel, Scarlett Reyes
Category: Global
39. Fucking with Nobody (2020)
102 min | Comedy
After losing a film job to her nemesis Kristian, Hanna teams up with her sister and counterculture friends, to create a parody romance on Instagram between herself and young actor Ekku.
Director: Hannaleena Hauru | Stars: Hannaleena Hauru, Tanja Heinän, Samuel Kujala, Anna Kuusamo
Votes: 29
Category: Global
40. Luchadoras (Germany) (2021)
Documentary | Completed
The courageous female wrestlers of Ciudad Juárez, a city known for its high murder rate against women - who fight in the ring and in their daily lives to redefine the image of what it means to be a woman in Mexico.
Directors: Paola Calvo, Patrick Jasim
Category: Global
41. Ninjababy (2021)
103 min | Drama
Astronaut, forest-keeper, cartoonist. Young Rakel has a whole lot of other plans than becoming a mother. She would rather party, get drunk or stoned instead of sitting hours on the toilet. But she can't ignore it. Is it her or the baby?
Director: Yngvild Sve Flikke | Stars: Kristine Kujath Thorp, Arthur Berning, Nader Khademi, Tora Christine Dietrichson
Votes: 23
Category: Global
42. Trapped (2021)
80 min | Drama | Completed
Seven women are trapped in enclosed, stifling spaces. The streets are erupting; homes, shops and alleyways lie anxiously in wait. Communications are shut down, answers offered only through ... See full summary »
Director: Manal Khaled | Stars: Farah Yusuf, Mona Hala, Simone, Ossama Mohamed Attia
Category: Global
43. Alone Together (III) (2021)
Documentary | Post-production
A popstar in quarantine embarks on a creative and romantic journey while making an album that unites a community around the world.
Directors: Bradley Bell, Pablo Jones-Soler | Star: Charli XCX
Category: Headliners
44. Demi Lovato: Dancing with the Devil (2021– )
Documentary | Completed
Documentary series, explores aspects that led to Demi Lovato's nearly fatal overdose in 2018, and her awakenings in the aftermath.
Stars: Demi Lovato, Matthew Scott Montgomery
Category: Headliners
45. Tom Petty Somewhere You Feel Free (2021)
89 min | Documentary
Director: Mary Wharton | Star: Tom Petty
Category: Headliners
46. Broadcast Signal Intrusion (2021)
Thriller | Post-production
Director: Jacob Gentry | Stars: Chris Sullivan, Harry Shum Jr., Justin Welborn, Kelley Mack
Category: Midnighters
47. Gaia (2021)
96 min | Drama, Fantasy, Horror | Completed
On a surveillance mission in a primordial forest, a park ranger encounters two survivalists following a post-apocalyptic lifestyle. The boy and his philosophical father seem to have their ... See full summary »
Director: Jaco Bouwer | Stars: Monique Rockman, Carel Nel, Alex van Dyk, Anthony Oseyemi
Category: Midnighters
48. Jakob's Wife (2021)
Horror | Completed
Anne, married to a small-town Minister, feels her life has been shrinking over the past 30 years. Encountering "The Master" brings her a new sense of power and an appetite to live bolder. However, the change comes with a heavy body count.
Director: Travis Stevens | Stars: Barbara Crampton, Larry Fessenden, Bonnie Aarons, Sarah Lind
Category: Midnighters
49. Offseason (2021)
83 min | Horror | Post-production
After receiving a mysterious letter, a woman travels to a desolate island town and soon becomes trapped in a nightmare.
Director: Mickey Keating | Stars: Richard Brake, Melora Walters, Jocelin Donahue, Joe Swanberg
Category: Midnighters
50. Sound of Violence (II) (2021)
Thriller | Post-production
Alexis, a sound engineer, helps an aspiring musician, Josh, win the drum machine of his dreams in a competition in a mall. She mentors him and helps him find his groove to compose the ... See full summary »
Director: Alex Noyer | Stars: Lili Simmons, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Hana Mae Lee, Brian Huskey
Category: Midnighters
51. The Feast (2021)
Horror | Post-production
Filmed in Welsh, the picture follows a young woman serving privileged guests at a dinner party in a remote house in rural Wales. The assembled guests do not realize they are about to eat their last supper.
Director: Lee Haven Jones | Stars: Caroline Berry, Steffan Cennydd, Lisa Palfrey, Nia Roberts
Category: Midnighters
52. The Spine of Night (2021)
93 min | Animation, Fantasy, Horror | Completed
Ultra-violent, epic fantasy set in a land of magic follows heroes from a different eras and cultures battling against a malevolent force.
Directors: Philip Gelatt, Morgan Galen King | Stars: Richard E. Grant, Lucy Lawless, Patton Oswalt, Betty Gabriel
Category: Midnighters
53. Woodlands Dark and Days Bewitched: A History of Folk Horror (2021)
Documentary
WOODLANDS DARK AND DAYS BEWITCHED explores the folk horror phenomenon from its beginnings in a trilogy of films - Michael Reeves' Witchfinder General (1968), Piers Haggard's Blood on ... See full summary »
Director: Kier-La Janisse | Stars: Kevin Kölsch, Dennis Widmyer, Piers Haggard, Abraham Castillo Flores
Category: Midnighters
54. Here Before (2021)
83 min | Drama, Thriller | Completed
A taut and sophisticated psychological thriller set in Northern Ireland.
Director: Stacey Gregg | Stars: Andrea Riseborough, Martin McCann, Jonjo O'Neill, Eileen O'Higgins
Category: Narrative Feature Competition
55. I'm Fine (Thanks for Asking) (2021)
Comedy, Drama | Completed
When a recently widowed mother becomes houseless, she convinces her 8-year-old daughter that they are only camping for fun while working to get them off of the streets.
Directors: Kelley Kali, Angelique Molina | Stars: Kelley Kali, Wesley Moss, Deon Cole, BK Marie
Category: Narrative Feature Competition
56. Islands (2021)
94 min | Drama
Joshua, a shy middle-aged Filipino immigrant, has lived in the comfort of his parents' home his entire life. As their health declines he longs for a partner, terrified of being alone after they pass.
Director: Martin Edralin | Stars: Vangie Alcasid, Rogelio Balagtas, Esteban Comilang, Sheila Lotuaco
Category: Narrative Feature Competition
57. Our Father (2021)
96 min | Comedy, Drama | Completed
Two estranged sisters go in search of their uncle, a mysterious figure who may hold the key to their father's suicide and their family's unhappiness.
Director: Bradley Grant Smith | Stars: Austin Pendleton, Tim Hopper, Baize Buzan, Brian King
Category: Narrative Feature Competition
58. Potato Dreams of America (2021)
95 min | Biography, Comedy, Drama
An autobiographical dark comedy about a gay boy growing up in the Soviet Union, his mail-order bride mother and their adventurous escape to America.
Director: Wes Hurley | Stars: Jonathan Bennett, Lauren Tewes, Lea DeLaria, Dan Lauria
Category: Narrative Feature Competition
59. The End of Us (2021)
Drama | Completed
Directors: Steven Kanter, Henry Loevner | Stars: Ben Coleman, Ali Vingiano, Derrick Joseph DeBlasis, Gadiel Del Orbe
Category: Narrative Feature Competition
60. The Fallout (2021)
92 min | Drama | Post-production
High schooler Vada navigates the emotional fallout she experiences in the wake of a school tragedy. Relationships with her family, friends and view of the world are forever altered.
Director: Megan Park | Stars: Shailene Woodley, Julie Bowen, Maddie Ziegler, Jenna Ortega
Category: Narrative Feature Competition
61. Women Is Losers (2021)
Drama | Completed
In 1960s San Francisco, a once-promising catholic school girl, Celina Guerrera, sets out to rise above the oppression of poverty and invest in a future for herself that sets new precedents for the time.
Director: Lissette Feliciano | Stars: Lorenza Izzo, Bryan Craig, Simu Liu, Chrissie Fit
Category: Narrative Feature Competition
62. Language Lessons (2021)
91 min | Drama | Completed
A Spanish teacher and her student develop an unexpected friendship.
Director: Natalie Morales | Stars: Natalie Morales, Mark Duplass, Desean Terry, Christine Quesada
Category: Narrative Spotlight
63. Ludi (2021)
Drama | Completed
Ludi, a hardworking and exhausted nurse, battles coworkers, clients and one impatient bus driver to learn her self worth as she chases the American Dream in Miami's Little Haiti neighborhood.
Director: Edson Jean | Stars: Shein Mompremier, Madelin Marchant, Alan Myles Heyman, Kerline Alce
Category: Narrative Spotlight
64. Paul Dood's Deadly Lunch Break (2021)
Action, Comedy, Thriller | Post-production
A weedy charity-shop worker is set on winning the big national talent show. But when the actions of 5 selfish people cause him to miss his audition, he sets out to seek deathly revenge. It's 1 lunch break, 5 spectacular murders.
Director: Nick Gillespie | Stars: Katherine Parkinson, Kris Marshall, Craig Parkinson, Alice Lowe
Category: Narrative Spotlight
65. Recovery (II) (2021)
Drama | Completed
Two directionless sisters brave a cross-country road trip to rescue their grandmother from a COVID outbreak at her nursing home.
Directors: Mallory Everton, Stephen Meek | Stars: Mallory Everton, Jessica Drolet, Stephen Meek, Noah Kershisnik
Category: Narrative Spotlight
66. See You Then (2021)
Drama | Post-production
Director: Mari Walker | Stars: Pooya Mohseni, Lynn Chen, Danny Jacobs, Nican Robinson
Category: Narrative Spotlight
67. Swan Song (II) (2021)
Drama | Post-production
A formerly flamboyant hairdresser takes a long walk across a small town to style a dead woman's hair.
Director: Todd Stephens | Stars: Udo Kier, Jennifer Coolidge, Linda Evans, Michael Urie
Category: Narrative Spotlight
68. The Drovers Wife (Legend of Molly Johnson) (2021)
Drama | Post-production
A lonely bushwoman struggles to raise her children and run the family farm while her husband is away.
Director: Leah Purcell | Stars: Jessica De Gouw, Sam Reid, Tammy Macintosh, Benedict Hardie
Category: Narrative Spotlight
69. The Fabulous Filipino Brothers (2021)
Comedy, Romance | Completed
Follows four brothers and their shenanigans.
Director: Dante Basco | Stars: Liza Lapira, Dante Basco, Dionysio Basco, Derek Basco
Category: Narrative Spotlight
70. Ayar (2021)
Drama
Director: Floyd Russ | Stars: Ariana Ron Pedrique, Vilma Vega, Henry Foster Brown, Simon Haycock
Category: Visions
71. Delia Derbyshire: The Myths and Legendary Tapes (2020)
98 min | Documentary
Director: Caroline Catz | Stars: Cosey Fanni Tutti, Honor-Ray Caplan-Higgs, Caroline Catz, Sara Dee
Votes: 11
Category: Visions
72. Inbetween Girl (2021)
87 min | Drama | Completed
Teen artist Angie Chen turns to secret hook-ups with the heartthrob of her private school after her parents' sudden divorce.
Director: Mei Makino | Stars: Emma Galbraith, William Magnuson, Emily Garrett, Liz Waters
Category: Visions
73. Through the Plexi-Glass: The Last Days of the San Jose (2021)
Documentary
A real estate deal's unexpected detour and revelation of layers of knotty, unanswerable questions.
Director: Liz Lambert
Category: Visions
74. Twyla Moves (2021)
Documentary | Completed
Twyla Moves will provide a first-hand glimpse into the legendary choreographer's storied career and famously rigorous creative process. A pioneer of both modern dance and ballet, Tharp will... See full summary »
Director: Steven Cantor | Stars: Misty Copeland, Twyla Tharp, Herman Cornejo, Benjamin Buza
Category: Visions