The second round of SXSW Film Festival programming has been announced and it is fantastic! This round includes Midnighters, Festival Favorites, Shorts, Episodic Pilot Competition, Virtual Cinema, Music Video and Title Design lineup, plus late-addition Features and the Closing Night Film for the 26th edition of the Festival: ‘Pet Sematary’
In case you missed the original announcement, Jordan Peele’s ‘Us’ will be the opening night film. The announcement of ‘Pet Sematary’ provides an insane bookend for genre fans flocking to SXSW to catch their first glimpse of films that will surely be talked about at the end of the year.
Now, lets dive into the Midnighters lineup…
MIDNIGHTERS
Scary, funny, sexy, controversial – provocative after-dark features for night-owls and the terminally curious.
7 Reasons to Run Away (From Society) (Spain)
Directors: Esteve Soler, Gerard Quinto, David Torras, Screenwriter: Esteve Soler
7 Reasons to Run Away takes a critical look at today’s society and puts the values it transmits into question. Cast: Sergi Lopez, Emma Suarez, Lola Dueñas, Alex Brendemuhl, Alain Hernandez, Francesc Orella (World Premiere)
Body At Brighton Rock
Director/Screenwriter: Roxanne Benjamin
An inexperienced park employee discovers a body on a remote mountain trail and must stay with it overnight in the wilderness, facing her darkest fears in the process. Cast: Karina Fontes, Casey Adams, Emily Althaus, Brodie Reed, Martin Spanjers, John Getz, Miranda Bailey, Susan Burke, Matt Peters (World Premiere)
Boyz in the Wood (United Kingdom, U.S.)
Director/Screenwriter: Ninian Doff
A wildly satirical coming-of-age adventure set in the Scottish Highlands, Boyz in the Wood is an anarchic cocktail of generational politics, hip-hop loving farmers, and hallucinogenic rabbit shites. Cast: Eddie Izzard, Kate Dickie, James Cosmo, Kevin Guthrie, Jonathan Aris, Alice Lowe, Samuel Bottomley, Viraj Juneja, Rian Gordon, Lewis Gribben (World Premiere)
Daniel Isn’t Real
Director: Adam Egypt Mortimer, Screenwriters: Brian DeLeeuw, Adam Egypt Mortimer
Troubled Luke suffers a violent family trauma and resurrects his childhood imaginary friend to help him cope. Charismatic and full of manic energy, “Daniel” helps Luke to achieve his dreams, before pushing him into a desperate fight for his own soul. Cast: Patrick Schwarzenegger, Miles Robbins, Sasha Lane, Hannah Marks, Mary Stuart Masterson (World Premiere)
Darlin’
Director/Screenwriter: Pollyanna McIntosh
In this visually inventive sequel to The Woman, a feral teenage girl is taken into strict Catholic care and prepared for her First Holy Communion. Cast: Lauryn Canny, Bryan Batt, Nora-Jane Noone, Cooper Andrews, Pollyanna McIntosh (World Premiere)
Girl On The Third Floor
Director/Screenwriter: Travis Stevens
Don Koch tries to renovate a rundown house with a sordid history for his growing family, only to learn that the house has other plans. Cast: Phil Brooks, Trieste Kelly Dunn, Sarah Brooks, Elissa Dowling, Karen Woditsch, Travis Delgado, Marshall Bean, Anish Jethmalani, Bishop Stevens, Tonya Kay (World Premiere)
I See You (United Kingdom, U.S.)
Director: Adam Randall, Screenwriter: Devon Graye
Strange occurrences plague a small town detective and his family as he investigates the disappearance of a young boy. Cast: Helen Hunt, Jon Tenney, Judah Lewis, Owen Teague, Libe Barer, Greg Alan Williams, Erika Alexander, Allison King (World Premiere)
Snatchers
Directors: Stephen Cedars, Benji Kleiman, Screenwriters: Stephen Cedars, Benji Kleiman, Scott Yacyshyn
After a popular teen has sex for the first time, she finds herself pregnant — with an alien. With no one to turn to but her nerdy ex-best-friend, she’ll have to risk her neck — and social status — to fight the freaky extraterrestrial threat. Cast: Mary Nepi, Gabrielle Elyse, Austin Fryberger, JJ Nolan, Nick Gomez, Ashley Argota, Amy Arburn, Amy Landecker, Rich Fulcher (World Premiere)
Tales from the Lodge (United Kingdom)
Director/Screenwriter: Abigail Blackmore
When a group of old friends spend the night telling stories of murders, ghosts, zombies and possessions they soon become aware of another tale unfolding around them. And this one is real. Cast: Mackenzie Crook, Dustin Demri-Burns, Laura Fraser, Sophie Thompson, Johnny Vegas, Kelly Wenham (World Premiere)
Tone-Deaf
Director/Screenwriter: Richard Bates, Jr.
Two generations collide with terrifying results in this home invasion horror film that is also a darkly comedic critique of the bizarre cultural and political climates in the United States. Cast: Amanda Crew, Robert Patrick, Kim Delaney, Hayley Marie-Norman, Ray Wise, Johnny Pemberton, Keisha Castle-Hughes, AnnaLynne McCord, Nelson Franklin, Ronnie Gene-Blevins (World Premiere)
We will also be getting our first look at two new episodics that include the ‘What We Do in the Shadows’ TV series!
EPISODICS
What We Do in the Shadows
Showrunners: Jemaine Clement, Paul Simms, Screenplay: Jemaine Clement
Based on the feature film of the same name from Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi, FX’s new comedy What We Do in the Shadows follows vampire roommates who have lived together for hundreds and hundreds of years. Cast: Matt Berry, Kayvan Novak, Natasia Demetriou, Harvey Guillén, Mark Proksch (World Premiere)
NOS4A2
Showrunner/Screenwriter: Jami O’Brien
NOS4A2 introduces Vic, a young woman who has a supernatural ability to find lost things. This ability puts her on a collision course with the evil and immortal Charlie Manx, a supernatural villain who feeds off the souls of children. Cast List: Zachary Quinto, Ashleigh Cummings, Jahkara J. Smith, Olafur Olafsson, Virginia Kull, Ebon Moss-Bachrach (World Premiere)
EVENTS
How Rednecks Saved Hollywood with Joe Bob Briggs
Director/Screenwriter: Joe Bob Briggs
America’s drive-in movie critic uses 200 video clips and photos to tell the 500-year history of the American redneck in a multimedia comedy performance
Rebel Without A Crew: Filmmaking Master Class with Robert Rodriguez
Join Robert Rodriguez as he gives a master-class in micro-budget guerilla filmmaking, featuring behind the scenes moments from his new $7,000 film, RED 11. The event will be followed by the World Premiere of RED 11.
MIDNIGHT SHORTS
Bite-sized bits for all of your sex, gore, and hilarity cravings.
La Bête (France)
Director/Screenwriter: Filippo Meneghetti
A village far away in time and land. Nearby, in a forest thought to be haunted, a child falls into a pit. His grandfather, an old and nearly blind shepherd, tries to convince the villagers to go rescue him, facing the darkness of the night and their. (World Premiere)
Bronzed
Director/Screenwriter: Mike Egan
Neo-sun worshiper Martin prepares to appease the solar Gods with ritual human sacrifice. But first he needs a spray tan. (World Premiere)
Deep Tissue
Director/Screenwriter: Meredith Alloway
A girl orders a special massage. (World Premiere)
The Do It Up Date
Directors: Emily Ting, Andrew Barchilon, Screenwriter: Josh Fadem
Kip and Shayla go on a big date! (World Premiere)
First Kiss
Director/Screenwriter: Emily Hagins
When two anxious teens sneak away from a Halloween party to share their first kiss, they soon realize someone…or something…may be watching them.
How To Be Alone
Director/Screenwriter: Kate Trefry
One woman’s simple, three-step guide to surviving a night on your own. (World Premiere)
It’s Not Custard (United Kingdom)
Director/Screenwriter: Kate McCoid
Louise, a teenager suffering unrelenting acne and continual bullying, is granted a delicious revenge. (U.S. Premiere)
Montana, GA
Director/Screenwriter: Ryan Dickie
In the middle of nowhere, three best friends grow closer when a chill vacation weekend turns supernatural. (World Premiere)
Other Side of the Box
Director: Caleb J. Phillips, Screenwriters; Caleb J. Phillips, Nick Tag
A couple receives a terrifying gift from an old friend. (U.S. Premiere)
Right Place, Wrong Tim (United Kingdom)
Director/Screenwriter: Eros Vlahos
England’s 2nd most popular sitcom ‘Right Place, Wrong Tim’ is besieged by bloodthirsty killer clones live on air. Starring Asa Butterfield, Ella Purnell & Adam Buxton.
The Video Store Commercial (Canada)
Directors: Cody Kennedy, Tim Rutherford, Screenwriter: Tim Rutherford
A desperate video store owner hires a crew to shoot a commercial in his shop. (World Premiere)
