Austin’s annual collision of film nerdery, industry dealmaking, and “wait, that is premiering here?” energy is locking in its first big 2026 slate. SXSW has announced an initial wave of programming for the thirty-third edition of the Film & TV Festival, set to run March 12–18, 2026, with a schedule tweak that’s oddly meaningful for anyone who lives by badge-pickup logistics: for the first time, the festival opens on a Thursday night and wraps on a Wednesday.
And they’re christening that new rhythm with a TV swing, naming Apple TV’s opening-night TV premiere as “Margo’s Got Money Troubles,” the upcoming series from Emmy-winner David E. Kelley (“Big Little Lies”), which bows at SXSW ahead of its global streaming debut on April 15, 2026.
READ MORE: SXSW 2026: Boots Riley’s ‘I Love Boosters’ To Open SXSW Film & Television Festival
Based on the novel by Rufi Thorpe, the show tracks Margo—played by Elle Fanning—a recent college dropout and aspiring writer, suddenly trying to keep her head above water with a new baby, a shrinking bank account, and the kind of bills that don’t care about your long-term plans. The cast stacks the deck: Michelle Pfeiffer and Nick Offerman play Margo’s parents, and the ensemble also includes Nicole Kidman, Thaddea Graham, Marcia Gay Harden, Greg Kinnear, Michael Angarano, Rico Nasty, and Lindsey Normington.
SXSW VP of Film & TV Claudette Godfrey framed the pick as a show that’s calibrated to the festival’s specific wavelength: “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,” she said. “Elle Fanning is absolutely magnetic as Margo, and Michelle Pfeiffer delivers a performance that reminds you why she’s an absolute legend… 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!”
On the film side, this first wave points to a line-up that wants to be maximalist without losing its taste for the weird: studio-facing marquee premieres, gnarlier midnighters, and the kind of left-field docs that feel engineered to spark arguments in the lobby after the credits. SXSW says the line-up so far totals fifty-eight features (including forty-nine world premieres), plus fifty-two short films and twenty music videos. The TV program includes nine projects—three TV premieres and six Independent TV Pilot Competition selections—with more programming promised for a mid-February announcement.
A few early feature standouts include:
Already announced as the opening night film, Boots Riley is bringing “I Love Boosters,” a film centered on a crew of professional shoplifters targeting a ruthless fashion figure, with a cast that includes Keke Palmer, Naomi Ackie, Taylour Paige, Eiza González, LaKeith Stanfield, Will Poulter, and Demi Moore.
Comedy chaos and genre-math collide in “Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice,” from BenDavid Grabinski, a time-machine-inflected, R-rated action-comedy featuring Vince Vaughn, James Marsden, Eiza González, Keith David, Ben Schwartz, and Stephen Root.
Jorma Taccone goes darkly domestic with “Over Your Dead Body,” about a couple in a remote cabin, each privately plotting the other’s murder, starring Samara Weaving, Jason Segel, Timothy Olyphant, and Juliette Lewis.
And the “bring a crowd, keep them screaming” slot is handled by “Ready or Not 2: Here I Come” from Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, with Samara Weaving returning alongside Kathryn Newton, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Elijah Wood, and David Cronenberg.
Beyond the headliners, SXSW’s categories are once again built to funnel you into a particular mood: 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 early Narrative Spotlight slate also includes “Campeón Gabacho” from Jonás Cuarón, “Seekers of Infinite Love” from Victoria Strouse, and “Family Movie,” co-directed by Kyra Sedgwick and Kevin Bacon. On the documentary side, the first wave highlights include “Drift” from Deon Taylor and the music-doc lane entry “Los Lobos Native Sons” from Doug Blush and Piero F. Giunti.
For TV beyond opening night, SXSW’s initial TV Premiere selections also include AMC’s “The Audacity,” from showrunner Jonathan Glatzer and director Lucy Forbes, as well as “Monsters of God,” a docu-series-style project about reptile smuggling empires and the people trying to shut them down.
A practical note for anyone planning to cover it: the festival says the rest of the Film & TV Festival line-up will be unveiled in mid-February—so consider this the opening salvo, not the whole map. The first-wave line-up below.
FILM PROGRAM
HEADLINER
“I Love Boosters”
Director/Screenwriter: Boots Riley, Producers: Aaron Ryder, Andrew Swett, Allison Rose Carter, Jon Read, Boots Riley
A crew of professional shoplifters takes 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)
“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 heads 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
“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”
Directors: Megan Rico and Kade Atwood, Screenwriter: Megan Rico, 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
“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
“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
“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
“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 hometown 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 Ronson, 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
“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
“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 they take 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
“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, and 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
“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)
