SXSW Film Announces 2015 Features Lineup

Marking its 22nd year, the South by Southwest (SXSW) Film Conference and Festival announced the features lineup for this year’s event, running March 13 – 21, 2015 in Austin, Texas. The 2015 slate showcases independent discoveries from emerging directors, auteur-driven comedies and works by master filmmakers.

During the nine days of SXSW Film, 145 features will be shown. The lineup below includes 60 films from first-time filmmakers, and consists of 100 World Premieres, 13 North American Premieres and 11 U.S. Premieres. These films were selected from a record 2,385 feature-length film submissions composed of 1,614 U.S. and 771 international feature-length films. With a record number of 7,335 submissions total, the overall increase was 13% over 2014.

New for 2015, the festival’s juried competition categories, comprised of Narrative Feature world premieres and Documentary Feature world premieres, have increased to include ten films per category, up from eight films in each. The Midnighters feature section and the Short Film program will be announced on February 10. The complete Conference lineup and schedule will be released on February 17.

NARRATIVE FEATURE COMPETITION

Ten world premieres, ten unique ways to celebrate the art of storytelling. Selected from 1,372 films submitted to SXSW 2015.

6 Years

Director/Screenwriter: Hannah Fidell

A young couple bound by a seemingly ideal love begins to unravel as unexpected opportunities spin them down a volatile and violent path and threaten the future they had always imagined. Cast: Taissa Farmiga, Ben Rosenfield, Lindsay Burdge, Joshua Leonard, Jennifer Lafleur, Peter Vack, Dana Wheeler-Nicholson, Molly McMichael, Jason Newman (World Premiere)

THE BOY

Director: Craig Macneill, Screenwriters: Craig Macneill, Clay McLeod Chapman

THE BOY is an intimate portrait of a 9-year-old sociopath’s growing fascination with death. Cast: David Morse, Rainn Wilson, Jared Breeze, Bill Sage, Mike Vogel, Zuleikha Robinson, Aiden Lovekamp (World Premiere)

Creative Control

Director: Benjamin Dickinson, Screenwriters: Benjamin Dickinson, Micah Bloomberg

In near future Brooklyn, an ad executive uses a new Augmented Reality technology to conduct an affair with his best friend’s girlfriend…sort of. Cast: Benjamin Dickinson, Nora Zehetner, Dan Gill, Alexia Rasmussen, Reggie Watts, Gavin McInnes, Paul Manza, Himanshu Suri (World Premiere)

Funny Bunny

Director/Screenwriter: Alison Bagnall

Funny Bunny is a serious comedy about a friendless anti-obesity crusader and a trust fund manchild who vie for the heart of a reclusive animal activist and incest survivor, releasing her demons and forming an unlikely ‘family’ in the process. Cast: Kentucker Audley, Joslyn Jensen, Olly Alexander, Anna Margaret Hollyman, Josephine Decker, Louis Cancelmi, Grace Gonglewski, Nicholas Webber, Caridad de la Luz (World Premiere)

The Grief of Others

Director/Screenwriter: Patrick Wang

Based on Leah Hager Cohen’s critically-acclaimed novel, a family struggles with a tragic loss when an unexpected visitor arrives. She stirs the pain of past betrayals but might also offer an unforeseen gift: a way out of their isolating grief. Cast: Wendy Moniz, Trevor St. John, Oona Laurence, Jeremy Shinder, Sonya Harum, Mike Faist, Rachel Dratch, Chris Conroy

(World Premiere)

KRISHA

Director/Screenwriter: Trey Edward Shults

When Krisha returns for a holiday gathering, the only things standing in her way are family, dogs, and turkey. Cast: Krisha Fairchild, Robyn Fairchild, Bill Wise, Chris Doubek, Olivia Grace Applegate, Chase Joliet, Alex Dobrenko, Bryan Casserly, Augustine Frizzell, Trey Edward Shults (World Premiere)

Manson Family Vacation

Director/Screenwriter: J. Davis

The story of two brothers: one who’s devoted to his family, the other who’s obsessed with the Manson Family. Cast: Jay Duplass, Linas Phillips, Leonora Pitts, Tobin Bell, Adam Chernick, Davie-Blue (World Premiere)

Quitters

Director: Noah Pritzker, Screenwriters: Noah Pritzker, Ben Tarnoff

A teenager’s family falls apart, so he goes in search of a better one.

Cast: Benjamin Konigsberg, Mira Sorivno, Greg Germann, Kara Hayward, Kieran Culkin, Morgan Turner, Saffron Burrows, Scott Lawrence (World Premiere)

Sweaty Betty

Directors/Screenwriters: Joseph Frank, Zachary Reed

On the border of Washington DC, two stories of big dreams take place – a family is determined to turn their 1000 pound pig into the Redskins’ football team mascot, and two teenage fathers scheme a better life for themselves and their children. Cast: Rico Mitchell, Seth Dubose, Floyd Rich III, Chris Rich, Tarich Rich, Floyd Rich V, Chrissy Rich, Charlotte the Pig, Cassy the Dog (World Premiere)

Uncle John

Director: Steven Piet, Screenwriters: Erik Crary, Steven Piet

Uncle John is an intimately told story that revolves around the struggle to keep a mysterious disappearance unsolved. Cast: John Ashton, Alex Moffat, Jenna Lyng, Ronnie Gene Blevins (World Premiere)

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE COMPETITION

Selected from 1,018 submissions, ten world premieres, ten real world stories that demonstrate innovation, energy and bold voices.

Breaking a Monster

Director: Luke Meyer
Breaking a Monster chronicles the break-out year of the band Unlocking The Truth, as the 12 and 13-year-old members first encounter stardom and the music industry, transcending childhood to become the rock stars they always dreamed of being. (World Premiere)

Deep Time


Director: Noah Hutton
Ancient oceans teeming with life, Norwegian settlers, Native Americans and multinational oil corporations find intimacy in deep time. (World Premiere)

FRAME BY FRAME

Directors: Alexandria Bombach, Mo Scarpelli

After decades of war and an oppressive Taliban regime, four Afghan photojournalists face the realities of building a free press in a country left to stand on its own – reframing Afghanistan for the world and for themselves. (World Premiere)

Madina’s Dream


Director: Andrew Berends
An unflinching and poetic glimpse into a forgotten war, Madina’s Dream tells the story of rebels and refugees fighting to survive in Sudan’s Nuba Mountains. (World Premiere)

Peace Officer


Directors: Scott Christopherson, Brad Barber


A former sheriff will stop at nothing to confront the SWAT team he founded. (World Premiere)

Poached

Director: Timothy Wheeler


Obsessive egg thieves rob the nests of rare birds while a UK national police force tries to stop them. Poached delves into the psychology of these criminals, showing that when passion turns it can destroy the very object of one’s desire. (World Premiere)

The Sandwich Nazi (Canada)


Director: Lewis Bennett


Deli owner Salam Kahil is an art collector, a former male escort, an amateur musician, and a sandwich maker to the homeless in Vancouver’s poorest neighbourhood but his true passion is talking about blowjobs. (World Premiere)




She’s The Best Thing In It


Director: Ron Nyswaner
Broadway legend Mary Louise Wilson teaches her first acting class, smashing her students’ red carpet illusions. An examination of acting and the sacrifices required, featuring Frances McDormand, Melissa Leo, Tyne Daly, Valerie Harper and others. (World Premiere)




Twinsters


Directors: Samantha Futerman, Ryan Miyamoto
Imagine there was someone out there who you’d never met, looked exactly like you and was born on your birthday. Twinsters is the story of two strangers who discovered they were potentially twin sisters separated at birth. (World Premiere)

A Woman Like Me


Directors: Alex Sichel, Elizabeth Giamatti


By creating a fictional character based on herself, filmmaker Alex Sichel learns how to navigate a terminal disease with grace and humor. (World Premiere)

HEADLINERS

Big names, big talent: Headliners bring star power to SXSW, featuring red carpet premieres and gala film events with major & rising names in cinema.

BRAND: A Second Coming (UK)

Director: Ondi Timoner

BRAND: A Second Coming follows comedian/author Russell Brand’s evolution from addict & Hollywood star to unexpected political disruptor & newfound hero to the underserved. Brand is criticized for egomaniacal self-interest as he calls for revolution. (World Premiere)

Ex Machina

Director/Screenwriter: Alex Garland

Alex Garland, writer of 28 Days Later and Sunshine, makes his directorial debut with the stylish and cerebral thriller Ex Machina, starring Domhnall Gleeson, Oscar Isaac, and Alicia Vikander. Cast: Domhnall Gleeson, Oscar Isaac, Alicia Vikander (North American Premiere)

Get Hard


Director: Etan Cohen, Screenwriters: Story By Adam McKay And Jay Martel & Ian Roberts, Screenplay By Jay Martel & Ian Roberts And Etan Cohen


With a ten-year stint in San Quentin hanging over his head, yuppie Brad hires city Darnell to toughen him up for prison life. Cast: Will Ferrell, Kevin Hart, Tip “T.I.” Harris, Alison Brie,
Craig T. Nelson. (World Premiere)


Hello, My Name is Doris


Director: Michael Showalter, Screenwriters: Laura Terruso, Michael Showalter


An isolated 60-year-old woman is motivated by a self-help seminar to romantically pursue a younger coworker, causing her to stumble into the spotlight of the local hipster social scene. Cast: Sally Field, Max Greenfield, Beth Behrs, Wendi Mclendon-Covey, Stephen Root, Elizabeth Reaser, Jack Antonoff, Natasha Lyonne, Tyne Daly. (World Premiere)

Love & Mercy


Director: Bill Pohlad, Screenwriters: Oren Moverman, Michael Alan Lerner


Love & Mercy presents an unconventional portrait of Brian Wilson, iconic leader of the Beach Boys. Cast: John Cusack, Paul Dano, Elizabeth Banks, Paul Giamatti (U.S. Premiere)




Manglehorn


Director: David Gordon Green, Screenwriter: Paul Logan

Reclusive small town locksmith, A.J. Manglehorn, who has never recovered from his losing his true love embarks on a new tenuous relationship with a local woman he meets at the bank. Cast: Al Pacino, Holly Hunter, Harmony Korine, Chris Messina (U.S. Premiere)

Spy


Director/Screenwriter: Paul Feig


Susan Cooper (Melissa McCarthy) is an unassuming, deskbound CIA analyst, and the unsung hero behind the Agency’s most dangerous missions. But when her partner (Jude Law) falls off the grid and another top agent (Jason Statham) is compromised, she volunteers to go deep undercover to infiltrate the world of a deadly arms dealer, and prevent a global disaster.

Cast: Melissa McCarthy, Jason Statham, Rose Byrne, Miranda Hart, Bobby Cannavale, Allison Janney, Peter Serafinowicz, Morena Baccarin and Jude Law (Premiere)

Steve Jobs: The Man in the Machine


Director: Alex Gibney


An evocative portrait of the life and work of Steve Jobs that re-examines his legacy and our relationship with the computer. (World Premiere)

NARRATIVE SPOTLIGHT

High profile narrative features receiving their World, North American or U.S. premieres at SXSW.

7 Chinese Brothers


Director/Screenwriter: Bob Byington


A man unaccustomed to telling the truth learns to at least describe it. Cast: Jason Schwartzman, Tunde Adebimpe, Eleanore Pienta, Olympia Dukakis, Stephen Root (World Premiere)


The Automatic Hate


Director: Justin Lerner, Screenwriters: Justin Lerner, Katharine O’Brien


When Davis Green’s alluring young cousin Alexis shows up on his doorstep, he discovers a side of his family that had been kept secret his entire life. As the two get closer, they set out to uncover the shocking secret that tore their families apart. Cast: Joseph Cross, Adelaide Clemens, Richard Schiff, Yvonne Zima, Vanessa Zima, Catherine Carlen, Caitlin O’Connell, Ricky Jay, Deborah Ann Woll (World Premiere)




Bone in the Throat (UK)


Director: Graham Henman, Screenwriters: Graham Henman, Mark Townend


Bone in the Throat based on celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain’s novel of the same, is a gritty fast paced story about a young ambitious chef who is mixed up with the East End London mob. While showing off his culinary skills, he finds himself trapped. Cast: Ed Westwick, Tom Wilkinson, Rupert Graves, Vanessa Kirby, John Hannah, Steve Mackintosh, Andy Nyman (World Premiere)





The Final Girls


Director: Todd Strauss-Schulson, Screenwriters: M. A. Fortin, Joshua John Miller


Max and her friends are mysteriously transported into a famous 1980s horror movie that starred Max’s mother, a celebrated scream queen. Reunited, they team up to fight the film’s maniacal killer and find their way back home. Cast: Taissa Farmiga, Malin Akerman, Adam DeVine, Thomas Middleditch, Alia Shawkat, Alexander Ludwig, Nina Dobrev (World Premiere)





Fresno

Director: Jamie Babbit, Screenwriter: Karey Dornetto
Fresno is a comedy that follows lonely but stoic lesbian Martha (Natasha Lyonne), whose sister Shannon (Judy Greer), a sex addict with no impulse control and a long history of poor decisions, winds up back in Fresno cleaning hotel rooms with her. Cast: Natasha Lyonne, Judy Greer, Aubrey Plaza, Fred Armisen, Jessica St. Clair, Molly Shannon, Michael Hitchcock, Ron Livingston (World Premiere)





The Frontier


Director: Oren Shai, Screenwriters: Webb Wilcoxen, Oren Shai
A desperate young woman, on the run from the law, discovers a violent gang of thieves at a desert motel and hatches a plan to steal their loot. Cast: Jocelin Donahue, Kelly Lynch, Jim Beaver, Izabella Miko, Jamie Harris, AJ Bowen, Liam Aiken (World Premiere)





The Goob (UK)


Director/Screenwriter: Guy Myhill


The Goob combines the dirty roar of stock car thunder with the visceral vision of a teenage boy’s first love. Cast: Liam Walpole, Sean Harris, Sienna Guillory (North American Premiere)




I Dream Too Much


Director/Screenwriter: Katie Cokinos


Dora Welles is an imaginative college grad ready to experience all the excitement of life. Instead she finds herself in snowy upstate New York caring for her reclusive great aunt (who has lived a much more exciting life than anyone realizes). Cast: Eden Brolin, Diane Ladd, Danielle Brooks, James McCaffrey, Christina Rouner (World Premiere)


Ktown Cowboys


Director: Daniel (DPD) Park, Screenwriters: Danny Cho, Brian Chung
Against the alluring backdrop of LA’s Koreatown, 5 legendary partiers go out for one more night of “Ktown” debauchery, eventually growing up by throwing down like they did in their glory days. Cast: Danny Cho, Bobby Choy, Peter Jae, Sunn Wee, Shane Yoon, Eric Roberts, Steve Byrne, Kim Young Chul, Simon Rhee, Daniel Dae Kim (World Premiere)





Lamb


Director/Screenwriter: Ross Partridge


When a man meets a young girl in a parking lot he attempts to help her avoid a bleak destiny by initiating her into the beauty of the outside world. The journey shakes them in ways neither expects. Cast: Oona Laurence, Ross Partridge, Scoot McNairy, Jess Weixler, Lindsay

Pulsipher, Joel Murray, Tom Bower, Jennifer Lafleur (World Premiere)




Life in Color


Director/Screenwriter: Katharine Emmer
With no place to live, two strangers are stuck house sitting together. To get back on their feet, this odd couple reluctantly help each other overcome the very personal obstacles that are holding them back in life and from each other. Cast: Josh McDermitt, Katharine Emmer, Adam Lustick, Fortune Feimster, Jim O’Heir (World Premiere)





The Little Death (Australia)


Director/Screenwriter: Josh Lawson
An outrageous romantic comedy about sex; secrets; fate; fetish; told through the lives and desires of five ordinary couples. Cast: Bojana Novakovic, Josh Lawson, Damon Herriman, Kate Mulvany, Patrick Brammall, Kate Box, Alan Dukes, Lisa McCune, Erin James, TJ Power
(U.S. Premiere)

Mania Days


Director/Screenwriter: Paul Dalio


Two manic-depressive poets meet in a psychiatric hospital and begin a romance which brings out all the beauty and horror of their condition until they have to choose between sanity and love. Cast: Katie Holmes, Luke Kirby, Christine Lahti, Griffin Dunne, Bruce Altman
(World Premiere)




Night Owls


Director: Charles Hood, Screenwriters: Seth Goldsmith, Charles Hood


After Kevin has a one night stand with Madeline, he discovers she’s actually his boss’ jilted mistress. When she takes a bottle of sleeping pills, Kevin has to keep her awake… and over the course of the night they begin to fall for each other. Cast: Adam Pally, Rosa Salazar, Rob Huebel, Peter Krause, Tony Hale (World Premiere)





Wild Horses


Director/Screenwriter: Robert Duvall


A Texas ranch family’s idyllic life unravels as the Texas Rangers reopen and investigate a 15 year-old missing person case. Cast: Robert Duvall, James Franco, Josh Hartnett, Luciana Duvall, Adriana Barraza, Jim Parrack, Angie Cepeda, Devon Abner (World Premiere)


DOCUMENTARY SPOTLIGHT

Shining a light on new documentary features receiving their World, North American or U.S. premieres at SXSW.

Bikes vs Cars (Sweden)


Director/Screenwriter: Fredrik Gertten


The bicycle, an amazing tool for change. Activists and cities all over the world are moving towards a new system. But will the economic powers allow it? (World Premiere)




Bounce: How the Ball Taught the World to Play


Director: Jerome Thélia, Screenwriters: John Fox, Jerome Thélia


Bounce: How the Ball Taught the World to Play takes us to the far reaches of the globe and the deep recesses of our ancient past to answer the question: Why do we play ball? (World Premiere)
* SXsports screening

A Brave Heart: The Lizzie Velasquez Story


Director: Sara Hirsh Bordo


From the producers of the most viewed TEDWomen event of 2013 comes A Brave Heart: The Lizzie Velasquez Story, a documentary following the inspiring journey of 25-year-old, 58-pound Lizzie from cyber-bullying victim to anti-bullying activist. (World Premiere)





Deep Web


Director/Screenwriter: Alex Winter


Deep Web gives the inside story of one of the the most important and riveting digital crime sagas of the century — the arrest of Ross William Ulbricht, the entrepreneur alleged to be “Dread Pirate Roberts,” leader of online black market Silk Road. (World Premiere)




For Grace


Directors: Kevin Pang, Mark Helenowski


A documentary about food, family and sacrifice: The kitchen became Curtis Duffy’s refuge after an unimaginable tragedy. Now as one of the country’s most renowned chefs, he’s building his dream restaurant – but at another point of personal crisis. (World Premiere)




For the Record


Director: Marc Greenberg


For the Record explores the “steno culture,” tracking several court reporters and captioners as they strive to attain the Guinness title of World’s Fastest Court Reporter. (World Premiere)
* SXsports screening

GTFO: Get The F% Out


Director: Shannon Sun-Higginson


Almost half of all gamers are women; yet, female gamers are disproportionately subject to harassment and abuse. GTFO seeks to investigate misogyny in video game culture and questions the future of this 20 billion dollar industry. (World Premiere)

Kingdom of Shadows


Director: Bernardo Ruiz


The drug war casts a dark shadow on the lives of a Mexican nun, a U.S. Federal agent and a former drug smuggler who wrestle with the far-reaching repercussions on both sides of the border. (World Premiere)




Knock Knock, It’s Tig Notaro


Directors: Michael LaHaie, Christopher Wilcha


In Knock Knock, It’s Tig Notaro, comedian Tig Notaro travels across the country in order to put on a series of performances in the homes, back yards, barns, and basements of her most loyal fans. (World Premiere)




Out To Win (USA/Canada)


Director: Malcolm Ingram


Out to Win is a documentary film that serves as an overview and examination of lives and careers of aspiring and professional gay and lesbian athletes who have fought and struggled to represent the LGBT community and their true selves. (World Premiere)
* SXsports screening

Raiders!


Directors: Jeremy Coon, Tim Skousen


In 1982, two 11 year-olds in Mississippi set out to remake Raiders of the Lost Ark. After seven turbulent years, they finished every scene except one. 30 years later, they attempt to finally finish their fan film and realize their childhood dream. (World Premiere)




Rolling Papers


Director: Mitch Dickman


In 2014, recreational marijuana sales began in Colorado. With all eyes on ground zero of the green rush, The Denver Post appointed the world’s first marijuana editor. Pot is legal, journalism is ignited and The Cannabist is covering it as it unfolds. (World Premiere)




Sneakerheadz


Directors: David T. Friendly, Mick Partridge, Screenwriter: David T. Friendly


An in-depth look into the exploding subculture of sneaker collecting and the widespread influence it has had on popular culture around the world. (World Premiere)
* SXsports screening

Son of the Congo


Director/Screenwriter: Adam Hootnick


Serge Ibaka’s improbable journey has taken him from the violence of Congo to the top of the NBA. In Son of the Congo, Ibaka returns home, hoping his basketball success can help rebuild a country and inspire a new generation to dream of a better life. (World Premiere)
* SXsports screening

Stone Barn Castle


Director: Kevin Ford


A chronicle of the journey to restore a historic barn in Upstate New York. (World Premiere)


Tab Hunter Confidential


Director: Jeffrey Schwarz


In the 1950s, Tab Hunter was number one at the box office and on the music charts. Nothing, it seems, can damage his skyrocketing career. Nothing, that is, except for the fact that Tab Hunter is secretly gay. (World Premiere)




T-Rex


Directors: Drea Cooper, Zackary Canepari


17-year-old Claressa ‘T-Rex’ Shields from Flint, Mich. dreams of being the first woman in history to win the gold medal in Olympic boxing. But in order for her to succeed, she’ll need to stand her ground both inside and outside the ring. (World Premiere)
* SXsports screening

VISIONS

Visions filmmakers are audacious, risk-taking artists in the new cinema landscape who demonstrate raw innovation and creativity in documentary and narrative filmmaking.

Ava’s Possessions


Director/Screenwriter: Jordan Galland


Ava is recovering from demonic possession. With no memory of the past month, she must attend a Spirit Possessions Anonymous support group to figure out what happened. Ava’s life was hijacked by a demon, now it’s time to get it back. Cast: Louisa Krause, Whitney Able, Deborah Rush, William Sadler, Zachary Booth, Wass Stevens, Annabelle Dexter-Jones, John Ventimiglia, Jemima Kirke, Stella Schnabel (World Premiere)




Babysitter


Director/Screenwriter: Morgan Krantz


A dysfunctional L.A. family hires a mysterious babysitter who changes their lives in this modern twist on the Mary Poppins narrative. Cast: Max Burkholder, Daniele Watts, Valerie Azlynn, Lesley Ann Warren, Amy Landecker, Kitty Patterson (World Premiere)




Barge (USA/New Zealand)


Director: Ben Powell


Dry land’s misfits find purpose and direction twenty-eight days at a time as the steady hands of a towboat due for the port of New Orleans. (World Premiere)




Disaster Playground (UK)


Director: Nelly Ben Hayoun


Hollywood relies on Bruce Willis to save the world in Armageddon, but who are the real-life heroes seeking to save our civilization from the next major asteroid impact? (World Premiere)




God Bless the Child


Directors: Robert Machoian, Rodrigo Ojeda-Beck, Screenwriter: Robert Machoian


After their mother leaves at dawn, Harper, 13, spends the day looking after her four younger brothers, uncertain whether or not her mother will return. Cast: Harper Graham, Elias Graham, Arri Graham, Ezra Graham, Jonah Graham (World Premiere)


Honeytrap (UK)


Director/Screenwriter: Rebecca Johnson


Honeytrap is a tragic teen romance, set in London and inspired by true events. It tells the story of 15 year old Layla, who sets up the boy in love with her to be killed. Cast: Jessica Sula, Lucien Laviscount, Ntonga Mwanza, Naomi Ryan, Danielle Vitalis, Lauren Johns, Savannah Gordon-Liburd, Tosin Cole (North American Premiere)




Just Jim (UK)


Director/Screenwriter: Craig Roberts


In a small town where people talk to themselves we meet Jim. Sixteen,mediocre looking and frankly quite boring. Things change dramatically when Dean moves in next door. They quickly become friends and set on a journey together to help Jim come of age. Cast: Emile Hirsch, Craig Roberts (World Premiere)




Naz & Maalik


Director/Screenwriter: Jay Dockendorf


Two closeted Muslim teens have their Friday afternoon ruined by FBI surveillance when their secretive behavior and small-time scheming start to look like fledgling steps toward violent radicalism. Cast: Curtiss Cook Jr., Kerwin Johnson Jr., Annie Grier, Anderson Footman, Bradley Custer, Ashleigh Awusie (World Premiere)




Nina Forever (UK)


Directors/Screenwriters: Chris Blaine, Ben Blaine


A fucked up fairy tale. Holly loves Rob and tries to help him through his grief – even if it means contending with his dead girlfriend Nina, who comes back, bloody and broken, every time they make love. Cast: Abigail Hardingham, Cian Barry, Fiona O’Shaughnessy, Elizabeth Elvin, David Troughton (World Premiere)




The Nymphets


Director/Screenwriter: Gary Gardner


A well-to-do 30-something man invites two rowdy young girls to party in his loft, leading to a night of provocation and cruelty, all in the name of getting laid. Cast: Kip Pardue, Annabelle Dexter-Jones, Jordan Lane Price, Paulina Singer (World Premiere)

One & Two


Director: Andrew Droz Palermo, Screenwriters: Andrew Droz Palermo, Neima Shahdadi


Two siblings discover a supernatural escape from a troubled home, but find their bond tested when reality threatens to tear their family apart. Cast: Kiernan Shipka, Timothee Chalamet, Elizabeth Reaser, Grant Bowler (World Premiere)




Petting Zoo (Germany/USA/Greece)


Director/Screenwriter: Micah Magee


A story of love, sex and teen pregnancy in San Antonio, Texas. Petting Zoo is the portrait of a young woman coming into her own, in an environment that does not always present ideal circumstances. Cast: Devon Keller, Austin Reed, Deztiny Gonzales, Kiowa Tucker

(North American Premiere)


Planetary (UK/USA)


Director: Guy Reid, Screenwriter: Steve Watts Kennedy


A contemplative exploration into what it means to live on Earth, the roots of our current crises, and the change in perspective that could transform our shared future. (World Premiere)




Sailing A Sinking Sea


Director: Olivia Wyatt


Sailing a Sinking Sea is a feature-length experimental documentary exploring the culture of one of the smallest ethnic minority groups in Asia, the Moken of Thailand and Burma. (World Premiere)




Uncle Kent 2


Director: Todd Rohal, Screenwriter: Kent Osborne


In a desperate search to create a follow-up to Joe Swanberg’s 2011 film Uncle Kent, Kent Osborne travels to a comic convention where he confronts the end of the world. Cast: Kent Osborne, Kate Herman, Lyndsay Hailey, Jennifer Prediger, Steve Little, Joe Swanberg (World Premiere)




Unfriended


Director: Leo Gabriadze, Screenwriter: Nelson Greaves


Ushering in a new era of horror, Universal Pictures’ Unfriended unfolds over a teenager’s computer screen as she and her friends are stalked by an unseen figure who seeks vengeance. Cast: Shelley Hennig, Moses Jacob Storm, Renee Olstead, Will Peltz, Jacob Wysocki, Courtney Halverson, Heather Sossaman (U.S. Premiere)




A Wonderful Cloud


Director/Screenwriter: Eugene Kotlyarenko


When Eugene’s ex-GF Katelyn lands in LA to disband their business, the two of them must negotiate between past tensions and future possibilities, in this raw bittersweet rom-com that walks the line between fiction and reality. Cast: Kate Lyn Sheil, Eugene Kotlyarenko, John Ennis, Vishwam Velandy, Rachel Lord, Lauren Avery, Elisha Drons, Niko Karamyan, Tierney Finster, Mikki Olson (World Premiere)


EPISODICS

Featuring innovative new work aimed squarely at the small screen, Episodic tunes in to the explosion of exciting material on non-theatrical platforms, including serialized TV, webisodes and beyond.

Angie Tribeca

Director: Steve Carell, Screenwriters: Steve Carell, Nancy Carell


From the minds of Steve & Nancy Carell comes the new TBS comedy Angie Tribeca, a wildly satirical take on police procedurals starring Rashida Jones, Hayes MacArthur, Jere Burns, Deon Cole and Andree Vermeulen. Cast: Rashida Jones, Hayes MacArthur, Deon Cole, Andree Vermeulen, Jere Burns (World Premiere)


The Comedians


Director: Larry Charles


Pilot Written by Ben Wexler, Matt Nix, Larry Charles, Billy Crystal

Episode Two Written By: Ben Wexler

In FX’s The Comedians, Billy Crystal plays a comedy legend who is reluctantly paired with Josh Gad, an edgier up-and-coming star, in an unfiltered, behind-the-scenes look at a fictional late night sketch comedy show where egos and generations collide. Cast: Billy Crystal, Josh Gad (World Premiere)




iZOMBIE


Director: Rob Thomas, Screenwriters: Rob Thomas, Diane Ruggiero-Wright

From Rob Thomas and based on the comic book, the CW Network’s iZOMBIE centers on Olivia “Liv” Moore, a bright young woman who’s also a newly turned zombie. She clings to her humanity by working in the city morgue and helping the police investigate unsolved murders. Cast: Rose McIver, Malcolm Goodwin, Rahul Kohli, Robert Buckley, David Anders (World Premiere)




Mr. Robot


Director: Sam Esmail


Mr. Robot is a psychological thriller about a young programmer who works as a cyber-security engineer by day and a vigilante hacker by night. The USA Network series stars Rami Malek (24) and Christian Slater (Adderall Diaries). Cast: Rami Malek, Christian Slater, Portia Doubleday, Carly Chaikin (World Premiere)




UnREAL


Director: Peter O’Fallon, Screenwriters: Marti Noxon, Sarah Gertrude Shapiro

From Co-Creators Marti Noxon (Mad Men) and Sarah Gertrude Shapiro (Sequin Raze), Lifetime’s highly-anticipated scripted series UnREAL is a provocative drama that gives a fictitious behind-the-scenes glimpse into the chaos surrounding the production of a dating competition program. Cast: Shiri Appleby, Constance Zimmer, Craig Bierko, Freddie Stroma (World Premiere)

24 BEATS PER SECOND

Showcasing the sounds, culture & influence of music & musicians, with an emphasis on documentary. New for 2015: Open to Music badgeholders

808 (UK)


Director: Alexander Dunn, Screenwriters: Alexander Dunn, Luke Bainbridge


The heart of the beat that changed music. (World Premiere)




All Things Must Pass


Director: Colin Hanks, Screenwriter: Steven Leckart


All Things Must Pass is a feature documentary that explores the rise and fall of Tower Records, and the legacy forged by its rebellious founder, Russ Solomon. (World Premiere)




THE DAMNED: Don’t You Wish That We Were Dead


Director: Wes Orshoski


From Lemmy filmmaker Wes Orshoski comes the story of the long-ignored pioneers of punk, The Damned. (World Premiere)




Danny Says


Director: Brendan Toller


Danny Says is a documentary unveiling the amazing journey of Danny Fields. Fields has played a pivotal role in music and culture with seminal acts including: the Doors, the Velvet Underground, the Stooges, MC5, Nico, the Ramones and beyond. (World Premiere)




Dominguinhos (Brazil)


Directors: Joaquim Castro, Eduardo Nazarian, Screenwriter: Di Moretti


Dominguinhos reveals this genius of Brazilian music, creator of a deeply authentic, universal and contemporary work. The film values the sensory cinematic experience, a journey driven by Dominguinhos himself. (U.S. Premiere)




The Ecstasy of Wilko Johnson (UK)


Director/Screenwriter: Julien Temple


The most extraordinary rock ‘n’ roll story of recent times. A legendary musician diagnosed with incurable cancer who managed to defy his death sentence. (World Premiere)




Gloria (Mexico)


Director: Christian Keller, Screenwriter: Sabina Berman


A bold and compelling tale of ambition, betrayal and redemption, Gloria, based on a true story, chronicles the life of international pop star Gloria Trevi, the “Mexican Madonna.” Cast: Sofía Espinosa, Marco Pérez, Tatiana Del Real, Ximena Romo (U.S. Premiere)




Hot Sugar’s Cold World


Director: Adam Bhala Lough


After a very public break-up with his internet-famous girlfriend, Nick Koenig (aka Hot Sugar) – a brilliant young musician – takes a magical journey around the world to find new sounds for his album, and find himself. (World Premiere)




JACO


Directors: Paul Marchand, Stephen Kijak, Screenwriters: Paul Marchand, Robert Trujillo


JACO tells the story of Jaco Pastorius, a self-taught, larger-than-life musician who changed the course of modern music. Never-before-seen archive unveils the story of Jaco’s life, his music, his demise, and the lasting victory of artistic genius. (World Premiere)




The Jones Family Will Make a Way


Director/Screenwriter: Alan Berg
A rural, Pentecostal preacher and a jaded rock critic form an unlikely alliance that pushes them both in unexpected ways. (World Premiere)

Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck


Director/Screenwriter: Brett Morgen


Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck is a raw and visceral journey through Kurt Cobain’s life and his career with Nirvana through the lens of his home movies, recordings, artwork, photography, and journals. 


Landfill Harmonic


Directors: Brad Allgood, Graham Townsley


Landfill Harmonic follows the Recycled Orchestra, a youth group that plays instruments made entirely from trash. When their story goes viral, they are catapulted into the world spotlight. However, a recent event could present their biggest challenge. (World Premiere)




Made in Japan (USA/Japan)


Director/Screenwriter: Josh Bishop


Made in Japan is the remarkable story of Tomi Fujiyama, the world’s first Japanese country music superstar. It is a funny yet poignant multi-cultural journey through music, marriage, and the impact of the corporate world on the dreams of one woman. (World Premiere)




Mavis!


Director: Jessica Edwards


Her family group, the Staple Singers, inspired millions and helped propel the civil rights movement with their music. After 60 years of performing, legendary singer Mavis Staples’ message of love and equality is needed now more than ever. (World Premiere)




A Poem Is A Naked Person


Director: Les Blank


A time capsule of Les Blank’s take on Oklahoma in 1974 about Leon Russell and his band, with Willie Nelson, George Jones, and some amazing eccentric characters. At least two major critics have declared it the best film ever made on Rock and Roll. (World Premiere)




Sir Doug and the Genuine Texas Cosmic Groove


Director: Joe Nick Patoski, Screenwriters: Joe Nick Patoski, Jason Wehling


Wild hippie cowboy musician with too much music inside, takes his talent from San Antonio to San Francisco to Austin and the world. (World Premiere)




Theory of Obscurity: a film about The Residents


Director/Screenwriter: Don Hardy


Theory of Obscurity tells the story of the renegade sound and video collective The Residents. A story that spans over 40 years and is clouded in mystery. Many details surrounding the group are secret, including the identities of its members. (World Premiere)




They Will Have To Kill Us First (UK)


Director: Johanna Schwartz, Screenwriters: Johanna Schwartz, Andy Morgan


Islamic extremists have banned music in Mali, but its world-class musicians won’t give up without a fight. From conflict, to exile, to homecoming, this film follows the story of Mali’s musicians as they fight for their right to sing. (World Premiere)




We Like It Like That


Director: Mathew Ramirez Warren


We Like It Like That tells the story of Latin boogaloo, a colorful expression of 1960s New York City Latino soul. From its origins to its recent resurgence, it’s the story of a sound that redefined a generation and was too funky to keep down. (World Premiere)




Y/OUR MUSIC (Thailand/UK)


Directors: David Reeve, Waraluck Hiransrettawat Every


The sounds of Thailand from ricefield to leftfield. (North American Premiere)




SXGLOBAL


A diverse selection of International filmmaking talent, featuring innovative narratives, artful documentaries, premieres, festival favorites and more.

15 Corners of the World (Poland)


Director/Screenwriter: Zuzanna Solakiewicz


Imagine the sound that can be touched and seen by each of us. You can see unknown corners of the world. Just let your eyes follow your ears. (U.S. Premiere)




The Avian Kind (South Korea)


Director/Screenwriter: Shin Yeon-Shick


A novelist’s search for his wife, who disappeared from view 15 years ago. Cast: KIM Jeong-Suk, Soy KIM, JUNG Han-Bi (North American Premiere)

The Ceremony (Sweden)


Director/Screenwriter: Lina Mannheimer


France’s most famous dominatrix, two close friends and two lovers share their innermost thoughts about love, friendship, dominance and submission – as we meet the unusual and fascinating author Catherine Robbe-Grillet and her inner circle. (North American Premiere)

Free Entry (Hungary)


Director/Screenwriter: Yvonne Kerékgyártó


Free Entry is an adventurous journey to adulthood as two 16-year-old girls risk their first steps towards independence, in different ways at the biggest international summer festival of Hungary. Cast: Luca Pusztai, Ágnes Barta, Péter Sándor, Róbert Kardos, Ádám Kovács, Barnabás Janka, Tibor Szolár, Anna Nemes, Katica Nagy (North American Premiere)




Good Things Await (Denmark)


Director: Phie Ambo, Screenwriters: Phie Ambo, Maggie Olkuska


Niels is one of the last idealistic farmers in the agricultural country of Denmark. But Niels’ ways of farming in accordance with the planets and the primal instincts of the animals are not too popular with the authorities. (U.S. Premiere)




Invasion


Director: Abner Benaim


Invasion documents the US military siege of Panama that ousted dictator Noriega 25 years ago while wreaking untold collateral damage. It sets out to shatter the willful amnesia of a country all too eager to bury its troubled past. 




Limbo (Germany)


Director/Screenwriter: Anna Sofie Hartmann


A small town on the outskirts of Denmark. Two women – a teenage girl and her schoolteacher – build a strange connection that transforms both of them. A subtle, beautiful, personal film on the state of youth and the uncertainty of being. Cast: Annika Nuka Mathiassen, Sofía Nolsøe

(North American Premiere)


Monte Adentro (Colombia/Argentina)


Director/Screenwriter: Nicolás Macario Alonso


Monte Adentro explores the universe of one of the last muleteer families in Colombia and follows the lives and mule train of two brothers as they get together for an epic mule driving journey to the highest peaks of the Andes. (North American Premiere)




FESTIVAL FAVORITES


Acclaimed standouts & selected previous premieres from festivals around the world.

Adult Beginners 


Director: Ross Katz, Screenplay: Jeff Cox, Elizabeth Flahive


Out of a job after a disastrous product launch, a big-city yuppie retreats to his suburban childhood home, in this heart-warming and hilarious film about crashing hard, coming home and waking up. Cast: Nick Kroll, Rose Byrne, Bobby Cannavale, Joel McHale (U.S. Premiere)




Being Evel


Director: Daniel Junge, Screenwriters: Daniel Junge, Davis Coombe


Millions know the man; few know his story. Academy Award-winning director Daniel Junge and producer Johnny Knoxville take a candid look at American daredevil Evel Knievel, while reflecting on our voracious public appetite for heroes and spectacle. 
* SXsports screening

Best of Enemies


Directors: Morgan Neville, Robert Gordon


Best of Enemies is a behind-the-scenes account of the explosive 1968 televised debates between the liberal Gore Vidal and the conservative William F. Buckley Jr., and their rancorous disagreements about politics, God, and sex. 




City of Gold


Director: Laura Gabbert


City of Gold is a documentary portrait that takes us into Jonathan Gold’s universe to tell the improbable story of a revolution inspired by the pen, but driven by the palate. 




Entertainment


Director: Rick Alverson, Screenwriters: Rick Alverson, Gregg Turkington


En route to meet his estranged daughter and attempt to revive his dwindling career, a broken, aging comedian plays a string of dead-end shows in the Mojave desert. Cast: Gregg Turkington, John C. Reilly, Tye Sheridan 




Finders Keepers


Directors: Bryan Carberry, Clay Tweel


Finders Keepers follows recovering addict and amputee John Wood in his stranger-than-fiction battle to reclaim his mummified leg from Southern entrepreneur Shannon Whisnant, who found it in a grill he bought at an auction. 




Heaven Knows What


Directors: Joshua Safdie, Benny Safdie, Screenwriters: Ronald Bronstein, Josh Safdie


The latest from acclaimed sibling directors Josh and Benny Safdie (Daddy Longlegs) blends fiction, formalism and raw documentary as it follows a young heroin addict who finds mad love in the streets of New York.

Cast: Arielle Holmes, Caleb Landry Jones, Buddy Duress, Necro



The Last Man on the Moon (UK)


Director: Mark Craig

One man’s part in mankind’s greatest adventure… (North American Premiere)

The Look of Silence (Denmark/Indonesia/Norway/Finland/UK)

Director: Joshua Oppenheimer

Director Joshua Oppenheimer’s follow-up to the earth-shattering, Academy Award® nominated The Act of Killing.

Lost River


Director/Screenwriter: Ryan Gosling


A family tries to hold on to their home in the ruins of a disappearing city. Cast: Christina Hendricks, Iain De Caestecker, Saoirse Ronan, Matt Smith, Reda Kateb, Barbara Stele, Eva Mendes, Ben Mendelsohn (US Premiere)

Ned Rifle


Director/Screenwriter: Hal Hartley


Ned Rifle is the third and final chapter of Hal Hartley’s tragicomic epic begun with Henry Fool (1998) and continued with Fay Grim (2007). In this swiftly paced and expansive conclusion, Henry and Fay’s son, Ned, sets out to find and kill his father. Cast: Liam Aiken, Martin Donovan, Aubrey Plaza, Parker Posey, Thomas Jay Ryan, James Urbaniak, Robert John Burke, Bill Sage, Karen Sillas (US Premiere)

The Overnight


Director/Screenwriter: Patrick Brice


Two families meet at the park and set up a playdate that has unexpected outcomes for all. Cast: Adam Scott, Jason Schwartzman, Taylor Schilling, Judith

Godrèche 
Results


Director/Screenwriter: Andrew Bujalski


A take on self improvement culture in America – with all it’s promise and absurdity – stuffed into a peculiar romantic comedy. Cast: Guy Pearce, Cobie Smulders, Kevin Corrigan, Giovanni Ribisi, Anthony Michael Hall, Brooklyn Decker, Constance Zimmer 
* SXsports screening

Salt of the Earth (France)

Director: Wim Wenders, Juliano Riberio Salgado, Screenwriters: Juliano Ribeiro Salgado, Wim Wenders

For the last 40 years, photographer Sebastião Salgado has been travelling through the continents, in the footsteps of an ever-changing humanity. He is now embarking on the discovery of pristine territories, which is a tribute to the planet’s beauty.

Unexpected


Director: Kris Swanberg, Screenwriters: Kris Swanberg, Megan Mercier


An inner-city high school teacher discovers she is pregnant at the same time as one of her most promising students and the two develop an unlikely friendship while struggling to navigate their unexpected pregnancies. Cast: Cobie Smulders, Anders Holm, Gail Bean, Elizabeth McGovern 


The Visit (Denmark/Austria/Ireland/Finland/Norway)


Director/Screenwriter: Michael Madsen


This film documents an event that has never taken place – man’s first encounter with intelligent life from space. 




Welcome to Leith


Directors: Michael Beach Nichols, Christopher K. Walker


A white supremacist attempts to take over a small town in North Dakota. 




Western


Directors: Bill Ross, Turner Ross


For generations, all that distinguished Eagle Pass, Texas, from Piedras Negras, Mexico, was the Rio Grande. But when darkness descends upon these harmonious border towns, a cowboy and lawman face a new reality that threatens their way of life.

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