Céline Roustan
The state capital of Texas is once again bustling, as SXSW has returned to its streets! The newly renamed SXSW Film & TV festival starts today with a lineup full of big titles, new gems and many (film related) conferences, talks and one on one opportunities. A festival with a strong connection to Short of the Week – our cofounders Andrew Allen and Jason Sondhi have given a talk there – my ongoing involvement with the festival as a programmer means that I am on the ground once again, ready to soak in the SX energy and eat some barbecue.
2023 is once again a year where the community of S/W alums is well represented, so if you’re finding the festival’s program a little overwhelming, we’ve got you covered.
Here are all the S/W alums present in the lineup, starting, of course, with the shorts:
SHORTS
Having seen all the shorts from this year’s line-up, we can confidently say that the 11 films below, all from S/W alums, are some of the most exciting and original in the program.
Ball People by Scott Lazer
Scott Lazer was at SXSW last year with West by God and he’s back again this year, this time with a documentary. Set at the US Open tennis tournament, as hundreds of people tryout for the Ball Crew, Ball People offers an original twist of the conventional sports documentary format. Tennis fans will love it, but Lazer finds the universality in his subjects’ journeys to give it much broader appeal.
Christopher At Sea by Tom C J Brown
Featured on our site back in 2016 with Teeth, Brown’s newest film premiered at Venice and screened at Sundance before making its way to SXSW. Trippy and gorgeous, the film immerses you in the journey of its main character as they embark on a transatlantic voyage as a passenger on a cargo ship.
Fuck Me, Richard by Lucy McKendrick & Charlie Polinger
Collaborations between S/W alums are a rare thing, but that’s exactly what happened with Fuck Me, Richard, as Lucy McKendrick (My Shepherd) and Charlie Polinger (A Place To Stay) joined forces for their new short. Described as a phone-sex-fueled psychodrama about the sick thrill of a good old-fashioned scam, the emotionally intriguing premise draws in its audience, keeping them hooked until the final frame.
Nǎi Nai & Wài Pó (Grandma & Grandma) by Sean Wang
Sean Wang (Still Here, 3,000 Miles, H.A.G.S) premieres his new documentary at SXSW. Produced by S/W alum Sam Davis (Are You Still There?, (SHn(y)oof)), as you could probably guess from the title, it’s about his grandmas and it is simply BEAUTIFUL!
Slick Talk by Courtney Loo & David Karp
Featured on our pages in 2021, with Post Office, the directing duo of Karp and Loo are back with a new narrative, which once again centers on a Chinese-American protagonist. Focused on a rapper from New York, we follow her on the way to meet a connected music manager, as she has to navigate the complexities of the entertainment industry and racial biases.
The Debutante by Elizabeth Hobbs
Established animator Elizabeth Hobbs (The Flounder, I’m Ok) returns with a new animation centered around a young woman who persuades a hyena from London Zoo to take her place at a dreaded dinner dance being held in her honour. Incredibly captivating and mesmerizing, it’s the kind of film that holds your attention from the first to the last frame.
The Family Circus by Andrew Fitzgerald
S/W Award winner Andrew Fitzgerald (I Know You From Somewhere) premiered his new short film at Sundance, before bringing to SXSW. This new film has an engaging chaotic energy, similar to his previous short, but in this one he focuses on a family in crisis, mixing elements of both comedy and drama.
The Key by Rakan Mayasi
Mayasi (Bonboné) has had multiple films on the festival circuit, most of which address the Palestinian occupation. In The Key, he reunites with actor Saleh Bakri to create a narrative that has genre undertones and paints the situation in Palestine from a different perspective.
We Forgot About The Zombies by Chris McInroy
Chris McInroy (We Summoned a Demon, Death Metal, Bad Guy #2) is back with a hilarious new midnight short about two guys who think they found the cure for zombie bites. With a super short runtime – just three minutes – the film delivers and pushes its concept to maximize the laughs.
When You Left Me On That Boulevard by Kayla Abuda Galang
Winner of the Short Film Grand Jury Prize at Sundance 2023, just months before SXSW, Kayla Abuda Galang (Learning Tagalog With Kayla) is now bringing her short home to Austin. A very personal film, just like her previous one, this coming of age tale, set at boisterous family Thanksgiving, captures its characters with sensitivity and humor.
Wüm by Anna Margaret Hollyman
Just like in her previous film Maude, Hollyman pokes fun at white woke hipster culture through the experience of her main protagonist, a nonbinary new parent who experiences a vortex of micro-aggressions from Instagram-ready hipster Moms.
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FEATURES
It’s always exciting to see S/W filmmakers make the jump from short film to feature and this year’s SXSW programme features 11 titles from our alums.
Bloody Hell by Molly McGlynn
McGlynn’s (3 Way (Not Calling)) second feature is, as she calls it, a coming-of-age “traumedy”, featuring Maddie Ziegler and Emily Hampshire. Catchy yet emotionally compelling and deep, the film is a welcome breath of fresh air within the teen movie genre.
Caterpillar by Liza Mandelup
In the Visions section, Mandelup (Fangirl, Sundown) crafts a fascinating tale of a man who becomes infatuated with a mysterious company’s promising to transform people’s lives by permanently changing the color of their eyes. An engaging watch that will prompt reflection, the director brings her story to the screen with a strong visual flair.
Confessions of a Good Samaritan by Penny Lane
Featured with The Voyagers and Just Add Water on S/W, Lane’s latest feature follows the director’s decision to become a “Good Samaritan” by giving one of her kidneys to a stranger. Captured through her unique sense of humor, this is a very personal story that expands the examine a greater question with undeniable universal appeal.
Hypnotic by Robert Rodriguez
Yes, Robert Rodriguez is a S/W alum! Featured with Kobe Bryant is “The Black Mamba” back in 2011, the Austin based filmmaker is back at the festival with his latest film, which stars Ben Affleck as a detective who becomes entangled in a mystery involving his missing daughter.
If You Were The Last by Kristian Mercado
SXSW darling Kristian Mercado (Nuevo Rico) premieres his feature debut at the festival this year. A romcom, starring Zoë Chao and Anthony Mackie, which perfectly balances the comedy and romance elements, Mercado’s film is the perfect opportunity for its leads to dig deep into their characters.
Late Bloomers by Lisa Steen
Steen (The Club), is in the Narrative Feature Competition with Late Bloomers, which stars Karen Gillan as an aimless, 28 year-old Brooklynite. A dramedy with a lot of heart, Steen’s debut feature showcases both her directorial talents and her lead actor’s ability to portray an emotionally complex character.
Monolith by Matt Vesely
In the notoriously FUN Midnight section, you will find Vesely’s (My Best Friend Is Stuck On The Ceiling) bold science fiction thriller Monolith. While not tonally similar to his short, they both showcase the creativity of Vesely’s sci-fi voice.
Molli And Max In The Future by Michael Lukk Litwak
Featured multiple times on our site – Alpha Squadron, Napoleon in Exile, The Life and Death of Tommy Chaos and Stacey Danger – Litwak is premiering his sci-fi romantic comedy about a man and woman whose orbits repeatedly collide over the course of 12 years, 4 planets, 3 dimensions and one space-cult, in the Visions section.
National Anthem by Luke Gilford
Catching our eye with Pamela Anderson starring short Connected back in 2016, Gilford’s feature debut is set in the queer rodeo scene and employs breathtaking cinematography to immerse its audience in the landscapes and immediately make you root for its main character.
Polite Society by Nida Manzoor
Fresh off its Sundance premiere, Nida Manzoor’s (7.2) tale of a martial artist-in-training who believes she must save her older sister from her impending marriage, is included in the Festival Favorites section of SXSW.
The Starling Girl by Laurel Parmet
Her two shorts Spring and Kira Burning were at SXSW before making it to S/W, so it’s no surprise to see Parmet’s feature also included in the Festival Favorites section. Set in a Christian fundamentalist community, The Starling Girl has already played Sundance in 2023 and is now looking to impress the SX audience.
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Indie Episodic
A Guide To Not Dying Completely Alone – created by Kevin Yee & directed by Yen Tan (1985)
Synopsis: A gay Asian writer passes out in a gay bar bathroom, wakes up in the hospital, and realizes he is detached from society. Terrified of dying alone, he decides to change his life for the better and chronicles his journey in a book he writes called “A Guide To Not Dying Completely Alone!”
Metal Man – created by Tomas Pais & directed by Laurel Parmet (Spring, Kira Burning)
Synopsis: Henry, a handyman who looks like he plays in a death metal band, enjoys the chill and laid back life he has curated for himself very carefully. After receiving a call from his business partner, Dennis, to fix a bathtub for a young couple, we quickly realize that they have just been in a big fight and all is not ok. In spite of his scary exterior, Henry, with his kind and earnest nature, can’t help but feel a call to help diffuse what could potentially be a dangerous situation.
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TV Premieres & Spotlight
American Born Chinese (Disney+) – created by Kelvin Yu, directed by Destin Daniel Cretton & Dinh Thai (Monday)
Synopsis: Jin Wang starts his sophomore year, hoping to make the soccer team and “level up” his social status, all while impressing his crush. But his plans are derailed when he’s assigned a new student “shadow” from China named Wei-Chen Sun. At home, Jin’s parents Simon and Christine argue over Simon’s job. Meanwhile, Sun Wukong, the Monkey King, searches for his magical Iron Staff, which has been stolen.
The Big Door Prize (Apple TV+) – created by David West Read, directed by Anu Valia (Lucia, Before and After) & Molly McGlynn (3 Way (Not Calling))
Synopsis: The story of a small town that is forever changed when a mysterious machine appears in the general store, promising to reveal each resident’s true life potential
Demascus – created by Tearrance Chisholm & Kirk Moore, directed by Solvan “Slick” Naim (Stanhope) & Theodore Witcher
Synopsis: We meet Demascus in a moment of great inner strife. He’s just turned 33 (“It’s my Jesus Year. My year to be a martyr.”), and he’s suffering from arrested grief after the death of his mother. Plus the current state of the world has him feeling a bit out of step. Up is down. Black is white. The truth is nebulous. His career, his love life (or lack thereof), his identity is all up for debate. Quarter life crisis? Existential breakdown? Black man dual conscious paradox? Whatever you wanna call it, it has our protagonist with hella questions and very few answers. In honor of his martyr year, he chooses the burgeoning field of digital psychiatry as his penance. His cross to bear? Introspection.