SXSW 2018: Watch the Shorts that Laid the Groundwork for THUNDER ROAD and PROSPECT

Can’t wait for the curtain to be raised on upcoming SXSW world premieres and unsatisfied with reading synopses? Well, there are other ways of exploring what the Texas-based festival has in store for lucky badge-holders.

Thunder Road and Prospect are two feature films that made the 2018 cut and previously built a name for themselves as high-caliber shorts. The former is a Sundance award winner in which writer-director Jim Cummings also stars as Jimmy Arnaud, an officer who performs a one-of-a kind eulogy for his late mother. The latter (pictured above) is an SXSW 2014 vet. Conceived by Christopher Caldwell and Zeek Earl, it transports a father-daughter relationship to a toxic alien planet. A get-rich-quick effort takes a turn for the worse and the hunt for precious gems becomes a life-or-death struggle when bandits cross their paths.

Now nominated for the Grand Jury Award at SXSW, Thunder Road (2018) sees “Officer Arnaud rais[e] his daughter as a love letter to his late Mom”. Cummings is still a triple threat and the expanded cast also includes Macon Blair and newcomer Kendal Farr. Prospect (2018) will be premiering as part of the Visions lineup that champions new, innovative storytellers. Billed as a sci-fi western it sounds like a coming-of-age drama that packs no shortage of thrills and features the collective talents of Sheila Vand, Pedro Pascal, Jay Duplass and up-and-comer Sophie Thatcher.

Watch both shorts below and get a sense of what SXSW has in store for you!