SXSW 2019 Preview: Screen Anarchy Writers Raise the Curtain

Adopt a Highway
Upgrade star Logan Marshall-Green directs Ethan Hawke in this story of an ex-con who finds a baby in a dumpster. It's produced by Blumhouse and Divide/Conquer. - Ryland Aldrich

Narrative Spotlight

Pet Sematary
In a world saturated by horror remakes, this new adaptation of the Stephen King classic shows promise due to the men at its helm. Starry Eyes directors Kevin Kolsch and Dennis Widmyer attempt to recapture the terror of one of King's most affecting stories . - J Hurtado

Headliners

Tread
An infamous incident in which a man wrecks an entire town using an fortified bulldozer is explored in this doc by Paul Solet (Grace). - Rodney Perkins

Docu Competition

Go Back to China
Emily Ting had all kinds of fun with her narrative feature debut Already Tomorrow in Hong Kong. Her latest stars Anna Akana as a spoiled rich girl and looks just as enjoyable. - Ryland Aldrich

Narrative Competition

Villains
Body directors Dan Berk and Robert Olsen direct Bill Skarsgard, Maika Monroe, Kyra Sedgwick, and Jeffrey Donovan in this comedy about criminals breaking into a house that they will regret. - Ryland Aldrich

Narrative Spotlight

Mother's Little Helpers
If you know film festivals, then perhaps you know the RVIP. And if you know the RVIP, then you know Kestrin Pantera. But did you know she directed a feature and it's premiering at SXSW? This indie dramedy tells the story of a dysfunctional family gathering to sort out their shit upon a terminal diagnosis from their mother. Rock on! - Ryland Aldrich

Narrative Spotlight

The Mountain
I know nothing about this film other than the fact that it's directed by professional agitator Rick Alverson (Entertainment, The Comedy), and that is all I need to know. - J Hurtado

Festival Favorites

The Day Shall Come
This is Chris Morris’ highly anticipated follow-up to the darkly hilarious Four Lions. - Rodney Perkins

Narrative Spotlight

Good Omens
A 6000-year-old angel and demon played by Michael Sheen and David Tennant team up to stop the impending apocalypse in this Neil Gaiman-written series from Amazon. - Ryland Aldrich

Special Events

Vision Portraits
This doc by Rodney Evans takes a journey into how the loss of his vision impacts a filmmaker's art. - Ryland Aldrich

Docu Competition

Us
After winning an Academy Award for writing Get Out, Jordan Peele is back with his sophomore feature. This time, we follow a family being stalked by a set of evil doppelgangers intent upon doing them harm. Something tells me this one's gonna be good. - J Hurtado

Headliners

Who Let the Dogs Out
We've all wondered who, who who who let the eponymous dogs out. Brent Hodge, of Pistol Shrimps and A Brony Tale fame, dives deep into the lore of the song made famous by the Baha Men via 'Dogs' expert Ben Sisto. - Ryland Aldrich

24 BPS

Brainiac: Transmissions After Zero
Eric Mahoney's doc explores the tragic death of the frontman of the indie rock pioneers Brainiac. - Ryland Aldrich

24 BPS

Aurora
This feature debut by Miia Tervo follows one commitment-phobic Finnish party girl as she meets an Iranian man looking to get married for a visa. - Ryland Aldrich

Global

Mr. Jimmy
Peter Michael Dowd's feature debut tells the story of Japan's most famous Jimmy Page impersonator. - Ryland Aldrich

24 BPS

Autonomy
Malcolm Gladwell leads this comprehensive look at self-driving cars from Hamilton's America director Alex Horwitz. - Ryland Aldrich

Docu Spotlight