So far, our SXSW preview series has taken a look at the Headliners, Midnight section, and narrative films in the Visions program as well as a tour of the festival's documentaries. Today we close things out ahead of tomorrow's festival kick-off with a few films from the Narrative Competition, Narrative Spotlight, and narrative films in other sections. Enjoy the fest!
Like Me
Addison Timlin stars in Rob Mockler's debut about a woman who becomes internet famous and starts to form a posse after her convenience store robbery video goes viral.
Narrative Competition
Small Crimes
Evan Katz (Cheap Thrills) is back at last with his sophomore film starring Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Jacki Weaver, Robert Forster, Gary Cole, Molly Parker, Macon Blair, and yes… Pat Healy. It's about a cop, some crime, maybe jail. We'll see.
Narrative Spotlight
Prevenge
Sightseers and Adult Life Skills star Alice Lowe makes her directorial debut in this black comedy about a pregnant woman out for revenge. The film stars Gemma Whelan, Kate Dickie, and Jo Hartley along with Lowe and made its premiere at Venice before playing TIFF and getting scooped up by Shudder.
Fest Faves
MFA
Be Here Nowish-creator Natalie Leite directs her follow-up to Bare about a woman turning to vigilantism after confronting her art school rapist.
Narrative Competition
Gemini
Aaron Katz's (Land Ho!, Cold Weather) latest is a story of a Hollywood personal assistant working to solve a crime. It stars Lola Kirke, Zoë Kravitz, John Cho, Greta Lee, Michelle Forbes, Nelson Franklin, Reeve Carney, Ricki Lake, Jessica Parker Kennedy, and James Ransone and has some high power producing power behind it as well.
Narrative Spotlight
Lane 1974
A 13-year-old girl confronts reality when she and her mother are kicked out of commune in 1974 California in SJ Chiro's debut feature.
Narrative Spotlight
Small Town Crimes
Frequent indie collaborators Ian and Eshom Nelms (Lost on Purpose, Waffle Street) direct John Hawkes in this ex-cop/last case thriller. Anthony Anderson, Octavia Spencer, Robert Forster, and Clifton Collins, Jr. co-star.
Narrative Spotlight
The Strange Ones
Mystery hangs thick in the air when two brothers (Alex Pettyfer and James Freedson-Jackson) head out on a road trip. Lauren Wolkstein and Christopher Radcliff direct.
Narrative Competition
Mr. Roosevelt
Actress Noël Wells's feature debut is a comedy about a struggling 20-something returning to Austin to face her past. She stars in it alongside Nick Thune, Britt Lower, Daniella Pineda, Andre Hyland, and Doug Benson.
Narrative Spotlight
Colossal
It feels like we preview this great Nacho Vigalondo-directed Anne Hathaway starrer at every fest. It's pretty rare for SXSW to play a film that played at Fantastic Fest but Austin loves them some Tim League and Colossal will be the first film his new company with Tom Quinn, Neon, releases (on April 7).
Fest Faves
Win It All
Joe Swanberg has been focused on his series Easy since directing the Sundance 2015-premiering Digging For Fire. He returns to the feature world with this Jake Johnson-starrer about a gambler trying to win back his buddy's dough.
Narrative Spotlight
Fits and Starts
Hello My Name is Doris co-writer Laura Terruso's first turn as director is this Wyatt Cenac starrer about a struggling author and a night spent with his more successful wife's suck-up friends. It co-stars such recognizable faces as Greta Lee, Alex Karpovsky, and Onur Turkel.
Narrative Competition
Dara Ju
Anthony Onah marks his feature debut in this tale of a Nigerian banker on Wall Street who is forced to turn to nefarious ways to get ahead. Insert Nigerian bank email joke here.
Narrative Competition
The Ballad of Lefty Brown
Jared Moshé's second feature (Dead Man's Burden) is another Western. This one about a sidekick looking to avenge his boss stars Bill Pullman, Kathy Baker, Jim Caviezel, Tommy Flanagan, and Peter Fonda.
Narrative Spotlight
A Bad Idea Gone Wrong
Jason Headley's debut feature is a comedy about idiot thieves and a burglary gone… well… wrong. It stars Matt Jones, Eleanore Pienta, Will Rogers, Jonny Mars, Sam Eidson, and Jennymarie Jemison.
Narrative Competition
Most Hated Woman in America
Ella Enchanted director Tommy O'Haver directs a knockout cast of Melissa Leo, Adam Scott, Juno Temple, Vincent Kartheiser, Josh Lucas, and Peter Fonda in this Netflix true-crime biopic about the disappearance of prominent atheist.
Narrative Spotlight
The Light of the Moon
Stephanie Beatriz, Michael Stahl-David, Conrad Ricamora, Catherine Curtin, Olga Merediz, and Cindy Cheung star in Jessica M. Thompson's feature directorial debut about a woman seeking to regain normalcy after a sexual assault.
Narrative Competition