SXSW Unveils Midnighters, Festival Favorites Programs
The South by Southwest Film Festival has unveiled the remainder of its program, including films starring Ashley Bell and Rory Culkin and documentaries about Richard Linklater and Robert Klein.
SXSW announced Tuesday its Midnighters, Festival Favorites, Shorts Programs and Special Events for its 23rd edition, running March 11-19 in Austin, Texas. The festival opens with the previously announced Richard Linklater comedy-drama “Everybody Wants Some.”
Bell stars in Mickey Keating’s “Carnage Park,” in which a team of wannabe crooks botch a small-town bank heist and flee with their hostage deep into the California desert. Pat Healy, Alan Ruck, Darby Stanchfield, Larry Fessenden, Graham Skipper, James Landry Hebert and Michael Villar also star.
Rory Culkin stars in the world premiere of “Jack Goes Home” from Thomas Dekker. After his father is killed in a car crash, his character travels home to Colorado to help nurse his mother (who was injured in the crash) back to health. There, he uncovers long-buried secrets and lies within his family, among his friends and within his very identity. Lin Shaye, Daveigh Chase, Natasha Lyonne, Louis Hunter, Nikki Reed and Britt Robertson also star.
The Midnighters section includes the world premiere of Mike Flanagan”s “Hush” (pictured above) in which a deaf woman (Kate Siegel) is stalked by a psychotic killer in her secluded home.
The festival will also screen “Richard Linklater – Dream Is Destiny” from directors Louis Black and Karen Bernstein along with the world premiere of “Robert Klein Can’t Stop His Leg,” directed by Klein.
The nine-day festival will screen 139 films, including 52 films from first-time filmmakers, 89 world premieres, 14 North American premieres and seven U.S. premieres.
“Deep and dark character studies, crazy Japanese Manga come to life, daddy issues, handicaps, survival, revenge and even a little remastering are all on display this year,” said SXSW producerand senior programmer Jarod Neece.
The 114 short films were selected from 4,784 short film submissions.
Joining the previously announced features, the additions to the 2016 SXSW lineup are:
FEATURES
MIDNIGHTERS
Carnage Park Director/Screenwriter: Mickey Keating
Hush Director: Mike Flanagan, Screenwriters: Mike Flanagan, Kate Siegel A deaf woman is stalked by a psychotic killer in her secluded home. Cast: Kate Siegel, John Gallagher Jr, Michael Trucco, Samantha Sloyan (World Premiere)
I Am a Hero (Japan) Director: Shinsuke Sato, Screenwriter: Akiko Nogi
Jack Goes Home Director/Screenwriter: Thomas Dekker
Johnny Frank Garrett’s Last Word Director: Simon Rumley, Screenwriters: Ben Ketai, Marc Haimes, Tony Giglio
My Father Die Director/Screenwriter: Sean Brosnan
Pet Director: Carles Torrens, Screenwriter: Jeremy Slater
PHANTASM: Remastered Director/Screenwriter: Don Coscarelli
Under the Shadow (Jordan, Qatar, UK) Director/Screenwriter: Babak Anvari
Untitled Fede Alvarez/ Ghost House Thriller Director: Fede Alvarez, Screenwriters: Fede Alvarez, Rodo Sayagues
FESTIVAL FAVORITES
Cameraperson Director: Kirsten Johnson
Chevalier (Greece) Director: Athina Rachel Tsangari, Screenwriters: Efthimis Filippou, Athina Rachel Tsangari
Free In Deed Director/Screenwriter: Jake Mahaffy
Gleason Director: Clay Tweel, Screenwriters: Seth Gordon, Clay Tweel
The Greasy Strangler Director: Jim Hosking, Screenwriters: Jim Hosking, Toby Harvard
Hunt For The Wilderpeople (New Zealand) Director/Screenwriter: Taika Waititi
Morris from America Director/Screenwriter: Chad Hartigan
Newtown Director: Kim A. Snyder
Operation Avalanche Director: Matt Johnson, Screenwriters: Matt Johnson, Josh Boles
Presenting Princess Shaw (Israel) Director: Ido Haar
Richard Linklater – dream is destiny Directors: Louis Black, Karen Bernstein
Sing Street (USA/Ireland) Director/Screenwriter: John Carney
Trapped Director: Dawn Porter, Screenwriters: Dawn Porter, Sari Gilman
ADDITIONAL FEATURES
24 BEATS PER SECOND
Robert Klein Can’t Stop Shaking His Leg Director: Robert Klein
Sidemen – Long Road To Glory Director: Scott Rosenbaum, Screenwriters: Scott Rosenbaum, Jasn Cadic
SXGLOBAL
Semana Santa (Mexico) Director/Screenwriter: Alejandra Márquez Abella
VISIONS
Boone Director: Christopher LaMarca