SXSW can be an overwhelming experience. For 10 days, you are bombarded by a tsunami of media, films, TV, tech, music, culture, and queso… lots of queso. This year, the annual SXSW fest takes place between March 12–18, curating a seven-day instead of 10-day experience – but that doesn’t mean that it is skimping its film and TV programming.
This year will be a little different for the Austin-based fest. The Austin Convention Center, which usually serves as the all-powerful hub of the festival is currently being redeveloped and is under construction. That means that there is no convention center until 2028 which means that the fest will be spread out all over downtown Austin.
The SXSW Film Festival will open with Boots Riley’s much-anticipated crime-com I Love Boosters starring Keke Palmer, Naomi Ackie, Taylour Paige, Poppy Liu, Eiza González, LaKeith Stanfield, Will Poulter, Don Cheadle, and Demi Moore. SXSW is the perfect spot to vibe with Boots Riley and his candy-colored caper. It looks absolutely beautiful and bonkers.
Ready or Not 2: Here I Come – which features thee Sarah Michelle Gellar – will also make its debut while Lisa Kudrow’s The Comeback revival will also premiere in Austin. David E. Kelley’s Apple TV series Margo’s Got Money Troubles starring Elle Fanning will also bow at the fest.
SXSW is always a mix of commercially bold projects as well as genre-driven, weirdo, hyper-progressive narratives and documentaries. In addition to the aforementioned projects that will eventually premiere on mainstream platforms, the SXSW Film & TV Festival will debut independent projects – specifically in their competition series.
Ben Wang, who starred in American Born Chinese, Karate Kid: Legends, and The Long Walk, is becoming an indie darling as I just saw him in David Wain’s Sundance comedy Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass. At SXSW, he will star in Brian opposite William H. Macy and Randall Park.
The documentary #WhileBlack from directors Sidney Fussell and Jennifer Holness examines viral videos that sparked global movements revealing the cost of going viral… while Black.
Hollywood power couple Kyra Sedgwick and Kevin Bacon’s brings the horror with Family Movie while Meredith Alloway’s Forbidden Fruits gets witchy with Lola Tung, Victoria Pedretti, Lili Reinhart and, Alexandra Shipp.
From pirate re-enactors in The Pirate King to Stranger Things star Gaten Matarazzo getting high on homemade drugs in Pizza Movie to Maude Apatow’s directorial debut feature Poetic License to Adam Scott and Danielle Deadwyler in the dark comedy The Saviors to penis enlargement advocacy in Manhood to the largest domestic marijuana syndicate in U.S. history in Cornbread Mafia to untold history of zombies in the doc Black Zombie – there is something for everyone at the SXSW Film & TV Festival. If you can’t find something you vibe with, then I can’t help you.
Headliner
I Love Boosters
Director/Screenwriter: Boots Riley, Producers: Aaron Ryder, Andrew Swett, Allison Rose Carter, Jon Read, Boots Riley
A crew of professional shoplifters take aim at a cutthroat fashion maven. It’s like community service. Cast: Keke Palmer, Naomi Ackie, Taylour Paige, Poppy Liu, Eiza González, LaKeith Stanfield, Will Poulter, Demi Moore (World Premiere)
Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice
Director/Screenwriter: BenDavid Grabinski, Producer: Andrew Lazar
A hilarious, stylized, R-rated action-comedy about two gangsters and the woman they love trying to survive the most dangerous night of their lives. As if that wasn’t enough, there’s one wild ingredient added to the mix: a time machine. Cast: Vince Vaughn, James Marsden, Eiza González, Keith David, Jimmy Tatro, Stephen Root, Lewis Tan, Ben Schwartz, Emily Hampshire, Arturo Castro (World Premiere)
Over Your Dead Body
Director: Jorma Taccone, Producers: Kelly McCormick, David Leitch, Lee Kim, Guy Danella, Nick Spicer, Aram Tertzakian, Screenwriters: Nick Kocher, Brian McElhaney
A dysfunctional couple head to a remote cabin to supposedly reconnect, but each has secret plans to kill the other. Cast: Samara Weaving, Jason Segel, Timothy Olyphant, Juliette Lewis, Paul Guilfoyle, Keith Jardine (World Premiere)
Pretty Lethal
Director: Vicky Jewson, Producers: Kelly McCormick, Mike Karz, William Bindley, Piers Tempest, Screenwriter: Kate Freund, Country of Origin: United Kingdom
An action-packed thriller where five ballerinas, stranded in a remote forest, take shelter at an unsettling roadside inn. They must weaponize years of brutal training, turning grace, discipline, and even pointe shoes into tools for survival. Cast: Iris Apatow, Lana Condor, Millicent Simmonds, Avantika, Maddie Ziegler, Uma Thurman (World Premiere)
Ready or Not 2: Here I Come
Directors: Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillett, Producers: Tripp Vinson, James Vanderbilt, William Sherak, Bradley J. Fischer, Screenwriters: Guy Busick, R. Christopher Murphy
After surviving the Le Domas attack, Grace faces the next level of the deadly game – now with her estranged sister Faith. With four rival families hunting them, Grace must survive, protect her sister, and claim the High Seat that rules it all. Cast: Samara Weaving, Kathryn Newton, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Shawn Hatosy, Néstor Carbonell, David Cronenberg, Elijah Wood (World Premiere)
They Will Kill You
Director: Kirill Sokolov, Producers: Andy Muschietti, Barbara Muschietti, Dan Kagan, Screenwriters: Kirill Sokolov, Alex Litvak
A high-octane horror-action-comedy in which a woman must survive the night at the Virgil, a demonic cult’s mysterious, twisted death-trap, before becoming their next offering in a uniquely brazen battle of epic kills and wickedly dark humor. Cast: Zazie Beetz, Myha’La, Paterson Joseph, Tom Felton, Heather Graham, Patricia Arquette (World Premiere)
Narrative Feature Competition
Brian
Director: Will Ropp, Producers: Thomas Mahoney, Casey Hanley, Will Ropp, Screenwriter: Mike Scollins
An acerbic high school student prone to panic attacks runs for class president to get closer to the teacher he’s hopelessly in love with. Cast: Ben Wang, William H. Macy, Edi Patterson, Randall Park, Natalie Morales, Joshua Colley, Sophia Macy, Peyton Elizabeth Lee, Thomas Barbusca, Jacob Moskovitz (World Premiere)
Edie Arnold is a Loser
Directors: Megan Rico, Kade Atwood, Screenwriter: Megan Rico, Producer: Bryson Alejandro
Timid dork Edie accidentally makes waves when she starts a punk band with her fellow “turds,” becoming an icon to the rest of the losers at her Catholic school while pissing off the hot girls, the nuns, and the horniest altar boy you’ve ever seen. Cast: Adi Madden Cabrera, McKenna Tuckett, Cherish Rodriguez, Niki Rahimi, Alexa Paige, Luseane Pasa, Star Herrmann, Alana Mei Kern, Gabe Root, Lucas Van Orden (World Premiere)
Mallory’s Ghost
Director/Screenwriter: Arabella Oz, Producer: Claire Sinofsky
An insecure young woman becomes convinced that she is being haunted by the ghost of her boyfriend’s ex-lover and muse. Cast: Arabella Oz, Nick Canellakis, Anjelica Bosboom, Delphi Harrington, Shahjehan Khan, Evangeline Beasley (World Premiere)
Plantman & Blondie: A Dress Up Gang Film
Director: Robb Boardman, Producers: Mark Ankner, Robb Boardman, Cory Loykasek, Donny Divanian, Frankie Quinones, Jay Patumanoan, Adam Karm, Ben Wagner, Screenwriters: Robb Boardman, Cory Loykasek, Donny Divanian, Frankie Quinones
A lonely man escapes working from home when he meets Plantman…a mysterious man saving the neglected house plants of Los Angeles. Cast: Cory Loykasek, Donny Divanian, Frankie Quinones, Kate Berlant, Blake Anderson, Kirk Fox, Brent Weinbach, Jamar Neighbors, Christian Duguay, Kevin Camia (World Premiere)
Seahorse (Canada)
Director/Screenwriter: Aisha Evelyna, Producer: Natalie Remplakowski
A struggling sous chef’s pursuit of stability is tested by the return of her estranged father, now living on the streets of Toronto. Cast: Aisha Evelyna, Ruth Goodwin, Brett Donahue, Joseph Marcell, Alden Adair (World Premiere)
Sender
Director/Screenwriter: Russell Goldman, Producers: Jamie Lee Curtis, Molly Hallam, Jake Katofsky
After receiving a series of unwanted packages containing unnervingly targeted items, a woman tumbles down a paranoid rabbit hole to find her mysterious sender. Cast: Britt Lower, Rhea Seehorn, Jamie Lee Curtis, Anna Baryshnikov, David Dastmalchian, Utkarsh Ambudkar, Mike Mitchell, Edward Torres, Alyssa Limperis, Inger Stratton (World Premiere)
The Snake (Canada)
Director: Jenna MacMillan, Producers: Sharlene Kelly, Melani Wood, Screenwriter: Susan Kent When an ungovernable 40 something wild child collides with her venomous mother, her life blows up spectacularly leaving her newly evicted, partially single, and in bed with her best friend’s husband. Cast: Susan Kent, Robin Duke, Jonathan Torrens, Emma Hunter, Daniel Petronijevic, Jimbo, Kim Roberts, Kenny Robinson, Jacqueline Robbins, Joyce Robbins (World Premiere)
Wishful Thinking
Director/Screenwriter: Graham Parkes, Producers: Matt Smith, Dan Gedman, Kara Durrett, Lewis Pullman
When a volatile couple discovers their emotional state has supernatural consequences on the world around them, they must decide whether to fight for their relationship or accept that their powerful connection might be doing more harm than good. Cast: Lewis Pullman, Maya Hawke, Randall Park, Jake Shane, Kate Berlant, Amita Rao, Eric Rahill (World Premiere)
Documentary Feature Competition
The Ascent
Directors: Edward Drake, Scott Veltri, Francis Cronin, Producers: Edward Drake, Scott Veltri The Ascent is the inspiring true story of Colorado Springs bilateral-amputee climber Mandy Horvath’s record-breaking attempt to crawl to the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro and the mysterious circumstances under which she lost her legs at the age of 21. Featuring Mandy Horvath, Julius John White aka ‘Whitey’, Carel Verhoef, Sally Grayson (World Premiere)
The Last Critic
Director: Matty Wishnow, Producers: Paul Lovelace, Ben Wu
Robert Christgau, The Dean of American Rock Critics, whose work has inspired & infuriated readers for sixty years, is still at it in his eighties—grading records, interrogating commas & listening to absolutely everything (except Metal & Prog). Featuring Robert Christgau, Carola Dibbell, Thurston Moore, Boots Riley, Randy Newman, Colson Whitehead, Ann Powers, Joe Levy, Amanda Petrusich, Greil Marcus (World Premiere)
The Life We Leave
Director: JJ Gerber, Producers: Clementine Briand, Ann Rogers, Melanie Miller, JJ Gerber
When Washington legalizes human composting, entrepreneur Micah bets everything on a new vision of deathcare. With funeral directors Brie and Katey, he builds the first large-scale terramation facility, reshaping how we grieve and return to the Earth. (World Premiere)
My NDA
Directors: Juliane Dressner, Miriam Shor, Producers: Elizabeth Woodward, Hanna Gray Organschi, Juliane Dressner, Miriam Shor
Three people bound by non-disclosure agreements face extreme personal risk to expose how a simple intellectual property contract is weaponized to silence, manipulate and control. (World Premiere)
Phoenix Jones: The Rise and Fall of a Real Life Superhero
Director: Bayan Joonam, Producers: Claire Chubbuck, Marlowe Blue, Duncan Dickerson
Phoenix Jones is a real life superhero who fights crime on the streets of Seattle, but a recent arrest calls his motives into question. Featuring Phoenix Jones, Rainn Wilson, Jon Ronson, Midnight Jack, Freedom Fodor, Caros Fodor, Ryan McNamee, Ghost, Lance Coulter, El Caballero (World Premiere)
Stormbound
Director: Miko Lim, Producers: Trevor Jones, Miko Lim, Adam McKay, Todd Schulman, John Turner
Go inside the eye of the hurricane and the life of one of America’s top stormchasers. Utilizing a 30-year archive and a new storm season set to be deadlier than ever, Jeff Gammons’ search for the ultimate shot could see him chase his final storm. Featuring Jeff Gammons, Sara Gammons (World Premiere)
Summer 2000: The X-Cetra Story
Director: Ayden Mayeri, Producers/Screenwriters: Ayden Mayeri, Barry Rothbart
Four friends reunite when the album they made as pre-teens becomes a cult hit on the internet and scores a record deal twenty years later. Together, they revisit their friendship and early 2000s girlhood. Featuring Ayden Mayeri, Jessica Hall, Janet Kariuki, Mary Washburn, Robin O’Brien (World Premiere)
#WhileBlack
Directors: Sidney Fussell, Jennifer Holness, Producers: Ann Shin, Mariam Bastani, Screenwriters: Ann Shin, Jennifer Holness, Sidney Fussell
Darnella Frazier, who filmed George Floyd’s death, steps forward in this powerful documentary on viral videos that ignited global movements revealing the cost of going viral while Black: trolls, surveillance, and platforms that profit from pain. Featuring Darnella Frazier, Diamond Reynolds, Matthew Cagle, Matthew Mitchell, Safiya Noble, Allissa Richardson (World Premiere)
Narrative Spotlight
Anima
Director/Screenwriter: Brian Tetsuro Ivie, Producers: Harrison Allen, Brian Tetsuro Ivie, Chloe Rahal, Alexander Lycette, Jason Pamer, Brev Moss
A young woman and an old man embark on a road trip to preserve his consciousness at an experimental facility. Cast: Sydney Chandler, Takehiro Hira, Marin Ireland, Lili Taylor, Maria Dizzia, Tom McCarthy, Emil Wakim, Maximillian Lee Piazza (World Premiere)
Basic
Director/Screenwriter: Chelsea Devantez, Producers: Marc Platt, Katie McNicol, Nadine De Barros
Gloria spirals through her boyfriend’s dating history, until she discovers the reason for all of their problems, his very basic, very hot ex, Kaylinn, who not only just stole Gloria’s boyfriend, but is about to take her entire story from her, too. Cast: Ashley Park, Leighton Meester, Taylor John Smith, Nelson Franklin, Kandy Muse, Ashley Nicole Black, Kenzie Elizabeth, Amber Ruffin, Jon Gabrus, Georgia Mishak (World Premiere)
Beast Race (Corrida dos Bichos)
Directors: Ernesto Solis, Rodrigo Pesavento, Fernando Meirelles, Producers: Fernando Meirelles, Andrea Barata Ribeiro, Vinicio Espinosa, Screenwriters: Ernesto Solis, Rodrigo Lages, Eva Klaver, Marco Abujamra, Country of Origin: Brazil
In the ruins of a dystopian Rio de Janeiro—a city fractured by class conflict and addicted to blood sport—a resistance leader is forced to enter a violent, high-stakes race to save his sister from a fate worse than death. Cast: Matheus Abreu, Rodrigo Santoro, Isis Valverde, Bruno Gagliasso, Thainá Duarte, Seu Jorge, Silvero Pereira, João Guilherme, Grazi Massafera, Anitta (World Premiere)
Campeón Gabacho (Mexico)
Director: Jonás Cuarón, Producers: Gabriela Rodríguez, Alfonso Cuarón, Jonás Cuarón, Nicolás Celis, Screenwriters: Jonás Cuarón, Aura Xilonen
Campeón Gabacho tells the story of Liborio, a spirited Mexican migrant who fights, literally and figuratively, for a better life in the United States, punching through prejudice with heart, humor, and hope to become an unlikely hero. Cast: Juan Daniel García Treviño, Leslie Grace, Rubén Blades, Eddie Marsan, Rosario Dawson, Cheech Marin, Marvin Jones III, Carlos Carrasco, Dolores Heredia (World Premiere)
Chili Finger
Directors: Edd Benda, Stephen Helstad, Producers: Sam Sandweiss, Jo Henriquez, Screenwriter: Stephen Helstad
When a small town lawyer discovers a severed finger in her chili, she blackmails the restaurant for a cash payout in an effort to regain control over her mundane life. The situation quickly spirals out of control, and her life descends into chaos. Cast: Judy Greer, Sean Astin, Bryan Cranston, John Goodman, Madeline Wise, Paul Stanko, Sarah Herrman, Sara Sevigny, Dann Florek (World Premiere)
Crash Land
Director/Screenwriter: Dempsey Bryk, Producers: Billy Bryk, Finn Wolfhard, Julian Geneen, Dempsey Bryk, Country of Origin: Canada
Two amateur stuntmen try to make a “real movie” to prove their lives have meaning. They crash and burn. Cast: Gabriel LaBelle, Finn Wolfhard, Billy Bryk, Noah Parker, Abby Quinn (World Premiere)
Dead Deer High
Director: Jo Rochelle, Producer/Screenwriter: Joshua Roark
Created by teachers, Dead Deer High follows a team of high school slam poets and their English teacher as they prepare for a national poetry competition one year after a tragic shooting changed their lives forever. Cast: Zack Kozlow, Holden Goyette, Kyla Brown, Christian Cruz, Ayanna Berkshire, Joseph Bertót, Madelyn Grace, Aaron Cammack, Julia Prud’homme, Audrey Kennedy Kozlow (World Premiere)
Downbeat
Director: Danny Madden, Producer: Benjamin Wiessner, Screenwriters: Danny Madden, Daniel Rashid, Addie Weyrich, Arkira Chantaratananond
Fleeing mistakes in Atlanta, Mauro crashes on his sister’s couch in Boston. He takes to bucket drumming on the streets for a way out, but can’t stop screwing things up and drawing everyone else into his own feral shortcomings. Cast: Daniel Rashid, Addie Weyrich, Arkira Chantaratananond (World Premiere)
Dreamquil
Director: Alex Prager, Producers: Elizabeth Banks, Max Handelman, Alison Small, Vincent Landay, Michael Mendelsohn, Screenwriters: Alex Prager, Vanessa Prager
Set in the near future, a woman returning from a virtual retreat discovers her worst nightmare when the helper robot sent to assist her family in her absence starts to infringe on her life and identity. Cast: Elizabeth Banks, John C. Reilly, Juliette Lewis, Sofia Boutella, Kathryn Newton, Lamorne Morris, Toby Larsen, Anna Marie Dobbins(World Premiere)
Family Movie
Directors: Kyra Sedgwick, Kevin Bacon, Producers: Kevin Bacon, Kyra Sedgwick, Sosie Bacon, Travis Bacon, Vince Jolivette, Casey Durant, Greg Lauritano, Russell Wayne Groves, Screenwriter: Dan Beers
A filmmaking family’s low-budget horror movie turns into a real-life slasher when a dead body shows up on set. Chaos ensues as the Smiths fight to keep the production on track. After all – the show must go on! Cast: Kevin Bacon, Kyra Sedgwick, Sosie Bacon, Travis Bacon, Liza Koshy, John Carroll Lynch, Jackie Earle Haley, Andrea Savage, Austin Amelio, Scoot McNairy (World Premiere)
Forbidden Fruits
Director: Meredith Alloway, Producers: Mason Novick, Mary Anne Waterhouse, Diablo Cody, Trent Hubbard, Screenwriters: Meredith Alloway, Lily Houghton
Free Eden employee Apple leads a secret witch cult with coworkers Cherry and Fig. New hire Pumpkin questions their sisterhood, forcing them to confront inner darkness or meet violent ends. Cast: Lola Tung, Victoria Pedretti, Lili Reinhart, Alexandra Shipp, Emma Chamberlain, Gabrielle Union (World Premiere)
The Fox (Australia)
Director/Screenwriter: Dario Russo, Producers: Kristina Ceyton, Samantha Jennings, Carly Maple
In this darkly comic folktale, an affable foxhunter encounters a talking Fox who offers him an opportunity to transform his fiancée into the perfect woman. Cast: Jai Courtney, Emily Browning, Damon Herriman, Claudia Doumit, Sam Neill, Miranda Otto, Olivia Colman (International Premiere)
He Bled Neon
Director: Drew Kirsch, Producers: Nate Bolotin, Lucan Toh, Screenwriters: Tim Cairo, Jake Gibson
After discovering his brother’s death by overdose may have actually been a murder, Ethan returns to a world he left behind—the underbelly of Las Vegas—uncovering a web of corruption and his own appetite for violence. Cast: Joe Cole, Rita Ora, Marshawn “Beast Mode” Lynch, Ismael Cruz Cordova, Paul Wesley, Josh Holloway (World Premiere)
Kill Me
Director/Screenwriter: Peter Warren, Producers: Nate Bolotin, Keith Goldberg, Natalie Metzger, Maxime Cottray, Mike Richardson, Charlie Day, Peter Warren
Jimmy didn’t try to kill himself. Or at least, he’s pretty sure he didn’t… With the help of a reluctant 911 operator, he sets out on a darkly comedic amateur investigation to solve whether he is being stalked by a killer or chasing himself. Cast: Charlie Day, Allison Williams, Giancarlo Esposito, Aya Cash, Jessica Harper, David Krumholtz, Tony Cavalero (World Premiere)
Love Language
Director/Screenwriter: Joey Power, Producers: Bert Hamelinck, Allison Hironaka, Ari Lubet, Colin Jost, Jeff Grosvenor
An aspiring author with a side hustle writing wedding vows for other people reconnects with her long-time crush, only to learn he is the fiancé of one of her new clients. Cast: Chloë Grace Moretz, Anthony Ramos, Manny Jacinto, Isabel May, Lukas Gage, Billie Lourd, Chloe Fineman, Zach Zucker, Morgan Jay, Bobbi Althoff, Marchánt Davis, Dan Perrault (World Premiere)
Mam (France)
Director: Nan Feix, Producer: Marine Garnier, Screenwriters: Nan Feix, Marine Garnier
A self-taught chef from Texas arrives in New York to open a Vietnamese restaurant. Broke but relentless, he teams up with a witty waitress, and together they cook up an unlikely journey of passion, resilience, and friendship in the city’s underbelly. Cast: Jerald Head, Nhung Dao Head, Tuan Bui, Henry Wong, Linh Phan, Lang A Nguyen, Maxence Victor, Kim Hoang, Naoto Ono, An Nguyen Xuan (U.S. Premiere)
Normal
Director: Ben Wheatley, Producers: Marc Provissiero, Derek Kolstad, Bob Odenkirk, Screenwriter: Derek Kolstad
Director Ben Wheatley and John Wick creator Derek Kolstad pit a provisional sheriff against his constituents when the exposure of a small town’s sordid secret sparks a rip-roaring firefight. Cast: Bob Odenkirk, Henry Winkler, Lena Headey, Ryan Allen, Billy MacLellan, Brendan Fletcher, Reena Jolly, Peter Shinkoda, Jess McLeod, Derek Barnes (U.S. Premiere)
The Pirate King
Director: Josh Plasse, Producers: Ethan Lazar, Jason Tamasco, Zak Kristofek, Brev Moss, Kyle Owens, Austen Rydell, Billie Lourd, Screenwriters: Josh Plasse, Brev Moss
A marine veteran struggling with PTSD and addiction finds unexpected redemption when he joins a group of pirate re-enactors, giving him a chance to fight for custody of his daughter and rebuild the life he thought was lost forever. Cast: Rob Riggle, Jordana Brewster, Matt Barr, Elizabeth Tulloch, Billie Lourd, Nichole Sakura, Leander Suleiman, Adele Abinante, Chris Witaske, Annabeth Gish, Brett Cullen (World Premiere)
Pizza Movie
Directors/Screenwriters: Brian McElhaney, Nick Kocher, Producers: Jeremy Garelick, Will Phelps, Billy Rosenberg, Jason Zaro, Molle DeBartolo, Max A. Butler
A group of college students go downstairs to their dorm lobby to get a delivery pizza. There’s only one issue: They’re insanely high on a home-made drug, turning their simple journey down two sets of stairs into a mind-bendingly transformative quest. Cast: Gaten Matarazzo, Sean Giambrone, Lulu Wilson, Jack Martin, Peyton Elizabeth Lee, Marcus Scribner, Caleb Hearon, Sarah Sherman, Miguel-Andres Garcia, Justin Cooley (World Premiere)
Poetic License
Director: Maude Apatow, Producers: Judd Apatow, Josh Church, Benjamin Hung, Thalia Daniel, Maude Apatow, Olivia Rosenbloom, Will Greenfield, Screenwriter: Raffi Donatich
Maude Apatow’s sharp and heartfelt debut feature, Poetic License follows a middle aged mother Liz, as she becomes the unexpected point of tension between Sam and Ari, two inseparable best friends and college seniors. Cast: Leslie Mann, Cooper Hoffman, Andrew Barth Feldman (U.S. Premiere)
Power Ballad
Director: John Carney, Producers: Anthony Bregman, John Carney, Peter Cron, Rebecca O’Flanagan, Robert Walpole, Screenwriters: John Carney, Peter McDonald
Power Ballad follows a talented but past-his-prime wedding singer and a young rockstar who uses the wedding singer’s songwriting prowess to revitalize his own career. Cast: Paul Rudd, Nick Jonas, Peter McDonald, Marcella Plunkett, Havana Rose Liu, Jack Reynor (North American Premiere)
A Safe Distance (Canada)
Director: Gloria Mercer, Producers: Nic Altobelli, Aidan West, Gloria Mercer, Screenwriter: Aidan West
After a woman is abandoned by her boyfriend in the forest, she befriends a pair of notorious fugitives on the run from the law, and becomes dangerously entangled in their relationship. Cast: Bethany Brown, Tandia Mercedes, Cody Kearsley, Chris McNally (World Premiere)
Same Same But Different
Director: Lauren Noll, Producers: Dalia Rooni, Lauren Noll, Zein Khleif, Medalion Rahimi, Emily Reach White, Screenwriter: Dalia Rooni
An Iranian immigrant agrees to marry her boss’s son to stay in the U.S., but their simple green card wedding on Cape Cod gets complicated when her two Iranian best friends arrive with their own American boyfriends and cross-cultural baggage in tow. Cast: Medalion Rahimi, Logan Miller, Layla Mohammadi, Dalia Rooni, Richie Moriarty, Michael Baszler, Danielle Pinnock, Lauren Noll, Nicholas Coombe, Kevin Nealon, Joey Lauren Adams (World Premiere)
The Saviors
Director: Kevin Hamedani, Producers: Matt Smith, Dan Gedman, Nicholas Weinstock, Naomi Scott, Adam Scott, Divya D’Souza, Bradley Gallo, Michael Helfant, Screenwriters: Kevin Hamedani, Travis Betz
An estranged couple rents out their Airbnb, but soon start to suspect their guests might be plotting something nefarious. As the couple investigates, they rekindle their relationship and discover something stranger than they could have imagined. Cast: Adam Scott, Danielle Deadwyler, Theo Rossi, Kate Berlant, Nazanin Boniadi, Daveed Diggs, Ron Perlman, Colleen Camp, Greg Kinnear (World Premiere)
Seekers of Infinite Love
Director/Screenwriter: Victoria Strouse, Producers: Dylan Sellers, Chris Parker, Marty Bowen, Wyck Godfrey
After learning their youngest sister has joined a traveling cult, three estranged siblings must come together to find and bring her back. Cast: Hannah Einbinder, Justin Theroux, John Paul Reynolds, Griffin Gluck, Justine Lupe, Greg Kinnear (World Premiere)
Sparks
Director/Screenwriter: Fergus Campbell, Producer: Lola Lafia
Urban legend has it that a Nevada reservoir is a time portal—the tease of which is enough to keep life exciting for the Crop, an aimless but spirited group of teenage best friends, until Cleo moves to town hell-bent on reaching 1960s Paris. Cast: Elsie Fisher, Charlie B. Foster, Denny McAuliffe, Madison Hu, Simon Downes Toney, Thomas Deen Baker, Julia D’Angelo (World Premiere)
The Sun Never Sets
Director/Screenwriter: Joe Swanberg, Producers: Jake Johnson, Ashleigh Snead, Joe Swanberg, Dakota Fanning, Cory Michael Smith
Wendy’s life is thrown into chaos when her boyfriend, Jack, who is older and divorced with children, insists they take space to evaluate the relationship. During their break, Wendy runs into her ex, Chuck, forcing them into a volatile triangle. Cast: Dakota Fanning, Jake Johnson, Cory Michael Smith, Debby Ryan, Anna Konkle, Lamorne Morris, Karley Sciortino (World Premiere)
Their Town
Director: Katie Aselton, Producer: Mary Budd, Screenwriter: Mark Duplass
When Abby’s boyfriend drops out of the high school play, she finds herself helping a school outlier step into the role opposite her. They spend a long night wandering around their town, examining their futures and unearthing surprises from their past. Cast: Ora Duplass, Chosen Jacobs, Will Parker, Kim Shaw, Jeffery Self, Daveed Diggs, Leonardo Nam, Annie Henk, Brad LaBree (World Premiere)
Ugly Cry
Director/Screenwriter: Emily Robinson, Producers: Sophia Sabella, Pablo Feldman, Jolene Mendes, Rhianon Jones, Tristan Scott-Behrends, Emily Robinson
An actor loses their dream role because of their “ugly cry” causing them to spiral down the dark and dangerous path to perfection. Cast: Emily Robinson, Ryan Simpkins, Aaron Dominguez, Robin Tunney (World Premiere)
Documentary Spotlight
Adam’s Apple
Director: Amy Jenkins, Producers: Brit Fryer, Amy Jenkins, Screenwriter: Adam Sieswerda
A transgender teen and his mother chronicle their lives, artistically weaving a rare and intimate portrait of a family in transition. Two decades of footage trace a boy’s path to manhood and his parents’ vulnerability as they reckon with change. (World Premiere)
Amazing Live Sea Monkeys
Directors/Producers: Mark Becker, Aaron Schock
From her crumbling estate on the Potomac, Yolanda Signorelli battles to wrest control of her late husband Harold’s iconic toy Amazing Live Sea-Monkeys from the corporate men who stole them from her and from the stain of her husband’s dark legacy. (World Premiere)
Baby/Girls
Directors: Alyse Walsh, Jackie Jesko, Producers: Melissa Leardi, Alex Waterfield
Set in post-Dobbs Arkansas, baby/girls follows three teens living in a Christian maternity home as they navigate pregnancy and early motherhood. The film offers an intimate, unfiltered look at girlhood and motherhood colliding in the American South. Featuring Grace Dulaney, Ariana Green, Olivia Malott, Audra Dulaney, Brian Rivera, Paula Woods (World Premiere)
Black Zombie (Canada)
Director/Screenwriter: Maya Annik Bedward, Producers: Maya Annik Bedward, Hannah Donegan, Kate Fraser
From the flickering screens of Hollywood horror, to the haunted cane fields of colonial Haiti, Black Zombie unearths the buried origins of the zombie, reclaiming it as a symbol of survival and spiritual resistance. Featuring Yves-Grégory Francois, Anderson Mojica, Erol Josué, Mambo Labelle Déese Botanica, Slash, Tom Savini, Tananarive Due, Zandashé Brown (World Premiere)
My Brother’s Killer
Director: Rachel Mason, Producers: Dion Labriola
Impassioned members of the LGBTQ community band together to try to solve one of the most gruesome and mysterious murders in Los Angeles history. Featuring Christopher Rice, Eric Shaw Quinn, Clark Williams, ChiChi LaRue, Kevin Clarke, Krystal DeLight, Phil St. John, Sabin Grey, John Lamberti, Wendi Berndt (World Premiere)
Capturing Bigfoot
Director: Marq Evans, Producers: Tamir Ardon, Marq Evans, Nick Spicer
A reel of 16mm film locked away for over 50 years turns the Bigfoot debate on its head. Featuring Clint Patterson, Bob Gimlin, Bob Heironimus, Larry Lund, Greg Long, Vaile Thompson, Sandy Collier, Bill Munns, Teresa Brooks, Jeff Meldrum (World Premiere)
Ceremony (Canada)
Director/Producer: Banchi Hanuse
At ramshackled Nuxalk Radio in Bella Coola, an inquiry into the vanished ooligan run unravels a buried history of erasure and ignites the quiet revolution of a Nation that refuses to disappear. Featuring Megan F. Moody, Qwaxw Siwallace, Snuxyaltwa Deric Snow, Nuskmata Jacinda Mack, Q’umulha Schooner, Sunhwrna Schooner, Jason E. Moody, Snxakila Clyde Tallio, Kmalsuuncw Orden Mack, Tom Swanky (World Premiere)
Cornbread Mafia
Directors: Evan Mascagni, Drew Morris, Producers: Trevor Kane, Merry-Kay Poe, Evan Mascagni, Screenwriters: Sam Wagstaff, Evan Mascagni
Cornbread Mafia is the true story of the rise and fall of Kentucky farmers who built the largest domestic marijuana syndicate in U.S. history. Part true crime, part cartoon, a whole lot of weed. (World Premiere)
The Dads
Director: Luchina Fisher, Producers: Stephen Chukumba, Luchina Fisher
As anti-trans legislation and hostility escalate in the United States, a group of dads, building a nascent movement to support their trans and gender expansive kids, are forced to make an impossible choice: stay and fight or flee the country. Featuring Stephen Chukumba, Wayne Maines, Ed Diaz, Christoph Heinzer, Jose Trujillo, Frank Gonzales, AC Goldberg (World Premiere)
Drift
Director: Deon Taylor, Producers: Roxanne Avent Taylor, Deon Taylor, Inbal Lessner, Kaitlin McLaughlin, Screenwriters: Kaitlin McLaughlin, Martine Biehn, Kevin Hibbard
Isaac “Drift” Wright, a self-taught photographer and Army veteran haunted by trauma, finds healing through breathtaking, illegal climbs of the world’s tallest structures. But his pursuit of art sparks a high-stakes battle with law enforcement in this intimate portrait of risk, resilience, and freedom in modern America. Featuring Isaac Wright (World Premiere)
First They Came for My College
Director: Patrick Bresnan, Producers: Holly Herrick, Harry W. Hanbury, Patrick Bresnan, Zackary Drucker, Screenwriters: Ivete Lucas, Leah Marino
When the Governor of Florida transforms a beloved public honors college in a political coup, students and professors confront a new reality: their campus is ground zero in a growing nation-wide assault on academic freedom. Featuring Gaby Batista, Joshua Janniere, Libby Harrity, Lindsey Jennings, Dylan Niner, Amy Reid (Texas Premiere)
I Got Bombed at Harvey’s
Directors: Amy Bandlien Storkel, Bryan Storkel, Producers: Bo Butterworth, Karen Bowlin
1,000 pounds of dynamite. $3 million in cash. One casino at the edge of disaster. (World Premiere)
Manhood
Director: Daniel Lombroso, Producers: Kerry Mack, Rebecca Shaid Manhood follows Dallas businessman Bill Moore as he sets out to make penis enlargement as commonplace as Botox.
Along the way, an OnlyFans star and a father of five put their bodies—and their insecurities—on the line. Featuring William Moore, David Smith, Ruben Ramirez (World Premiere)
One Another
Director: Amber Love, Producer: Andrea Raby
As three of the filmmaker’s loved ones confront the possible end of close friendships, One Another follows their life changes, heartaches, and attempts to reconnect as they find a way forward. (World Premiere)
Serling
Director: Jonah Tulis, Producers: Leonardo DiCaprio, Phillip Watson, Jennifer Davisson, Chad A. Verdi, Michelle Verdi, Paul Luba, Chad Verdi Jr, Blake J. Harris, Screenwriters: Jonah Tulis, Blake J. Harris
The definitive and authorized documentary on Rod Serling, the creator of the iconic Twilight Zone. Featuring Rod Serling (World Premiere)
#Skyking
Director: Patricia Gillespie, Producer: Chris Cowen
#Skyking tells the story of Richard “Beebo” Russell, a ground service agent who stole an airplane belonging to his employer, and took off on a flight that would come to embody the hopes, dreams, and despair of the American working class. (World Premiere)
Summer of ’94
Directors: Dave LaMattina, Chad Walker, Producers: Christopher Leggett, Rafael Marmor, Marc Gilbar, Dave LaMattina, Chad Walker
When the World Cup landed in the U.S. in 1994, it arrived in a country with no league, no culture, and no clue. A ragtag group of players faced an impossible task: don’t embarrass their nation in front of the entire world. (World Premiere)
The Truth and Tragedy of Moriah Wilson
Director: Marina Zenovich, Producer: Evan Hayes
An intimate, arresting portrait of cyclist Moriah Wilson—raised by a fierce, loving family—whose singular drive becomes her superpower, carrying her to athletic brilliance and, devastatingly, toward a life cut short by murder. (World Premiere)
The Way We Move
Directors/Screenwriters: Vanessa Dumont, Nicolas Davenel, Producers: Hubert Cornet, Mathieu Belghiti, Arnaud Le Guilcher, Eleonore Dailly, Edouard de Lachomette
Amber Galloway, a trailblazer in ASL interpretation, takes us on a journey into the deep bond between the Deaf world and music. We follow her as she teaches struggling recruits who she hopes will have what it takes to join her at ACL music festival. Featuring Amber Galloway, Julian Ortiz, Angela “AV” Villavong, Joshua Goertz (World Premiere)
Your Attention Please
Director: Sara Robin, Producers: Dan Kennedy, Sara Robin, Screenwriter: Jack LeMay
A quiet revolution is underway: As AI reshapes every part of our lives, ordinary people are pushing back against addictive tech. Your Attention Please asks whether we are willing to reclaim autonomy and human connection before it’s too late. Featuring Kristin Bride, Trisha Prabhu, The Offline Club, Kevin McCaskill, Tristan Harris, Cal Newport, Vivek Murthy, Sherry Turkle, Frances Haugen, Laura Marquez-Garrett (World Premiere)
Midnighter
American Dollhouse
Director/Screenwriter: John Valley, Producers: David Axe, Samuel Butler, Shane Greb
Caught between a grotesque Christmas fantasy and her own childhood trauma, a woman’s search for a fresh start in her home town is violently interrupted by a psychopathic neighbor. Cast: Hailley Lauren, Kelsey Pribilski, Tinus Seaux, Danielle Evon Ploeger, Richard C. Jones (World Premiere)
Drag
Directors/Screenwriters: Raviv Ullman, Greg Yagolnitzer, Producers: Jake DeVito, Lucy DeVito, Danny DeVito
A routine robbery at a rural house turns into a nightmare for two amateur burglars when one of them throws out her back. Things spiral out of control as they try to escape before the homeowner returns. Cast: Lizzy Caplan, Lucy DeVito, John Stamos, Christine Ko (World Premiere)
Fifteen
Directors: Jack Zagha, Yossy Zagha, Producers: Jack Zagha, Yossy Zagha, Elsa Reyes, Valentín Javier Diment, Vanesa Pagani, Screenwriters: Andrzej Rattinger, Ricardo Álvarez Canales, Country of Origin: Argentina, Mexico
A Mexican girl’s quinceañera spirals into chaos when supernatural rumors and small-town gossip collide, forcing her to face adulthood sooner than expected. Cast: Greta Marti, Macarena Oz, Aminta Ireta, Martha Claudia Moreno, Enrique Arreola, Mercedes Hernández, Malena Sandy, Cloe Juresa Furgan, Andre Fajardo, Silvia Villazur (World Premiere)
Grind
Directors: Brea Grant, Ed Dougherty, Chelsea Stardust, Producer: Chelsea Stardust, Screenwriters: Brea Grant, Ed Dougherty
Four interconnected tales of workplace horror tackle the most terrifying aspect of modern life: making a living! With a wild tone as darkly comic as it is relevant, Grind is the most fun you’ll have in a late stage capitalistic hellscape. Cast: Rob Huebel, Barbara Crampton, Vinny Thomas, Jessika Van, Christopher Rodriguez-Marquette, James Urbaniak, Courtney Pauroso, Jon Gabrus, Ify Nwadiwe, Aubrey Shea (World Premiere)
Hokum
Director/Screenwriter: Damian McCarthy, Producers: Roy Lee, Steven Schneider, Derek Dauchy, Ruth Treacy, Julianne Forde, Mairtín de Barra, Country of Origin: Ireland, United States
When novelist Ohm Bauman retreats to a remote inn to scatter his parents’ ashes, he is consumed by tales of a witch haunting the honeymoon suite. Disturbing visions and a shocking disappearance forces him to confront dark corners of his past. Cast: Adam Scott, Peter Coonan, David Wilmot, Florence Ordesh, Will O’Connell, Michael Patric, Siox C, Brendan Conroy, Austin Amelio, Ezra Carlisle (World Premiere)
Imposters
Director/Screenwriter: Caleb J Phillips, Producers: Thomas Bond, Sara Seligman, Joe Bandelli After a couple’s baby boy is taken, the desperate mother learns of a way to bring him back.
However, her husband begins to suspect that what she returned with isn’t their son. Cast: Jessica Rothe, Charlie Barnett, Yul Vazquez, Bates Wilder, Luisina Quarleri, Thomas Parobek, Ian Lyons, Taylor Karin, Lee Bennett, Declan Bennett (World Premiere)
Monitor
Directors/Screenwriters: Matt Black, Ryan Polly, Producers: Marty Bowen, Wyck Godfrey, Isaac Klausner, John Fischer, Adrian Guerra
A social media moderator unleashes a deadly terror when she refuses to publish a cryptic video. Cast: Brittany O’Grady, Taz Skylar, Viveik Karla, Ines Høysæter Asserson, Gunner Willis, Sara Alexander, Camila Wahlgren (World Premiere)
Never After Dark (Japan)
Director/Screenwriter: Dave Boyle, Producers: Dave Boyle, Kento Kaku, Kosuke Tsutsumi
A medium travels deep into the Japanese countryside to perform a routine exorcism, where she is forced to confront the most terrifying enemy of all: the living. Cast: Moeka Hoshi, Kento Kaku, Kurumi Inagaki, Mutsuo Yoshioka, Bokuzo Masana, Tae Kimura (World Premiere)
Festival Favorite
The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist
Directors: Daniel Roher, Charlie Tyrell, Producers: Jonathan Wang, Daniel Kwan, Shane Boris, Diane Becker, Ted Tremper
A father-to-be tries to figure out what is happening with the AI insanity, exploring the existential dangers and stunning promise of this technology that humanity has created. (Texas Premiere)
American Doctor
Director: Poh Si Teng, Producers: Poh Si Teng, Kirstine Barfod, Reem Haddad, Country of Origin: United States, Malaysia, Qatar, Denmark, State of Palestine When three American doctors-Palestinian, Jewish and Zoroastrian-enter Gaza to save lives, they find themselves caught between medicine and politics, risking everything to expose the truth. Featuring Thaer Ahmad, Mark Pearlmutter, Feroze Sidhwa (Texas Premiere)
Big Girls Don’t Cry
Director/Screenwriter: Paloma Schneideman, Producers: Vicky Pope, Thomas Coppell, Country of Origin: New Zealand Rural New Zealand, 2006.
Over one transformative summer, 14 year-old Sid Bookman discovers desire, identity and the internet, as she imitates the people she longs to be loved by. *Featuring Ani Palmer, Rain Spencer, Noah Taylor (Texas Premiere)
Buddy
Director: Casper Kelly, Producers: Tyler Davidson, Drew Sykes, Raphael Margules, J.D. Lifshitz, Tracy Rosenblum, Screenwriters: Casper Kelly, Jamie King
A brave girl and her friends must escape a kids television show. Cast: Cristin Milioti, Delaney Quinn, Topher Grace, Keegan-Michael Key, Michael Shannon, Patton Oswalt (Texas Premiere)
Chasing Summer
Director: Josephine Decker, Producers: Rob Guillermo, Ray Maiello, Nihaar Sinha, Houston King, Sam Pressman, Paula Paizes, Screenwriter: Iliza Shlesinger
After losing both her job and boyfriend, Jamie retreats to her small Texas hometown where friends and flings from a fateful high school summer turn her life upside down. Featuring Iliza Shlesinger, Garrett Wareing, Lola Tung, Tom Welling, Megan Mullally, Aimee Garcia, Cassidy Freeman, Jeff Perry (Texas Premiere)
Cookie Queens
Director: Alysa Nahmias, Producers: Gregory Kershaw, Michael Dweck, Alysa Nahmias, Jennifer Sims I
t’s Girl Scout Cookie season, and four tenacious girls strive to be a top-selling “Cookie Queen,” navigating an $800 million business in which innocence and ambition collide. Featuring Nikki B., Olive G., Shannon Elizabeth S., Ara E. (Texas Premiere)
Erupcja
Director: Pete Ohs, Producers: Pete Ohs, Charli xcx, Luke Arreguin, Jeremy O. Harris, Josh Godfrey, Screenwriters: Pete Ohs, Charli xcx, Lena Góra, Jeremy O. Harris, Will Madden
Set in Poland, Erupcja follows two women as they complicate their romantic lives. Nel lives in Warsaw where she works at a flower shop. When her childhood friend Bethany comes to visit with a new boyfriend, a volcano erupts. Cast: Charli xcx, Lena Góra, Jeremy O. Harris, Will Madden (U.S. Premiere)
Joybubbles
Director: Rachael J Morrison, Producers: Sarah Winshall, Will Butler, Annie Marr
A boy discovers he can control the global telephone system by whistling a magic tone. Born blind and yearning for connection, his early obsession with the telephone sparks a subculture that shapes the future of hacking and technology. Featuring Joybubbles, Phil Lapsley, Steve Wozniak (Texas Premiere)
Leviticus
Director/Screenwriter: Adrian Chiarella, Producers: Samantha Jennings, Kristina Ceyton, Hannah Ngo, Country of Origin: Australia
Two teenage boys must escape a violent entity that takes the form of the person they desire most — each other. Cast: Joe Bird, Stacy Clausen, Mia Wasikowska, Jeremy Blewitt, Ewen Leslie, Davida McKenzie, Nicholas Hope, Zahra Newman (Texas Premiere)
The Oldest Person in the World
Director: Sam Green, Producers: Alison Byrne Fields, Josh Penn
A decade-long global journey chronicles the ever-changing record holders of the title of oldest person alive. What begins as a portrait of longevity becomes a meditation on the passage of time, fate, and the profound human experience of being alive. (Texas Premiere)
Obsession
Director/Screenwriter: Curry Barker, Producers: James Harris, Haley Nicole Johnson, Christian Mercuri, Roman Viaris
After breaking the mysterious “One Wish Willow” to win his crush’s heart, a hopeless romantic finds himself getting exactly what he asked for but soon discovers that some desires come at a dark, sinister price. Cast: Michael Johnston, Inde Navarrette, Cooper Tomlinson, Megan Lawless, Andy Richter
Paralyzed by Hope: The Maria Bamford Story
Directors: Judd Apatow, Neil Berkeley, Producers: Judd Apatow, Neil Berkeley, Amanda Rohlke, David Heiman
A raw exploration of comic Maria Bamford who mines her own pain for comedy, blurring the line between performance and personal crisis. (Texas Premiere)
Rock Springs
Director/Screenwriter: Vera Miao, Producers: Stephen Feder, Kiri Hart, Charles D. King, Poppy Hanks, Greta Talia Fuentes, Jason Michael Berman, Matthew Lindner, Jordan Moldo, Vera Miao
After the death of her father, a grieving young girl moves to an isolated house in a new town with her mother and grandmother, only to discover there is something monstrous hidden in the town’s history and the woods behind their new home. Cast: Kelly Marie Tran, Benedict Wong, Jimmy O. Yang, Aria Kim, Fiona Fu (Texas Premiere)
See You When I See You
Director: Jay Duplass, Producers: Fred Bernstein, Jay Duplass, Kumail Nanjiani, Emily V. Gordon, Adam Cayton-Holland, Screenwriter: Adam Cayton-Holland
With the help of his family, a comedy writer battles PTSD after the tragic death of his sister. Cast: Cooper Raiff, David Duchovny, Kaitlyn Dever, Hope Davis, Lucy Boynton, Ariela Barer (Texas Premiere)
Time and Water
Director: Sara Dosa, Producers: Shane Boris, Elijah Stevens, Jameka Autry, Sara Dosa, Country of Origin: United States, Iceland
Facing the death of his country’s glaciers and the loss of his beloved grandparents, Icelandic writer Andri Snær Magnason turns his archives into a time capsule to hold what is slipping away — family, memory, time and water. (Texas Premiere)
The Shitheads
Director/Screenwriter: Macon Blair, Producers: Alex Orr, Brandon James, Nathan Klingher, Ford Corbett, Mark Fasano, Joshua Harris, Macon Blair, Dave Franco
When two unqualified bozos are hired to transfer a rich teen to rehab, their straightforward gig quickly spirals into dangerous mayhem. Cast: Dave Franco, O’Shea Jackson Jr., Mason Thames, Peter Dinklage, Kiernan Shipka, Nicholas Braun, Killer Mike (Texas Premiere)
Visions
And Her Body Was Never Found
Director: Polaris Banks, Producers: Polaris Banks, Mor Cohen, Hilarion Banks, Screenwriters: Polaris Banks, Mor Cohen
A couple treks deep into the wilderness to make a movie about their troubled relationship, but takes the opportunity to kill each other instead. Cast: Mor Cohen, Polaris Banks, Grae Drake (World Premiere)
Bagworm
Director: Oliver Bernsen, Producer: Zoe Rosenberg, Screenwriter: Henry Bernsen
After a sexually frustrated hammer salesman steps on a rusty nail, he must determine whether the world’s sudden and violent turn against him is real or the result of an infection consuming his body and mind. Cast: Peter Falls, Michelle Ortiz, Robbie Arnett, Corbin Bernsen, Stephen Borrello, Jessy Morner-Ritt, Sydney Winbush, Francesca Galassi (North American Premiere)
Beyond The Duplex Planet
Director/Producer/Screenwriter: Beth Harrington
In 1979, artist David Greenberger’s talks with senior citizens become a word-of-mouth hit ‘zine, The Duplex Planet. Four decades on, now a senior himself, he has much to tell us about the nature of art, conversation and growing old. Featuring David Greenberger, Penn Jillette, Louie Perez, Ed Ruscha, Michael Stipe (World Premiere)
Daughters of the Forest: Mycelium Chronicles (Mexico)
Director/Screenwriter: Otilia Portillo Padua, Producers: Paula Arroio, Elena Fortes, Otilia Portillo Padua
Deep in Mexico’s forests, this immersive sci-fi doc follows the unusual, fungi-driven paths of two indigenous mycologists as they seek to reconcile the past and present while reimagining the future for themselves and the changing world they inhabit. Featuring Eliseete Ramirez Carbajal, Julieta Serafina Amaya, Julia Dolores Raimundo, Zenaida Perez, Magdalena Martínez, Olivia Ayala (North American Premiere)
Dead Eyes
Director/Producer/Screenwriter: Richard E. Williams, Country of Origin: Australia
After the death of his sister, Sean ventures into a remote forest with his friends to find his missing father, only to discover his grief has become the bridge between the living and the dead. Cast: Ana Thu-Nguyen, Mischa Heywood, Rijen Laine, Charles Cottier, Alea O’Shea, Stephen Phillips, Freya Callaghan, Lewis Smith (World Premiere)
Perfect
Director: Millicent Hailes, Producers: Nathan Scherrer, Tara Sheree, Tyler Payne, Liz Cardenas, Douglas Riggs, Millicent Hailes, Screenwriters: Millicent Hailes, Kendra Miller
In a world devastated by a contaminated water supply, a wealthy pregnant woman living in a beautiful and shabby lakeside resort in the California mountains encounters a younger woman who is starting her life over. Cast: Julia Fox, Ashley Moore, Lío Mehiel, Micaela Wittman, Ryder McLaughlin, Kate Moennig, Creed Bratton (World Premiere)
The Peril at Pincer Point
Directors/Producers/Screenwriters: Jake Kuhn, Noah Stratton-Twine, Country of Origin: United Kingdom
On a quest to prove his competency, an inept sound recordist finds himself entangled in a nautical prophecy on the spectral island of Pincer Point. Cast: Jack Redmayne, Alyth Ross, Os Leanse, Mike Mackenzie, Dashiell Upton, Jason Hogan, Mat Wright, Noah Stratton-Twine, Isobel Laidler, Oliver Woolf (World Premiere)
Sinner Supper Club
Directors: Daisy Rosato, Nora Kaye, Producers: Sophie Sagan-Gutherz, Jackie Monoson, Screenwriters: Nora Kaye, Daisy Rosato
An NYC friend group reunites to throw an “eviction funeral” for Genevieve; as the night progresses and a heat wave traps them together, their long-ignored problems boil over. An improvised gay mumblecore ghost story shot on an iPhone in six days. Featuring Ashil Lee, Elise Kibler, Genevieve Simon, Jayae Riley Jr., Nora Kaye, Sophie Sagan-Gutherz, Daisy Rosato (World Premiere)
eegan, David Blackman, Jeff Ludwig, Devon Libran As Stick Season propels Noah Kahan into global stardom, he faces the pressure of what comes next. Buoyed by his uncanny wit, he returns to his Vermont roots and family and confronts the personal struggles that have left him out of sync with himself. (World Premiere)
The Rise of the Red Hot Chili Peppers: Our Brother, Hillel Director: Ben Feldman, Producer: Marc D’Agostino An in-depth look at the formative years of the Red Hot Chili Peppers and the profound influence of original guitarist, Hillel Slovak. The film explores the band’s early evolution in LA and the deep bonds forged through their friendship. (World Premiere)
Stages Director: Ryan Booth, Producers: Val Hill, Morgan Stevenson Cooper, Russell Wayne Groves, JOLENE, Screenwriters: Bradley Jackson, Dan Steele A year after the tumultuous break-up of his band, Ben Garza sets off on his first ever solo tour. Life on the road is different now, as Ben learns alongside his ride-or-die tour manager, Rita and his spotlight-stealing opening act, Jessie. Cast: David Ramirez, Leslie Grace, JOLENE, Jake McMullen, Rafael Casal, Abner Ramirez, Amanda Sudano Ramirez, Jerry Ferrara, Marc Menchaca, David Strathairn (World Premiere)
We Are The Shaggs
Director/Screenwriter: Ken Kwapis, Producers: Reynolds Anderson, Jeremy Seifert
We Are The Shaggs is a music documentary about The Shaggs, an all-girl band that created some of the most provocative and polarizing music in rock-and-roll history. Featuring Dorothy Wiggin, Betty Wiggin (World Premiere)
