Documentaries, action, sports, and video games. There is a lot to look forward to at SXSW this year in the 42West lineup. Some titles already have been given release dates and others are still to come but check out what you should expect to see soon!
ANOTHER BODY — Directed by Sophie Compton & Reuben Hamlyn
World Premiere — Documentary Feature Competition — Acquisition
ANOTHER BODY follows a college student’s search for justice after she discovers deepfake pornography of herself circulating online.
BLOODY HELL — Written & Directed by Molly McGlynn
World Premiere — Narrative Spotlight — Acquisition
Bloody Hell is a coming-of-age “traumedy” that follows 16-year-old Lindy (Maddie Ziegler) who is unexpectedly diagnosed with a reproductive condition, MRKH syndrome. The diagnosis upends her plans to have sex, her presumptions about womanhood and sexuality, her relationship with her mother (Emily Hampshire), and most importantly, herself. Bloody Hell is a semi-autobiographical feature written and directed by Molly McGlynn (Mary Goes Round).
CORA BORA — Directed by Hannah Pearl Utt | Written by Rhianon Jones
World Premiere — Narrative Spotlight — Acquisition
Cora senses her open relationship is on the rocks. When the struggling musician and messy millennial goes home to Portland to win her girlfriend back, she realizes it’s much more than her love life that needs salvaging.
FANCY DANCE — Directed by Erica Tremblay | Written by Erica Tremblay & Miciana Alise
Texas Premiere — Festival Favorites — Acquisition
Following her sister’s disappearance, a Native American hustler kidnaps her niece from the child’s white grandparents and sets out for the state powwow in hopes of keeping what is left of their family intact.
LATE NIGHT WITH THE DEVIL — Written & Directed by Colin Cairnes & Cameron Cairnes
World Premiere — Midnighters — Acquisition
October 31, 1977. Jack Delroy’s syndicated talk show ‘Night Owls’ has long been a trusted companion to insomniacs around the country, but a year on from the tragic death of Jack’s wife, ratings have plummeted. Desperate to turn his fortunes around, Jack plans a Halloween special like no other, unaware he is about to unleash evil into the living rooms of America. “Late Night With The Devil” is the recently rediscovered recording of what went to air that fateful night.
PAY OR DIE — Directed by Rachael Dyer & Scott Alexander Ruderman
World Premiere — Documentary Feature Competition — Acquisition
Today, nearly 2 million Americans are being held for ransom. Without insulin, they’ll be dead in days. “Pay or Die” follows 3 families on the receiving end of these ransom notes, revealing the harrowing reality of life with chronic illness in the richest country in the world. From a mother-and-daughter struggling to rebuild their lives after losing their home when they had to spend their rent money on insulin, to a young adult diagnosed with type 1 diabetes during the COVID-19 pandemic, to a Minnesota family thrust into the national spotlight when their 26-year-old son dies from rationing his insulin, “Pay or Die” lays bare the human cost of America’s insulin affordability crisis.
PEAK SEASON — Written by Henry Loevner | Directed by Henry Loevner & Steven Kanter
World Premiere — Narrative Spotlight — Acquisition
New York yuppies Amy & Max arrive in the wealthy resort town of Jackson Hole, Wyoming for a summer vacation. Amy wants to enjoy a romantic getaway with her fiancé. But Max neglects Amy to spend the week working, leaving her to wander town alone. Amy finds a friend in Loren, a local wilderness guide who takes her fly fishing. She’s immediately drawn to this magnetic, free spirited stranger. Both lonely and lost in their own lives, Amy & Loren share an instant connection. When Max is called away on business, Amy & Loren spend the week together exploring the Tetons. As her bond with Loren grows into something more than friendship, Amy questions whether she’ll return to NYC with Max after all.
STILL: A MICHAEL J. FOX MOVIE — Directed by Davis Guggenheim
World Premiere — Documentary Feature — Apple Original Films
The film, which will incorporate documentary, archival and scripted elements, will recount Fox’s extraordinary story in his own words — the improbable tale of an undersized kid from a Canadian army base who rose to the heights of stardom in 1980s Hollywood. The account of Fox’s public life, full of nostalgic thrills and cinematic gloss, will unspool alongside his never-before-seen private journey, including the years that followed his diagnosis, at twenty-nine, with Parkinson’s disease. Intimate and honest, and produced with unprecedented access to Fox and his family, the film will chronicle Fox’s personal and professional triumphs and travails, and will explore what happens when an incurable optimist confronts an incurable disease. With a mix of adventure and romance, comedy and drama, watching the film will feel like… well, like a Michael J. Fox movie.
TETRIS — Directed by Jon S. Baird | Written by Noah Pink
World Premiere — Narrative Feature — Apple Original Films
Based on the true story of American video game salesman Henk Rogers (Taron Egerton) and his discovery of “Tetris” in 1988. When he sets out to bring the game to the world, he enters a dangerous web of lies and corruption behind the Iron Curtain.
THE HERRICANES — Directed by Olivia Kuan
World Premiere — Documentary Spotlight — Acquisition
The Houston Herricanes were a women’s full-tackle football team from the 1970’s whose fight to play the game continues to resonate with female athletes today.
THE LONG GAME — Directed by Julio Quintana | Written by Julio Quintana, Jennifer C. Stetson & Paco Farias
World Premiere — Narrative Spotlight — Acquisition
When JB Peña moves to the small town of Del Rio, TX to take over as the school district’s superintendent, his dreams of joining the prestigious, all-white Del Rio Country Club are immediately squashed. However, soon he meets a group of high schoolers who happen to caddy at the club—they too are prohibited from playing the same course because of the color of their skin. So JB and them band together, at first with the aim of winning tournaments and making it to State, but quickly learn that there’s a lot more to aim for—and a lot more on the line—when a team of Mexican-American teens competes and wins in this exclusive world. Based on “Mustang Miracle” by Humberto G. Garcia.
