2011 Program
- Narrative Shorts
- Documentary Shorts
- SXGlobal Shorts
- Animated Shorts
- Midnight Shorts
- Music Videos
- Texas Shorts
This year’s 8 Narrative Feature Competition films were selected from 984 submissions. Each film is a World Premiere.
*Click on Individual Film Titles for Trailers, Credits & More*
96 Minutes
Director & Writer: Aimée Lagos
Four young lives. One night. One terrifying event. These 96 minutes will change everything.
Cast: Brittany Snow, Evan Ross, Christian Serratos, J. Michael Trautmann, and David Oyelowo (World Premiere)
A Year in Mooring
Director: Chris Eyre, Writer: Peter Vanderwall
In his first leading dramatic role, Josh Lucas walks an isolated line between solitude and redemption.
This quiet cinematic journey tells a of tale grief, solace and peace.
Cast: Josh Lucas, Ayelet Zurer,
James Cromwell, Jon Tenney, Taylor Nichols (World Premiere)
American Animal
Director & Writer: Matt D'Elia
Jimmy - eccentric, delusional, dying - feels betrayed when roommate James gets a job. During one
night of drinks, drugs and women, a classic battle of wills ensues as James prepares for work and
Jimmy goes mad.
Cast: Matt D'Elia, Brendan Fletcher, Mircea Monroe, Angela Sarafyan
(World Premiere)
Charlie Casanova (Ireland)
Director & Writer: Terry McMahon
A ruling class sociopath knocks down a working class girl in a hit-and-run and uses a deck of playing
cards to determine his fate.
Cast: Emmett J. Scanlan, Leigh Arnold, Damien Hannaway, Ruth
McIntyre, Tony Murphy (World Premiere)
FLY AWAY
Director & Writer: Janet Grillo
A poignant yet humor filled story about a single mother of a teenager with autism, confronting her
child’s future. What will sustain her daughter, and herself? A parent/child love story, when love means
letting go.
Cast: Beth Broderick, Ashley Rickards, Greg Germann, JR Bourne, Reno (World Premiere)
HAPPY NEW YEAR
Director & Writer: K. Lorrel Manning
A war torn marine returns home to face his fiercest battle yet --- the one against himself.
Cast: Michael Cuomo, JD Williams, Monique Gabriela Curnen, Tina Sloan, Alan Dale (World
Premiere)
Natural Selection
Director and Screenwriter: Robbie Pickering
When a dutiful, albeit barren, housewife discovers that her ailing husband has an illegitimate son, she
sets out to find the young man and reunite him with her husband before he dies.
Cast: Rachael Harris, Matt O'Leary, Jon Gries, John Diehl (World Premiere)
Small, Beautifully Moving Parts
Directors & Writers: Annie J. Howell & Lisa Robinson
Technology-obsessed Sarah Sparks is pregnant and ambivalent, afraid she relates better to machines
than to people. Looking for answers, she hits the road in search of her estranged mother, now living
off the grid.
Cast: Anna Margaret Hollyman, André Holland, Sarah Rafferty, Susan Kelechi Watson,
Mary Beth Peil (World Premiere)
This year’s 8 Documentary Feature Competition films were selected from 808 submissions. Each film is a World Premiere.
*Click on Individual Film Titles for Trailers, Credits & More*
Better This World
Directors: Katie Galloway & Kelly Duane de la Vega
Two boyhood friends from Midland, Texas cross a line that radically changes their lives. The result: eight homemade bombs, multiple domestic terrorism charges and a high stakes entrapment defense hinging on a controversial FBI informant. (World Premiere)
The City Dark
Director: Ian Cheney
The film chronicles the disappearance of darkness, following astronomers, cancer researchers,
ecologists and philosophers in a quest to understand what is lost in the glare of city lights. (World
Premiere)
DRAGONSLAYER
Director: Tristan Patterson
Killer Films presents the transmissions of a lost kid, falling in love, in the suburbs of Fullerton,
California. Featuring skateboarding, the usual drugs, and stray glimpses of unusual beauty.
(World Premiere)
FIGHTVILLE
Directors: Michael Tucker & Petra Epperlein
A documentary about the art and sport of fighting: a microcosm of life, a physical manifestation of that
other brutal contest called the American Dream. (World Premiere)
Kumaré (U.S.A/India)
Director: Vikram Gandhi
A documentary about a man who impersonates a wise Indian Guru and builds a following in Arizona.
(World Premiere)
LAST DAYS HERE
Directors: Don Argott & Demian Fenton
The film follows middle-aged rocker Bobby Liebling, lead singer of the cult hard rock/heavy metal
band Pentagram, as he leaves his parents' basement in search of the life he never lived.
(World Premiere)
A Matter of Taste
Director: Sally Rowe
Considered a rising star of haute cuisine, Paul Liebrandt found his career stalled in New York’s
austere environment post 9/11. Paul struggles over the next decade as he tries to make his way back
to the top. (World Premiere)
Where Soldiers Come From
Director: Heather Courtney
From a snowy small town in Northern Michigan to the mountains of Afghanistan and back, the film
follows the four-year journey of childhood friends and their town, forever changed by a faraway war.
(World Premiere)
Big names, big talent: Headliners bring star power to SXSW, featuring red carpet premieres and gala film events with some major and rising names in cinema.
*Click on Individual Film Titles for Trailers, Credits & More*
13 Assassins
Director: Takashi Miike, Writers: Shoichirou Ikemiya & Daisuke Tengan
Distressed by the Lord’s murderous rampage, top Shogun official Sir Doi secretly calls on esteemed
samurai Shinzaemon Shimada to assassinate the evil Naritsugu. Outraged by Lord Naritsugu’s vile
acts, Shinzaemon willingly accepts the dangerous mission.
Cast: Koji Yakusho, Takayuki Yamada,
Yusuke Iseya, Goro Inagaki, Masachika Ichimura
Ain't It Cool News 15th Anniversary Screening
Harry Knowles will curate a surprise screening in honor of the 15th Anniversary of his popular cult
website Ain't it Cool News.
The Beaver
Director: Jodie Foster, Writer: Kyle Killen
Two-time Academy Award® winner Jodie Foster directs and co-stars with two-time Academy Award®
winner Mel Gibson in an emotional story about a man on a journey to re-discover his family and re-
start his life. Plagued by his own demons, Walter Black was once a successful toy executive and
family man who now suffers from depression. No matter what he tries, Walter can’t seem to get
himself back on track…until a beaver hand puppet enters his life.
Cast: Cast: Mel Gibson, Jodie Foster,
Anton Yelchin, Jennifer Lawrence, Cherry Jones (World Premiere)
Conan O'Brien Can't Stop
Director: Rodman Flender
Did Conan O'Brien go on tour to connect with his fans or fill a void within himself? Rodman Flender’s
documentary captures an artist trained in improvisation at the most improvisational time of his career.
(World Premiere)
The King of Luck
Director: Billy Bob Thornton
This is a documentary about Willie Nelson: the man, the songwriter, the friend, the father, legendary performer and champion of the family farmer. (World Premiere)
Paul
Director: Greg Mottola, Writers: Simon Pegg & Nick Frost
Simon Pegg and Nick Frost reunite as two geeks who meet an alien named Paul (Seth Rogen) on a
pilgrimage to America’s UFO heartland. Their road trip will alter our universe forever.
Cast: Simon
Pegg, Nick Frost, Jason Bateman, Kristen Wiig, Bill Hader, Blythe Danner, John Carroll Lynch, with
Sigourney Weaver, and Seth Rogen as Paul (North American Premiere)
Source Code
Director: Duncan Jones, Writer: Ben Ripley
When soldier Captain Colter Stevens (Jake Gyllenhaal) wakes up in the body of an unknown man, he discovers he’s part of a mission to find the bomber of a Chicago commuter train. In an assignment unlike any he’s ever known, he learns he’s part of a government experiment called the “Source Code,” a computer program that enables him to cross over into another man's identity in the last 8 minutes of his life..
Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Michelle Monaghan, Vera Farmiga, Jeffrey Wright (World Premiere)
SUPER
Director & Writer: James Gunn
In this outlandish dark comedy, James Gunn has created what is perhaps the definitive take on self-reflexive superheroes.
Cast: Rainn Wilson, Ellen Page, Liv Tyler, Kevin Bacon, Michael Rooker
(U.S. Premiere)
WIN WIN
Director: Tom McCarthy, Writers: Tom McCarthy & Joe Tiboni
Tom McCarthy, acclaimed writer/director of The Visitor and The Station Agent, once again explores
the depths and nuances of human relationships in his new film about the allegiances and bonds
between unlikely characters.
Cast: Paul Giamatti, Amy Ryan, Bobby Cannavale, Jeffrey Tambor, Burt
Young, Melanie Lynskey, Alex Schaffer, Margo Martindale, David Thompson
Shining a light on new documentary and narrative features receiving their World, North American or U.S. Premieres at SXSW.
*Click on Individual Film Titles for Trailers, Credits & More*
A Bag of Hammers
Director: Brian Crano, Writers: Brian Crano & Jake Sandvig
An offbeat comedy about two misfit best friends incapable of growing up, whose direction is tested by
an abandoned child, worn beyond his years; together they invent the family they've always needed.
Cast: Jason Ritter, Jake Sandvig, Chandler Canterbury, Rebecca Hall, Carrie Preston (World
Premiere)
Becoming Santa
Director: Jeff Myers
In an effort to rekindle his Christmas spirit, Jack decides to spend this season as Santa Claus, but the
role of Kris Kringle is more complex than he thinks. (World Premiere)
Beginners
Writer & Director: Mike Mills
When Oliver (Ewan McGregor) meets the irreverent and unpredictable Anna (Mélanie Laurent) only months after his father Hal (Christopher Plummer) has passed away, this new love floods Oliver with memories of his father who – following 44 years of marriage – came out of the closet at age 75 to live a full, energized, and wonderfully tumultuous gay life.
Cast: Ewan McGregor, Christopher Plummer, Mélanie Laurent, Goran Visnjic, Kai Lennox (U.S. Premiere)
Bob and The Monster
Director: Keirda Bahruth
A highly compelling portrait of outspoken indie-rock hero Bob Forrest, through his life-threatening
struggle with addiction, to his transformation into one of the most influential and controversial drug
counselors in the US today. (World Premiere)
Detention
Director: Joseph Kahn, Writers: Joseph Kahn & Mark Palermo
A downtrodden 17-year-old girl is sent to detention where she must survive a slasher film killer and
save the world in time for prom.
Cast: Josh Hutcherson, Dane Cook, Shanley Caswell, Spencer
Locke, Aaron David Johnson (World Premiere)
Elevate
Director: Anne Buford
From a basketball academy in Senegal, to the high-pressure world of American prep schools, the film
documents the extraordinary personal journeys of four particularly tall West African Muslim teenage
boys with NBA dreams. (World Premiere)
Fambul Tok
Director: Sara Terry
Victims and perpetrators of Sierra Leone’s brutal war come together for the first time in an
unprecedented reconciliation program of grassroots truth-telling and forgiveness ceremonies.
(World Premiere)
Fubar: Balls to the Wall (Canada)
Director: Michael Dowse, Writers: David Lawrence, Paul J. Spence
Documentarian Farrel Mitchner explores the lives of headbangers Dean Murdoch and Terry Cahill.
Cast: Paul J. Spence, David Lawrence (U.S. Premiere)
Girl Walks Into a Bar
Director & Writer: Sebastian Gutierrez
A sharp-witted comedy that follows a group of apparent strangers in interlocking stories taking place
in ten different bars during the course of one evening in Los Angeles.
Cast: Carla Gugino, Zachary
Quinto, Danny DeVito, Josh Hartnett, Rosario Dawson (World Premiere)
The Innkeepers
Director & Writer: Ti West
Hotel clerks by day, amateur ghost hunters by night, the last two employees of the historic Yankee
Pedlar Inn set out to prove that their place of business is as haunted as its reputation.
Cast: Sara Paxton, Pat Healy, Kelly McGillis (World Premiere)
It's About You.
Director: Kurt Markus
First-time filmmakers, photographer Kurt Markus and son, Ian, document John Mellencamp’s 2009
summer tour and recording of his latest album. This film celebrates the visual beauty and power of
Super8 film and the human voice. (World Premiere)
LBF (Australia)
Director & Writer: Alex Munt
A pop-art film based on the novel “Living Between Fucks” by Cry Bloxsome. It follows Goodchild, a
young writer back home for his ex-girlfriend's funeral, The Dead Girl. Love, Loss & Desperation.
Cast: Toby Schmitz, Bianca Chiminello, Gracie Otto, Septimus Caton, April Rose Pengilly
(World Premiere)
The Other F Word
Director: Andrea Blaugrund Nevins
When the most anti-authoritarian among us become the ultimate authorities... we might just have to
use The Other F Word. (World Premiere)
PressPausePlay (Sweden)
Directors: Victor Köhler & David Dworsky
A Film about Hope, Fear and Digital Culture. PressPausePlay documents the digital revolution and democratized culture by speaking with some of the world's most influential creators of the digital era. (World Premiere)
Something Ventured
Directors: Dan Geller & Dayna Goldfine
Apple. Intel. Genentech. Cisco. Atari. This film tells the story of a handful of risk-takers who alongside
visionary entrepreneurs created these revolutionary companies, and in the process ignited the
industry known as venture capital. (World Premiere)
Square Grouper: The Godfathers of Ganja
Director: Billy Corben
A colorful portrait of Miami's pot smugglin' scene of the 1970s, populated with redneck pirates, a
ganja-smoking church, and the longest serving marijuana prisoner in American history.
(World Premiere)
UNDEFEATED
Directors: Dan Lindsay & T.J. Martin
A volunteer coach helps a neglected inner-city football team in their quest to win the first playoff game
in the high school's history. (World Premiere)
Yelling to the Sky
Director & Writer: Victoria Mahoney
As her family falls apart, seventeen year old Sweetness O’Hara is left to fend for herself in a
neighborhood where her survival is uncertain.
Cast: Zoe Kravitz, Jason Clarke, Antonique Smith,
Gabourey Sidibe, Tim Blake Nelson (North American Premiere)
YOU INSTEAD (Scotland)
Director: David Mackenzie, Writer: Thomas Leveritt
Two rival musicians find themselves handcuffed together at the world renowned music festival, T in
the Park, where they are both scheduled to perform.
Cast: Luke Treadaway, Natalia Tena, Sophie
Wu, Ruta Gedmintas, Kari Corbett (International Premiere)
Innovation and creativity from new and emerging feature filmmakers, showcasing raw talent in documentary and narratives of varying premiere status.
*Click on Individual Film Titles for Trailers, Credits & More*
Bad Fever
Director & Writer: Dustin Guy Defa
A humorless loner attempts to win the admiration of a drifter with his debut performance at the local
comedy club.
Cast: Kentucker Audley, Eléonore Hendricks, Annette Wright, Allison Baar
(World Premiere)
The Ballad of Genesis and Lady Jaye
Director: Marie Losier
A portrait of the life and work of ground-breaking performance artist and music pioneer Genesis
Breyer P-Orridge (Throbbing Gristle, Psychic TV) and his wife Lady Jaye, centered around their
sexual transformations for their “Pandrogyne” project. (North American Premiere)
Bellflower
Director & Writer: Evan Glodell
Bellflower follows two friends who spend their time building flamethrowers and other weapons in the hope that a global apocalypse will occur and clear the runway for their imaginary gang, Mother Medusa.
While waiting for the destruction to commence, their call to excitement comes unexpectedly when one of them meets a charismatic young woman and falls hard in love. Quickly integrating into a new group of friends, they set off on a journey of betrayal, love, hate, and extreme violence more devastating than any of their apocalyptic fantasies.
Cast: Evan Glodell, Jessie Wiseman, Tyler Dawson, Rebekah
Brandes, Vincent Grashaw
The Catechism Cataclysm
Director & Writer: Todd Rohal
Father William Smoortser drops his bible into a toilet at a rest stop just before embarking on a day-
long canoe trip, breaking loose all glorious hell.
Cast: Steve Little, Robert Longstreet, Walter Dalton, Miki Ann Maddox, Koko Lanham, Rico
Caught Inside (Australia)
Director: Adam Blaiklock, Writers: Joe Velikovsky, Matt Tomaszewski, Adam Blaiklock
A surfing holiday turns deadly when a group of friends fight over a beautiful woman.
Cast: Ben
Oxenbould, Daisy Betts, Sam Lyndon, Simon Lyndon, Peter Phelps (North American Premiere)
CONVENTO (Portugal)
Director: Jarred Alterman
Artist Christiaan Zwanikken resurrects deceased wildlife by reanimating the skeletal remains with
servomotors and robotics. He breeds these new species in a 400-year-old monastery in Portugal,
restored from ruins and converted into his laboratory. (North American Premiere)
The Dish & The Spoon
Director: Alison Bagnall, Writers: Alison Bagnall, Andrew Lewis
In this poignant comedy, Rose (Greta Gerwig), reeling from her husband's affair, collides and forms
an unexpected bond with a marooned teenager from UK (exciting newcomer Olly Alexander) in a
boarded-up Delaware beach town.
Cast: Greta Gerwig, Olly Alexander, Eleonore Hendricks, Amy
Seimetz, Adam Rothenberg (World Premiere)
Fuck my life (Chile)
Director & Writer: Nicolás López
Love in the times of Facebook is worst than love in the times of cholera.
Cast: Ariel Levy, Lucy Cominetti, Andrea Velasco, Paz Bascuñan, Leonor Varela (U.S. Premiere)
Green
Director & Writer: Sophia Takal
An intimate friendship between two women dissolves as they are drawn into an irrational, destructive
spiral of jealousy and paranoid fantasy in this haunting examination of the female psyche.
Cast: Kate Lyn Sheil, Sophia Takal, Lawrence Michael Levine (World Premiere)
THE KEY MAN
Director & Writer: Peter Himmelstein
Bobby Scheinman is an insurance salesman struggling to provide for his family. Enter Vincent and
Irving, two con men who convince Bobby to join them for a moneymaking scheme that quickly spirals
out of control.
Cast: Jack Davenport, Hugo Weaving, Brian Cox, Judy Greer, Ben Shenkman
(World Premiere)
New Jerusalem
Director: R. Alverson, Writers: R. Alverson & Colm O'Leary
Ike (Will Oldham), an Evangelical Christian, befriends Sean, an Irish immigrant, and attempts to
ensure his salvation. A meditation on the allure and limitations of modern utopian belief.
Cast: Will
Oldham, Colm O'Leary, Thomas Bowles, Walter Scott, Roxanne Ferris (North American Premiere)
No Matter What
Director & Writer: Cherie Saulter
The story of Nick and Joey, two best friends living in the crumbling landscape of rural Florida, whose
lives and friendship are changed by the journey to find Joey’s mother.
Cast: Matt Webb, Waylan
Gross, Amy Seimetz (World Premiere)
Our Day Will Come (France)
Director: Romain Gavras, Writers: Romain Gavras & Karim Boucherka
Two outcast redheads set off on a roadtrip of hate, violence and self-destruction. The time for revenge
has come…
Cast: Vincent Cassel, Olivier Barthelemy (U.S. Premiere)
Riscado (Brazil)
Director: Gustavo Pizzi, Writers: Gustavo Pizzi & Karine Teles
What's the importance of luck in life? Is luck part of the craft?
Cast: Karine Teles, Camilo Pellegrini, Dany Roland, Otavio Muller (North American Premiere)
Septien
Director & Writer: Michael Tully
A reclusive sports hustler returns home to his family farm after years of absence to reunite with his
two eccentric, unhinged and emotionally damaged brothers.
Cast: Robert Longstreet, Onur Tukel, Michael Tully, Rachel Korine, Mark Darby Robinson
SILVER BULLETS
Director & Writer: Joe Swanberg
Filmmaking and life converge around a werewolf film.
Cast: Kate Lyn Sheil, Ti West, Amy Seimetz, Joe Swanberg, Jane Adams (North American Premiere)
Surrogate Valentine
Director: Dave Boyle, Writers: Dave Boyle, Joel Clark, & Goh Nakamura
Musician Goh Nakamura is hired to teach TV actor Danny Turner how to walk and talk like a rock star
for his new movie.
Cast: Goh Nakamura, Chadd Stoops, Lynn Chen, Mary Cavett, Joy Osmanski
(World Premiere)
Turkey Bowl
Director & Writer: Kyle Smith
Ten friends gather to play an annual game of touch football in this real-time comedy.
Cast: Morgan Beck, Adam Benic, Kerry Bishé, Troy Buchanan, Tom DiMenna (World Premiere)
Weekend (UK)
Director & Writer: Andrew Haigh
A one-night stand that becomes something else, something important - a (sort of) love story between
two guys trying to take control of their lives.
Cast: Tom Cullen, Chris New (World Premiere)
Texas proud! Documentaries and Narratives with a special connection to the Lone Star State.
*Click on Individual Film Titles for Trailers, Credits & More*
Apart
Director: Aaron Rottinghaus, Writers: Aaron Rottinghaus & Josh Danziger
Young love is derailed by a rare psychological disorder known as icd-10 F24.
Cast: Olesya Rulin,
Josh Danziger, Michael Bowen, Bruce McGill, Joey Lauren Adams (World Premiere)
blacktino
Director & Writer: Aaron Burns
Sad, fat, black, latino, nerd. It doesn't get any worse than that.
Cast: Austin Marshall, Devyn Ray, Tiger Sheu, Danny Trejo, Jeff Fahey (World Premiere)
Building Hope
Director: Turk Pipkin
Filmmaker Turk Pipkin’s promise to help build the first high school for a remote African community
connects Americans and Kenyans in this true story.(World Premiere)
Five Time Champion
Director & Writer: Berndt Mader
A film about love, hope, petty theft, adultery, and the boundless opportunities presented by science.
Cast: Betty Buckley, Dana Wheeler Nicholson, Jon Gries, Ryan Akin, Robert Longstreet (World Premiere)
INCENDIARY: The Willingham Case
Directors: Steve Mims & Joe Bailey, Jr.
Cameron Todd Willingham: A martyr for anti-death penalty activists, a 'monster' for right-wing politicians and a flash point for an astonishing twenty-first century fight between science and folklore. (World Premiere)
Inside America (Austria)
Director & Writer: Barbara Eder
A portrait of six teenagers during their senior year at Hanna High School in Brownsville and “a
relentless, downbeat but convincing indictment of a small Texas high school.”
Cast: Raul Juarez, Aimeé Lizette Saldivar, Zuleyma Jaime, Luis De Los Santos, Carlos Benavides, Patty Barrera (U.S. Premiere)
My Sucky Teen Romance
Director & Writer: Emily Hagins
In a culture that is currently overrun with romanticized vampires, it is up to four geeky teenagers to
defend their friend and beloved sci-fi convention from a group of very real, blood-thirsty vampires.
Cast: Elaine Hurt, Patrick Delgado, Santiago Dietche, Lauren Lee, Tony Vespe (World Premiere)
Otis Under Sky
Director: Anlo Sepulveda, Writers: Anlo Sepulveda, Anis Mojgani, Roberta Colindrez
Otis is a socially inept web artist who struggles to connect with people. He falls into unrequited love with Ursula, and his world is turned upside down.
Cast: Anis Mojgani, Roberta Colindrez, Tony Jackson, Jacqueline Leal, Ruth Sepulveda (World Premiere)
WUSS
Director & Writer: Clay Liford
A high school teacher is severely beaten by his own students. Too embarrassed to inform the
authorities, he plots his own revenge.
Cast: Nate Rubin, Alicia Anthony, Alex Karpovsky, Jonny Mars, Tony Hale (World Premiere)
Showcasing the sounds, culture and influence of music and musicians, with an emphasis on documentary.
*Click on Individual Film Titles for Trailers, Credits & More*
Benda Bilili! (France)
Directors: Renaud Barret & Florent de La Tullaye
Ricky dreams of making Staff Benda Bilili the best band in Congo Kinshasa. Roger wants to join these stars of the ghetto. Together, they must avoid the pitfalls of the street and believe in music. (U.S. Premiere)
The Devil's Box
Director: Jason Hammond
Once a year, fiddlers across the country flock to Hallettsville to compete for the title of best Texas-style fiddler. The small town erupts into a musical jamboree in this offbeat and quirky portrait of Americana. (World Premiere)
Foo Fighters
Director: James Moll
The definitive documentary of the last great American rock n’ roll band: chronicling Foo Fighters’ 16 year history from their first club gigs to the recording of their new album in Dave Grohl's garage. (World Premiere)
Hit So Hard
Director: P. David Ebersole
The life and near-death story of Patty Schemel, the hard-hitting openly gay drummer of HOLE whose friendship with struggling musician Kurt Cobain unexpectedly led her to a path of fame, addiction, betrayal, survival and triumph. (World Premiere)
Live at Preservation Hall: Louisiana Fairytale
Director: Danny Clinch
The film documents the collaboration between New Orleans's legendary Preservation Hall Jazz Band
and American rock band My Morning Jacket, demonstrating the power of Preservation Hall to inspire
a whole new generation of musicians. (World Premiere)
Love Shines (Canada)
Director: Douglas Arrowsmith
Love Shines follows Canadian singer-songwriter Ron Sexsmith as he makes his latest studio album
with legendary producer Bob Rock. (U.S. Premiere)
Outside Industry: The Story of SXSW
Director: Alan Berg
Four guys living on next to nothing created a music event in the hopes of giving bands a way of
connecting with music insiders. The result was the biggest music industry event in the world. (World Premiere)
Sound It Out (UK)
Director: Jeanie Finlay
A documentary portrait of the very last record shop in Teesside. A distinctive, funny and intimate film
about men, the North of UK and the irreplaceable role of music in our lives. (World Premiere)
Taken By Storm: The Art of Storm Thorgerson and Hipgnosis
Director: Roddy Bogawa
Real? Surreal? Iconic? Impossible? The album art of Storm Thorgerson is so far deeply embedded
into our psyche, it’s hard to believe it all came from one mind. (World Premiere)
Tell Your Friends! The Concert Film!
Director: Victor Varnado
Featuring hot up-and coming comedians Reggie Watts, Kristen Schaal & Kurt Braunohler, Liam McEneaney, and Christian Finnegan, “Tell Your Friends! The Concert Film!” does for indie comedy what “Woodstock” did for Baby Boomer rock. (World Premiere)
UPSIDE DOWN: THE CREATION RECORDS STORY (UK)
Director: Danny O'Connor
The definitive and fully authorized documentary of the highs and lows of the UK's most inspired and
dissolute independent record label - Creation Records. (North American Premiere)
Director: Kerthy Fix
A concert film that follows a feminist electronic band across 4 continents and 10 countries and provides an unusual peek behind the curtain of the contemporary pop machine. (World Premiere)
A diverse panorama of international filmmaking talent, including premieres, interactive documentaries and shorts.
*Click on Individual Film Titles for Trailers, Credits & More*
Andante (Israel)
Director & Writer: Assaf Tager
In a post-industrial world people are no longer able to dream. Sarah, the single surviving dreamer,
sets out to the only place that can provide answers to her strange night visions: the dream factory.
Cast: Sarah Adler, David Fire, Liron Levo, Nicole Veronica (North American Premiere)
Armadillo (Denmark)
Director: Janus Metz
Following a group of Danish solders on a 2009 tour of Afghanistan, Janus Metz’s acclaimed
documentary is a gripping, visually stunning probe into the psychology of young men in the midst of a
senseless war.
Beats of Freedom (Poland)
Directors: Leszek Gnoinski & Wojciech Slota
In the times when life in Poland was controlled by the communist regime, rock music became an extremely powerful phenomenon. The Iron Curtain could not stop rock music, thanks to which young people could find their space of freedom. From the very beginning, Polish rock stood in opposition to the reality it met with. The songs broke stereotypes and formed bonds among people.
El Ambulante (Argentina)
Directors & Writers: Eduardo de la Serna, Lucas Marcheggiano and Adriana Yurcovich
A traveler arrives at a village and proposes to make a feature film - but only the villagers will act in the
film.
El Bulli - Cooking in Progress (Germany)
Director: Gereon Wetzel
The starred chef Ferran Adrià is known as the best, most innovative and craziest cook in the world.
Every year, the restaurant closes for six months and Adrià and his creative team retire to their cooking
laboratory in Barcelona, to create a new menu for the following season. Everything is allowed –
except copying themselves.
Heaven Hell (Czech Republic)
Director: David Calek
A documentary film dealing with human diversity that doesn't necessarily lead to hell even though it
might seem like that from the outsider's point of view. (U.S. Premiere)
IDFA DocLab presents: New Documentary Narratives (Various)
For the third year in a row, SXSW has invited IDFA DocLab (www.idfa.nl/doclab) to organize a panel
and a special live cinema screening. IDFA DocLab is the new media program of the International
Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam. Since 2008, IDFA DocLab showcases the many new and
unexpected forms of documentary storytelling made possible by digital technology. In Europe, the
program has become a platform for transmedia and multiplatform projects, ranging from interactive
webdocs to documentary media art.
My Life With Carlos (Chile/Germany/Spain)
Director: German Berger-Hertz
The film chronicles the journey of a son (director German Berger-Hertz) trying to learn the truth about
his father, who was killed in 1973 in Pinochet's Chile.
Reindeer Spotting (Finland)
Director: Joonas Neuvonen
Without moralizing the film shows the real life of a group of friends in the Arctic Circle, dabbling in
petty crime and hard drugs. Disturbing, brutal and beautifully honest. Trainspotting in Santa Land.
(North American Premiere)
Self Made (UK)
Director: Gillian Wearing
A diverse group of British people respond to an ad from artist Gillian Wearing. Taking part in an experiment with Method acting, they find themselves for the first time confronting their innermost personal truths.
Separado! (Wales)
Star Trek meets Buena Vista Social Club in this psychedelic western musical as Welsh pop legend Gruff Rhys (Super Furry Animals) takes us on a pan continental road trip in search of his long lost Patagonian uncle, the poncho wearing guitarist Rene Griffith
Director: Stefano Odoardi, Writer: Sytske Kok
When the body of a little baby is found in the dirt, the rubbish dump workers soon have reason to suspect that Mira knows more about it. Cast: Sanneke Bos, Serge Price, Raymond Thiry, Ergun Simsek, Teun Kuilboer (U.S. Premiere)
Viva Riva! (Democratic Republic of Congo)
Director & Writer: Djo Tunda Wa Munga
The first major film out of the Democratic Republic of Congo, the story follows fast-living hustler Riva.
While being pursued by Kinshasa’s dangerous underworld, Riva finds himself inextricably drawn to a
gangster’s seductive, kept woman.
Cast: Patsha Bay, Manie Malone, Hoji Fortuna, Marlene Longage,
Diplome Amekindra, Alex Herabo (U.S. Premiere)
WAY OF THE MORRIS (UK)
Directors: Tim Plester & Rob Curry
Filmmaker Tim Plester journeys from the English village green to the killing fields of The Somme, in
search of a connection with the much-maligned native dance traditions that run deep in his blood.
(World Premiere)
Acclaimed standouts and selected previous premieres from festivals around the world.
*Click on Individual Film Titles for Trailers, Credits & More*
Another Happy Day
Director: Sam Levinson
Another Happy Day dawns black as night as Lynn and the kids journey into the heart of domestic darkness to a family wedding, finding themselves trapped inside the brutal human comedy we all call home.
ATTENBERG
Director: Athina Rachel Tsangari
In a vanishing industrial town by the sea, Marina and her father negotiate with one another their rites of passage to life and death.
Cast: Ariane Labed, Vangelis Mourikis, Evangelia Randou, Yorgos Lanthimos
Being Elmo: A Puppeteer’s Journey
Director: Constance A. Marks
The Muppet Elmo is one of the most beloved characters among children across the globe. Meet the
unlikely man behind the puppet - the heart and soul of Elmo - Kevin Clash. Narrated by Whoopi
Goldberg, this documentary includes rare archival footage and offers a behind-the-scenes look at
Sesame Street and the Jim Henson Workshop.
Buck
Director: Cindy Meehl
BUCK, a feature documentary, follows Brannaman from an abusive childhood that almost “broke” him, to a life of dedicated work as a teacher, who possesses near magical abilities as he transforms horses with understanding and respect.
CAVE OF FORGOTTEN DREAMS (France)
Director: Werner Herzog
Filming in 3D, Herzog captures the wonder and beauty of one of the most awe-inspiring sites on
earth.
Ceremony
Director & Writer: Max Winkler
Sam Davis convinces his former best friend to spend a weekend with him to rekindle their friendship
at an elegant beachside estate but he is forced to realize how complicated love and friendship can be.
Cast: Michael Angarano, Uma Thurman, Reece Thompson, Lee Pace, Jake Johnson
The First Movie (UK/Canada)
Director: Mark Cousins
What’s it like to be a child in war – not when the conflict is raging, but when the war tide is out, as it
were, when kids are telling stories or playing games?
The Future (Germany/USA)
Director: Miranda July
The Future tells the story of a couple who, upon deciding to adopt a cat, change their perspective on life, literally altering the course of time and testing their faith in each other and themselves.
Hesher
Director: Spencer Susser, Writers: Spencer Susser & David Michôd
Loud music. Pornography. Burning shit down – just a few of Hesher’s favorite things. And it’s just this
kind of anarchy that’s needed to shake the burdens of sorrow from a boy and his father.
Cast: Natalie Portman, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Rainn Wilson, Devin Brochu, Piper Laurie
How to Die in Oregon
Director: Peter D. Richardson
The film tells the complex stories of terminally ill Oregonians, their families, doctors and friends, as
they decide whether to end their life by lethal overdose under Oregon’s Death with Dignity Act.
In a Better World (Denmark)
Director: Susanne Bier, Writer: Anders Thomas Jensen, based on a story by Susanne Bier and
Anders Thomas Jensen
Golden Globe® Award winner and Academy Award® winner for Best Foreign Language Film, and
told from the two very different worlds of an idyllic Danish town and an African refugee camp, a doctor
and his family are faced with conflicts that force them to make difficult choices between revenge and
forgiveness.
Cast: Mikael Persbrandt, Trine Dyrholm, Ulrich Thomsen, Markus Rygaard, William
Jøhnk Nielsen
Incendies (Canada)
Director & Writer: Denis Villenueve
Academy Award® nominee for Best Foreign Language Film and adaptation of Wajdi Mouawad’s
acclaimed play, Incendies tells the story of two siblings who set out to the Middle East to understand
the life of their deceased enigmatic mother, who has left them with a mystery only they can piece
together.
Cast: Lubna Azabal, Mélissa Désormeaux-Poulin, Maxim Gaudette, Rémy Girard
Director: Steve James
The Interrupters follows two men and a woman who intervene in violent disputes, telling stories of hope and redemption amidst the violence that pervades American cities. Life in a Day
Directors: Kevin Macdonald, The YouTube Community
The story of a single day on earth
Page One: Inside The New York Times
Director: Andrew Rossi
Unprecedented access to the New York Times newsroom yields a complex view of a media
landscape fraught with both peril and opportunity.
The Greatest Movie Ever Sold
Director: Morgan Spurlock
Morgan Spurlock (Oscar nominee, Super Size Me) explores the world of product placement,
marketing and advertising in POM Wonderful Presents: THE GREATEST MOVIE EVER SOLD, a film
fully financed through product placement.
ROAD TO NOWHERE
Director: Monte Hellman, Writer: Steven Gaydos
Illusion is the First of all Pleasures.
Cast: Shannyn Sossamon, Tygh Runyan, Dominique Swain, Cliff
De Young, Waylon Payne
Director: Asif Kapadia
SENNA is the thrilling story of the legendary racing driver and Brazilian hero Ayrton Senna, an inspirational and epic drama depicting Ayrton’s commitment to success against all odds, a film that literally twists at every turn. Sing Your Song
Director: Susanne Rostock
The magical journey into the life of Harry Belafonte - a great singer, actor, humanitarian, activist - and a passing on of his legacy.
Sound of My Voice
Director: Zal Batmanglij, Writers: Zal Batmanglij and Brit Marling
A young couple infiltrate a cult that meets in the San Fernando Valley.
Cast: Brit Marling, Christopher
Denham, Nicole Vicius
TABLOID
Director: Errol Morris
Errol Morris further redefines and pushes the boundaries of documentary film with the tale of Joyce
McKinney and the infamous “Case of the Manacled Mormon."
Terri
Director: Azazel Jacobs, Writer: Patrick deWitt
A moving and often funny film about a big kid in a small town that doesn’t seem to have room for
anyone who is different.
Cast: Jacob Wysocki, John C. Reilly, Creed Bratton, Olivia Crocicchia,
Bridger Zadina
Wasted on the Young (Australia)
Director & Writer: Ben C. Lucas
An incident at a high school party sets off a dramatic chain of events and two brothers must place
their lives at the mercy of popular opinion.
Cast: Oliver Ackland, Adelaide Clemens, Alex Russell
(U.S. Premiere)
Live Soundtracks, cult re-issues and much more. Our Special Events section offers unusual, unexpected and unique film event one-offs.
*Click on Individual Film Titles for Trailers, Credits & More*
Bridesmaids (Work in Progress)
Director: Paul Feig
Kristen Wiig leads the cast as Annie, a maid of honor whose life unravels as she leads her best friend, Lillian (Maya Rudolph), and a group of colorful bridesmaids (Rose Byrne, Melissa McCarthy, Wendi McLendon-Covey and Ellie Kemper) on a wild ride down the road to matrimony.
The Cameraman
Directors: Edward Sedgwick & Buster Keaton, Writer: Clyde Bruckman
Buster Keaton plays a bumbling street photographer who tries his hand as a newsreel cameraman to
impress a girl. Austin jazz/rock band Bee vs. Moth plays their original score live. Presented in
partnership with the Alamo Drafthouse.
Cast: Buster Keaton, Marceline Day, Harold Goodwin, Sidney
Bracey, Harry Gribbon
Films from R.E.M.’s Collapse Into Now followed by a Q+A by Michael Stipe
Various Directors
A selection of films from R.E.M.'s latest album, Collapse Into Now, with films by notable artists and filmmakers and personally curated by Michael Stipe.
Director: Michael Dowse, Writers: Dave Lawrence, Paul J. Spence, Michael Dowse
SXSW presents the cult classic Fubar to celebrate the screening of SXSW 2011 Official Selection, Fubar: Balls to the Wall.
Cast: Dave Lawrence, Paul J. Spence, Gordon Skilling, Andrew Sparacino, Tracy Lawrence
This one-off Special Event returns with a second season of short films transforming today’s complex social issues into visions of America in the not too distant future.
Asparagus
Director: Robby Henson
In a regimented near future, an agricultural engineer learns a lesson about life and love from a renegade asparagus.
Beholder
Director: Nisha Ganatra
When a conservative parent’s unborn child tests positive for the recently discovered “Gay Gene,” and she is offered the option to modify it in vitro, she conflicts with her husband over the child’s fate.
The Dig
Director: Bennett Cohen
An archaeological dig trying to uncover why an ancient civilization fell in an environmental disaster leads to the unexpected discovery of faith.
Remigration
Director: Barry Jenkins
In this economically polarized future, a disenfranchised family is brought back to San Francisco in an effort to replenish the working class.
That Which Once Was
Director: Kimi Takesue
A boy displaced by global warming fends for himself as an “environmental refugee” in a hostile metropolis. When he forges an unlikely friendship with a similarly displaced ice-carver, the boy learns the value of memory.
White
Director: A. Sayeeda Clarke
An expecting father must sacrifice his pride and his racial identity as he is forced to sell the new currency of a society radically altered by accelerated global warming.
Kevin - special screening
Director: Jay Duplass
In Austin, TX in the early '90s, Kevin Gant was the Duplass Brothers' hero. They reveled in Kevin's exploratory musical style and playful spirituality. But in 1995, Kevin mysteriously disappeared. Jay Duplass' documentary debut explores who Kevin is, how he lost his inspiration, and what he must do to get it back. (Kevin Gant and filmmakers in attendance)
The National Parks Project (Canada)
A stunning collection of short films that represents the breadth of Canada's artistic talent and diversity
of the country’s landscape, as it’s never been seen before.
Live music by NPP musicians. (U.S. Premiere)
Night Fishing
Directors: PARKing CHANce (PARK Chan-wook, PARK Chan-kyong)
(North American Premiere)
The Pee-wee Herman Show on Broadway
Director: Marty Callner
Based on the original show that launched Pee-wee Herman into a pop culture icon, Paul Reubens’ beloved character brings his Playhouse to life once again in the HBO special The Pee-wee Herman Show on Broadway.
Red Riding Hood - Special Screening
Director: Catherine Hardwicke, Writer: David Leslie Johnson
Catherine Hardwicke will be present for Q&A following this special screening of her latest film, on
Thursday, March 10 at midnight. In the film, a werewolf terrorizes a small village, especially when the
people discover that, by day, the beast could be anyone. And one young woman discovers that she
has a unique connection to the wolf that makes her both suspect…and bait.
Cast: Amanda Seyfried, Gary Oldman, Billy Burke, Shiloh Fernandez, Max Irons
The Rime of the Modern Mariner (UK)
Director & Writer: Mark Donne
A documentary set to a spellbinding live musical score - which examines the nature of relationship
between a nation state and the seas in a globalized world.
Cast: Mark Donne, Carl Barat (The
Libertines), Anthony Rossomando (The Klaxons) (U.S. Premiere)
Sound and Scene: Made in Israel
Directors: Yuval Nathan, Merov Nathan, Onili
SXSW Film and Wyatt Brand present a unique music/film/interactive convergence brunch as two Israeli bands—Eatliz and Onili—play live to their stunning, award winning videos. GRAMMY®-nominated directors Yuval and Merov Nathan Skype in from Tel Aviv.
Umshini Wam
Director: Harmony Korine
Ninja and Yo Landi are wheelchair bound gangstas. Their wheels are falling off, and they need new rims. They must undergo extreme measures to keep rolling. (World Premiere)
Scary, funny, sexy, controversial – provocative after-dark features for night owls and the terminally curious.
*Click on Individual Film Titles for Trailers, Credits & More*
Attack The Block (UK)
Director: Joe Cornish
A funny, frightening action adventure movie that pits a teen gang against an invasion of alien monsters. It turns a tower block into a sci-fi playground. It’s inner city versus outer space.
(World Premiere)
The Divide (Canada)
Director: Xavier Gens, Writers: Karl Mueller & Eron Sheean
To survive the end of the world...you must first survive each other.
Cast: Michael Biehn, Milo Ventimiglia, Lauren German, Rosanna Arquette, Courtney B. Vance
(World Premiere)
Hobo With a Shotgun
Director: Jason Eisner, Writer: John Davies
A Hobo finds himself in an urban hell. When he witnesses a brutal robbery, he realizes the only way to deliver justice is with a shotgun.
Cast: Rutger Hauer, Gregory Smith, Molly Dunsworth, Brian Downey, Nick Bateman
Insidious
Director: James Wan, Writer: Leigh Whannell
Dark spirits have possessed the home of a family whose son has fallen into a coma. Trying to save him, the family moves only to realize that it was not their house that was haunted.
Cast: Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne, Lin Shaye, Ty Simpkins, Barbara Hershey
(U.S. Premiere)
Phase 7 / Fase 7 (Argentina)
Diretor & Writer: Nicolas Goldbart
Coco just moved to his new apartment with 7-month pregnant wife. When the building is in quarantined for a deadly flue. The neighbors became unexpected enemies.
Cast: Daniel Hendler, Federico Luppi, Jazmin Stuart, Jose "Yayo" Guridi
(North American Premiere)
Mind-bending Midnighters, hand-selected by our friends at Fantastic Fest.
*Click on Individual Film Titles for Trailers, Credits & More*
Cold Sweat / Sudor Frio
Director: Adrián Garcia Bogliano, Writers: Adrián Garcia Bogliano, Ramiro García Bogliano, Hernán Moyano
What do you do if you are a right-wing Argentinean terrorist and your state-sanctioned organization is disbanded? We can’t say, but it involves chat rooms, bare breasts and a generous slathering of nitro-glycerine.
Cast: Facundo Espinosa, Marina Glezer, Camila Velasco, Omar Musa, Noelia Vergini
(International Premiere)
George the Hedgehog / Jeż Jerzy (Poland)
Director: Wojciech Wawszczyk, Writer: Rafał Skarżycki
Jez Jerzy is a skateboarding hedgehog who likes to drink beer and fondle breasts. He finds it hard to pursue his passions, however, while being tormented by neo-nazi skinheads, mad scientists and a drooling, flatulent clone of himself.
Cast: Borys Szyc, Maria Peszek, Maciej Maleńczuk, Sokół, Michał Koterski
(International Premiere)
KILL LIST (UK)
Director: Ben Wheatley, Writers: Ben Wheatley & Amy Jump
A dark and twisted horror from the mind of director Ben Wheatley.
Cast: Neil Maskell, Michael Smiley, MyAnna Buring
(World Premiere)
Little Deaths (UK)
Directors & Writers: Sean Hogan, Andrew Parkinson & Simon Rumley
A psychosexual horror anthology comprised of three separate stories dealing with the twin themes of sex and death.
Cast: Kate Braithewaite, Daniel Brocklebank, Brendan Gregory, Siubhan Harrison, Jodie Jameson
(North American Premiere)
The FP
Directors & Writers: Jason Trost & Brandon Trost
For years an underground war has raged for dominance over the town of Frazier Park between two clans. Dominance isn't determined through fistfights or petty brawls, but the dancing video game Beat-Beat Revelation.
Cast: Jason Trost, Lee Valamassy, Caitlyn Folley, Art Hsu, Nick Principe
(World Premiere)
A selection of original, well-crafted films that take advantage of the short form and exemplify distinctive and genuine storytelling. The winner of our grand jury award in this category is eligible for an 2012 Academy Award nomination for best narrative short.
*Click on Individual Film Titles for Trailers, Credits & More*
NARRATIVE SHORTS 1
The Announcement
Director: Joshua Funk
A woman makes a big announcement to her friends.
FATAKRA
Director: Soham Mehta
Sparks fly as a family reunites.
Fran's Daughter
Director: Eric F. Martin
A woman learns that she may have been switched at birth.
Howling at the Moon
Directors: Jason Tippet & Elizabeth Mims
Matt and Harry receive an invitation to see a fellow employees band. To escape the awkward coffee shop performance, Matt comes up with a somewhat decent excuse.
Nocturn
Director: Leanne Welham
Unable to sleep one night, Jody goes to the local gas station and meets a passionate young couple that will turn her night, and her life, upside down.
PIONEER
Director: David Lowery
A father tells his son the most epic bedtime story ever.
The Strange Ones
Directors: Christopher Radcliff & Lauren Wolkstein
A man and a boy, traveling to an unknown destination, find respite in a motel swimming pool. On the surface all seems normal, but nothing is quite what it seems to be.
The Third One This Week
Director: Felix Thompson
A doctor only has one chance to deliver bad news... or does he?
NARRATIVE SHORTS 2
Animal Control
Director: Kire Paputts
Before Sammy, all his best friends were stuffed animals.
FLOW
Director: Christina Choe
An odd young woman paralyzed by severe OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder), discovers dance as a way to deal with her rituals.
Heliotropes
Director: Michael Langan
This short documents the parallel goals of man and nature, through the most primitive and sophisticated means, to simply stay in the light.
Muscles
Director: Edward Housden
Richard's sister Millie wants to be a world famous body builder. What happens when she is a better boy than he is?
Ornamental
Directors: Carolina Giammetta & Schuman Hoque
Danielle loves her friends, but they are very, very different from anybody else’s…
Prom Night
Directors: Celia Rowlson Hall & Jae Song
Prom night is ritual, disco balls, expectation, corsages, dresses, holding, sweating, status, entering in twos, balloons, school gyms, dancing slow and fast.
Sophie
Director: Sean Rourke Meehan
A young woman works another night at her strange and intimate job.
Woman Waiting
Director: Antoine Bourges
A middle-aged woman is faced with poverty. As she struggles to find help within the system, her only option is to wait.
YUKIKO
Director: Eric Dinkian
A man is mortally wounded by a woman. As the remaining minutes of his life keep ticking, he examines his conscience.
NARRATIVE SHORTS 3
Boobie
Director: Bryan Gaynor
Two young men find themselves at a precarious crossroads during a typical afternoon of horseplay.
BOY
Director: Topaz Adizes
A 10 year old experiences a rite of passage that will forever change him.
Chalk
Director: Martina Amati
Two teenage professional gymnasts are competing in a national training camp, when their friendship is put to the test.
Eat
Director: Janicza Bravo
After locking herself out of her apartment, a young woman finds herself in the company of a strange and frightening neighbor.
EX-SEX
Director: Michael Mohan
He broke her heart. Then she broke his.
The Good Neighbor
Director: Jacob Vaughan
A man tries to surprise his neighbor with dinner and wine, but her pet guinea pig ruins everything.
Roosevelt's Big Deal
Director: Craig Elrod
Don't lose your shirt on a dinner with the coach.
A SHORE THING
Director: Jess Manafort
A couple spends a lovely day at the beach arguing about love.
Slow Dance
Director: Joe Cobden
A stunning slow-motion bar brawl. A woman has to literally fight her way through a Montreal ballroom just to get to a man she might want.
Medium Cool: (not so) Shorts
Clear Blue
Director: Lindsay MacKay
Simon gets his first job at a community swimming pool. His morning shifts takes an unexpected turn when he meets an old woman with a deep and dangerous secret.
John's Gone
Directors: Josh Safdie & Benny Safdie
He is punch drunk (not with love) but something far more strange and lost. One can only say John's Gone.
Join the Dots
Director: Jessica Lux
A new girl at St. Andrews University discovers a world of preppy girls who dream of strategically seducing fellow student Prince William. Isolated, she finds hope in a mysterious boy who wears a silver jacket.
Scenes From The Suburbs
Director: Spike Jonze
Director Spike Jonze teams up with Arcade Fire to create a thirty-minute short film inspired by their critically acclaimed album, The Suburbs, and its themes of war and coming of age in suburbia.
Narrative Shorts Screening with Features
The Blitzen Trapper Massacre
Director: Rainn Wilson
Rainn Wilson directs and stars in The Blitzen Trapper Massacre, a new comedic short film designed to provoke terror into the hearts of any band that doesn’t the put the fans first. (World Premiere)
Chief Serenbe (Narrative Short)
Director: Evan Curtis
A Neo-Realist animation about a hitchhiker.
The D Train (Narrative Short)
Director: Jay Rosenblatt
An old man reflects on his whole life in less than 5 minutes.
Mokhtar (Narrative Short)
Director: Halima Ouardiri
Based on a true story, Mokhtar recounts the tale of a young boy in a remote Moroccan village as he adopts a fallen owl.
Room 4 Rent (Narrative Short)
Director: Max Weissberg
Anna is looking for a place to rent.
Two Laps (Narrative Short)
Director: Owen Trevor
Two friends. One race. Two laps. No prisoners.
Training Session (Narrative Short)
Director: Christian Lalumière
What at first appears to be a simple training routine evolves into a world where symbolic movement is explored.
Unfiltered slices of life, from across the documentary spectrum.
*Click on Individual Film Titles for Trailers, Credits & More*
Documentary Shorts 1
100 Bands In 100 Days
Directors: Shout It Out Loud Music & Nick Sonderup
Come along as one music fan endures 100 consecutive nights of live music, beer and self-discovery. Let's go binge gigging.
FRANK FAIRFIELD
Director: Austin Wilson
Living proof that time travelers are among us.
Library of Dust
Directors: Ondi Timoner & Robert James
Death becomes art when a photographer captures images of deceased patients at a mental hospital.
Love Lockdown
Director: Nadia Hallgren
This short is the story of Shoshanna, a young mother from NYC. Told through late-night phone calls on public radio, she awaits the fate of Felix, her children's father, incarcerated and on trial.
My Big Red Purse
Director: Giancarlo Iannotta
A short story about the director's mother reminiscing over her most prized childhood possession: a big red purse in the shape of a triangle.
Noc na Tanečku (Night at the Dance)
Director: Annie Silverstein
A profile of the last days of a Czech dance hall in rural Texas—and the old-timers who come there to polka.
Professional
Director: Skylar Nielsen
Metal-fabricator Neil Youngberg never planned on taking over his grandfather's business and is now faced with passing on his legacy.
Tugs
Director: Jessica Edwards
An ode to the hardest working boats on the waterways and the people who pilot them.
Documentary Shorts 2
39-A: Een Reisverhaal Van Eindeloos (A Travel Tale of Interminable)
Director: Evan Mather
In this insightful autobiographical mashup of Super-8 home movies, vibrant animated cartography, and Dutch pidgin-speak, a family’s 1981 vacation to the Kennedy Space Center is chronicled in exquisite detail.
Diplo
Director: Wing-Yee Wu
Join Wesley Pentz, a.k.a. DJ Diplo and part of Major Lazer sound system, for one day behind the scenes at the annual Philadelphia block party of record label Mad Decent.
Man & Machine: A Naked Robotic Love Story
Directors: Jesse Roesler & Jonathan Nowak
Explores the challenges and delights found in sustaining a creative identity within a romantic relationship and the controversial “new music” generated by an unconventional pair of artists in Ghent Belgium.
Mothersbane
Director: Jason Jakaitis
A personal documentary that explores the filmmaker’s ambivalent relationship to his mother’s physical disabilities and chronicles his attempts to be at peace with her suffering and disfigurement.
RUN AND RETURN
Directors: Michael Thelin & Jose Luis Rios
This film, taken from Live at Stubb’s Vol. II, explores the Grammy-nominated artist Matisyahu’s creative philosophy and passion for music during his 2010 summer tour with his band Dub Trio.
Satan Since 2003
Director: Carlos Puga
Richmond, VA becomes a battleground for moped gangs.
The High Level Bridge
Director: Trevor Anderson
Trevor drops his camera from Edmonton's High Level Bridge in memory of those who've jumped.
You Cannot Learn How To Be Honest
Director: Jason Oppliger
Confronting the disturbing and incoherent Hi-8 footage he's agreed to edit, a filmmaker attempts to find a catharsis amongst the chaos by turning the images loose on himself and his apartment.
Documentary Shorts Screening with Features
Shinya Kimura (Documentary Short)
Director: Henrik Hansen
The story of Shinya Kimura, a creator of custom motorcycles which he designs with a unique philosophy of love, life and simplicity.
A showcase for cutting-edge documentary shorts from around the world.
*Click on Individual Film Titles for Trailers, Credits & More*
IL CAPO (Italy)
Director: Yuri Ancarani
This short describes the extraordinary way of communication used by the chief in a marble quarry: a non-conventional language of gestures and signs.
Lost Every Day (UK-Scotland)
Director: Michelle Coomber
This is a film about a woman who has a medical condition and when she wakes each morning, her walls seem to have moved overnight.
My Dream (UK, Bangladesh)
Director: Md. Rezwan Ali Khan
Sumon, a shrewd businessman, makes a decent living as a disabled beggar. He doesn't just keep it for himself though. He has a dream.
PS Your Mystery Sender (UK-Scotland)
Director: Ben Wigley
Finding the meaning behind the unwrapped and unusual objects that Paul Smith, the fashion designer, has been receiving in the post for the last 20 years, from a mystery person.
SCREENING AT THE TATRY CINEMA (Poland)
Director: Igor Chojna
Dariusz Ambroszczyk runs one of the oldest cinemas in Łódź – Tatry.
Shave and a Haircut (Hong Kong)
Director: Lavina Tien
A coming-of-age portrait of a visit to the barber by an old man and a little boy.
Skateistan: To Live And Skate Kabul (United Kingdom)
Director: Orlando von Einsiedel
Skateboarding in Kabul
Wajeh (Israel)
Director: Murad Nassar
The daily routine of Wajeh, the coffee seller in Qalandiya checkpoint.
Wood If (Canada)
Director: J.B. Sugar
A cinematic meditation on the works and process of whimsical furniture designer Judson Beaumont.
An assortment of stories told using a mix of traditional animation, computer-generated effects, stop-motion, and everything in-between. The winner of our Grand Jury Award in this category is eligible for a 2012 Academy Award nomination for Best Animated short.
*Click on Individual Film Titles for Trailers, Credits & More*
The Beaufort Diaries
Director: Alex Petrowsky
When you're a dying breed in Hollywood, sometimes it's tough to go with the floe.
BOOBatary
Director: Leah Shore
A secretary types with her boobs
Denmark
Director: Daniel Fickle
Pily, a lovable crustacean of mixed origin struggles to escape his underwater home when it becomes threatened by pollution.
Dinosaur Ballet
Director: Ross Butter
A short animation, showcasing the grace and poise of our prehistoric forerunners.
The Eagleman Stag
Director: Mikey Please
If you repeat the word ‘fly’ for long enough it sounds like you're saying ‘life’. This is of no help to Peter. His answers lie in the brain of a beetle.
Get With The Program
Director: Jennifer Drummond Deutrom
The complacent inhabitants of this near-future society devise ways to adapt to the constant demands of the techno dystopia they have created.
Heart
Director: Erick Oh
An exploration of transcendence. This short presents questions through abstract metaphors and symbols, illustrated by the human heart.
A LOST AND FOUND BOX OF HUMAN SENSATION
Directors: Martin Wallner & Stefan Leuchtenberg
When his father dies unexpectedly, a young man seeking to cope with his grief goes on a powerful emotional journey through time and space.
Paths of Hate
Director: Damian Nenow
A short tale about the demons that slumber deep in the human soul and have the power to push people into the abyss of blind hate, fury and rage.
Preferably Blue
Director: Alan Dickson
Not everyone loves Christmas.
Teddy Goldblatt
Director: Rob Munday
In a post-apocalyptic world a lemon called Teddy finds his legs.
Weather Report
Director: Olivia Taussig
A catalogue of nine headlines, illuminating apocalyptic undercurrents. Headlines become ironic expositions, highlighting fantastical variables and animals play.
The Wonder Hospital
Director: Beomsik Shimbe Shim
A surreal journey through a mysterious hospital that alters the perception of physical beauties.
Animated Shorts Screening with Features
Guard Dog Global Jam (Animated Short)
Director: Bill Plympton
An experimental internet recreation of Bill Plympton's Oscar-nominated Guard Dog short, each scene re-imagined and animated by different artists from all over the world.
Bite-sized bits for all of your sex, gore, and hilarity needs.
*Click on Individual Film Titles for Trailers, Credits & More*
America
Director: Mark F Kindred
An obese man suits up for an operatic jog through the park, but what could possibly have inspired such a change
ATTACK
Director: Adam White
When Harold discovers he has a brain tumor he is unaware that the tumor is an independent world of it’s own, fighting to survive.
Billy's Birthday
Director: Thomas Wohlford
It's Billy's Birthday.
BUNNY BOY
Director: Brandon LaGanke
When a young child walks home from school he encounters a strange-looking man in a full bunny costume.
Canary Suicides
Directors: Natalia Provatas & Valerian Zamel
The story of five canaries, that just couldn't take it anymore.
Christeene, "Bustin' Brown"
Director: PJ Raval
In “Bustin’ Brown,” the fourth installment of the CHRISTEENE Video Collection, CHRISTEENE confronts the ever-present bastardization of anal sex from mainstream bourgeois heterosexuals by returning “da buh-hole” to its rightful owners.
Good Morning, Beautiful
Director: Todd Cobery
After the death of his newborn daughter, a man deals with his grief as he struggles to keep his grasp on reality.
Hello Caller
Director: Andrew Putschoegl
A suicidal woman makes a call for help with unexpected results.
The Laying on of Hands
Director: Nick Twemlow
Martial arts death dealing meets biblical faith healing.
LGFUAD
Director: Kelsey Stark
Ghosts just wanna have fun!
Love Analysis
Director: Lucas Mireles
Give me one good reason to date your sister.
Special Needs
Director: Scott Smith
Politically incorrect foreplay helps a young couple explore the boundaries of their fantasies.
Up, Up and Away
Director: Holden Osborne
What goes up when the lights come down? (World Premiere)
Waffle
Director: Rafael De Leon Jr.
A disfigured, science fair champion invites her new friend over for dinner, but by the time dessert comes around, the two schoolmates will discover each other's true, unpleasant natures.
A range of classic, innovative, and stylish work showcasing the scope of music video culture.
*Click on Individual Film Titles for Trailers, Credits & More*
!!!, "Jamie, My Intentions Are Bass"
Director: Saman Keshavarz
Ben Harper & Relentless 7, "Skin Thin"
Director: Daniel Stessen
Cate Le Bon, "Shoeing the Bones"
Directors: Casey Raymond & Ewan Jones Morris
Cathy Davey, "Little Red"
Director: Lorcan Finnegan
Cee Lo, "No One's Gonna Love You"
Director: SKINNY
Maximum Balloon, "Groove Me"
Director: Carlos Lopez Estrada
Eliza Rickman, "Cinnamon Bone"
Director: Damon Stea
Eyes Lips Eyes, "Pretty"
Director: Collin Mapp
Hollerado, "Americanarama"
Director: Greg Jardin
HUMANS, "Bike Home"
Directors: Peter Ricq & David Poirier
Jác, "Polar Bear Trophy"
Director: Rubén Collado
Mayday Parade, "Kids in Love"
Director: Josh Mond
The New Pornographers, "Moves: The Rise And Rise Of The New Pornographers"
Director: Tom Scharpling
Ninja Sex Party, "The Decision"
Director: Jim Turner
Patricia Vonne, "Worth It"
Director: Marcel Rodriguez
Philip Selway, "By Some Miracle"
Director: David Altobelli
Sims, "Burn It Down"
Director: Isaac Gale
Ted Leo and The Pharmacists, "The Mighty Sparrow"
Director: Jack Ferry
Tim Knol, "When I am King"
Director: Sverre Fredriksen
Toby Goodshank, "Untitled"
Director: Preston Spurlock
U.S. Girls, "Red Ford Radio"
Directors: Jacqueline Castel & Preston Spurlock
Warm Ghost, "Open The Wormhole In Your Heart"
Directors: John Carlucci & Brandon LaGanke
Zola Jesus, "Sea Talk"
Director: Jacqueline Castel
An offshoot of our regular narrative shorts program, composed of work shot in, about, or somehow relating to the Lone Star state.
*Click on Individual Film Titles for Trailers, Credits & More*
8
Directors: Julie Gould & Daniel Laabs
A daughter spends the anniversary of her father's death with her mother.
Brewed
Director: Mike Mann
Jeff Young brews beer for a living. This is why.
Chainsaw Found Jesus
Director: Spencer Parsons
A suburban fairytale about uneasy dreams, an unexpected play date, and a search for whale songs. Mistakes are made. Rocks could be thrown. Officer Schnauzer, are you gonna arrest somebody?
Drawback
Director: Daniel Rigdon
When you have lost everything, what can you hope to find?
Elevator Ride
Director: John Venable
The story of two men, one black, one white, who become trapped in an elevator. With nothing but time on their hands they have a very frank discussion about race.
Grey
Director: Marko Slavnic
After a young man witnesses a brutal shooting, he is torn about what to do next.
Jeremy Messersmith, "Tatooine"
Director: Eric Power
The original Star Wars trilogy re-imagined in glorious cut paper animation!
Neal
Director: Geoff McGee
A comedic short film about a polaris pool cleaner named Neal that goes rogue on an innocent couple who just want to take a late night swim in their pool.
Parachute Kids
Director: Allen E. Ho
A story about a troubled Asian American youth during Christmas in Los Angeles.
A preview of the next filmmaking generation, as Texas High Schoolers present shorts of 5 minutes or less.
*Click on Individual Film Titles for Trailers, Credits & More*
(___)
Director: Chad Werner
Where technology rules communication, one girl realizes she doesn't have a voice.
B-Boying
Director: David Olivares
This B-Boying documentary gives a thorough glimpse into the world of B-Boying and what the different techniques and competition elements are.
Chair Love: Some Strings Attached
Directors: Kara McCormack & Emily Hagins
A love struck chair must face hardships to find her long lost love.
Circuit Breaker: Episode III
Directors: Mathew Cunningham & Whitney Bennett
Tobias, a hard working robot, finds himself at odds with government thugs as he tries to woo his coworker through increasing acts of daredevil recklessness.
Coonpipes
Director: Madeleine Mathis
A stop-motion short in which a junkyard dog chases a thieving raccoon through the forest, only to discover something about the vermin that he did not expect.
The Doorman
Director: Ryan Kline
There's something wrong with this motel. All of the answers lie behind the door...
Dreamcatcher
Director: Lesleigh Hammer
An eerie short film about an innocent girl searching for the meaning of a recurring nightmare.
Driving Miss Crazy
Director: Zach Prengler
A comedic short film depicting a couple pulled over for a traffic stop.
Eggs
Director: Gabriel Lopez
Eggs are the objects of desire for the guy in this film. And gets them eventually, just in a way he never imagined.
Followed
Director: Sam Medley
A girl is running from people through the streets of a city.
G.E.T. P.A.I.D.
Director: Jose Rodriguez
Get Education Today - Pursuing All Ideal Dreams
Groenten
Director: Max Montoya
A narrated western film about two gunslingers known as Bill Hickins and "the kid."
The History of Nikola Tesla - a Short Story
Director: Jeremiah Warren
Nikola Tesla: genius, scientists, inventor. This entertaining short story tells the life of the man who has been forgotten by history, and eclipsed by the inferior Edison.
Joe the Clay Guy and the Crystal Sword
Director: Jeff Novaez
An epic adventure where clay-man, Joe, armed with his powerful toothpick sword, explores a dangerous monster-infested cave in search of the legendary Crystal Sword.
A Journey of One
Directors: Kim Hauser & Michelle McChristian
"No love, no friendship can cross the path of our destiny without leaving some marks on it forever." --Francois Mauriac
Neighborhood Watch
Director: Zachary Booth
Chronicles the "stream of consciousness" of a manic depressive chunk of clay.
Never Too Late
Director: Marco Bottiglieri
It is never too late to follow your dreams. That is the message Deanne Moore is trying to get out in her music video 'Never Too Late.'
One Last Bite
Director: Marco Bottiglieri
Matt's friends and family have had enough with his annoying habit of never being able to finish anything he eats or drinks.
Reversion
Director: Grace Kim
A girl awakens in a field and begins to question her reality.
Sparky
Directors: Tiffany Giraudon & Kalen Doyle
Hunger or Love, which is stronger?
Sun and Moon
Director: JJ Rubin
A beautiful drama that examines the pain, fear and impending loss associated with Alzheimer's.
Superior
Director: Julian Moreno-Pena
A music video created for the song "Superior" by the San Antonio band Buttercup.
Volition
Director: Maqui Gaona
How much control do we really have over our future? Do we live our lives with free will lined by predetermination? Volition challenges these theories and evokes us to question each motive of chance.
Worm War I
Director: Lydia Tallon
A humorous documentary about earthworms plotting to take over the world.
Z
Directors: John Fernandez & Austin Loving
The story of a survivor during an outbreak of unknown origins desperately seeking the answer to the chaos caused by something only known as 'the sickness.'
Photo of Ellen Page and Rainn Wilson in SUPER, courtesy of IFC Films
