Film Lists

What to Watch at SXSW 2024

Films We Are Most Excited To See at South By Southwest 2024

Nicholas Galitzine in SXSW Closing Night Film, "The Idea of You"

Courtesy of Prime Video

All the cool film girlies just came back from Berlin. Specifically, they are fresh from the 74th Berlin International Film Festival, and they still smell like cigarettes to prove it. Between anecdotes about how Berghain is ruined, they’re telling me how they watched Cillian Murphy (my father, emotionally) give another masterful, award-worthy performance in the Enda Walsh adaptation of Claire Keegan’s novel Small Things Like These. This is apropos of nothing, except that I was not in Berlin, so I will have to wait alongside everyone else to see one of my favorite books on screen later this year.

But how can I be bitter? This week, half of Los Angeles will flock to Texas for South By Southwest in Austin, and I’ll be delightfully distracted by a whole new slate of upcoming releases premiering at this year’s festival. There are so many new films to be excited about premiering at the festival — even without Cillian Murphy’s cheekbones.

Let’s get into it.

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Film Lists

All the SXSW Movies to Look Out For in Amazon's Free Online Film Festival

People were excited to see these films at SXSW; later this month you'll be able to stream them at home.

Prime Video

Photo by Thibault Penin on Unsplash

When SXSW was officially canceled in early March, dozens of filmmakers were left with nowhere to premiere their movies.

Luckily Amazon has stepped up, offering an online film festival for free to its Prime members (and to people who sign up for a free Prime trial just for this event...). The festival will last ten days and is expected to begin sometime this month. While an official start date and lineup have yet to be announced, it's not too soon to get excited for some new movies at a time when we're all pretty desperate for something to watch. While we'll have to wait and see which ones make Amazon's cut, these are the movies that had people excited for SXSW.

Sh*thouse

22-year-old Cooper Raiff wrote, directed, and starred in this coming-of-age romance. Telling the story of two college Freshman struggling to navigate the world away from home, it was made on a shoestring budget. Critics have praised it for its awkward sincerity, and on Tuesday it was announced as the winner of SXSW's Grand Jury prize for Best Narrative Feature.

An Elephant in the Room

An Elephant in the Room documents the lives of children dealing with the death of one or both parents. Director Katrine Philps takes viewers into the Good Grief community where children learn how to process loss and support one another through life's most difficult experiences. A deeply moving portrait of childhood under trying circumstances, An Elephant in the Room won SXSW's Grand Jury prize for Best Documentary Feature.

Lapsis

Lapsis is a dystopian sci-fi dramedy written and directed by Noah Hutton. The story follows Ray, a down-and-out blue-collar worker from queens who is depserate to earn enough money to treat his brother's obscure medical condition. When Ray gets a new job running cable for a mysterious and shady tech company, things quickly devolve into chaos and violence. Lapsis has earned critical acclaim for its wry humor and meticulous world-building.

Aviva

Acclaimed screenwriter and filmmaker Boaz Yakin, well-known for directing Remember the Titans, funded Aviva himself himself to tell a surrealist story that covered questions of gender identity and love, drawing on his real life relationship with his ex-wife. The film has been noted particularly for its use of dance sequences to communicate emotion with the help of choreographer Bobbi Jene Smith.

You Cannot Kill David Arquette

Do you remember David Arquette from Scream? Patricia Arquette's brother? He used to be married to Courtney Cox? Well, he was also in a terrible movie called Ready to Rumble in the year 2000, which he promoted by briefly becoming a professional wrestler and winning the WCW heavyweight championship in a scripted victory that enraged fans. The backlash from that event, along with some other challenges have led to a distinct lull in his career, but he's ready for a comeback. Directed by David Darg and Price James, You Cannot Kill David Arquette documents the 48-year-old actor's attempt to revitalize his career and redeem himself in the world of pro-wrestling and relaunch his career. Even a heart attack (which he had early on in the project) apparently can't stop him.

Topside

Celine Held and Logan George are a directorial team known for their short films, but in Topside they applied their talents to a feature-length story about a young girl and her mother evicted from their home beneath the streets of New York City, and forced to contend with life above ground. It received SXSW's Special Jury Selection for Directing.

Finding Yingying

Finding Yingying documents the disappearance of 26-year-old Xhang Yingying from the University of Illinois, and her family's search for her. Directed by Jiayan "Jenny" Shi, Yingying's former classmate from Nanping, China, Finding Yingying follows the Zhang family's struggle to find out what happened to their daughter and to navigate the American justice system. It received SXSW's special jury recognition for Breakthrough Voice.

Shiva Baby

Shiva Baby is a comedy that follows Danielle, a sex worker sitting shiva with her Jewish family after the death of a family member—though she's not sure which one. Events quickly begin to unravel when Danielle's client shows up at the service and Danielle finds out that there is about his personal life and connection to her father. Writer-director Emma Seligman has earned praise for her debut feature's sharp wit.

I Used to Go Here

I Used to Go Here is a comedy written and directed by Kris Rey and starring Gillian Jacobs and Jemaine Clement. It follows Kate, an author in her mid-30s whose career and personal life are both falling apart. Amid this turmoil, she's invited to return to her old university to do a reading from her mediocre new book and to briefly relive her college years. I Used to go Here was made with The Lonely Island's Party Over Here production company and has been praised for its relatable, cringe-inducing comedy.

Boys State

Since 1937 the American Legion has hosted Boys States and Girls states around the US, where young aspiring leaders practice a summer-camp version of politics complete with an election to select their "Governor." Past attendees have gone on to be prominent figures in American politics, including Bill Clinton and Dick Cheney. Boys State follows several participants in Texas' 2018 Boys State event as they form parties—the Federalist and the Nationalist (yikes)—compete for nominations, and ultimately for the governorship. Directors Amanda McBaine and Jesse Moss offer views toward possible futures in the American political landscape that are by turns chilling and hopeful.

In & of Itself

Frank Oz, the voice and hand behind Kermit and Yoda, is also the talented director responsible for The Dark Crystal and The Muppets Take Manhattan, andWhat About Bob. His latest feature, In & Of Itself, brings the off-Broadway stage show of magician and storyteller Derek DelGaudio to the screen. Blending dazzling illusions with autobiography and existential musings, In & Of Itself has received praise for tackling complex subjects with the aid of magic show spectacle.

Really Love

Really Love is a romantic drama that director Angel Kristi Williams wrote with Felicia Pride. Really Love tells the story passionate artist Isaiah and ambitious, hopelessly romantic Stevie falling in love. Kofi Siriboe and Yootha Wong-Loi-Sing won Special Jury Recognition for Acting for their performances.

Golden Arm

Golden Arm, directed by Maureen Bharoocha, is a comedy telling the story of an unlikely competitor being trained by her butch best friend to enter the National Ladies Arm Wrestling Championship. Golden Arm has been lauded for transforming the familiar buddy comedy formula as a vehicle for exploring themes of women's empowerment.

The Donut King

The Donut King is the directorial debut of Alice Gu, and it documents the life of Ted Ngoy, a Cambodian refugee who launched a donut craze in California that ended up supporting much of the Cambodian community in that state. The documentary recounts Ngoy's escape from the Khmer Rouge and his early business success, followed by the greed that led to his eventual downfall and return to Cambodia. The film received the Special Jury Recognition for Documentary Storytelling.

She Dies Tomorrow

Written and directed by filmmaker Amy Seimetz (Sun Don't Shine and The Girlfriend Experience), She Dies Tomorrow tells a surreal story of contagious self-destruction and mental breakdown—in other words, the perfect movie for our time. As the dazed characters wander LA, the film explores concepts of modern alienation and the dread of mortality in a fragmentary structure that is intentionally disorienting and eerie.

Look out for these films and more to appear on Amazon Prime later this month.

Photo by Yvette de Wit on Unsplash

The recent cancellation of E3 2020 is a major bummer for the gaming community, but it's not exactly a surprise.

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Tyler, the Creator on Gay Rappers, Profanity, and His Artistic Idiosyncrasies | SEASON 2

Today, March 6, 2020, Tyler Okonma—best known as Tyler, the Creator—turns 29 years old.

The polymathic rapper first rose to prominence as a founding member of the alternative hip-hop collective, Odd Future, whose debut album was released in 2012. And although multiple members of the now-inactive group have experienced fruitful solo careers—Frank Ocean and Earl Sweatshirt among them—Tyler, the Creator's has arguably left the most recognizable influence. With five studio albums, a clothing line, a music festival, and much more on his resume, Tyler has been cited as a major inspiration to Gen Z icons like Billie Eilish and BROCKHAMPTON's Kevin Abstract.

Occasionally controversial but always a brilliant artist, Tyler has made himself known as not only a masterful musician, but a filterless class clown of the real world. Below, here are nine of Tyler, the Creator's most iconic moments.

A Walking Paradox

With just a cockroach, a noose, and a perspective control lens, Tyler introduced his solo rap career with one of the most unforgettable music videos of the decade (self-directed under his alter ego, Wolf Haley).

MUSIC

From SXSW to Coachella, Will the Coronavirus Kill Live Music in 2020?

With a recent spate of cancellations and mounting fear of an emerging pandemic, the near-future of live music is in doubt.

Photo by Yvette de Wit on Unsplash

UPDATE:

Both SXSW and Coachella have been canceled, with the latter beung technically postponed until October. Coachella organizers released a statement on March 10:

At the direction of the County of Riverside and local health authorities, we must sadly confirm the rescheduling of Coachella and Stagecoach due to COVID-19 concerns. While this decision comes at a time of universal uncertainty, we take the safety and health of our guests, staff and community very seriously. We urge everyone to follow the guidelines and protocols put forth by public health officials.

Coachella will now take place on October 9, 10 and 11 and October 16, 17 and 18, 2020. Stagecoach will take place on October 23, 24 and 25, 2020. All purchases for the April dates will be honored for the rescheduled October dates. Purchasers will be notified by Friday, March 13 on how to obtain a refund if they are unable to attend.

Thank you for your continued support and we look forward to seeing you in the desert this fall.

Less than a week prior, for the first time in 34 years, SXSW was canceled by the city of Austin, citing public safety concerns over the coronavirus.

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MUSIC

American Authors Begin a New Chapter with "Before I Go" Music Video

The band begins a new chapter with a fearless announcement of what it means to be human.

American Authors just released the music video for "Before I Go," shot at drummer Matt Sanchez's wedding last October.

"Before I Go" is from the band's most recent album, Seasons, which has accumulated 30 million streams on Spotify, along with millions more on other platforms.

Based in Brooklyn, American Authors is made up of Zac Barnett (vocals), James Adam Shelley (guitar, banjo), Dave Rublin (bass), and Matt Sanchez (drums). In 2012, after changing their name from the Blue Pages to American Authors, they signed with Mercury Records and released their debut single, "Believer," earning well-deserved attention. Their follow-up single, "Best Day of My Life," went triple-platinum and launched the band to galactic success, appearing everywhere: television, movies, video games, and sporting events.

Since then, American Authors have dropped three albums, Oh, What A Life, What We Live For, and Seasons, resulting in sold-out shows around the world, as well as performances at Lollapalooza, Firefly Music Festive, BottleRock, Reading Festival, and the Leeds Festival, Pukkelpop, SXSW, and Polartec Big Air.

"Before I Go" opens with muted colors topped by Barnett's sensitive rasping vocals, infusing the tune with genuine warmth. Choirlike harmonies give the music a glowing radiance. The pop-flavored alt-rock melody is awash with yearning optimism and poignant lyrics: "I hope I find a peace of mind / In all of my woes / I hope the rain, it brings a light / To my broken soul / I hope I lose myself in the city / But…"

"Before I Go" rides bright hues full of emotions and a sense of imminent greatness, as a new chapter unfolds for the band.

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