South By Southwest is one of the biggest festivals in the country. It encompasses film, music, comedy, education and technology and for a week each spring Austin is the festival. This year’s SXSW film festival will run from March 7-14 and will showcase some of the most anticipated films and television shows of 2025!
Read the official press release introduction below, as well as the names and descriptions of the Midnight Feature Films. Information about all the films in all catagories, as well as keynote speakers, panels and passes can be found on the official SXSW website.
Austin, Texas, January 22, 2025 – South by Southwest® (SXSW®) Conference and Festivals unveiled today its highly anticipated 32nd edition lineup, featuring a stellar Opening Night TV Premiere alongside a broad slate of Feature Films, TV projects, and XR Experiences set to debut March 7-14, 2025. The SXSW Film & TV Festival continues its legacy of championing boundary-pushing work through its eclectic mix of genre-defying debuts, provocative documentaries, and innovative episodic storytelling.
The 2025 Film & TV program includes 96 Features including 82 World Premieres, 3International Premieres, 3 North American Premieres, 2 U.S. Premieres, 6 Texas Premieres +57 Short Films and 18 Music Videos. The TV Program includes 16 TV projects, with 5 TVpremieres, 4 TV Spotlight and 7 Independent TV Pilots. There are 31 projects in the XR Experience Program, including 15 in XR Experience Competition and 16 in XR Experience Spotlight.
Descendent
Director/Screenwriter: Peter Cilella, Producers: David Lawson Jr., Justin Benson, Aaron Moorhead, Caleb Ward
After a traumatic brain injury triggers terrifying visions of extraterrestrials and a newfound talent for drawing, a father-to-be begins to question his reality and becomes obsessed with the need to protect his family from an unseen threat. Cast: Ross Marquand, Sarah Bolger, Susan Wilder, Charlene Amoia, Dan O’Brien, Brandon Scott, Alexandra Barreto, Alex Ruiz, Clare Cooney, Emily Pendergast (World Premiere)
Good Boy
Director: Ben Leonberg, Producers: Kari Fischer, Ben Leonberg, Screenwriters: Alex Cannon, Ben Leonberg
Do you ever wonder why your dog stares at empty corners, barks for no reason, or refuses to go into the basement? Good Boy is the story of a dog who sees everything that goes bump in the night. No talking pets, just terrifying scares. Cast: Indy, Shane Jensen, Larry Fessenden, Arielle Friedman, Stuart Rudin, Anya Krawcheck, Max(World Premiere)
Hallow Road (Czechia, Ireland, United Kingdom)
Director: Babak Anvari, Producers: Lucan Toh, Ian Henry, Richard Bolger, Screenwriter: William Gillies
Two parents enter a race against time when they receive a distressing late-night phone call from their daughter after she caused a tragic car accident. Cast: Rosamund Pike, Matthew Rhys, Megan McDonnell(World Premiere)
The Home (Estonia, Iceland, Sweden)
Director: Mattias J Skoglund, Producer: Siri Hjorton Wagner, Screenwriter: Mattias J Skoglund, Mats Strandberg
Joel reluctantly returns to his childhood town to help his mother Monika move into a home for people with dementia after she suffers a stroke. She is unrecognizable and Joel becomes convinced that something has followed her back from the other side. Cast: Philip Oros, Anki Lidén, Gizem Erdogan, Malin Levanon, Peter Jankert, Lottie Ejenbrant, Ayan Ahmed, Bengt CW Carlsson (World Premiere)
New Jack Fury
Director/Screenwriter: Lanfia Wal, Producers: Van White, Mariah Morgenstern, Denaun Porter, Lanfia Wal, Akino Childrey
After his girlfriend is kidnapped by a ruthless kingpin, a former cop must seek the help of two unlawful R&B eccentrics to help save her. Cast: Andre Hall, Page Kennedy, Dean “Michael Trapson” Morrow, Paul Wheeler, Ally Renee, Shawn Nathan, Wrekless Watson, Ace Vane, James Markham Hall, Jr., Vincent M. Ward (World Premiere)
Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie (Canada)
Director: Matt Johnson, Producers: Matthew Miller, Matt Greyson, Screenwriters: Matt Johnson, Jay McCarrol
Matt and Jay try to get a show at the Rivoli. Cast: Cast: Jay McCarrol, Matt Johnson (World Premiere)
Redux Redux
Directors/Screenwriters: Kevin McManus, Matthew McManus, Producers: Michael J. McGarry, Kevin McManus, Matthew McManus, Nate Cormier, PJ McCabe
In an attempt to avenge her daughter’s death, Irene Kelly travels through parallel universes, killing her daughter’s murderer over and over again. She grows addicted to the revenge streak, putting her own humanity in jeopardy. Cast: Michaela McManus, Stella Marcus, Jeremy Holm, Jim Cummings, Grace Van Dien, Taylor Misiak, Dendrie Taylor(World Premiere)
The Surrender
Director/Screenwriter: Julia Max, Producers: Mia Chang, Lovell Holder, Julia Max, Ian McDonald, Robert J. Ulrich
When the family patriarch dies, a grieving mother and daughter risk their lives to perform a brutal resurrection ritual that will bring him back from the dead. Cast: Colby Minifie, Kate Burton, Neil Sandilands, Vaughn Armstrong, Mia Ellis, Pete Ploszek, Chelsea Alden, Alaina Pollack, Riley Rose Critchlow, Lola Prince Kelly (World Premiere)
All images and film descriptions are from SXSW.