SXSW returns to an in-person event after being forced online by the pandemic for the past two years and it doesn’t come too soon for many in the industry and the general public eager to attend the latest world premiere.
Sellers have claimed Zoom fatigue for some time now, while buyers have applauded the ability to view everything on their laptops, even if it created logistical problems for smaller acquisition teams.
Although everyone agrees that they tend to miss out on physical events and all the things that come with it: making face-to-face deals, meeting up with old friends, and the irresistible feeling of sitting in a dark room with lots of people. Experience wonder to watch as a great film is unveiled.
Sundance delivered a steady stream of deals and while none reached the height of Apple’s $25m buyout coda This bodes well for business in 2021 and shows that buyers are ready to trade. The traditional pack of IFC, SPC, Focus Features et al will be on the ground in Austin, Texas, eager to fill its pipelines with new content for streamers with deep pockets, as well as existing and potential customers.
The following list is a sampling of some acquisition titles that have already piqued buyer interest. It doesn’t include tantalizing features that already have distribution like Richard Linklater’s Apollo 10 : on Netflix, or A24’s everywhere together Starring Michelle Yeoh from Danielle Kwan and Danielle Scheinert (swiss soldier), or the Lost CityParamount’s romantic adventure starring Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum alongside Brad Pitt and Daniel Radcliffe opens in theaters March 25. SXSW runs from March 11-20.
Cow
Director: Eli Horowitz
Volume: Narrative Spotlight
Synopsis: Winona Ryder, Dermot Mulroney and John Gallagher Jr. star in the mystery thriller about Cath and her boyfriend, who book a cabin in the redwoods, only to find another, younger, couple is already there. With no option but to share the space, Kaith’s man moves in with the younger woman. The reason for the break-up is far stranger than Cath could have imagined.
Premiere: March 13
Sales: CAA (North America)
i love my dad
Director: James Morosini
Section: Narrative Feature Competition
Synopsis: Inspired by Morosini’s life, the film traces what happens when a man (Patton Oswalt) who wants to be reunited with his depressed son (Morosini) is blocked on social media and targets his own. Impersonates a waitress online to receive That’s when his son falls in love with the imaginary woman and wants to meet her.
Premiere: March 12
Sales: Verve
it’s in all of us (Ireland)
Director: Antonia Campbell-Hughes
Section: Narrative Feature Competition
Synopsis: Campbell-Hughes’ directorial debut stars Cosmo Jarvis as a formidable man who doesn’t care about anything and is forced to learn the truth when a violent car accident involving a sexually charged boy are challenged to face. The cast includes Rhys Mannion, Claes Bang, Campbell-Hughes and Lalor Roddy
Premiere: March 14
Contact: Wazabi Films
linoleum
Director: Colin West,
Section: Narrative Feature Competition
Synopsis: An aspiring astronaut and host of a failed children’s science show begins to question his reality as he tries to fulfill his childhood dream by building a rocket in his garage. Jim Gaffigan, Rhea Seehorn and Tony Shalhoub star.
Premiere: March 12
Sales: UTA Independent Film Group
lot no
Director: Mo McRae
Section: Narrative Feature Competition
Synopsis: McRae’s directorial debut centers on a happy couple who react very differently to a tragedy on the evening’s news and realize that their neighbor is involved. Yellen Noel, Cleopatra Coleman, Shamier Anderson, Lex Scott Davis and Justin Hartley star.
Premiere: March 13
Sales: CAA
beautiful problems
Director:Kestrin Pantera
Volume: Narrative Spotlight
Synopsis: A couple on a getaway trip with affluent strangers experiences the most uncharted weekend of their lives. Britt Rentschler, Michael Tennant, JJ Nolan and Graham Outerbridge star.
Premiere: March 14
Sales: ICM Partners / UTA Independent Film Group
The Return of Tanya Tucker – Featuring Brandi Carlile
Director: Kathleen Horani
Stream: 24 beats per second
Synopsis: Years after trailblazing country music legend Tanya Tucker stepped out of the spotlight, contemporary singer-songwriter Brandi Carlile wrote an album dedicated to her hero and based on his life. It inspired a great friendship and comeback. from the makers of the Velvet Underground, in the same breath And mole agent,
Premiere: March 13
Sale: Submarine Entertainment
severely red
Director: Grace Otto
Section: Narrative Feature Competition
Synopsis: Rose Byrne and Bobby Cannavale stars in a musical comedy about an estate agent who does it all to become a Dolly Parton impersonator. The cast includes Crew Boylan and Daniel Weber and features music by Parton.
Premiere: March 13
Sales: Arclight Films
shout at midnight
Dir: Gretchen Chair
Section: Documentary Spotlight
Synopsis: At a time when women’s reproductive rights are under attack in the United States, Stoeltje follows those involved in an extraordinary legislative session in Texas in 2013, when state Senator Wendy Davis called for the passage of a draconian To stop, read the testimony of women in a filibuster. Law.
Premiere: March 12
Sale: Visit the Movies
sissy (Australia)
Director: Hannah Barlow
Section: Midnight
Synopsis: Sissy gets trapped in a remote cabin with her high school bully during a bachelorette party and gets a taste for revenge. Ayesha Dee, Hannah Barlow and Emilie De Margheriti star.
Premiere: March 11
Sales: XYZ Films (North America), Levelke (International)
slash/back
Director: Nyla Inuksuki
Section: Narrative Feature Competition
Synopsis: A group of girls from Pangnirtung, Nunavut, a sleepy settlement in Baffin Island in the Arctic Ocean, take up arms against alien invaders during the summer, when the school is outside in 24-hour sunlight.
Premiere: March 13
Sales: UTA Independent Film Group
turn me round (Italy-USA)
Director: Jeff Baena
Volume: Narrative Spotlight
Synopsis: The manager of an Italian restaurant chain thinks he’s in for a romantic weekend in Italy when he gets a chance to participate in the franchise’s immersive educational program. Catastrophe ensues. Alison Brie, Alessandro Nivola, Aubrey Plaza, Molly Shannon and Fred Armisen join the cast.
Premiere: March 12
sales, WME Independent/ICM Partners
to Leslie
Director: Michael Morris
Volume: Narrative Spotlight
Synopsis: Andrea Riseborough and Allison Janney are among the cast in the story of a Texas single mother who wins big in the lottery and goes on a streak of drinking and heartbreak. Years later, she returns home to face some tough decisions.
Premiere: 12 March.
Sales: UTA Independent Group (North America), Mr. Smith (International).
