For nine days in March, creatives of all stripes gather for the acclaimed SXSW Film Festival program. Running concurrently with the SXSW Conference, Music and Comedy Festivals, attendees can take advantage of the opportunity to connect with a wide array of industry experts, making the Film Festival an unparalleled experience at the forefront of discovery, creativity, and innovation. Join us March 11-19, 2022 in Austin, Texas.
SXSW provides the game-changing buzz every filmmaker dreams about for the premiere of their feature film, short, episodic, or XR project.
Back in person after a two-year hiatus due to Covid-19, South by Southwest has revealed its film festival lineup for 2022. Although the last two years featured online screenings, this will be the first year we see attendees back in Austin. The highly-anticipated event was bound to have some big headliners and the festival delivered. Out of an incredible 99 features (including 76 World Premieres), these are the top movies to see at the SXSW 2022 Film Festival.
The World Premiere of this new action, comedy, sci-fi hybrid film by Daniel Kwan (Swiss Army Man) will serve as the SXSW 2022 Film Festival’s opening night screening. It stars Michelle Yeoh (Crazy Rich Asians) as an aging Chinese immigrant who can’t seem to finish her taxes and gets swept up exploring other universes. Also starring James Hong and Jenny Slate, the film explores what it’s like for one woman to get a glimpse at the other lives she could have lived.
The Lost City
March 12 at 6:30 pm, Paramount Theatre
Starring Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum, this action rom-com follows the story of author Loretta Sage who has spent her career writing romance-adventure novels. Her covers feature model Alan (Tatum) who goes on Sage’s book tour. Sage is kidnapped by a billionaire (Daniel Radcliffe) who thinks that she can lead him to the lost treasure from her novel. Alan must then prove himself as a hero in real life by rescuing her. Brad Pitt also makes an appearance.
The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent
March 12 at 10:30 pm at Paramount Theatre
Another World Premiere screening, this action-comedy film stars Nicolas Cage as, well, Nick Cage. A fictionalized version of himself, the story follows a creatively unfulfilled actor who faces financial ruin. To remedy this, Cage takes a gig for one million dollars to attend the birthday party of a superfan played by Pedro Pascal. Tiffany Haddish stars as a CIA operative who recruits Cage as an informant to take down the fan, who is also a drug kingpin.
Bodies Bodies Bodies
March 14 at 7:30 pm, Paramount Theatre
Directed by Halina Reijn, this World Premiere film stars Lee Pace, Pete Davidson, and Amandla Stenberg. A comedy thriller, this movie tells the story of a group of wealthy 20-somethings who plan a hurricane party at a remote mansion. The party game turns deadly as friends turn on each other.
Apollo 10 1/2: A Space Age Childhood
March 13 at 8 pm, Paramount Theatre
Directed by Richard Linklater, this animated film is a coming-of-age story set in the suburbs of Houston, Texas in the summer of 1969. Centered around the Apollo 11 moon landing, the story is told from two perspectives — an astronaut and a suburban kid — interwoven into one adventure. Starring the voices of Zachary Levi, Jack Black, Glen Powell, and more, the film will also be available to see at AFS Cinema on March 19.
