Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg’s Apple TV+ Series The Studio
Opening Night TV Premiere
Highlights include Mimi Cave’s Holland, Flying Lotus’ Ash, Alex Sharfman’s Death of a Unicorn, Ben Affleck’s The Accountant 2, Jess Varley’s The Astronaut, Christopher Landon’s Drop, & H.E.R.’s The Makings of Curtis Mayfield
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, 3 International 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 TV premieres, 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.
“We are thrilled to welcome Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg back to SXSW with our Opening Night TV Premiere, The Studio. This brilliantly conceived series is exquisitely cast and written, capturing the fanatical love, dedication, pressure, and, yes, the hubris that defines our industry. It’s hilariously spot-on, bringing to life the stories we’ve all heard or witnessed firsthand. We can’t wait to experience the joy and energy radiating from the Paramount when we share this gem with the world.”
Opening Night TV Premiere
The 2025 SXSW Film & TV Festival’s Opening Night TV Premiere is the eagerly anticipated Apple TV+ The Studio, starring Seth Rogen, who also serves as writer, director and executive producer alongside Emmy Award-nominee Evan Goldberg.
Rogen stars as Matt Remick, the newly appointed head of embattled Continental Studios. As movies struggle to stay alive and relevant, Matt and his core team of infighting executives battle their insecurities as they wrangle narcissistic artists and craven corporate overlords in the ever-elusive pursuit of making great films. With their power suits masking their never-ending sense of panic, every party, set visit, casting decision, marketing meeting and award show presents them with an opportunity for glittering success or career-ending catastrophe. As someone who eats, sleeps and breathes movies, it’s the job Matt’s been pursuing his whole life, and it may very well destroy him. The series stars Catherine O’Hara, Ike Barinholtz, Chase Sui Wonders, Katheryn Hahn and Rogen and special guest appearances from A-list Hollywood luminaries in each episode.
“The same undeniable creative electricity in The Studio runs through our 2025 program — you can feel a bit of magic happening in every film, series, and immersive experience we’ve curated this year,” said Claudette Godfrey, VP, Film & TV. “From groundbreaking independent films to unforgettable studio premieres and documentary revelations to genre-defying experiments, this lineup celebrates the fearless storytellers who make SXSW so unique. We love to discover and elevate filmmakers who make bold statements, push boundaries, spark important conversations, and challenge our perspectives in ways we never expected. When our incredible SXSW community gathers in March to experience these stories, the energy and inspiration is going to be absolutely transformative.”
HEADLINER Presented by Epidemic Sound
Big names, big talent featuring red carpet premieres and gala film events with major and rising names in cinema.
The Accountant 2
Director: Gavin O’Connor, Producers: Ben Affleck, Lynette Howell Taylor, Mark Williams, Screenwriter: Bill Dubuque
Christian Wolff is brought out of hiding by Treasury Agent Marybeth Medina after someone close to them is killed by unknown assassins. To solve the murder, Wolff must recruit the help of his estranged but highly lethal brother Brax. Cast: Ben Affleck, Jon Bernthal, Cynthia Addai-Robinson, Daniella Pineda, Allison Robertson, J.K. Simmons(World Premiere)
Ash
Director: Flying Lotus, Producers: Nate Bolotin, Matthew Metcalfe, Screenwriter: Jonni Remmler
A woman wakes up on a distant planet and finds the crew of her space station viciously killed. Her investigation into what happened sets in motion a terrifying chain of events. Cast: Eiza González, Aaron Paul, Flying Lotus, Iko Uwais, Kate Elliott, Beulah Koale(World Premiere)
Death of a Unicorn
Director/Screenwriter: Alex Scharfman, Producers: Drew Houpt, Lucas Joaquin, Alex Scharfman, Lars Knudsen, Tyler Campellone, Tim Headington, Theresa Steele Page
A father and daughter accidentally hit and kill a unicorn while en route to a weekend retreat, where his billionaire boss seeks to exploit the creature’s miraculous curative properties. Cast: Paul Rudd, Jenna Ortega, Will Poulter, Téa Leoni, Richard E. Grant, Anthony Carrigan, Sunita Mani, Jessica Hynes (World Premiere)
Drop
Director: Christopher Landon, Producers: Jason Blum, Michael Bay, Brad Fuller, Cameron Fuller, Screenwriters: Jillian Jacobs, Chris Roach
A widowed mother, on her first date in years, arrives at an upscale restaurant where she meets her handsome date. But their chemistry curdles as she begins being irritated and then terrorized by a series of anonymous drops to her phone.
Cast: Meghann Fahy, Brandon Sklenar, Violett Beane, Jacob Robinson, Ed Weeks(World Premiere)
Holland
Director: Mimi Cave, Producers: Kate Churchill, Peter Dealbert, Nicole Kidman, Per Saari, Screenwriter: Andrew Sodroski
In this unpredictable thriller, Nancy is a teacher whose life with her husband in Holland, Michigan, tumbles into a twisted tale when she and her colleague become suspicious of a secret. Cast: Nicole Kidman, Matthew Macfadyen, Jude Hill, Gael García Bernal(World Premiere)
Thank you to our Headliner and Major Film & TV Sponsor Epidemic Sound: Unlock more magic in your production with world-class music, Hollywood-grade sound effects, and next-generation soundtracking tools. All rights included. Publish worry-free, worldwide.
NARRATIVE FEATURE COMPETITION Presented by Kickstarter
World premieres showcasing the art of storytelling by emerging voices.
Bunny
Director: Ben Jacobson, Producer: Sarah Sarandos, Screenwriters: Mo Stark, Ben Jacobson, Stefan Marolachakis
Two best friends rally the neighbors in their tenement building to help them hide a dead body over the best/worst night of their lives. Cast: Mo Stark, Ben Jacobson, Liza Colby, Tony Drazan, Lina Rong Mei Chen, Genevieve Hudson-Price, Liz Caribel Sierra, Ajay Naidu, Richard Price, Henry Czerny (World Premiere)
Fantasy Life
Director/Screenwriter: Matthew Shear, Producers: Charlie Alderman, Chris Dodds, Philip Keefe, Amanda Peet, Emily McCann Lesser, David Bernon, Sam Slater
After getting laid off, a thirty-something paralegal in New York starts babysitting his psychiatrist’s three granddaughters and falls for their mother, an actress in a rocky marriage. Cast: Amanda Peet, Matthew Shear, Alessandro Nivola, Judd Hirsch, Bob Balaban, Andrea Martin, Zosia Mamet, Jessica Harper, Holland Taylor, Sheng Wang(World Premiere)
Fucktoys
Director/Screenwriter: Annapurna Sriram, Producer: Timothy Petryni
Join AP on a bubblegum grindhouse adventure through sunny and romantic Trashtown, USA. In this raucous odyssey a wanton minx quests hard across a dreamy landscape of smut, filth and psychics, hustling to lift a curse that has been f*cking her sh*t up. Cast: Annapurna Sriram, Sadie Scott, Francois Arnaud, Damian Young, Big Freedia, Brandon Flynn, Lorrie Odom, Jowin Batoon, Tamika Lawrence, Arianna Ortiz (World Premiere)
It Ends
Director/Screenwriter: Alexander Ullom, Producers: Carrie Carusone, Evan Barber
Four friends’ post-college plans are derailed when a wrong turn traps them on a never-ending backroad. Cast: Phinehas Yoon, Akira Jackson, Noah Toth, Mitchell Cole (World Premiere)
My Uncle Jens (Norway)
Director/Screenwriter: Brwa Vahabpour, Producers: Renée Hansen Mlodyszewski, Anda Ionescu
A young literature teacher lives a peaceful life in Oslo until his estranged uncle from the Iranian part of Kurdistan unexpectedly arrives for a visit. Cast: Peiman Azizpour, Hamza Agoshi, Sarah Francesca Brænne, Magnus Lysbakken, Theresa Frostad Eggesbø, Emir Hakki, Marko Lazic, Mohamed Chakiri (World Premiere)
Outerlands
Director/Screenwriter: Elena Oxman, Producers: Marc Smolowitz, Elena Oxman, Asia Kate Dillon, Allison Estrin, Henry Russell Bergstein
When Cass (they/them) is asked by an alluring woman to watch her 11-year-old daughter while she goes out of town, Cass is forced to confront the truth of their own tumultuous childhood. Cast: Asia Kate Dillon, Louisa Krause, Ridley Asha Bateman, Lea DeLaria, Daniel K. Isaac, Melinda Meeng, Allie Heng, Winter Dewitt, Safia Fredericks, Sedrick Cabrera (World Premiere)
Reeling
Director: Yana Alliata, Producer: Jack Forbes, Screenwriters: Yana Alliata, Amy Miner
A psychological drama set against a backdrop of celebration at a family’s Hawaiian estate, three siblings confront heartbreaking, inescapable truths after an accident that changed their lives forever. Cast: Ryan Wuestewald, Hans Christopher, Nikki DeParis, Fabrizio Alliata, Makena Miller, Nyah Juliano, Michael Carter (World Premiere)
Slanted
Director/Screenwriter: Amy Wang, Producers: Amy Wang, Mark Ankner, Trevor Wall
Desperate to fit in, an insecure Chinese American teenager undergoes experimental trans-racial surgery to become White in order to secure her chances of winning Prom Queen and the acceptance of her peers. Cast: Shirley Chen, McKenna Grace, Vivian Wu, Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, Amelie Zilber, Fang Du, Elaine Hendrix, Keith Harris(World Premiere)
Thank you to our sponsor Kickstarter, the funding and launch platform for independent creators and innovators, for supporting the Narrative Feature Competition Film Screening section.
DOCUMENTARY FEATURE COMPETITION
World premieres of captivating, real stories by emerging voices.
Arrest the Midwife
Director: Elaine Epstein, Producers: Elaine Epstein, Robin Hessman
The arrest of midwives in a rural healthcare desert ignites an unexpected rebellion: Amish and Mennonite women who break from tradition, and emerge as fierce political activists fighting for reproductive justice and birthing rights. (World Premiere)
Assembly
Directors/Producers/Screenwriters: Rashaad Newsome, Johnny Symons
Visionary artist Rashaad Newsome merges art, AI, and performance to transform a former military facility into a Black queer utopia. Through immersive storytelling and visuals, the film explores how creativity can heal, unite, and spark liberation. (World Premiere)
Baby Doe
Director: Jessica Earnshaw, Producers: Holly Meehl Chapman, Jessica Earnshaw
At 22, Gail gave birth alone and left her newborn in the woods. Decades later, she’s arrested for murder, despite claiming the baby was stillborn. Baby Doe explores the fallout when young women cannot accept the reality of an unplanned pregnancy. (World Premiere)
The Python Hunt
Director: Xander Robin, Producers: Lance Oppenheim, Lauren Cioffi, Mel Oppenheim, Xander Robin
Every year, the Florida government asks the general public to compete in an invasive python removal contest in the Everglades. For ten nights, an eclectic group of hunters confront the dangerous terrain, nocturnal creatures and their own tiny demons. (World Premiere)
Remaining Native
Director: Paige Bethmann, Producers: Jessica Epstein, Paige Bethmann, Judd Ehrlich
Ku Stevens, a 17-year-old Native American runner, struggles to navigate his dream of becoming a collegiate athlete as the memory of his great grandfather’s escape from an Indian boarding school begins to connect past, present, and future. (World Premiere)
The Secret of Me (United Kingdom)
Director: Grace Hughes-Hallett
19-year-old Kristi discovers a secret her doctor and parents have kept from her all her life. Her search for truth uncovers a radical psychology experiment on a pair of identical twins that led to a global medical scandal. (World Premiere)
Shuffle
Director: Benjamin Flaherty, Producers: Carra Greenberg, Harris Fishman, Benjamin Flaherty, Scott Paskoff
Through the lens of his own recovery, a filmmaker offers an intimate look inside the billion dollar addiction treatment industry where young people are bought and sold for their insurance policies and ushered into a system designed to keep them sick. (World Premiere)
The Spies Among Us
Directors/Producers: Jamie Coughlin Silverman, Gabriel Silverman
Thirty years after the Cold War ends, a former political prisoner of the East German secret police searches for the truth after learning his brother spied on him for the regime, and discovers the lasting effects of living in a surveillance state. (World Premiere)
NARRATIVE SPOTLIGHT
Unforgettable features receiving their World, North American, or U.S. premieres.
American Sweatshop (Germany)
Director: Uta Briesewitz, Producers: Anita Elsani, Uta Briesewitz, Jason Sosnoff, Barry Levinson, Tom Fontana, Screenwriter: Matthew Nemeth
Daisy, a young woman who works what has been called “the worst job in the world” – purging overtly hateful, sexual, and violent content from social media – and ends up fundamentally changed by her encounters with the darkest corners of the internet. Cast: Lili Reinhart, Daniela Melchior, Jeremy Ang Jones, Josh Whitehouse, Tim Plester, Christiane Paul, Joel Fry (World Premiere)
The Astronaut
Director/Screenwriter: Jess Varley, Producers: Brad Fuller, Eric B. Fleischman, Chris Abernathy, Cameron Fuller
An astronaut believes something extraterrestrial has followed her back to Earth. Cast: Kate Mara, Laurence Fishburne, Gabriel Luna, Ivana Milicevic, Macy Gray (World Premiere)
The Baltimorons
Director: Jay Duplass, Producers: David Bonnett Jr., Michael Strassner, Drew Langer, Screenwriters: Jay Duplass, Michael Strassner
After cracking a tooth on Christmas Eve, newly sober Cliff embarks on an adventure through Baltimore with Didi, his emergency dentist. Cast: Michael Strassner, Liz Larson, Olivia Luccardi (World Premiere)
Caper
Director/Screenwriter: Dean Imperial, Producers: Tessa Borbridge, Dean Imperial, TJ Sansone, Andy Zolot
When a sext to the wrong number sends a group of clueless men into a panic, they recklessly dive into an all-night journey through NYC to save their friend, revealing their own misguided and toxic views on women along the way. Cast: Christopher Tramantana, Asa James, Celester Rich, Richard Cooper, Sam Gilroy, Ron Palais, Michael Panes, Anne Klaus, Kevin Kane, Caroline Angelica Winkler (World Premiere)
Clown in a Cornfield
Director: Eli Craig, Producers: Marty Bowen, John Fischer, Wyck Godfrey, Screenwriters: Carter Blanchard, Adam Cesare, Eli Craig
A fading midwestern town in which Frendo the clown, a symbol of bygone success, reemerges as a terrifying scourge. Cast: Katie Douglas, Will Sasso, Cassandra Potenza, Aaron Abrams, Carson MacCormac, Verity Marks, Dylan McEwan, Daina Leitold, Vincent Muller, Kaitlyn Bacon (World Premiere)
Cotton Candy Bubble Gum
Director/Screenwriter: J Pinder, Producer: Cole Dabney
After his mom gets engaged to a vindictive cop, Carter, a 21-year-old mama’s boy still living at home, must secure a paid promotion at his internship by the end of the day or find a new place to live in this modern coming-of-age comedy. Cast: Nick Darnell, Morgan Jay, R. Marcus Taylor, JadaPaige, Jack Stone, Ben Scattone, Mildred Marie Langford, Rodney J. Hobbs, Jecobi Swain, Sophia Renee Sherman (World Premiere)
The Dutchman
Director: Andre Gaines, Producers: Andre Gaines, Jonathan T. Baker, Screenwriters: Andre Gaines, Qasim Basir
A successful black businessman, haunted by his crumbling marriage and identity crisis, is drawn into a psychological game of cat and mouse with a mysterious white woman he encounters on a New York subway. Cast: André Holland, Kate Mara, Zazie Beetz, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Aldis Hodge, Lauren E. Banks (World Premiere)
For Worse
Director/Screenwriter: Amy Landecker, Producers: Amy Landecker, Bradley Whitford, Valerie Stadler, Jenica Bergere, James Portolese
Fresh off a messy divorce, a 50-year-old sober mom tries to rebuild her life and stumbles into a new beginning after finding herself at a Gen Z wedding behaving like a 25-year-old drunk bridesmaid. Cast: Amy Landecker, Bradley Whitford, Nico Hiraga, Gaby Hoffmann, Ken Marino, Missi Pyle, Kiersey Clemons, Claudia Sulewski, Simon Helberg, Liv Hewson (World Premiere)
Forge
Director/Screenwriter: Jing Ai Ng, Producers: Liz Daering-Glass, Gabrielle Cordero, Jing Ai Ng, Damian Bao
In Miami, siblings Raymond and Coco Zhang’s art forgery ring flourishes when they encounter a disgraced millionaire in need of their expertise. Meanwhile, FBI Art Crimes agent Emily Lee moves to Miami to investigate a series of mysterious paintings. Cast: Kelly Marie Tran, Andie Ju, Brandon Soo Hoo, Edmund Donovan, Eva De Dominici, T. R. Knight, Jack Falahee, Sonya Walger (World Premiere)
I Really Love My Husband
Director/Screenwriter: GG Hawkins, Producer: Elle Roth-Brunet
When a woman grows disillusioned with her golden-boy husband during their tropical honeymoon, she recruits an enigmatic expat to spice things up—for better or worse. Cast: Madison Lanesey, Travis Quentin Young, Arta Gee, Lisa Jacqueline Starrett, Elizabeth de Robbins, Armodio Sophia, Meggan Taylor, Mitch Bisschop, Amberlin Morse (World Premiere)
Lifehack (Cyprus)
Director: Ronan Corrigan, Producers: Joann Kushner, Timur Bekmambetov, Screenwriters: Ronan Corrigan, Hope Elliot Kemp
Four teenage slackers attempt to pull off a multi-million dollar Bitcoin heist from the comfort of their bedrooms but when their chickens come home to roost they find there is no comfy bed to fall back on! Cast: Georgie Farmer, Yasmin Finney, Roman Hyack Green, James Scholz, Jessica Reynolds, Charlie Creed Miles (World Premiere)
Mermaid
Director/Screenwriter: Tyler Cornack, Producers: Daniel Brandt, Dane Eckerle, Cole Eckerle
A Percocet-addicted ‘Florida Man’ finds a wounded mermaid at his lowest point. Fascination becomes a drug infused, one sided relationship — sending him further into decline. When word spreads about his secret, he’ll stop at nothing to protect her. Cast: Johnny Pemberton, Avery Potemri, Kevin Nealon, Kirk Fox, Tom Arnold, Robert Patrick, Kevin Dunn, Devyn McDowell, Tyler Rice, Julia Valentine Larson (World Premiere)
O’Dessa
Director/Screenwriter: Geremy Jasper, Producers: Michael Gottwald, Noah Stahl, Rodrigo Teixeira
Set in a post-apocalyptic future, O’Dessa is a rock opera about a farm girl on a quest to recover a family heirloom. Her journey leads her to a dangerous city, where she must use the power of destiny and song to save her true love’s soul. Cast: Sadie Sink, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Murray Bartlett, Regina Hall, Kelly Macdonald, Pokey LaFarge (World Premiere)
$POSITIONS
Director/Screenwriter: Brandon Daley, Producers: Ben Gojer, Jake Bloom
Blue-collar Midwesterner Mike Alvarado attempts to save his family from the throes of poverty by investing their savings into speculative cryptocurrencies. A twitchy, hyper-contemporary comedy with equal doses of laughs and panic attacks. Cast: Mike Kunicki, Vinny Kress, Trevor Dawkins, Kaylyn Carter (World Premiere)
She’s The He
Director/Screenwriter: Siobhan McCarthy, Producers: Halley Albert, Vic Brandt
Just before graduation, Alex and Ethan pretend to be trans women to get into the girl’s lockers. It’s all a joke until Ethan realizes: she really is trans. Alex and Ethan must reckon with their changing friendship and the process of coming out. Cast: Misha Osherovich, Nico Carney, Suzanne Cryer, Mark Indelicato, Malia Pyles, Emmett Preciado, Tatiana Ringsby, Aparna Nancherla, Kyle Butenhoff, Emma Orr (World Premiere)
Surviving Earth (United Kingdom)
Director/Screenwriter: Thea Gajić, Producers: Aleksandra Bilić, Sophie Reynolds
Having fled the Yugoslav war and settled in the UK, Vlad strives for success with his Balkan band, whilst trying to reconnect with his only daughter. Cast: Slavko Sobin, Olive Gray, Stuart Martin, Peter Coonan, Toni Gojanović, Ann Ogbomo (World Premiere)
The Threesome
Director: Chad Hartigan, Producers: Tim White, Trevor White, Vince Jolivette, Steve Shapiro, Screenwriter: Ethan Ogilby
A young man’s crush leads him into an unexpected threesome… What’s the worst that could happen? Cast: Zoey Deutch, Jonah Hauer-King, Ruby Cruz, Jaboukie Young-White, Josh Segarra, Robert Longstreet, Arden Myrin, Kristin Slaysman, Allan McLeod, Julia Sweeney (World Premiere)
The True Beauty of Being Bitten by a Tick
Director: Pete Ohs, Producers: Callie Hernandez, Pete Ohs, Jeremy O. Harris, Josh Godfrey, Screenwriters: Callie Hernandez, Zoë Chao, James Cusati-Moyer, Jeremy O. Harris, Pete Ohs
A woman in crisis seeks refuge in her friend’s idyllic countryside home only to suffer strange side effects from a mysterious tick bite. Cast: Zoë Chao, Callie Hernandez, James Cusati-Moyer, Jeremy O. Harris (World Premiere)
We Bury The Dead (Australia)
Director/Screenwriter: Zak Hilditch, Producers: Kelvin Munro, Grant Sputore, Ross Dinerstein, Joshua Harris, Mark Fasano
In the aftermath of a catastrophic military experiment, a desperate woman joins a “body retrieval unit” in the hope of finding her husband alive, but her search takes a chilling turn when the corpses start showing signs of life. Cast: Daisy Ridley, Brenton Thwaites, Mark Coles Smith (World Premiere)
DOCUMENTARY SPOTLIGHT
Incredible features receiving their World, North American, or U.S. premieres.
The Age of Disclosure
Director/Producer: Dan Farah
An unprecedented film –featuring 34 senior members of the U.S. Senate, House, military and intelligence community– revealing a cover-up of the existence of non-human intelligent life and a secret war to reverse engineer technology of non-human origin. (World Premiere)
Are We Good?
Director: Steven Feinartz, Producers: Steven Feinartz, Julie Seabaugh, Ethan Goldman
An intimate portrait of comedian and podcast pioneer Marc Maron, following the sudden loss of his partner and filmmaker Lynn Shelton. Maron struggles with grief, disillusionment, and a shifting comedy landscape. (World Premiere)
ASCO: Without Permission
Director/Screenwriter: Travis Gutiérrez Senger, Producers: Andrew Renzi, Nick Boak, Kyzza Terrazas, Santiago Maza, Sabrina Coulston, Colin Cadarette, Travis Gutiérrez Senger
ASCO: Without Permission profiles the extraordinary, LA based, Chicano art group ASCO, and through a genre-defying approach, reimagines what is possible today in art and cinema while celebrating an iconoclastic group that was far ahead of its time. Featuring Zoe Saldaña, Michael Peña, Arturo Castro (World Premiere)
Creede U.S.A.
Director: Kahane Corn Cooperman, Producers: Innbo Shim, Kahane Corn Cooperman
In tiny Creede, CO, conservative mining families and progressive theater people have been trying to negotiate their differences for 60 years. When the same issues polarizing America ripple through the town, can it maintain its fragile coexistence? (World Premiere)
Dear Tomorrow (Denmark, Japan, Sweden)
Director/Screenwriter: Kaspar Astrup Schröder, Producers: Maria Helga Stürup, Katrine A. Sahlstrøm
In Japan, where loneliness has become a national crisis, the film follows three individuals battling isolation. Through a volunteer chat service, compassionate connections, and government initiatives, they find hope and paths to reclaim their lives. (World Premiere)
Deeper (Australia)
Director: Jennifer Peedom
In the deepest, darkest cold-water cave system in the world, a reluctant hero explores a dangerous obsession. (World Premiere)
Deepfaking Sam Altman
Director: Adam Bhala Lough, Producers: Kevin Hart, Luke Kelly-Clyne, Brian Smiley, Harold Berón III, Adam Bhala Lough, Dana J. Olkkonen, Scoop Wasserstein, Elizabeth Weil, Mark W. Olsen
Hartbeat partners with Vox Media Studios and Telemarketers’ Adam Bhala Lough for a comedic documentary about AI. Follow Adam as he seeks answers about the buzzy new tech and explores what it means to be human in an increasingly AI generated world. (World Premiere)
Flight 149: Hostage Of War (United Kingdom)
Director: Jenny Ash, Producers: Andy Holland, Helen McClure, Mowaffaq Safadi, Lucy Towers
When Flight 149 landed in the middle of a warzone, the passengers and crew became human shields for Saddam Hussein. Thirty years later, the hostages are launching a legal case to discover the truth about why the plane landed in the first place. (World Premiere)
Make It Look Real (Australia)
Director/Screenwriter: Kate Blackmore, Producers: Bethany Bruce, Daniel Joyce
Intimacy coordinator Claire Warden guides actors through sex scenes for a new film Tightrope, negotiating the vision of a director, the physical and psychological needs of the actors, and a documentary crew filming her every move. (International Premiere)
Mola: A Tale of Tibetan Love and Loss (U.S., Switzerland)
Directors/Screenwriters: Yangzom Brauen, Martin Brauen, Producer: Katherine LeBlond
Mola, a 100-year-old nun, wants to return to her homeland, Tibet, to die. The fulfillment of her dream takes an unexpected turn. (North American Premiere)
Now! More! Yes!
Director: Max Hey, Producers: Chris James Thompson, Frankie Latina, Andrew Swant
A legally blind used car salesman wakes up to realize that he drunkenly purchased an ambulance without keys using his boss’s money. (World Premiere)
Other Side
Directors: Heather Hogan, Carter Oakley, Producer: Amy Brown
Activist Lynda Bluestein contemplates how to legally end her life – her landmark lawsuit made Medical Aid in Dying in Vermont accessible to anyone in the United States. This is an intimate portrait of finding a way to die peacefully in the U.S. (World Premiere)
Seen and Heard
Directors: Giselle Bailey, Phil Bertelsen, Producers: Giselle Bailey, Phil Bertelsen, Issa Rae, Montrel McKay, John Maggio, Rachel Dretzin, John Ealer, Jonathan Berry, Dave Becky, Nancy Abraham, Lisa Heller, Sara Rodriguez
From executive producer Issa Rae, Seen and Heard is a two-part documentary that travels through time, creating a kaleidoscopic portrait of Black talent being “seen,” to Black creatives being “heard,” shaping today’s Golden Age of Black television. Featuring Issa Rae, Oprah Winfrey, Tyler Perry, Shonda Rhimes, Ava Duvernay, Lena Waithe, Cord Jefferson, Tracee Ellis Ross, Swizz Beatz, Norman Lear (World Premiere)
Snow Leopard Sisters (United Kingdom)
Directors: Ben Ayers, Sonam Choekyi Lama, Andrew Lynch, Producers: Ian Davies, Joanna Natasegara, Torquil Jones, Tshiring Lhamu Lama
In Nepal’s remote Dolpo region, two Indigenous women form an unlikely friendship to save one of the planet’s most mysterious and vulnerable wild cats: the snow leopard. (World Premiere)
Spreadsheet Champions (Australia)
Director: Kristina Kraskov, Producers: Anna Charalambous, Charlotte Wheaton, Nick Batzias
Students from around the world give it their all in the greatest competition you’ve never heard of, the Spreadsheet World Championships. (World Premiere)
Starman
Director/Screenwriter: Robert Stone, Producers: Ray Rothrock, Keith Haviland, Robert Stone Legendary NASA robotics engineer and best-selling science fiction author, Gentry Lee, has spent a lifetime seeking an answer to the ultimate cosmic question: Are we alone in the universe? At age 82 he has come to a revelatory conclusion. (World Premiere)
Strange Journey: The Story of Rocky Horror
Director: Linus O’Brien, Producers: Adam Gibbs, Garret Price, Avner Shiloah, Linus O’Brien, Screenwriter: Avner Shiloah
A wild journey into the origins of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, the biggest cult film of all time, its impact on popular culture and socio-political resonance to this day. Featuring Richard O’Brien, Tim Curry, Lou Adler, Susan Sarandon, Barry Bostwick (World Premiere)
Take No Prisoners
Directors: Adam Ciralsky, Subrata De, Producers: Adam Ciralsky, Gene Klein, Subrata De
Take No Prisoners delves into the secretive, high-stakes world of hostage rescues, following America’s top envoy as he races to free a young attorney held as a political pawn by a rogue regime. (World Premiere)
The Tallest Dwarf
Director: Julie Forrest Wyman, Producers: Lindsey Dryden, Shaleece Haas, Jonna McKone
When Julie embarks on a journey to understand her own body and the rumors of dwarfism in her family, her path collides with a new drug that promises to make little people taller, threatening the community’s existence. (World Premiere)
Uvalde Mom
Director: Anayansi Prado, Producers: Ina Fichman, David Goldblum, Screenwriters: Anayansi Prado, Pablo Proenza
When a school mass shooting rocks a small Texas town, a mom desperate to save her kids becomes an overnight hero. She speaks out against a faulty system. The community unites to challenge the powers that neglected its most vulnerable—its children. (World Premiere)
MIDNIGHTER
Exciting after-dark features for genre lovers and the terminally curious.
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: 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)
VISIONS
Audacious, risk-taking artists who demonstrate innovation and creativity.
Dead Lover (Canada)
Director: Grace Glowicki, Producers: Yona Strauss, Ben Petrie, Grace Glowicki, Screenwriters: Grace Glowicki, Ben Petrie
A lonely Gravedigger who stinks of corpses finally meets her dream man, but their affair is cut short when he tragically drowns at sea. Grief-stricken, she goes to morbid lengths to resurrect him, resulting in grave consequences and unlikely love. Cast: Grace Glowicki, Ben Petrie, Leah Doz, Lowen Morrow (Texas Premiere)
Ghost Boy
Director: Rodney Ascher, Producers: Elika Portnoy, Ryan Bartecki, Gary Levinsohn, Billy Hines
Martin Pistorius slipped into a coma at the age of 12. Three years later he woke up but was unable to communicate and no-one realized he was fully aware. This is the true story of his remarkable journey back to life. (World Premiere)
The Infinite Husk
Director/Screenwriter: Aaron Silverstein, Producers: Aaron Silverstein, Mitchel McKenzie, Christine Sohail
An alien consciousness, sent to Earth to spy on one of its own kind, learns what it means to be human. Cast: Peace Ikediuba, Foreste Jean Feely, Circus-Szalewski, Michael Jon Murphy, Geena Alexandra, Gary Lee Reed, William Thomas Jones, Smaran Harihar, Jyl Haruye Kaneshiro (World Premiere)
Night Fight
Director: Khary Saeed Jones, Producers: Khary Saeed Jones, Kendra T. Field
It’s been seven years since I was followed by a vigilante down back roads in rural Canada. Night Fight explores the secret life spawned by the encounter and the impossible task of sharing this experience with my young son. (World Premiere)
Odyssey (United Kingdom)
Director: Gerard Johnson, Producers: John Jencks, Isabel Freer, Matthew James Wilkinson, Patrick Tolan, Screenwriters: Gerard Johnson, Austin Collings
Natasha Flynn is an estate agent on a mission—and she’s going to make a killing. Cast: Polly Maberly, Mikael Persbrandt, Jasmine Blackborow, Guy Burnet, Ryan Hayes, Charley Palmer Rothwell, Kellie Shirley (World Premiere)
We Are Storror
Director: Michael Bay, Producers: Michael Bay, Angus Wall, Paris Kassidokostas-Latsis, Terry Dougas
A thrilling, emotional parkour odyssey chronicling the 7 childhood friends who escalated and came to define this extreme sport; The dizzying rise, tragic setbacks and inseparable brotherhood captured firsthand while in pursuit of the ultimate stunt. (World Premiere)
Your Higher Self (Canada)
Director/Screenwriter: Annie St-Pierre, Producer: Audrey-Ann Dupuis-Pierre
Part sympathetic portrait and part exposé of the absurd, Your Higher Self dives into the world of life coaching – a modern phenomenon in full swing – embodying the quest of our individualistic society: to be oneself, only better. (International Premiere)
TV PROGRAM
TV PREMIERE
World premieres of prestige TV series premieres from acclaimed showrunners and directors.
#1 Happy Family USA
Showrunners: Ramy Youssef, Pam Brady, Directors: Griffith Kimmins, Hannah Ayoubi, Maaike Maliwanag Scherff, Producers: Ramy Youssef, Pam Brady, Andy Campagna, Mona Chalabi, Josh Rabinowitz, Ravi Nandan, Hallie Sekoff, Alli Reich, Screenwriters: Ramy Youssef, Pam Brady, Josh Rabinowitz, Theresa Mulligan Rosenthal
#1 Happy Family USA follows the Husseins – the most patriotic, most peaceful, and most definitely-not-suspicious Muslim family in post-9/11 “Amreeka” as they navigate the early 2000s under the watchful eyes of their terrified neighbors. Cast: Ramy Youssef, Mandy Moore, Chris Redd, Alia Shawkat, Kieran Culkin, Akaash Singh, Salma Hindy, Whitmer Thomas, Randa Jarrar (World Premiere)
Government Cheese
Showrunners/Screenwriters: Paul Hunter, Aeysha Carr, Director: Paul Hunter, Producers: Paul Hunter, Aeysha Carr, David Oyelowo, Charles D. King, Jelani Johnson, Ali Brown
Government Cheese is a seemingly surrealist family comedy set in 1969 San Fernando Valley that tells the story of the Chambers, a quirky family pursuing lofty and impossible dreams, beautifully unfettered by the realities of the world. Cast: David Oyelowo, Simone Missick, Jahi Di’Allo Winston, Evan Ellison, Bokeem Woodbine (World Premiere)
Happy Face
Showrunner/Screenwriter: Jennifer Cacicio, Director: Michael Showalter, Producers: Jennifer Cacicio, Robert King, Michelle King, Liz Glotzer, Melissa Moore, Conal Byrne, Will Pearson, Michael Showalter, Jordana Mollick
Inspired by a true-life story, Happy Face tells the story of Melissa Reed, daughter of Keith Jesperson, aka the Happy Face Killer. Cast: Annaleigh Ashford, Dennis Quaid, James Wolk, Tamera Tomakili, Khiyla Aynne, Benjamin Mackey (World Premiere)
Spy High
Director: Jody McVeigh-Schultz, Producers: Mark Wahlberg, Stephen Levinson, Archie Gips, Aliza Rosen, Jody McVeigh-Schultz, David Wendell
When 15-year-old Blake Robbins was accused of selling drugs, he filed a lawsuit alleging that his prestigious high school was spying on him. This fed a wild scandal with revelations that echo in the war over digital privacy in schools today. (World Premiere)
The Studio
Showrunners/Directors/Screenwriters: Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, Producers: Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, James Weaver, Alex Gregory, Peter Heck, Alex McAtee, Josh Fagen
In The Studio, Seth Rogen stars as Matt Remick, the newly appointed head of embattled Continental Studios. As movies struggle to stay alive and relevant, Matt and his core team of infighting executives battle their insecurities as they wrangle narcissistic artists and craven corporate overlords in the ever-elusive pursuit of making great films. Cast: Seth Rogen, Catherine O’Hara, Ike Barinholtz, Chase Sui Wonders, Katheryn Hahn (World Premiere)
TV SPOTLIGHT
Exciting new series from around the world.
Dates in Real Life (Norway)
Showrunner/Director/Screenwriter: Jakob Rørvik, Producers: Petter Onstad Løkke, Synnøve Hørsdal
Ida spends most of her life online. When her boyfriend Marvin, whom she’s never met in person, announces he’s dating another woman in real life, her world collapses. Ida sets out on a quest to find her own physical partner. Cast: Gina Bernhoft Gørvell, Jacques Colimon, Mathias Luppichini, Heidi Goldmann, Amund Sigurdssønn, Ifeoma Anene, Alexandra Vuillot, Ken Yamamura, Nikis Theophilakis
Dui Shaw (Bangladesh)
Showrunner/Director: Nuhash Humayun, Producer: Redoan Rony, Screenwriters: Nuhash Humayun, Gultekin Khan
After desecrating a sacred temple, some hooligans must face the supernatural consequences of their hate crime. Dui Shaw takes the dark side of contemporary South Asia and gives it a supernatural spin. Cast: Allen Shubhro, Rizvi Rizu, Refat Hasan Saykat, Abdullah Sentu, Rafayatullah Sohan, Faiza Rahman Noon, Sahana Rahman Sumi, Mizanur Rahman, Mehmud Siddique, Yashrib Habib
Mix Tape (Canada, Australia, Finland, Ireland)
Showrunner/Screenwriter: Jo Spain, Director: Lucy Gaffy
In Sheffield, 1989, teens Daniel and Alison meet at a house party, and bond over their love for music. The relationship they forge that night will follow them forever, and leave them wondering what could have been. Twenty years later, they reconnect. Cast: Jim Sturgess, Teresa Palmer, Florence Hunt, Rory Walton-Smith (World Premiere)
Push (Germany)
Showrunner: Luisa Hardenberg, Directors: Katja Benrath, Mia Maariel Meyer, Producer: Marie-Therese Dalke, Screenwriter: Luisa Hardenberg
Push revolves around the daily challenges of three midwives working in a hospital in Berlin. They need to be nothing less than nurses, social workers and psychologists at the same time. Cast: Mariam Hage, Anna Schudt, Lydia Lehmann
INDEPENDENT TV PILOT COMPETITION
Discover new pilots from indie talent.
Bulldozer
Showrunner/Screenwriter: Joanna Leeds, Director: Andrew Leeds, Producers: Joanna Leeds, Andrew Leeds, Rhett Reese, Caleb Reese, Michael Day
Bulldozer is a comedy about a lovable, under-medicated, chronically impassioned young woman who lurches from crisis to crisis of her own making. Cast: Joanna Leeds, Mary Steenburgen, Nat Faxon, Harvey Guillen, Allen Leech, Kate Burton, Chris “CP” Powell, Tim Bagley, Adargiza De Los Santos, Andrew Friedman, Nick Armstrong (Texas Premiere)
Cigarettes
Director/Screenwriter: Sarah Mokh, Producers: Elaine Tunnat, Amanda Pinto
When Nora finds Ali bumming cigarettes outside a gas station, she skips school on her college decision day to help him settle a debt. Cast: Laith Nakli, Nada Shehata, Ramon Nunez, Patrick Boyle (US Premiere)
Denim
Showrunner/Director/Producer: Tedra Wilson
Denim is a fantastical doc series illuminating the brilliant minds of LGBTQIA+ creatives who showcase how they use their art as a form of self discovery. (World Premiere)
F*ckUps Anonymous
Showrunner/Screenwriter: Joe Tierney, Director: Kat Whalen, Producers: Joe Tierney, Nicole Kay Payson, Colin McCarthy
A rebellious teenager is sent to a therapeutic boarding school with controversial methods where the treatment of a fellow classmate on his first day makes the consequences of his actions frighteningly clear. Cast: Sarah Jeffery, Andrew Michael Fama, Debbie Campbell, Lexi Simonsen, Bob Gallagher, Marvin St-Jean, Stephen Gray, Timothy Griffin Allan (World Premiere)
Mr. Corruption
Showrunners/Screenwriters: Simeon Hu, Stephen Law, Director: Simeon Hu, Producers: Elliot Gong, Wendi Tang, Philip Ge
A corrupt Chinese businessman on the run teams up with his estranged son, in order to find his hidden money in Southern California to ensure their safety. Cast: Bruce “Kaze” Wang, Zhang Wang, Tiger Sheu, Scott Williams, Terrance Wentz, Ross Turner (World Premiere)
R&R
Director/Screenwriter/Producer: JJ Herz
Co-dependent twins Robbie (a responsible, hopeless romantic with Down syndrome) and Rachel (a raunchy, gay mess) tackle a chaotic, yet typical day in their lives. Cast: Kevin Iannucci, JJ Herz (World Premiere)
Stars Diner
Directors: Fidel Ruiz-Healy, Tyler Walker, Producers/Screenwriters: Mary Neely, Fidel Ruiz-Healy, Tyler Walker
Stars Diner isn’t the best choice for a quick steak & eggs. Run by ex-party girl Wendy, unhinged chef Milius, and odd busboy Willard, this Fresno greasy spoon must overcome unpaid bills and a once-in-a-lifetime volcanic eruption. Cast: Mary Neely, DeMorge Brown, Henri Cash, Cole Hersch, Chris Thayer, Natalie Palamides (World Premiere)
