Category Archives: SXSW

They Called Us Outlaws Doc Series Debuts Prologue at SXSW

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they-called-us-outlawsA first look at the upcoming documentary series They Called Us Outlaws premiered at SXSW, where the prologue episode played to a sold-out audience in Austin.

Directed by Eric Geadelmann and Kelly Magelky, the series explores the roots of the outlaw country movement, focusing on 1970s Austin and the cultural shift shaped by artists like Waylon Jennings. The project is presented in association with the Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum.

The debut episode serves as an introduction to a planned ten-part series, tracing the spirit of independent artistry that defined the era and continues to influence musicians today.

A wider release for the series has not yet been announced.

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VR Documentary Lacuna to Make International Premiere at SXSW

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Studio Biarritz

The VR documentary Lacuna will make its international premiere at SXSW as part of the festival’s XR Spotlight section.

Directed by Maartje Wegdam and Nienke Huitenga Broeren and produced by Corine Meijers, the immersive project invites viewers into the fragmented memories of Sonja, as she reflects on a moment of loss during the Second World War. The experience combines conversations with Sonja, animation, 3D modeling, and personal footage to explore how memory—and the absence of it—can shape identity.

Lacuna previously world premiered at the Cannes Film Festival’s Cannes Immersive program and is designed as both a remembrance project and a broader reflection on how people reconstruct the past through imagination.

The VR experience will be available during SXSW’s XR Spotlight Experiences, running daily from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Fairmont Hotel in Austin through March 17.

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Indigenous Documentary Ceremony to World Premiere at SXSW

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CeremonyThe documentary Ceremony, directed by Banchi Hanuse, will make its world premiere at SXSW as part of the festival’s Documentary Spotlight Program.

The film will debut at Alamo Lamar in Austin on March 14, with a second screening scheduled for March 16. Ceremony is also nominated for the SXSW “Green Lens” Award, which recognizes projects that highlight environmental change and pathways toward a more sustainable future.

The documentary centers on the Nuxalk Nation in Bella Coola, where the disappearance of the ooligan fish becomes a starting point for examining deeper histories tied to land, culture, and survival. Through testimony, watercolor animation, and archival footage, the film explores how Indigenous voices confront historical erasure while reclaiming their stories and relationship with the natural world.

Directed and produced by Slts’lani Banchi Hanuse, the film has been in development since 2014 and builds on Hanuse’s work as a filmmaker and co-founder of Nuxalk Radio, which supports language revitalization and cultural preservation.

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Trailer Released for Sci-Fi Documentary Daughters of the Forest Ahead of SXSW Premiere

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Daughters-of-the-ForestThe trailer has been released for Daughters of the Forest (Hijas del bosque), a sci-fi documentary directed by Otilia Portillo Padua, ahead of its North American premiere at SXSW.

The film will first world premiere at CPH:DOX in Copenhagen before screening in the Visions section at the SXSW Film Festival in Austin.

Daughters of the Forest follows Lis and Juli, two Indigenous mycologists from communities in Mexico who study the complex relationship between humans and fungi. As they share their scientific knowledge and ancestral traditions, the film explores how environmental change, deforestation, and limited opportunities threaten both ecosystems and cultural knowledge.

Blending documentary storytelling with speculative elements, the film looks at how mushrooms and mycelial networks can offer new ways of thinking about coexistence and the future.

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POV Horror Film Dead Eyes Set for SXSW World Premiere

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The upcoming horror film Dead Eyes will make its world premiere at the SXSW Film Festival on March 12 in Austin, Texas.

Written and directed by Australian filmmaker Richard E. Williams, the film will screen in the festival’s Visions section, which highlights bold and distinctive filmmaking voices.

Dead Eyes stars Mischa Heywood (Bring Her Back), Ana Thu Nguyen (appearing in the upcoming Mortal Kombat II), Stephen Phillips, Charles Cottier (The Demon Disorder), and Alea O’Shea, with additional performances by Rijen Laine (In Our Blood, Tidelands).

The story follows Sean and his fiancée Grace as they venture into a remote forest searching for Sean’s missing father. Their investigation soon reveals a disturbing secret tied to cloning experiments meant to resurrect Sean’s deceased sister, leading to a terrifying confrontation with grotesque creations lurking deep in the woods.

Shot using a custom head-mounted Sony VENICE Rialto camera system, the film delivers an immersive first-person horror experience that places viewers directly inside the unfolding nightmare.

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Daughters of the Forest Set for SXSW North American Premiere After CPH:DOX Debut

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daughters-of-the-forrestThe documentary Daughters of the Forest (Hijas del bosque), directed by Otilia Portillo Padua, is set for its North American premiere at the SXSW Film Festival in Austin, Texas, following its world premiere at CPH:DOX.

The film will first debut in competition for the Dox Award at CPH:DOX (March 11–22) before screening in the Visions section at SXSW (March 12–18).

Daughters of the Forest follows Lis and Juli, two Indigenous women and trained mycologists from communities in Oaxaca and Mexico State who study the complex ecosystems of mushrooms in the forests where they live. As environmental pressures and deforestation threaten their surroundings, the pair work to bridge scientific research with ancestral knowledge to better understand and protect the fungi that sustain their communities.

Blending documentary storytelling with speculative elements, the film explores the connections between humans, nature, and knowledge systems, offering a reflective look at coexistence and ecological resilience.

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