SXSW 2021 EVENT INFORMATION

SXSW is launching SXSW Online as part of our 2021 offerings. The digital experience will feature conference keynotes and sessions, screenings, showcases, networking, and exhibitions. The dates for SXSW EDU Online are March 9 – March 11, 2021 and SXSW Online will take place March 16 – March 20, 2021.

“The challenge of building a new future is one that we’re excited to tackle. This has been such a year of change and we, like the entire world, are reshaping our perspective on how we connect. We’re pleased to be working on SXSW Online as part of our program for 2021, and regardless of platform, we will continue to bring together the brightest minds from creative industries worldwide.” – Roland Swenson, CEO and Co-Founder

SXSW Online programming takes place in web, mobile, and Connected TV apps, XR environments, plus video networking and mentoring platforms. Content includes 24/7 streaming across five channels and on-demand Keynotes & Featured Sessions, Conference Sessions, Film Screenings, Music Showcases and Special Events.

FEATURED OFFERINGS

Listed in order of scheduled premiere:

Made for Love
[Episodic Premieres]
Synopsis: Based on Alissa Nutting’s tragicomic novel, Made for Love is a dark, absurd and cynically poignant story of divorce and revenge following Hazel Green (Cristin Milioti), a thirty-something woman on the run after 10 years in a suffocating marriage.
Cast: Cristin Milioti, Billy Magnussen, Dan Bakkedahl, Noma Dumezweni, Augusto Aguilera, Caleb Foote, and Ray Romano
Showrunner: Christina Lee
Director: Christina Lee
Runtime: 27 minutes
Premiere Status: World Premiere
#MadeForLove

Here Before
[Narrative Feature Competition]
Synopsis: After new neighbours move in next door, a bereaved mother begins to question her reality in this unsettling psychological thriller.
Cast: Andrea Riseborough, Martin McCann, Jonjo O’Neill, and Eileen O’Higgins
Director: Stacey Gregg
Screenwriter: Stacey Gregg
Runtime: 83 minutes
Premiere Status: World Premiere
This film has not been rated. #HEREBEFORE

The Girlfriend Experience
[Episodic Premieres]
Synopsis: Set in the London tech scene, Iris, a neuroscience major, begins to explore the transactional world of The Girlfriend Experience and quickly learns that client sessions provide her with a compelling edge in the tech world.
Cast: Julia Goldani Telles, Oliver Masucci, Frank Dillane, Daniel Betts, Armin Karima, Tobi Bamtefa, and Jemima Rooper
Showrunners: Anja Marquardt and Philip Fleishman
Director: Anja Marquardt
Executive Producer: Steven Soderbergh
Runtime: 60 minutes
Premiere Status: World Premiere

Language Lessons
[Narrative Spotlight]
Synopsis: A Spanish teacher and her student develop an unexpected friendship.
Cast: Natalie Morales, Mark Duplass, Desean Terry, and Christine Quesada
Director: Natalie Morales
Screenwriters: Mark Duplass and Natalie Morales
Runtime: 91 minutes
Premiere Status: North American Premiere
This film has not been rated.

Twyla Moves
[Visions]
Synopsis: Interwoven with her storied career and prolific works, Twyla Moves sees legendary choreographer Twyla Tharp navigate her latest creative challenge: choreographing a dance for a world plagued by the Covid-19 pandemic. An American Masters documentary.
Cast: Twyla Tharp, Mikhail Baryshnikov, David Byrne, Billy Joel, Herman Cornejo, Jesse Huot, and Misty Copeland
Director: Steven Cantor
Runtime: 82 minutes
Premiere Status: World Premiere
This film has not been rated.

The Fallout
[Narrative Feature Competition]
Synopsis: High schooler Vada navigates the emotional fallout she experiences in the wake of a school tragedy. Relationships with her family, friends and view of the world are forever altered.
Cast: Jenna Ortega, Maddie Ziegler, Niles Fitch, Will Ropp, Lumi Pollack, John Ortiz, Julie Bowen, and Shailene Woodley
Director: Megan Park
Screenwriter: Megan Park
Runtime: 92 minutes
Premiere Status: World Premiere
This film has not been rated. #TheFallout

Cruel Summer
[Episodic Premieres]
Synopsis: From Exec Producer Jessica Biel, Freeform’s Cruel Summer is a psychological thriller taking place over three summers when a popular girl goes missing and an awkward outlier transforms to queen bee and eventually, the most despised person in America.
Cast: Olivia Holt, Michael Landes, Froy Gutierrez, Harley Quinn Smith, Allius Barnes, Blake Lee, and Brooklyn Sudano
Showrunner: Tia Napolitano
Directors: Tia Napolitano and Max Winkler
Executive Producer: Jessica Biel
Runtime: 45 minutes
Premiere Status: World Premiere

Violet
[2020 Spotlight]
Synopsis: A film development executive realizes that “guiding voice” inside her head has been lying to her about everything.
Cast: Olivia Munn, Luke Bracey, and Justin Theroux
Director: Justine Bateman
Screenwriter: Justine Bateman
Runtime: 92 minutes
Premiere Status: World Premiere
This film has not been rated. #VIOLETthefilm

Them
[Episodic Premieres]
Synopsis: ‘Them’ is a limited anthology series that explores terror in America. 
Cast: Deborah Ayorinde, Ashley Thomas, Shahadi Wright Joseph, Melody Hurd, and Alison Pill
Showrunner: Little Marvin
Directors: Little Marvin and Nelson Cragg
Screenwriter: Little Marvin
Executive Producers: Little Marvin and Lena Waithe 
Co-produced by Sony Pictures Television and Amazon Studios
Runtime: 102 minutes
Premiere Status: World Premiere