SXSW® Film Festival Screenings
Every March, our acclaimed Film Program helps draw thousands of fans, filmmakers, press and industry leaders to Austin, TX to indulge in hundreds of chances to see some of the most innovative, smart and entertaining new films around.
- Submit your film to SXSW 2011
- Vote for your favorite PanelPicker ideas (Starting August 9)
- SXSW Film Award Winners
- Watch video on our Youtube Channel
- SXSW® Film Conference Videos and Audio Podcasts
- 2010 SXSW® Film Festival FAQ
Feature Film Screening Categories
Bringing you the very best of international independent cinema, expect to see emerging talent, essential docs and cutting-edge storytelling in what is sure to be our most exciting lineup yet. Feature Films at SXSW will screen in the following categories:
HEADLINERS
Big names, big talent: Headliners bring star power to SXSW, featuring red carpet premieres and gala film events with some major and rising names in cinema.
SPOTLIGHT PREMIERES
Shining a light on new documentary and narrative features receiving their World, North American or US Premieres at SXSW.
DOCUMENTARY AND NARRATIVE FEATURE COMPETITION
8 Documentaries and 8 Narratives, cutting edge world premieres competing for Jury recognition.
EMERGING VISIONS
Innovation and creativity from new and emerging feature filmmakers, showcasing raw talent in documentary and narratives features.
LONE STAR STATES
Texas proud! Documentaries and Narratives with a special connection to the Lone Star State.
24 BEATS PER SECOND
Showcasing the sounds, culture and influence of music and musicians, with an emphasis on documentary.
SX GLOBAL
A diverse panorama of international non-fiction filmmaking talent, interactive documentaries and shorts.
FESTIVAL FAVORITES
Acclaimed standouts and selected previous premieres from festivals around the world.
MIDNIGHTERS
Scary, funny, sexy, controversial – provocative after-dark features for night owls and the terminally curious.
SX FANTASTIC
Mind-bending international Midnighters, hand-selected by our friends at Fantastic Fest.
SPECIAL EVENTS
Live Soundtracks, cult re-issues, IMAX, 3D and much more. This section offers unusual, unexpected and unique film event one-offs.
Short Film Screening Categories
NARRATIVE SHORTS
A selection of original, well-crafted films that take advantage of the short form and exemplify distinctive and genuine storytelling. The winner of our grand jury award in this category is eligible for an 2011 Academy Award nomination for best narrative short.
DOCUMENTARY SHORTS
Unfiltered slices of life, from across the documentary spectrum.
ANIMATED SHORTS
An assortment of stories told using a mix of traditional animation, computer-generated effects, stop-motion, and everything in-between. The winner of our grand jury award in this category is eligible for an 2011 Academy Award nomination for best animated short.
EXPERIMENTAL SHORTS
A diverse collection of films ranging from the visually stimulating to the intellectually challenging.
MIDNIGHT SHORTS
Bite-sized bits for all of your sex, gore, and hilarity needs.
HIGH SCHOOL SHORTS
A preview of the next filmmaking generation, as Texas High Schoolers present shorts of 5 minutes or less.
TEXAS SHORTS
An offshoot of our regular narrative shorts program, composed of work shot in, about, or somehow relating to the Lone Star state.
SX GLOBAL
A showcase for cutting-edge documentary shorts from around the world.
MUSIC VIDEOS
A range of classic, innovative, and stylish work showcasing the scope of music video culture.
