SXSW FILM & TV FESTIVAL DIRECTOR JANET PIERSON SHIFTS TO DIRECTOR EMERITUS ROLE

CLAUDETTE GODFREY PROMOTED VP, DIRECTOR OF FILM & TV

Austin, Texas, Wednesday, December 29, 2022 – The South by Southwest® (SXSW®) Conference and Festivals announced today that Janet Pierson, revered VP, Director of the SXSW Film & TV Festival will become Director Emeritus and her long-time deputy, Claudette Godfrey, Film Festival Programming Director, will assume leadership of the SXSW Film & TV Festival. 

2022 marked Pierson’s 15th year as head of SXSW Film & TV, capping a forty-five year career championing independent films and filmmakers in a variety of roles including exhibitor, producer’s rep, executive producer and segment producer and segment director of IFC-Criterion’s Split Screen. During her tenure as head of SXSW Film & TV, Pierson ensured the event was vital and wide-ranging, championing numerous careers in both the Conference and Festival, launching a dedicated section for Episodic programs years before other festivals and showcasing a renowned XR exhibition section, all while contributing to the strategy and direction of the broader event. Many of the films and careers Pierson has been privileged to be involved with are highlighted at SXSW Film at 25 and Alumni Stories. Her new role will include serving as a programmer for the 2023 event, where she will be celebrated for her exceptional contributions to SXSW and the entertainment sphere.

“Leading SXSW Film (now SXSW Film & TV) starting in 2008 at the age of 50 was a wonderful, and quite unexpected, adventure. It’s been glorious to present so much great work at our unique event, yielding so many transformative experiences for creators and audience alike,” said Pierson. “I’m intensely proud of the work our small and very mighty team has accomplished. Now, 15 years and 14 events later, it feels right to hand the reins to the new Director, Film & TV, Claudette Godfrey. Claudette and I began working together in 2008 and she has been a significant collaborator and leader every step of the way. I’m excited to remain on the programming team to continue to support and elevate creators in this new capacity as Director Emeritus. It’s been a true privilege and I’m filled with gratitude.”

Claudette Godfrey is widely regarded as a tastemaking curator of new voices in film. She has championed numerous short and music video filmmakers who went on to illustrious and award-winning careers, including Daniels (Everything Everywhere All At Once), Janicza Bravo (Lemon, Zola) Trey Shults (Krisha), Jim Cummings (Thunder Road) and many others. A native Austinite, she holds a singular understanding of every facet of SXSW, serving in a variety of capacities during her 17-year tenure at the event, ranging across volunteers, operations, and programming, and often multiple disciplines at once. She started as a volunteer crew manager in 2006, working her way up to an essential programming and operational force, becoming Film Festival Coordinator in 2009, Shorts Programmer and Operations Manager in 2010, Senior Programmer in 2017, and Director of Film Festival Programming in 2022. In her new role, Godfrey will lead the team and be responsible for the vision, programming, and execution of the SXSW Film & TV Festival, and the film and TV-focused content within the SXSW Conference.  

“Janet is an incredible leader and mentor, and I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to watch and learn from her example. Our bold community of filmmakers, our enthusiastic audiences, and our gifted team that makes it all happen perpetually inspire me,” said Godfrey. “I’m a hype woman at heart, and it’s a great joy in my life to discover and elevate new talent by curating and evolving an event that celebrates film, TV, and creativity. I started from the bottom and the journey has been exceptional — it’s an immense honor to continue to build on the legacy of SXSW Film & TV and take it into the future.”

Register now for the 2023 event to get the best hotel rates and options. SXSW Film & TV and XR submissions are open through October 18, 2022.

Addendum - Pierson’s Fifteen Years of SXSW Film and TV Programming Highlights 

2009: Lena Dunham Debuts At SXSW Film With Creative Nonfiction & Meets Future Collaborators For 2010’s Award Winning Tiny Furniture | Joe Swanberg’s Alexander The Last Has First Ever, Day-And-Date Release At Festival & On VOD. Notable Speakers: Jan Harlan, Todd Haynes, Richard Linklater, Col Needham, Robert Rodriguez, Henry Selick, Jeffrey Tambor’s Acting Workshop, Mark Woollen. World Premiere Film Festival Highlights: 45365 (Ross Brothers), Beetle Queen Conquers Tokyo (Jessica Oreck), Best Worst Movie (Michael Paul Stephenson), Breaking Upwards (Daryl Wein), Brock Enright: Good Times Will Never Be the Same (Jody Lee Lipes), I Love You, Man (John Hamburg), It was great but I was ready to come home (Kris Swanberg), Trust Us: This Is All Made Up (Alex Karpovsky), True Adolescents (Craig Johnson), Winnebago Man (Ben Steinbauer). Memorable Screenings: Hurt Locker (Kathryn Bigelow). Notable Talent:Jennifer Coolidge, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Amber Heard, George Kuchar, Spike Lee, Zoe Lister-Jones, Danny McBride, Sam Rockwell, Seth Rogen, Paul Rudd, Jason Segel

2010: Monsters and Marwencol and Ms. Lena Dunham’s Tiny Furniture, Three Very Different World Premieres, Wow SXSW Audiences and Then The World. Notable Speakers: Ruben Fleischer, Michel Gondry, David Gordon Green, Matt Reeves, Eli Roth, Gustavo Santaolalla, Gilbert Shelton, Jeffrey Tambor’s Acting Workshop, Ti West. World Premiere Highlights: Cold Weather (Aaron Katz), Kick-Ass (Matthew Vaughn), MacGruber (Jorma Taccone), The Myth of the American Sleepover (David Robert Michell), Passenger Pigeons (Martha Stephens), Pelada (Luke Boughen, Rebekah Fergusson, Gwendolyn Oxenham, Ryan White), Putty Hill (Matthew Porterfield), Thunder Soul (Mark Landsman), Tiny Furniture (Lena Dunham). Notable Talent: Malin Akerman, Carrie Brownstein, Robert Duvall, Dakota Fanning, Will Forte, Judy Greer, Carla Gugino, Val Kilmer, Lemmy, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Bill Murray, Edward Norton, Ryan Phillippe, John C. Reilly, Chloe Sevigny, Sissy Spacek, Kristen Stewart, Patrick Wilson

2011: Bridesmaids (Work-In-Progress), Attack The Block, Undefeated, Greta Gerwig, Simon Pegg And More For SXSW Film. Notable Speakers: Sandra Adair, Vera Farmiga, Ze Frank, James Gunn, Jake Gyllenhaal, Catherine Hardwicke, Duncan Jones, Tim League, Richard Linklater, Elvis Mitchell, Ellen Page, Todd Phillips, Randall Poster, Paul Reubens, Robert Rodriguez, Rainn Wilson. World Premiere Highlights: Attack the Block (Joe Cornish), The Beaver (Jodie Foster), Bridesmaids (work-in-progress; Paul Feig), Charlie Casanova (Terry McMahon), Dragonslayer (Tristan Patterson), Green(Sophia Takal), Kill List (Ben Wheatley), Natural Selection (Robbie Pickering), Paul (Greg Mottola), The Pee-Wee Herman Show on Broadway (Paul Reubens), Turkey Bowl (Kyle Smith), Weekend (Andrew Haigh) | Notable Talent: Rosario Dawson, Mark Duplass, Elmo, Vera Farmiga, Foo Fighters, Jodie Foster, Nick Frost, Greta Gerwig, Paul Giamatti, Carla Gugino, Jake Gyllenhaal, Rachel Harris, Jake Johnson, Michelle Monaghan, Conan O’Brien, Ellen Page, Simon Pegg, Aubrey Plaza, Jason Ritter, Billy Bob Thornton, Ti West, Joss Whedon, Kristen Wiig, Rainn Wilson, Anton Yelchin and more. | Undefeated wins the Oscar for Best Documentary at the Academy Awards.

2012: World Premiere Of HBO’s Series’ Girls, 21 Jump Street, The Cabin In The Woodsand More From SXSW Film. Notable Speakers: Willem Dafoe, Richard Linklater, Seth MacFarlane, Cliff Martinez, Mark Mothersbaugh, Kevin Smith, Jeffrey Tambor’s Acting Workshop, Mark Wahlberg, Joss Whedon. World Premiere Highlights: Beauty is Embarrassing (Neil Berkeley), Big Easy Express (Emmett Malloy), The Cabin in the Woods (Drew Goddard), Citadel (Ciarán Foy), Eden (Megan Griffiths), Fat Kid Rules the World (Matthew Lillard), Gayby (Jonathan Lisecki), Sequin Raze (Sarah Gertrude Shapiro), Starlet (Sean Baker), Sun Don’t Shine (Amy Seimetz), Waiting for Lightning(Jacob Rosenberg). Episodic: World Premiere of HBO’s Girls by Lena Dunham is the first episodic featured in the festival program. Notable Talent: Mike Birbiglia, Jack Black, Billy Campbell, Deepak Chopra, Kristen Connolly, Willem Dafoe, Minnie Driver, Lena Dunham, Mark Duplass, Julia Garner, Gina Gershon, Bobcat Goldthwait, Emile Hirsch, Richard Jenkins, Jake Johnson, Alex Karpovsky, Johnny Knoxville, Melissa Leo, Matthew Lillard, Ziggy Marley, Matthew McConaughey, Nick Offerman, Aubrey Plaza, Rob Riggle, Mumford & Sons, Mark Wahlberg, Danny Way, Bradley Whitford, Paul Williams. 

2013: Spring Breakers, Cheap Thrills, Drinking Buddies, Good Ol’ Freda and More At SXSW Film. Notable Speakers: Danny Boyle, David Carr, Nick Cave, Michael Cera, Carlton Cuse, Shawn Fanning, Neil Gaiman, Selena Gomez, Harmony Korine, Chuck Lorre, Matthew McConaughey, Sean Parker, Sarah Silverman, Jeffrey Tambor’s Acting Workshop, Reggie Watts, Joss Whedon, Alex Winter, Lauren Zalaznick, Rob Zombie. World Premiere Highlights: 12 O’Clock Boys (Lotfy Nathan), Big Joy: The Adventures of James Broughton (Eric Slade & Stephen Silha), Cheap Thrills (E.L. Katz), Downloaded(Alex Winter), Drinking Buddies (Joe Swanberg), Euphonia (Danny Madden), Evil Dead(Fede Alvarez), Good Ol’ Freda (Ryan White), Hours (Eric Heisserer), Maidentrip (Jillian Schlesinger), The Punk Singer (Sini Anderson), The Short Game (Josh Greenbaum), Short Term 12 (Destin Daniel Cretton). Episodic: World Premiere of A&E’s Bates Moteland Conference session Bates Motel: Story to Screen with Carlton Cuse. Notable Talent: Simon Baker, Elizabeth Blackmore, Rose Byrne, Steve Carell, Jim Carrey, Snoop Dogg, Shiloh Fernandez, James Franco, Selena Gomez, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Dave Grohl, Jake Johnson, Catherine Keener, Rachel Korine, Brie Larson, Jared Leto, Brit Marling, Matthew McConaughey, Radha Mitchell, Michelle Monaghan, Stevie Nicks, Ellen Page, Paul Rudd, Alexander Skarsgard, Dave Stewart, Lou Taylor Pucci, Paul Walker, Olivia Wilde 

2014: Film Keynotes: Jason Blum, Lena Dunham, Casey Neistat & Marc Webb | Episodics Launch Notable Speakers: Tunde Adebimpe, Fred Armisen, Kevin Bacon, Jason Bateman, Carrie Brownstein, Adam Buxton, Nicolas Cage, Robert Duvall, Jon Favreau, David Gordon Green, Pete Horner of Skywalker Sound, Alejandro Jodorowsky, Mindy Kaling, Leonard Maltin, Jason Schwartzman, Tilda Swinton, Jeffrey Tambor’s Acting Workshop. World Premiere Highlights: 10,000KM (Carlos Marques-Marcet), Buzzard (Joel Potrykus), Chef (Jon Favreau), Creep (Patrick Brice), Evolution of a Criminal (Darius Clark Monroe), Harmontown (Neil Berkeley), Honeymoon (Leigh Janiak), Neighbors (Nicholas Stoller), Print the Legend (Luis Lopez & Clay Tweel), Veronica Mars (Rob Thomas). Memorable Screenings: Cesar Chavez (Diego Luna), Cosmos (Brannon Braga & Bill Pope), Grand Budapest Hotel (Wes Anderson). Episodic:Official launch of dedicated Episodic screening section, with six projects in the program: COSMOS: A SpaceTime Odyssey, and the world premieres of Deadbeat, From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series, Halt and Catch Fire, Penny Dreadful, and Silicon Valley. Notable Talent: Wes Anderson, Jason Bateman, Kristen Bell, Hannibal Buress, Nicolas Cage, Jerrod Carmichael, Jemaine Clement, Rosario Dawson, Neil deGrasse Tyson, Zac Efron, America Ferrera, Eva Green, Kathryn Hahn, Dan Harmon, Josh Hartnett, Ethan Hawke, John Leguizamo, Juliette Lewis, Diego Luna, Melanie Lynskey, Thomas Middleditch, Mike Myers, Kumail Nanjiani, Michael Pena, Imogen Poots, John Ridley, Jason Ritter, Seth Rogen, Alia Shawkat, Jeremy Sisto, Jenny Slate, Martin Starr, Elizabeth Streb, Tilda Swinton, Patrick Wilson, Elijah Wood, and more. 

2015: Amy Schumer’s Trainwreck, An Exclusive Preview Of Mad Max: Fury Road, World Premiere of Furious 7 & The 30th Anniversary Screening Of The Breakfast Club | Film Keynotes: Mark Duplass, Ava DuVernay, RZA, Christine Vachon. Notable Speakers:Sandra Adair, Geoff Barrow, Guillermo del Toro, Sally Field, Will Forte, Alex Garland, Ryan Gosling, Brian Grazer, Oscar Isaac, Phil Lord, Julia Louis Dreyfus, Chris Miller, Jeff Nichols, Randall Poster, Gina Prince-Bythewood, John Ridley, Henry Rollins, Amy Schumer, Michael Shannon, Morgan Spurlock, Derek Waters, Beau Willimon. World Premiere Highlights: A Brave Heart: The Lizzie Velasquez Story (Sara Bordo), Brand: A Second Coming (Ondi Timoner), Deep Web (Alex Winter), The Final Girls (Todd Strauss-Schulson), Fresno (Jamie Babbit), Hello, My Name is Doris (Michael Showalter), Mavis!(Jessica Edwards), Raiders! (Jeremy Coon & Tim Skousen), Rolling Papers (Mitch Dickman), Sneakerheadz (David T. Friendly & Mick Partridge), Spy (Paul Feig), Steve Jobs: The Man in the Machine (Alex Gibney), The Invitation (Karyn Kusama), and too many more to mention! Episodics: Five Episodic world premieres: Angie Tribeca, The Comedians, iZOMBIE, Mr. Robot, and UnREAL. Notable Talent: Vanessa Bayer, Rose Byrne, Bobby Cannavale, Steve Carell, Billy Crystal, Adam Devine, Robert Duvall, Taissa Farmiga, Will Ferrell, Sally Field, Josh Gad, Tyrese Gibson, Domhnall Gleeson, Ryan Gosling, Max Greenfield, Judy Greer, Rupert Grint, Bill Hader, Colin Hanks, Kevin Hart, Josh Hartnett, Oscar Isaac, Rashida Jones, Natasha Lyonne, Melissa McCarthy, Thomas Middleditch, Adam Pally, Aubrey Plaza, Molly Ringwald, Henry Rollins, Stephen Root, Leon Russell, Rosa Salazar, Amy Schumer, Ally Sheedy, Christian Slater, Mavis Staples, Jason Statham, Gloria Trevi, Reggie Watts, Elijah Wood, Neil Young.

2016: Film Keynotes: Nelson George, Gale Anne Hurd, Elliot Page and Ian Daniel & Joel Swanberg | Work-In-Progress Screenings Of Keanu and Sausage Party. Notable Speakers: J.J. Abrams, Andrew Bujalski, Don Cheadle, Nonny de la Pena, Mark and Jay Duplass, Joel Edgerton, John Gaeta, Llana Glazer, Ira Glass, Sarah Green, Jake Gyllenhaal, Gaby Hoffmann, Abbi Jacobson, Mike Judge, Barbara Kopple, David Lowery, Rami Malek, Chris Milk, Alia Shawkat, Christian Slater, Kerry Washington. World Premiere Highlights: 9 Rides (Matthew A. Cherry), Beware The Slenderman (Irene Taylor Brodsky), Donald Cried (Kris Avedisian), Don’t Think Twice (Mike Birbiglia), Everybody Wants Some (Richard Linklater), In a Valley of Violence (Ti West), Jean of the Joneses (Stella Meghie), Master Cleanse (Bobby Miller), My Blind Brother (Sophie Goodhart), Operator (Logan Kibbens), Pee-wee’s Big Holiday (John Lee), The Bandit(Jesse Moss), Tony Robbins: I am Not Your Guru (Joe Berlinger). Episodics: Five Episodic world premieres: Outcast, Preacher, Search Party, Vice Principals, and You Me Her.  Notable Talent: J.J. Abrams, Mike Birbliglia, Betsy Brandt, James Caan, Don Cheadle, Kirsten Dunst, Jake Gyllenhaal, Ethan Hawke, Tyler Hoechlin, Gaby Hoffmann, Gillian Jacobs, Zoe Kazan, Keegan-Michael Key, Nick Kroll, Rami Malek, Thomas Middleditch, Ruth Negga, Ellen Page, Jordan Peele, Michael Peña, Lily Rabe, Paul Reubens, Burt Reynolds, Seth Rogen, Michael Shannon, Alia Shawkat, Alexander Skarsgård, Jenny Slate, Christian Slater, Martin Starr, Kerry Washington, Mae Whitman, Elijah Wood. 

2017: Edgar Wright’s Baby Driver, James Franco’s The Disaster Artist, Charlize Theron in Atomic Blonde & More From SXSW Film. Notable Speakers: Keynotes Lee Daniels, Gareth Edwards, and Jill Soloway pluss Julia Louis-Dreyfus and the cast of Veep, Showrunners David Benioff And D.B. Weiss,Bob Odenkirk and Fred Armisen, Notable Premieres: Baby Driver, The Disaster Artist, Atomic Blonde, Most Beautiful Island, The Work, Gemini, Mr. Roosevelt, Small Town Crime, Infinity Baby, Two Pigeons, May it Last: A Portrait of The Avett Brothers, Spettacolo, Lucky. Episodics: Six Episodic world premieres: American Gods, Dear White People, I Love Bekka & Lucy, I’m Dying Up Here, Nobodies, and The Son. Notable Talent: Michael Fassbender, Rooney Mara, Nick Offerman, Jon Hamm, Ansel Elgort, Frank Oz, Jake Johnson, Josh Duhamel, Bill Pullman, John Hawkes, Octavia Spencer, Anthony Anderson, Charlize Theron, James McAvoy, Nick Thune, Noel Wells, Megan Mullally, Kevin Corrigan, Martin Starr, George Lazenby, Pierce Brosnan, Lola Kirke, Zoe Kravitz, John Cho, James Franco, Dave Franco, Seth Rogen, Alison Brie, Melissa McCarthy, Armie Hammer, Melissa Leo, Josh Lucas, Juno Temple, Peter Fonda, Judd Apatow, Kumail Nanjiani, Jake Gyllenhaal, Rebecca Ferguson, Ryan Reynolds, John Carroll Lynch, GianCarlo Esposito, Lena Olin, Stephanie Beatriz, Danny McBride, Ridley Scott, Katherine Waterston, Wyatt Cenac, Bill Nye, Francesca Eastwood, Harry Dean Stanton, Jim Caviezel, Matt Bomer, Ari Graynor, Katherine Moennig.

2018: A Quiet Place, Blockers, Ready Player One, Isle Of Dogs (North American Premiere) Thunder Road & More. Notable Speakers: Barry Jenkins, Darren Aronofsky, Nonny de la Peña plus Ernest Cline, Spike Lee, Matthew McConaughey, and more; Notable Films: A Quiet Place, Blockers, Ready Player One, Isle of Dogs (North American Premiere) Thunder Road, The New Romantic, First Match, Jinn, People’s Republic of Desire,TransMilitary, Galveston, Support the Girls, A Vigilante, The Dawn Wall, The Director and the Jedi, Profile, Prospect, Upgrade, All Square. Episodics – Vida, The Last O.G., Barry. Episodics: Seven Episodic world premieres: This Is Us Season 2 Finale Episode (special event), Barry, Condor, Krypton, The Last O.G., Vida, and Warriors of Liberty City. This year we launched the Independent Episodics section with 13 titles. The section would be renamed the independent Pilot Competition in 2019: Beast, Cleansed, Everything is Okay: Robot, First World Problems, Hold To Your Best Self, My Dead Ex, Night Owl, One Eye Small, Otis, Polar, Rapture, She’s the Ticket, andUnspeakable. Notable Talent: John Krasiniski, Emily Blunt, Leslie Mann, Ike Barinholtz, John Cena, Bill Murray, Jeff Goldblum, Wes Anderson, Abbi Jacobson, Dave Franco, Ben Foster, Elle Fanning, Rachel Bloom, Adam Pally, Regina Hall, Olivia Wilde, Molly Shannon, Rian Johnson, Mark Hamill, Lena Waithe, Steven Spielberg, Jason Blum, Tiffany Haddish, Tracy Morgan, Bill Hadar, Ethan Hawke, Spike Lee, Boots Riley, Armie Hammer, Steven Yeun, Omari Hardwick, Jermaine Fowler. Milo Ventimiglia, Mandy Moore, Justin Hartley, Dan Fogelman, Jay Duplass, Edie Falco, Danny McBride, Josh Brolin, Jim Gaffigan, Daryl Hannah, Nick Offerman, Vera Farmiga, Bob Balaban, Evan Peters, Lauren Lapkus, Lucy Hale, Jason Schwartzman.

2019: Us, Long Shot, Pet Sematary & More From SXSW Film. Notable Speakers: Marti Noxon, Olivia Wilde, PJ Raval, Kathy Griffin, Jessica Brillhart, Elisabeth Moss, Stacey Abrams, Pamela Adlon, Lance Bass, Jason Blum, Jodie Foster, Neil Gaiman, Noah Hawley, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Frank Oz, Gwyneth Paltrow, Olivia Wilde, and more. Notable World Premieres: Us, Booksmart, Good Boys, The Highwaymen, Beach Bum, Long Shot, Pet Sematary, For Sama, Villains, Sword of Trust, Running with Beto, The Curse of La Llorona, Olympic Dreams, Kathy Griffin: A Hell of a Story, The Art of Self-Defense, The River and the Wall. Episodics: Seven Episodic world premieres: Broad City Series Finale Screening, Love, Death & Robots, David Makes Man, NOS4A2, Ramy, Shrill, What We Do in the Shadows, and Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate SXSW Event, which included Conference session and several unique activations. 12 Episodic Pilot Competition titles: Baby Love, A Cure For Fear, East of La Brea, Hammerhead, M, Maggie, Moderately Put Together, Queering, Rainbow Ruthie, Revenge Tour, Sterling, and Who You Are

2020: Following the City of Austin’s cancellation of the 2020 event due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the SXSW Film Festival partnered with Amazon Prime Video to present the SXSW 2020 Film Festival Collection with 39 projects from the 2020 lineup available to audiences online. The Festival also presented nearly all of the Shorts Program online in association with Osciliscope and Mailchimp. Since many Special Awards had already been in place, once filmmakers opted in, all juried competitions were held. Shithousedirected by Cooper Raiff won the 2020 Narrative Competition Grand Jury Award and An Elephant in the Room directed by Katrine Philp won the 2020 Documentary Grand Jury Award. Additional Award Winners: Topside, Really Love, The Donut King and Finding Yingying
Episodics: 12 Episodic world premieres were programmed: Central Park, Chad, Cursed FIlms, Hightown, Home, Motherland: Fort Salem, Outcry, Snowpiercer, Solar Opposites, Tales from the Loop, Upload, and We’re Here. 14 Episodic Pilot Competition titles were programmed: Alisa, Beached, Bored, Embrace, Everyone Together, Heart To Heart, This Isn’t Me, Bananas, Chemo Brain, Cooper’s Bar, The Dream, Homecoming: The Journey of Cardboard, Lusty Crest, and Racist Trees. 

2021: Demi Lovato: Dancing With The Devil, Alone Together & More From SXSW Film
Notable Speakers: Ava DuVernay, James Cameron, Taraji P. Henson, Barry Jenkins, Matthew McConaughey, Samantha Bee, Elizabeth Banks, Mayim Bialik, Bill Hader, Noah Hawley, Demi Lovato, Amber Ruffin, The Russo Brothers, Ava DuVernay, Kenan Thompson. Notable Films: The Fallout, Lily Topples the World, Demi Lovato: Dancing with the Devil, Alone Together featuring Charli XCX, Tom Petty, Somewhere You Feel Free, Alien on Stage, Delia Derbyshire: The Myths and the Legendary Tapes, Disintegration Loops, The End of Us, Gaia, Here Before, The Hunt for Planet B, Hysterical, Jakob’s Wife, Luchadoras, Recovery, R#J, Sound of Violence, Sparks Brothers, Swan Song, United States vs. Reality Winter, Violet, When Claude Got Shot.Episodics: Six Episodic world premieres: Confronting a Serial Killer, Cruel Summer, The Girlfriend Experience, Made for Love, Sasquatch, and Them. Six Episodic Pilot Competition titles: 4 Feet High, Dale’s House, For the Record, Parked in America, The Position, and Pretend Partners.

2022: Notable Speakers: Lizzo, Celine Tricart, Renee Elise Goldsberry, Busy Philipps, Sara Bareilles, Karl Urban, Jessie T. Usher, Jensen Ackles, Laz Alonso, Chase Crawford, Karen Fukuhara, Donna Langley, Frank Pallotta, Ethan Hawke, Kelly Garner, Brittany Jones-Cooper
Notable Films: Everything Everywhere All At Once, Bodies Bodies Bodies, Spin Me Round, The Locust, The Lost City, The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, Apollo 10 ½: A Space Age Childhood, X, The Pez Outlaw, I Love My Dad, What We Leave Behind, Sissy, Deadstream, More Than Robots, Bad Axe, Descendant, Diamond Hands: The Legend of WallStreetBets, Fire of Love, Kids in The Hall: Comedy Punks, Still Working 9 to 5, Gabby Giffords Won’t Back Down, We Feed People, Facing Nolan, Tony Hawk: Until the Wheels Fall Off, Sheryl, and Mickey: The Story of a Mouse. Episodics: 12 World Premiere Episodics: Atlanta Season 3 premiere, 61st Street, The Big Conn, Brené Brown: Atlas of the Heart, DMZ, The Girl From Plainville, Halo, The Last Movie Stars, The Man Who Fell To Earth, Shining Girls, Swimming with Sharks, They Call Me Magic, and WeCrashed. Six Episodic Pilot Competition titles: Awayy, Brownsville Bred, Hidden Kingdom, My Year of Dicks, Something Undone, and We’re Doing Good. Notable Talent:Daniel Radcliffe, Sandra Bullock, Jared Leto, Jenny Slate, Pedro Pascal, Nicolas Cage, Zazie Beetz, Anne Hathaway, Elle Fanning, Dakota Johnson, Ethan Hawk, Michelle Yeoh, Stephanie Hsu, Andrea Riseborough, Ron Howard, Stephen Root, Jamie Lee Curtis, Ke Huy Quan (virtually), Chloe Sevigny, Keith David, Debby Ryan, Donald Glover, Meredith Salinger, Odeya Rush, Glen Powell, Harry Shum Jr., Richard Linklater, O-T Fagbenle, Zach Woods, Kate Flannery, Owen Teague, Ayden Mayeri, Jacob Scipio, Ramona Young, Tim Heidecker, Raul Castillo, Alessandra Mastronardi, Daniel Kwan, Rick Famuyiwa, Colton Ryan, Daniel Scheinert, Cooper Raiff, Jeff Baena, Kyle Marvin, Frank Marshall, Tom Gormica, Lily Sheen, Aaron Nee, Dean Fleischer-Camp, Adam Nee, Tony Hawk, Glenn Ficcara, Sheryl Crow, Magic Johnson, Michael Morris, John Requa, Casey Neistat, Sarah Jones, Sam Jones, Rose Byrne, Bobby Cannavale, Jim Gaffigan, Patton Oswalt, Jon Kimmel, Connor Kalopsis, Maureen Bharoocha, Julie Cohen, Amy Scott, Vanessa Burghardt, Evan Assante, Brene Brown, Sam Green, Bradley Jackson, Betsy West, Michael Rosenberg, Nolan Ryan, Gabby Giffords, Senator Mark Kelly, Andy Morreale, and more!

15 Years of Film & TV Conference Highlights: Robust TV programming in the Conference preceded 2012’s first Episodic screening in the Festival.  Highlights of Conference Keynotes and Featured Speakers, many covering both film and TV topics, include: Bob Odenkirk in Conversation with Fred Armisen, Elizabeth Moss in Conversation with Brandi Carlile, Silicon Valley Cast and Creators Panel, Mr Robot Cast and Creators Panel, Veep Cast and Creators Panel, The Chi Cast and Creators Panel, Game of Thrones Cast and Creators Panel, Westworld Cast and Creators Panel, The Boys Cast and Creators Panel.  Other Highlights include: Lizzo Keynote, Ava DuVernay Keynote, Barry Jenkins Keynote, Mark Duplass Keynote, Lee Daniels Keynote, Jill Soloway Keynote, Gale Anne Hurd Keynote, A Conversation with Neil Gaiman, A Conversation with Tilda Swinton, A Conversation with Elizabeth Banks and Aidy Bryant, A Conversation with Ethan Hawke and Jason Blum, A Conversation with Olivier Assayas and Richard Linklater, A Conversation with Chris Miller and Phil Lord, Spike Lee Masterclass, A Conversation with Wagner Moura and Alice Braga, A Conversation with Melanie Lynskey, and many more.

Iconic Film & TV Activations: Each year features dozens of inventive, immersive, award-winning installations promoting work in the Festival and Conference, as well as other projects that appeal to the unique SXSW audiences. These include HBO’s groundbreaking recreation of Westworld, and subsequent Bleed for the Throne; Amazon’s Good Omens Garden of Earthly Delights, A&E’s Bates Motel; USA Networks’ recreation of Coney Island for Mr. Robot; AMC’s Preacher and Starz’ American GodsInstallations, plus many others. 2022 featured Amazon's Superheroes & Superstars Experience featuring The Boys and Lizzo's Watch Out for the Big Grrrls, FX's AtlantaSeason 3 Amsterdam style cafe pop up fittingly called The Trip, Disney+'s Outdoor Screening complete with larger than life characters and all day outdoor screenings, the WarnerMedia House, the Peacock Playground and many others.

About SXSW
SXSW dedicates itself to helping creative people achieve their goals. Founded in 1987 in Austin, Texas, SXSW is best known for its conference and festivals that celebrate the convergence of tech, film & TV, music, education, and culture. An essential destination for global professionals, the annual March event features sessions, music and comedy showcases, film screenings, exhibitions, professional development and a variety of networking opportunities. SXSW proves that the most unexpected discoveries happen when diverse topics and people come together. SXSW 2023 will take place March 10 - 19, 2023. For more information, please visit sxsw.com. To register for the event, please visit sxsw.com/attend.

SXSW 2023 is sponsored by White Claw, Porsche and The Austin Chronicle.