New films from Jeff Nichols, Ti West and Mike Birbiglia will screen at the 2016 South by Southwest film festival, in addition to the world premiere of Netflix’s Pee-wee’s Big Holiday, produced by Trainwreck director Judd Apatow.
In its second tranche of announcements, following the news that Richard Linklater’s new comedy Everybody Wants Some will open the event on 11 March, the festival listed the films that make up its various categories.
Nichols’ Midnight Special, making its North American premiere after showing at Berlin, reunites the film-maker with his frequent collaborator Michael Shannon, who plays a father to a young boy with special powers.
Ethan Hawke and John Travolta star in West’s In a Valley of Violence, a revenge thriller from Blumhouse Productions, the horror production company responsible for the Paranormal Activity and Insidious franchises. Hawke also has the US premiere of his Chet Baker biopic Born to be Blue, while Don Cheadle’s Miles Davis biopic – Miles Ahead – also features.
Don’t Think Twice – Birbiglia’s sophomore feature, following 2012’s acclaimed Sleepwalk With Me – centers on the drama that ensues when an improv group loses the lease on their home theater.
Pee-wee’s Big Holiday will have its world premiere at SXSW ahead of its Netflix debut on 18 March. Paul Reuben revives his role for the family comedy about Pee-wee going on his first-ever vacation.
Additional premieres include The Trust, which pairs up Nicolas Cage and Elijah Wood for a seedy crime thriller, and The Waiting, a horror film starring James Caan.
Demolition, which opened the Toronto international film festival in September, will receive its US premiere at SXSW. The drama, directed by Jean-Marc Vallée (Wild, Dallas Buyers Club), stars Jake Gyllenhaal, Naomi Watts and Chris Cooper. The full SXSW lineup will include 52 films from first-time film-makers, 89 world premieres, 13 North American premieres and eight US.
Additional lineups will be announced next week. The 2016 SXSW film festival runs 11-19 March in Austin, Texas.
