The stars aligned as the South by Southwest (SXSW) Film & TV Festival kicked off with the post-event celebration hosted by the Cinema Center. Amidst the vibrant atmosphere of downtown Austin, the Cinema Center played host to an exclusive two-day pop-up, treating attendees to a whirlwind of red-carpet premieres and unforgettable parties. The festivities, held on March 11-12, 2024, showcased some of SXSW’s most anticipated films, but none shone quite as brightly as Doin’ It. Doin’ It, a star-studded film featuring Lilly Singh, Stephanie Beatriz, and Jessica Clement, took center
Screening at SXSW this year was Family, the directorial debut of Benjamin Finkel. Family examines sobering topics such as death, sickness, and loss through the lens of horror. More specifically, it is told through the eyes of Johanna (Cameron Dawson Gray), a young girl living with her sick dad Harry (Ben Chaplin) and her mother Naomi (Ruth Wilson). With her father’s illness worsening, they recently moved closer to the hospital to more easily facilitate treatment. Johanna had previously hung a blue oval birdhouse and attracted a friendly, protective spirit to
One of the highlights from this year’s Midnight Shorts Program at SXSW was Apotemnofilia. Apotemnophilia syndrome is defined as “the desire for amputation of a healthy limb,” and just from the title of this short film, director Jan Pita has already hinted at what audiences can expect. Set entirely in a dressing room, we witness Clara (Lucía Azcoitía) descend into madness as she increasingly believes that bugs are nesting and swarming within her body, particularly her leg. She attempts to excise these critters with various implements scattered around the dressing
A standout feature of this year’s Midnighters Program at SXSW was Meat Puppet. Directed by Eros V, Meat Puppet unfolds with Oz Franklin (David Jonsson) immersed in his world of action figures at home, while his girlfriend (Máiréad Tyers) frantically calls him from their graduation ceremony, puzzled by his absence. Oz, perpetually embracing his inner child, disregards her calls and instead answers the door to a mysterious package. Believing he ordered another round of toys, Oz accepts the delivery and eagerly opens the box, only to reveal a Sesame Street-style