For the fourth year in a row, Elements of Madness will officially be covering SXSW and we thought we’d offer up our recommendations of what to check out during the fest or what to keep an eye out for in wider distribution.
**These recommendations are solely based on reading the summaries and finding them intriguing.**
SXSW 2024 takes place in Austin, Texas from March 8th – March 16th, 2024.
An Army of Women
Official Synopsis:
A group of women in Austin, Texas, join forces to legally challenge the system that allowed their rapists to walk free. An Army of Women is the landmark story of women fighting to hold law enforcement accountable, with resounding relevance worldwide.
A scene from AN ARMY OF WOMEN. Photo Credit: Julie Lunde Lillesæter. Photo courtesy of SXSW.
Arcadian
Official Synopsis:
After a catastrophic event depopulates the world, a father and his two sons must survive their dystopian environment while being threatened by mysterious creatures that emerge at night.
Azrael
Official Synopsis:
Many years following the apocalypse, a devout cult of mute zealots hunts down a young woman who has escaped her imprisonment.
Samara Weaving in AZRAEL. Photo courtesy of SXSW.
Cold Wallet
Official Synopsis:
After losing everything in a massive cryptocurrency scam, a ragtag team of investors attempt to kidnap the rug pulling kingpin who screwed them over. But the home invasion takes a turn for the worst, and they become victims in a sadistic game.
A scene from the film COLD WALLET. Photo courtesy of SXSW.
Cuckoo
Official Synopsis:
On a trip to the German Alps with her father and stepmother, Gretchen discovers that the resort town where they’re staying hides sinister secrets, as she’s plagued by strange noises and frightening visions of a woman pursuing her.
Dead Mail
Official Synopsis:
An ominous, bloody help note finds its way to the desk of a seasoned “dead letter” investigator at a 1980’s Midwestern post office, leading him down a violent, unforeseen path to a kidnapped keyboard engineer and his demented business associate.
Sterling Macer as Josh Ivey in DEAD MAIL. Photo Credit: Dead Mail LLC. Photo courtesy of SXSW.
Desert Road
Official Synopsis:
A young woman crashes her car and walks down the road seeking help, only to find no matter which way she walks she ends up back at her car. As night falls, she realizes she’s going to die in this endless loop… unless she can find a way to escape.
The woman (Kristine Froseth) looks out across the vast desert before her, with no hope in sight in DESERT ROAD. Photo Credit: Nico Navia. Photo courtesy of SXSW.
Freaknik: The Wildest Party Never Told
Official Synopsis:
Freaknik: The Wildest Party Never Told is a celebratory exploration of the boisterous times of Freaknik, the iconic Atlanta street party that drew hundreds of thousands of people in the 80s and 90s, helping put Atlanta on the map culturally.
Grand Theft Hamlet
Official Synopsis:
Shot entirely inside the video game Grand Theft Auto, this documentary charts the hilarious and profoundly moving story of two out of work actors as they try to stage a full production of Hamlet within this notoriously violent digital world.
A still from documentary GRAND THEFT HAMLET. Photo courtesy of SXSW.
The Greatest Hits
Official Synopsis:
Harriet finds art imitating life when she discovers certain songs can transport her back in time – literally.
Lucy Boynton as Harriet in THE GREATEST HITS. Photo credit by Merie Weismiller Wallace. Photo courtesy of Searchlight Pictures.
The Hobby
Official Synopsis:
Are games the meaning of life? The Hobby is a funny, affectionate, character-driven portrait of the massive subculture of modern board games, featuring a fascinating and diverse group of subjects who find deep meaning in “meaningless” pursuits.
[film image: Caption: Candice Harris in The Hobby | Credit: Jesse McCracken
Candice Harris in THE HOBBY. Photo Credit: Jesse McCracken. Photo courtesy of SXSW.
Música
Official Synopsis:
Based on writer, director and star Rudy Mancuso, Música is a coming-of-age love story that follows an aspiring creator with synesthesia, who must come to terms with an uncertain future, while navigating love, family and his Brazilian Culture.
Omni Loop
Official Synopsis:
Diagnosed with a black hole growing inside her chest, a woman from Miami, Florida decides to solve time travel in order to go back and be the person she always intended to be.
L-R: Mary-Louise Parker and Ayo Edebiri in Bernardo Britto’s OMNI LOOP. Photo courtesy of SXSW.
Things Will Be Different
Official Synopsis:
In order to escape police after a robbery, two estranged siblings lay low in a metaphysical farmhouse that hides them away in a different time. There they reckon with a mysterious force that pushes their familial bonds to unnatural breaking points.
L-R: Adam David Thompson as Joseph and Riley Dandy as Sidney in THINGS WILL BE DIFFERENT. Photo Credit: Carissa Dorson. Photo courtesy of SXSW.
We Can Be Heroes
Official Synopsis:
A group of neurodivergent, queer, and self-proclaimed nerdy teenagers find solace at a LARP (live action role play) summer camp. They discover inner strength, heal from traumas, and emerge as their own heroes: both in fantasy and in reality.
A Wayfinder camper prepares to play the Adventure Game in WE CAN BE HEROES. Photo Credit: Peter Alton. Photo courtesy of SXSW.
About SXSW:
An essential destination for global professionals, the annual March event features sessions, music and comedy showcases, film and television screenings, world-class exhibitions, professional development and networking opportunities, tech competitions, awards ceremonies, and much more. SXSW proves that the most unexpected discoveries happen when diverse topics and people come together.
South By Southwest dedicates itself to helping creative people achieve their goals.
Join us March 8-16 in Austin, Texas for the 2024 SXSW Conference & Festivals. Learn more about registration and how to book your hotel for 9 days of discovery and creative inspiration!
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Categories: Coming Soon, Recommendation
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