Get Ready!
The main drawback to any film festival as big as South by Southwest (SXSW), held annually in Austin, TX, is too many exciting movies from which to choose.
Cue the melodic sounds of the world’s tiniest violin.
Unless you are a film fan attending for a series of movies in a specific genre or only buying a pass with a limited amount of time in which to catch one of the selections, chances are you have an all-access pass, and that provides the “problem” of having to whittle down the choices. Adding to the boon of options in 2022 was the fact that 2021 was an all-virtual event, and some filmmakers exercised their preference not to screen through the festival’s streaming service. Now that the 2022 event is in the hybrid model that many similar festivals have adopted (extending access not just to mainstream critics but others restricted by travel, either financially or physical), everyone has rushed back to the table, and there is truly a fantastic range of possibilities for attendees to explore.
With SWSW 2022 starting up in a few days, I wanted to take a moment and preview a handful (I have large hands, so buckle up) of movies on my radar. There’s no way I can get to all, but you better believe the ones I don’t see here will go on my list to keep track of down the line.
With the list so big, I will divide the preview into several posts – one for the Documentary Features and two for Narrative Features. While there are short films and several episodes of upcoming television shows also premiering, these tend not to feature in my preview, but I’ll report back if I do see them. For complete information on SXSW, which, in addition to the film festival, also has a Music and Comedy festival happening, you can visit the main website. Buy a badge today to attend virtually, or make a last-minute trip to Austin and make a weekend out of it!