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SXSW Announces 2015 Midnight and Shorts Lineups
World of Tomorrow On the heels of last week’s feature program announcement, SXSW has just released their selections for Midnighters and Shorts. In addition to several Sundance holdovers — including Jury Prize winners World of Tomorrow and Oh Lucy! — the several shorts programs feature new work from Leah Shore (HALLWAY), ornana (All Your Favorite Shows!), James M. Johnston (Melville), and DANIELS (Interesting Ball), as well as the latter’s very viral music video Turn Down For What. Find the full list of added features and shorts below.
FEATURES
MIDNIGHTERS
Scary, funny, sexy, controversial – provocative after-dark features for night owls and the terminally curious.
The Corpse of Anna Fritz (Spain)
Director: Hèctor Hernández Vicens, Screenwriters: Hèctor Hernándes Vicens, Isaac P. Creus
Anna Fritz, a famous and beautiful actress, has died recently. Three young men sneak into the morgue to see her naked. Fascinated by her beauty, they decide to become the last people to have sex with her. Cast: Alba Ribas, Cristian Valencia, Bernat Saumell, Albert Carbó
(World Premiere)
Deathgasm (New Zealand)
Director/Screenwriter: Jason Lei Howden
New kid in town Brodie and bad-boy Zakk quickly bond over their mutual admiration of heavy metal. But when these two metal thrashing losers unwittingly summon malevolent forces, their dreams of stardom may just have to be put on hold. Cast: Milo Cawthorne, James Blake, Kimberley Crossman, Stephen Ure (World Premiere)
The Diabolical
Director: Alistair Legrand, Screenwriters: Alistair Legrand, Luke Harvis
When a single mother and her two young children are tormented by an increasingly strange and intense presence, she turns to her science teacher boyfriend to help take on the violent forces that paranormal experts are too frightening to face. Cast: Ali Larter, Arjun Gupta, Max Rose, Merrin Dungey, Chloe Perrin, Kurt Carley, Patrick Fischler, Wilmer Calderon, Tom Wright, Laura Margolis (World Premiere)
Excess Flesh
Director: Patrick Kennelly, Screenwriters: Sigrid Gilmer, Patrick Kennelly
Obsessed with her sexy roommate, Jill violently imprisons Jennifer in their apartment in a twisted attempt to bring them closer together. Cast: Bethany Orr, Mary Loveless, Wes McGee, Sheresade Poblet, Jill Jacobson, Dana L. Wilson, Kristin Minter, Robert Maffia, Jules Bruff, Juan Riedinger (World Premiere)
HANGMAN
Director: Adam Mason, Screenwriters: Adam Mason, Simon Boyes
Returning from vacation, the Miller family find their home has been broken into. After cleaning up the mess they continue with their lives, shaking off the feeling of being violated. But little do they know the nightmare has just begun. Cast: Jeremy Sisto, Kate Ashfield, Ty Simpkins, Ryan Simpkins, Amy Smart, Ross Partridge, Vince Ventresca, Bruno Acalinas, Ethan Harris-Riggs, Jamie Lee (World Premiere)
He Never Died
Director/Screenwriter: Jason Krawczyk
Jack is a man battling his eternal struggle with cannibalism. There are very few reasons to live when you can’t die. Cast: Henry Rollins, Steven Ogg, Kate Greenhouse, BooBoo Stewart, Jordan Todosey (World Premiere)
The Invitation
Director: Karyn Kusama, Screenwriters: Phil Hay, Matt Manfredi
While attending a dinner party at his former home, a man thinks his ex-wife and her new husband have sinister intention for their guests. Cast: Logan Marshall-Green, Tammy Blanchard, Michiel Huisman, Emayatzy Corinealdi, Lindsay Burdge, John Carroll Lynch, Mike Doyle, Michelle Krusiec, Karl Yune, Jordi Vilasuso (World Premiere)
The Nightmare
Director: Rodney Ascher
The Nightmare is an original horror documentary from the Oscar winning producer of Undefeated, the producer of Jiro Dreams of Sushi, and the producer of The Pact and is directed by Rodney Ascher, the acclaimed director of the Room 237.
Pod
Director/Screenwriter: Mickey Keating
A family intervention goes horrifically awry within the snowy confines of an isolated lake house. Cast: Lauren Ashley Carter, Dean Cates, Brian Morvant, Larry Fessenden, John Weselcouch (World Premiere)
Turbo Kid (Canada / New Zealand)
Director/Screenwriter: RKSS Collective
In a post-apocalyptic future, The Kid, a young solitary scavenger obsessed with comic books must face his fears and become a hero when he meets a mysterious girl named APPLE.
Cast: Michael Ironside, Munro Chambers, Laurence Leboeuf, Edwin Wright, Aaron Jeffrey
We Are Still Here
Director/Screenwriter: Ted Geoghegan
In the cold, winter fields of New England, there sits a house that wakes up every 30 years and demands a sacrifice. Cast: Barbara Crampton, Andrew Sensenig, Larry Fesseden, Lisa Marie, Monte Markham (World Premiere)
SHORT FILMS
NARRATIVE SHORTS
A selection of original, well-crafted films that take advantage of the short form and exemplify distinctive and genuine storytelling. The winner of our Grand Jury Award in this category is eligible for a 2015 Academy Award nomination for Best Narrative Short.
09:55 – 11:05, Ingrid Ekman, Bergsgatan 4B (Sweden)
Directors: Cristine Berglund, Sophie Vukovic
67-year old Ingrid has decided to deal with cancer on her own. She retreats from the outside world and it retreats from her – apart from sporadic visits from the home care services. But then home care employee Frida knocks on her door and awakens feelings that Ingrid can’t shut out.
Actresses
Director: Jeremy Hersh
Follows the relationship between a 23-year-old aspiring actress and an off-broadway star.
Aspirational
Director: Matthew Frost
In Aspirational, a short film for fashion magazine Vs., Frost takes aim at selfie culture with the help of Kirsten Dunst.
Baby
Director: Samuel Aaron Bennett
Naomi’s got a problem. The vodka in the hotel mini-bar may not be the answer, but it helps her escape a reality she won’t face, at least for a little while. (World Premiere)
Donald And Jess
Director: Paul Briganti
A lonely plumber fights for a customer he’s fallen for. (World Premiere)
Followers (Australia/UK)
Director: Tim Marshall
We all need something… or someone to follow.
Guest Room
Director: Joshua Tate
A young woman with Down Syndrome (Glee’s Lauren Potter) grapples with intimacy, identity, and adulthood after an unplanned pregnancy with her boyfriend. (World Premiere)
HALLWAY
Director: Leah Shore
Shot exclusively in a secret sex club in New York City, a drug-induced couple unleash upon each other an existential barrage of delusion and broken dreams. (World Premiere)
Happy with Bear (Australia)
Director: Yianni Warnock
A Singaporean exchange student struggles with her inner turmoil by vicariously living through her online persona. (World Premiere)
LERATO (USA/South Africa)
Director: Thati Peele
Happy, a short-tempered South African farm labourer, must contend his fate to get his young daughter to a prestigious piano audition on time. (World Premiere)
Myrna the Monster
Director: Ian Samuels
A heartbroken alien dreamer from the moon transitions into young adult life in Los Angeles like any other twentysomething.
Oh Lucy (Japan/USA/Singapore)
Director: Atsuko Hirayanagi
Setsuko, a 55-year-old single so-called office lady in Tokyo, is given a blonde wig and a new identity, Lucy, by her young unconventional English-language teacher. “Lucy” awakens desires in Setsuko she never knew existed.
Pink Grapefruit
Director: Michael Mohan
A young married couple brings two of their single friends out to Palm Springs for a long weekend. It does not go as planned.
Primrose
Director: Clara Aranovich
An unlikely love story set along Kenai Lake in Alaska. (World Premiere)
Room 55 (UK)
Director: Rose Glass
Set in 1950s England, Room 55 follows the journey of Alice Lawson – strictly self-disciplined wife, mother and celebrated television cook – as she spends an unplanned night alone at the mysterious Clove Hotel…
Share
Director: Pippa Bianco
A 15-year-old girl returns to school after someone shares an explicit video of her. (World Premiere).
Teenland (Denmark)
Director: Marie Grahtø
Teenland is neo-kitsch fantasy about incarcerated teens so fucked up emotionally that they have developed supernatural powers – like all teenagers really. It’s time to release the teens of the world. (World Premiere)
Wait ’til the Wolves Make Nice
Director: Jessica dela Merced
Five kids turn their innocence to ashes on a hot summer day in Detroit. (World Premiere)
We’ll Find Something
Director: Casey Gooden
A couple struggles to choose a restaurant while visiting New York. (World Premiere)
What Doesn’t Kill You
Director: Darya Zhuk
After a rare diagnosis, Lily’s attempts to flee from war torn Israel are thwarted when the airport shuts down and her zany cousin forces her to party. (World Premiere)
DOCUMENTARY SHORTS
Unfiltered slices of life, from across the documentary spectrum. The winner of our Grand Jury Award in this category is eligible for a 2015 Academy Award nomination for Best Documentary Short.
Bob Spells Backwards
Directors: Josh Polon, Ryan Maxey
Bob has this superpower he can do most of the time. (World Premiere)
Born To Be Mild (UK)
Director: Andy Oxley
Documentary delving into the peculiar world of the Dull Men’s Club. (U.S. Premiere)
Boxeadora (USA/Cuba)
Director: Meg Smaker
One woman defies Fidel Castro’s ban on female boxing to follow her dream of Olympic glory. Boxeadora tells the story of her harrowing journey against insurmountable odds to become Cuba’s first female boxer. (World Premiere)
Calls to Okies: The Park Grubbs Story
Directors: Bradley Beesley, Ben Steinbauer
In the early 1980’s, a group of disenfranchised Oklahoma teenagers mastered the art of prank phone calls and became known as Park Grubbs. (World Premiere)
El Porvenir
Directors: Josh Chertoff, Alfredo Alcantara
El Porvenir tells the story of Abelardo Olguin, a third-generation cockfighter struggling to hold on to his family’s way of life in the face of a growing movement to ban the sport across the Mexican states. (World Premiere)
Every Day
Director: Gabe Spitzer
At 86, Joy Johnson was the oldest woman to run the 2013 New York City Marathon. This is the story of an inspiring athlete with an uncommon passion for her sport, and for life.
Growth
Director: Mishka Kornai
An ode to the universality of life and its phases, through a collection of personal stories shared by unique individuals. (World Premiere)
I Thought I Told You To Shut Up!! (Canada)
Director: Charlie Tyrell
In 1977 David Boswell created comic book anti-hero Reid Fleming, The World’s Toughest Milkman. 30 years later, the big screen Hollywood adaptation remains in limbo. Narrated by Academy Award-Winner Jonathan Demme. (World Premiere)
THE LAST MILE
Director: Ondi Timoner
61% of California inmates return to prison within 3 years. The Last Mile program at San Quentin Prison helps offenders become entrepreneurs, training them to start their own companies, despite being denied access to computers & the Internet. (World Premiere)
The Little Deputy (Canada)
Director: Trevor Anderson
Trevor tries to have a photo taken with his father.
Love Has No Age
Director: Eli Born
A love story reunion between a woman who joined a Cult called, “The Source Family”, and a legendary rock photographer. (U.S. Premiere)
Picturing Barbara Kruger
Director: Pippa Bianco
How do you make a film about the artist’s image without using it? (World Premiere)
Spearhunter
Directors: Adam Roffman, Luke Poling
In the wilds of rural Alabama, a spear-hunter proclaims himself “world’s greatest”, erecting a museum dedicated to his bizarre obsession. An offbeat cast of lovers and acolytes remember his tactics both for killing and for leaving a legacy. (World Premiere)
Terms of Intimacy
Director: Melissa Langer
A glimpse into the emerging industry of professional cuddling and the lives of the clients that use this service. (U.S. Premiere)
Tiger Hood
Director: Christopher André Marks
Patrick Barr has a passion for golf, what he doesn’t have are fairways or golf balls. Undaunted, Patrick a.k.a. “Tiger Hood,” swings his way to self-acceptance on the streets of the Lower East Side of Manhattan. (World Premiere)
unmappable
Directors: Diane Hodson, Jasmine Luoma
Weaving together the life and work of iconoclastic psychogeographer and convicted sex offender, Denis Wood, this meditative portrait unveils the inner workings of a man who unapologetically pushes boundaries both personally and professionally.
ANIMATED SHORTS
An assortment of stories told using a mix of traditional animation, computer-generated effects, stopmotion, and everything in-between. The winner of our Grand Jury Award in this category is eligible for a 2015 Academy Award nomination for Best Animated Short.
All Your Favorite Shows!
Director: Danny Madden
Anything you wanna watch in the palm of your hands! Crazy convenient. Crazy. . . (World Premiere)
Bottom Feeders
Director: Matt Reynolds
A hand drawn animation documenting a parasitic reproductive cycle. (World Premiere)
Butter Ya’Self
Director: Julian Petschek
A banana and a hot dog bun are famous.
Half Wet (UK)
Director: Sophie Koko Gate
We are all born as wet as a banana, 75% water.
LAVA
Director: James Ford Murphy
Inspired by the isolated beauty of tropical islands and the explosive allure of ocean volcanoes, LAVA is a musical love story that takes place over millions of years.
PALM ROT
Director: Ryan Gillis
An old crop-duster discovers a mysterious crate floating in the Florida Everglades. Bringing the crate onto his airboat is just the first in a series of decisions he learns to regret.
Pig
Director: Steven Subotnick
The pig is everything. (North American Premiere).
Roadtrip (Germany)
Director: Xaver Xylophon
Julius can’t sleep. To get his head empty he decides to go on a roadtrip, but somehow he can’t manage to leave. A hand drawn film about failure, insomnia, a red motorbike, pretty bargirls, the desolateness of Berlin and waterproof socks.
teeth (UK/Hungary/USA)
Directors: Daniel Gray, Tom Brown
The point of no return cannot be crossed twice.
whole (Denmark)
Director: William Reynish
whole is a film about heartache. (U.S. Premiere)
World of Tomorrow
Director: Don Hertzfeldt
A little girl is taken on a mind-bending tour of her distant future.
MIDNIGHT SHORTS
Bite-sized bits for all of your sex, genre, and hilarity needs.
ANAL JUKE -anal juice- (Japan)
Director: Sawako Kabuki
A dream about my ex-boyfriend and the uneasy atmosphere of Japan after the earthquake are remixed.
Bag Man
Directors: Josh Baker, Jonathan Baker
Bag Man is the understated story of a 12 year old African American boy, who takes us on an introspective journey out of the city and into the remote countryside of upstate New York, with a mysterious duffle bag in hand. (World Premiere)
CROW HAND!!!
Director: Brian Lonano
A “CAW”tionary tale!!! (North American Premiere)
Interesting Ball (USA/UK)
Director: DANIELS
A red ball bounces past a cafe and a couple folks’ houses and then goes to the beach.
Kiss Kiss Fingerbang
Director: Gillian Wallace Horvat
A nice guy discovers a darker side of his personality when his girlfriend reveals her hidden weakness. (World Premiere).
Knock Knock
Director: Jeff Betancourt
Val and her friends play a game that allows them to communicate with the dead. The Knock Knock Game turns any doorway into a portal to the hereafter, but the girls soon learn that there are rules that should never be broken. (World Premiere)
Le Pédophile (Canada)
Director: Ara Ball
Le Pédophile tells the hard hitting story of a woman coping with a history of being sexually abused, and the violence and tenderness which helps her leave it behind. (World Premiere)
WELCOME to WILLITS: AFTER SUNDOWN
Director: Trevor Ryan
Some deals go wrong. Some deals go very wrong. (World Premiere)
MUSIC VIDEOS
A range of classic, innovative, and stylish work showcasing the scope of music video culture.
Blood Orange – “You’re Not Good Enough”
Director: Gia Coppola
Boy & Bear – “Bridges” (Australia)
Director: Summer DeRoche
Chet Faker – “Gold”
Director: Hiro Murai
clipping. – “Body & Blood”
Director: Patrick Kennelly
Dent de Cuir – “She’s Bad” (France)
Directors: Dent De Cuir
DJ Snake featuring Lil’ Jon – “Turn Down for What”
Director: DANIELS
Donn Bhat – “Disco Disco” (India)
Director: Aakash Bhatia
Duke Dumont – “Won’t Look Back” (UK/USA)
Director: Tim Main
Hercules and Love Affair – “I Try to Talk to You”
Director: David Wilson
Hudson and Troop – “Frameless” (Australia)
Directors: Andrew Goldsmith, Darcy Prendergast
Jack Kovacs (feat. Huxlee) – “The Empty House”
Director: Anna Zlokovic
Moody Good feat. Eryn Allen Kane – “Musicbx” (UK)
Director: Max McCabe
Mr Little Jeans – “Good Mistake”
Director: Ian & Cooper
Nils Frahm – “Re” (Hungary)
Director: Balázs Simon
Paolo Nutini – “Iron Sky” (UK)
Director: Daniel Wolfe
Saint Pepsi – “Fiona Coyne”
Director: Matt Walker
Taggart and Rosewood – “The Kink”
Directors: Brandon LaGanke, John Carlucci
Toys – “Golden Line” (France)
Director: Vladimir de Fontenay
Valentino Khan – “Make Some Noise”
Director: Tim Hendrix
TEXAS SHORTS
An offshoot of our regular narrative shorts program, composed of work shot in, about, or somehow relating to the Lone Star state.
+ / –
Directors: Andy Irvine, Mark Smoot
A young couple examines their relationship as they await the result of a pregnancy test. (World Premiere)
Carne Seca
Director: Jazmin Diaz
Brothers David and Oscar Juarez have until sunset in rural Mexico to turn a profit on their father’s business, or face the consequences of his belligerence. (World Premiere)
Darknet Delivery: A Silk Road Story (USA/Germany)
Directors: Lacey Dorn, Mafalda Millies
In the era of Internet hyper-connectivity, four friends order drugs online, only to reveal how disconnected they really are.
Detective Calzone
Director: Austin Tolin
When a new piece of evidence arrives for an unsolved case, Detective Lenny Calzone decides to put in a late night at the crime lab. (World Premiere)
Melville
Director: James M. Johnston
Marcus is dealing with some serious shit. (World Premiere)
The OceanMaker (USA/Belize)
Director: Lucas Martell
After the seas have disappeared, a courageous young female pilot fights against vicious sky pirates for control of the last remaining source of water: the clouds.
The Samaritans
Director: John Bryant
A salesman faces the most difficult and important negotiation of his life. (World Premiere)
Squirrel
Director: Tomas Vengris
A young girl’s contemplation of her budding sexuality takes us on a dark psychological journey about love, sex, and manipulation. (North American Premiere)
Star Cadets
Director: Joe Nicolosi
For two star pilots on a deep space patrol mission, hostile alien races aren’t the biggest threat… boredom is. (World Premiere)
Woman of the World
Director: Allison Cook
On a visit to Los Angeles, Rachel has an encounter with a celebrity that reminds her she is right where she belongs. (World Premiere)
TEXAS HIGH SCHOOL SHORTS
Texas High School students offer a glimpse of a bright future for Texas filmmaking.
Art-O-Mat: The Art Machine
Director: Jose Couvillion
Art-O-Mat: The Art Machine is a short documentary exploring Clark Whittington’s original creation, the Art-O-Mat, a vending machine that sells small pieces of original art.
as needed.
Director: Jonah Goldberg
A boy who has trouble with controlling his anger begins to take medication, but not everyone agrees with this choice.
Awake After Sleepless Nights
Director: Nathan Jowers
Joshua, a young student, struggles against sleep deprivation, turning to online games for relief.
Dolls
Directors: Katie Dai, Rachel Davis
Dolls is the story of two girls getting ready for a party in conventional – and unconventional! – ways.
Evelyn Parker
Director: Gretchen Lynch
Evelyn Parker is a short kids film about a nine year old girl who realizes she might just need math to make it big in the fashion world.
Five Words
Director: Abbey Perez
During her college application process, Mira must constantly brag about herself, but she can’t think of anything good to say. In this coming-of-age story, Mira relies on help from her friends to figure out what makes her special.
Greg The Magnificent
Directors: Umar Qadeer, Nick Chaviers
Greg The Magnificent follows Greg Smith, an under-appreciated kid who is constantly picked on. A magic kit mysteriously arrives at his front door that motivates him to become “someone.”
Grief
Directors: Garrett Monk, Calvin Herbst
A short film illustrating the Kübler-Ross model, commonly known as the 5 stages of grief. The film reflects each stage through a group of friends as they struggle to overcome the loss of someone close to them.
Home
Director: Caitlin O’Brien
Home is a dramatic science fiction short about a young girl who is faced with the frailty of life and the humanity of home.
I am not a Hero
Director: Murphy Studebaker
I am not a Hero explores the significance of knowledge, creativity, and self-expression.
It’s A Thing
Directors: Meredith Morran, Sage McCommas
A short exploration of two quirky high school students with irrational fears. They find each other and the power of love.
It’s Really Odd
Directors: Elisabetta Diorio, Joshua Leftwich
A hopelessly romantic eighth-grader finds herself about to experience what she once admired from a safe distance on a black-and-white screen.
Just Your Average Joe
Directors: Pearl Basinski, Jade Basinski
Life is a long dark tunnel and you’re the light at the end.
KERS
Director: Alexia Salingaros
KERS is a short documentary on a female graffiti artist. Braving the general public’s critical eye, she reveals her talents and takes us through the struggles she faces in her art form.
Luminosity
Director: Alexia Salingaros
In a fast-deteriorating world, a lonely hero must join together with an unlikely crew of misfits to uncover a secret and save their dying civilization.
Michelin
Directors: Caila Pickett, Gray Deuber
A chef redefines success.
Noel
Director: Michael Morrison
Noel is a dramatic film representing the immature and irrational decision of a teen who is maltreated.
Pokemon Rivals Trailer
Directors: Josh Ulmer, Branden Shoemaker
Pokemon Rivals Trailer is a live action Film based on the popular card and TV show Pokemon. It follows the characters Ash, Brock, and Gary from a different perspective than the light hearted TV show.
Professor Hancock’s Orchestra
Director: Charlie Ozburn
Professor Hancock’s Orchestra is a documentary showcasing the work of a band, led by high school senior Colin Hancock, who recreated the sound and analog recording technique of Jazz legend Buddy Bolden.
Shadows in the Woods
Director: Anthony Martino
Shadows in the Woods is a horror film following a couple on a camping trip in the woods. Things take a dark turn when the man’s sick fantasy is carried out.
The Passion of the Mime
Director: William Hoinoski
An aging detective and his rookie partner stumble upon a unique crime scene.
Turtle: A Super 8 Short Film
Director: Cameron Fisher
In a wordless tale, a lonely boy’s heartfelt encounter with an unexpected visitor (a tortoise) develops into an unlikely friendship based on trust.
