World Premiere Archives - Page 2 of 6

‘Ponderosa’ (Tribeca 2026) Mind boggling brain barnacle is here to haunt you forever. For-ev-er.

Posted on June 7, 2026 by Liz Whittemore — Leave a reply

Ponderosa

Filmmaker Rob Rice‘s incredibly uncomfortable Tribeca 2026 film Ponderosa follows Zeke, a young man targeted by a wealthy patron as his mother’s restaurant chain falters. George thinks he’s mentoring Zeke, but the reality is a collection of bizarre, forced encounters.

As George involves Zeke in cartoonishly masculine scenarios, the audience feels more and more unwell. Each interaction is slightly exaggerated, making you feel increasingly off-kilter. Deadpan delivery may tip you off, but good luck. Ponderosa is a film that begs patience from its audience. It is a gross societal mirror. The script is deeply and intentionally awkward, highlighting the extreme differences in communication styles between generations.

Alexis Bledel plays Sandra with a morose indifference that she pretends to curb with dark humor. Bill Camp‘s George is anxiety-inducing. His discomfort is palpable. His fear of rejection pushes his efforts to woo Zeke into overdrive. Jack Dylan Grazer gives Zeke an alarming aloofness with Camp, but a genuine care for his mother’s emotional state. Grazer’s often clipped and quirky responses to George make for a fascinating study in human connection, and the combination of vapidity and nonchalance you want to strangle. It’s a genuinely great performance.

Visually striking, it compels you to explore each new frame. Barton Cortright offers juxtaposed imagery that both baffles and hypnotizes. Creative transitions stick in your brain. I cannot stop thinking about this film. I walked away feeling simultaneously dumber and entranced. I honestly feel like I got probed, but with my permission. And that’s weird. Do not move during Ponderosa’s credits. One more f*cked up hit is coming.

Ponderosa Cast & Crew:

Director & Writer: Rob Rice

Executive Producers: Jeremy Gardner, Declan Morgan, Kristal Gruevski, Steve Holmgren, Bill CampJack Dylan Grazer, Jason Matsumoto, Eugene Sun Park

Producers: Megan Pickrell, Matthew Porterfield, Amy E. Powell, Rob Rice

Cast: Jack Dylan Grazer, Bill Camp, Alexis Bledel

For more Tribeca 2026, click here!

‘The Revisionist’ (Tribeca 2026) A storyteller’s dream and one hell of debut.

Posted on June 6, 2026 by Liz Whittemore — Leave a reply

The Revisionist

Filmmaker Alex Vlack‘s debut is staggering. The Revisionist follows a twisted tale of artistic integrity and the unpredictability of the creative process. At an impasse for her latest work, novelist Elise plays dirty emotional warfare with those closest to her.

Dustin Hoffman plays David, Jacob’s aging, eccentric, but successful novelist father, with effortless cool and a curmudgeonly overtone. The distinct difference in tone from one scene to the next is a goddamm masterclass.

Tom Sturridge gives Jacob a trauma-filled sadness. He wallows in the lack of paternal connection, a level of wounded bird that counters both John and Elise. Sturridge is a dream partner. The total opposite of toxic masculinity. Read More →

‘The Haunting of Pennhurst’ (Tribeca 2026) Pulling back a dark curtain of cruelty to reclaim power. A doc that educates and enrages.

Posted on June 5, 2026 by Liz Whittemore — Leave a reply

The Haunting of Pennhurst

In Pennsylvania, a looming brick building stands as a testament to a dark past. Today, artists create enormous monster builds, finely detailed costumes, and eerie sets inside the rooms of a former institution for individuals with disabilities. Part stark horror story and part empowering revisionist, filmmakers Nathan Stenberg, Mike Attie, and Katarina Poljak‘s The Haunting of Pennhurst lives up to its title every frame.

Veteran performers encourage their new seasonal actors to create in-depth character charts to instill motivation, but most of those who apply for the position don’t need to make things up. The cast consists of neurodiverse and disabled people.

The film sucks you in by introducing the horrid history, but then allows the present attraction to act as a reclamation of power for the atrocities once committed there. Archival newspaper clips, alongside a perfectly ominous score, highlight the sickening language and mindset of Pennhurst’s 1907 origin. The film begins with a warning. Fifteen minutes in, the viewer will recognize its necessity. Read More →

‘Lucy Schulman’ (Tribeca 2026) A sweet and sour codependency cocktail

Posted on June 5, 2026 by Liz Whittemore — Leave a reply

Lucy Schulman

Ellie Sachs wears all the hats in her Tribeca 2026 film Lucy Schulman. The film follows a woman’s boy-crazy tendencies as they guide her life choices, and not for the better.

David Cross plays Lucy’s adorably kind father, Peter. Sachs and Cross share a chemistry that is cinematic magic. Their deliciously codependent relationship is like a warm hug of happy memories.

Lucy’s all-in approach to her love life slowly proves detrimental to her work and friendships, and eventually her partners. Her romantic hyperfocus becomes all-consuming, and little by little she chips away at every other relationship. Sometimes it takes everything falling apart to figure out how to get your shit together.

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‘Kids Like Me’ (Tribeca 2026) It’s no mystery why this is one of the year’s best films

Posted on June 5, 2026 by Liz Whittemore — Leave a reply

Kids Like Me

Twelve-year-old Oliver lives with his seven-year-old-sister Willa, father Chad, and mother Casey in a small town in Massachusetts. Oliver’s obsession with mystery novels and detective shows inspires him to make his own movie. While his body finds physical challenges, the only real hurdle is the limits of his imagination. Welcome to Cynthia L and Jon Cohrs‘ Tribeca doc, Kids Like Me.

Oliver is a charming, endlessly creative, incredibly intelligent, brutally honest young man. You instantly fall in love with his infectious enthusiasm and acerbic wit. Chad and Casey have to navigate something I’m also very familiar with: a second child who is also an energetic and creative girl. The dynamics of fairness, attention, and concessions of a sibling who often feels second-rate to one with additional needs can be incredibly challenging, and, as a parent, you constantly feel like you are failing. Willa is unsurprisingly self-aware. The relationship between Oliver and Willa is complex in all the relatable ways.

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‘Sara Bareilles: Good Grief’ (Tribeca 2026) Raw and revelatory doc will bring you to you knees.

Posted on June 5, 2026 by Liz Whittemore — Leave a reply

Sara Bareilles: Good Grief

Josh Alexander‘s beautifully raw peek into the world of musician Sara Bareilles. In March 2025, Sara and her band gather in Woodstock, NY, to record for six days. The result is a stunning exploration of unfiltered honesty and all the feels.

Bareilles’s artistic journey from folk-pop star to Tony-nominated writer makes all the sense in the world if you’ve been a fan since forever. Waitress absolutely deserved all the Tonys. Sorry, not sorry, to another musical bestie, Lin. Sara has this uncanny ability to cut your soul to ribbons with her interpretation of a song you thought you knew well. She’s fantastic at a musical gotcha when covering a song she didn’t write. The doc feels like that because it’s all new to us.

Confessional lyrics that make you cry (that’s a warning for around the 20-minute mark, but not the last), paired with gorgeously cut close-ups in the church studio, sweep you away. It feels like a live concert just for you. Alexandra delivers the organic revelations of creation. Read More →

‘Seekers of Infinite Love’ (SXSW 2026) Unresolved sibling trauma on the road.

Posted on March 22, 2026 by Liz Whittemore — Leave a reply

Seekers of Infinite Love

Products of wealthy narcissistic novelist parents, three siblings set out on a mission to rescue their sister from a woo-woo cult. Filmmaker Victoria Strouse delivers an oddball road movie in Seekers of Infinite Love.

Kayla is an anxiety-ridden writer. Wes is a gambling graphic novelist. Zack is a lawyer and aspiring songwriter. The fourth sibling, Scarlett, has joined a cult. Mom and Dad hired a deprogrammer to assist them. Following Kayla freaking out while boarding their flight, this eclectic group must drive halfway across the country to track down their missing sister before things get worse.

The Bachman siblings face absurd challenges along the way. Think The Hangover. As circumstances become more complicated, everyone’s insecurities are compounded by Rich’s extreme problem-solving suggestions. Three emotionally inept adults and one questionable weirdo must deal with their issues before they can approach Scarlett.

Justin Theroux plays our deprogrammer, Rich, a complex former cult member who now retrieves current victims for hire. His guru aura perfectly counters The Bachman’s manic energy, until his suspicious past changes the dynamic. Theroux is hilarious in this borderline caricature performance. Hannah Einbeinder, Griffin Gluck, and John Reynolds have an authentically charming chemistry.

Act Three features a surprising cameo as our cult leader. The script takes pages out of history’s doomsday cults, which is genuinely funny if they’re not happening to you. The overall tone of the film is goofy, and that’s the intent. The title serves as a clever double entendre in true dramedy fashion. At its heart, Seekers of Infinite Love is a story about the consequences of unresolved childhood trauma, the power of unconditional love, and proves that humor is the ultimate defense mechanism.

Seekers of Infinite Love

Director:Victoria Strouse

Executive Producer:Hannah Einbinder, Alexa Faigen, Nicole Flores, Hal Sadoff, Patrick Gogerchin, Tyler Zacharia, Gabby Zemer

Producer:Dylan Sellers, Chris Parker, Marty Bowen, Wyck Godfrey

Screenwriter:Victoria Strouse

Cinematographer:Tim Suhrstedt

Editor:Kheireddine El-Helou, Jess Brunetto, ACE

Production Designer:Rusty Smith

Cast:Hannah Einbinder, Justin Theroux, John Paul Reynolds, Griffin Gluck, Justine Lupe, Greg Kinnear

For all things SXSW 2026, click here!

‘I Got Bombed At Harvey’s’ (SXSW2026) A truly explosive heist

Posted on March 20, 2026 by Liz Whittemore — Leave a reply

I Got Bombed At Harvey

SXSW 2026 true-crime doc I Got Bombed at Harvey’s tells the off-the-wall tale of a casino, a ransom note, a homemade bomb with 1000 pounds of dynamite, and 24 hrs. Your jaw will drop as one absolute narcissistic lunatic’s spiral brings his kids down with him.

The film follows the 1980 story of a giant bomb appearing inside a very busy Lake Tahoe casino office. With local law enforcement and nationwide news media coverage, the perpetrators were doomed, but not from the start. The film’s structure consists of archival reels, sit-down interviews with the bomb squad members, photographs, blueprints, physical evidence, and reenactments. Oh, and one of the men involved. The only crystal clear aspect of this crazy endeavor is the mastermind. The absolute havoc and ripple effect of one man’s ego is diabolical.

The footage is genuinely shocking. I jumped out of my seat at one point. The number of times I audibly exclaimed WTF should be outlawed. Without spoiling the outcome, I will say that the complexities of this case will have you shaking your head. This entire scheme sounds like a movie script. Motivated by spite, revenge, mental illness, addiction, trauma, and fear, I Got Bombed at Harvey’s gets wilder by the minute. Just when you think the story could not possibly get any nuttier, think again.

I Got Bombed at Harvey’s is a romp through madness, money, and mayhem worth your eyeballs.

I Got Bombed at Harvey’s

Director:
Amy Bandlien Storkel, Bryan Storkel
Executive Producer:
Chris Smith, Andrew Corkin, Howard Owens, Ben Silverman, Theo Love, Michael Driscoll, Robert Marshall, Brian Lazarte, James Lee Hernandez
Producer:
Bo Butterworth, Karen Bowlin
Cinematographer:
Britton Foster
Editor:
Evan Vetter, Scott Evans, Amy Storkel, Dava Whisenant, ACE
Production Designer:
Adam Henderson
Music:
Michael James Lee
Cast:
Igor Grbesic, Ethan Riley, Ian S. Peterson, Michael Solarez, Jennylyn Caterina, Marianne Wiedeman, William Swartzbaugh

For all things SXSW 2026, click here!

‘Never After Dark’ (SXSW 2026) One of the year’s best genre films.

Posted on March 20, 2026 by Liz Whittemore — Leave a reply

Never After Dark

Dave Boyle brings SXSW 2026 audiences one of the most surprising films of the entire year with Never After Dark. The film follows Airi, a medium whose latest job assisting a spirit to cross the veil feels darker than usual. Airi arrives at an inn awaiting renovation. The new owner has seen an apparition and heard that Airi was the best of the best. What should be a routine case for our protagonist begins to confound her, as circumstances from years past haunt her and her new clients.

The film’s opening shot is startling, setting the tone for the madness to come. Boyle uses a classic trope of what the audience assumes will be the film’s ending and works backward. But, Never After Dark uses time as a clever bait and switch in a script that boggles the mind and absolutely terrifies.

Airi’s ghostly sister playfully accompanies her, calmly popping in and out of reflective surfaces to have a chat and act as a sidekick of sorts. It’s such an intriguing device. Think of her presence as a friendlier version of The Sixth Sense. The editing is spectacular. The unnatural speed dynamics between Airi and her entity are immensely jarring.

Audio creates a lingering tension, but it is the anticipation of seeing that horrific face in focus that makes your jaw clench. Airi’s nonchalant demeanor perfectly counters that discomforting hum in her first encounter with the spirit. But as she gets deeper into her usual flow, something is heavier about this particular case. Moeka Hoshi gives a tour de force performance, bringing unresolved baggage, quietly destructive behavior, unhealthy coping mechanisms, and a lived-in complexity that is nothing less than award-worthy.

There’s something about horror in broad daylight that subverts your expectations of the genre. Never After Dark dives headfirst with its title and continuously, and quite successfully, delivers simmering discomfort. You may have to remind yourself to breathe. The tropes are so smartly utilized. Boyle ups the ante by the minute. The writing is simply excellent. Never After Dark would give The Shining a run for its money. Inarguably one of the best films of the year.

Never After Dark Trailer

Never After Dark

Director:Dave Boyle

Executive Producer:Todd Brown, Aram Tertzakian, Nate Bolotin, Maxime Cottray, Toshiyuki Suzuki

Producer:Dave Boyle, Kento Kaku, Kosuke Tsutsumi

Screenwriter:Dave Boyle

Cinematographer:Patrick Ouziel

Editor:Chieko Suzaki

Production Designer:Yuji Hayashida

Sound:Natsuko Inoue

Music:Jonathan Snipes

Cast:Moeka Hoshi, Kento Kaku, Kurumi Inagaki, Mutsuo Yoshioka, Bokuzo Masana, Tae Kimura

Crew:Lighting Director: Hidenori Nagata, Costume Designer: Arata Kobayashi, Supervising Sound Editor/Re-Recording Mixer: Carlos Sanches, C.A.S.

For all things SXSW 2026, click here!

‘The Peril at Pincer Point’ (SXSW 2026) Wins the NEON Auteur Award

Posted on March 20, 2026 by Liz Whittemore — Leave a reply

The Peril at Pincer Point

Filmmakers Jake Kuhn and Noah Stratton-Twine really both just said we’re gonna make a whole damn movie and it’s gonna premiere at SXSW 2026. An ode to the late, great Roger Corman, The Peril at Pincer Point is indie filmmaking at its finest. It is no wonder it won the NEON Auteur Award!

The audience follows Jack, an aspiring sound recordist, who must impress his idol director, leading him on a mission. He must find the voice of a young woman who resides on a mysterious and remote island. Along the way, he meets the island’s residents. Each quirky in their own way. Each knowing more than they let on. While Jack wanders the island recording unusual audio, he becomes entangled in an old fisherman’s fable, one that might be reeling Jack in for more than he bargained for.

Dialogue is over-the-top quippy and hilarious. You’re never quite sure what might pop out of anyone’s mouth. Jack Redmayne gives our protagonist Jim a wildly hopeful air. This is a man hellbent on proving himself no matter the cost. Redmayne fully leans into the style Kuhn and Stratton-Twine give him to explore. The film looks like a handcrafted theatre set. Shot in black and white, it might read like a student film to anyone outside the industry, but this is a love letter to the limitless possibilities of the storytelling mind and imagination. The Peril at Pincer Point is almost challenging to describe. It stands toe-to-toe with other festival discoveries that you hear cinephiles talk about years later. It becomes a fisherman’s tale itself.

The Peril at Pincer Point

Section: Visions

Directed by: Noah Stratton-Twine, Jake Kuhn

Screenwriter: Noah Stratton-Twine, Jake Kuhn

Producer: Noah Stratton-Twine, Jake Kuhn

Executive Producer: Igor Engler, Caroline Burton

Editor: Noah Stratton-Twine

Starring: Jack Redmayne, Alyth Ross, Os Leanse, Jason Hogan, Heidi Parsons, Dashiell Upton, Isobel Laidler, Mike Mackenzie, Mat Wright

Run Time: 83 minutes

Genre: Comedy, Mystery

For more SXSW 2026 coverage, click here!

‘And Her Body Was Never Found’ (SXSW 2026) Two people. Real danger?

Posted on March 16, 2026 by Liz Whittemore — Leave a reply

And Her Body Was Never Found

Real-life couple Polaris Banks and Mor Cohen create one of the most cringeworthy hybrid movies ever. When I use that term to describe their SXSW 2026 film And Her Body Was Never Found, it is a genuine compliment.

The audience follows Mor and Polaris, also the only two crew members, on an isolated camping trip, recreating their actual volatile discussions. Not since watching The Human Centipede have I felt this uncomfortable witnessing something so intensely personal on film. It’s the only film that similarly made my insides churn in a way I did not ask for.

The string-heavy score is reminiscent of Hitchcock. Although that’s not the only thing that leaves you with a spine-tingling sensation. Our leads pull the rug out from under the audience by suddenly breaking the fourth wall, plunging us into this meta horror aspect of their filmmaking. Blurring the lines is creepy as hell.

The film’s premiere comes at a particularly auspicious time as cases of “Alpine Divorce” are suddenly in the news. If you are unfamiliar with this phenomenon, I will explain. Men lead their significant others deep into the wilderness, then abandon them. The term comes from the 1893 short story “An Alpine Divorce” by Robert Barr, which follows a man plotting to murder his wife by leaving her on a Swiss Alp. More women are expressing on social media that this is happening to them. It is somehow insane, and yet entirely believable.

From a technical standpoint, it is incredibly impressive that each point of coverage maintains energy from cut to cut. As we pivot from movie-making mode to relationship mode, cell phone footage, framing, and jarring blackouts play mind games.

This is a shockingly visceral watch. Every beat is a glaring example of the vast differences in communication styles between genders. Semantics, blaming, gaslighting, lies, unresolved trauma, it all plays a part in the toxic cycles of arguing. It is impossible not to feel heated as you witness inevitably familiar turns of phrase and emotional escalation. And Her Body Was Never Found does its job, acting as a terrifyingly aggressive form of immersion therapy. By the end, I wanted to crawl out of my skin.

Director: Polaris Banks

Executive Producer: Tristan Barr, Josh Doke

Producer: Polaris Banks, Mor Cohen, Hilarion Banks

Screenwriter: Polaris Banks, Mor Cohen

Cinematographer: Polaris Banks, Mor Cohen

Editor: Polaris Banks

Production Designer: Polaris Banks

Sound: Zach Goheen

Music: Nathan Schram

Cast: Mor Cohen, Polaris Banks, Grae Drake

Crew: Camera Operator: Hilarion Banks, 1st Camera Assistant: Michael Schnick, Sound Recordist: Cruz Thomas, Hair and Make-Up: Kari Koerper, Re-Recording Mixer: Juan Campos, Score Mixer: Chris Botta

For all things SXSW 2026, click here!

‘The Ascent’ (SXSW 2026) An extreme upward journey.

Posted on March 16, 2026 by Liz Whittemore — Leave a reply

The Ascent

Directors Edward Drake, Scott Veltri, and Francis Cronin document the unbelievable story of a double amputee’s climb to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro. As if that’s not impressive enough, SXSW 2026 film The Ascent also delves into a mystery sure to infuriate and inspire audiences.

During a night out in 2014, Mandy Horvath died three times. Suspicious circumstances placed her unconscious body in the middle of train tracks. Then she was run over by a 20-car locomotive that severed her legs but not her ungovernable spirit.

Horvath was on her way to greatness in life, although slightly tethered by functioning addiction. Considering her childhood trauma, her resilience is astounding. She should have been dead long before. Sitting down with her parents is viscerally uncomfortable, but it speaks volumes to Mandy’s FU attitude. The film tackles trust and loyalty with authentic complexity.

Her accident was initially written off as a suicide attempt and not a crime. Filmmakers recreate the train conductor and engineer’s witness testimony to explain their perspective of the incident. It is shocking, but almost nothing compares to the dismissal of law enforcement and the missing pieces of evidence from the very people Mandy was with that night. Your jaw will drop.

Animation illustrates Mandy’s most painful memories. The score perfectly matches her indelible spirit. Filmmakers give us visual altitude and mile markers along her journey, but that’s not all we track. Jasleen Kaur‘s editing elevates this entire documentary. To seamlessly weave in what is essentially a true-crime story alongside Mandy’s climbing journey is award-worthy.

The Ascent is an extraordinary tale of survival and perseverance against all odds. Mandy Horvath is simply unstoppable. She is the female spirit personified. Tell a woman she can’t and see what happens.

The Ascent The Ascent The Ascent

Director: Edward Drake, Scott Veltri, Francis Cronin

Executive Producer: TIME Studios, Loren Hammonds, Kyle Hentschel, Francis Cronin, Yvette Zhuang, Jasleen Kaur, Ali Samadi

Producer: Edward Drake, Scott Veltri

Cinematographer: Laffrey Witbrod

Editor: Jasleen Kaur, September Club / Matt Prekop

Music: Adam Peters

Cast: Mandy Horvath, Julius John White aka ‘Whitey’, Carel Verhoef, Sally Grierson

Crew:Animator: Mike Lloyd, Co-Producer: Jon Schafer, Additional Editing: Kevin Barth, Executive Finishing Producers: Gloria F. Coronado, Ashely Reese, Re-Recording Mixer: Cameron Tracy, Colorist/Online Editor: Christian Navas, CSI, Graphics: COED Studios

For all things SXSW 2026, click here!

‘Son of a Bikram’ (SXSW 2026) You’ll namaste for more of this clever TV pilot

Posted on March 15, 2026 by Liz Whittemore — Leave a reply

Son of a Bikram

Laugh out loud hilarious from the moment it begins, filmmakers Johnny Rey Diaz and Ash T‘s television pilot Son of a Bikram blows you away. The audience follows Raag, a kind-hearted office worker obsessed with hot yoga and its founder, Bikram Choudhury. When the news breaks that Choudhury has been accused of sexual assault, he becomes the office joke and subsequently gets fired for even having photos of the man in his cubicle. Raag must come to grips with these shocking revelations, the sudden death of his mother, and a family secret putting him between a rock and an even harder place in life. Never meet your heroes.

The dialogue is outrageously offensive and damn funny. My guess is that they’re closer to reality than comedy since people are assholes, but I digress. The music is delicious. Fantasy sequences are action-packed shenanigans, akin to Everything Everywhere All At Once. Leading man, screenwriter, and showrunner Ash T absolutely kills it playing Raag. Not a single millisecond of hesitation in this absurdist performance; this is star-making stuff of the gods. The plot twist is out of left field, but that’s a complete compliment. I have to know what happens to Raag once the credits roll. I’m going to need HBO to pay attention because Son of a Bikram deserves all the money and every minute of an audience’s attention.

Watch the Son of a Bikram trailer here:

Raag, a mild-mannered office worker whose entire personality is hot yoga, watches his life collapse when sexual assault allegations against his idol, Bikram Choudhury, turn him into the office punchline. That same day, his mother dies in a tragic accident, and leaves him with a devastating truth: Bikram is his father. With little hope left, Raag desperately searches for answers.

Showrunner:Johnny Rey Diaz, Ash T

Director:Johnny Rey Diaz

Executive Producer:Ash T, Abubakar Khan

Producer:Johnny Rey Diaz, Christian Rose, Ash T

Screenwriter:Ash T, Johnny Rey Diaz

Cinematographer:Nathaniel Regier

Editor:Logan Hall

Production Designer:Ashley Leung, Jason Velo

Sound:Patrick Baigrie

Music:Bombay Royale, Abhinay TJ

Cast:Ash T, Carlos Santos, Jeffrey Nicholas Brown, Vee Kumari, Anwar Molani, Zhaleh, David Chernyavsky, Melanie Johnson, Max Cutler, Matthew Peschio

For all things SXSW 2026, click here!

‘In My Blood’ (SXSW 2026) Sports and horror pilot is a hit.

Posted on March 15, 2026 by Liz Whittemore — Leave a reply

In My Blood

Desperate to live up to his father’s expectations, a talented but inconsistent minor league baseball player turns to steroids, igniting a dangerous transformation of body and mind.

Alex Bendo‘s SXSW 2026 TV pilot In My Blood explores the intersection of baseball and horror, following a young player whose ambition and family legacy pull him into the sport’s darkest rituals as he seeks success at any cost. The trappings of sports success can be truly atrocious.

I come from a baseball family. I grew up running my fingers across a chainlink fence, watching my aunt in the outfield and my mother on the pitcher’s mound. I played t-ball. My younger brother played Little League, which meant I spent my formative years living in the dugout. There are photos of me at every age in the stands up against the Green Monster at Fenway. Baseball is in my blood.

Daniel Diemer nails each beat as our protagonist, Jack, with equal parts intensity and vulnerability. His character strives to get the ultimate call, to move up from the minors after a few solid moments in his season. The story comes with unresolved generational trauma and a whole lot of appropriately negative sports culture. Dialogue is clever, laced with clues as to what to expect from Bendo’s narrative, but also emotional abuse, something any sports family will instantly recognize.

Not even three minutes in, and Jack speaks directly to the camera. Perfectly utilized tropes boost the film’s dark visual aura: a flickering overhead halogen, an open doorway, and a cell phone light. The sound editing creates genuine tension. Bravo to the makeup team. There is undoubtedly an audience for In My Blood, and enough meat on the bone for a full season. It is a horror homerun.

In My Blood

Showrunner: Alex Bendo

Director: Alex Bendo

Executive Producer: Lexi Preiser

Producer: Alex Bendo, Yumeng Han, Elias Putnam, Max Wilson, Jorge Sistos Moreno

Screenwriter: Alex Bendo

Cinematographer: Ming Jue Hu

Editor: Alex Bendo, Jorge Sistos Moreno

Production Designer: Sadra Tehrani

Sound: Arturo Salazar RB, María Alejandra Rojas

Music:Dario Acuña

Cast: Daniel Diemer, Will Chase, Ian Blackman, William Hill

Casting: Allison Twardziak

Costume Designer: Karen Boyer In My Blood In My Blood

For all things SXSW 2026, click here!

‘Amazing Live Sea Monkeys’ (SXSW 2026) Reclaimed legacy

Posted on March 13, 2026 by Liz Whittemore — Leave a reply

Amazing Live Sea Monkeys

Mark Becker and Aaron Schock‘s SXSW 2026 documentary, Amazing Live Sea Monkeys, tells an unusual David Vs Goliath story with a sordid pat. A wild mix of capitalistic betrayal, hidden White Nationalism, and the woman fights to reclaim the business she helped grow, quite literally.

Yolanda Signorelli von Braunhut, the wife and protector of the iconic comic book novelty creation, is now destitute, living in the home they built together without water or electricity. Big Toy, the company that partnered with Harold to distribute Sea Monkeys, chose profits over quality, thus destroying the integrity of Yolanda’s earned legacy. She has been answering thousands of customers’ letters, sending them original packets of Sea Monkeys as replacements, all out of pocket. Yolanda tries to come to the Big Toy with historical promises, but dirty business is dirty business, and they stopped paying her residuals years ago. Yolanda chooses trial by jury after years of attempting to regain what is rightly hers.

‘Same Same But Different’ (SXSW 2026) Fiercely funny coming-of-age

Posted on March 13, 2026 by Liz Whittemore — Leave a reply

Same Same But Different

In Lauren Noll’s SXSW 2026 dramedy, Same Same But Different, we follow three Persian childhood friends: a personal trainer, a lawyer, and an aspiring writer, grappling with identity and their ever-evolving relationships.

Rana has had her visa application denied three times. Working as a home care nurse in order to stay in the country. When her wealthy client’s son, and part-time hookup, agrees to marry her for her green card, Rana invites her best friends to Cape Cod to support her sham wedding. This beach house weekend brings drama and all the feelings as each woman deals with unresolved feelings.

This ensemble cast hits every beat. You will love each one of them. Screenwriter Dalia Rooni delivers equal parts authenticity and genuine wit. The entire Bachelorette party is hilarious perfection. It is genuinely a lovely balance of chaos and laughs.

Three different women. Three varying personalities. Three best friends. All the insecurities, baggage, and unfiltered honesty mix to create a beautiful portrait of identity and growth.

There’s a shared catharsis and joy that only shows itself in the purest of female relationships. Same Same But Different is about letting go of the good, the bad, and the ugly. Stick around for some hilarious bloopers during the credits. Brilliant.

When Rana’s visa application is denied, she faces the reality of returning home to Iran. That is, until Adam – her wealthy boss’s son and her summer fling – proposes a green card wedding. Wrestling with the implications of his offer, Rana enlists help from a questionable shaman, Adam’s pure-hearted mom, and most importantly her two Iranian best friends Nadia and Setareh, who arrive on Cape Cod for a wedding weekend full of opinions, chaos, and drama with their own American boyfriends. Just as total disaster approaches, the three women come together in a transformative moment of acceptance, growth, and coming of age – evolving this weekend into one that will change them all forever.

Same Same But Different Credits

Director:

Lauren Noll

Executive Producer:

Emily Reach White, Chris White

Producer:

Dalia Rooni, Lauren Noll, Zein Khleif, Medalion Rahimi, Emily Reach White

Screenwriter:

Dalia Rooni

Cinematographer:

Nathaniel Krause

Editor:

Stephanie Williams

Production Designer:

Sadra Tehrani

Sound:

Sam Costello

Music:

Neuman Jody Mannas

Cast:

Medalion Rahimi, Logan Miller, Layla Mohammadi, Dalia Rooni, Richie Moriarty, Michael Baszler, Danielle Pinnock, Lauren Noll, Nicholas Coombe, Kevin Nealon, Joey Lauren Adams

For all things SXSW 2026, click here

‘One Another’ (SXSW 2026) Exploring the evolution of friendships in universally relatable doc.

Posted on March 13, 2026 by Liz Whittemore — Leave a reply

One Another

Losing a relationship comes with aspects of anguish, emotional destabilizing moments, unresolved trauma, and, if we’re lucky, reconciliation. Amber Love’s SXSW 2026 documentary One Another follows the evolution of three friendships over the course of three years.

Joe, Giorgia, and Lorri confront the state of personal connections with longing, healing, and change. Featuring different generations deepens the viewers’ understanding that we are all so much more alike on the inside. You may find yourself nodding your head, reliving moments from your past (or present). One Another grabs you with its archival footage. We reminisce alongside our trio, gazing at photo albums and hand-written letters. It is beautifully nostalgic.

‘Stages’ (SXSW 2026) Roadbound rebirth in Ryan Booth’s intoxicating drama.

Posted on March 13, 2026 by Liz Whittemore — Leave a reply

Stages

Ryan Booth‘s SXSW 2026 drama, Stages, follows the first solo tour of a musician after the collapse of his band. Ben Garza chases the dream of remaining relevant in an ever-evolving industry.

The title is a clever double entendre for career shifts and physical performance spaces, immediately setting the tone for the journey ahead. As the story moves on the road, audiences experience the often unglamorous and always unpredictable reality of tour life. As Jessie’s stock rises and Ben shifts gears, the audience feels every beat, deepening our connection to the characters’ evolving relationships.

Leslie Grace brings sweet authenticity and immense talent to Jessie, her vulnerability dazzling. David Ramirez delivers a seemingly effortless performance, one that could just as easily have been a documentary. As we watch Jessie’s newfound fame, Ramirez wears his emotions on his sleeve. Ben must decide whether to grow or give up. Ramirez is simply spectacular.

The soundtrack is beautiful, with original songs that are instant hits. Ramirez and Grace have gorgeous tones. When they duet, it is chill-inducing magic. Editing is fast-paced and smart, alongside the handheld camerawork. The juxtaposition of these two generations and their journeys is fascinating.

The sacrifices a performer makes to maintain personal relationships are something incredibly difficult to explain to anyone outside the industry, but Stages captures the emotional strain perfectly. Stages finds the thrills, unprecedented risk, pride swallowing, and unadulterated joy of pursuing a life on stage. Highly recommend. SXSW 2026 audiences have a front row seat to greatness.

Director: Ryan Booth

Executive Producer: Ryan Kroft, Michael Rapino

Producer: Val Hill, Morgan Stevenson Cooper, Jolene, Russell Wayne Groves

Screenwriter: Bradley Jackson, Dan Steele

Cinematographer: Patrick Golan

Editor: Lucas Harger

Production Designer: Thoa Nguyen

Sound: Mark Bartels

Music: David Ramirez, Giosuè Greco

Cast: David Ramirez, Leslie Grace, Jolene, Jake McMullen, Rafael Casal, Abner Ramirez, Amanda Sudano Ramirez, Jerry Ferrara, Marc Menchaca, David Strathairn

For all things SXSW 2026, click here!

SXSW 2026, a sneak peek at the films and TV you want to see

Posted on March 8, 2026 by Liz Whittemore — Leave a reply

SXSW 2026 Watchlist

Every year, I look forward to the incredible lineup at SXSW. This year feels particularly curated to my personal, off-the-wall taste, and I am here for it, Baby. Here are just 13 of the films and TV pilots I am stoked to get my eyeballs on starting this week!!

SXSW 2026 runs from March 12-18th. Do. Not. Miss. It.

THE SNAKE

When Jamie, ungovernable 40-something wild child collides with her venomous mother, Anne, her life blows up spectacularly leaving her evicted and single. This sends Jamie on a pig in a hurricane journey for “home”; breaking into her Nana’s house to prove it should be hers, a rejected bid to move in with her van-dwelling punk rock ex, and a stint in her best friends pied a terre, which ends with Jamie hooking up with her husband.

I like to think I am ungovernable, I whisper to myself as I go grocery shopping and run the PTO. I can surely live vicariously through Anne’s shenanigans.

EDIE ARNOLD IS A LOSER

Timid Catholic school dork Edie Arnold is dragged to a punk show where a mishap lands her on stage behind the drums. She’s mortified… but a natural. Convinced by her best friend, she secretly forms a band called The NunDead. Her newfound confidence leads to a date with the altar boy but also a fight that gets her suspended. Thinking she bailed on their first gig, her bandmates bust her out of the house just in time to win a Battle of the Bands. But when she faces expulsion and her mother’s wrath at a disciplinary hearing, footage of her kick-ass performance has an unexpected effect on her mom.

Hi! Former Catholic school kid here. Hi, former punk band member. Battle of the Bads? Almost. I hosted. In spirit, another film that makes beautiful misfits like me feel seen. Do not miss it.

NEVER AFTER DARK

A wandering medium, Airi spends her life guiding restless spirits out of the world of the living. Summoned to an isolated country house, she comes face to face with a grotesque apparition with powers that defy Airi’s experience. As she digs deeper into the house’s past, a secret comes to light — and Airi finds herself hunted by a far more unpredictable force. For the first time, her greatest adversary is not the supernatural, but the living.

ICYMI- SXSW Announced Initial 2026 Lineup

Posted on January 30, 2026 by Liz Whittemore — Leave a reply

ANNOUNCES 2026 FILM & TV FESTIVAL OPENING NIGHT TV PREMIERE AND INITIAL LINEUP

David E. Kelley’s Apple TV Series Margo’s Got Money Troubles Opening Night TV Premiere

Feature and Episodic Highlights Include Jorma Taccone’s Over Your Dead Body; Jonás Cuarón’s Campeón Gabacho; Victoria Strouse’s Seekers of Infinite Love; Kyra Sedgwick and Kevin Bacon’s Family Movie; Deon Taylor’s Drift; Doug Blush and Piero F. Giunti’s Los Lobos Native Sons; AMC’s The Audacity

Austin, Texas, January 14, 2026 – South by Southwest® (SXSW®) Conference and Festivals unveiled today an extensive wave of programming for the highly anticipated 33rd edition of the Film & TV Festival, which for the first time will open on a Thursday evening and conclude on a Wednesday, spanning March 12–18, 2026. Featuring a momentous Opening Night TV Premiere alongside an equally stellar slate of Feature Films, TV projects, and XR projects, the Film & TV Festival draws thousands of fans, creators, press, and industry leaders to celebrate inventive storytelling, cultural discovery, and boundary-pushing screen experiences.

The 2026 SXSW Film & TV Festival’s Opening Night TV Premiere is the eagerly anticipated Apple TV series Margo’s Got Money Troubles from Emmy-winning producer David E. Kelley.

Based on the best-selling novel by Rufi Thorpe, Margo’s Got Money Troubles is a bold, heartwarming and comedic family drama featuring an all-star cast including Elle Fanning as Margo, a recent college dropout and aspiring writer who is forced to make her way with a new baby, a mounting pile of bills and a dwindling amount of ways to pay them, Michelle Pfeiffer and Nick Offerman as Margo’s ex-Hooter’s waitress mom and ex-pro-wrestler dad, alongside Nicole Kidman, Thaddea Graham, Oscar winner Marcia Gay Harden, Oscar and Emmy Award-winner Greg Kinnear, Michael Angarano, Rico Nasty and Lindsey Normington. The series will premiere at SXSW ahead of its global debut on Apple TV on April 15, 2026.

“David E. Kelley’s Margo’s Got Money Troubles has pure SXSW energy and is the perfect match for our Opening Night TV Premiere slot,” said Claudette Godfrey, VP Film & TV. “Elle Fanning is absolutely magnetic as Margo, and Michelle Pfeiffer delivers a performance that reminds you why she’s an absolute legend. The mother-daughter dynamic these two create together is going to really get people talking. Nick Offerman will catch people completely off guard, as will the rest of the incredibly impressive cast. With its killer soundtrack, genuine heart, and sharp attitude and edge, this show captures the exact spirit that makes SXSW special and the bold, distinctive storytelling we love to open with!”

Feature films in the SXSW 2026 lineup screen in the following categories: Headliner; Narrative Feature Competition presented by Kickstarter; Documentary Feature Competition; Narrative Spotlight; Documentary Spotlight; Visions; Midnighter; Global presented by MUBI; 24 Beats Per Second, and Festival Favorite.

The TV program consists of TV Premiere and the Independent TV Pilot Competition. The SXSW 2026 Shorts Film Program will present six competitive sections: Narrative Short Competition, Documentary Short Competition, Animated Short Competition, Midnight Short Competition, Texas Short Competition, and Music Video Competition. XR Experience Competition, XR Spotlight and XR Special Event programming round out the Film & TV Festival program. All Categories will be eligible for section-specific Audience Awards.

Thus far, the 2026 Film & TV lineup includes 58 Features including 49 World Premieres, 3 North American Premieres, 3 U.S. Premiere, 2 Texas Premieres + 52 Short Films and 20 Music Videos. The TV Program includes 9 TV projects, with 3 TV premieres and 6 Independent TV Pilots. There are 29 projects in the XR Experience Program, including 17 in XR Experience Competition, 11 in XR Experience Spotlight and 1 XR Experience Special Event. The rest of the Film & TV Festival lineup will be announced in mid-February.

“We’re thrilled to unveil the first round of exciting projects joining our Opening Night Film, I Love Boosters for SXSW 2026!” said Claudette Godfrey, VP Film & TV. “From bold indies and can’t-miss studio events to genre-bending thrillers and sharp comedies, from revelatory documentaries and innovative series to immersive XR and international discoveries—this year’s program is packed with the kind of storytelling our audiences love. We can’t wait to welcome filmmakers and movie lovers to Austin for another remarkable year of screenings at SXSW!”

FILM PROGRAM

SXSW Announced Initial 2026 Lineup

HEADLINER
Big names, big talent featuring red carpet premieres and gala film events with major and rising names in cinema.

I Love Boosters
Director/Screenwriter: Boots Riley, Producers: Aaron Ryder, Andrew Swett, Allison Rose Carter, Jon Read, Boots Riley
A crew of professional shoplifters take aim at a cutthroat fashion maven. It’s like community service. Cast: Keke Palmer, Naomi Ackie, Taylour Paige, Poppy Liu, Eiza González, LaKeith Stanfield, Will Poulter, Demi Moore (World Premiere)

Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice
Director/Screenwriter: BenDavid Grabinski, Producers: Andrew Lazar
A hilarious, stylized, R-rated action-comedy about two gangsters and the woman they love trying to survive the most dangerous night of their lives. As if that wasn’t enough, there’s one wild ingredient added to the mix: a time machine. Cast: Vince Vaughn, James Marsden, Eiza González, Keith David, Jimmy Tatro, Stephen Root, Lewis Tan, Ben Schwartz, Emily Hampshire, Arturo Castro (World Premiere)

Over Your Dead Body
Director: Jorma Taccone, Producers: Kelly McCormick, David Leitch, Lee Kim, Guy Danella, Nick Spicer, Aram Tertzakian, Screenwriters: Nick Kocher, Brian McElhaney
A dysfunctional couple head to a remote cabin to supposedly reconnect, but each has secret plans to kill the other. Cast: Samara Weaving, Jason Segel, Timothy Olyphant, Juliette Lewis, Paul Guilfoyle, Keith Jardine (World Premiere)

Ready or Not 2: Here I Come
Directors: Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillett, Producers: Tripp Vinson, James Vanderbilt, William Sherak, Bradley J. Fischer, Screenwriters: Guy Busick, R. Christopher Murphy
After surviving the Le Domas attack, Grace faces the next level of the deadly game – now with her estranged sister Faith. With four rival families hunting them, Grace must survive, protect her sister, and claim the High Seat that rules it all. Cast: Samara Weaving, Kathryn Newton, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Shawn Hatosy, Néstor Carbonell, David Cronenberg, Elijah Wood (World Premiere)

They Will Kill You
Director: Kirill Sokolov, Producers: Andy Muschietti, Barbara Muschietti, Dan Kagan, Screenwriters: Kirill Sokolov, Alex Litvak
A high-octane horror-action-comedy in which a woman must survive the night at the Virgil, a demonic cult’s mysterious, twisted death-trap, before becoming their next offering in a uniquely brazen battle of epic kills and wickedly dark humor. Cast: Zazie Beetz, Myha’La, Paterson Joseph, Tom Felton, Heather Graham, Patricia Arquette. (World Premiere)

NARRATIVE FEATURE COMPETITION Presented by Kickstarter
World premieres showcasing the art of storytelling by emerging voices. Read More →

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SXSW 2026 Watchlist

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SXSW Announced Initial 2026 Lineup

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