Top 10 SXSW Films We're Excited To See

Earlier this week, SXSW announced its slate of feature films and it’s a doozy, especially for anyone actually going to the festival in Austin, Texas. There is little more than a month to go before the fest starts.

While it was once known almost exclusively for indie projects that probably would never get wide distribution, the festival has attracted more mainstream fare as its gotten bigger. Last year, for example, the Seth Rogen/Zac Efron comedy Neighbors had its premiere there.

This year, two completed big Hollywood comedies will premiere - Paul Feig’s Spy with Melissa McCarthy and Get Hard, starring Will Ferrell and Kevin Hart. That’s great for anyone hoping they show up in person, but a bit of a bummer for anyone who doesn’t like their movies. In addition, Judd Apatow fans will get to have an early look at his Trainwreck.

Despite those big names, there’s still plenty of small indie films. After all, the slate includes a total of 145 movies - with 100 of those making their world premieres.

Since TheCelebrityCafe.com will be attending SXSW, we thought it was a good idea to break down 10 movies that we’re excited to see. Hopefully, we get to all of them.

image of Oscar Isaac courtesy of Kristin Callahan/ACE/INFphoto.com

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7 Chinese Brothers stars Jason Schwartzman as a drunk prankster working at a garage who falls in love with his boss, played by Eleanor Pienta. Olympia Dukakis also stars as his grandmother. It is directed by Bob Byington, who directed Somebody Up There Likes Me.

The film is making its world premiere at SXSW and is listed as running just 75 minutes. It can’t hurt to check it out, especially with Schwartzman starring.

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Jamie Babbit’s Fresno sounds like an interesting film, starring Judy Greer as Shannon, who just left sex rehab. Her sister, played by Natasha Lyonne, gets her a job as a maid at a local hotel. Shannon accidentally kills a guest, which her sister has to cover up.


image courtesy of INFphoto.com

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As someone who enjoys (watching) sports, the documentary Bounco: How the Ball Taught the World to Play sounds like an intriguing look at why everyone around the world plays with balls... as long as they aren’t deflated.

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Raiders! is the very cool story about how a group of 11-year-olds tried to make a shot-by-shot remake of Raiders of the Lost Ark in 1982. It took them seven years and they almost did it. The documentary brings the group together again so they can finish the film.

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Ex Machina marks the directing debut of 28 Days Later writer Alex Garland. It’s a sci-fi thriller that stars Oscar Isaac and Domhnall Gleeson, who are both in the new Star Wars movie. Gleeson plays a programmer. He visits a reclusive CEO (Isaac), who wants to use his skills to determine how smart his latest creation is.

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Manglehorn is the latest film from David Gordon Green, who just can’t stop working lately. The film stars Al Pacino, Chris Messina and Holly Hunter. It centers on A.J. Manglehorn, who tries to have a new relationship after he loses his true love.


image courtesy of Jennifer Graylock/INFphoto.com

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Craig Marshall’s THE BOY should be creepy. It’s about a young boy who is fascinated by death. The film is in the Feature Competition and stars David Morse, Rainn Wilson and Jared Breeze. It is making its world premiere at SXSW.


image courtesy of Jennifer Graylock/INFphoto.com

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Now, this is a wacky premise. Todd Strauss-Schulson’s The Final Girls is about a high school senior who gets trapped in a 1980s horror movie with her friends. The movie is one that her mother starred in and features camp counselors and a killer with a machete. The cast includes Malin Akerman, Adam DeVine and Nina Dobrev.

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Even though Ryan Gosling’s Lost River was panned at Cannes last year, I’m still incredibly curious to check it out. Considering that Warner Bros. is actually going to give it a limited theatrical release, it will be nice to see it. There’s got to be be something worthwhile about it, especially with Christina Hendricks, Saoirse Ronan, Eva Mendes and Matt Smith among the cast.

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I am a die-hard Beach Boys fan, so I can’t contain my excitement for Love & Mercy. Directed by Bill Pohland, the film provides a unique look at the life of Brian Wilson, with Paul Dano and John Cusack playing him in different periods of his life. Wilson’s story certainly features enough interesting material to make a good film, so I’ll be waiting in line to make sure I see this one. Elizabeth Banks also stars.

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