Y’ALL!! We are officially 14 days away from SXSW 2020!
Las Scary Movies. I don’t know if it’s like a cultural thing, but I can remember watching horror movies ever since I can remember. Even if sometimes I would get in trouble for watching with my cousins or with my brother, there were so many “scary” movies I watched from a very young age.
I have never been a film person. I have aaaalways been a music person. Not until recently did I discover my passion for a well made film. My husband introduced me to so many movies from dramasto action to thrillers. But, one movie genre I think I had a pretty good hold on was horror. I grew up with so many legends, stories, and more in my family or in the communities around me that I was naturally attracted to the darkness that horror movies had to offer.
With the development of horror in the past few years, I have made it a point to watch more horror films this year. With my SXSW badge this year, I have more access to the film portion of the festival and I am EXCITED to be able to watch ALL THE MOVIES (well…not all, because it is kind of hard to be at all the places at once).
Keep reading for my Horror and Thriller Spotlight for the 2020 SXSW Film Festival!!
MAR 15, 2020 | 3:30PM – 4:30PM
So Good It’s Scary: The Shape of Horror in 2020
https://schedule.sxsw.com/2020/events/PP1137401
SPEAKERS: MEREDITH AVERILL (Locke & Key), BRITTANY KLESIC (Monkeypaw Productions), RYAN TUREK (Blumhouse Productions), SAMUEL ZIMMERMAN (Shudder)
There’s no escaping it: horror is having a moment. Whether at the multiplex (HALLOWEEN) or the art house (MIDSOMMAR), on cable (THE WALKING DEAD) or streaming (THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE), horror is as successful and exciting as it’s ever been. How did we get here? Why now? Where is horror going next, and who are the voices shaping this moment for the genre? Join Shudder Curator Samuel Zimmerman in conversation with three of the most influential makers of horror today: Meredith Averill, exec producer and co-showrunner of THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE and LOCKE & KEY, Monkeypaw Production’s Brittany Klesic, development exec on THE TWILIGHT ZONE and CANDYMAN, and Ryan Turek, VP of Feature Film Development at Blumhouse and co-producer of the HALLOWEEN films—as they unpack the shape of horror.
Film Screening: Cursed Films
DIRECTOR: JAY CHEEL
Cursed Films is a five-part documentary series which explores the myths and legends behind some of Hollywood’s notoriously cursed horror film productions. From plane accidents and bombings during the making of The Omen, to the rumoured use of real human skeletons on the set of Poltergeist, these stories are legendary amongst film fans and filmmakers alike. But where does the truth lie?
This Episodic Premiere screening of Cursed Films will feature the Pilot and Episode 2 followed by an extended Q&A with select cast and crew.
Cursed Films Film Screenings – https://schedule.sxsw.com/2020/films/2023429
Film Screening: Witch Hunt
DIRECTOR: ELLE CALLAHAN
In a modern America where witches are real and witchcraft is illegal, a sheltered teenager must face her own demons and prejudices as she helps two young witches avoid law enforcement and cross the southern border to asylum in Mexico.
Witch Hunt Film Screenings – https://schedule.sxsw.com/2020/films/2026911
Film Screening: Promising Young Woman
DIRECTOR: EMERALD FENNELL
From groundbreaking director Emerald Fennell (Killing Eve) comes a delicious new take on revenge. Everyone said Cassie (Carey Mulligan) was a promising young woman … until a mysterious event abruptly derailed her future. But nothing in Cassie’s life is what it appears to be: she’s wickedly smart, tantalizingly cunning, and she’s living a secret double life by night. Now, an unexpected encounter is about to give Cassie a chance to right the wrongs of the past in this thrilling and wildly entertaining story.
Promising Young Woman Film Screenings – https://schedule.sxsw.com/2020/films/2032056
Film Screening: Arkansas
DIRECTOR: CLARK DUKE
In Clark Duke’s directorial debut, Kyle (Liam Hemsworth) and Swin (Duke) live by the orders of an Arkansas-based drug kingpin named Frog (Vince Vaughn), whom they’ve never met. Posing as park rangers by day, they operate as low-level drug couriers by night under the watchful eye of Frog’s proxies (John Malkovich, Vivica A. Fox). However, after one too many inept decisions, Kyle and Swin find themselves directly in Frog’s crosshairs, who mistakenly sees them as a threat to his empire. Based on John Brandon’s book of the same name, ARKANSAS weaves together three decades of Deep South drug trafficking to explore the cycle of violence that turns young men into criminals and old men into legends.
Arkansas Film Screenings – https://schedule.sxsw.com/2020/films/2029573
Film Screening: PG (Psycho Goreman)
DIRECTOR: STEVEN KOSTANSKI
Siblings Mimi and Luke unwittingly resurrect an ancient alien overlord who’s been entombed beneath their backyard. The creature longs to destroy the universe, but thanks to their possession of a magical amulet, the kids force it to be their new best friend. As the monster reluctantly obeys their childish whims, his magical powers draw the attention of interstellar friends and fiends from across the cosmos. Soon, a rogues’ gallery of galactic combatants converge on the strange realm of small-town suburbia and an absurdist battle of Saturday Morning Television-inspired action, outrageous comedy, and freaky comic-book violence ensues—one that will decide the fate of the entire galaxy!
PG (Psycho Goreman) Film Screenings – https://schedule.sxsw.com/2020/films/2026012
Film Screening: The Toll
DIRECTOR: MICHAEL NADER
It’s 1am. An exhausted Cami orders a rideshare at the airport. Her driver: Spencer, awkward and unsettling. Her destination: Her dad’s place in the middle of nowhere. Cami grows increasingly suspicious of Spencer’s odd behavior. This fear gives way to full-blown terror when their car breaks down on a secluded road. And they both realize they’re not alone…
Suddenly the car comes under attack – a rock smashes through the window. Attached to a message that warns visitors must “pay the toll.”
Cami and Spencer realize it’s a supernatural force haunting them: the Toll Man, pitting these two strangers against each other. Until they discover that for either to survive, one of them has to die.
The Toll Film Screenings – https://schedule.sxsw.com/2020/films/2026010
Film Screening: The Quarry
DIRECTOR: SCOTT TEEMS
The Quarry is a tense and harrowing tale of sin and redemption, violence and grace, and the lengths to which men will go to outrun their evil deeds. A mysterious new minister (Shea Whigham) takes up residence at a rundown church in a desolate Texas town. Despite the growing suspicions of the townsfolk – the hardened local police chief (Michael Shannon), the drug-dealing brothers caught in the chief’s crosshairs (Bobby Soto and Alvaro Martinez), and the mournful woman who keeps up the church (Catalina Sandino Moreno) – the congregation grows. But how long can the minister keep his secrets safe and who can be forgiven when the truth comes to light? Based on the acclaimed novel by Damon Galgut.
The Quarry Film Screenings – https://schedule.sxsw.com/2020/films/2023356
Film Screening: I’ll Meet You There
DIRECTOR: IRAM PARVEEN BILAL
“I’ll Meet You There” is a family drama following the father-daughter journey of Majeed, a Chicago policeman, and Dua, his teenage ballerina daughter. Eager for a raise, Majeed is cherry-picked to go undercover in a mosque for a special FBI co-assignment. Shortly after, Baba, Majeed’s long-estranged father, shows up unannounced from Pakistan. Majeed uses Baba as an excuse to reenter the mosque after a decade. Counter to his liking, Dua and Baba take to each other. Baba urges Dua to question her passion for dance in the name of religion. The family explores new truths about their present, past, and future until everything comes to a head in a surprise bait and switch by the FBI.
I’ll Meet You There Film Screenings – https://schedule.sxsw.com/2020/films/2023465
Film Screening: Midnight Shorts Program
THIS IS PROBABLY THE MOST EXCITED FILM SCREENING IN MY BOOK FOR SXSW 2020! These shorts will be played at midnight making it primetime for some spookiness! My top picks for the Midnight Shorts Program are:
Stucco
J is trying and failing to move forward. While hanging a piece of art in her new home, she knocks a hole in her wall revealing what might be another room. Her mind races to think what could be on the other side as she continues to unravel, with the scars of old relationships keeping her trapped inside.
Regret
Following the death of his father, a man must survive the manifestations of his inner demons over the course of a dreary night.
Double Tap
Chilli, a screen-obsessed teen, encounters an instagram pic warning her to ‘like this post’ or the Dickless Troll will eat her blood.
Deeming the photo a fake chain mail, Chilli scrolls past it and goes to bed. But the Dickless troll is real, and he’s hungry. Hungry, for validation.
Selfie
In a world where social media app Selfie dominates over Instagram and TikTok, insecure teenager Sarah has had enough. She no longer wants to subscribe to the culture of presenting a perfect online persona. In a moment of clarity, Sarah makes the unpopular decision to delete her accounts. But, the “perfect” version of herself that she’s given power to online won’t be deleted that easily…
Midnight Shorts Program Film Screenings – https://schedule.sxsw.com/2020/films/2026004
Film Screening: Texas High School Shorts Program
There are a lot of young up and coming filmmakers, directors, and producers in this year’s program! My top picks for horror are:
Sleep Paralysis
Joseph, a teenage student, attempts to handle the stresses of school, a girl, and the bully of his class. Unfortunately, these distressing matters cause him to experience a terrifying event in his sleep.
218
This is found footage which takes place in a mental institution in El Salvador. It is a story of a mental health patient who struggles with multiple personality disorder. This footage contains the interview of the patient and her psychiatrist who is trying to get the bottom of the horrific murder of her parents. He gets more than he bargains for.
Wish Upon a Snowman
On Christmas Eve, a girl builds a snowman. She goes to bed excited on Christmas Eve wishing for a present but receives an unexpected surprise.
Texas High School Shorts Program Film Screenings – https://schedule.sxsw.com/2020/films/2026000
I hope to be able to see a few of the musical artists and films and attend the sessions on my lists for SXSW 2020 so far!
Be on the lookout for reviews, interviews and more in the coming weeks!
Stay in love and just listen,
