The Best Movies From The SXSW Film Festival

By Elana Goodwin on March 27, 2015

The South by Southwest (SXSW) Film Festival, which took place from March 13 to March 21 this year, featured loads of great movies, from narrative features to headliners to documentary shorts and more.

Headliners that premiered at SXSW included Will Ferrell and Kevin Hart’s new comedy “Get Hard,” and the Paul Feig-directed “Spy” which features an all-star cast of Melissa McCarthy, Jason Statham, Rose Byrne, Allison Janney, and Jude Law, which is out this June.

A work-in-progress cut of the comedy “Trainwreck,” directed by Judd Apatow and starring Amy Schumer, Bill Hader, Brie Larson, and LeBron James, which will roll into theaters mid-July, also premiered at the festival.

Besides these bigger movies, there were also several breakout films from various SXSW categories by virgin filmmakers and unheard of talents that either won their competitions or impressed audiences.

Here are six of those movies.

Krisha Fairchild in “Krisha”
Photo Credit: Vanity Fair

1. Krisha

After years of estrangement from her family, troubled mother Krisha reunites with them for Thanksgiving, thinking it will be an opportunity to show them she’s changed for the better.

Krisha, an alcohol and drug abuser who was in recovery, ends up relapsing under the stress of the holiday from hell and her family. The film, which won the grand jury and audience awards for narrative features, was actually entered as a short at SXSW last year, and this year returned in a feature-length version.

Krisha” stars Krisha Fairchild (though the film isn’t based on her life) and is written and directed by her nephew, Trey Edward Shults. The film also stars other family members of Shults and was shot over nine days at his parents’ house in Texas.

2. Twinsters

This film, which was entered into the SXSW Documentary competition, follows the story of French fashion student Anais Bordier who lives in London, and actress Samantha Futerman who lives in L.A.

In February 2013, Bordier stumbled across a YouTube video of Futerman and was stunned by their resemblance. After some investigation, she discovered they were both born on the same day in Busan, Korea, and put up for adoption, and she reached out to Futerman on Facebook.

“Twinsters” shows the women’s path to sisterhood and documents everything from their first meeting to their trip back to Korea, and is a story about family, connection, and the technology that changed their lives.

3. 6 Years

This film follows couple Dan and Mel, who are both in their early 20s, and have known each other since they were little. Their six-year relationship is tested when Dan gets a job offer from a record label and he has to decide between taking the offer or his future with Mel. Similar to the acclaimed “Like Crazy,” “6 Years” explores love, growth, and consequences.

The film was entered into the SXSW Narrative competition and was directed and written by Hannah Fidell and stars Taissa Farmiga, Ben Rosenfield and Lindsay Burdge.

Sally Field in “Hello, My Name Is Doris”
Photo Credit: schedule.sxsw.com

4. Hello, My Name Is Doris

One of the headliners of the festival, the dramedy won the audience award and is already getting offers from multiple distributors. “Hello” follows 60-year-old Doris, who after the death of her mother, is inspired to romantically pursue her younger coworker at a a hip clothing company in Brooklyn.

Doris connects with John by going to hipster coffee shops and other activities, which push her into the spotlight and establish her as a popular figure in the local hipster scene. Her newfound popularity ends up causing her other relationships to suffer and Doris comes to the realization that her wants and needs aren’t matching up.

Directed by Michael Showalter, “Hello, My Name Is Doris” stars Sally Field, Max Greenfield, Beth Behrs, Wendi McLendon-Covey, and Jack Antonoff.

5. Lamb

Entered into the SXSW Narrative Spotlight competition category, “Lamb,” which is based on the novel by Bonnie Nadzam, explores 45-year-old David Lamb’s journey of self-discovery in the weeks after his marriage falls apart and his father dies.

While trying to reclaim his belief that he’s a good person, he’s approached by 11-year-old Tommie, on a dare from her friends, who tries to bum a cigarette from Lamb. What follows is a disturbing friendship as Tommie is desperate for affection and attention, while Lamb’s motivations are less clear, especially when he takes her on a road trip from Chicago to the Rocky Mountains to his family’s cabin.

Writer-director Ross Partridge ventures into unsettling territory as the threat of pedophilia hangs over the drama while viewers watch Tommie and David undergo changes as their journey together has unexpected effects.

“Lamb” stars Oona Laurence and Ross Partridge.

6. Hangman

When the Miller family returns from vacation, they find their home has been broken into and ransacked. After cleaning up, they resume their lives, but what they don’t realize is the intruder is still in their home, playing tricks on them, and watching them via tiny secretly placed surveillance cameras from his hiding spot in the attic.

Written by Adam Mason and Simon Boyes and directed by Mason, the horror film premiered in the SXSW Midnighters category and stars Jeremy Sisto, Kate Ashfield, Ross Partridge and Jamie Lee.

Hopefully, all these films will be released sometime soon (beyond SXSW viewers) so more people can watch and experience them and see why they deserved to compete and/or win at the SXSW Film Festival this year.

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