SXSW2024 / Vol.02
SXSW2024 is like previous South by Southwest events where premiers of TV shows and movie premiers are often screened. There is a wide variety of events, from major productions starring famous actors known as headliners, to documentaries by independent filmmakers, to VR filmmakers attempting new forms of visual expression. For TV and Movie Premiers at SXSW2024, there was a lineup in four genres: Feature Flim / Short Film / TV / XR Experience, for a total of 22 categories. For more information on the categories and list of screening films, please see this page.
At the Paramount Theater, the main venue for the film festival, a red carpet was laid out at the entrance this year as well, and the directors and cast members of many of the films screened appeared in person. In addition to screenings, there are also many conference sessions related to the films, so one of the great appeals of SXSW is that you can hear directly from the directors and production staff.
Non-exhaustive List of TV and Movie Premiers at SXSW2024
The opening event was the Netflix TV series “3 Body Problem.”
Netflix’s live-action adaptation of “3 Body Problem,” the popular Chinese science fiction novel, premiered as the opening night film on the first night of SXSW2024, ahead of its streaming start on March 21st. The original story is popular, but the production team behind the Game of Thrones series is also making the film, which is why it’s becoming a hot topic.
A special gigantic LED monitor was set up in the parking lot near the Paramount Theater where the film was screened, and at night, a large amount of smoke and 3D images were shown, as part of Netflix’s extensive promotion.
In the work, there is an expression that puts on a headset and enters a virtual world, and in fact, at this year’s SXSW, along with XR-related conference sessions, a number of experiential exhibits using Meta Quest and Apple Vision Pro were held. Here again, you can feel the high affinity between SXSW and science fiction works depicting the future of the virtual world.
The Fall Guy – comedy movie starring Ryan Gosling.
Ryan Gosling became a hot topic for his role as Ken in the movie “Barbie,” the number one hit in the United States last year. His new movie, The Fall Guy, is probably the most popular headliner this year. For the premiere screening at the Paramount Theater, where there was a stage greeting by the actors, a long line formed three hours in advance, and I was unable to get inside.
In this film, he plays a stuntman who appears in the work of his ex-girlfriend, a film director, and from the preview, it is a flashy action comedy typical of Hollywood. The release date is scheduled for May 3 2024.
Focus on the Midnighter category: Horror is popular in 2024
Just like last year, this year’s SXSW has a huge lineup of horror films. One of the categories, “Midnighter,” as the name suggests, has a lineup of horror films from all over the world that will be screened late at night.
Look out for works such as “Immaculate,” and “Azrael ,” which depict cults. “Hunting Daze,” which takes place in a remote mountain hut and produced in Canada, and “Oddity,” a story about a blind medium and a doll, all were screened this year in the Midnighter category.
Looking at this lineup, you can clearly see that the cultural differences of each country around the world are reflected in the expression of horror.
Shiori Ito’s Black Box Diaries
As the conference themes include Climate Change and Civic Engagement, SXSW is a gathering place for people to discuss solutions to social issues, so it is precisely because of this that SXSW emphasizes the power of storytelling through video works that can change people’s consciousness.
Many people from Japan attend SXSW, but there are not many Japanese films screened in the film section. I hope that next year, more works by Japanese creators will be screened at SXSW in a wide range of genres.
