The South by Southwest (SXSW) Film Conference and Festival is thrilled to announce the features lineup for this year’s Festival, March 9 – 17, 2012 in Austin, Texas. We are also pleased to reveal the world premiere of Emmett Malloy’s documentary Big Easy Express as our Closing Night Film, which follows a train ride unlike any other with Mumford & Sons, Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros and Old Crow Medicine Show.Big Easy Express will screen on Saturday, March 17. The program will also include the world premiere of Colombia Pictures and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures’ 21 Jump Street, screening in the Centerpiece slot on Monday, March 12. The 2012 lineup continues the SXSW tradition of celebrating ambitious experimentation with risk takers both in front of and behind the camera, and a deep immersion into cultural touchstones. The Midnighters feature section and the Short Film program will be announced on February 8.

Over the course of nine days, 130 features will screen at SXSW 2012. In addition to nine full days of film screenings, SXSW Film will ultimately feature over 100 informative and entertaining panels, workshops, mini-meetings and mentor sessions. Previously announced panels include A Conversation with Joss Whedon, a dialogue with Lena Dunham, Judd Apatow and more on the HBO series Girls, A Conversation with Cliff Martinez, Drive composer, and The Business of Kevin Smith among others. The final conference lineup will be announced February 15. Visit www.sxsw.com/film for more information and updates.

The 2012 SXSW Film Festival will feature:

NARRATIVE FEATURE COMPETITION

This year’s 8 films were selected from 1,112 submissions. Each film is a World Premiere.

 Films screening in Narrative Feature Competition are:

Booster

Director/Screenwriter: Matt Ruskin

When Simon’s brother is arrested for armed robbery, he is asked to commit a string of similar crimes in an attempt to get his brother acquitted.

Cast: Nico Stone, Adam DuPaul, Seymour Cassel, Kristin Dougherty, Brian McGrail (World Premiere)

Eden

Director: Megan Griffiths, Screenwriters: Richard B. Phillips, Megan Griffiths, Story by: Richard B. Phillips & Chong Kim

A young Korean-American girl, abducted and forced into prostitution by domestic human traffickers, joins forces with her captors in a desperate plea to survive. Cast: Jamie Chung, Matt O’Leary, Beau Bridges, Jeanine Monterroza, Scott Mechlowicz (World Premiere)

Gayby

Director/Screenwriter: Jonathan Lisecki

Jenn and Matt, best friends since college who are now in their thirties, decide to have a child together, the old-fashioned way – even though Matt is gay and Jenn is straight. Cast: Jenn Harris, Matthew Wilkas, Mike Doyle, Anna Margaret Hollyman, Jack Ferver (World Premiere)

Gimme the Loot

Director/Screenwriter: Adam Leon

When Malcolm and Sofia’s latest graffiti masterpiece is buffed by a rival gang, these two determined Bronx teens must hustle, steal, and scheme to get spectacular revenge and become the biggest writers in the City. Cast: Tashiana Washington, Ty Hickson, Meeko, Zoe Lescaze, Sam Soghor

(World Premiere)

Los Chidos(Germany / Mexico / USA)

Director/Screenwriter: Omar Rodriguez Lopez

The Gonzales family tries hard to hold on to their beautiful Latino traditions of misogyny and homophobia when a tall, white, industrialist stranger appears, challenging their place in the exploitative food chain. Cast: Kim Stodel, María De Jesús Canales Ramírez, Manuel Ramos, Cecillia Gutiérrez, (World Premiere)

Pilgrim Song

Director: Martha Stephens, Screenwriters: Martha Stephens, Karrie Crouse

A pink-slipped music teacher ponders his stalled relationship and place in the world during an arduous trek across Kentucky’s Sheltowee Trace Trail.Cast: Timothy Morton, Bryan Marshall, Karrie Crouse, Harrison Cole, Michael Abbott Jr.(World Premiere)

Starlet

Director: Sean Baker, Screenwriters: Sean Baker, Chris Bergoch

The film explores the unlikely friendship between 21-year-old Jane (Dree Hemingway), and 85 year-old Sadie (Besedka Johnson), two women whose worlds collide in California’s San Fernando Valley.

Cast: Dree Hemingway, Besedka Johnson, Stella Maeve, James Ransone, Karren Karagulian

(World Premiere)

The Taiwan Oyster

Director: Mark Jarrett, Screenwriters: Mark Jarrett, Jordan Heimer, Mitchell Jarrett

Two Ex-Pat Kindergarten teachers in Taiwan embark on a quixotic odyssey to bury a fellow countryman. Cast: Billy Harvey, Jeff Palmiotti, Leonora Lim(World Premiere)

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE COMPETITION

This year’s 8 films were selected from 845 submissions. Each film is a World Premiere.

Films screening in Documentary Feature Competition are:

Bay of All Saints

Director: Annie Eastman

As the last of the notorious water slums is demolished in Bahia, Brazil, will three single mothers face homelessness or rally for a better life? (World Premiere)

Beware of Mr. Baker

Director: Jay Bulger

Ginger Baker is the original rock ‘n roll madman junkie drummer superstar who everyone thought was dead but somehow survived 50+ years of heroin abuse, disastrous experiments and 5 marriages on 4 continents. (World Premiere)

The Central Park Effect

Director: Jeffrey Kimball

The film reveals the extraordinary array of wild birds who grace Manhattan’s celebrated patch of green, and the equally colorful, full-of-attitude New Yorkers who schedule their lives around the rhythms of migration. (World Premiere)

Jeff

Director: Chris James Thompson

A documentary about the people around Jeffrey Dahmer during the 1991 summer of his arrest for the murder of 17 people in Milwaukee. (World Premiere)

Seeking Asian Female

Director: Debbie Lum

When an American man with “yellow fever” meets a Chinese woman half his age online, documenting their attempt to build a marriage from scratch reveals hilarious and troubling complications for the couple and the filmmaker. (World Premiere)

The Sheik and I

Director: Caveh Zahedi

Commissioned by a Middle Eastern Biennial to make a film on the theme of “art as a subversive act,” independent filmmaker Caveh Zahedi (I am a Sex Addict) is threatened with a fatwa. (World Premiere)

The Source

Directors: Jodi Wille, Maria Demopoulos

The Source Family was a radical experiment in ’70s utopian living. Their popular restaurant, rock band, and beautiful women made them the darlings of Hollywood; but their outsider ideals led to their dramatic undoing. (World Premiere)

Welcome To The Machine

Director: Avi Zev Weider

Upon fathering triplets, filmmaker Avi Zev Weider explores the nature of technology, seeking answers about what it means to be human. (World Premiere)

HEADLINERS

Big names, big talent: Headliners bring star power to SXSW, featuring red carpet premieres and gala film events with some major and rising names in cinema.

Films screening in Headliners are:

21 Jump Street

Directed by: Phil Lord & Christopher Miller, Screenplay by: Michael Bacall, Story by: Michael Bacall & Jonah Hill

Police officers Schmidt (Jonah Hill) and Jenko (Channing Tatum) get sent back to high school as undercover cops in the action-comedy 21 Jump Street. Cast: Jonah Hill, Channing Tatum, Brie Larson, Dave Franco, Rob Riggle, with Ice Cube(World Premiere)

BIG EASY EXPRESS

Director: Emmett Malloy

Emmett Malloy’s latest film invites us aboard a train ride unlike any other with Mumford & Sons, Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros and Old Crow Medicine Show.

(World Premiere)

The Cabin in the Woods

Director: Drew Goddard, Screenwriters: Joss Whedon & Drew Goddard

Five friends go to a remote cabin in the woods. Bad things happen. If you think you know this story, think again. From fan favorites Joss Whedon and Drew Goddard comes The Cabin in the Woods, a mind-blowing horror film that turns the genre inside out. Cast: Kristen Connolly, Fran Kranz, Anna Hutchison, Chris Hemsworth, Jesse Williams, Richard Jenkins, and Bradley Whitford (World Premiere)

Decoding Deepak

Director: Gotham Chopra

Filmmaker Gotham Chopra spends a year on the road decoding his father and spiritual icon Deepak Chopra. (World Premiere)

Girls

Director/Screenwriter: Lena Dunham

Created by and starring Lena Dunham (Tiny Furniture), the HBO show is a comic look at the assorted humiliations and rare triumphs of a group of girls in their early 20s.

Cast: Lena Dunham, Allison Williams, Jemima Kirke, Zosia Mamet, Adam Driver (World Premiere)

The Hunter(Australia)

Director: Daniel Nettheim, Screenplay by: Alice Addison, Novel by: Julia Leigh, Original Adaptation by: Wain Fimeri

A mercenary is dispatched from Europe to the Tasmanian wilderness by a mysterious biotech company to search for the last surviving Tasmanian tiger.

Cast: Willem Dafoe, Frances O’Connor, Sam Neill (U.S. Premiere)

Killer Joe

Director: William Friedkin, Screenwriter: Tracy Letts

Agarish, Southwestern tale – a violent black comedy about a desperate Texas debtor (Hirsch) who plots to kill his mother with help of his family (Haden Church, Gershon).  They hire a crazy Dallas cop who moonlights as a contract killer (McConaughey) to do the job, but Killer Joe asks for their teenage daughter (Temple) as a retainer. The film is based on Pulitzer Prize winner Tracy Letts’ (August: Osage County) award winning play. Cast: Matthew McConaughey, Emile Hirsch, Gina Gershon, Juno Temple, Thomas Haden Church(U.S. Premiere)

MARLEY(UK / USA)

Director: Kevin Macdonald

The definitive life story of Bob Marley – musician, revolutionary, legend – from his early days to his rise to international superstardom. Made with the support of the Marley family, the film features rare footage, incredible performances and revelatory interviews with the people that knew him best. Directed by Academy-Award-Winner Kevin Macdonald. (North American Premiere)

NARRATIVE SPOTLIGHT

High profile narrative features receiving their World, North American or U.S. Premieres at SXSW.

Films screening in Narrative Spotlight are:

The Babymakers

Director: Jay Chandrasekhar, Screenwriters: Peter Gaulke, Gerry Swallow

Unable to impregnate his wife, Tommy and friends rob a sperm bank – to get Tommy’s long-ago donated sperm back. The crazy plan goes hilariously awry and shows how far a couple will go to create a new life.

Cast: Paul Schneider, Olivia Munn, Kevin Heffernan, Wood Harris, Nat Faxon (World Premiere)

Crazy Eyes

Director: Adam Sherman, Screenwriters: Adam Sherman, Dave Reeves & Rachel Hardisty

Just another story about love.

Cast: Lukas Haas, Madeline Zima, Jake Busey, Tania Raymonde, Regine Nehy (World Premiere)

Do-Deca-Pentathalon

Director/Screenwriter: Jay Duplass, Mark Duplass

Two brothers compete in their own private 25-event Olympics.

Cast: Mark Kelly, Steve Zissis, Elton LeBlanc (World Premiere)

Fat Kid Rules The World

Director: Matthew Lillard, Screenwriters: Michael M.B. Galvin, Peter Speakman

Troy, a depressed overweight teenager, gets sucked into the punk rock world by Marcus, a charming street musician. But when Troy discovers Marcus’ drug addiction, he suddenly must figure out the true boundaries of friendship.

Cast: Jacob Wysocki, Matt O’Leary, Billy Campbell, Lilli Simmons, Dylan Arnold(World Premiere)

frankie go boom

Director/Screenwriter: Jordan Roberts

a flick by bruce about his little brother frank who’s a crybaby fuck who shouldn’t do lame-ass embarrassing shit if he dozn’t want people 2 see it

Cast: Charlie Hunnam, Chris O’Dowd, Lizzy Caplan, Ron Perlman, Chris Noth (World Premiere)

Hunky Dory(UK)

Director: Marc Evans, Screenwriter: Laurence Coriat

From the producer of Billy Elliotcomes this funny, coming of age film featuring songs from artists such as David Bowie, Lou Reed, The Beach Boys, Simon and Garfunkel, Dusty Springfield and Electric Light Orchestra. Cast: Minnie Driver, Aneurin Barnard, Danielle Branch, Robert Pugh, Haydn Gwynne

(North American Premiere)

In Our Nature

Director/Screenwriter: Brian Savelson

Taking place over a single weekend, an estranged father and son accidentally end up in the same country house with their two girlfriends.

Cast: Zach Gilford, Jena Malone, John Slattery, Gabrielle Union(World Premiere)

Keyhole(Canada)

Director: Guy Maddin, Screenwriters: Guy Maddin, George Toles

I’m only a ghost… but a ghost isn’t nothing.

Cast: Isabella Rossellini, Jason Patric, Udo Kier, Kevin McDonald, Tattiawna Jones (U.S. Premiere)

See Girl Run

Director/Screenwriter: Nate Meyer

What happens when a 30-something woman allows life’s “what ifs” to overwhelm her appreciation for what life actually is. Disregarding her current obligations, she digs into her romantic past in hopes of invigorating her present.

Cast: Robin Tunney, Adam Scott, Jeremy Strong, William Sadler, Josh Hamilton (World Premiere)

Small Apartments

Director: Jonas Åkerlund, Screenwriter: Chris Millis

When Franklin Franklin accidentally kills his landlord, he must hide the body; but, the wisdom of his beloved brother and the quirks of his neighbors, force him on a journey where a fortune awaits him. Cast: Matt Lucas, Billy Crystal, James Caan, Johnny Knoxville, Juno Temple(World Premiere)

Somebody Up There Likes Me

Director/Screenwriter: Bob Byington

Time flies for everyone: Thirty-five years in the life of Max, his best friend Sal, and a woman they both adore. A deadpan fable about time sneaking up on and swerving right around us.

Cast: Keith Poulson, Nick Offerman, Jess Weixler, Stephanie Hunt, Kevin Corrigan(World Premiere)

DOCUMENTARY SPOTLIGHT

Shining a light on new documentary features receiving their World, North American or U.S. Premieres at SXSW.

Films screening in Documentary Spotlight are:

$ELLEBRITY

Director: Kevin Mazur

Renowned celebrity photographer, Kevin Mazur, gives us an all access pass to the life behind the velvet rope and in front of the camera.  Candid, revealing and bold interviews with Jennifer Aniston, Sarah Jessica Parker, Jennifer Lopez, Elton John and more, take us inside the blurred lines of privacy, pliable journalism, celebrity, fame and what it feels like to be consumed. (World Premiere)

America’s Parking Lot

Director: Jonny Mars

Pull up a front row seat as two die-hard fans of ‘America’s Team’ spend their last season with the Dallas Cowboys at historic Texas Stadium, and scramble to preserve their place in America’s Parking Lot. (World Premiere)

The Announcement

Director: Nelson George

On Thursday, November 7, 1991, Earvin “Magic” Johnson made the stunning announcement that he was HIV-positive and would be retiring from basketball immediately. The Announcementgets to the core of Magic’s incredible personal journey. (World Premiere)

Beauty Is Embarrassing

Director: Neil Berkeley

A funny, irreverent and inspirational look into the life and times of one of America’s most important artists, Wayne White. (World Premiere)

Brooklyn Castle

Director: Katie Dellamaggiore

Amidst financial crises and unprecedented public school budget cuts, Brooklyn Castletakes an intimate look at the challenges and triumphs facing members of a junior high school’s champion chess team. (World Premiere)

Code of the West

Director: Rebecca Richman Cohen

Frames a high stakes showdown in the halls of the Montana State Legislature. The future of medical marijuana is at stake. (World Premiere)

Degenerate Art: The Art and Culture of Glass Pipes.

Director: M. Slinger

A true document of the art and culture of glass pipe-making. It is the first film to ever bring to light this invisible sub-culture in a comprehensive and well-informed format. (World Premiere)

Girl Model

Directors: A. Sabin, David Redmon

Young Russian girls join a modeling agency to seek work in Japan, but get caught up in an unregulated system that reveals an unseemly side of the fashion industry. (U.S. Premiere)

Gregory Crewdson: Brief Encounters

Director: Ben Shapiro

Acclaimed photographer Gregory Crewdson’s 10-year quest to create a series of haunting, surreal, and stunningly elaborate portraits of small-town American life — filmed with unprecedented access as he makes perfect renderings of a disturbing, imperfect world. (World Premiere)

Just Like Being There

Director: Scout Shannon

Through the eyes of Daniel Danger, Jay Ryan, and the gig poster community, Just Like Being Therefocuses on poster artists, the music they commemorate, MONDO film posters, fans, bloggers, galleries, collectors and everything in between. (World Premiere)

Scarlet Road(Australia)

Director: Catherine Scott

The film follows the extraordinary work of Australian sex worker, Rachel Wotton. Impassioned about freedom of sexual expression and the rights of sex workers, she specializes in a long over-looked clientele – people with disability. (North American Premiere)

Trash Dance

Director: Andrew Garrison

A choreographer finds beauty and grace in garbage trucks, and against the odds, rallies reluctant city trash collectors to perform an extraordinary dance spectacle. On an abandoned airport runway, two dozen sanitation workers — and their trucks — inspire an audience of thousands. (World Premiere)

Waiting For Lightning

Director: Jacob Rosenberg

From the producers of Step into Liquid, comes the story of visionary skateboarder Danny Way, who jumped China’s Great Wall and created a new movement in sport. (World Premiere)

Wikileaks: Secrets & Lies(UK)

Director: Patrick Forbes

The in-depth story of Wikileaks told by all the key players. Sulphurous, personal and moving, it documents history in the making at the lawless frontier of new technology and mainstream media. (North American Premiere)

WONDER WOMEN! The Untold Story of American Superheroines

Director: Kristy Guevara-Flanagan

This documentary examines the fascinating evolution and legacy of Wonder Woman and introduces audiences to a dynamic group of real life superheroes who continue to fight the good fight both on and off the screen. (World Premiere)

EMERGING VISIONS

Audacious, risk-taking artists in the new cinema landscape that demonstrate raw innovation and creativity in documentary and narrative filmmaking.

Films screening in Emerging Visions are:

Black Pond(UK)

Directors: Tom Kingsley, Will Sharpe, Screenwriter: Will Sharpe

An ordinary family is accused of murder when a stranger dies at their dinner table. Stars BAFTA-winner Chris Langham and British Comedy Award Winner Simon Amstell. Cast: Chris Langham, Simon Amstell, Amanda Hadingue, Colin Hurley, Will Sharpe (North American Premiere)

Dollhouse(Ireland)

Director/Screenwriter: Kirsten Sheridan

Five street teens break into a house in a rich Dublin suburb for a night of partying. But games are twisted into something more emotional and ultimately out of control through a series of surprising revelations. Cast: Seana Kerslake, Johnny Ward, Kate Stanley Brennan, Shane Curry, Ciaran McCabe (North American Premiere)

Eating Alabama

Director: Andrew Beck Grace

A quest to eat locally becomes a meditation on community, the South and sustainability. Eating Alabamais a story about why food matters. (World Premiere)

Electrick Children

Director/Screenwriter: Rebecca Thomas

Rachel, a 15-year-old fundamentalist Mormon, believes she’s had an immaculate conception by listening to rock and roll. She flees to Las Vegas to escape an arranged marriage, seeking answers to her mysterious pregnancy.

Cast: Julia Garner, Rory Culkin, Liam Aiken, Billy Zane (North American Premiere)

Extracted

Director/Screenwriter: Nir Paniry

A scientist is trapped in the memories of a criminal and must solve a crime in order to get back home to his family.

Cast: Sasha Roiz, Dominic Bogart, Jenny Mollen, Nick Jameson, Brad Culver(World Premiere)

Francine(Canada / USA)

Director/Screenwriter: Brian M. Cassidy, Melanie Shatzky

Academy-Award-winner, Melissa Leo, plays Francine, a woman struggling to find her place in a downtrodden lakeside town after leaving behind a life in prison.

Cast: Melissa Leo, Keith Leonard, Victoria Charkut (North American Premiere)

Funeral Kings

Director/Screenwriter: Kevin Mcmanus, Matthew Mcmanus

For three 14-year-old boys at St. Mark’s Middle School, it’s always a good day for a funeral.

Cast: Dylan Hartigan, Alex Maizus, Jordan Puzzo, Charles Odei, Kevin Corrigan(World Premiere)

Hard Labor(Brazil)

Director/Screenwriter: Juliana Rojas, Marco Dutra

Helena prepares to open her own business: a neighborhood grocery store. She hires a maid. But when her husband Octavio is suddenly fired from his job, Helena is left to support the family alone.

Cast: Helena Albergaria, Marat Descartes, Naloana Lima, Marina Flores (U.S. Premiere)

La Camioneta – The Journey of One American School Bus

Director: Mark Kendall

On a 3,000-mile adventure across the borders between the Americas, La Camionetafollows the journey of one out-of-service American school bus as it is repaired, repainted and resurrected into a Guatemalan camioneta. (World Premiere)

The Last Fall

Director/Screenwriter: Matthew A. Cherry

An NFL journeyman struggles to deal with life’s complexities after his professional career is over at age 25.

Cast: Lance Gross, Nicole Beharie, Vanessa Bell Calloway, Harry Lennix, Keith David

(World Premiere)

Leave Me Like You Found Me

Director/Screenwriter: Adele Romanski

Big trees, broken hearts. The story of a lovesick couple’s breakup & makeup while camping in the wilds of California. Cast: Megan Boone, David Nordstrom(World Premiere)

PAVILION

Director/Screenwriter: Tim Sutton

Max, a quietly troubled 15-year-old, leaves his lakeside town to live with his father on the sun-blasted fringe of suburban Arizona. What begins in a calm and lush environment ends in a drastic, frayed confusion. Cast: Max Schaffner, Zach Cali, Cody Hamric, Addie Barlett, Aaron Buyea(World Premiere)

Sun Don’t Shine

Director/Screenwriter: Amy Seimetz

Two lovers, on the back roads of Florida, do very bad things.

Cast: Kate Lyn Sheil, Kentucker Audley, AJ Bowen, Kit Gwinn, Mark Reeb(World Premiere)

Sunset Stories

Directors: Silas Howard, Ernesto Foronda, Screenwriter: Valerie Stadler

When May returns to LA and runs smack into JP, the man she left behind, past and present collide sending them on a twenty-four hour journey in search of what they lost.

Cast: Monique Curnen, Sung Kang, Joshua Leonard, Mousa Kraish, Michelle Krusiec(World Premiere)

Tchoupitoulas

Director: Bill Ross, Turner Ross

Three young brothers’ immersive journey into the sensory wonders of the New Orleans night.

(World Premiere)

Thale(Norway)

Director/Screenwriter: Aleksander L. Nordaas

The film revolves around huldra, a mythical, tailed creature, found by two crime scene cleaners in a concealed cellar. Someone’s been keeping her down here for decades, for reasons soon to surface. Cast: Silje Reinåmo, Jon Sigve Skard, Erlend Nervold, Morten Andresen(North American Premiere)

Wildness

Director/Screenwriter: Wu Tsang

A magical-realist portrait of the Silver Platter, a historic bar in Los Angeles that provides a safe space for Latin/LGBT immigrant and queer art communities to come together in love and conflict.

WOLF

Director/Screenwriter: Ya’ke Smith

A family is shaken to the core when they discover their son has been molested. As they struggle to deal with the betrayal, their son heads towards a total mental collapse.

Cast: Irma P. Hall, Mikala Gibson, Jordan Cooper, Shelton Jolivette, Eugene Lee(World Premiere)

To see the complete list click HERE

For more information, visit http://www.sxsw.com/film.

Dragonslayer is such an honest glimpse into a complex group of idealistic punk-metal, skate kids that are entirely focused on right now. They live to skate and party and be with friends. Nothing else really means anything.

I love documentaries where the filmmaker stays out of the way. This film was such an honest portrayal of the young skate legend Josh “Skreech” Sandoval, a 23-year-old Fullerton, CA native. Like many street skaters, Josh is a nomad. He bops around from couch to RV to tent to the woods to the streets. He isn’t driven by money, or food, or security, so his character is at times difficult to relate to. Especially because he’s too far gone half the time to say anything insightful. His only ambition is to skate, and to numb and suppress his emotions as much as possible with drugs and alcohol on a daily basis.

While he’s obviously flawed, there’s also such an intense sadness about him that makes his decisions seem more pathetic than outrageous. It was clear from the beginning of the film that his family wasn’t a priority or even present at all. And it’s unclear how many years that’s been the case. The guy definitely had the cards stacked against him.

Contrasting layers of reality helped add dimension to how Josh’s story is portrayed. Life for Josh and his entourage is gloomy and sporadic, but the backdrop of their lives is perpetual Southern California sunshine. Their whole life’s a never ending party, without rules or regulations, yet they appear trapped in their existence.

Director Tristan Patterson captured these complexities really well with the steady pacing, bumpy handheld camerawork, and quick cuts. The film’s editing really helped establish the mixed tone and subtle melancholy that left the viewer doubting how good of a time everyone was really having.

This film definitely offers a fresh look into a youthful subculture that’s existed for decades and that isn’t going anywhere. A subculture that almost feels more like an epidemic than a choice.

THEATRICAL SCREENINGS
OPENS NOVEMBER 4- NEW YORK, NY @ CINEMA VILLAGE
OPENS NOVEMBER 11- LOS ANGELES, CA @ DOWNTOWN INDEPENDENT
OPENS NOVEMBER 18- SAN FRANCISCO, CA @ ROXIE THEATER
OPENS NOVEMBER 18- DALLAS, TX @ TEXAS THEATRE
OPENS NOVEMBER 29, DECEMBER 6- MINNEAPOLIS, MN @ THE TRYLON
OPENS DECEMBER 2- SEATTLE, WA @ NORTHWEST FILM FORUM
OPENS DECEMBER 2- PORTLAND, OR @ HOLLYWOOD THEATRE
OPENS DECEMBER 2- BELLINGHAM, WA @ PICKFORD FILM CENTER
OPENS DECEMBER 9- SAN LUIS OBISPO, CA @ PALM THEATRE

August 1, 2011 – Austin, TX – The SXSW Film Conference & Festival opens for business today, as we begin accepting submissions and registrations for the 2012 event. Filmmakers are invited to submit their new features, short films, music videos and title sequences to the annual event, a renowned destination for discovery. Last year the Festival featured over 300 features and shorts, with 66 world premiere features, including Bridesmaids, Source Code, Attack the Block, Weekend, The Beaver,Dragonslayer, Turkey Bowl, Conan O’Brien Can’t Stop and Natural Selection among others. The 2012 SXSW Film Conference and Festival will take place March 9 – 17, 2012 in Austin, Texas.

“As we come off another exciting, electric year of great films and talent at SXSW 2011, our programming team is eagerly anticipating new submissions for SXSW 2012,” said Janet Pierson, SXSW Film Conference & Festival Producer. “We remain passionately dedicated to discovering and presenting fresh, dynamic films from new and veteran filmmakers alike, and can’t wait to see how our 2012 program shapes up.”

Submissions may only be entered via the official SXSW website, at http://sxsw.com/film. Complete rules and regulations, as well as additional information on the submission process can be found in the Submission FAQ, at http://sxsw.com/film/screenings/submission_faq.

Please note: SXSW Film Festival has changed our submission deadlines. Due to the increase in submissions and the extremely tight turnaround, we’ve moved up our Last Minute (and final) submission deadline to Tuesday, November 15, 2011. This will allow us to continue to give every submission the careful consideration it deserves. Don’t forget – filmmakers can submit their films earlier and save! Submission fees are at their lowest if you get your film in by the Early deadline of Tuesday, October 4, and are still discounted if you submit by the next deadline of Tuesday, November 1, 2011.

Also new for 2012: Please keep in mind; these deadlines are now on a RECEIVED BY basis, (NOT based on a postmark date). In other words, all 2012 film submissions must arrive at the SXSW offices in Austin no later than November 15, 2011.

SXSW Film accepts submissions in the following categories: Narrative Feature, Documentary Feature, Narrative Short, Documentary Short, Animated Short, Texas High School Short, Music Video, and Opening Title Sequence.

SXSW is proud to be an official qualifying festival for the Academy Awards Short Film competition. TheBest Narrative Short and Best Animated Short winners become eligible for the Academy Awards.

Submission deadlines and fees are as follows:

Early Submission Period: Monday, August 1 – Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Features – $40
Shorts – $25
Music Videos – $25
Title Sequence Design – $10
Texas High School – $10

Late Submission Period: Wednesday, October 5 – Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Features – $60
Shorts – $40
Music Videos – $40
Title Sequence Design – $10
Texas High School – $10

Last Minute Deadline Period: Wednesday, November 2 – Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Features – $100
Shorts – $50
Music Videos – $50
Title Sequence Design – $15
Texas High School – $10

Alongside our Film Festival, the SXSW Film Conference features over 100 informative and entertaining panels, workshops, mini-meetings and mentor sessions. The program presents topics that cover the film spectrum, with an emphasis on the intersection of the Film and Interactive worlds. 2011 participants included creative leaders and industry experts, as well as talent like Paul Reubens, Todd Phillips, Catherine Hardwicke, Duncan Jones, Jake Gyllenhaal, Rainn Wilson, James Wan and Bill Plympton.

Once again, the community can help shape the conference programming, by voting and commenting on panels they’d like to see via the PanelPicker™ interface. Voting begins Monday, August 15, and will run through Friday, September 2. To find out more about the SXSW PanelPicker™, visithttp://panelpicker.sxsw.com.

Register for a Film, Gold or Platinum Badge today at www.sxsw.com/attend, and join us March 9-17, 2012 for exceptional films, energetic panels, exciting parties, the SXSW Trade Show and, of course, the inspirational experience that only SXSW can deliver.

SXSW Film Conference and Festival is sponsored by Chevrolet, IFC, Brisk, Pepsi Max and and The Austin Chronicle.

About SXSW Film
The SXSW® Film Conference and Festival is a uniquely creative environment featuring the dynamic convergence of talent, smart audiences and industry heavyweights. A hotbed of discovery and interactivity, the event offers invaluable networking opportunities and immersion into the art and business of the rapidly evolving world of independent film.

The Film Conference buzzes as world-class speakers, creative minds, and notable mentors tackle the latest filmmaking trends amidst the unmatched social atmosphere of the SXSW experience. Simultaneously, the internationally acclaimed, nine-day Festival celebrates raw innovation and emerging talent, featuring a truly diverse program that includes provocative documentaries, subversive comedies, DIY narratives, genre standouts and more. For more information, visithttp://www.sxsw.com/film.

After the SXSW screening of Todd Rohal’s hilarious “The Catechism Cataclysm” we had a chance to meet-up with Todd, as well as the star of the film, Steve Little, and the co-star and executive producer, Robert Longstreet. “The Catechism Cataclysm” is a whirlwind of a comedy shot on a micro-budget (and with the help of Kickstarter) in the backwoods of Washington. It also played at Sundance, where it was picked up by IFC Films.

Death To The Movies: Alright guys, it’s great to have you all here. I want to start first by asking about the film’s title. It’s such a great title, did it come before you started production or was it something you came up with afterward?

Todd Rohal: The title came pretty early, I thought it was an intentionally bad title because it was unpronounceable.

DTTM: [laughs]

Todd Rohal: But no, the title was supposed to be unpronounceable. You’re kind of not supposed to be able to read it when it’s written out in that font, which is kind of for death metal bands. It’s a sort of code. Like to have a name written out in that insane typeface you may not be able to read what it says, but if you know that band then you just know what it is. It kind of ties into some Japanese things too, like Japanese symbols mean things and stuff like that… I just made that up now, but it sounded good [laughs]. But it also has to do with the catechism things of having to memorize lessons or rules of the church and Steve’s character is going through this crisis within the church of leaving and coming back. So, there’s a bit of a mess of disobeying the laws that are set forward in that and also set forward in the storytelling.

DTTM: Watching this film, it felt like you guys had a lot of fun making it. I think that almost made it more enjoyable because you rarely feel that in films anymore. What was the vibe on set?

Robert Longstreet: Oh man, I had a ball. I’m really glad that came through. I felt like I was at camp, like getting to play with a buddy or a new friend you meet over a summer and he’s someone you just hang out with really intensely for that one month you’re at camp. I mean that’s what I felt like. I was just so happy because I had wanted to work with Todd ever since I saw “Guatemalan Handshake”, I sent him emails, phone calls, and I just did not leave him alone. Thankfully he wasn’t repulsed by that and somehow we developed a friendship and then this film happened. And I was also a fan of Steve, so to work with him was just a pleasure. For me it really was a joyride.

DTTM: Steve, was it an enjoyable experience for you as well?

Steve Little: It was. It was weird because it was kind of like a vacation staying out there a little bit. I mean it was definitely hard work but it was also a lot of fun. But you know, when you perform there is this seriousness of it because there’s investors, or you want to make sure you get the shot, but then also if you’re not having fun then that is kind of contagious. So it’s weird, because there is a business aspect, but you also wanna… play. You know? That’s always the weird thing about it for me.

DTTM: What about for you, Todd? Was it fun or was it stressful? I’m sure it can be stressful to be on a short production schedule with a tight budget, but was it still a fun experience for you?

Todd Rohal: It should have been a disaster. It should have been horrible. It should have rained everyday and been hard on the crew and it also should have been really difficult for the actors with what we were asking them to do. But from the day I landed in Seattle to start shooting it was like every phone call we got was a good one. It was just constantly good news or something funny to add to the project, or something to up the production value of what we had. So, for me it was one of the best times of my life. I really had a great time watching these guys, and just felt much more comfortable directing.

Robert Longstreet: I can add something here. That kind of attitude comes from the director. It trickles down. I think the reason why it was so fun is that Todd just seemed relaxed and would come to us and make sure we had what we needed. He was such a great guy for the whole thing, and really happy to be there, which not everyone is on a lot of these movies. With smaller films like this, it’s more a labor of love. Everyone wanted to be there, no one is just taking paychecks and going home. But yeah, a good experience really starts with the director and trickles down.

Steve Little: I will say, the crew didn’t get paid or anything like that. So as an actor it makes it kind of hard for you to then complain. Not that we were getting paid a lot, but we were at least getting a paycheck.

DTTM: Robert, you were also the executive producer on this film. Did that add a little more weight to your role on set?

Robert Longstreet: Not at all. I wrote the first check and was so happy to do it because as a fan I really wanted to see the next Todd Rohal movie. I never even meant to be in the film. He wrote it for Steve and another actor, but that actor couldn’t do it because of a conflict in his schedule. Then when Todd asked me to do it, I didn’t believe him. I thought because I wrote the first check and got other investors he felt obligated, so I initially declined. I just wanted to invest and give him that 70′s experience where everyone says “yes” and the director is king. But then I finally agreed to do it and I’m so glad I did.

DTTM: How many days of production did you have?

Todd Rohal: It was 12 days. It probably should have been a few more. There were some things we would have liked to spend a little more time on, but it was scheduled really tight.

DTTM: You didn’t encounter any weather problems shooting in Washington?

Todd Rohal: No, we didn’t. But the day after we wrapped it snowed.

Robert Longstreet: Yeah, the day we were pulling out it was raining and then later snowing. But literally, the last day it rained. Up until then we didn’t have a single drop. So yeah, it was blessed.

DTTM: You guys put this film on Kickstarter.com to help raise funds. How was that? Would you go that route again?

Todd Rohal: I hated the idea of doing that, not because of the site, but I didn’t want to announce that we were making this movie in case it turned out to be a disaster or something. I didn’t like the idea of that happening and then someone coming up to me and being like, “Hey, how’s the movie going? How’s that fifty dollars I gave you? Did that… go well?” I didn’t want that guilt. Coming from making “Guatemalan Handshake” where we didn’t pay our investors back at all, it’s kind of odd because you run into those people fairly often. They are very nice folks and deal with it, but now with Kickstarter people give you that money and what if you never finish that movie and now there’s like 50 or 100 people that are wondering what happened to their money. So, I was really hesitant to announce that we were doing this movie, I was happy with just doing it very quietly. But we were in Seattle and all these crew people said, “We wanna work. We want to do this thing and we’re willing to do it for free.” and so we needed to pay to feed and house them. So, we needed to raise this extra money. We put it on Kickstarter and immediately money started coming in. We’d be out location scouting and would constantly be getting these emails notifying us of all these donations we were receiving. A lot of our friends gave big chunks. So it was nice, you feel like you’re not harassing people as much. It paid for the housing we needed for everybody, it was pretty great.

Robert Longstreet: And now, I mean, this movie sold at a profit. I remember when Kickstarter first came out, I had a really cynical idea about it. I was like, “Fuck you, go find your own damn money. Don’t like pass the UNICEF bucket around to everybody.” But now I love it and have contributed to a bunch of different productions on Kickstarter. I think it’s a great idea. I actually feel like it’s a great community that should go on, I really like it now. But I bet there are still a lot of people out there that feel bitter about it like I initially did.

DTTM: Did you guys sell after Sundance? Is that when IFC picked it up?

Todd Rohal: Yeah, we worked with Cinetic, which was crazy. I mean this was a small movie and then to sit down and talk with John Sloss, who works on real movies and then is working with us and our little movie. But they all genuinely loved the movie which is great to see. You want people who are working for the movie to genuinely love it. There are people out there who will work on a project just to work on it. It was such a great experience to be at Sundance and play at The Egyptian and have John Sloss come up afterwards and give me a hug. It was a thrill. I really believe that his heart was genuinely into this kind of movie. John really gets the difference in comedy and where it’s coming from. It was just great to see him back something that we just kind of pooped out in the woods… well, I shouldn’t say it was that easy. It was a hard poop.

DTTM: The tagline for the film, which I love, how did that come to be? Was it just thrown out there and it stuck, or was it always part of the film?

Todd Rohal: That tagline comes from the song “Hand of the Almighty” by John R. Butler, that we use at the end of the film. One of my oldest friends’ fathers went to school with that guy and told me about it… when I heard it I wrote it into the film and it’s been an honor to have it in there.

DTTM: Does IFC plan to keep the tagline when the release the film?

Todd Rohal: I don’t know if IFC will keep it (or our poster) just yet — we’re just getting into those conversations, but they seem to like all of the sensibility surrounding the film so far.

DTTM: I want to talk about the chemistry between Robert and Steve. I thought it was very funny and natural. Was there a lot of rehearsal time? Did you improvise much?

Steve Little: Well, I met Rob a year and a half ago. It was only for ten minutes for a reading on Todd’s film “Scoutmasters”. Then I met him for dinner the night before we started shooting this film and that was when I feel like we really officially met. There wasn’t too much time to rehearse. Todd had written an outline and only got us the script a couple days before shooting. We rehearsed every day before shooting, but it wasn’t like these stories you hear where we had weeks to rehearse before we even thought of shooting.

DTTM: So, were you signed on to “The Catechism Cataclysm” pretty early since you were already involved with “Scoutmasters”?

Steve Little: No, I just did a reading for “Scoutmasters.” But for this film I got an email that said “Do you want to do this movie? It’s about a priest who drops his Bible in the toilet.” I thought that was really funny so I checked with my mother and she laughed so…

DTTM: I thought Steve was a perfect casting decision, was the role written specifically for him?

Todd Rohal: I got an email from David Gordon Green after they filmed the pilot for “East Bound and Down” saying to take notice of Steve’s performance. Once I saw the episode it was like seeing Danny Mcbride in “All the Real Girls” where there was this feeling that this guy is going to become a superstar. But as we saw with Danny, that doesn’t always happen right away. It wasn’t until “The Foot Fist Way” that people really started taking notice of Danny. So, I felt like Steve was in a similar place and after his reading for “Scoutmasters” I wrote this part for him.

DTTM: Was there a specific scene in “The Catechism Cataclysm” that was especially challenging from a production standpoint?

Robert Longstreet: The argument scene was very hard to film. Because we rescheduled it last minute and were a little unprepared. We got the script so late we were trying to memorize our lines real fast and I also was real scared because I had to sing a song that day, but that ended up getting cut.

Steve Little: The first scene in the coffee shop was a little tough, but logistically the canoe scene was probably the most interesting. We had a raft connected to the canoe with steel bars.

DTTM: The soundtrack for the film was great, will that be available to purchase?

Todd Rohal: There are talks about it, Joey Stevens who did the music just knocked it out of the park. He also did the music for “East Bound and Down” and “Observe and Report”. He’s got such a huge range of capabilities and is just super talented.

DTTM: Shooting with the Canon 7D, how was it working with a DSLR camera for a change?

Todd Rohal: It had its good points and bad points. There is a time where you just had to stop caring. I really just wanted to make this movie. While they are not perfect and did slow us down sometimes, I set it aside and realized the material was more important. To just be able to go out and make something that looks so great for such a fraction of the price is amazing. It’s more about actually making the film rather than what you’re actually making the film with.

DTTM: Ben Kasulke was your DP on this film, didn’t he shoot like 5 films this year?

Robert Longstreet: I swear there is more than one Ben Kasulke out there. I think he found a way to clone himself.

DTTM: With all the connections to “East Bound and Down”, having Danny Mcbride and David Gordon Green as producers on this film, and of course Steve starring in it, are there any talks for you, Todd, to be involved with the next season?

Todd Rohal: Yeah, I’m gonna be the star of the next season. No, I haven’t been told anything about doing the show. That’s more of their thing. I love watching that show, but I have no idea what they are up to.

DTTM: The film isn’t the easiest to describe because it’s not of a specific genre. If someone was recommended “The Catechism Cataclysm” on Netflix through other films they have watched, what would the other films be?

Todd Rohal: Actually IMDB has already done it for us. It recommended “Oh, God!” the George Burns movie, “Saved”, “Don’t tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead” and “Christmas Vacation”. So it’s pretty spot on.

Robert Longstreet: Good Lord, yeah.

Steve Little: I got one. It’s “Sister Act” meets “Texas Chainsaw Massacre”. [laughs]

DTTM: Thanks for taking the time guys, it was great talking with you.

The SXSW Film Fest has bumped their submission deadlines up a month.

Edit fast, future game-changers.

From SXSW:

SXSW SETS NEW FILM SUBMISSION DEADLINES FOR 2012

Filmmakers Take Note! SXSW Film Festival has changed our submission deadlines. Due to the increase in submissions and the extremely tight turnaround, we’ve moved up our Late (and final) submission deadline to Tuesday, November 15, 2011. This will allow us to continue to give every submission the careful consideration it deserves. Don’t forget – filmmakers can submit their films earlier and save! Submission fees are at their lowest if you get your film in by the Early deadline of Tuesday, October 4, and are still discounted if you submit by the next deadline of Tuesday, November 1, 2011.

ALSO NEW: Please keep in mind, these deadlines are now on a RECEIVED BY basis, (NOT based on a postmark date). In other words, all 2012 film submissions must arrive at the SXSW offices in Austin no later than November 15, 2011.

SXSW Film accepts submissions in the following categories: Narrative Feature, Documentary Feature, Narrative Short, Documentary Short, Animated Short, Texas High School Short, Music Video, and Opening Title Sequence.

SXSW is proud to be an official qualifying festival for the Academy Awards Short Film competition. The Best Narrative Short and Best Animated Short winners become eligible for the Academy Awards.

We’re super excited to see what filmmakers have to show us for SXSW Film 2012, so stay tuned to the sxsw.com/film for more info on our Call For Entries which begin in early August 2011.