SXSW fest adds new thrillers to The Midnighters section

PanARMENIAN.Net - The South by Southwest Film Conference and Festival has announced the remainder of its program with the Midnighters, Festival Favorites, Shorts Programs and Special Events for its 23rd edition, which runs March 11-19 in Austin, Texas, TheWrap reports.

The Midnighters section is always a favorite with SXSW audiences who relish in the weird, electrifying and sometimes, downright terrifying. Featuring 10 genre films, including six World Premieres, the slate includes thrillers, sci-fi and dark comedies from a mix of new and established filmmakers. These 10 Midnighters as well as the 13 Festival Favorites, five Special Events and additional feature titles are included in 139 total features screening at SXSW Film 2016.

“Deep and dark character studies, crazy Japanese Manga come to life, daddy-issues, handicaps, survival, revenge and even a little remastering are all on display this year,” SXSW producer/senior programmer Jarod Neece said. “You’ll hear from veteran directors and producers perfecting their craft to filmmakers that are about to burst onto the scene. And don’t sleep on the Festival Favorites and Special Events, lots of weird and wild films in those screening sections, too!”

114 short films were selected from 4,784 short film submissions. A comprehensive list of the Short Film Program is detailed below, all of which will screen as part of 10 curated shorts programs.

“I love how our short filmmakers are brazenly inventive and taking big risks across the board. They drop original, ballsy ideas, and go to places most storytellers are afraid to,” Claudette Godfrey, shorts programmer and operations manager for SXSW Film, said. “The gift for us at SXSW is watching so many of them hone their skills in short films we premiere here, and go on to take their imaginative ideas to more ambitious avenues. This year will be no exception.”

The films in the Short Film Program are eligible for Jury Awards within their respective screening categories, announced during the SXSW Film Awards on Tuesday, March 15 at 4 p.m. at the Paramount Theatre. Other awards announced will include Narrative Feature Competition and Documentary Feature Competition, Design Awards, and Special Award winners. All feature film categories, except Special Events, will be eligible for category specific Audience Awards, announced on Saturday, March 20. SXSW is an official qualifying festival for the Academy Awards Short Film competition. Winners of the Best Animated, Best Narrative and Best Documentary Short Film categories become eligible for Oscars, while any British short that screens at SXSW is eligible for a BAFTA nomination.