Latest in SXSW

EXCLUSIVE: Utopia (Mickey And The Bear, Shiva Baby) has acquired worldwide rights to Maria Finitzo's feature documentary The Dilemma of Desire, which is billed as an exploration of "cliteracy” and the clash between gender politics and the imperatives of female sexual desire. The distributor has set an October release…

The voice in her head is relentless: “You’re a freak. You’re fat. Your hair is gross. You’re a baby. You smell. Don’t be a bitch.” Here is the first trailer for Violet, a drama starring Olivia Munn from first-time feature writer-director Justine Bateman that premiered at SXSW. Have a look at the footage above and the…

EXCLUSIVE: Independent streaming company Cinedigm has taken all North American rights on Our Father, the feature debut of director-writer-actor Bradley Grant Smith that debuted at SXSW earlier this year. The deal marks the first Cinedigm acquisition slated to be released as an exclusive on the company's independent…

South By Southwest, the Austin-based film, tech, music and arts festival, released a statement Thursday saying it was “appalled” by Texas’ recent passage of two restrictive abortion bills as well as the state’s new voting law, but that it was “committed to staying and fighting alongside the people who have made us who…

EXCLUSIVE: HBO Max has acquired North American rights to writer-director Lissette Feliciano's debut film Women Is Losers, the 1960s-set indie drama that world premiered at this year’s SXSW and is toplined by Lorenza Izzo, Chrissie Fit, Bryan Craig and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings star Simu Liu. The…

EXCLUSIVE: Dark Star Pictures has acquired North American rights to Potato Dreams of America, writer-director Wes Hurley's autobiographical dark comedy that had its world premiere at this year’s SXSW. The pic will get a U.S. theatrical release in Q1 2022 followed by a digital bow, and the deal comes as the pic readies…

Warner Bros. Pictures has picked up global rights to Megan Park’s SXSW multi-award-winning feature The Fallout. The pic will be released exclusively on HBO Max where the service is available globally, and be distributed by Warner Bros in the balance of international markets. The Fallout follows high schooler Vada…

EXCLUSIVE: Jarod Neece, former Film Programmer and Event Producer at SXSW, has joined nascent indie film streamer Curia as Acquisitions and Marketing Consultant. Neece will work alongside Chief Content Officer Garrett Weaver, former Universal Pictures Director of Acquisitions.   The subscription service, which is now…

Sony Pictures Classics has taken worldwide rights to the documentary film Who We Are: A Chronicle of Racism in America, directed by Emily Kunstler & Sarah Kunstler and written by Jeffery Robinson. The movie won the Documentary Spotlight Audience Award at SXSW this year. The distributor plans an awards-qualifying run…

EXCLUSIVE: Breaking Glass Pictures and Blue Fox Entertainment have jointly acquired a title for the first time, landing SXSW and Hot Docs selection We Are The Thousand, which chronicles the journey taken by 1,000 musicians to create the biggest rock band event on Earth. The film gives a first-hand account of the…

P-MRC Holdings has made a deal with South by Southwest that would make the media company a long-term partner with and shareholder of the Austin festival. P-MRC, which has acquired 50% of SXSW per WSJ, is a joint venture between Deadline parent company Penske Media Corporation and MRC. "It has been an incredibly tough…

Shout! Studios has acquired North American rights to Language Lessons, the drama that marks the feature directing debut of Natalie Morales. She co-stars with Mark Duplass, who also penned the script. The pic, which had its world premiere at this year’s Berlin Film Festival and won an audience award at SXSW, will now…