The 2025 South by Southwest Film & TV Festival took place from March 7–15 at several venues in Austin, Texas, as part of the larger South by Southwest annual event. The festival opened with the film Another Simple Favor and the debut of the comedy series The Studio. It closed with the American premiere of On Swift Horses.
Feature films Headliner English titleDirector(s)Production countryThe Accountant 2Gavin O'ConnorUnited StatesAnother Simple FavorPaul FeigAshFlying LotusDeath of a UnicornAlex ScharfmanDropChristopher LandonHollandMimi Cave
Narrative Feature Competition English titleDirector(s)Production countryBunnyBen JacobsonUnited StatesFantasy LifeMatthew ShearFucktoysAnnapurna SriramIt EndsAlexander UllomMy Uncle JensBrwa VahabpourNorwayOuterlandsElena OxmanUnited StatesReelingYana AlliataSlantedAmy Wang
Documentary Feature Competition English titleDirector(s)Production countryArrest the MidwifeElaine EpsteinUnited StatesAssemblyRashaad Newsome, Johnny SymonsBaby DoeJessica EarnshawThe Python HuntXander RobinRemaining NativePaige BethmannThe Secret of MeGrace Hughes-HallettUnited KingdomShuffleBenjamin FlahertyUnited StatesThe Spies Among Us Jamie Coughlin Silverman, Gabriel Silverman
Narrative Spotlight English titleDirector(s)Production countryAmerican SweatshopUta BriesewitzGermany, United StatesThe AstronautJess VarleyUnited StatesThe BaltimoronsJay DuplassCaperDean ImperialClown in a CornfieldEli CraigCotton Candy Bubble GumJ PinderThe DutchmanAndre GainesFor WorseAmy LandeckerForgeJing Ai NgIdiotkaNastasya PopovI Really Love My HusbandGG HawkinsLifehackRonan CorriganUnited KingdomMagic HourKatie AseltonUnited StatesMermaidTyler CornackOne More ShotNicholas CliffordAustraliaO'DessaGeremy JasperUnited States$POSITIONSBrandon DaleySatisfactionAlex BurunovaUnited States, Ukraine, Greece, ItalyShe's The HeSiobhan McCarthyUnited StatesSummer of 69Jillian BellSurviving EarthThea GajićUnited KingdomSweetnessEmma HigginsCanadaThe Rivals of Amziah KingAndrew PattersonUnited KingdomThe ThreesomeChad HartiganUnited StatesThe True Beauty of Being Bitten by a TickPete OhsTrash BabyJacy MairsWe Bury the DeadZak HilditchAustralia
Documentary Spotlight English titleDirector(s)Production countryThe Age of DisclosureDan FarahUnited StatesAmerican SonsAndrew James GonzalesAre We Good?Steven FeinartzASCO: Without PermissionTravis Gutiérrez SengerCreede U.S.AKahane Corn CoopermanDear TomorrowKaspar Astrup SchröderDenmark, Japan, SwedenDeeperJennifer PeedomAustraliaDeepfaking Sam AltmanAdam Bhala LoughUnited StatesFlight 149: Hostage of WarJenny AshUnited KingdomI'm Carl Lewis!Julie Anderson, Chris HayLuv Ya, Bum!Sam Wainwright Douglas, David HartsteinUnited StatesMake It Look RealKate BlackmoreAustraliaMola: A Tibetan Tale of Love and LossYangzom Brauen, Martin BrauenUnited States, SwitzerlandNow! More! Yes!Max HeyUnited StatesOther SideHeather Hogan, Carter OakleySeen and HeardGiselle Bailey, Phil BertelsenSnow Leopard SistersBen Ayers, Sonam Choekyi Lama, Andrew LynchUnited KingdomSpreadsheet ChampionsKristina KraskovAustraliaStarmanRobert StoneUnited StatesStrange Journey: The Story of Rocky HorrorLinus O'BrienTake No PrisonersAdam Ciralsky, Subrata DeThe Tallest DwarfJulie Forrest WymanUvalde MomAnayansi Prado
Midnighter English titleDirector(s)Production countryDescendentPeter CilellaUnited StatesGood BoyBen LeonbergHallow RoadBabak AnvariCzechia, Ireland, United KingdomThe HomeMattias J SkoglundEstonia, Iceland, SwedenNew Jack FuryLanfia WalUnited StatesNirvanna the Band the Show the MovieMatt JohnsonCanadaRedux ReduxKevin McManus, Matthew McManusUnited StatesThe SurrenderJulia Max
Visions English titleDirector(s)Production countryDead LoverGrace GlowickiCanadaGhost BoyRodney AscherUnited StatesThe Infinite HuskAaron SilversteinNight FightKhary Saeed JonesOdysseyGerard JohnsonUnited KingdomWe Are StorrorMichael BayUnited StatesYour Higher SelfAnnie St-PierreCanada
24 Beats Per Second English titleDirector(s)Production country24 Hours of GraceSteven ZhuUnited States42nd StreetJosé María CabralDominican RepublicBoxcutterReza DahyaCanadaBrother Verses BrotherAri GoldUnited StatesButthole Surfers: The Hole Truth and Nothing ButtTom SternForever We Are YoungGrace Lee, Patty AhnLa Salsa ViveJuan CarvajalColombiaThe Makings of Curtis MayfieldH.E.R.United StatesSelena y Los DinosIsabel Castro
Global English titleDirector(s)Production countryCorinaUrzula Barba HopfnerMexicoFuryGemma BlascoSpainGlorious SummerHelena Ganjalyan, Bartosz SzpakPolandReal FacesLeni HuygheBelgiumTrans MemoriaVictoria VerseauSweden
Festival Favorite English titleDirector(s)Production country40 AcresR. T. ThorneCanadaThe Ballad of Wallis IslandJames GriffithsUnited KingdomDeaf President Now!Nyle DiMarco, Davis GuggenheimUnited StatesFriendshipAndrew DeYoungThe LibrariansKim A. SnyderMarlee Matlin: Not Alone AnymoreShoshannah SternOn Swift HorsesDaniel MinahanThe Perfect NeighborGeeta GandbhirSallyCristina CostantiniThe SurferLorcan FinneganAustralia, IrelandTogetherMichael ShanksAustraliaTouch MeAddison HeimannUnited StatesZodiac Killer ProjectCharlie ShackletonUnited States, United Kingdom
Short films Narrative Short Competition English titleDirector(s)Production country24 Hours After Reading Tuesdays with MorrieScott TinkhamUnited StatesBaba I'm FineKarina DandashiBen's SisterEmma WeinswigBrief SomebodiesAndy ReidCanadaEntre TormentasFran ZayasUnited StatesGrandma's Four Color CardsSally TranVietnamHow Was Your Weekend?Cam BanfieldUnited StatesI'm The Most Racist Person I KnowLeela VargheseAustraliaMax DistanceMarissa GoldmanUnited StatesNervous EnergyEve LiuNight BloomTiye AmenechiOne Day This KidAlexander FarahCanadaOut for DeliveryChelsea ChristerUnited StatesThe SentryJake WachtelUnited States, CambodiaThe SingersSam DavisUnited StatesStrangers In The Same ShirtAnthon Chase JohnsonSynthesize MeBear DamenUnited States, NetherlandsUnholyDaisy FriedmanUnited StatesWassupKayleePepi GinsbergUnited States, FranceYú Cì (Fish Bones)Kevin Xian Ming YuUnited States
Documentary Short Competition English titleDirector(s)Production countryArmed only with a Camera: The Life and Death of Brent RenaudBrent Renaud, Craig RenaudUnited StatesCamp WidowLaura Green, Anna Moot-LevinExodusNimco SheikhadenThe Goldfish ClubMax HendersonUnited KingdomThe Long ValleyRobert Machoian, Rodrigo Ojeda-BeckUnited StatesLooking For A DonkeyJuan Vicente ManriqueMexico, VenezuelaMurewaChé Scott-Heron NewtonUnited KingdomShanti Rides ShotgunCharles FrankUnited StatesTigerLoren WatersWe Beg To DifferRuairi BradleyIreland, United KingdomWelcome Home FrecklesHuiju ParkUnited Kingdom
Animated Short Competition English titleDirector(s)Production countryBaggageLucy DavidsonAustralia, United KingdomDetlevFerdinand EhrhardtGermanyThe Dream MachineJimmy MarbleUnited StatesHurikánJan SaskaBosnia and Herzegovina, Czechia, France, SlovakiaMambo No. 2Anne FeldmeierGermanyMine!Lou MortonUnited StatesMy Wonderful LifeCalleen KohSingaporeRetirement PlanJohn KellyIrelandS The WolfSameh AlaaFranceTV or The Disturbance on Forest Hill RoadFrederic SiegelSwitzerlandWords of HerCharlene XuUnited States, China
Midnight Short Competition English titleDirector(s)Production countryThe Beguilingishkwaazhe Shane McSaubyUnited StatesFamiliarMarco NovoaFranceLast CallWinnie CheungUnited States, Australia, Hong KongLurkMairin Hart, Josh Wallace KerriganUnited StatesStomach BugMatty CrawfordUnited KingdomVideo BarnBianca PolettiUnited StatesWhitchHoku Uchiyama
Texas Short Competition English titleDirector(s)Production countryAn Ongoing List of Things Found in the Library Book Drop,Usually Being Used as BookmarksKayla Abuda GalangUnited StatesGood Time CharlieDavid BlackHarvesterCharlie SchwanNeuroWes EllisNewbiesKimiko Matsuda-Lawrence, Megan Trufant TillmanRandy As HimselfMargaret MillerRed SandsRomina CenisioSweetbriarDanny Rivera
Television TV Premiere English titleCreated byProduction country#1 Happy Family USARamy Youssef, Pam BradyUnited StatesGovernment CheesePaul Hunter, Aeysha CarrHappy FaceJennifer CacicioSpy HighJody McVeigh-SchultzThe StudioSeth Rogen, Evan GoldbergThe Yogurt Shop MurdersMargaret Brown
TV Spotlight English titleCreated byProduction countryDates in Real LifeJakob RørvikNorwayDui ShawNuhash HumayunBangladeshMix TapeLucy GaffyIreland, Australia, CanadaPushLuisa HardenbergGermany
Independent TV Competition English titleCreated byProduction countryBulldozerJoanna LeedsUnited StatesCigarettesSarah MokhDenimTedra WilsonF-ckUps AnonymousJoe TierneyMr. CorruptionSimeon Hu, Stephen LawR&RJJ HerzStars DinerMary Neely, Fidel Ruiz-Healy, Tyler Walker
Venues Films and shows at SXSW were screened at seven venues: Paramount Theatre Zach Theatre Hyatt Regency Austin Rollins Theatre at The Long Center Alamo Drafthouse Lamar Violet Crown Cinema AFS Cinema (satellite venue)
References