by Cody Villafana
It’s March in Texas, which means another edition of the SXSW Film and TV Festival is here! As always, this year’s festival boasts a diverse line up of narrative, documentary and short films from around the world. These are some of our most anticipated films of this year’s program, including several with ties to San Antonio and Texas.
Friendship
(L-R) Tim Robinson, Paul Rudd | Credit: Photo by Spencer Pazer. Courtesy of A24.
SXSW has always been a wonderful environment for electric screenings of great comedies. For this year’s line up, perhaps no comedy is more exciting than the new A24 film “Friendship.” In the last few years, former SNL writer and performer Tim Robinson has become one of the buzziest names in comedy with his incredible sketch show “I Think You Should Leave.” “Friendship” marks Robinson’s first leading role in a comedy since the Netflix show has become a bona fide hit, pairing up with Paul Rudd in a movie described as following a suburban dad whose life is turned upside down by a new neighbor looking to be friends. If the film can allow Robinson to tap into his knack for bizarre, absurdist characterization, this one could be a major sleeper hit.
Uvalde Mom
Angeli Rose Gomez in Uvalde, Texas | Credit: Photo by Caleb Kuntz. Courtesy of Sanarte Films.
In what is sure to be one of the most powerful documentaries of the festival, “Uvalde Mom” follows the story of Angeli Rose Gomez, the mother of two students at Robb Elementary who defied orders and ran inside a mass shooting event to save her children in a stark juxtaposition to the actual response from law enforcement. As Gomez speaks out, her past also emerges and she finds herself the target of retaliation as she joins the fight of a community demanding accountability from those who fell short.
LifeHack
Still taken from Lifehack, featuring Georgie Farmer as Kyle, Yasmin Finney as Alex, Roman Hyack Green as Sid and James Sholz as Petey – Directed by Ronan Corrigan | Credit: Lifehack
One of the more fascinating trends in movies over the last decade is the emergence of a brand new genre called “Screenlife,” characterized by films that take place entirely on a computer screen or smartphone. There have been great examples of success, such as the mystery disappearance film “Searching” or the Zoom-horror “Host.” The latest iteration premiering at SXSW is “LifeHack,” a film that follows four teenagers as they prepare a Cryptocurrency heist that promises to be both a gripping and suspenseful adventure and a creative look at the role that technology plays in the lives of the modern generation.
The Baltimorons
Credit: Jessie Cohen
Though the sibling duo has stayed extremely prolific, writing, producing and acting in a variety of television and film projects, it has been 13 years since producing partners (and attendees of the film program at The University of Texas at Austin), Mark and Jay Duplass aka The Duplass Brothers, have stepped behind the camera to direct a feature film. For “The Baltimorons,” brother Jay directs a film with a simple logline about a newly sober man with a cracked tooth going on an adventure with his emergency dentist. The Duplass Brothers are icons of independent film and have proven themselves more than adept at spinning gold from the simplest of ideas, which makes “The Baltimorons” an exciting and welcome return to feature filmmaking.
Are We Good?
Credit: Steven Feinartz
After decades of being a successful stand up comedian, Marc Maron solidified his spot amongst the most vital and influential podcasters with his interview show WTF. In recent years, Maron has also had some fantastic turns as a dramatic actor, leading to a fascinating and exciting second half of his career. In 2020, however, Maron’s life changed when his girlfriend, the incredible independent filmmaker Lynn Shelton, passed away unexpectedly. “Are We Good?” Is a documentary that follows Maron in the wake of Shelton’s passing, reconciling the loss while trying to build a self-reflective hour of comedy and contemplating what his future looks like both on and off the stage. Maron has been known to be acerbic and brutally honest, which makes for a potentially fascinating documentary subject exploring heavy topics.
The True Beauty of Being Bitten by a Tick
Zoë Chao in The True Beauty of Being Bitten by a Tick | Credit: Pete Ohs
Winston Churchill High School graduate Callie Hernandez continues her impressive career in front of and behind the camera, acting, producing and co-writing the film “The True Beauty of Being Bitten by a Tick.” Described as a film that explores the discomfort with domestic life through the lens of millennial anxiety, “The True Beauty of Being Bitten by a Tick” looks to be an incisive and sharp journey into the angst of maturing and growing up.
The Age of Disclosure
Credit: Vincent Wrenn
Very recently, congressional hearings were held in Washington D.C. regarding Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP aka UFOs) which has sparked a long existing conversation of an 80-year cover-up into the existence of non-human intelligent life. With a documentary film that features interviews with nearly 35 senior members of the U.S., government, military, and intelligence community, “The Age of Disclosure” is poised to be one of the most frank, and legitimized conversations about the prospect of non-human life that we’ve ever witnessed.
Selena y Los Dinos
Photo courtesy of SXSW
2025 marks 30 years since the death of Tejano Superstar Selena Quintanilla and her impact is still as strong as ever around the world, but especially here in Texas. The film’s title takes the name from Selena’s family band, which featured her brother and sister who are both producers on the film. The film’s description promises never-before-seen home videos from the Quintinilla family personal archive, as well as intimate interviews with those surviving family members, in what is sure to be a loving and touching tribute to a cultural icon. The documentary premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, and was subsequently pulled off the digital platform when feverish fans posted clips to TikTok. With a recent acquisition by Netflix, “Selena y Los Dinos” remains one of the most anticipated documentaries for an endlessly passionate fan base.