SXSW: Midnighters and SXFantastic Lineups Unveiled

"Insidious"

On Thursday, the SXSW Film Festival revealed the lineups for its Midnighters and SXFantastic sections, as well as its extensive short films lineup.

Among the Midnighter entries are the U.S. premiere of James Wan and Leigh Whannell's Insidious, which stars Rose Byrne and Patrick Wilson in a haunted house thriller, and the Jason Eisner-directed Hobo With a Shotgun, an exploitation throwback that just screened at Sundance.

”Our midnight programs are the bloody, beating heart of SXSW,” said SXSW producer Janet Pierson. “Since the beginning, midnight films have been an essential ingredient to what makes SXSW so exciting and fun, and this year's selections are no exception.”

Jarod Neece programmed the genre-heavy midnight program, which includes a sidebar drawn from the local Fantastic Fest. In addition, 12 shorts programs will showcase 150 short films.

The features lineup was announced last week, and below are the full midnight line-ups. SXSW runs March 11-19 in Austin.

MIDNIGHTERS

Attack The Block (UK-England)

Director & Writer: Joe Cornish

A funny, frightening action adventure movie that pits a teen gang against an invasion of alien monsters. It turns a tower block into a sci-fi playground. It’s inner city versus outer space. Cast: Jodie Whittaker, John Boyega, Alex Esmail, Franz Drameh, Leeon Jones, Simon Howard, Luke Treadaway, Jumayn Hunter and Nick Frost (World Premiere)

The Divide (US-Canada)

Director: Xavier Gens; Writers: Karl Mueller & Eron Sheean

To survive the end of the world... you must first survive each other. Cast: Michael Biehn, Milo Ventimiglia, Lauren German, Rosanna Arquette, Courtney B. Vance (World Premiere)

Hobo With a Shotgun

Director: Jason Eisner; Writer: John Davies

A Hobo finds himself in an urban hell. When he witnesses a brutal robbery, he realizes the only way to deliver justice is with a shotgun. Cast: Rutger Hauer, Gregory Smith, Molly Dunsworth, Brian Downey, Nick Bateman

Insidious

Director: James Wan; Writer: Leigh Whannell

Dark spirits have possessed the home of a family whose son has fallen into a coma.  Trying to save him, the family moves only to realize that it was not their house that was haunted. Cast: Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne, Lin Shaye, Ty Simpkins, Barbara Hershey (U.S. Premiere)

Phase 7 / Fase 7 (Argentina)

Diretor & Writer: Nicolas Goldbart

Coco just moved to his new apartment with 7-month pregnant wife. When the building is in quarantined for a deadly flue. The neighbors became unexpected enemies. Cast: Daniel Hendler, Federico Luppi, Jazmin Stuart, Jose "Yayo" Guridi (North American Premiere)

SX FANTASTIC

Cold Sweat / Sudor Frio

Director: Adrián Garcia Bogliano; Writers: Adrián Garcia Bogliano, Ramiro García Bogliano, Hernán Moyano

What do you do if you are a right-wing Argentinean terrorist and your state-sanctioned organization is disbanded?  We can’t say, but it involves chat rooms, bare breasts and a generous slathering of nitro-glycerine. Cast: Facundo Espinosa, Marina Glezer, Camila Velasco, Omar Musa, Noelia Vergini (International Premiere)

George the Hedgehog / Jeż Jerzy (Poland)

Director: Wojciech Wawszczyk; Writer: Rafał Skarżycki

Jez Jerzy is a skateboarding hedgehog who likes to drink beer and fondle breasts.  He finds it hard to pursue his passions, however, while being tormented by neo-nazi skinheads, mad scientists and a drooling, flatulent clone of himself. Cast: Borys Szyc, Maria Peszek, Maciej Maleńczuk, Sokół, Michał Koterski (International Premiere)

Kill List (UK)

Director: Ben Wheatley; Writers: Ben Wheatley & Amy Jump

A dark and twisted horror from the mind of director Ben Wheatley. Cast: Neil Maskell, Michael Smiley, MyAnna Buring (World Premiere)

Little Deaths (UK)

Directors & Writers: Sean Hogan, Andrew Parkinson & Simon Rumley

A psychosexual horror anthology comprised of three separate stories dealing with the twin themes of sex and death. Cast: Kate Braithewaite, Daniel Brocklebank, Brendan Gregory, Siubhan Harrison, Jodie Jameson (North American Premiere)

The FP

Directors & Writers: Jason Trost & Brandon Trost

For years an underground war has raged for dominance over the town of Frazier Park between two clans. Dominance isn't determined through fistfights or petty brawls, but the dancing video game Beat-Beat Revelation. Cast: Jason Trost, Lee Valamassy, Caitlyn Folley, Art Hsu, Nick Principe (World Premiere)