Muristek
Festival:The 29th SXSW Film Festival
Dates:March 11-20
About:This Austin event makes its in-person return with a lineup of more than 100 new features and episodics – with docs making up more than half that number.
Among the offerings:
Documentary Feature Competition:
BAD AXEDirector: David SievProducers: Jude Harris, Katarina Vasquez, David SievA real-time portrait of 2020 unfolds as an Asian-American family in Trump’s rural America fights to keep their restaurant and American dream alive in the face of a pandemic, Neo-Nazis, and generational scars from the Cambodian Killing Fields.
CLEANDirector: Lachlan McLeodProducers: David Elliot-Jones, Charlotte WheatonA fly-on-the-wall insight into the world of trauma cleaning through the journey of larger-than-life business owner Sandra Pankhurst and the workers at Melbourne’s Specialised Trauma Cleaning Services.
MASTER OF LIGHTDirector: Rosa Ruth BoestenProducers: Roger Ross Williams, Anousha Nzume, Ilja RoomansGeorge Anthony Morton, a classical painter who spent ten years in federal prison, travels to his hometown to paint his family members, forcing him to face his past in a quest to rewrite the script of his life.
THE THIEF COLLECTORDirector: Allison OttoProducers: Caryn Capotosto, Jill Latiano Howerton, Joshua KunauUnraveling the mystery of the infamous 1985 heist of Willem de Kooning’s seminal painting, “Woman-Ochre,” one of the most audacious and puzzling crimes of a generation.
Documentary Spotlight:
CROWS ARE WHITEDirector: Ahsen NadeemProducers: Riel Roch-Decter, Sebastian Pardo, Ahsen Nadeem, Ben Renzon, Ryan Ahrens, Jill AhrensAfter decades of living a secret life, a filmmaker travels to a strict Japanese monastery in search of guidance but the only monk who will help him prefers ice cream and heavy metal over meditation.
GABBY GIFFORDS WON’T BACK DOWNDirectors: Julie Cohen, Betsy WestProducers: Lisa Erspamer, Sam JinishianA gunman ended her skyrocketing political career, but didn’t stop Congresswoman Gabby Giffords.
MICKEY: THE STORY OF A MOUSEDirector: Jeff MalmbergProducers: Morgan Neville, Meghan Walsh, Chris ShellenAn exploration of Mickey Mouse’s significance, getting to the core of what Mickey’s cultural impact says about each of us and about our world.
MORE THAN ROBOTSDirector: Gillian JacobsProducers: Jason Sterman, David Gelb, Brian McGinnFour teams of teenagers from around the world prepare for the 2020 First Robotics Competition, but in a year like no other, the kids learn that there is more to the competition than just robots.
SKATE DREAMSDirector: Jessica EdwardsProducers: Erin Owens, Jessica EdwardsThe rise of women’s skateboarding, profiling a group of women whose pursuit of self-expression, equality, and freedom have created an international movement of independence and empowerment.
SPLIT AT THE ROOTDirector: Linda Goldstein KnowltonProducers: Maria Grasso, Linda Goldstein Knowlton, Miranda BaileyWhen a Guatemalan mother seeking asylum was separated from her kids under Zero Tolerance Policy, a group of women sprang into action.
STILL WORKING 9 TO 5Directors/Producers: Camille Hardman, Gary LaneAn exploration of why workplace inequality is no laughing matter in the 40 years since the seminal comedy, 9 TO 5, was released in 1980.
UNDER THE INFLUENCEDirector: Casey NeistatProducers: Christine Vachon, Casey Neistat, Mason PlottsThe rise and fall of the biggest YouTuber in the world whose feel-good videos masked the dark and reckless new ethos of online celebrity culture.
WHAT WE LEAVE BEHINDDirector: Iliana SosaProducers: Emma D. Miller, Iliana Sosa, Isidore Bethel (co-producer)A gentle love letter to farmworkers, mutual caregivers, and transnational families through the filmmaker’s portrait of her grandfather.
Visions:
SELF-PORTRAITDirector/Producer: Joële WalingaA portrait of humanity as captured by its surveillance cameras.
SELL/BUY/DATEDirector: Sarah JonesProducers: Sarah Jones, David Goldblum, Julie Parker BenelloA heartfelt, witty hybrid following Tony-winning performer/comedian Sarah Jones and her multicultural characters on a journey exploring her personal relationship to the sex industry through a social justice lens.
24 Beats Per Second:
CESÁRIA ÉVORADirector: Ana Sofia FonsecaProducers: Ana Sofia Fonseca, Irina CaladoWorld renowned performer Cesária Évora’s voice took her from poverty to stardom.
CYPHERDirector: Chris MoukarbelProducers: John Hodges, Tony Hernandez, Lilly Burns, Chris Moukarbel, Tierra Whack, Anthony Seyler, Sanjay Sharma, Roya RastegarA hybrid psychological thriller about and starring the artist Tierra Whack that delves into fame and the conspiracy theories surrounding the music industry.
JAZZ FEST: A NEW ORLEANS STORYDirectors: Frank Marshall, Ryan SuffernProducers: Frank Marshall, Sean Stuart, Ryan SuffernThis soulful and heartfelt celebration of 50 years of the funky and fabulous New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival invites you to bliss out on New Orleans’ unique culture.
LOOK AT ME!Director: Sabaah FolayanProducer: Darcy McKinnon, Chloe CampionAn exploration of how Jahseh Onfroy tapped raw talent, a gift for connecting with disaffected youth, and a mastery of social media to fashion himself into SoundCloud rapper XXXTentacion – one of the most streamed artists on the planet.
OMOIYARI: A SONG FILM BY KISHI BASHIDirectors: Kaoru Ishibashi, Justin Taylor SmithProducer: JJ Gerber, Jim Angelo, Jenny MillsViolinist and songwriter Kishi Bashi travels on a musical journey to understand WWII era Japanese Incarceration, assimilation, and what it means to be a minority in America today.
THE RETURN OF TANYA TUCKERDirector: Kathlyn Horan
Producers: Kathlyn Horan, Julie Goldman, Christopher Clements, Carolyn HepburnRising star Brandi Carlile writes an album for her hero, trailblazing country music legend Tanya Tucker, spurring the greatest comeback in country music history.
Episodic Premieres:
THE LAST MOVIE STARSDirector: Ethan HawkeProducers: Emily Wachtel, Lisa Long Adler, Adam Gibbs, Ryan HawkeAn epic 6-chapter film chronicling Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward’s iconic careers and decades-long partnership.