Quite possibly the hardest working man in film will be coming to the South by Southwest Festival in Austin, Texas. Alex Gibney's documentary "Steve Jobs: Man in the Machine" will have its world premiere at the festival, which runs from March 13-22. Gibney, an Oscar winner for "Taxi to the Dark Side", was among the marquee names as SXSW revealed its full lineup on Tuesday. Gibney's movie about Apple Co-founder Steve Jobs will play in the "Headliners" section, out of competition. It was only last week that Gibney premiered "Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief" at the Sundance Film Festival. He attended Sundance along with author Lawrence Wright, whose book is the basis of the film. Below is the SXSW press release announcing the films competing in the Documentary Feature category: Selected from 1,018 submissions, ten world premieres, ten real world stories that demonstrate innovation, energy and bold voices. Breaking a Monster Director: Luke Meyer Breaking a Monster chronicles the break-out year of the band Unlocking The Truth, as the 12 and 13-year-old members first encounter stardom and the music industry, transcending childhood to become the rock stars they always dreamed of being. (World Premiere) Deep Time Director: Noah Hutton Ancient oceans teeming with life, Norwegian settlers, Native Americans and multinational oil corporations find intimacy in deep time. (World Premiere) FRAME BY FRAME Directors: Alexandria Bombach, Mo Scarpelli After decades of war and an oppressive Taliban regime, four Afghan photojournalists face the realities of building a free press in a country left to stand on its own – reframing Afghanistan for the world and for themselves. (World Premiere) Madina's Dream Director: Andrew Berends An unflinching and poetic glimpse into a forgotten war, Madina’s Dream tells the story of rebels and refugees fighting to survive in Sudan’s Nuba Mountains. (World Premiere) Peace Officer Directors: Scott Christopherson, Brad Barber A former sheriff will stop at nothing to confront the SWAT team he founded. (World Premiere) Poached Director: Timothy Wheeler Obsessive egg thieves rob the nests of rare birds while a UK national police force tries to stop them. Poached delves into the psychology of these criminals, showing that when passion turns it can destroy the very object of one's desire. (World Premiere) The Sandwich Nazi (Canada) Director: Lewis Bennett Deli owner Salam Kahil is an art collector, a former male escort, an amateur musician, and a sandwich maker to the homeless in Vancouver's poorest neighbourhood but his true passion is talking about blowjobs. (World Premiere) She's The Best Thing In It Director: Ron Nyswaner Broadway legend Mary Louise Wilson teaches her first acting class, smashing her students’ red carpet illusions. An examination of acting and the sacrifices required, featuring Frances McDormand, Melissa Leo, Tyne Daly, Valerie Harper and others. (World Premiere) Twinsters Directors: Samantha Futerman, Ryan Miyamoto Imagine there was someone out there who you'd never met, looked exactly like you and was born on your birthday. Twinsters is the story of two strangers who discovered they were potentially twin sisters separated at birth. (World Premiere) A Woman Like Me Directors: Alex Sichel, Elizabeth Giamatti By creating a fictional character based on herself, filmmaker Alex Sichel learns how to navigate a terminal disease with grace and humor. (World Premiere) Below is the press release announcing the films playing in the Documentary Spotlight category:
Shining a light on new documentary features receiving their World, North American or U.S. premieres at SXSW. Bikes vs Cars (Sweden) Director/Screenwriter: Fredrik Gertten The bicycle, an amazing tool for change. Activists and cities all over the world are moving towards a new system. But will the economic powers allow it? (World Premiere) Bounce: How the Ball Taught the World to Play Director: Jerome Thélia, Screenwriters: John Fox, Jerome Thélia Bounce: How the Ball Taught the World to Play takes us to the far reaches of the globe and the deep recesses of our ancient past to answer the question: Why do we play ball? (World Premiere) *SXsports Screening A Brave Heart: The Lizzie Velasquez Story Director: Sara Hirsh Bordo From the producers of the most viewed TEDWomen event of 2013 comes A Brave Heart: The Lizzie Velasquez Story, a documentary following the inspiring journey of 25-year-old, 58-pound Lizzie from cyber-bullying victim to anti-bullying activist. (World Premiere) Deep Web Director/Screenwriter: Alex Winter Deep Web gives the inside story of one of the the most important and riveting digital crime sagas of the century -- the arrest of Ross William Ulbricht, the entrepreneur alleged to be “Dread Pirate Roberts,” leader of online black market Silk Road. (World Premiere) For Grace Directors: Kevin Pang, Mark Helenowski A documentary about food, family and sacrifice: The kitchen became Curtis Duffy's refuge after an unimaginable tragedy. Now as one of the country's most renowned chefs, he's building his dream restaurant - but at another point of personal crisis. (World Premiere) For the Record Director: Marc Greenberg For the Record explores the “steno culture,” tracking several court reporters and captioners as they strive to attain the Guinness title of World's Fastest Court Reporter. (World Premiere) *SXsports Screening GTFO: Get The F% Out Director: Shannon Sun-Higginson Almost half of all gamers are women; yet, female gamers are disproportionately subject to harassment and abuse. GTFOseeks to investigate misogyny in video game culture and questions the future of this 20 billion dollar industry. (World Premiere) Kingdom of Shadows Director: Bernardo Ruiz The drug war casts a dark shadow on the lives of a Mexican nun, a U.S. Federal agent and a former drug smuggler who wrestle with the far-reaching repercussions on both sides of the border. (World Premiere) Knock Knock, It's Tig Notaro Directors: Michael LaHaie, Christopher Wilcha In Knock Knock, It's Tig Notaro, comedian Tig Notaro travels across the country in order to put on a series of performances in the homes, back yards, barns, and basements of her most loyal fans. (World Premiere) Out To Win (USA/Canada) Director: Malcolm Ingram Out to Win is a documentary film that serves as an overview and examination of lives and careers of aspiring and professional gay and lesbian athletes who have fought and struggled to represent the LGBT community and their true selves. (World Premiere) *SXsports Screening Raiders! Directors: Jeremy Coon, Tim Skousen In 1982, two 11 year-olds in Mississippi set out to remake Raiders of the Lost Ark. After seven turbulent years, they finished every scene except one. 30 years later, they attempt to finally finish their fan film and realize their childhood dream. (World Premiere) Rolling Papers Director: Mitch Dickman In 2014, recreational marijuana sales began in Colorado. With all eyes on ground zero of the green rush, The Denver Post appointed the world’s first marijuana editor. Pot is legal, journalism is ignited and The Cannabist is covering it as it unfolds. (World Premiere) Sneakerheadz Directors: David T. Friendly, Mick Partridge, Screenwriter: David T. Friendly An in-depth look into the exploding subculture of sneaker collecting and the widespread influence it has had on popular culture around the world. (World Premiere) *SXsports Screening Son of the Congo Director/Screenwriter: Adam Hootnick Serge Ibaka’s improbable journey has taken him from the violence of Congo to the top of the NBA. In Son of the Congo, Ibaka returns home, hoping his basketball success can help rebuild a country and inspire a new generation to dream of a better life. (World Premiere) *SXsports Screening Stone Barn Castle Director: Kevin Ford, Adrien Brody A chronicle of the journey to restore a historic barn in Upstate New York. (World Premiere) Tab Hunter Confidential Director: Jeffrey Schwarz In the 1950s, Tab Hunter was number one at the box office and on the music charts. Nothing, it seems, can damage his skyrocketing career. Nothing, that is, except for the fact that Tab Hunter is secretly gay. (World Premiere) T-Rex Directors: Drea Cooper, Zackary Canepari 17-year-old Claressa 'T-Rex' Shields from Flint, Mich. dreams of being the first woman in history to win the gold medal in Olympic boxing. But in order for her to succeed, she'll need to stand her ground both inside and outside the ring. (World Premiere) *SXsports Screening |
AuthorMatthew Carey is a documentary filmmaker and journalist. His work has appeared on Deadline.com, CNN, CNN.com, TheWrap.com, NBCNews.com and in Documentary magazine. |