SXSW has just released their initial list of features, with the Midnighters and Shorts sections to be announced next Tuesday, February 10, and conference panels to follow on Tuesday, February 17. About 67 of the 145 features announced so far are documentaries, which seems to reflect a healthy increase compared to last year’s nonfiction offerings. Following is the list of documentary features, broken down by section:
Headliners:
Big name, big talent.
BRAND: A SECOND COMING
Ondi Timoner
BRAND: A Second Coming follows comedian/author Russell Brand’s evolution from addict & Hollywood star to unexpected political disruptor & newfound hero to the underserved. Brand is criticized for egomaniacal self-interest as he calls for revolution.
STEVE JOBS: THE MAN IN THE MACHINE
Alex Gibney
An evocative portrait of the life and work of Steve Jobs that re-examines his legacy and our relationship with the computer.
Documentary Feature Competition:
Ten world premieres selected from 1018 submissions.
BREAKING A MONSTER
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.
DEEP TIME
Noah Hutton
Ancient oceans teeming with life, Norwegian settlers, Native Americans and multinational oil corporations find intimacy in deep time.
FRAME BY FRAME
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.
MADINA’S DREAM
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.
PEACE OFFICER
Scott Christopherson & Brad Barber
A former sheriff will stop at nothing to confront the SWAT team he founded.
POACHED
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.
THE SANDWICH NAZI
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 neighborhood but his true passion is talking about blowjobs.
SHE’S THE BEST THING IN IT
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.
TWINSTERS
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.
A WOMAN LIKE ME
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.
Documentary Spotlight:
Non-competitive nonfiction section.
BIKES VS CARS
Fredrick 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?
BOUNCE: HOW THE BALL TAUGHT THE WORLD TO PLAY
Jerome Thélia
BOUNCE 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?
A BRAVE HEART: THE LIZZIE VELASQUEZ STORY
Sara Hirsh Bordo
From the producers of the most viewed TEDWomen event of 2013 comes a documentary following the inspiring journey of 25-year-old, 58-pound Lizzie from cyber-bullying victim to anti-bullying activist.
DEEP WEB
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.
FOR GRACE
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.
FOR THE RECORD
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.
GTFO: GET THE F% OUT
Shannon Sun-Higginson
Almost half of all gamers are women; yet, female gamers are disproportionately subject to harassment and abuse. GTFO seeks to investigate misogyny in video game culture and questions the future of this 20 billion dollar industry.
KINGDOM OF SHADOWS
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.
KNOCK KNOCK, IT’S TIG NOTARO
Michael LaHaie & Christopher Wilcha
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.
OUT TO WIN
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.
RAIDERS!
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.
ROLLING PAPERS
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.
SNEAKERHEADZ
David T Friendly & Mick Partridge
An in-depth look into the exploding subculture of sneaker collecting and the widespread influence it has had on popular culture around the world.
SON OF THE CONGO
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.
STONE BARN CASTLE
Kevin Ford & Adrien Brody
A documentary portrayal of the pursuit of dreams and the distance one must travel to achieve them.
TAB HUNTER CONFIDENTIAL
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.
T-REX
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.
Visions:
The festival’s risk-taking, innovative section.
BARGE
Ben Powell
Dry land’s misfits find purpose and direction twenty-eight days at a time as the steady hands of a towboat due for the port of New Orleans.
DISASTER PLAYGROUND
Nelly Ben Hayoun
Hollywood relies on Bruce Willis to save the world in Armageddon, but who are the real-life heroes seeking to save our civilization from the next major asteroid impact?
PLANETARY
Guy Reid
A contemplative exploration into what it means to live on Earth, the roots of our current crises, and the change in perspective that could transform our shared future.
SAILING A SINKING SEA
Olivia Wyatt
A feature-length experimental documentary exploring the culture of one of the smallest ethnic minority groups in Asia, the Moken of Thailand and Burma.
24 Beats Per Second:
The fest’s music and musician focused section.
808
Alexander Dunn
The heart of the beat that changed music.
ALL THINGS MUST PASS
Colin Hanks
A feature documentary that explores the rise and fall of Tower Records, and the legacy forged by its rebellious founder, Russ Solomon.
THE DAMNED: DON’T YOU WISH THAT WE WERE DEAD
Wes Orshoski
From LEMMY filmmaker Wes Orshoski comes the story of the long-ignored pioneers of punk, The Damned.
DANNY SAYS
Brendan Toller
A documentary unveiling the amazing journey of Danny Fields. Fields has played a pivotal role in music and culture with seminal acts including: the Doors, the Velvet Underground, the Stooges, MC5, Nico, the Ramones and beyond.
DOMINGUINHOS
Joaquim Castro & Eduardo Nazarian
DOMINGUINHOS reveals this genius of Brazilian music, creator of a deeply authentic, universal and contemporary work. The film values the sensory cinematic experience, a journey driven by Dominguinhos himself.
THE ECSTASY OF WILKO JOHNSON
Julien Temple
The most extraordinary rock ‘n’ roll story of recent times. A legendary musician diagnosed with incurable cancer who managed to defy his death sentence.
HOT SUGAR’S COLD WORLD
Adam Bhala Lough
After a very public break-up with his internet-famous girlfriend, Nick Koenig (aka Hot Sugar) – a brilliant young musician – takes a magical journey around the world to find new sounds for his album, and find himself.
JACO
Paul Marchand & Stephen Kijak
The story of Jaco Pastorius, a self-taught, larger-than-life musician who changed the course of modern music. Never-before-seen archive unveils the story of Jaco’s life, his music, his demise, and the lasting victory of artistic genius.
THE JONES FAMILY WILL MAKE A WAY
Alan Berg
A rural, Pentecostal preacher and a jaded rock critic form an unlikely alliance that pushes them both in unexpected ways.
KURT COBAIN: MONTAGE OF HECK
Brett Morgen
A raw and visceral journey through Kurt Cobain’s life and his career with Nirvana through the lens of his home movies, recordings, artwork, photography, and journals.
LANDFILL HARMONIC
Brad Allgood & Graham Townsley
LANDFILL HARMONIC follows the Recycled Orchestra, a youth group that plays instruments made entirely from trash. When their story goes viral, they are catapulted into the world spotlight. However, a recent event could present their biggest challenge.
MADE IN JAPAN
John Bishop
The remarkable story of Tomi Fujiyama, the world’s first Japanese country music superstar. It is a funny yet poignant multi-cultural journey through music, marriage, and the impact of the corporate world on the dreams of one woman.
MAVIS!
Jessica Edwards
Her family group, the Staple Singers, inspired millions and helped propel the civil rights movement with their music. After 60 years of performing, legendary singer Mavis Staples’ message of love and equality is needed now more than ever.
A POEM IS A NAKED PERSON
Les Blank
A time capsule of Les Blank’s take on Oklahoma in 1974 about Leon Russell and his band, with Willie Nelson, George Jones, and some amazing eccentric characters. At least two major critics have declared it the best film ever made on Rock and Roll.
SIR DOUG AND THE GENUINE COSMIC GROOVE
Joe Nick Patoski
Wild hippie cowboy musician with too much music inside, takes his talent from San Antonio to San Francisco to Austin and the world.
THEORY OF OBSCURITY: A FILM ABOUT THE RESIDENTS
Don Hardy
The story of the renegade sound and video collective The Residents. A story that spans over 40 years and is clouded in mystery. Many details surrounding the group are secret, including the identities of its members.
THEY WILL HAVE TO KILL US FIRST
Johanna Schwartz
Islamic extremists have banned music in Mali, but its world-class musicians won’t give up without a fight. From conflict, to exile, to homecoming, this film follows the story of Mali’s musicians as they fight for their right to sing.
WE LIKE IT LIKE THAT
Mathew Ramirez Warren
The story of Latin boogaloo, a colorful expression of 1960s New York City Latino soul. From its origins to its recent resurgence, it’s the story of a sound that redefined a generation and was too funky to keep down.
Y/OUR MUSIC
David Reeve & Waraluck Hiransrettawat Every
The sounds of Thailand from ricefield to leftfield.
SX Global:
An international showcase.
15 CORNERS OF THE WORLD
Zuzanna Solakiewicz
Imagine the sound that can be touched and seen by each of us. You can see unknown corners of the world. Just let your eyes follow your ears.
THE CEREMONY
Lina Mannheimer
France’s most famous dominatrix, two close friends and two lovers share their innermost thoughts about love, friendship, dominance and submission – as we meet the unusual and fascinating author Catherine Robbe-Grillet and her inner circle.
GOOD THINGS AWAIT
Phie Ambo
Niels is one of the last idealistic farmers in the agricultural country of Denmark. But Niels’ ways of farming in accordance with the planets and the primal instincts of the animals are not too popular with the authorities.
INVASION
Abner Benaim
INVASION documents the US military siege of Panama that ousted dictator Noriega 25 years ago while wreaking untold collateral damage. It sets out to shatter the willful amnesia of a country all too eager to bury its troubled past.
MONTE ADENTRO
Nicolás Macario Alonso
MONTE ADENTRO explores the universe of one of the last muleteer families in Colombia and follows the lives and mule train of two brothers as they get together for an epic mule driving journey to the highest peaks of the Andes.
Festival Favorites:
Selections culled from other notable festivals.
BEING EVEL
Daniel Junge
Millions know the man; few know his story. Academy Award-winning director Daniel Junge and producer Johnny Knoxville take a candid look at American daredevil Evel Knievel, while reflecting on our voracious public appetite for heroes and spectacle.
BEST OF ENEMIES
Morgan Neville & Robert Gordon
A behind-the-scenes account of the explosive 1968 televised debates between the liberal Gore Vidal and the conservative William F. Buckley Jr., and their rancorous disagreements about politics, God, and sex.
CITY OF GOLD
Laura Gabbert
A documentary portrait that takes us into Jonathan Gold’s universe to tell the improbable story of a revolution inspired by the pen, but driven by the palate.
FINDERS KEEPERS
Bryan Carberry & Clay Tweel
FINDERS KEEPERS follows recovering addict and amputee John Wood in his stranger-than-fiction battle to reclaim his mummified leg from Southern entrepreneur Shannon Whisnant, who found it in a grill he bought at an auction.
THE LAST MAN ON THE MOON
Mark Craig
One man’s part in mankind’s greatest adventure… (North American Premiere)
THE LOOK OF SILENCE
Joshua Oppenheimer
Director Joshua Oppenheimer’s follow-up to the earth-shattering, Academy Award® nominated THE ACT OF KILLING.
SALT OF THE EARTH
Wim Wenders & Juliana Riberio Salgado
For the last 40 years, photographer Sebastião Salgado has been travelling through the continents, in the footsteps of an ever-changing humanity. He is now embarking on the discovery of pristine territories, which is a tribute to the planet’s beauty.
THE VISIT
Michael Madsen
This film documents an event that has never taken place – man’s first encounter with intelligent life from space.
WELCOME TO LEITH
Michael Beach Nichols & Christopher K Walker
A white supremacist attempts to take over a small town in North Dakota.
WESTERN
Bill Ross & Turner Ross
For generations, all that distinguished Eagle Pass, Texas, from Piedras Negras, Mexico, was the Rio Grande. But when darkness descends upon these harmonious border towns, a cowboy and lawman face a new reality that threatens their way of life.
what (not) to doc 