Feature Film Screening Sections

Narrative Feature Competition Ten world premieres, ten unique ways to celebrate the art of storytelling.

Documentary Feature Competition Ten world premieres, ten real world stories that demonstrate innovation, energy and bold voices.

Headliners Big names, big talent: Headliners bring star power to SXSW, featuring red carpet premieres and gala film events with major & rising names in cinema.

Narrative Spotlight High profile narrative features receiving their World, North American or U.S. premieres at SXSW.

Documentary Spotlight Shining a light on new documentary features receiving their World, North American or U.S. premieres at SXSW.

Visions Visions filmmakers are audacious, risk-taking artists in the new cinema landscape who demonstrate raw innovation and creativity in documentary and narrative filmmaking.

Midnighters Scary, funny, sexy, controversial – provocative after-dark features for night-owls and the terminally curious.

24 Beats Per Second Showcasing the sounds, culture & influence of music & musicians, with an emphasis on documentary.

Global A diverse selection of International filmmaking talent, featuring innovative narratives, artful documentaries, premieres, festival favorites and more.

Festival Favorites Acclaimed standouts & selected previous premieres from festivals around the world.

Special Events Live soundtracks, cult re-issues & much more. Our Special Events section offers unusual, unexpected & unique one-off film events.

Episodic Screening Sections

Episodic Premieres Presenting world premieres of prestige serials slated for release and accompanied by show-runners, directors and cast members featuring extended Q&As.

Episodic Pilot Competition A pilot showcase introducing fresh work from bright new talent, many with an eye towards finding production, completion funds, or a release platform.

Short Film Screening Sections

Narrative Shorts A selection of original, well-crafted films that take advantage of the short form and exemplify distinctive and genuine storytelling.

Documentary Shorts Slices of life from across the documentary spectrum.

Animated Shorts An assortment of stories told using traditional animation, computer-generated effects, stop-motion, and everything in-between.

Midnight Shorts Bite-sized bits for all of your sex, gore, and hilarity cravings.

Music Videos A range of classic, innovative, and stylish work showcasing the scope of music video culture.

Texas Shorts An offshoot of our regular narrative shorts program, composed of work shot in, about, or somehow relating to the Lone Star state.

Texas High School Shorts A preview of the next filmmaking generation, as Texas High Schoolers present shorts of 5 minutes or less.

Title Design Competition Inspired by an essential part of the theatrical experience, these are works of art in their own right.

XR Experience Screening Sections

XR Experience Competition, XR Experience Spotlight, and XR Experience Special Events
The immersive arts are finding new ways to enhance our ability to perceive the world that surrounds us, and in many instances they are redefining how we experience the world. The projects presented in our XR Experience emphasize storytelling, ingenuity and also showcase how other industries are embracing this new medium.

The 2021 SXSW Film Festival featured Opening Night Headliner Demi Lovato: Dancing with the Devil; Centerpiece film Tom Petty, Somewhere You Feel Free, and Closing Night film Alone Together. The complete program included 75 features including 57 World Premieres, 3 International Premieres, 4 North American Premieres, 1 U.S. Premiere, 8 Texas Premieres, and 53 films from first-time filmmakers. Plus, 84 Short Films with Music Videos, 5 Episodic Premieres, 6 Episodic Pilots, 20 Virtual Cinema projects, 14 Title Design entries, and 30 Special Events. Explore the full lineup by screening sections.

2021 Film Lineup

2021 Film Awards Winners

Explore 2021 SXSW Film Festival Awards winners selected by 2021 Juries for Narrative and Documentary Feature Competitions, Shorts Programs and more.

All films, except Special Events, were eligible for the SXSW Film Festival Audience Awards voting which took place following the SXSW Online event. Votes were calculated and then certified by the accounting firm of Maxwell Locke & Ritter. View the 2021 Audience Awards Winners.

2021 Film Awards Winners

The SXSW Excellence in Poster Design Award highlights outstanding work from international design and illustration talent.

Each year, we curate the SXSW Film Poster Gallery with poster designs from films featured in the SXSW Film Program. Posters in this dedicated gallery are eligible for the Excellence in Poster Design Award.

Film Poster Gallery