The 2020 Screening sections are below, and are subject to change as we build the 2021 program.

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 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.

VR/AR/MR Screening Sections

Virtual Cinema

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 Virtual Cinema emphasize storytelling, ingenuity and also showcase how other industries are embracing this new medium.