Introducing new additions to the Keynotes and Featured Speakers lineup for the 34th edition of the SXSW Conference. Note: If you play The Dark Side of the Moon simultaneously with this announcement you may notice synchronicities.

Building on an already impressive 2020 programming lineup, SXSW announces two additional Keynotes – songwriter, musician, and founding member and the creative force behind Pink Floyd, Roger Waters, and director, producer, and writer Erin Lee Carr. “We are thrilled to announce Erin Lee Carr as SXSW’s first Film Keynote for 2020 because we love her work and contributions to the documentary form,” said Janet Pierson, Director of Film.

“Roger Waters is a true creative visionary, and we’re pleased to have him participate for 2020,” said Hugh Forrest, Chief Programming Officer. “SXSW continues to be a unique destination for innovation and discovery, and we’re excited about the addition of the many groundbreaking pioneers, influential voices and business leaders that we’ve added to this year’s lineup.”

Featured Speakers represent industry trailblazers and creative visionaries from the world’s of tech, film, and music. Newly-added speakers include The Bon Appétit Test Kitchen chefs, Sophia Bush; Tommy Hilfiger, Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, Melanie Perkins, Jade Raymond, Phoebe Robinson, and more.

Access these exciting speaker presentations and more when you register to join us March 13-22 for the 2020 SXSW Conference & Festivals in Austin, TX. Attendees will receive primary access to programming associated with their badge type while also enjoying secondary entry to most other SXSW events. Save $375 when you register through November 22. Book your stay with SXSW Housing & Travel for the best available rates and locations.

Get to know the latest round of speaker additions below from across the 22 programming tracks of the SXSW Conference, covering Interactive, Film, Music, and Convergence topics, associated with each Conference session. Stay tuned for more programming announcements throughout the 2020 season.

Keynotes

Erin Lee Carr (Film Keynote) – Named one of the “30 Under 30” most influential people in media by Forbes, Erin Lee Carr is a director, producer, and writer. Carr’s projects include the USA gymnastics scandal documentary At the Heart of Gold, and SXSW Film Festival premiere I Love You: Now Die, on the Michelle Carter murder-by-texting trial, both made for HBO. Carr is also the author of the memoir All That You Leave Behind.

Roger Waters (Music Keynote) – Roger Waters composed Pink Floyd’s multi-platinum albums, including The Dark Side of the Moon, Wish You Were Here, Animals, and The Wall. He has toured extensively, and with The Wall became the most successful touring solo artist ever. Waters produced, co-directed, and co-wrote Roger Waters: The Wall, an intensely personal road trip that deals with the loss that he has felt throughout his life due to war. In Amsterdam, June 2018, Waters filmed his US + THEM live show. US + THEM is a story of human rights, liberty, and love. At SXSW, Roger Waters will be interviewed about his distinguished career in the music industry and his upcoming tour. The journalist set to conduct the interview will be announced later in the season – stay tuned.

Featured Speakers

Composer (Us, Get Out) Michael Abels in conversation with Politifact creator and professor Bill Adair (Making Film & Episodics Track)

Beat Games s.r.o co-founder and Head of Music Jaroslav Beck (Future of Music Track)

Amazon Web Services Vice President of Public Sector Partners and Programs Sandy Carter (Tech Industry & Enterprise Track)

Future of Sex founder and podcast host Bryony Cole (Connection & Culture Track)

Founder and Managing Partner of Backstage Capital Arlan Hamilton (Startups Track)

Fashion designer and founder Tommy Hilfiger in conversation with Tommy Hilfiger Global CEO Daniel Grieder (Connection & Culture Track)

Multi-Grammy Award winning musician, producer, entrepreneur, and philanthropist Ben Lovett (Future of Music Track)

Bassist, composer, and YouTuber Adam Neely (Future of Music Track)

Canva CEO and co-founder Melanie Perkins (Design Track)

Google Stadia Games and Entertainment VP Jade Raymond in conversation with journalist Chris Morris (Game Industry Track)

Mojang Studios Chief Brand Officer Lydia Winters (Game Industry Track)

Featured Sessions

Big Brother Is Racist: Surveillance vs. Persons of Color (Government & Politics Track) – A discussion about how surveillance and surveillance technologies, historically and currently, have been disproportionately deployed against persons of color, as well as the harmful impacts of such deployments, with Senior Advocacy and Policy Counsel at the ACLU Chad Marlow; Director of Georgetown Law’s Communications & Technology Law Clinic, and Associate Director of the Center on Privacy & Technology Laura Moy; Co-Director of MediaJustice Steven Renderos; and sociopolitical comedian, author, and host W. Kamau Bell.

The Bon Appétit Test Kitchen (Connection & Culture Track) – A behind-the-scenes conversation with Bon Appétit Test Kitchen chefs Brad Leone, Claire Saffitz, Andy Baraghani, Molly Baz, Chris Morocco, Carla Lalli Music, and Alex Delany appearing on stage together for the first time outside of New York.

Featured Session: Courtney A. Kemp, Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson & Jeffrey Hirsch (Film & TV Industry Track) – Join executive producers Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson and Courtney Kemp from Starz’s Original Series Power, as they sit with president and CEO of Starz, Jeffrey Hirsch, for a look inside the wildly popular drama series as well as upcoming expansions to the Power cinematic universe including the upcoming spinoff, Power Book II: Ghost starring Mary J. Blige.

Escaping Doom: Transforming Science into Experience (Design Track) – A conversation about how scientific research can be integrated into an engaging, entertaining, and educational storytelling experience, with Gensler principal David Kramer; University of Texas Assistant Dean, School of Design and Creative Technologies Doreen Lorenzo; Associate Professor in the Civil, Architectural, and Environmental Engineering Department at the University of Texas Fernanda Leite; and General Manager of Unreal Engine at Epic Games Marc Petit.

The Future of Influence is #accountable (Advertising & Brand Experience Track) – A conversation about the spread of misinformation on social platforms and the responsibility of influencers, featuring actress and activist Sophia Bush and Seed Health co-founder and co-CEO Ara Katz.

How to be Political in an Apolitical World (Future of Music Track) – A conversation about political activism in the music industry and the role artists can play in driving change, featuring Run the Jewels manager Amaechi Uzoigwe; #iVoted founder Emily White; Middle West Management and “46 for 46” founder Kyle Frenette; and artist and activist Madame Gandhi.

Immersive Entertainment and the Future of Games (Game Industry Track) – Join technology pioneer, entrepreneur, and scientist Nolan Bushnell; founder of Collabsco Valerie Vacante; and Hollywood Creative Director turned game maker Zai Ortiz.

Latino Film Institute: Pipeline, Platform & Launch (Film & TV Industry Track) – A conversation about the ideas and programs that Latino Film Institute have placed into action to address the lack of representation in Hollywood and focus on the next generation of content creators, featuring Director of Research and Civic Engagement for the Division of Social Sciences at UCLA Dr. Ana-Christina Ramón; actor producer and humanitarian Edward James Olmos; Founder & Co-Program Manager of LatinX in Animation Magdiela Hermida Duhamel; and writer and Latino Film Institute executive director Rafael Agustin.

Nat Geo Storytellers: Exploration Unleashed (Film & TV Industry Track) – A conversation about modern day exploration with National Geographic’s award-winning scientist, technologist and adventurer Albert Lin, and award-winning correspondent, investigative journalist Mariana van Zeller.

The Women Who Run the Shows (Film & TV Industry Track) – A discussion about the experiences of female showrunners, their unique backstories and influences, including their early days in the industry to calling the shots, and their roles in comedy and on set, with multi-talented stand-up comedian, writer, and actress Phoebe Robinson; Awkwafina Is Nora from Queens showrunner Karey Dornetto; and Executive Producer and showrunner of The Daily Show with Trevor Noah Jen Flanz.

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