First Announcement For SXSW 2013 Includes The Evil Dead

That’s right, this year’s SXSW Film Festival is still roughly two months away, but it’s already got one hell of a lineup.

Leading the first wave of announcements, six films in total, is one of 2013’s most intriguing genre pictures. The big reveal here is that Austin will host the premiere of Fede Alvarez’s remake/re-imagining of the iconic horror picture, The Evil Dead.

Harmony Korine returns to Austin with Spring Breakers in his arms, and the opening night film, the spot held by films like Source Code and Cabin In The Woods recently, will be none other than the magician comedy, The Incredible Burt Wonderstone. Not sure if I’m too excited about that one, but the Korine picture is one of my most anticipated films of 2013, so that is definitely a welcome addition.

Joe Swanberg’s new film, Drinking Buddies is going to bow here, as is Everyone’s Going To Die, and it’s a documentary heavy announcement here, as films like Downloaded are set to head down south at the start of March.

Personally, I’m most excited for a film like The Evil Dead. I’ve always thought the film screamed for a SXSW premiere, so it’s exciting to see it actually come to fruition. Toss in Carruth’s film, and you have a lineup that makes this writer quite excited to be heading back to Austin this year.

Here is the full, first wave, announcement:

Downloaded (World Premiere) — Director: Alex Winter

Downloaded is a documentary that explores the rise and fall of Napster and the birth of the digital revolution. It’s about the teens that helped start this revolution, and the artists and industries who continue to be impacted by it.

Drinking Buddies (World Premiere) — Director/Screenwriter: Joe Swanberg

Weekend trips, office parties, late night conversations, drinking on the job, marriage pressure, biological clocks, holding eye contact a second too long… you know what makes the line between “friends” and “more than friends” really blurry? Beer. Cast: Olivia Wilde, Jake Johnson, Anna Kendrick, Ron Livingston

Everyone’s Going to Die (World Premiere) — Director/Screenwriter: Jones

A modern British story about coming home, getting by and the redemptive power of feeling you’re not alone. A story where porn hotlines rub shoulders with sexy beavers on rollerskates; where the past is laid to rest, two lives are changed and nobody, finally, is going to die. Cast: Nora Tschirner, Rob Knighton, Kellie Shirley, Madeline Duggan (United Kingdom)

Evil Dead (World Premiere) — Director: Fede Alvarez, Screenwriter: Fede Alvarez & Rodo Sayagues

Five friends, holed up in a remote cabin, discover a Book of the Dead that unwittingly summons up dormant demons, which possess the youngsters in succession until only one is left to fight for survival. Cast: Jane Levy, Shiloh Fernandez, Lou Taylor Pucci, Jessica Lucas, Elizabeth Blackmore

Good Ol’ Freda (World Premiere) — Director: Ryan White

Good Ol’ Freda tells the story of Freda Kelly, a shy Liverpudlian teenager asked to work for a young local band hoping to make it big: The Beatles. Their loyal secretary from beginning to end, Freda tells her tales for the first time in 50 years.

The Incredible Burt Wonderstone (World Premiere) — Director: Don Scardino, Story by Chad Kultgen & Tyler Mitchell and Jonathan Goldstein & John Francis Daley. Screenplay by Jonathan Goldstein & John Francis Daley

When superstar Vegas magicians Burt and Anton let their act grow as stale as their friendship, an ambitious rival with a cutting-edge delivery swoops in for the kill. Cast: Steve Carell, Steve Buscemi, Olivia Wilde, with Alan Arkin, James Gandolfini and Jim Carrey

Spring Breakers (U.S. Premiere) — Director/Screenwriter: Harmony Korine

Four college girls who land in jail after robbing a restaurant in order to fund their spring break vacation find themselves bailed out by a drug and arms dealer who wants them to do some dirty work. Cast: James Franco, Selena Gomez, Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Benson, Rachel Korine

In addition to nine full days of film screenings, SXSW Film will ultimately feature over 150 informative and entertaining featured Conversations, panels, workshops and mentor sessions. Major additions to the 2013 Conference include:

A Conversation with Matthew McConaughey – An in-depth discussion with the incredibly fascinating actor, whose career continues to evolve in exciting and unexpected ways, including his bold choices with recent projects like Magic Mike, Killer Joe, Bernie and Mud.

Humanizing Heroes: Storytelling Beyond Sports – The leading authorities behind some of today’s most notable sports films, Connor Schell (ESPN Films), Ken Rodgers (NFL Films) and Ross Greenburg (Ross Greenburg Productions), discuss the evolution of storytelling in sports filmmaking, its influence on pop culture and its continued resonance across all cultures and backgrounds.

Bates Motel: Story to Screen with Carlton Cuse – In a Special Event combining the SXSW Film Festival and Conference in one, attendees will get an exclusive first look at the pilot of Bates Motel, the thrilling new series from A&E. Following the screening, Executive Producer Carlton Cuse (Lost) will sit down with A&E Marketing EVP Guy Slattery for an inside look and Q&A on the process for bringing this contemporary prequel to life.

Jeffrey Tambor’s Acting Workshop – Jeffrey Tambor continues the tradition of his much loved acting and life workshop by returning to SXSW Film 2013. Part one-man show, part seminar, part question and answer and endlessly entertaining, Jeffrey’s hilarious and empowering presentation inspires the viewer to discover the artist within.

Source SXSW