SXSW | Friday Night Movie

Ready or Not 2 with Maia Jae

Star Maia Jae joins the sibs to talk Ready or Not 2: Here I Come and her role as Francesca, the animalistic, 12/10-energy force at the center of the most iconic sequence in the film. MJ breaks down what it takes to pull off a musical fight scene involving wedding dresses, cakes, blood cannons, and her weapon of choice. They dig into Samara Weaving's outstanding leadership on set, the costume designer who hand-made multiple progressively destroyed wedding dresses, and the bo

Press Room

Mar 211 min read

Seahorse with Aisha Evelyna, Joseph Marcell, Ruth Goodwin, and Brett Donahue

Director-writer-star Aisha Evelyna joins co-stars Ruth Goodwin, Joseph Marcell, and Brett Donahue to talk Seahorse , a film about community, failure, and redemption. They dig into the compassionate space Aisha holds for flawed men, the thread between perfect children and the complicated adults they become, and why a doctor using all the right words can still be a complete jerk. Plus: Joseph's quietly devastating portrayal of Cyrus, the chemistry Ruth and Aisha share rooted in

Press Room

Mar 211 min read

Them That's Not with Director Mekhai Lee

Director Mekhai Lee joins the sibs to talk Them That's Not , a short film about Drea, a queer hard-of-hearing woman navigating grief, family, and the feeling of being an outsider in your own home. Mekhai opens up about losing his grandmother the same day he got the grant opportunity that sparked the film — and how he chose to transmute that grief into art. They dig into the extraordinary collaboration with star Angel Theory, the Oscar-worthy sound design from Candace Mortier,

Mar 211 min read

Directors Sonja O'Hara and Adam Hoelzel

Directors Sonja O'Hara and Adam Hoelzel join the sibs to talk about their feature, Snare, the psychedelic queer sexual thriller that started as a proof of concept and ended up at Tribeca's Creator Labs. They dig into the practical effects philosophy inspired by Pan's Labyrinth, how an intimacy coordinator transformed vulnerable scenes into a choreographed dance, and the scrappy reverse-engineering approach that got the film made. Plus: a very important debate about which Mupp

Mar 211 min read

Birth is for... with Hannah Shealy and Celine Sutter

***SXSW AUDIENCE AWARD WINNER*** Director Hannah Shealy and co-director/producer Celine Sutter talk Birth Is for... , a smart, funny, and impactful pilot that left everyone wanting a whole lot more. Hannah drew from her real experience as a birth doula to write something authentic to the work she was doing and dispel stereotypes. They dig into how the show will open minds, the "moan dance," and the scene where a laboring woman says she misses her mom that had the whole room f

Mar 211 min read

Downbeat with Danny Madden, Daniel Rashid, Addie Weyrich, and Arkira Chantaratananond

Writer/director Danny Madden joins stars and co-writers Daniel Rashid, Addie Weyrich, and Arkira Chantaratananond to talk Downbeat , a "broke-wave" film about a lost soul that turns to bucket drumming and his younger sister to heal and find connection. The team digs into their collective improv that built the film's story, the central tension between pursuing art and commercializing it, and how Addie and Daniel's sibling-like bond on set unlocked one of the most heartbreaking

Press Room

Mar 201 min read

Man Eating... with Director Lee Lawson

Director Lee Lawson joins the sibs to talk Man Eating P , the horror film she accidentally made while trying to make something gentle. Lee breaks down the conceptual heart of the film — the relationship between sex, death, and birth — and how the warmth of the cinematography holds the maternal feeling that carries it all together. They dig into casting icon Julien Richings, perfectly timed secretions, and animatronic anatomy. Follow all of Friday Night Movie's award-winning S

Mar 191 min read

Micaela Wittman is Perfect and Clairevoyant

Micaela Wittman joins the sibs to talk Clairevoyant, the indie film that started it all for her. Micaela breaks down Claire, a well-meaning, slightly privileged, deeply flawed woman who keeps getting taken advantage of by the corrupt spiritual world around her (neutral color palettes bring you closer to god, apparently). They get into Earl's hilariously detached off-camera energy, 12 hours of improv, and why the film earns its compassion for a character. Plus, Micaela reflect

Press Room

Mar 181 min read

My NDA with Miriam Shor and Juliane Dressner

Directors Juliane Dressner and Miriam Shor join the sibs to talk My NDA , a film that cuts to the heart of how non-disclosure agreements are weaponized against the very people they claim to protect. They dig into the legal and human cost of signing away your voice — and why forcing someone to choose between justice and silence is no different than any other form of coercion. Follow all of Friday Night Movie's award-winning SXSW Coverage . Catch up on all the Friday Night Mov

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Mar 171 min read

Grind with Rob Huebel, Barbara Crampton, Christoper Rodriguez Marquette, Chelsea Stardust, Brea Grant, and Ed Dougherty

Directors Brea Grant, Chelsea Stardust, and Ed Dougherty join actors Rob Huebel, Barbara Crampton, and Chris to talk Grind , a horror-satire about the soul-crushing, bathroom-break-denying, time-loop nightmare of gig economy labor. They dig into how horror lets you take something already happening in the world and make it bigger to make a point, why the billionaire villains still get to be human, and how a rotating room, a matte painter who worked on Return of the Jedi , and

Mar 171 min read

Their Town with Katie Aselton

SXSW legend, director Katie Aselton drops in to talk Their Town, the family project she made starring Ora Duplass and Chosen Jacobs. Katie and writer Marc Duplass set out to make a teen film that respects its audience — one where platonic relationships carry just as much weight as romantic ones, and where being truly seen by another person for the first time is the whole point. They dig into what it's like to work with young talent, how Chosen ended up writing and performing

Press Room

Mar 151 min read

SXSW 2026: Full Coverage

Shai and Becky returned to Austin to cover the best in independent film, television, and music for Friday Night Movie. Follow the Friday Night Movie Substack for exclusive first-looks at episodes and content from SXSW. Their Town with Katie Aselton Director Katie Aselton returns to SXSW with a masterpiece about friendship and seeing people for who they really are . Read more Ready or Not 2 with Maia Jae Star Maia Jae joins the sibs to talk Ready or Not 2: Here I Come and

Press Room

Mar 153 min read

Same Same But Different with Dalia Rooni, Medalion Rahimi, Layla Mohammadi, and Lauren Noll

Writer-actor Dalia Rooni, stars Medalion Rahimi and Layla Mohammadi, and director Lauren Noll talk Same Same But Different , a comedy about three Iranian women on a weekend trip to Cape Cod. They dig into the beauty and joy of portraying smart, funny, and complex women in this sharp and character-driven film that explores what it means to let identity be a beautiful piece of the puzzle rather than the whole conflict. Plus: Farsi, dialect coaches, aunties, nepotism, squatting,

Mar 131 min read