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 her role as Francesca, the animalistic, 12/10-energy force at the center of the film's most iconic sequence. Read more

• Audience Award Winner: Birth is for... with Hannah Shealy and Celine Sutter  Director Hannah Shealy and co-director/producer Celine Sutter talk Birth Is for..., the smart, funny, and impactful pilot that left everyone wanting a whole lot more. Read more

• Perfect with Ashley Moore, Millicent Hailes, Lío Mehiel, and Micaela Wittman

  Director Millicent Hailes alongside stars Ashley Moore, Lío Mehiel, and Micaela Wittman to dig into their sun-soaked and sexy film about nomads, relationships, and found family. Read more

• 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. Read more

• Same Same But Different 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. Read more

• 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 who turns to bucket drumming and his younger sister to heal and find connection. Read more

• My NDA with Miriam Shor and Juliane Dressner

  Directors Juliane Dressner and Miriam Shor 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. Read more

• Micaela Wittman is Perfect and Clairevoyant Micaela Wittman joins the sibs to talk about her role in Perfect, as well as Clairevoyant, the indie film that started it all for her. Read more

• 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. Read more

• Them That's Not with Director Mekhai Lee Director Mekhai Lee joins the sibs to talk Them That's Not, a short film about a queer hard-of-hearing woman navigating grief, family, and the feeling of being an outsider in your own home. Read more

• Snare with Directors Sonja O'Hara and Adam Hoelzel Directors Sonja O'Hara and Adam Hoelzel join the sibs to talk Snare, the psychedelic queer sexual thriller that started as a proof of concept and ended up at Tribeca's Creator Labs. Read more

• 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, exploring the relationship between sex, death, and birth. Read more

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