Emmett Malloy’s doc Big Easy Express to close SXSW

Big Easy Express follows a train ride with the bands Mumford & Sons, Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros and Old Crow Medicine Show. The film receives its world premiere, as does centrepiece screening 21 Jump Street from Columbia and MGM starring Oscar nominee Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum as under-achieving police officers sent to a high school to take down a drug ring.

Over the course of nine days 130 features will screen, of which 65 are world premieres. There were a record 1,957 feature submissions comprising 1,387 US and 570 international entries. The overall record 5,243 submissions represented a 7% rise on last year even though the submissions deadline was moved up by one month.

The festival’s main competition categories once again features eight narrative world premieres and eight documentary world premieres. For the first time, all feature categories will be eligible for audience awards. 

The Narrative Feature Competition entries are: Booster directed by Matt Ruskin; Eden by Megan Griffiths; Gayby by Jonathan Lisecki; Gimme The Loot by Adam Leon; Los Chidos by Omar Rodriguez Lopez; Pilgrim Song by Martha Stephens; Starlet by Sean Baker; and The Taiwan Oyster by Mark Jarrett.

The Documentary Feature Competition entries are: Bay Of All Saints by Annie Eastman; Beware Of Mr. Baker by Jay Bulger; The Central Park Effect by Jeffrey Kimball; Jeff by Chris James Thompson; Seeking Asian Female by Debbie Lum; The Sheik And I by Caveh Zahedi; The Source by Jodi Wille and Maria Demopoulos; and Welcome To The Machine by Avi Zev Weider.

Entries include Kevin Macdonald’s Bob Marley doc Marley, Jonas Akerlund’s Small Apartments, William Friedkin’s Killer Joe starring Matthew McConaughey, The Hunter (pictured) starring Willem Dafoe, Matthew Lillard’s Fat Kid Rules The World and Guy Maddin’s Keyhole.

As previously announced, SXSW will open with Lionsgate’s The Cabin In The Woods directed by Drew Goddard from a screenplay he co-wrote with Joss Whedon.

“SXSW has long been a haven for bold filmmaking and a launching pad for authentic voices,” Film Conference and Festival producer Janet Pierson said. “Every year we start anew, trying hard not to rely on our own formulas or expectations. This year we’re excited to present a fresh slate of breakout talent, but one that’s still uniquely SXSW.”

For the full line-up visit the official website.