SXSW film lineup opens with 'Red Riding Hood'

The 25th South by Southwest Film Festival, March 11-19, announced its lineup of 130 films on February 2. The event will feature 60 world premieres, including
Outside Industry: The Story of SXSW, the chronicle of an unassuming idea that has grown into the leading music industry event in the world.

The festival will open with Red Riding Hood starring Amanda Seyfried and Gary Oldman. Directed by Catherine Hardwicke, who made the first film in The Twilight Saga, this medieval story incorporates a werewolf into the classic fairy tale.

The stature of the SXSW Film Festival has grown as indie films screened at SXSW gain attention, including ultra-low-budget mumblecore films, like Lena Dunham's Tiny Furniture. To accommodate the increased attendance of 12,000, more venues have been added for 2011.

"We're looking for something edgy or a little different, fun and raunchy, tech-y and young," film conference and festival producer Janet Pierson told The Hollywood Reporter. Narrative and documentary films in competition follow these criteria as well as the Hollywood fare in the program.

Among the films screening is the world premiere of The Beaver, directed by Jodie Foster and co-starring Mel Gibson and Oscar nominee Jennifer Lawrence ( Winter's Bone), about a psychologically troubled man who re-starts his life with the help of a hand puppet.

Also, the thriller Source Code, starring Jake Gyllenhaal ( Prince of Persia) and Vera Farmiga ( Up in the Air) will screen. Directed by Duncan Jones ( Moon), the story follows a man participating in a government experiment, allowing him to enter another's identity.

Foster, Hardwicke and other filmmakers will be present for Q&A sessions after screenings. Other film screenings include:

- Paul, a road trip comedy about a pair of geeks who meet a wisecracking alien, starring Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Jason Bateman, and Sigourney Weaver, with Seth Rogen as Paul the ET

- Super with Ellen Page ( Inception), Liv Tyler ( Lord of the Rings), Kevin Bacon ( W), and Rainn Wilson ( The Office)

- Win Win, starring Paul Giamatti and Jeffrey Tambor, directed by Tom McCarthy ( The Visitor, The Station Agent)

- Beginners, with Ewan McGregor ( The Ghost Writer) and Christopher Plummer, about a young man shocked by news from his elderly father

- Girl Walks Into a Bar by Sebastian Gutierrez, starring Zachary Quinto ( Star Trek), Danny DeVito and Rosario Dawson ( Unstoppable)

The documentary lineup features a screening of Foo Fighters, a documentary following the band's 16-year history from first gigs to recording their new album, and El Bulli - Cooking in Progress by Gereon Wetzel, about acclaimed Spanish chef Ferran Adrià and his innovative cooking laboratory.

The Greatest Movie Ever Sold by Morgan Spurlock ( Super Size Me) from Sundance and Werner Herzog's Cave of Forgotten Dreams from the Toronto Film Festival will also be shown.

The 25th SXSW Festival & Conference runs March 11-20 in Austin, Texas, with an interactive section March 11-15 and a music section running March 16-20. By day there are panels on a range of topics and special speakers. At night, the extravaganza features 2,000 bands from around the world performing at venues across the city.

http://www.sxsw.com

RC