SXSW keeps cooking for fans, customers

Joss Whedon's horror pic 'The Cabin inside the Woods' will open SXSW on Friday.SXSW pre-buys include Strand's acquisition of Adam Sherman's 'Crazy Eyes.'Young talent, multi-tasking brainiacs and freaks within the underworld converge onscreen in Austin Friday in world-preeming South by Southwest opener "The Cabin inside the Forest."A year ago, TWC acquired Oscar-winning gridiron docu "Undefeated" right after its SXSW world preem, stimulating action that saw several docus, evening time chiller "Kill List" and gay romance "Weekend" ink deals through the fest. Saturday morning's world preem of Jacob Rosenberg's skateboard docu "Waiting for Lightning," within the "Enter Liquid" producers, could spur buying action even earlier.Attracted by digital deals ready fans, a wider number of U.S. and foreign merchants and customers are riding in to the city this year for your nine-day SXSW Film, which overlaps its Interactive and Music compadres.Pre-fest pick-ups are the just-scooped Jay and Mark Duplass comedy "Do-Deca-Pentathalon" (Danger SignalOrSibel Searchlight), Adam Sherman's "Crazy Eyes" (Strand) and midnighters "The Aggression Scale" (Anchor Bay) and "Iron Sky" (eOne)."It strikes me there's more available films this year together with a better industry attendance overall,Inch mentioned Arianna Bocco, Sundance Selects/IFC Films senior V . p . of purchases and productions together with a fest vet.Customers obtain hitlists but showed up at SXSW ready for unforeseen gems. " 'Weekend' showed up in this area of left area for people, and I have have a feeling that will happen this year,In . she added.SXSW remains an important launchpad for photos with distribution. Furthermore to Came Goddard's "Cabin" (Lionsgate), Columbia/MGM world preems "21 Jump Street" Monday and Pantelion provides Will Ferrell-starrer "Casa p mi padre" Tuesday, both opening wide March 16.Auds can catch U.S. preems of William Friedkin's "Killer Joe," Willem Dafoe-starrer "The Hunter" and Eduardo Sanchez's "Lovely Molly."Magnet has reggae docu "Marley," the earth preem of midnighter "Rec 3 Genesis," horror omnibus "V/H/S" and Bobcat Goldthwaite's "God Bless America." Local hero Richard Linklater presents his dark comedy "Bernie," starring Jack Black. And SXSW discovery Lena Dunham (2010 narrative champion and IFC pickup "Small Furniture") reveals her Cinemax comedy "Women."Merchants and customers agree SXSW's youth-skewed tech and culture-savvy audience is a crucial litmus test for product. The fest will hands out aud honours in many program groups the first time this year.InchSomebody who was simply 13 five years ago is becoming 18 and part of a period of clients taught to watch and respond to movies diversely,In . mentioned Preferred Content founder Kevin Iwashina, whose photos are saved to buyer rader including U.K. chiller "Black Pond," docu "Charles Bradley: Soul of America" and John Slattery-starring father-boy drama "Inside Our Character.""(Film fest producer) Jesse Pierson and her team try to program for market, not for your business, and identify films you wouldn't see elsewhere."Welsh-born heartthrob Aneurin Barnard stars by 50 percent photos using the Southby vibe -- Irish helmer Ciaran Foy's world-preeming feral-kids midnighter "Citadel" and Marc Evans' seventies-set coming-of-age musical "Hunky Dory," screening inside the narrative spotlight alongside Matthew Lillard's "Body body fat Kid Rules the planetInch and Jordan Roberts' "Frankie Go Boom," which begins Charlie Hunnam and Chris O'Dowd against Ron Perlman in dragThe Emerging Visions program seems to own major buyer awareness this year, with "Black Pond," Kirsten Sheridan's Dublin teen rampage "Toy house," Rebecca Thomas' edgy Mormon girl tale "Electrick Children," and world preems of Andrew Neel's camera-footage mashup "King Kelly," Matthew A. Cherry's "The Ultimate Fall" (Lance Gross just like a washed-up ex-professional footballer) and Bill and Turner Ross's rambling New Orleans-set docu "Tchoupitoulas."Narrative competish photos getting in purchases interest include Jonathan Lisecki's babymaking comedy "Gayby," Mark Jarrett's ex-pat journey "The Taiwan Oyster," additionally to newcomer Adam Leon's graffiti revenge drama "Gimme the Loot" (also developed in New Company company directors New Films) and unlikely friendship story "Celebrity," from "Prince of Broadway" helmer Sean Baker.Submarine's Josh Braun, who just closed an unspecified deal for Ron Alverson's Sundance-preeming laffer "The Comedy" (screening at SXSW), always finds success along with his focussed slate."Southby rarely has investing in an offer wars and, personally, it's where discussions start nevertheless it wouldn't surprise me whenever we sell a title through the festival this year,In . mentioned Braun, which has "Loot" and "Celebrity," competish docu "Rob" (a chiller about Jeffrey Dahmer), and arty docus "Gregory Crewdson: Brief Encounters" and "Central Park Effect.""Entrepreneurs are becoming an even more direct dialogue with audiences," mentioned Elizabeth Sheldon, vice-prexy of Kino Lorber. "The festival's convergence of tech and film is different, because it brings that online audience -- the passionate people associated with Kickstarter campaigns and other initiatives -- into theaters," Sheldon states. "Which is great to fulfill that core audience because, today, it's your most effective marketing strategy.In . Contact Pat Saperstein at pat.saperstein@variety.com