Female Directors at South by Southwest

South by Southwest (SWSX) continues to grow.  Their interactive event is one of the places to be seen (sorry I’ll miss you all) and the film fest has some really cool and offbeat films premiering.

Here are some of the women directors and women’s films being featured (all content is from SWSX website):

Narrative Feature Competition

It was great, but I was ready to come home – Director: Kris Swanberg

‘It was great, but I was ready to come home.’ follows best friends Cam and Annie as they navigate their way through the mountains and coastal towns of Costa Rica, looking for old comforts amidst new experiences. By turns tender and critical in its approach to its characters, Kris Swanberg’s debut feature is an intimate and introspective look at the ebb and flow of female friendship.

Made in China- Director: Judi Krant

Slinkys, Pet Rocks, Ant Farms, behind each of those great novelties is the story of a great Novelty Inventor. ‘Made In China’ is the story of one such inventor. Johnson, a self-styled novelty inventor from a small town in East Texas, is determined to bring his big idea “a humorous domestic hygiene product” – to the world. Johnson’s journey takes him to the Mecca of the novelty world: China, where anything is possible and everything has its price. Lost in the backstreets of Shanghai, Johnson discovers that it takes more than a million dollar idea to make it to the big time. It takes guts, determination, and a fist full of sneezing powder.

Documentary Feature Competition

Garbage Dreams- Director: Mai Iskander

Filmed over four years, the film follows three teenage boys born into the trash trade and growing up in the world’s largest garbage village. Each boy chooses a different path when their community is suddenly faced with the globalization of their trade.

Mine- Director: Geralyn Pezanoski

After Hurricane Katrina, thousands of pets were rescued and adopted by families around the country, leading to many custody battles. Through these stories, the film examines issues of race, class and animal welfare in the U.S.

Say My Name- Director: Nirit Peled

A story is built around the lives of entrepreneurs, mothers and artists fighting to be themselves in a society that offers few opportunities for women.  This film will be distributed by Women Make Movies.

Sons of a Gun- Director: Rivkah Beth Medow & Greg O’Toole

A family of 3 schizophrenic men and their alcoholic caregiver/Dad get evicted, move into one motel room, argue, joke around, and find a new home.

Beetle Queen Conquers Tokyo- Director: Jessica Oreck

Untangling the web of cultural and historical ties underlying Japan’s deep fascination with insects… and what it says about the rest of us.

Creative Nonfiction- Director/Writer: Lena Dunham

Reality and fiction are indistinguishable as a college student tries and fails to differentiate her creative writing screenplay from her increasingly awkward social life.

Died Young, Stayed Pretty- Director: Eileen Yaghoobian

This movie about rock posters is a candid look at the renaissance of North America’s underground, indie-rock poster movement spurred by the unexpected launch of groupie Clayton Hayes’ web portal Gigposters.com.

Luckey- Director: Laura Longsworth

After sculptor Tom Luckey’s devastating fall through a window, his family must cross delicate lines drawn long ago by divorce and remarriage while Tom, fully paralyzed and wacky personality intact, pursues building his biggest, most complicated sculpture ever.

Motherland- Director: Jennifer Steinman

Six grieving mothers journey to Africa in order to test the theory that “giving is healing.”

Sissyboy- Director: Katie Turinski

A juncture in the lives of performance art revolutionaries, the film explores a Portland-based gender-bending drag troupe that has served up their audacity, ambivalence and social commentary throughout the Rose City for over 3 years before hundreds of devoted fans.

Sorry, Thanks- Director: Dia Sokol, Writer: Dia Sokol and Lauren Veloski

Disaster looms when Kira (reeling from a brutal break-up) sleeps with Max (who already has a girlfriend) and Max takes up two new pursuits: an obsessive-tending interest in Kira, and the mystery of whether he may in fact be an ass.

The Time of Their Lives- Director: Jocelyn Cammack

With a combined age of almost 300, Hetty, Rose and Alison are still powerfully engaged in their individual forms of activism – from journalism, to public speaking to anti-war demonstrations – while quietly negotiating the final moments of their lives.

Wake Up- Director: Jonas Elrod and Chloe Crespi

One day four years ago Jonas Elrod woke up with the inexplicable ability to see and hear angels, demons, auras and ghosts. The documentary WAKE UP follows his journey across the country and oversees for the next three years to find out why.

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