Filmmakers and festival attendees are in Austin for the 2026 SXSW Film & TV Festival to celebrate the convergence of the tech, film, and music industries across a variety of programming formats and special events. The fest runs March 12-18.
Celebrating its 40th year overall and the 33rd edition of the Film & TV Festival, SXSW promises a dynamic blend of tech, film, and music, featuring red-carpet premieres and diverse programming.
Kicking off the festivities, NEON’s I Love Boosters, the latest film from filmmaker Boots Riley, made its World Premiere as the Opening Night Film. The film follows a crew of professional shoplifters who take aim at a cutthroat fashion maven in a story that feels like community service. The film features an all-star ensemble cast with Keke Palmer, Naomi Ackie, Taylour Paige, Poppy Liu, Eiza Gonzalez, LaKeith Stanfield, Don Cheadle, and Demi Moore. Other premieres today included Perfect, starring Julia Fox, Lio Mehiel, Micaela Wittman and Ashley Moore, and Mile End Kicks led by Barbie Ferreira.
Apple TV+’s Margo’s Got Money Troubles, from Emmy-winning producer David E. Kelley, will headline the TV premieres on opening night. Based on the best-selling novel by Rufi Thorpe, the series is a comedic family drama. The star-studded cast features Elle Fanning, Michelle Pfeiffer, Nick Offerman, Nicole Kidman, Thaddea Graham, Marcia Gay Harden, Greg Kinnear, Michael Angarano, Rico Nasty, and Lindsey Normington.
World Premieres in the Narrative Feature Competition will roll out throughout the fest and include Basic, Brian, Edie Arnold is a Loser, Mallory’s Ghost, Plantman & Blondie: A Dress Up Gang Film, Seahorse, Sender, The Snake, and Wishful Thinking. Premieres in the Documentary Feature Competition include The Ascent, The Last Critic, The Life We Leave, My NDA, Phoenix Jones: The Rise and Fall of a Real Life Superhero, Stormbound, Summer 2000: The X-Cetra Story, and #WhileBlack.
In addition to Film & TV festival screenings, there will be a full range of events during SXSW, including Conference Keynotes, Featured Speakers, Mentor Sessions, Networking Meet Ups, Music Showcases, Comedy Festival Showcases, Exhibitions, and Professional Development. The Music Festival will also feature showcase performances from artists including Jack Johnson, Ty Dolla $ign, Alanis Morissette, and St. Vincent.
The Narrative Feature Competition, Documentary Feature Competition, and Special Awards will be announced on Wednesday, March 18, along with all the Short Film Program winners, which are eligible for Jury Awards within their respective screening categories.
Scroll through photos from the red carpet premieres, speakers’ events, music, comedy showcases, exhibitions, and more.
“I Love Boosters” Premiere
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Eiza González, Keke Palmer, Demi Moore, Boots Riley, LaKeith Stanfield, Taylour Paige, Poppy Liu and Naomi Ackie at “I Love Boosters” Premiere during the SXSW Conference & Festivals held at Paramount Theatre on March 12, 2026 in Austin, Texas
“I Love Boosters” Premiere
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Boots Riley at “I Love Boosters” Premiere during the SXSW Conference & Festivals held at Paramount Theatre on March 12, 2026 in Austin, Texas
“I Love Boosters” Premiere
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LaKeith Stanfield, Eiza González, Keke Palmer, Poppy Liu and Naomi Ackie at “I Love Boosters” Premiere during the SXSW Conference & Festivals held at Paramount Theatre on March 12, 2026 in Austin, Texas
“I Love Boosters” Premiere
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Nate Brenner and Merrill Garbus of the Tune-Yards perform at “I Love Boosters” Premiere during the SXSW Conference & Festivals held at Paramount Theatre on March 12, 2026 in Austin, Texas
“I Love Boosters” Premiere
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Eric André at “I Love Boosters” Premiere during the SXSW Conference & Festivals held at Paramount Theatre on March 12, 2026 in Austin, Texas
“I Love Boosters” Premiere – 2026 SXSW Conference And Festival
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AUSTIN, TEXAS – MARCH 12: Demi Moore and Boots Riley attend the “I Love Boosters” premiere during the 2026 SXSW Conference and Festival at The Paramount Theatre on March 12, 2026 in Austin, Texas
“I Love Boosters” Premiere
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(L-R) Boots Riley and LaKeith Stanfield attend the “I Love Boosters” premiere during the 2026 SXSW Conference and Festival at The Paramount Theatre on March 12, 2026 in Austin, Texas.
“I Love Boosters” Premiere
Image Credit: Travis P. Ball/SXSW Conference & Festivals via Getty Images
Eiza González at “I Love Boosters” Premiere during the SXSW Conference & Festivals held at Paramount Theatre on in Austin, Texas.
“I Love Boosters” Premiere
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Demi Moore at “I Love Boosters” Premiere during the SXSW Conference & Festivals held at Paramount Theatre on March 12, 2026 in Austin, Texas
“I Love Boosters” Premiere
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Aaron Ryder at “I Love Boosters” Premiere during the SXSW Conference & Festivals held at Paramount Theatre on March 12, 2026 in Austin, Texas
“I Love Boosters” Premiere
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Kerris Dorsey at “I Love Boosters” Premiere during the SXSW Conference & Festivals held at Paramount Theatre on in Austin, Texas
“I Love Boosters” Premiere
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Poppy Liu at “I Love Boosters” Premiere during the SXSW Conference & Festivals held at Paramount Theatre on March 12, 2026 in Austin, Texas
Featured Session: Strategy in the Times of Chaos: Imagining Futures of Education
Marina Gorbis and Maisha T. Winn at Featured Session: Strategy in the Times of Chaos: Imagining Futures of Education during the SXSW Conference & Festivals held at Hilton Austin Downtown on March 12, 2026 in Austin, Texas
“Perfect” Screening – 2026 SXSW Conference And Festival
Julia Fox attends the “Perfect” screening during 2026 SXSW Conference at The State Theatre on March 12, 2026 in Austin, Texas
“Perfect” Screening – 2026 SXSW Conference And Festival
L-R) Julia Fox and Ashley Moore attend the “Perfect” screening during 2026 SXSW Conference at The State Theatre on March 12, 2026 in Austin, Texas
“Perfect” Screening – 2026 SXSW Conference And Festival
(L-R) Lio Mehiel, Julia Fox, Millicent Hailes, Ashley Moore and Micaela Wittman attend the “Perfect” screening during 2026 SXSW Conference at The State Theatre on March 12, 2026 in Austin, Texas
Featured Session: How to Support Resilient Youth in an AI World
Rebecca Winthrop, Maureen Polo, Miriam Schneider and Martin McKay at the Featured Session: How to Support Resilient Youth in an AI World during the SXSW Conference & Festivals held at Hilton Austin Downtown on March 12, 2026 in Austin, Texas
“Mile End Kicks” Premiere
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Steven Contreras, Destiny Keller, Rob Williams, Devon Bostick, Barbie Ferreira, Stanley Simons, Chandler Levack, Juliette Gariépy, Matthew Miller, Julie Groleau and Pat Kiely attend at the “Mile End Kicks” Premiere during the SXSW Conference & Festivals held at ZACH Theater on March 12, 2026 in Austin, Texas
“Mile End Kicks” Premiere – 2026 SXSW Conference And Festival
Barbie Ferreira attends the “Mile End Kicks” premiere during the 2026 SXSW Conference And Festival at ZACH Theatre on March 12, 2026 in Austin, Texas
“Agridulce” (Bittersweet) Premiere
Frank Pavich, Edickson García Disla and Benjamin de Menil at “Agridulce” (Bittersweet) Premiere during the SXSW Conference & Festivals held at Violet Crown Cinema on in Austin, Texas
Featured Session: How to Support Resilient Youth in an AI World
Maureen Polo and Miriam Schneider at the Featured Session: How to Support Resilient Youth in an AI World during the SXSW Conference & Festivals held at Hilton Austin Downtown on March 12, 2026 in Austin, Texas