Maybe the South by Southwest festival is a good luck charm for Seth Rogen. In 2007 he debuted Knocked Up in Austin, before the movie went on to be a giant hit, and now he's returning this March with Observe and Report, set for release a month after the festival on April 10.
The comedy, in which Rogen plays a self-important mall cop (no relation to Paul Blart: Mall Cop) who squares off against the local police, will debut in the Centerpiece slot at the festival on March 16. Jody Hill, who directed the tiny indie The Foot Fist Way, helmed this one, and Anna Faris, Michael Pena and Ray Liotta co-star.
I'll be in Austin for the festival, and will look forward to this one alongside the usual smaller indie stuff. SXSW isn't usually the kind of star-studded distraction that Sundance or Cannes can be, but I guarantee the types who flock to Austin each spring will revere Rogen as a god among men. I guess that was part of the plan.
Below is the announcement from the SXSW office, including some new details on panelists and other movies that will be making their debut at the festival.
Austin, Texas -- January 12, 2008 – The South by Southwest (SXSW) Film Conference and Festival announced today additional titles and guest speakers for this year’s Festival, March 13 – 21, 2009 in Austin, Texas. Among the new titles unveiled is the Warner Bros. Pictures release “Observe and Report,” which will premiere in the Centerpiece slot on Monday, March 16th.
Written and directed by Jody Hill (“Foot Fist Way”), “Observe and Report” is a dark comedy starring Seth Rogen (“Pineapple Express,” “Knocked Up”) as Ronnie Barnhardt, a deluded, self-important head of mall security who squares off in a turf war against the local cops. Opening wide on April 10, 2009, the film also stars Anna Faris, Michael Peña and Ray Liotta, and was produced by Donald De Line and executive produced by Andrew Haas, Marty Ewing, Thomas Tull and Jon Jashni under the Legendary Pictures banner. Rogen previously attended the 2007 Festival with the world premiere of “Knocked Up,” which went on to gross nearly $150 million in its domestic release.
New panelists added to the SXSW Film Conference (March 14 – 17) include filmmakers Catherine Hardwicke (“Twilight,” “Thirteen”), Robert Rodriguez (“Sin City,” “Spy Kids”) and Mike Judge (“Office Space,” “King of the Hill”), SXSW alum and Mumblecore pioneer Joe Swanberg (“Nights and Weekends, “Hannah Takes the Stairs”) and Mark Woollen, the award-winning creator of many memorable trailers (“Milk,” “Slumdog Millionaire,” “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind”).
Long known as a banner destination for compelling documentary films, the lineup for the 2009 SXSW Film Conference & Festival will include:
“Objectified” – From acclaimed SXSW alum Gary Hustwit ("Helvetica") comes a new film that documents the creative processes of some of the world’s most influential industrial designers, and looks at how the things they make impact our lives. What can we learn about who we are, and who we want to be, from the objects with which we surround ourselves?
“New World Order” – Directed by SXSW alum Andrew Neel, this documentary about conspiracy theorists is a behind the scenes look at the underground anti-globalist movement. The film chronicles celebrity radio host and underground cult hero Alex Jones, (of “Waking Life” and “A Scanner Darkly”), and other conspiracy theorists on their ceaseless quests to expose the 'massive global conspiracy' that they believe threatens the future of humanity.
“Winnebago Man” – Jack Rebney is the most famous man you've never heard of – after cursing his way through a Winnebago sales video, Rebney’s outtakes became an underground sensation and an online phenomenon seen by millions. Filmmaker Ben Steinbauer climbs to the top of a mountain and goes deep into the woods to find the recluse who unwittingly became an Internet superstar.
“RiP: A Remix Manifesto” – Web activist and filmmaker Brett Gaylor explores issues of copyright in the information age, mashing up the media landscape of the 20th century and shattering the wall between users and producers. Gaylor's documentary features artists like Girl Talk, who employ mash-up techniques, mixing samples of existing music into new songs. Interviews with additional artists, lawmakers, companies and consumers are interspersed with animation, archive footage and collages.
The SXSW Film Festival will open on March 13th with a screening of “I Love You, Man,” directed by John Hamburg and starring Paul Rudd, Jason Segel and Rashida Jones. Previously announced panelists for the 2009 SXSW Film Conference & Festival include acclaimed writer/directors Todd Haynes and Richard Linklater in conversation together, longtime Stanley Kubrick producer Jan Harlan, as well as a rare appearance by Col Needham, Vice President of IMDb.com Service Limited. The complete festival lineup will be announced in early February 2009.
South By Southwest Film Conference & Festival SXSW offers a uniquely creative space for filmmakers, film fans, and even cinephiles to partake in the big and small picture discussions about filmmaking today. The Conference hosts a five-day adventure in the latest filmmaking trends and new technology, featuring Conversations with film icons, intimate mini-meetings and one-on-one mentor sessions with industry veterans. The internationally-acclaimed, nine-day Festival boasts some of the most wide-ranging programming of any US event of its kind, from provocative documentaries to subversive Hollywood comedies, with a special focus on emerging talents. Learn more at sxsw.com/film.
2009 Festival Sponsors
SXSW Film Conference and Festival is sponsored by Miller Lite, The Independent Film Channel (IFC), The Austin Chronicle, Fuze Beverage and ZonePerfect.
