The World Premiere of Life directed by Daniel Espinosa has been selected as the Closing Night Film of the South by Southwest (SXSW) Conference and Festivals. Life is a terrifying sci-fi thriller about a team of scientists aboard the International Space Station whose mission of discovery turns to one of primal fear when they find a rapidly evolving life form that caused extinction on Mars, and now threatens the crew and all life on Earth. The SXSW will take place March 10 to 19, 2017, with the closing night film screening on Saturday March 18, 2017 at the Zach Theatre.
“We are thrilled to close out the 2017 SXSW Film Festival with such a special film as Life,” said Janet Pierson, Director of Film. “Our audiences will love this taut space thriller’s twists and turns as well as its amazing cast.”
“I’m so honored that Life has been chosen as the closing film at South by Southwest,” added Daniel Espinosa. “The people that flock to Austin each year are some of the most engaged and passionate fans of film out there and are the perfect audience to introduce our visceral sci-fi thriller. I hope that, with Life, we find new ways to entertain them, terrify them, and thrill them.”
Life features an ensemble cast of Jake Gyllenhaal, Rebecca Ferguson, Ryan Reynolds, Hiroyuki Sanada, Ariyon Bakare, Olga Dihovichnaya. The film is directed by Daniel Espinosa, written by Rhett Reese & Paul Wernick and produced by David Ellison, Dana Goldberg, Bonnie Curtis, and Julie Lynn. Columbia Pictures and Skydance will release the film on March 24, 2017.
SXSW also announced several titles titles set to screen at the 2017 event, including world premieres Atomic Blonde directed by David Leitch and featuring an ensemble cast including Charlize Theron, James McAvoy and John Goodman, and Parker Smith’s Ramblin’ Freak. Another addition includes a celebratory 10th Anniversary screening of Gary Hustwit’s Helvetica, plus VR projects Miyubi and The People’s House by Félix Lajeunesse and Paul Raphaël.
Late titles added to the 2017 SXSW Film Festival:
HEADLINERS
Big names, big talent: Headliners bring star power to SXSW, featuring red carpet premieres and gala film events with major and rising names in cinema.
Atomic Blonde
Director: David Leitch, Screenwriter: Kurt Johnstad, Based on the Oni Press graphic novel series by Antony Johnston
Oscar® winner Charlize Theron explodes into summer in Atomic Blonde, a breakneck action-thriller that follows MI6’s most lethal assassin through a ticking time bomb of a city simmering with revolution and double-crossing hives of traitors. Cast List: Charlize Theron, James McAvoy, John Goodman, Til Schweiger, Eddie Marsan, Sofia Boutella and Toby Jones (World Premiere)
Life (UK)
Director: Daniel Espinosa, Screenwriters: Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick
Life is a terrifying sci-fi thriller about a team of scientists aboard the International Space Station whose mission of discovery turns to one of primal fear when they find a rapidly evolving life form that caused extinction on Mars, and now threatens the crew and all life on Earth. Cast List: Jake Gyllenhaal, Rebecca Ferguson, Ryan Reynolds, Hiroyuki Sanada, Ariyon Bakare, Olga Dihovichnaya (World Premiere)
VISIONS
Visions filmmakers are audacious, risk-taking artists in the new cinema landscape who demonstrate raw innovation and creativity in documentary and narrative filmmaking.
Ramblin’ Freak
Director: Parker Smith
In the wake of a devastating personal tragedy, a struggling would-be filmmaker finds a revealing home video in an old camcorder purchased on eBay and takes off with his cat on a cross-country road trip to find its owner: “The Man Whose Arms Exploded” Cast: Parker Smith, Gregg Valentino (World Premiere)
VIRTUAL REALITY
Virtual reality and augmented reality technologies are finding new ways to enhance our ability to perceive the world that surrounds us, and in many instances they are redefining how we experience the world. The 38 projects presented in our new Virtual Cinema emphasize storytelling, ingenuity and also showcase how other industries are embracing this new medium.
Miyubi
Directors: Félix Lajeunesse, Paul Raphaël
Love in the age of obsolescence.
The People’s House
Directors: Félix Lajeunesse, Paul Raphaël
An intimate tour of the White House that gives the viewer extraordinary access to explore the iconic institution’s profound history – from the past eight years of the Obama administration to defining events of the last two centuries.
SPECIAL EVENTS
Live soundtracks, cult re-issues and much more. Our Special Events section offers unusual, unexpected and unique one-off film events.
Helvetica: 10th Anniversary Screening
Director: Gary Hustwit
The pioneering design documentary Helvetica premiered at SXSW in 2007, and kickstarted a wave of dozens of design films that have been released since. Join director Gary Hustwit for this special 10th Anniversary screening of Helvetica.