27/01/2025 - European filmmakers are making a strong impression at the Austin-based gathering, showcasing a diverse array of stories and formats that highlight cultural exploration and social issues

Following the news from the Sundance Film Festival (see the news), more European films are set to premiere on US ground at South by Southwest (SXSW, 7-15 March) in Austin, Texas. For the festival’s 39th edition, British cinema leads the European representation, followed by Germany, France and the Nordic countries.

In the Narrative Feature Competition, Brwa Vahabpour’s Norwegian dramedy My Uncle Jens [+see also:
film review
interview: Brwa Vahabpour, Peiman Aziz…
film profile] focuses on a young literature teacher in Oslo whose life is upended by the unexpected arrival of his estranged Kurdish uncle, with the movie exploring themes of cultural differences and family dynamics. In the Documentary Feature Competition, The Secret of Me, directed by Grace Hughes-Hallett, examines a medical experiment involving identical twins, which led to a global controversy.

The Narrative Spotlight section features American Sweatshop [+see also:
film review
interview: Uta Briesewitz
film profile], a German social-media thriller by Uta Briesewitz. The film follows a content moderator who is confronted with the darker sides of social media and pursues accountability after encountering a violent video. Other entries in this section include two UK films: Ronan Corrigan’s Lifehack, a satirical drama about teenagers attempting a Bitcoin heist, and Thea Gajić’s Surviving Earth [+see also:
film review
interview: Thea Gajić, Slavko Sobin
film profile], based on the true story of a Balkan musician adjusting to life in the UK while trying to reconnect with his daughter.

In Documentary Spotlight, Jenny Ash’s Flight 149: Hostage of War examines the Gulf War hostage crisis, focusing on the circumstances that led to a passenger flight landing in a warzone. Snow Leopard Sisters, directed by Ben Ayers, Sonam Choekyi Lama and Andrew Lynch, documents efforts to protect endangered snow leopards in Nepal. Other documentaries include the US-Swiss co-production Mola: A Tale of Tibetan Love and Loss, which follows a 100-year-old nun’s journey to return to Tibet, and Dear Tomorrow [+see also:
interview: Kaspar Astrup Schröder
film profile] by Kaspar Astrup Schröder, a Danish-Japanese-Swedish co-production that explores loneliness in Japan and its societal impact.

In the Midnighter genre section, The Home [+see also:
film review
interview: Mattias J Skoglund
film profile] by Mattias J Skoglund is a psychological thriller about a son who discovers unsettling events in his mother’s dementia care home. Babak Anvari’s Hallow Road (see the news) stars Rosamund Pike and Matthew Rhys as parents attempting to reach their daughter following a late-night car accident. Additional flicks include Gerard Johnson’s Odyssey [+see also:
film review
film profile], a thriller about a real-estate agent in London navigating the city’s dark underbelly, which will be screened in the Visions section. In the Global strand, Fury [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Gemma Blasco
film profile] by Gemma Blasco focuses on a woman processing trauma through theatre. Helena Ganjalyan and Bartosz Szpak’s Glorious Summer [+see also:
film review
film profile] presents a surreal narrative about three women examining their seemingly stable lives, while Real Faces by Belgian helmer Leni Huyghe is about an ambitious casting director’s high-stakes pursuit of success in Brussels' advertising world, which collides with the quiet life of a reclusive microbiologist, leading to a turbulent romance.

Europe also has a significant presence in the immersive storytelling (XR) categories thanks to Ireland's Honey Fungus, which intertwines ecological science and sensual exploration, and the Netherlands' Shelter, a VR documentary offering an intimate insight into the war in Ukraine. Both works exemplify the region's innovative spirit. Whether delving into speculative ecosystems with Future Botanica or exploring intergenerational connections in Ancestors, European creators are harnessing XR to tackle urgent social issues, foster emotional connections and push artistic boundaries.

Here is the list of European (co-)productions in the festival's sections:

Narrative Feature Competition

My Uncle Jens [+see also:
film review
interview: Brwa Vahabpour, Peiman Aziz…
film profile] – Brwa Vahabpour (Norway/Romania/Italy)

Documentary Feature Competition

The Secret of Me – Grace Hughes-Hallett (UK)

Narrative Spotlight

American Sweatshop [+see also:
film review
interview: Uta Briesewitz
film profile] – Uta Briesewitz (Germany)
Satisfaction [+see also:
film review
film profile] - Alex Burunova (USA/Ukraine/Greece/Italy/France)
Lifehack – Ronan Corrigan (UK)
Surviving Earth [+see also:
film review
interview: Thea Gajić, Slavko Sobin
film profile] – Thea Gajić (UK)

Documentary Spotlight

Flight 149: Hostage of War – Jenny Ash (UK)
Dear Tomorrow [+see also:
interview: Kaspar Astrup Schröder
film profile] - Kaspar Astrup Schröder (Denmark/Japan/Sweden)
Snow Leopard Sisters – Ben Ayers, Sonam Choekyi Lama, Andrew Lynch (UK)
Mola: A Tale of Tibetan Love and Loss - Yangzom Brauen, Martin Brauen (USA/Switzerland)

Midnighter

Hallow Road – Babak Anvari (UK/Ireland/USA)
The Home [+see also:
film review
interview: Mattias J Skoglund
film profile] – Mattias J Skoglund (Sweden/Estonia/Iceland)

Visions

Odyssey [+see also:
film review
film profile] – Gerard Johnson (UK)

Global

Fury [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Gemma Blasco
film profile] – Gemma Blasco (Spain)
Glorious Summer [+see also:
film review
film profile] – Helena Ganjalyan, Bartosz Szpak (Poland)
Real Faces – Leni Huyghe (Belgium)
Trans Memoria [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Victoria Verseau
film profile] – Victoria Verseau (Sweden)

Festival Favorite

The Surfer [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Lorcan Finnegan
film profile] – Lorcan Finnegan (Australia/Ireland)
The Ballad of Wallis Island – James Griffiths (UK)
Zodiac Killer Project [+see also:
film review
film profile] – Charlie Shackleton (US/UK)

TV Spotlight

Push – Katja Benrath, Mia Maariel Meyer (Germany)
Mix Tape – Lucy Gaffy (Canada/Australia/Finland/Ireland)
Dates in Real Life [+see also:
series review
series profile] - Jakob Rørvik (Norway)

XR Experience Competition

Proof As If Proof Were Needed – Ting Tong Chang, Matt Adams (Taiwan/UK)
Cosmos in Focus – Tom Henchman, Aditi Rajagopal (UK)
Honey Fungus – Jonah King (Ireland)
In the Current of Being – Cameron Kostopoulos (USA/France)
Reflections of Little Red Dot – Chloé Lee (USA/Germany)
The Last Practice – Phil McCarty (USA/Portugal)
The Choice – Chapters 2 & 3 – Joanne Popinska (Canada/USA/Poland)
Shelters – Sjors Swierstra, Ivanna Khitsinska (Netherlands)

XR Experience Spotlight

The Art of Change – Simone Fougnier, Vincent Rooijers (USA/Italy/Netherlands)
Oto’s Planet – Gwenael François (Canada/France/Luxembourg)
Ancestors – Steye Hallema (Netherlands)
Origins – Life’s Epic Journey – Markos Kay (Germany)
Anouschka – Tamara Shogaolu (USA/Netherlands)
Future Botanica – Marcel van Brakel, Hazal Ertürkan (Netherlands)
Sweet – René van Engelenburg, Gijs ten Cate (Netherlands)