Get Ready For SXSW Online 2021

South by Southwest 2021 offers a diverse program of film, music, comedy, and conferences

Founded in 1987 in Austin, Texas, SXSW (read “South by Southwest”) is about to celebrate its 28th edition. SXSW Online 2021 is scheduled to take place from the 16th to the 21st of March: a digital experience where the interactive, film, and music industries converge.

This year’s program features Keynotes, Conference sessions, Music Festival showcases, Film Festival screenings, world-class networking, online Exhibitions, and more.

In case you’re feeling a little daunted by how much is on offer, we’re here to guide you. Here are our top selects from the SXSW Online 2021 program that you will not want to miss!

FILM: Introducing, Selma Blair

The 2021 Film Festival program comprises 75 features (including 57 world premieres) and 84 short films. One of those world premieres is Introducing, Selma Blair, a deeply intimate and raw portrait of the actress after she is diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis and makes a valiant, risky effort to try to slow the progression of her disease.

This documentary is directed by Rachel Fleit.

KEYNOTE: Priya Parker in Conversation with Anand Giridharadas

Keynotes are part of SXSW’s conference programming. One of the highlights will be watching Priya Parker in conversation with Anand Giridharadas.

Priya Parker is a master facilitator, strategic advisor, acclaimed author of The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why it Matters, and executive producer and host of the New York Times podcast, Together Apart. Trained in conflict resolution, she has worked on race relations on American college campuses and on peace processes in the Arab world, southern Africa, and India. Above, you’ll find a TED talk given by Prya in 2019 that will give you a taste of what to expect.

Anand Giridharadas is the publisher at The.Ink as well as the author of Winners Take All: The Elite Charade of Changing the World, The True American: Murder and Mercy in Texas, and India Calling: An Intimate Portrait of a Nation’s Remaking. He is the editor-at-large for Time magazine and political analyst for MSNBC.

Other keynote speakers include: American politician Pete Buttigieg, author Charles Yu, Award-winning journalist Lisa Ling, American politician and voting rights activist Stacey Abrams, author N.K. Jemisin, musician Willie Nelson, and writer and podcast host Andy Langer.

MUSIC: Indigo Sparke

In the words of Pitchfork, “the Sydney-based singer-songwriter Indigo Sparke makes the kind of spare folk that can quiet a room.” Her haunting debut LP was released last month on Sacred Bones, produced by Big Thief’s Adrianne Lenker. Check out Indigo’s Tiny Desk concert above.

The 2021 slate of Showcasing Artists features a diverse mix of artists from around the globe, including: Mexican singer and actress Ximena Sariñana; AC/DC-worshipping, Aussie garage-punks The Chats; rising Okinowan MC Awich; 7-piece London buzz band Black Country, New Road; NYC’s feedback-embracing guitar annihilators A Place to Bury Strangers; quirk punks Squid on the eve of their forthcoming Warp Records debut album Y; sugary Indonesian indie jangle-pop trio Grrrl Gang; rising Spanish-Cuban Latin pop sensation Samantha Sanchez; and more.

FILM: Here Before

This Northern Irish narrative feature film written and directed by Stacey Gregg will have its world premiere at SXSW 2021. This unsettling psychological thriller tells the story of a bereaved mother who begins to question her reality after new neighbors move in.

FEATURED SPEAKERS: Ava DuVernay with Franklin Leonard

“Featured Speakers present a snapshot of the ideas that can most transform our future,” reads the SXSW website. We’re particularly excited about filmmaker and founder of narrative change collective ARRAY Ava DuVernay sitting down with film and television producer and Black List founder and CEO Franklin Leonard.

Ava DuVernay's narrative and documentary film projects tell powerful stories that put the spotlight on the Black experience, race relations in America, and the biased criminal justice system. She was the first black woman to be nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Director for Selma (2014), which was also the first film directed by a black female director to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture. In 2017, she was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature for her film 13th (2016). She created, co-wrote, produced and directed the 2019 Netflix drama limited series When They See Us, based on the 1989 Central Park jogger case, which has earned critical acclaim. Discover more about her career trajectory in the BBC video above.

The 2021 Featured Speakers lineup also includes: Elizabeth Banks, Mary J. Blige, President George W. Bush, Erin Lee Carr, James Cameron, The Chainsmokers, Mark Cuban, Dominique Crenn, Cynthia Erivo, Mick Fleetwood, Melinda Gates, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, Bill Hader, Yuval Noah Harari, Taraji P. Henson, Barry Jenkins, Amy Klobuchar, Queen Latifah, Matthew McConaughey, Mark Mothersbaugh, Desus Nice and The Kid Mero, Indra Nooyi, Alexis Ohanian, Amber Ruffin, The Russo Brothers, Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, Timbaland, Baratunde Thurston, Werner Vogels, Chris Webber, and many more.

FILM: Demi Lovato: Dancing with the Devil

Another world premiere, Demi Lovato: Dancing with the Devil is a powerful YouTube Originals documentary event, exploring every aspect that led to Lovato’s nearly fatal overdose in 2018, and her awakenings in the aftermath.

The SXSW 2021 online program has such much to offer that we strongly recommend heading over to the website and taking a look for yourself.

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