The SXSW Film & TV Festival is the only place in the world bringing together creative people from so many different industries, making the festival an unparalleled experience at the forefront of discovery, creativity, and innovation. SXSW provides the game-changing buzz every filmmaker dreams about for the premiere of their feature film, short, TV or XR project.

2024 Submissions

Applications for the 2024 SXSW Film & TV Festival are open now through October 3. The more you know about screening sections and premiere status and eligibility, the better your chances are to become an Official Selection! Read our FAQs for a complete look at Film & TV Submissions.

All Deadlines End at 11:59pm PT

Submission Confirmation

Please send your submission in the most complete and finished form possible. SXSW will only review the first submitted cut.

Once you have submitted your project, you will receive a confirmation email from SXSW within 48 hours. This email will confirm that your film has been submitted correctly. If you do not receive this email within 48 hours, please follow up by emailing filmfest@sxsw.com to ensure your film has been submitted properly and is under consideration.

Feature Film Screening Sections

Narrative Feature Competition: World premieres with unique ways to celebrate the art of storytelling.

Documentary Feature Competition: World premieres with real world stories that demonstrate innovation, energy and bold voices.

Headliner: 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.

Narrative Spotlight: High profile narrative features receiving their World, North American, or U.S. premieres at SXSW.

Documentary Spotlight: Shining a light on new documentary features receiving their World, North American, or U.S. premieres at SXSW.

Visions: Visions filmmakers are audacious, risk-taking artists in the new cinema landscape who demonstrate raw innovation and creativity in documentary and narrative filmmaking.

Midnighter: Scary, funny, sexy, controversial – provocative after-dark features for night-owls and the terminally curious.

24 Beats Per Second: Showcasing the sounds, culture, and influence of music and musicians, with an emphasis on documentary.

Global: A diverse selection of International filmmaking talent, featuring innovative narratives, artful documentaries, premieres, festival favorites, and more.

Festival Favorite: Acclaimed standouts and selected previous premieres from festivals around the world.

Special Event: Live soundtracks, cult re-issues, and much more. Our Special Events section offers unusual, unexpected, and unique one-off film events.

TV Screening Sections

TV Premiere: Presenting world premieres of prestige serials slated for release and accompanied by show-runners, directors, and cast members.

Independent TV Pilot Competition: A pilot showcase introducing fresh work from bright new talent, many with an eye towards finding production, completion funds, or a release platform.

TV Spotlight: Presenting world premieres of new seasons of prestige series or studio backed projects seeking distribution.

Short Film Screening Sections

Narrative Short Competition: A selection of original, well-crafted films that take advantage of the short form and exemplify distinctive and genuine storytelling.

Documentary Short Competition: Slices of life from across the documentary spectrum.

Animated Short Competition: An assortment of stories told using traditional animation, computer-generated effects, stop-motion, and everything in-between.

Midnight Short Competition: Bite-sized bits for all of your sex, gore, and hilarity cravings.

Music Video Competition: A range of classic, innovative, and stylish work showcasing the scope of music video culture.

Texas Short Competition: An offshoot of our regular narrative shorts program, composed of work shot in, about, or somehow relating to the Lone Star state.

XR Experience Screening Sections

XR Experience Competition, XR Experience Spotlight, and XR Experience Special Event
The immersive arts 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 projects presented in our XR Experience emphasize ingenuity, storytelling, and also showcase how other industries are embracing this new medium.

The SXSW Film & TV Festival recognizes the following types of premiere status:

• World Premiere: Your project has not screened theatrically prior to SXSW, whether at a film festival or other ticketed, public theatrical exhibition, and has not been broadcast or streamed on television or the Internet or released via any home video or other public distribution platform (Blu-ray, DVD, streaming, VOD, etc.) in any country prior to SXSW.

• International Premiere: Your project has not screened theatrically outside of its country or countries of origin prior to SXSW, whether at a film festival or other ticketed, public theatrical exhibition, and has not been broadcast or streamed on television or the Internet or released via any home video or other public distribution platform (Blu-ray, DVD, streaming, VOD, etc.) in any country prior to SXSW.

• North American Premiere: Your project has not screened theatrically in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, or any other North American territory prior to SXSW, whether at a film festival or other ticketed, public theatrical exhibition, and has not been broadcast or streamed on television or the Internet or released via any home video or other public distribution platform (Blu-ray, DVD, streaming, VOD, etc.) in any country prior to SXSW.

• U.S. Premiere: Your project has not screened theatrically in the U.S. prior to SXSW, whether at a film festival or other ticketed, public theatrical exhibition, and has not been broadcast or streamed on television or the Internet or released via any home video or other public distribution platform (Blu-ray, DVD, streaming, VOD, etc.) in any country prior to SXSW.

• Texas Premiere: Your project has not screened theatrically in Texas prior to SXSW, whether at a film festival or other ticketed, public theatrical exhibition, and has not been broadcast or streamed on television or the Internet or released via any home video or other public distribution platform (Blu-ray, DVD, streaming, VOD, etc.) in any country prior to SXSW.

• Austin Premiere: Your project has not screened theatrically in Austin prior to SXSW, whether at a film festival or other ticketed, public theatrical exhibition and has not been broadcast or streamed on television or the Internet or released via any home video or other public distribution platform (Blu-ray, DVD, streaming, VOD, etc.) in any country prior to SXSW.

• Not a Premiere: Your project has screened theatrically in Austin at a film festival prior to SXSW, it has been released in a country other than the U.S. via television broadcast or theatrical screening before SXSW, or has been broadcast, streamed on television or the Internet as part of a limited-time virtual festival event.

The premiere status of your film is an important factor so be sure to review eligibility listed for your screening section. Explore the Film & TV Submissions FAQ for specific questions about submitting your project, premiere status, eligibility, and more.

See You in 2024

SXSW brings together international Film & TV students, industry leaders, and fans to Austin, TX each year. Join us from March 8-16 for one of the most anticipated festivals of the year. Discover more about SXSW registration and housing to ensure your festival accommodations are all set.

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