Highlights include Andrew Patterson's The Rivals of Amziah King, Julie Anderson's I'm Carl Lewis!, R.T. Thorne's 40 Acres, and Cristina Costantini's Sally, and many more.

The post 2025 SXSW Film & TV Announces Closing Night Film On Swift Horses & Final Slate appeared first on SXSW.

South by Southwest is widely recognized as an early career hot spot for professional development. Don't miss your chance to develop a network that spans across the globe.

Need assistance making the case to your boss to send you to SXSW this March? We've put together a few tips and an email template to help you convince your boss to fund your SXSW journey.

Step 1: Choose Your Badge

Not sure which badge is right for you, or when to arrive? We’ve got your back. Use our SXSW Badge Quiz as your guide to the best badge and dates for you and your company’s needs. Review the SXSW Timeline for a visual overview of event programming dates.

Step 2: Add It Up

Once you know your badge type and dates, it’s time to crunch the numbers. Current badge prices can be found here, and your team can save even more with our group rates. Use your arrival date to find out an estimate for hotels using our SXSW hotel availability page. Check out our transportation options, and remember most SXSW venues are a short walk or ride from one another.

Step 3: Send The Email

Now to tie it all together. We’ve created a pre-filled email for you. Make sure to fill out the empty fields, and give it a close read before sending it off.

Hi [insert name here],

I’d like to discuss attending the 2025 SXSW Conference and Festivals from March [enter dates here] in Austin, Texas. Thousands of global creatives come together at SXSW for discovery, learning, and networking across the tech, film & tv, and music industries. A SXSW [Platinum, Interactive, Film & TV, Music] Badge will give me access to [remove those which don’t apply]:

- Insightful Keynotes and Featured Sessions from industry experts
- In-depth panels covering a wide range of topics across 24 tracks
- Mentor Sessions offering one-on-one coaching by industry professionals
- Networking opportunities to establish meaningful and lasting connections
- Workshops aimed at fostering professional skill enhancement
- Countless opportunities to discover “what’s next”

Attending SXSW will aid my professional growth, and I will be able to share valuable takeaways and insights with our entire team. The Conference tracks that I’m specifically interested in are:

- [Track 1]
- [Track 2]
- [Track 3]

I have estimated how much attendance costs:

- Travel: [Cost of Airfare/Travel]
- Lodging: [Cost of Hotel]
- Event Registration: [Cost for Badge]

If I register now, I can save the company money off the walk-up rate and have access to the best available hotel rates. SXSW also offers Group Registration rates for teams of 10 or more if we send a larger team. Thank you for considering my request. I look forward to discussing this further.

Sincerely,
[insert name here]

Download Template

Need more help convincing? Hear what others have to say about SXSW.

Good luck and we hope to see you at SXSW 2025!

Discover Additional Discounts

Recent college graduates can unlock the Early Career discount - access 40% off your badge during your first year out of school, and 30% off throughout your second year in the professional world.

Plus, attend as a group to access exclusive group rates for each badge!

See You at SXSW 2025

Register today to lock in the lowest badge rates and best hotel options for March 7-15, 2025 in downtown Austin.

Sign up for SXSW email updates, check out the News feed, watch videos, and follow us on Bluesky, LinkedIn, X, Facebook, Instagram, Threads, and TikTok to get the most up-to-date information.

Register Now

SXSW Attendees – Photo by Keira Lindgren

The post Convince Your Boss to Send You to SXSW 2025 appeared first on SXSW.

Including Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg’s Apple TV+ series, The Studio, as Opening Night TV Premiere

Highlights include Mimi Cave’s Holland, Flying Lotus’ Ash, Alex Sharfman’s Death of a Unicorn, Ben Affleck’s The Accountant 2, Jess Varley’s The Astronaut, Christopher Landon’s Drop, & H.E.R.’s The Makings of Curtis Mayfield

The post 2025 SXSW Film & TV Festival Lineup Announced appeared first on SXSW.

All session proposals received during the PanelPicker entry period are eligible for your vote to help shape the 2025 Conference programming for SXSW and SXSW EDU.

How to Vote

Ready, set, vote! To participate in the voting process from August 6–18, visit panelpicker.sxsw.com/vote and sign in or create an account.

Once you are signed in, filter proposals by conference (SXSW or SXSW EDU), format, title, description, tags, and speakers in the search field.

Each voter can vote once per proposal – selecting "arrow up" for yes or "arrow down" for no. Have a question for the organizer? The Comments section is a great place to post all of your questions and leave constructive comments about the proposals you vote on.

Inside the PanelPicker Process

Your input is very important in terms of shaping the look and feel of the March event. Community votes make up 30% of the final programming decision. Plus, input from the SXSW Staff (30%) and PanelPicker Evaluators (40%) helps ensure that lesser-known voices have as much of a chance of being selected to speak at SXSW as individuals with large online followings.

PanelPicker Evaluators consist of 200+ industry experts from around the globe and make up 40% of the PanelPicker final programming decision. Evaluators provide feedback on all submitted proposals. SXSW Staff input comes in at 30% with a goal to fill any gaps in relevant subject matter, striking a balance between new and veteran speakers. Together these percentages help determine the final Conference lineup announced later in the season.

Pro tip: Subscribe to the Conference Community Newsletter to stay in the SX know.

The post PanelPicker Community Voting Ends Sunday, August 18 appeared first on SXSW.

PanelPicker® is the official SXSW user-generated session proposal platform developed to encourage the community to pitch their proposals for our Conference programming for SXSW 2025 from March 7-15. This easy, two-step process allows the SXSW community to have a voice in what creative and thought-provoking programming is selected.

Tips for PanelPicker Success

• Follow the instructions and read the FAQ. Reading the PanelPicker FAQ will give you important information about SXSW and more valuable tips for creating a great proposal.

• Create a future-focused, original proposal that shows what you’re passionate about. Often SXSW previews what you’ll be talking about next year and beyond in tech, culture, music, and film. Give us your perspective on what lies ahead and why.

• Depth and specificity. SXSW attendees want advanced, in-depth information, so be sure to delve into the particulars of a topic. The more specific a proposal is, the better. Drill down to what really matters.

• Your title should reflect your description. Your title is going to be fighting for attention with hundreds of other titles in PanelPicker, so it’s important for your title to be direct and explanatory. The community should be able to understand what the proposal will cover without reading your description. Remember: think simple, accurate, and succinct. Tip: Avoid using ALL CAPS in your title and proposal.

How can you ensure that your session idea stands out? Dive into our tips for constructing the perfect proposal and mark your calendar for upcoming webinars from the SXSW Conference team.

To kickoff applications, SXSW Programmers will host a special virtual PanelPicker Best Practices & AMA Webinar this Thursday, June 27. RSVP and fill out the questionnaire in advance with your specific questions.Throughout July, gain even more advice and answers to FAQs from SXSW Programmers during PanelPicker Office Hours.

The post Speak at SXSW 2025: PanelPicker® Applications Open Through July 21 appeared first on SXSW.