The East, a thriller from Sound of My Voice collaborators Zal Batmanglij and Brit Marling, will close the 2013 SXSW Film Festival, organizers announced today. Also announced: a starry panel pulling together Whedonverse favorites.
Press materials describe Closing Night Film The East thusly: “An operative for a private intelligence firm goes undercover to infiltrate a mysterious anarchist collective attacking major corporations. Bent on apprehending these fugitives, her loyalty is tested as her feelings grow for their charismatic leader.” Marling stars, alongside Alexander Skarsgard, Ellen Page, and Patricia Clarkson.
Also announced were additions to the conference lineup, including panels with Joss Whedon and his Much Ado About Nothing cast, including Amy Acker, Alexis Denisof, Nathan Fillion, and Clark Gregg; Harmony Korine and “His Spring Breakers” (no specific cast announced, but James Franco regularly cats around at Austin fests); a spotlight on YouTube channel JASH, with paneling provided by Sarah Silverman, Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim (Tim & Eric), Michael Cera, and Reggie Watts; conversations with Rob Zombie and Danny Boyle; and a special Vimeo presentation of a remastered and expanded “It’s Such a Beautiful Day,” Don Hertzfeldt‘s capper to his epic animated “Bill” trilogy (that event will conclude with “a very special announcement,” the SXSW press releases teases).
More features have dropped into the lineup, too, including world premieres of Alicia Dwyer‘s comedic doc Xmas Without China and Matt Anderson‘s Fall and Winter “psycho-spiritual survival guide for the 21st century” and a Festival Favorites slate expanded to include Jeremy Lin doc portrait Linsanity and Sundance breakout The Spectacular Now, costarring ATX homeboy Kyle Chandler. (Did we seriously just type “homeboy”?? Sorry, Coach.)
We’ve left some stuff out. You can read it all over at the SXSW Film website.
This article appears in February 8 • 2013.
