
22 01 2024 - Media release Five Australian projects bound for South by Southwest Festival in the US
Audrey, Birdeater, The Moogai
Five Australian screen projects have been selected for the 2024 South by Southwest (SXSW) Film & TV Festival which will take place in Austin, Texas from 8-16 March.
Making their respective world premieres are feature film Audrey, documentary short film The Big Wait, and animated augmented reality (XR) project Many Worlds.
Mystery-thriller Birdeater will make its international premiere and the First Nations psychological horror film, The Moogai will also be showcased at SXSW following its world premiere at Sundance Film Festival this month.
Screen Australia's CEO Deirdre Brennan said, Congratulations to the teams behind these unique projects on their SXSW selection. This important recognition highlights the demand for compelling Australian content across all genres and formats globally. Participation in SXSW, a festival known for innovative and ground-breaking work, demonstrates the high calibre and audience appeal of our homegrown stories. I m absolutely thrilled about their selection.
Audrey, the dramedy written by Lou Sanz (The PM's Daughter) and directed by Natalie Bailey (Bay of Fires) will have its world premiere at SXSW Film Festival in the Narrative Feature category. The story follows self-appointed Mother of the Year, Ronnie who has given her daughter Audrey everything. When Audrey selfishly falls into a coma, Ronnie has no choice but to keep her dreams alive by assuming her identity.
Director Natalie Bailey said, I am so thrilled to be invited to premiere Audrey, my debut feature at SXSW Austin in the Narrative Feature Competition. This means so much to myself and the team who worked tirelessly to make this weird tale of suburbia come to life.
Producer Michael Wrenn said on behalf of the production team, For a comedy that walks an edgy fine line, SXSW, with its irreverent indie slant, music focus and comedy side bar - not to mention a focus on inclusion and diversity - is the perfect fit for Audrey and we are tickled pink to be there.
Also making its world premiere in the Documentary Shorts Competition is The Big Wait by writer/director Yannick Jamey. The film is about a remote desert town, which has a population of two and is kept in pristine condition waiting for visitors that never seem to arrive.
First Nations writer/director Jon Bell's debut feature, The Moogai will screen in SXSW's Festival Favourite category. The Moogai is co-produced by Causeway Films' Kristina Ceyton, Samantha Jennings (The Babadook, Talk to Me) and No Coincidence Media's Mitchell Stanley (We Are Still Here, Larapinta). Based on the award-winning short film written and directed by Jon Bell, the feature film stars Shari Sebbens, Meyne Wyatt, Tessa Rose, Bella Heathcote, Jahdeana Mary and Clarence Ryan. The Moogai received development and principal production funding through Screen Australia's First Nations Department.
Screen Australia's Head of First Nations Angela Bates said, Following The Moogai's world premiere at Sundance, and now being selected for SXSW, it's fantastic to see First Nations stories being recognised and celebrated globally. This impressive achievement is a tribute to the talented cast and crew behind the film and underlines the significant impact of our voices and culture on audiences around the world.
Producers Mitch Stanley and Kristina Ceyton said, The team are excited to return to SXSW where the short film was well received, winning the Jury Prize in the Midnight section in 2021. We're honoured to now have the feature version of The Moogai screen at SXSW and are excited to share our film with their supportive audiences once again in 2024.
From debut directing duo Jack Clark and James Weir is mystery-thriller Birdeater, which will make its international premiere in the Festival's Visions section. Produced by Stephanie Troost, Ulysses Oliver and Ben Ferris of Breathless Films, the story follows a bride-to-be who reluctantly joins her fianc 's bachelor party on a remote property in the Australian outback. As the festivities spiral into beer-soaked chaos, uncomfortable details about their relationship are exposed, and the celebration soon becomes a feral nightmare.
Producer Ulysses Oliver and executive producer Ben Ferris from Breathless Films said, We are stoked that our true indie production Birdeater has been selected to compete on such an international stage. It s a real testament to the passion and grit of our talented cast and crew that the film has been acknowledged by a festival renowned for its commitment to innovation and artistic excellence. We are eternally grateful to SXSW for such a significant opportunity, and can t wait to see how the film goes down with international audiences. Yee-ha!
Animated Augmented Reality (XR) project Many Worlds will have its world premiere in the XR Experience Competition.
A history of Australian titles at SXSW is available here.
Download PDF
Media enquiries Maddie Walsh | Publicist
61 2 8113 5915 | [email protected]
Ted Rose | Senior Publicist
61 2 8113 1091 | 61 456 558 679 | ted.rose@screenaustralia.gov.au
All other general/non-media enquiries
Sydney 61 2 8113 5800 | Melbourne 61 3 8682 1900 | [email protected]
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
02/05/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
01/05/2026
January 5 2026, 18:30 (PST) NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to ...
01/04/2026
January 4 2026, 18:00 (PST) DOLBY AND DOUYIN EMPOWER THE NEXT GENERATON OF CREATORS WITH DOLBY VISION
Douyin Users Can Now Create And Share Videos With Stun...
27/02/2026
In a sun-drenched Los Angeles studio filled with guitars, laughter, and the low thrum of KRK monitors, Third Eye Blind's Kryz Reid balances rockstar energy ...
27/02/2026
Atomos announces the launch of Ninja RAW, a 5-inch HDR monitor-recorder designed to give filmmakers, content creators, and broadcasters an uncompromising and af...
27/02/2026
FM, leaders in commercial property insurance, is utilizing Marshall Electronics CV228 Weatherproof Lipstick Cameras to capture critical fire testing data inside...
27/02/2026
Telestream, global leader in media workflow technologies, today announced expanded practical AI enhancements across its Vantage, Vantage Cloud, EDC, Stanza, and...
27/02/2026
Riedel Communications today announced that Fondazione Teatro alla Scala has deployed a comprehensive wireless intercom solution, leveraging Riedel's Bolero,...
27/02/2026
27 02 2026 - Media release Screen Australia announces Rachel Perkins as Director of First Nations Strategy
Rachel Perkins. Photo credit: John Platt.
Screen ...
26/02/2026
Multi-angle coverage, on-demand access to ultra-high-resolution video are provided for replays and clips across multiple distribution channels
The NHL and Cosm...
26/02/2026
Advanced Systems Group, LLC (ASG), a technology and services provider for media creatives and content owners, has appointed Jody Boatwright as Chief Strategy Of...
26/02/2026
As players report to Spring Training, TikTok and MLB announce an expanded content partnership bringing baseball fans around the world closer to the game through...
26/02/2026
Chyron announces its 2026 Designer of the Year Competition to be awarded during a live stream from the 2026 NAB Show in Las Vegas. This year's competition i...
26/02/2026
Appear, which specializes in live production technology, announces that its X Platform has been officially verified by YouTube for Secure Reliable Transport (SR...
26/02/2026
Adder Technology, a specialist in connectivity solutions and high performance IP...
26/02/2026
Harmonic announces that Alcom, a leading telco operator in Finland, is powering its next-generation white-label headend video service with Harmonic's XOS Ad...
26/02/2026
ESPN, Disney , and the Savannah Bananas announce a 25-game exclusive package in ...
26/02/2026
Brazilian broadcaster Globo has returned as the official broadcast partner of th...
26/02/2026
NDI, which concentrates in plug-and-play IP video connectivity, announces a strategic partnership with Jiaruisen (JRS), a Shenzhen-based technology distributor,...
26/02/2026
The Charleston, SC, native has excelled as a live-camera operator on Tigers broadcasts
In the live-sports-video industry, the future is bright. Our series SVG ...
26/02/2026
Behind The Mic provides a roundup of recent news regarding on-air talent, including new deals, departures, and assignments compiled from press releases and repo...
26/02/2026
Supported by partners, the in-venue production team keeps videoboard-show qualit...
26/02/2026
CAMB.AI provides AI speech synthesis and translation with a focus on localizatio...
26/02/2026
AWS Elemental Inference could help sports broadcasters learn to love AI
This we...
26/02/2026
Rohde & Schwarz awarded contract by Israel Airports Authority for QPS201 securit...
26/02/2026
Rohde & Schwarz highlights its unique CMX500 one-box tester tailored for NTN tes...
26/02/2026
Rohde & Schwarz high-efficiency transmitter powers next-gen broadcast services i...
26/02/2026
Rohde & Schwarz highlights its comprehensive embedded systems test solutions at ...
26/02/2026
Rohde & Schwarz to showcase spectrum security and network efficiency solutions a...
26/02/2026
Rohde & Schwarz and Broadcom showcase first Wi-Fi 8 RF signaling tests, paving w...
26/02/2026
Rohde & Schwarz advances AI-RAN testing using digital twins with NVIDIA Rohde & Schwarz, in collaboration with NVIDIA, continues to drive AI-RAN innovation fo...
26/02/2026
Rohde & Schwarz and LITEON demonstrate high throughput 5G femtocell testing with...
26/02/2026
Industry's only IPMX-compliant audio monitor takes centerstage along with IPMX multiviewers, gateways, converters and routers
Champaign, IL - January 26, 2...
26/02/2026
Cobalt among first manufacturers to achieve verified compliance status with IPMX...
26/02/2026
Barcelona - 20 February 2026 Cobalt Digital, the leading designer and manufacturer of award-winning ST 2110 and SDI signal processing products, and a founding...
26/02/2026
The agreement ensures Europe's satellite-based augmentation continues enhanc...
26/02/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
26/02/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
26/02/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
26/02/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
26/02/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
26/02/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
26/02/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
26/02/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
26/02/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
26/02/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
26/02/2026
With more than four decades of experience in radio broadcasting and live sports production, Daryl Doss, owner of Doss Technical Services and a contract engineer...
26/02/2026
BCNEXXT has deployed live HLG-based HDR playout capabilities within its Vipe platform, enabling broadcasters to integrate High Dynamic Range into live productio...