The second edition of SXSW London has announced the lineup of films and speakers for its screening program, which opens with the world premiere of “Virginia Woolf’s Night and Day.”
The film adaptation, from BAFTA-nominated director Tina Gavari and screenwriter Justin Waddell, features a cast that includes Haley Bennett, Jack Whitehall, Jennifer Saunders, Lily Allen, Sally Phillips and Misia Butler, with Bennett and Whitehall also expected to be in attendance.
The darkly satirical Savage House, starring Richard E. Grant, Claire Foy, Bel Powley and Jack Farthing, will also have its world premiere at the festival, with Grant and Foy reportedly appearing on the red carpet.
Additionally, SXSW London will feature an exclusive advance screening of Get Jiro, the Adult Swim animated series based on the New York Times bestselling DC/Vertigo graphic novel by celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain.
SXSW London also announced six works selected for this year’s Official Competition. These include “The Other Side of the Sun” (directed by Tawfik Sabuni), “The Red Hangar” (Juan Pablo Salat), “Roya” (Makhnaz Mohammadi), “Memory” (Vladlena Sandu), “Remake” (Ross McElwee) and “Only Rebels Win” (Daniel Arvid).
“The films in the official competition embody what we’re most excited about in contemporary cinema: unbridled, deeply human and formally daring films that encourage and challenge us to think wider, deeper and more empathetically,” said Anna Bogutskaya, Head of Screen at SXSW London.
Along with the film, the festival also announced a lineup of panels and speakers. These include Toy Meets Tech: New Technology in Toy Story 5, featuring Toy Story 5 and BookTok to Screen VFX Supervisor Thomas Jordan, co-written by Tara Eller, Head of UK and European Originals at Prime Video, and Hannah Griffiths, Head of Adaptations at Banijay, about turning viral literary trends into streaming.
