American Marconi Wireless News - 42WEST's 2026 SXSW Festival Slate Delivered Marquee Talent and a Standout Film Slate Featuring a Company-Record 16 World Premiere Titles and Three Audience Award-Winners

42West delivered marquee talent and a company record-breaking slate of 16 world premiere titles to Austin this year with two films from the line-up earning much-coveted SXSW Audience Awards: THE ASCENT, which won the Audience Award for Documentary Feature Competition, and CAMPEÓN GABACHO, which won the Audience Award for Narrative Spotlight. Also, Over Your Dead Body, directed by client Jorma Taccone (The Lonely Island, MacGruber) won the Headliner Audience Award.

This year, several 42West filmmaker clients were showcased at the event. Taccone's Over Your Dead Body, from IFC Films and starring Jason Segel and Samara Weaving, was produced by corporate client 87North, the world renowned production company founded by blockbuster filmmakers David Leitch and Kelly McCormick (The Fall Guy, Bullet Train). 87North also had Prime Video's Pretty Lethal, starring Uma Thurman and Maddie Ziegler, at the festival, with both films debuting as world premieres in Narrative Competition in advance of their spring release dates.

Producers Marc Platt and Katie McNicol of Marc Platt Productions unveiled their latest film, BASIC, starring Ashley Park and Leighton Meester, as part of the 42West film slate, with McNicol also a featured speaker in the SXSW panel, "Youth in Front and Behind the Cameras." Documentarian Dan Farah returned to Austin, TX to participate in the official festival panel, "The Historic Impact of 'The Age of Disclosure,'" one year after his film made its world premiere.

In addition to filmmakers, 42West represents talent across multiple disciplines. Popular content creator and renowned financial educator, Vivian Tu (aka Your Rich BFF), hosted a live recording of her top-charting podcast Networth and Chill with California Governor Gavin Newsom from the SXSW Featured stage. She also appeared as a panelist at the Create & Cultivate Future Summit on the "Influence Meets Equity" panel, alongside industry voices including Tezza Barton, Evange Petrakis and Raven Elyse. Meanwhile, music client Braison Cyrus performed an incredible showcase at the festival's venue, the Marlow, highlighting his recently released album, From Now On.

From the official SXSW 2026 lineup, 42West set a company record representing 16 world premiere titles, marking its largest, most popular and diverse slate to date. The films were:

THE ASCENT (Documentary Feature Competition)

* 2026 SXSW Audience Award Winner for Documentary Feature Competition

Directed by Edward Drake, Scott Veltri, Francis Cronin and starring Mandy Horvath, Julius John White aka 'Whitey', Carel Verhoef, Sally Grierson.

Synopsis: THE ASCENT tells the extraordinary true story of climber Mandy Horvath, a bilateral amputee attempting to crawl to the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro on her hands and follows an investigation surrounding the night she tragically lost her legs. Years earlier, a night out with friends escalated into tensions at a local bar, and soon after Mandy's world went black. Her next memory: waking in an ambulance surrounded by paramedics, both legs gone. What happened between the bar and the hospital remains a mystery - shattering her trust in the world around her. As Mandy pushes her body to its limits on Africa's tallest mountain, she must reckon with her past and learn to trust again if she is to succeed.

BASIC (Narrative Spotlight)

Directed and written by Chelsea Devantez and starring Ashley Park, Leighton Meester, Taylor John Smith, Nelson Franklin, Kandy Muse, Ashley Nicole Black, Kenzie Elizabeth, Amber Ruffin, Jon Gabrus, and Georgia Mishak

Synopsis: After Gloria and Nick break up, Gloria takes us through Nick's dating history, untangling his web of ex-girlfriends through details she can find online. But when she discovers Kaylinn, the hottest most basic ex-girlfriend to ever exist, Gloria not only loses herself, she loses control of the story she's been telling. Basic is a comedy that blends the magical-realism of jealous paranoia with the magic of falling in love.

BRIAN (Narrative Feature Competition

Directed by Will Ropp, written by Mike Scollins and starring Ben Wang, William H. Macy, Edi Patterson, Randall Park, Natalie Morales, Joshua Colley, Sophia Macy, Peyton Elizabeth Lee, Thomas Barbusca, and Jacob Moskovitz

Synopsis: It sucks to be Brian. He's smart, funny, and capable, but his mental health issues make it hard for anyone to see it - especially when compared to his effortlessly cool older brother. At school, Brian harbors an unrequited crush on Brooke: she's smart, kind, pretty... and very much his teacher. A disastrous drama club audition leads to yet another one of Brian's trademark public meltdowns. Thus begins Brian's search for his new "thing". On paper he's chosen the worst possible fit: running for class president. With help from his therapist and the new kid, Justin, Brian launches his high-stakes campaign and sparks a messy, exquisitely awkward journey toward self-acceptance.

CAMPEÓN GABACHO (Narrative Spotlight)

* 2026 SXSW Audience Award Winner for Narrative Spotlight

Directed by Jonás Cuarón, written by Jonás Cuarón, Aura Xilonen and starring Juan Daniel García Treviño, Leslie Grace, Rubén Blades, Eddie Marsan, Rosario Dawson, Cheech Marin, Marvin Jones III, Carlos Carrasco, and Dolores Heredia

Synopsis: Campeón Gabacho tells the story of Liborio, an endearing and mischievous young migrant whose only talent is taking punches. He crosses the Rio Grande to escape a harsh reality in Mexico, looking for a better life in the United States, and settles in a Latino barrio in New York City. Through his fists, his love, and his words, he faces cultural walls and prejudices that threaten his hopes, and becomes a hero in an unknown land.

CAPTURING BIGFOOT (Documentary Spotlight)

Directed by Marq Evans and starring Clint Patterson, Bob Gimlin, Bob Heironimus, Larry Lund, Greg Long, Vaile Thompson, Sandy Collier, Bill Munns, Teresa Brooks, and Jeff Meldrum

Synopsis: On October 20, 1967, Roger Patterson captured 60 seconds of film showing a creature walking through the Northern California woods-footage that became the most analyzed and debated in history. Fifty-seven years later, a reel of 16mm film discovered in a safe changes everything.

CRASH LAND (Narrative Spotlight)

Directed and written by Dempsey Bryk and starring Gabriel LaBelle, Finn Wolfhard, Billy Bryk, Noah Parker, Abby Quinn.

Synopsis: Lance, Clay, and Darby have spent their childhoods drinking, wreaking havoc, and filming crude stunts in their small town. Everyone hates them. Wanting to finally prove their lives have meaning, the boys set out to make a "real movie" and in the process are forced to confront emotions and experiences they've never considered: love, loss, and ultimately, what it means to grow up.

GRIND (Narrative Feature Competition)

Directed by Brea Grant, Ed Dougherty, Chelsea Stardust and written by Brea Grant and Ed Dougherty and starring Rob Huebel, Barbara Crampton, Vinny Thomas, Jessika Van, Christopher Rodriguez-Marquette, James Urbaniak, Courtney Pauroso, James Paxton, Ify Nwadiwe, Aubrey Shea

Synopsis: This horror anthology tackles the modern work landscape through four timely perspectives - the hustle culture of an MLM, the endless repetitiveness of a food delivery driver, the online horrors of a content moderator, and the unionization of a familiar-feeling coffee shop. "Grind" shows what it means to be a worker in a world defined by wealth inequality and ruled by endlessly greedy oligarchs, one not so far removed from our own. This is a film for anyone who's ever hated their job, had a bad boss, or felt taken advantage of at work. In other words, it's a film for all of us.

I GOT BOMBED AT HARVEY'S (Documentary Spotlight)

Directed by Amy Bandlien Storkel, Bryan Storkel and starring Igor Grbesic, Ethan Riley, Ian S. Peterson, Michael Solarez, Jennylyn Caterina, Marianne Wiedeman, William Swartzbaugh

Synopsis: In 1980, an ingenious boobie-trapped ticking time bomb - filled with 1,000 pounds of dynamite - was wheeled in the front doors of Harvey's Wagon Wheel Casino in Lake Tahoe. Along with the bomb was a note demanding $3 million within 24 hours. While the bomb squad attempts to disarm the explosive, the FBI races the clock to deliver the ransom and simultaneously catch the extortionists. Nothing goes as planned, and each step uncovers darker secrets and suspicions of a deeper motive.

MY NDA (Documentary Feature Competition)

Directed by Juliane Dressner, Miriam Shor and starring Miriam Shor

Synopsis: Three people bound by non-disclosure agreements face extreme personal risk to expose how a simple intellectual property contract is weaponized to silence, manipulate and control.

PERFECT (Visions)

Directed by Millicent Hailes and written by Millicent Hailes and Kendra Miller and starring Julia Fox, Ashley Moore, Lío Mehiel, Micaela Wittman, Ryder McLaughlin, Kate Moennig, Creed Bratton

Synopsis: In a world devastated by a contaminated water supply, Kai, a lost soul, finds herself living out of her car after a bad breakup. Each day is a struggle until fate intervenes and leads her to a hidden utopian lake, where the water is pure and life flourishes. At this secret haven, Kai encounters a band of eccentric misfits each with their own stories of loss and hope. Among them is Mallory, an enigmatic and wealthy pregnant woman living out an escapist fantasy. Despite their vastly different backgrounds, Kai and Mallory are drawn to each other, and a sudden, passionate romance ignites. As their bond deepens, Kai begins to uncover the layers of Mallory's life and the secrets she harbors.

PHOENIX JONES: THE RISE AND FALL OF A REAL LIFE SUPERHERO (Documentary Feature Competition)

Directed by Bayan Joonam and starring Phoenix Jones, Rainn Wilson, Jon Ronson, Midnight Jack, Freedom Fodor, Caros Fodor, Ryan McNamee, Ghost, Lance Coulter, El Caballero

Synopsis: In 2010, reports began surfacing of a masked vigilante in a black-and-gold supersuit stopping crime on the streets of Seattle. His name is Phoenix Jones. Armed with pepper spray, a taser, and a team of costumed crime fighters, he quickly becomes an international media sensation. But when his true identity is exposed by the Seattle Police, the heroic image begins to unravel and his team abandons him. Ten years later, as protesters seize six blocks of Seattle and declare a no cop zone, Phoenix reemerges amid legal trouble and public skepticism. Is he a hero, or a con-artist hiding behind a mask?

SAME SAME BUT DIFFERENT (Narrative Spotlight)

Directed by Lauren Noll and written by Dalia Rooni and starring Medalion Rahimi, Logan Miller, Layla Mohammadi, Dalia Rooni, Richie Moriarty, Michael Baszler, Danielle Pinnock, Lauren Noll, Nicholas Coombe, with Kevin Nealon, and Joey Lauren Adams

Synopsis: When Rana's visa application is denied, she faces the reality of returning home to Iran. That is, until Adam - her wealthy boss's son and her summer fling - proposes a green card wedding. Wrestling with the implications of his offer, Rana enlists help from a questionable shaman, Adam's pure-hearted mom, and most importantly her two Iranian best friends Nadia and Setareh, who arrive on Cape Cod for a wedding weekend full of opinions, chaos, and drama with their own American boyfriends. Just as total disaster approaches, the three women come together in a transformative moment of acceptance, growth, and coming of age - evolving this weekend into one that will change them all forever.

SEAHORSE (Narrative Feature Competition)

Directed and written by Aisha Evelyna and starring Aisha Evelyna, Ruth Goodwin, Brett Donahue, Joseph Marcell, Alden Adair

Synopsis: Nola, a sous chef searching for stability, is barely holding her life together. After a brutal Friday night shift, she crashes her bike and wakes to find her estranged father, Cyrus, now unhoused, standing over her. Taking him in forces long-buried wounds to the surface. As past and present collide, Nola is pulled into a reckoning with grief, forgiveness, and the fragile possibility of repair.

SEEKERS OF INFINITE LOVE (Narrative Spotlight)

Directed and written by Victoria Strouse and starring Hannah Einbinder, Justin Theroux, John Paul Reynolds, Griffin Gluck, Justine Lupe, Greg Kinnear

Synopsis: Kayla Bachman, an author who struggles with emotional connection, Zach Bachman, a lawyer who dreams of being a folk singer and Wes Bachman, a graphic novelist / gambling & pill addict, meet to discuss their younger sister Scarlett who joined a cult in Kentucky. Zach and his dysfunctional and absent parents have hired cult deprogrammer Rick Delacroix to help them rescue Scarlett. They embark on a roadtrip to save their sister, and bring their family together.

THE SUN NEVER SETS (Narrative Spotlight)

Directed and written by Joe Swanberg and starring Dakota Fanning, Jake Johnson, Cory Michael Smith, Debby Ryan, Anna Konkle, Lamorne Morris, Karley Sciortino

Synopsis: Wendy's life is thrown into chaos when her boyfriend, Jack, who is older and divorced with children, insists they take space to evaluate the relationship. During their break, Wendy unexpectedly runs into her ex, Chuck, forcing the three of them into a confusing and volatile triangle. The film was shot on 35mm on location in Alaska.

THEIR TOWN (Narrative Spotlight)

Directed by Katie Aselton and written by Mark Duplass and starring Ora Duplass, Chosen Jacobs, Will Parker, Kim Shaw, Jeffery Self, Daveed Diggs, Leonardo Nam, Annie Henk, Brad LaBree

Synopsis: When Abby's boyfriend drops out of the high school play, she finds herself helping a school outlier step into the role opposite her. They spend a long night wandering around their town, examining their futures and unearthing surprises from their past.

ABOUT DOLPHIN:
Dolphin (NASDAQ:DLPN) is where cultural creation meets marketing execution. Founded in 1996 by Bill O'Dowd, Dolphin operates as both a venture studio-developing and investing in breakthrough content, products, and experiences-and a marketing consortium, featuring leading agencies across every communications discipline.

At its core, the venture studio creates, produces, finances, markets, and promotes new businesses and cultural ideas - ranging from acclaimed film, television, and digital content to consumer goods, live events and partnerships that define entertainment and lifestyle. Surrounding this entrepreneurial engine, Dolphin's marketing prowess brings together best-in-class firms including 42West, The Door, Shore Fire Media, Elle Communications, Special Projects and The Digital Dept. Together, this collective delivers unmatched cross-marketing expertise and relationships across every vertical of pop culture - from film, television, music, influencers, sports, hospitality, and fashion to consumer brands and purpose-driven initiatives. Dolphin marketing has been the recipient of many accolades, including #1 Agency of the Year on the Observer PR Power List in 2025, The PR Net 100, and the PR News Elite 120.

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ABOUT 42WEST:
42West, a subsidiary of Dolphin Entertainment, is one of the entertainment industry's leading full-service public-relations firms. With offices in New York and Los Angeles, 42West features four divisions: Talent, Strategic Communications, Entertainment Marketing, and Fandoms & Franchises, the award-winning firm's gaming, consumer products and publishing practice. The agency has developed and executed impactful marketing and publicity strategies for hundreds of film and television series, as well as a diverse roster of actors, filmmakers, recording artists, content creators, personalities, and authors. In addition, 42West provides strategic counsel to a wide variety of high-profile individuals and corporate clients-ranging from movie and pop stars to major studios and streamers, charitable organizations, and media conglomerates looking to raise, reposition, or rehabilitate their public profiles.

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CONTACT:
James Carbonara
HAYDEN IR
(646)-755-7412
[email protected]

SOURCE: Dolphin Entertainment

View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire

G.Stevens--AMWN