Nordling here.

I'm excited for SXSW this year, although logistically, it's going to be a bit of a pain in the ass.  See, the Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar is closed for renovations, and that's a prime location for SXSW movie screenings.  Now that that's out, I imagine that everyone's going to be shuffling around Austin, hoping against hope to make that special screening.  Still, it'll be worth it.  I'll be there for only a few days this year, but we'll be covering the fest full on here at Ain't It Cool.

SXSW announced 7 films playing the fest, including fest opener THE INCREDIBLE BURT WONDERSTONE, but so far it looks great.  We're getting SPRING BREAKERS - I'm not much of a fan of Harmony Korine, but this one has me mighty curious.  I've heard great, great things.  And, of course, the World Premiere of THE EVIL DEAD, which I'm going to do everything in my power to see.  Here's the list so far, and I hope that some Sundance titles make their way to the fest this year, especially Richard Linklater's BEFORE MIDNIGHT and Shane Carruth's UPSTREAM COLOR.  Here's hoping:

Downloaded (World Premiere) – Director: Alex Winter

Downloaded is a documentary that explores the rise and fall of Napster and the birth of the digital revolution. It’s about the teens that helped start this revolution, and the artists and industries who continue to be impacted by it.

Drinking Buddies (World Premiere) – Director/Screenwriter: Joe Swanberg

Weekend trips, office parties, late night conversations, drinking on the job, marriage pressure, biological clocks, holding eye contact a second too long… you know what makes the line between “friends” and “more than friends” really blurry? Beer. Cast: Olivia Wilde, Jake Johnson, Anna Kendrick, Ron Livingston

Everyone’s Going to Die (World Premiere) – Director/Screenwriter: Jones

A modern British story about coming home, getting by and the redemptive power of feeling you’re not alone. A story where porn hotlines rub shoulders with sexy beavers on rollerskates; where the past is laid to rest, two lives are changed and nobody, finally, is going to die. Cast: Nora Tschirner, Rob Knighton, Kellie Shirley, Madeline Duggan (United Kingdom)

Evil Dead (World Premiere) – Director: Fede Alvarez, Screenwriter: Fede Alvarez & Rodo Sayagues

Five friends, holed up in a remote cabin, discover a Book of the Dead that unwittingly summons up dormant demons, which possess the youngsters in succession until only one is left to fight for survival. Cast: Jane Levy, Shiloh Fernandez, Lou Taylor Pucci, Jessica Lucas, Elizabeth Blackmore

Good Ol’ Freda (World Premiere) – Director: Ryan White

Good Ol’ Freda tells the story of Freda Kelly, a shy Liverpudlian teenager asked to work for a young local band hoping to make it big: The Beatles. Their loyal secretary from beginning to end, Freda tells her tales for the first time in 50 years.

The Incredible Burt Wonderstone (World Premiere) – Director: Don Scardino, Story by Chad Kultgen & Tyler Mitchell and Jonathan Goldstein & John Francis Daley. Screenplay by Jonathan Goldstein & John Francis Daley

When superstar Vegas magicians Burt and Anton let their act grow as stale as their friendship, an ambitious rival with a cutting-edge delivery swoops in for the kill. Cast: Steve Carell, Steve Buscemi, Olivia Wilde, with Alan Arkin, James Gandolfini and Jim Carrey

Spring Breakers (U.S. Premiere) – Director/Screenwriter: Harmony Korine

Four college girls who land in jail after robbing a restaurant in order to fund their spring break vacation find themselves bailed out by a drug and arms dealer who wants them to do some dirty work. Cast: James Franco, Selena Gomez, Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Benson, Rachel Korine

See you there (hopefully)!  SXSW starts March 8th.

Nordling, out.