EXCLUSIVE: Bridesmaids and Spy filmmaker Paul Feig is set to be feted at the third edition of SXSW Sydney in October.
The Freaks and Geeks creator will receive the Australian event’s inaugural SXSW Sydney Screen Pioneer Award and there will be a retrospective of his work. He will also deliver a keynote.
Feig joins the music, tech, film and games event program alongside Mo Gawdat, former Chief Business Officer of Google X,; Lucy Guo, the world’s youngest self-made female billionaire and the CEO and Founder of Passes; Lars Rasmussen, co-founder of Google Maps, Panathēnea and angel investor; and Niall Firth, Executive Editor of MIT Technology Review. They join previously announced keynote speaker Meredith Whittaker, President of encrypted messaging app Signal.
Meanwhile, the Screen Festival strand has unveiled its first six features: By Design sarring Oscar nominee Juliette Lewis, $positions, Dead Lover, Zodiac Killer Project, The Last Sacrifice and Bokshi, as well as short films including the BAFTA-nominated Stomach Bug and Chasing the Party, the latter produced by Oscar winner Sam Rockwell.
Feig commented on the news: “I’m so honored to receive the first ever Screen Pioneer Award from SXSW Sydney. SXSW is my favorite festival in the world because they are committed to entertaining audiences. They’ve been supporters of mine for so many years and to have my work celebrated in this way, and to be able to share it with Australian audiences through this retrospective is incredibly special. I look forward to the conversations, the Q&As, and the Tim Tams come October!”
Fenella Kernebone, Head of Conference Program, said of Feig’s inclusion in the program: “Paul Feig’s films have reached huge audiences – from Bridesmaids, The Heat and Spy to Ghostbusters and A Simple Favour, his career has been defined by genre-shaping stories that put powerful, complex and hilarious women front and centre. Paul has spent his career breaking moulds, challenging industry norms, and proving that female-led films can be both critically acclaimed and wildly successful. We’re thrilled to welcome him to SXSW Sydney and can’t wait to hear his insights from a career built on visionary storytelling, sharp comedy and a deep commitment to elevating others.”
The Conference Program’s first 50 sessions will cover topics including AI ethics, space exploration, sustainable design, the creator economy, angel investing and the potential for humans to inhabit the ocean.
The first 40 games to be joining the Games Festival Showcase have been revealed and hail from from 26 countries. The games are available to playtest and demo at the Games Festival’s new home, the ICC Sydney.
SXSW Sydney runs October 13-19.
