9 Interesting SXSW 2024 Films Related to Food and Drinks

South by Southwest (SXSW) has a little something for everybody. And a big component of the festival is its films. We here at Eater sifted through the lineup’s 100+ narrative movies, documentaries, animated films, shorts, and television shows to highlight the most interesting ones that — for our purposes — relate to food and/or drink cultures. There are multiple shorts such as the documentary about the future of a pig farm or a narrative about a last brunch. There’s a television pilot episode about a pizza restaurant and a docu-series about the Texas Renaissance Festival. And there’s a good showing for the city of Atlanta, Georgia with two full-length documentaries about a famous strip club and a famous 1980s/1990s street party. And finally, there’s the festival’s opening night film, a remake of the 1989 film Road House.

Everything is listed in chronological order based on its SXSW premiere date.

Road House

The world premiere of the new remake of the 1989 film of the same name features Jake Gyllenhaal (no red scarf here) in the Patrick Swayze role as a bouncer of a Florida roadhouse (late-night casual bar and restaurant), where he becomes intertwined with criminalness and the such.
Premiere: Friday, March 8, 6 to 7:54 p.m.
Where: Paramount Theatre, 713 Congress Avenue, Downtown
How to Watch: Available in person for SXSW badges and film and television wristbands

The Queen vs Texas

This documentary short captures the dazzling power of drag host Hermajestie the Hung and “the Vanguard: the Drag Revolution” show, hosted right here in Austin, Texas, as citizens fight against numerous anti-LGBTQ legislations.
Premiere: Friday, March 8, 5:45 to 7:30 p.m., as part of the Texas shorts program
Where: The Rollins Theatre at the Long Center, 701 West Riverside Drive, Bouldin Creek
Additional Screenings: Monday, March 11, also at the Rollins Theatre, as part of the Texas shorts program
How to Watch: Available in person for SXSW badges and film and television wristbands

Mac Fisken

The Last Brunch

Director Jim Cummings presents this narrative short about — you’ve guessed it — brunch.
Premiere: Saturday, March 9, 6 to 7:45 p.m., as part of the narrative short program three
Where: The Rollins Theatre at the Long Center, 701 West Riverside Drive, Bouldin Creek
Additional Screenings: Tuesday, March 12; Alamo Drafthouse, 1120 South Lamar Boulevard, Theatre 5, Zilker, as part of the narrative short program three
How to Watch: Available in person for SXSW badges and film and television wristbands

Ren Faire

This multi-part documentary with fantastical elements is about power struggles at the Texas Renaissance Festival in Todd Mission, Texas (between Brenham and Houston); the description mentions a “kettle-corn kingpin.”
Premiere: Saturday, March 9, 6:30 to 7:27 p.m.
Where: Zach Theatre, 202 South Lamar Boulevard, Zilker
How to Watch: Available in person for SXSW badges and film and television wristbands

Bug Diner

This short is exactly as its title sounds: an animated short about two bugs out at a diner with other insects and creatures working there, directed by Phoebe Jane Hart.
Premiere: Saturday, March 9, 9:30 to 11:24 p.m., as part of the animated shorts program
Where: The Rollins Theatre at the Long Center, 701 West Riverside Drive, Bouldin Creek
Additional Screenings: Wednesday, March 13, 2:15 to 4:09 p.m. at Alamo Drafthouse,, 1120 South Lamar Boulevard, Theatre 6, Zilker, as part of the animated shorts program

Courtesy of Bug Diner

Leonie, Skeet & de Biggen (Leonie, Skeet & the Piglets)

This Belgian documentary short shares the story of Leonie, who is growing up on her parents’ pig farm with her cat Skeet. She wants to become a pig farmer eventually and helps her family with the farm, but that dream is threatened by government policies that could ruin the business.
Premiere: Sunday, March 10, 2:30 to 4:19 p.m., part of documentary shorts program two
Where: The Rollins Theatre at the Long Center, 701 West Riverside Drive, Bouldin Creek
Additional Screenings: Wednesday, March 13, 11 a.m. to 12:49 p.m., also at the Rollins Theatre, as part of documentary shorts program two
How to Watch: Available in person for SXSW badges and film and television wristbands

Tossers

While there isn’t too much information available about this television pilot episode, SXSW classifies it under the “food” track and the main image is of three people peering at a pizza in an oven. It’s about someone who gets a job at what we presume is a restaurant named Tossers.
Premiere: Sunday, March 10, 3 to 4:53 p.m., as part of the independent television pilot program
Where: Alamo Drafthouse, 1120 South Lamar Boulevard, Theatre 5, Zilker,
Additional Screenings: Thursday, March 14; Alamo Drafthouse, 1120 South Lamar Boulevard, Theatre 6, Zilker, as part of the independent television pilot program
How to Watch: Available in person for SXSW badges and film and television wristbands

Magic City: an American Fantasy

The documentary (with its world premiere) covers the origins of the famous strip club in Atlanta — which happens to be known for its ridiculously great chicken wings too.
Premiere: Monday, March 11, 9:30 to 10:26 p.m.
Where: Zach Theatre, 202 South Lamar Boulevard, Zilker
How to Watch: Available in person for SXSW badges and film and television wristbands

Freaknik: the Wildest Party Never Told

The world premiere of this documentary recounts the famous Atlanta street party series of the same name in the 1980s and 1990s, which started out as a simple cookout and turned into an epic extravaganza. Expect appearances by 21 Savage, Killer Mike, Jermaine Dupri, and many others.
Premiere: Tuesday, March 12, 9:30 to 10:52 p.m.
Where: Zach Theatre, 202 South Lamar Boulevard, Zilker
Additional Screenings: Thursday, March 14, 2:30 to 3:52 p.m., also at the Zach Theatre
How to Watch: Available in person for SXSW badges and film and television wristbands; a la carte tickets are also available for purchase for $29.06 for each date (Tuesday, Thursday)