Unofficial Guide to South By Southwest 2015

Twenty-four-year-old Serge Ibaka’s improbable journey has taken him from the war-torn streets of Congo to the top echelon of the NBA. In Son of the Congo, Ibaka returns home to recount the poignant story of his childhood and confront a stark reality faced by a new generation of Congolese youth. Not content to settle for photo ops, Ibaka revisits the neighborhoods where he once slept in empty lots and practiced basketball without shoes. With grace and generosity, Ibaka receives and supports an endless stream of friends and strangers who hope he can change their lives. The odds are long, but Ibaka shares an unshakeable faith that a better future is only possible if you never stop trying.

Section: Documentary Spotlight
Premiere Status: World Premiere
Country: USA
Language: English, Lingala, French and Spanish with Subtitles
Year: 2014
Runtime: 54min
View official listing on sxsw.com

A generation of Americans grew up worshipping self-styled hero Evel Knievel - watching him every Saturday on Wide World of Sports and buying his Ideal toys. For producer/subject Johnny Knoxville and so many others, he was the ultimate antidote to the disenchantment of the 70's. But few knew the incredible and often complex aspects of his epic life, which, like his jumps, was sometimes glorious and sometimes disastrous. With an entire genre of sports ascending from his daring inventiveness, now is the time to look at this extreme man and his complicated legacy. Academy Award-winning director Daniel Junge delivers thrills and spills, while reflecting on what our heroes represent in ourselves.
*This film is screening as part of SXsports, and will also be open to Interactive badgeholders.

Section: Festival Favorites
Country: USA
Year: 2015
Runtime: 100min
View official listing on sxsw.com

From the director of Small Town Gay Bar and Continental, Out to Win is a documentary film that serves as an overview and examination of the lives and careers of aspiring and professional gay and lesbian athletes from all over the world. Chronicling the present, framed within the historical context of those that came before, this film highlights the experiences of athletes who have fought and struggled, both in and out of the closet, to represent the LGBT community and their true selves. Featuring interviews with trailblazers including Martina Navratilova, Billie Jean King, Jason Collins, Brittney Griner, Billy Bean and more.
*This film is screening as part of SXsports, and will also be open to Interactive badgeholders.

Section: Documentary Spotlight
Premiere Status: World Premiere
Country: USA/Canada
Year: 2015
Runtime: 99min
View official listing on sxsw.com

From Brazilian favelas to dusty Congolese villages, from neolithic Scottish isles to modern soccer pitches, BOUNCE explores the little -known origins of our favorite sports. The film crosses time, languages and continents to discover how the ball has staked its claim on our lives and fueled our passion to compete. Equal parts science, history and cultural essay, BOUNCE removes us from the scandals and commercialism of today's sports world to uncover the true reasons we play ball, helping us reclaim our universal connection to the games we love.
*This film is screening as part of SXsports, and will also be open to Interactive badgeholders.

Section: Documentary Spotlight
Premiere Status: World Premiere
Country: USA
Language: English with Subtitles
Year: 2015
Runtime: 71min
View official listing on sxsw.com

T-Rex is an intimate story about a new kind of American heroine. For the first time, women’s boxing is included in the 2012 Olympics. Fighting for gold is 17-year-old Claressa “T-Rex” Shields. From the streets of Flint, Michigan, Claressa is undefeated and utterly confident. Her fierceness extends beyond the ring. She protects her family at any cost, even when their instability and addictions threaten to derail her dream. As she gets closer to her dream her relationships with her coach and her family get more complicated. But Claressa is determined. She desperately wants to take her family to a better, safer place and winning gold could be her only chance.

Section: Documentary Spotlight
Premiere Status: World Premiere
Country: USA
Year: 2015
Runtime: 86min
View official listing on sxsw.com

To Rock or Stock? Sneakerheads will do almost anything to get their hands on a unique pair of kicks, going to such extreme lengths as hiding in trash cans to score a pair of Retro Jordan 11s to camping for days in sub zero temperatures for the latest Nike Foamposites. How did sneakers become as prized as collectable art? From the shores of Cali to the congested streets of Tokyo, Sneakerheadz examines the cultural influence of sneaker collecting around the world and delves into a subculture whose proud members don’t just want to admire art, they want to wear it.
*This film is screening as part of SXsports, and will also be open to Interactive badgeholders.

Section: Documentary Spotlight
Premiere Status: World Premiere
Country: USA
Language: English and Japanese
Year: 2015
Runtime: 74min
View official listing on sxsw.com

For the Record tracks several court reporters, captioners and CART providers and they strive to attain the Guinness title of World's Fastest Court Reporter. It explores the “steno culture,” as experienced by stenographers, through such events as 9/11, the Nuremberg trials and other high-profile courtroom moments, while reviewing the history of these "keepers of the record."
*This film is screening as part of SXsports, and will also be open to Interactive badgeholders.

Section: Documentary Spotlight
Premiere Status: World Premiere
Country: USA
Year: 2014
Runtime: 67min
View official listing on sxsw.com

From Brazilian favelas to dusty Congolese villages, from neolithic Scottish isles to modern soccer pitches, BOUNCE explores the little -known origins of our favorite sports. The film crosses time, languages and continents to discover how the ball has staked its claim on our lives and fueled our passion to compete. Equal parts science, history and cultural essay, BOUNCE removes us from the scandals and commercialism of today's sports world to uncover the true reasons we play ball, helping us reclaim our universal connection to the games we love.
*This film is screening as part of SXsports, and will also be open to Interactive badgeholders.

Section: Documentary Spotlight
Premiere Status: World Premiere
Country: USA
Language: English with Subtitles
Year: 2015
Runtime: 71min
View official listing on sxsw.com

To Rock or Stock? Sneakerheads will do almost anything to get their hands on a unique pair of kicks, going to such extreme lengths as hiding in trash cans to score a pair of Retro Jordan 11s to camping for days in sub zero temperatures for the latest Nike Foamposites. How did sneakers become as prized as collectable art? From the shores of Cali to the congested streets of Tokyo, Sneakerheadz examines the cultural influence of sneaker collecting around the world and delves into a subculture whose proud members don’t just want to admire art, they want to wear it.
*This film is screening as part of SXsports, and will also be open to Interactive badgeholders.

Section: Documentary Spotlight
Premiere Status: World Premiere
Country: USA
Language: English and Japanese
Year: 2015
Runtime: 74min
View official listing on sxsw.com