Get ready, it’s almost time for the yearly film and TV festival! 2026 marks a special year for the Austin-based event, as it celebrates its fortieth year. And today it announced that NEON’s I Love Boosters, the latest film from visionary filmmaker Boots Riley, will make its World Premiere as the Opening Night Film of the 2026 Film & TV Festival.
The synopsis of the film is as follows: A crew of professional shoplifters take aim at a cutthroat fashion maven. It’s like community service. The film features Keke Palmer, Naomi Ackie, Taylour Paige, Poppy Liu, Eiza Gonzalez, LaKeith Stanfield, Don Cheadle, and Demi Moore.
Riley debuted his first feature film Sorry to Bother You at the festival in 2018 and returned in 2023 with the world premiere of his acclaimed series I Am A Virgo. While I Love Boosters is only his second feature film, it further cements his singular voice and builds on a career that spans decades of making music with groups The Coup and the Street Sweeper Social Club with Tom Morello. The festival has long celebrated Riley’s undeniably authentic and culture-shaping works, each brought to life by his extraordinary ensembles and kaleidoscopic visions.
“The Velvet Gang has officially cased Austin and decided Opening Night at SXSW 2026 will be the start of their global takeover! We are beyond thrilled to kick off the festival with the World Premiere of Boots Riley’s I Love Boosters,” said Claudette Godfrey, VP Film & TV. “Boots has created another wildly original and boundary-pushing vision that’s deliciously unpredictable. We can’t wait for our audience to be sucked into his singular, subversive world where razor-sharp social commentary meets fearless, surreal storytelling and eye-popping imagery—all powered by a ridiculously stacked cast of some of the most talented actors on the planet. I Love Boosters is audacious, entertaining, and guaranteed to get our festival off to an unforgettable start. Trust us, you’ll want to be there when The Velvet Gang bursts onto the scene!”
The 2026 SXSW Film & TV Festival will announce their slate of programming in January.
In addition to Film & TV festival screenings, registrants also have access to Conference Keynotes, Featured Speakers, Mentor Sessions, Networking Meet Ups, Comedy Festival Showcases, Exhibitions and Professional Development.
Badge prices will increase on Thursday, December 4 at 11:59pm PT. Attendees who register before the deadline can save up to $400 on a Film & TV Badge or up to $600 on a Platinum Badge compared to walk-up rates. For more information on everything SXSW has to offer, please visit sxsw.com.
About SXSW Film & TV Festival
Now in its 33rd year, SXSW Film & TV Festival brings together creatives of all stripes to experience a diverse lineup and access to the music and comedy festivals plus conference sessions with visionaries from all corners of the entertainment, media, and technology industries.
About SXSW
SXSW dedicates itself to helping creative people achieve their goals. Founded in 1987 in Austin, Texas, SXSW is known worldwide for conferences and festivals that celebrate the convergence of technology, film and television, music, education, comedy and culture. The annual event serves global professionals through sessions, showcases, screenings, exhibitions, and networking that consistently generates unexpected discoveries when diverse communities come together. SXSW 2026 runs March 12-18 in downtown Austin, preceded by SXSW EDU March 9-12. Learn more at sxsw.com.
SXSW’s expansion into the Asia Pacific region, with SXSW Sydney starting in 2023 and Europe with SXSW London in 2025, provides new possibilities at this iconic experience. These events, each with their own distinct flavor, make South By an indispensable three-stop tour for the global creative community.
(featured image: NEON)
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