SXSW 2009 film line-up announced

The opening night film is I Love You, Man (Paul Rudd, Jason Segel), a comedy about a man who never really had a best friend and decides to find one. Also showing is the comedy Observe and Report (Seth Rogen, Anna Faris, Ray Liotta), which looks kinda like Paul Blart: Mall Cop, only funny. Humpday, which recently landed a distributor at Sundance will also be showing as will the lo-fi, sci-fi film Moon.  

This year marks the 10th anniversary of Office Space and a special screening with director and Texan Mike Judge will take place.

Among other notable events is the return of Jeffrey Tambor with an encore of his acting workshop. Tambor, of course, is famous for his role as George Bluth, Sr. on Arrested Development. Paste semi-recently reported on Tambor for beating the "Arrested Development movie is coming" corpse back into animation. 

Artois The Goat (director Kyle Bogart)
A lab technician embarks on a quest to make the greatest goat cheese in the world and win the love of a woman. 

Bomber (director Paul Cotter)
Billed as "a bittersweet comedy about love, family and dropping bombs on Germany." Death from above. Hilarity ensues. 

Breaking Upwards (director Daryl Wein)
A couple sick of being together but afraid to be apart agree to elaborately strategize their breakup. 

It Was Great, But I Was Ready To Come Home (director Kris Swanberg)
A woman attempting to get over a breakup attempts to backpack across Costa Rica with a friend, but the two women realize they may be on separate trips. 

Made In China (director Judi Krant)
Lost in Shanghai, an inventor discovers that it takes more than a bright idea to succeed.

The Overbrook Brothers (director John Bryant)
This is the actual log line as posted on the SXSW website: "Jason brings his girlfriend home for Christmas...and bad things happen." Here's hoping that this is a practical joke. The description is such a great summation of the bringing-the-girlfriend-home-for-Christmas sub-genre of holiday flick that it could be applied to numerous films, none of which are very good.

That Evening Sun (director Scott Teems)
A ruthless grudge match between two old foes. Lines are drawn, threats are made and the simmering tension under the Tennessee sun erupts, inevitably into savagery. 

True Adolescents (director Craig Johnson)
The synopsis of this sounds so-so: An ex-indie rocker gets lost in the woods with two teenagers and must get them home. But what really catches the attention is the poster art. 

45365 (director Bill and Turner Ross)
An inquiring look at everyday life in Middle America. Here's guessing they've picked the most stereotypical grew-up-on-the-farm family they could find that will say ignorant things and spit tobacco, but have strong values deep down. Or some quaint folks from suburbia. 

Garbage Dreams (director Mai Iskander)
Filmed over four years, the film follows three teenage boys born into the trash trade and growing up in the world's largest garbage village. 

Mine (director Geralyn Pezanoski)
After Hurrican Katrina, thousands of pets were rescued and adopted by families around the country, leading to custody battles. Through these stories, the film examines issues of race, class and animal welfare in the U.S. 

Say My Name (director Nirit Peled)
A story is built around the lives of entrepreneurs, mothers and artists fighting to be themselves, in a society that offers few opportunities for women.

Severe Clear (Kristian Fraga)
Armed with the world's most lethal ordnance and his home video camera. First Lieutenant Michael T. Scotti captures the chaos and complexity of war. 

Sons Of A Gun (director Rivkah Beth Medow & Greg O' Toole)
A family of three schizophrenic men and their alcoholic caregiver/Dad get evicted, move into one motel room, argue, joke around and find a new home. 

Trimpin: The Sound of Invention (directed by Peter Esmonde)
Enter the amusing, enthralling, world of the eccentric sound alchemist Trimpin as he explores the mysteries, pitfalls and unexpected joys of musical experiment, with the assistance of the Kronos quartet.

The SXSW Film Festival will also feature 60 panel discussions. Perusing the list, the emergent, although not universal, theme seems to be film across genres mainly involving "futuristic" technology. Some of these panels: From Framing Shots To Pushing Pixels: Crossing Between Film & Video Game, The Future of Visual Storytelling Is Interactive -- Or Is It?, Crashing The Server: How To Market Your Movie by Achieving Webisode Awesomeness. Out of left field, co-founder and co-CEO of Vivid Entertainment, the adult film production company, will also be giving a panel discussion. Not to be missed is the panel conversation between Richard Linklater (Dazed and Confused, The School of Rock) and Todd Haynes (I'm Not There).