Amazon Prime Video Is Launching the SXSW 2020 Film Festival Collection

Titles from this year’s festival will be screened for free on Prime over a ten-day period.
Film + TV
Amazon Prime Video Is Launching the SXSW 2020 Film Festival Collection

Titles from this year’s festival will be screened for free on Prime over a ten-day period.

Words: Kim March

photo by Daniel Cavazos

April 02, 2020

7th and Red River

While many of the musicians who’d planned on a chaotic week at SXSW are continuing to attempt to compensate for lost income by working out the kinks in the quickly emerging live streaming industry, the festival’s film component has yet to find a solution to the countless films that were set to debut in Austin last month. That is, until Amazon stepped in. 

“Prime Video Presents the SXSW 2020 Film Festival Collection” is the full name of the yet-to-be-scheduled conciliatory program ideated by SXSW and Amazon, offering up free debut screenings for any SXSW 2020 film interested in having their project hosted on Amazon. Spanning ten days, the virtual festival will be available to anyone—regardless of whether or not they’re paying for a subscription to Amazon Prime.

“We’re honored to be able to provide a space for the SXSW filmmakers to share their hard work and passion with audiences for the first time,” said Jennifer Salke, Head of Amazon Studios, in a press statement earlier today. “It’s been a privilege collaborating with [SXSW Director of Film] Janet Pierson and the SXSW team to bring these diverse and inspiring films to viewers around the country.”

Pierson added, “Ever since SXSW was cancelled by the City of Austin, we’ve been focused on how we could help the incredible films and filmmakers in the SXSW 2020 Film Festival lineup. We were delighted when Amazon Prime Video offered to host an online film festival, and jumped at the opportunity to connect their audiences to our filmmakers. We’re inspired by the adaptability and resilience of the film community as it searches for creative solutions in this unprecedented crisis.”

The festival doesn’t have a set date yet, though they appear to be circling late April. SXSW 2020 filmmakers are encouraged to opt in, starting today. Find more details here.