Jon Favreau’s Chef will be the opening-night world premiere at the South by Southwest Film Festival on March 7, 2014. The film, directed by Favreau and co-starring Scarlett Johansson, Robert Downey Jr., Dustin Hoffman, and Sofia Vergara, is the story of a chef (Favreau) who swaps a successful career in a popular L.A. restaurant for a job running a food-truck in Miami. “Jon Favreau’s wonderfully entertaining return to independent filmmaking works beautifully as our 2014 opening-night film, with his sharp and funny take on the world of food, artistry, and family in the age of social media,“ said Janet Pierson, head of SXSW Film.
The 21st SXSW Festival, which runs March 7-15, will also host the world premiere of Veronica Mars, the Kickstarter-backed adaptation of the cult TV series. See below for additional highlights from the festival, which also includes Fox’s new Cosmos miniseries with Neil deGrasse Tyson.
The 2014 SXSW Film Festival will feature:
Break Point (World Premiere / SXsports screening)
Director: Jay Karas, Screenwriters: Gene Hong, Jeremy Sisto
Two estranged brothers reunite to make an improbable run at a grand slam tennis tournament. The
mismatched pair, with some unlikely help from a precocious 11-year-old boy, re-discover their game
and their brotherhood.
Cast: Jeremy Sisto, David Walton, Joshua Rush, J.K. Simmons, Amy Smart
Chef (World Premiere)
Director: Jon Favreau, Screenplay & Story: Jon Favreau
When Chef Carl Casper (Jon Favreau) suddenly quits his job at a prominent Los Angeles restaurant
after refusing to compromise his creative integrity for its controlling owner (Dustin Hoffman), he is left
to figure out what’s next. Finding himself in Miami, he teams up with his ex-wife (Sofia Vergara), his
friend (John Leguizamo) and his son (Emjay Anthony) to launch a food truck. Taking to the road, Chef
Carl goes back to his roots to reignite his passion for the kitchen — and zest for life and love.
Producers are Jon Favreau and Sergei Bespalov. Executive producers include Molly Allen and Karen
Gilchrist. Open Road Films will release Chef in May 2014.
Cast: Sofia Vergara, Scarlett Johansson, John Leguizamo, Bobby Cannavale, Dustin Hoffman, Oliver
Platt, Robert Downey, Jr. and young actor Emjay Anthony.
Creep (World Premiere)
Director: Patrick Brice, Screenwriters: Patrick Brice & Mark Duplass
When a videographer answers a Craigslist ad for a one-day job in the outer-exurbs, he finds his client
is not at all what he initially seems.
Cast: Mark Duplass, Patrick Brice
COSMOS: A SpaceTime Odyssey (Special Event with Neil deGrasse Tyson)
Director: Brannon Braga
As with the legendary original series, FOX’s new COSMOS is the saga of how we discovered the laws
of nature and found our coordinates in space and time. The series is hosted by renowned
astrophysicist Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson and brings to life never-before-told stories of the heroic quest
for knowledge, transporting viewers to new worlds and across the universe for a vision of the cosmos
on the grandest — and the smallest — scale. Executive Produced by Ann Druyan, Seth MacFarlane,
Brannon Braga and Mitchell Cannold.
Doc of the Dead (World Premiere)
Director: Alexandre O. Philippe
The definitive zombie culture documentary, from the makers of The People vs. George Lucas. Doc of
the Dead traces the rise and evolution of the zombie genre, its influence on pop culture, and
investigates the possibility of an actual zombie outbreak.
Leave the World Behind (World Premiere)
Director: Christian Larson
A documentary following the final tour of the hugely successful band Swedish House Mafia. The film
depicts the EDM scene at its peak as well as telling a story of friendship and success. (United
Kingdom)
Veronica Mars (World Premiere)
Director: Rob Thomas, Screenwriters: Rob Thomas & Diane Ruggiero
Years after walking away from her past as a teenage private eye, Veronica Mars gets pulled back to
her hometown, an ex-boyfriend with baggage, and an unraveling murder mystery.
Cast: Kristen Bell, Jason Dohring, Krysten Ritter, Francis Capra, Percy Daggs III, Ryan Hansen, Gaby
Hoffman, Chris Lowell, Tina Majorino, Jerry O’Connell
