After two years of the pandemic creating a more accessible festival, in-person SXSW Film & TV is back with a tantalizingly long list of films that I am eager to devour. While I won’t be in Austin this year to experience the crazed ups, downs and sideways of traversing the crowds, freebies and long lines I will get to chow down on the smorgasbord of offerings that SXSW Film has to offer.

For those of you lucky enough to enjoy the Texan summer-like weather, delicious foods and fantastic people-watching, below I have some of the details on how to navigate the week-long fest after such an extended hiatus as well as the films that have piqued my interest.

Granted, I haven’t been in Austin for their version of March madness that is SXSW for several years but do512 was a lifesaver for free food offerings, what big events were going on and any other fun stuff that I might have missed from being buried in the onslaught of festival options. Second, try to have a good idea of just one or two films you really want to see that day and make that happen, then go with the flow and try for as many others as possible. That way you know you won’t be disappointed but you might be happily surprised every day. Last, take it easy, take a breath, make sure you drink lots of water in between those shots of tequila or gulps of beer and have a great time.

Kick off for SXSWFilm was Friday but the weekend is meant to be a little easier so you can get your badge, your bearings and a handle on how you want the rest of the week to go. Here are some films I’m really looking forward to:

• Appendage: A slow burning psychological thriller that finds a young woman unable to cope with the stresses of her life and they emerge in a very weird and very tactile way.
• If You were the Last:
• Secaderos (Tobacco Barns) – a fantasy-laden story set in Grenada Spain heavy with the burden of real life for two families just trying to get by.
• Mustache – a coming-of-age story of a 13 year old Pakistani-American boy forced to go into public school after a sheltered youth spent at a private Islamic one. To make matters worse his body is growing in ways he’s not ready for, so how can he get back to his comfort zone when so much is changing.
• Late Bloomers – When a young woman falls and breaks a hip, she’s thrown into a world of folks twice her age. Soon she’s entangled with a cranky older woman that needs her help, but they both get a shot in the arm as each finds some wisdom in the other.
• Raging Grace – When an undocumented Filipino woman finds the perfect job that offers her daughter and herself a great place to live and a reliable job, she finally feels like she can catch her breath. But things start to go sideways and everything isn’t what it seemed.
• Molli and Max in the Future – In a world where we can go anywhere, but you keep running into the same person… is that fate? A romantic comedy set in space.
• With Love and a Major Organ – When love and loss is just too much to bear, why not just rip your heart out and be done with it?
• Sister & Sister: a coming to terms story about two young women, sisters, that take a trip to visit their derelict father in hopes of understanding something about themselves and their own relationship.

That’s all I have for you right now, but I’ll be adding reviews as I’m able in the next couple weeks and following up with my thoughts on the fest as a whole. As a special treat, I’m planning a talk with Seattle’s own Megan Griffiths about her role as a mentor rather than a film creator at this year’s SXSW.