2023 SXSW Winners List: ‘Raging Grace’, ‘Parachute’ and More

This year’s South by Southwest Film and TV Festival has officially announced the list of 2023 winners.

Held in Austin, Texas, the 2023 conference proved to be a memorable time with buzzers ‘Bottoms’, ‘Beef’, ‘Swarm’ and ‘Air’ debuting at the festival. “What extraordinary film and TV premieres are happening here at SXSW, and there will be more on Saturday,” said Claudette Godfrey, VP of Flm & TV. “Our theaters have been packed with enthusiastic audiences celebrating the exceptional and diverse work of our series, and we are thrilled to celebrate this year’s jury and special award winners!”

The Narrative Film Competition presented by Panavision awarded the highest honor to “Raging Grace” written and directed by Paris Zarcilla.

“Raging Grace’s heady mix of horror, history and midnight humor marks the arrival of an exciting new filmmaking talent in writer-director Paris Zarcilla,” reads the official announcement. “The story of a Filipina cleaning lady and her young daughter confronting race and class in Britain, Raging Grace is both honest and elusive, a film that subverts expectations on its way to a shocking conclusion.” Cleverly deploying genre tropes to explore vast sociopolitical questions, Zarcilla has crafted a resonant, urgent work about work, legacy, and diaspora.”

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“Raging Grace” was awarded the Thunderbird Rising Award winner, and “Parachute” was also honored with Brittany Snow’s Thunderbird Rising Special Award.

The special prize of the jury was awarded to Eric Branco, director of cinematography of “Story Ave”. “Parachute” actress Courtney Eaton, who also plays Lottie in “Yellowjackets,” was awarded the Special Jury Prize for her performance.

“Courtney Eaton’s fearless portrayal of Riley, a young woman struggling to deal with her addictions, ensured that ‘Parachutist’ offers a nuanced look at what holds us back and what lets us fly,” said the SXSW press release. “The actress is at points hopeful and despondent, quiet and evil, and gives a remarkable performance.”

“Story Ave” and “Parachute” were produced by Lizzie Shapiro, recipient of SXSW’s special Janet Pierson Champion Award, presented by IndieWire. Shapiro also produced Shiva Baby and Mickey and the Bear, which previously played previous SXSW festivals. IndieWire’s Janet Pierson Champion Award honors Pierson, director emeritus of the SXSW Film and TV Festival, after 15 years at the helm. The 2023 festival marks the award’s debut as part of IndieWire’s commitment to the rise of filmmakers in film and television.

“Angyal Pályázó” won the prize of the documentary film competition awarded by ACE91.

“Angel Applicant, written, directed, edited and narrated by Kenneth August Meyer, is a revelation,” said SXSW. “A film with a double life: a gripping, autobiographical story about illness and a sharp work of art history. “Angel Applicant” illustrates Meyer and artist Paul Klee’s experiences with scleroderma in intimate, thoughtful, carefully considered detail—engaging for a viewer unfamiliar with either the creators or the disease. The result is a years-long venture that is fascinating, powerful and unforgettable.”

In the televised pilot competition, Jocko Sims’ ‘Grown’ and the Special Jury Prize for ‘Harbour Island’ went to Josh Fadem for Outstanding Performance.

The 2023 SXSW Film Festival jury included Tomris Laffy, Helena Andrews-Dyer, Richard Lawson, Mae Abdulbaki, Joel Anderson, Allegra Frank, David Fear, Mimi Swartz, Eric Webb and other journalists in the award categories.

The 2023 film and TV schedule included 110 features, including 75 world premieres, 3 international premieres, 9 North American premieres, six US premieres, 16 Texas premieres, and 63 shorts, 20 music videos, 12 TV premieres, three TV Spotlights, seven independent TV. Experiments and 35 XR Experience projects.

All 2023 film categories will be eligible for a category-specific Audience Award, certified by the accounting firm of Maxwell Locke & Ritter. Voting for the audience award closes on Sunday, March 19. Winners will be announced on sxsw.com that week.

Click here to see the full list of 2023 SXSW award winners.

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