/ The Reel Index™ · Q2 2026 Profile

SXSW (South by Southwest)

A-
/ Festival · 86/100 · Excellent

Austin-based festival, the dominant American genre/midnight platform and tech-industry crossover venue. Strong narrative competition and audience favorability metrics.

/ 01 / Subscore Breakdown

How the grade decomposes.

Filmmaker Treatment/ 25% weight
85
Theatrical Reach/ 22% weight
78
Curatorial Reputation/ 20% weight
86
Library Stewardship/ 18% weight
88
Rights Posture/ 15% weight
84
/ 02 / Filmmaker Notes

Best for / Watch out for.

/ Best for

Genre films, comedies, horror, and audience-skewing indies seeking U.S. distribution + audience-favorite trajectory.

/ Watch out for

Less prestige-driven than Sundance. Awards-season carry is limited for narrative features outside of audience-favorite categories.

/ 03 / Public-Record Timeline

What's on the record.

2024
Civil War — Alex Garland; The Fall Guy premiere
2023
Talk to Me audience-favorite trajectory; A24 acquisition
1987
SXSW founded; film festival 1994