Columbia Filmmakers Make Their Mark at South by Southwest 2026; Two Filmmakers Take Home Awards
Update:
Two films by Columbia filmmakers emerged victorious at this year's South by Southwest (SXSW) Film Festival. Souvenir by Renee Marie Petropoulos '17 won the Narrative Short Competition, and Birth is for P*ssies, written and co-directed by Hannah Shealy '23, produced and co-directed by Celine Stutter '24, and featuring Shealy, Katherine George '23, and Associate Professor of Professional Practice and Co-Concentration Head of Acting Peter Jay Fernandez, emerged as the Audience Award Winner of the Independent TV Pilot Competition.
“This week reminded me, once again, why we do this,” said Claudette Godfrey, VP, Film & TV. “The world has felt heavy. But inside our theaters, something extraordinary happened. Strangers became collaborators, audiences showed up with their whole hearts, and filmmaker after filmmaker reminded us exactly why we gather. We are so proud to celebrate this year’s jury and special award winners. Trust us, you’re going to be hearing a lot more from them.”
Souvenir follows Keira as she navigates a holiday with her family and her girlfriend, Zoe, while both remain closeted. As tensions between them escalate, Keira ultimately decides to break free from Zoe’s hold as the trip draws to a close.
“Led by moving, raw performances, this film meets viewers in an intimate space," the jury of the Narrative Short Competition wrote in its official statement. "Layering the complexities of love, trust, and the vulnerability of being perceived, this short is a beautiful piece of storytelling that sheds light on the most intrinsic and intimidating aspects of relationships and girlhood.”
Birth is for P*ssies follows birth doula and chronic people-pleaser Maya as she quickly discovers that birthwork is nothing like she expected. The Independent TV Pilot Competition in which it took home the award is a section that champions bold new voices in TV from lesser known indie talent.
See the full list of winners here.
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Original: March 6, 2026
Several works by Columbia filmmakers will make their mark at the 40th edition of the South by Southwest Film Festival (SXSW). Launched in 1987, the festival is an annual hotspot where creatives of all stripes gather to celebrate boundary-pushing work across Film and TV, Music, Comedy, Interactive Media, International Innovations, and Emerging Technologies, including XR.
Scheduled this year to take place between March 12–18 in its home base of Austin, Texas, SXSW 2026 features a reimagined, condensed seven day format focusing on the convergence of tech, film, and music. For filmmakers, the festival offers more than a premiere slot—it provides rare proximity to distributors, critics, collaborators, and cross-industry innovators. The result is a Film and TV program that sits squarely at the forefront of all things pop culture.
This year's Film and TV lineup includes five exciting new projects from Columbia University filmmakers: Birth is For P*ssies which will be featured in the Independent TV Pilot Competition, Dua Ji and Souvenir showcased in the Narrative Short Competition, Sparks featured in the Narrative Spotlight Section, and I Love Boosters will feature in the Headliner section.
Read on for more details about these films and their filmmakers.
Writer and Co-Director Hannah Shealy '23
Producer and Co-Director Celine Stutter '24
Featuring Shealy, Katherine George '23, and Associate Professor of Professional Practice and Co-concentration Head of Acting Peter Jay Fernandez
Section: Independent TV Pilot Competition (World Premiere)
Having quit her corporate job to become a birth doula, chronic people-pleaser Maya quickly discovers that birthwork is nothing like she expected. Her first day is full of surprises: she sees her first cervix, lands her first official client—provided she keeps their precarious secret—and nervously agrees to cover a birth in the Bronx for a fellow doula. After a rocky start, Maya quickly learns that supporting women through labor is messier, funnier, and more profound than any training could have prepared her for.
The pilot is being screened as part of the Independent TV Pilot Competition, a section that champions and lays an emphasis on discovering bold, new voices in TV from lesser known indie talent.
Writer, Director, and Co-Producer YuHan Tsai '24
Director of Photography Murdo Barker-Mill '24
Section: Narrative Shorts Competition (World Premiere)
In rural Taiwan, during her mother’s funeral, A-Hsien, the eldest daughter, grapples with grief, resentment, and the quiet burden of tradition. As patriarchal rituals unfold, a silent resistance emerges, unsettling the roles she was expected to fulfill.
The film is being screened as part of the Narrative Shorts Competition Section, an audacious shorts program that celebrates exceptional storytelling with a tone that captivates, surprises and excites.
Writer and Director Renee Petropoulousi '17
Section: Narrative Shorts Competition (North American Premiere)
Summer, 2008. Keira has spent the last two weeks holidaying with her family and girlfriend Zoe on a tropical resort up the coast. Although both deep in the closet, the girls take any opportunity to hook up around the resort; Keira is hungry for Zoe’s attention. But during the heat of sex, Keira is startled by a flash, she finds Zoe taking photos of her with her digital camera. Zoe urges Keira to let her continue and she reluctantly agrees. In the aftermath, Keira is unsettled. Unable to articulate what’s happened and struggling with Zoe’s tenderness and charm, Keira decides to finally break Zoe’s hold over her as her entire family gathers together for a final drink at the beach.
The short film is also being screened as part of the Narrative Shorts Competition Section.
Writer and Director Fergus Campbell (CC '22)
Producer Lola Lafia (CC '23)
Costume Designer Claire Easton (CC '22)
Composer Jane Paknia (CC '21)
Assistant Director Naomi Rubin (BC '23)
Starring Madison Hu (GS '24), Simon Downes Toney (CC '25), and Thomas Deen Baker (CC '22)
Section: Narrative Spotlight (World Premiere)
The film follows Cleo, new to Sparks, Nevada as she discovers a cigarette vending machine that inexplicably produces a book on Jean-Luc Godard. When Cleo meets a group of aimless teenage best friends—the Crop—who are convinced that a nearby reservoir is a time portal, Cleo is morphed into a cinepile who becomes certain that she could time travel and meet Godard in 60s Paris. When Cleo disappears at the reservoir, Crop leader Antoine calls into question his own sense of purpose, before unexpected adventures such as a shootout and a dreamy gay barbecue materialize.
The film is being screened as part of the Narrative Spotlight Section which features high profile narratives receiving their World, North American, or US Premieres.
The project was a true Columbia collaboration, with alums helping both on and off set, including Nico Lopez Alegria (CC '21), who worked at the Culinary Manager for the project, and Ellen Alt (BC '21), who worked as a caterer.
Music Supervisor Cheryl Wang '22
Section: Headliner (World Premiere)
I Love Boosters is an American crime comedy film starring a stellar cast including Keke Palmer, Naomi Ackie, Taylour Paige, Poppy Liu, Eiza González, LaKeith Stanfield, Will Poulter and Demi Moore. Director Boots Riley returns after his critically acclaimed debut Sorry To Bother You (2018), with a sharp, satirical comedy about a crew of professional shoplifters who take aim at a cutthroat fashion maven. In this subversive world where social commentary meets surrealist storytelling, powered by a stacked cast of talented actors, the power of satire is witnessed at its finest.
The film is being screened as part of the Headliner section, a section that features known and revered names, and projects with big talent that are coveted in known cinema.
See SXSW 2026’s full lineup here.