Sophia Mitri Schloss and Katherine Moennig as Lane and Hallelujah in SJ Chiros Lane 1974
Sophia Mitri Schloss and Katherine Moennig as Lane and Hallelujah in SJ Chiro's Lane 1974

Excellent news for fans and friends of Seattle film arrived this week when the SXSW Film Festival announced its full 2017 schedule. The line-up will include the word premiere of Lane 1974, directed by SJ Chiro, alongside new works by the likes of Terrence Malick, Joe Swanberg, Michael Winterbottom, Giancarlo Esposito, and many more.

Chiro has been working on her adaptation of Clane Hayward’s memoir The Hypocrisy of Disco—which tells the story of a mother and daughter (Katherine Moennig and Sophia Mitri Schloss) who leave the relative comfort of a Northern California commune and soon find themselves even farther afield on the margins of American countercultural life—for many years, and the production includes contributions from many members of the Seattle filmmaking community, including Executive Producer (and two-time Stranger Genius nominee Mel Eslyn).

(Seattle side note: the festival will also include a 20th anniversary screening of Doug Pray's ludicrously underrated documentary about the local music scene, Hype!. The passing of time, etc.)

In the years since Sundance was annexed by Hollywood, and since its own music festival has become something of an extended Irish wake for the music biz, SXSW has emerged as one of the most prestigious, competitive, and enjoyable festivals for ambitious narrative and documentary filmmakers. Congratulations are due to everyone involved, especially SJ!

SXSW 2017 runs March 10-19 in Austin, TX. Tickets are available here.