A Who’s Who of Emersonians at SXSW 2025

Redux, Redux, a revenge rampage through the multiverse created by no fewer than eight Emerson alums, including Emmy Award nominees Kevin McManus ’09 and Matthew McManus ’09, will premiere at SXSW next month, joining more than two dozen films, TV shows, and videos made in part in by Emersonians.

Screening in the Midnighter program for horror, sci-fi, and genre films, Redux, Redux was written/directed by the McManus brothers, who were nominated for an Emmy in 2018 for American Vandal. It stars Jim Cummings ’09, whose Thunder Road took the top prize at SXSW in 2018, and Dan Perrault ’09, writer for American Vandal and co-creator of the Paramount+ series Players.

Other alums attached to the project include cinematographer Alan Gwizdowski ’09, producer Michael McGarry ’10, P ’22, producer/editor Nate Cormier ’10, and editor Derek Desmond ’09.

The SXSW Film & TV Festival will run March 7-15 in Austin, Texas. Alums are invited to an Emerson@SXSW networking event on Saturday, March 8, at Prelude in Austin.

Actor Sunita Mani ’08 (GLOW, Everything Everywhere All at Once) is appearing in two projects screening at SXSW this year: the Headliner film Death of a Unicorn, about a father/daughter who accidentally hit and kill a unicorn, and the series Government Cheese, a surrealist family comedy set in 1969 San Fernando Valley, showing in the TV Premiere lineup.

The cinematographer (Jackson Hunt ’10), editor (James LeSage ’04), and sound designer (Kevin Peters ’11) for Bunny, a dramedy about a hustler trying to hide dead bodies, are all Emersonians. Bunny screens in the Narrative Feature Competition. In the same category, Fantasy Life, a comedy about an out-of-work paralegal who takes a job babysitting his psychiatrist’s granddaughters, stars Andrea Martin ’69 (My Big Fat Greek Wedding), with Ian Blume ’99 editing and Katie Fleming ’09 production designing.

Shara Senderoff ’07 was executive producer of The Age of Disclosure, about the government coverup of alien lifeforms. And the late Norman Lear ’44 appears in the Issa Rae-produced documentary Seen & Heard, about the history of Black creatives in television. Both are screening in the Documentary Spotlight.

In the Narrative Spotlight category, Julia Valentine Larson ’11 played Tina, and Dave Eckerle ’12 was a producer on Mermaid, about a divorced drug addict who discovers an injured mermaid. And Jonathan Montepare ’04 executive produced O’Dessa, a post-apocalyptic rock opera on which Maggie Ambrose ’16 was a unit production manager.

Turning to the small screen, in the TV Premiere category, Jennifer Cacicio ’05 is the showrunner/writer of Happy Face, a drama inspired by a true story of the daughter of a serial killer who forces his way back into her life. The Studio, a comedy about the film industry starring Seth Rogen, also features actors Dan Sachoff ’09 and Andrew Santiago ’11, as well as assistant costume designer Tyler Kinney ’11 and set costumer Katie Reibman ’07.

In the Documentary Short Competition, Andrew Hutcheson ’12 and Alissa Feldbau ’11 executive produced Shanti Rides Shotgun, about New York City’s most notorious driving instructor. Kira MacKnight ’13 was post production supervisor on the film.

And Bryan Schlam ’08 wrote and directed the video for Billy Strings’ “Seven Weeks in County”, featured in the Music Video Competition.

Other SXSW projects that alums helped make:

Headliners

Sasha Veneziano ’98 was co-producer and Chris Milani ’90 was best boy electric on The Accountant 2.

Emilie Jackson ’09 was behind-the-scenes camera on Holland.

Narrative Feature Competition

Glenn Allen ’90 was visual effects producer: Brainstorm Digital and Tyler Carl Robinson ’14 was finishing color assistant on On Swift Horses.

Narrative Spotlight

Daniel Orentlicher ’15, MA ’24 was colorist on Cotton Candy Bubble Gum.

Jordan Michaud-Scorza ’14 was line producer on For Worse.

Mikaela Thorne ’20 was second assistant camera on Magic Hour.

Justin Masters ’16 played Jeremy in Summer of 69.

Visions (risk-taking work)

Terry Leonard ’99 executive produced We Are Storror.

Festival Favorites (standouts from festivals around the world)

Liz Vacovec, MA ’11 was executive in charge of physical production for Friendship.

Juliana Hartman ’20 was an executive producer of Sally.

Henry Winkler ’67, LHD ’78 appeared as himself in Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore.

Independent TV Pilot Competition

Lilliana Winkworth ’13 was co-producer/production designer on Stars Diner.

Pat Fitzgerald ’11 was colorist on Bulldozer.

Texas Short Competition

Jessica Hundley ’92 executive produced Good Time Charlie.

Comedy Track

Anthony Atamanuik ’97 will perform in three shows at SXSW. He’ll presumably reprise his impersonation of President Donald Trump in Elon Musk: Disrupt Democracy…LOL, with James Adomian as Musk. He’ll also do some improv in Upright Citizens Brigade’s Asssscat and improv4humans.

Alum Speakers at SXSW

A number of alums are lending their industry expertise to panels across several SXSW conference tracks.

In the XR (extended reality) track, Dan Borelli ’09 of Mercury Studios will be on Future Visions: Extending the Worlds of Sports, Music & Film, and Erin Reilly ’94 of Texas Immersive Institute at UT Austin is speaking on Building Tomorrow’s Worlds: How Academia Teaches XR Creation.

In the AI track, Helen Todd, MA ’09 of Creativity Squared is leading Farewell, Information Age – Welcome to the Imagination Age!

Maude Okrah Hunter ’09 of the Black Beauty Roster is on the panel Inspiring Authenticity and Inclusion in Hair Culture, part of the Fashion & Beauty track.

Raphaella Lima ’00 with Electronic Arts is a panelist on Hit Points: Music and Synchs in Gaming in the Music & Tech track.

And Michelle Shwarzstein ’09 of Brainstorm Media is a panelist on Your Film Played a Festival – Now What? In the Film & TV Industry track.

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Did we miss anyone? Want to learn more? Email alumni@emerson.edu.