Russell Brand documentary to open SXSW

http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/jan/09/russell-brand-documentary-to-open-sxsw

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A documentary about the comedian and Hollywood actor turned maverick political activist Russell Brand is to open the SXSW film festival in March.

Directed by two-time Sundance film festival prize-winner Ondi Timoner, Brand: A Second Coming examines its subject’s journey from drug addict to anti-capitalist firebrand. “Ondi Timoner’s bold and lively documentary on Russell Brand knocked us out with its humour, insight and raw energy, pulling back the curtain on a truly passionate figure as he grapples with fame, influence and where we are as a 21st century society,” said Janet Pierson, SXSW’s head of film.

Also announced early for the festival – the full lineup is due on 3 February – was Michael Showalter’s Hello, My Name Is Doris, starring Sally Field as a romance-seeking sexagenarian who becomes embroiled in the Brooklyn hipster scene. Another documentary, Mavis!, is the story of the legendary gospel and R&B singer Mavis Staples, whose group the Staple Singers helped fuel the 1960s US civil rights movement.

The 2015 SXSW film festival runs from 13-21 March in Austin, Texas.