SXSW 2026 Opens with "I Love Boosters" Premiere

The 2026 SXSW Film and TV Festival opened in Austin, Texas, on March 7 with the world premiere of Boots Riley's sci-fi comedy "I Love Boosters," drawing a lively crowd to the Paramount Theatre for a high-energy kickoff to the 12-day event. The film, starring Keke Palmer, Naomi Ackie and Taylour Paige as a trio of professional shoplifters targeting stores owned by a ruthless billionaire played by Demi Moore, blends witty dialogue, visual humor and social commentary on capitalism and exploitation.

Festival organizers announced 49 world premieres among the lineup, marking the first time the event has launched on a Thursday. "I Love Boosters" set a vibrant tone, with audiences laughing at the film's gags and cheering its characters' triumphs. The story follows the women's "Fashion Forward Filanthropy" scheme as a form of resistance against corporate greed, infused with surreal elements and a star-studded supporting cast including Poppy Liu, Eiza González, LaKeith Stanfield, Will Poulter and Eric Andre in a cameo.

After the screening, director Boots Riley joined the cast onstage to discuss the film's political undertones. "People want to be involved with the world and art and feel...