The South by Southwest Film Festival (SXSW) is just weeks away, and this will be my first year in attendance. I’ve heard the stories. It takes careful, strategic planning, patience, and above all fastidious punctuality to make it into the screenings you want to see. So, after pouring over the SXSW 2015 film lineup, I’ve zeroed in on 5 films I will see, coming hell or hipster stampede.

Here are my 5 Anticipated Movies of SXSW Film Festival 2015.

Ex Machina
Director/Screenwriter: Alex Garland
[Trailer; Image Source: SXSW]

I hope beyond hope that Alex Garland‘s directorial debut will be a film that reaches beyond tired genre cliches. The writer behind 28 Days Later, Sunshine, and The Beach has found both critical success and fan backlash with his previous works. His disregard for the “rules” of genre has enraged purists in the past (the running, blood-vomiting zombies of 28 Days Later are NOT zombies; they are INFECTED). But ultimately that’s what I love about Garland’s work: he’s not afraid to break or bend rules in service to an original, unforgettable story. I hope he’s willing to do the same in Ex Machina. Starring: Domhnall Gleeson (Frank), Oscar Isaac (Inside Llewyn Davis), and Alicia Vikander (Anna Karenina).

GTFO: Get the F% Out
Director: Shannon Sun-Higginson
[Image Source: GTFOthemovie.com]

“Almost half of all gamers are women; yet, female gamers are disproportionately subject to harassment and abuse. GTFO seeks to investigate misogyny in video game culture and questions the future of this 20 billion dollar industry.” The World Premiere of first-time director Shannon Sun-Higginson’s documentary is timely and potentially explosive. Videogaming is at its peak, with the most advanced graphics, gaming systems, and in-depth storytelling in the history of the industry. There are more gamers today than ever before, and internal conflicts such as the “Gamergate” debacle rage on through Twitter, Reddit, and other online platforms, with no resolution in sight. I’m very curious to see what Sun-Higginson uncovers in this film.

The Final Girls
Director: Todd Strauss-Schulson
Screenwriters: M.A. Fortin, Joshua John Miller
[Image Source: Tumblr]

“Max and her friends are mysteriously transported into a famous 1980’s horror movie that starred Max’s mother, a celebrated scream queen. Reunited, they team up to fight the film’s maniacal killer and find their way back home.” Todd Strauss-Schulson, director of Harold and Kumar 3D Christmas, helms what I hope will be this year’s Cabin in the Woods (or, at the very least, Tucker and Dale vs. Evil). This looks to be a deconstructionist take on the classic slasher film, with the screaming damsels at last emerging front and center to take on their deranged tormentors. Starring Taissa Farmiga (American Horror Story), Nina Dobrev (Vampire Diaries), Malin Akerman (The Watchmen), and Adam DeVine (Pitch Perfect).

Fresno
Director: Jamie Babbit
Screenwriter: Karey Dornetto
[Image Source: IMDB]

Natasha Lyonne (Orange is the New Black) and Judy Greer (Archer, Arrested Development) star as dysfunctional sisters in Jamie Babbit‘s latest feature Fresno. Lyonne is a stoic, down-on-her-luck lesbian forced to move back to Fresno and clean hotel rooms with her sex-addict sister (Greer). Shenanigans ensue. I’m excited to see Babbit reuniting with Lyonne. Their first collaboration, But I’m a Cheerleader (1999), was way ahead of its time and remains just as relevant and funny as ever. In addition to the hilarious Lyonne and Greer, Babbit has assembled an incredible supporting cast, including Aubrey Plaza, Fred Armisen, Jessica St. Clair, and Ron Livingston.

Hello, My Name is Doris
Director: Michael Showalter
Screenwriters: Laura Terruso, Michael Showalter
[Image Source: NY Times]

Sally Field stars as Doris, “an isolated 60-year-old woman motivated by a self-help seminar to romantically pursue a younger coworker, causing her to stumble into the spotlight of the local hipster social scene.” Directed and co-written by comedy legend Michael Showalter (The State, The Daily Show, College Humor, Wet Hot American Summer), this film has all the makings of a comedy cult-classic. Starring: Sally Field, Max Greenfield, Natasha Lyonne, and Wendi McLendon-Covey.

Head over to sxsw.com to view the entire SXSW Film Festival 2015 Lineup and be sure to check back here at Geeks Of Doom for our coverage of the film festival, which runs March 13-17, 2015.