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Ben Affleck and Matt Damon will make surprise SXSW appearance with closing night film
Ben Affleck's Air will make its surprise SXSW debut as the festival's closing night film.
From celeb sightings to food panels, film premieres, and international experiences, South by Southwest (SXSW) has already been a whirlwind — and we're not even half way through the ten-day festival. Now, SXSW has just announced it's special closing night film: Directed by Ben Affleck, AIR will make its surprise debut on Saturday, March 18, at the Paramount Theatre.
According to a release, AIR reveals the game-changing partnership between then-rookie Michael Jordan and Nike’s fledgling basketball division, which revolutionized the world of sports and contemporary culture with the Air Jordan brand. The story follows the career-defining gamble of an unconventional team with everything on the line, the uncompromising vision of a mother who knows the worth of her son’s immense talent, and the basketball phenom who would become the greatest of all time.
“We are so excited to close out the 2023 SXSW Film & TV Festival with AIR,” said Claudette Godfrey, VP of Film & TV, SXSW, via release. “Ben Affleck has crafted an exceptional film filled with outstanding performances that capture the emotional ride behind the creation of this legendary brand. We know it will be a true one-of-a-kind experience.”
This marks the first time Affleck is directing a feature film starring Matt Damon, who plays maverick Nike executive Sonny Vaccaro. Affleck also stars in the film as Nike co-founder Phil Knight, and the cast also includes Jason Bateman as Rob Strasser, Viola Davis as Deloris Jordan, Gustaf Skarsgård as Horst Dassler, and Julius Tennon as James Jordan – among others.
“I could not be more thrilled to surprise the SXSW audience with our very first screening of AIR,” said director, producer, and star Ben Affleck in the release. “The energy in Austin is in a class of its own, and we know the crowd will respond to the film’s inspiring story and brilliant performances. We could not imagine a better spot for the launch of the movie.”
Amazon Studios will release the film globally in theaters on April 5 in advance of its premiere in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide on Prime Video.
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