Demi Lovato: Dancing with the Devil opens Film Festival 2021
South by Southwest (SXSW) Conference and Festivals has announced the World Premiere of YouTube Originals docuseries Demi Lovato: Dancing with the Devil directed by Michael D. Ratner as its Opening Night Headliner to kick off the 2021 Online event on March 16th, plus a handful of titles to give a taste of the full program that will be announced on February 10th. This year, the acclaimed program will be online, where it will draw thousands of fans, filmmakers, press, and industry leaders to immerse themselves in the smartest, most innovative and entertaining new films of the year, as well as giving access to hundreds of Conference Sessions, Music Showcases, Online Exhibitions, Mentoring, Meetups and Special Events that define the cross-industry event.
Demi Lovato: Dancing with the Devil explores every aspect that led to Lovato’s nearly fatal overdose in 2018, and her awakenings in the aftermath. Director Michael D. Ratner was granted unprecedented access to the superstar’s personal and musical journey during the most trying time of her life as she unearthed her prior traumas and discovered the importance of her physical, emotional, and mental health. Far deeper than an inside look beyond the celebrity surface, the docuseries is an intimate portrait of addiction, and the process of healing and empowerment.
“It’s impressive and rare to see a pop superstar tell their story so authentically and without pretense,” states Janet Pierson, Director of Film. “We’re privileged to present this intimate journey told with such vulnerability. Demi Lovato’s profound interest in mental health awareness is helping change the landscape of a crucial issue in this year of national and international trauma and loss.”
“We are excited to share a handful of films from various sections of the festival (Headliners, Episodic Premieres, Doc and Narrative Spotlight, Midnighters, Global, 24 Beats Per Second, 2020 Spotlight) to give you a taste of the talent, risk-taking, passion, and achievements that we will be announcing in early February and share together online in March,” adds Pierson.
The complete film festival lineup will be announced Wednesday, February 10th. The 2021 online platform with the schedule will launch on February 15th. SXSW Online runs March 16–20th at sxsw.com.
YouTube will premiere the first two episodes of Demi Lovato: Dancing with the Devil on March 23rd with the final two airing weekly.
