Steven Spielberg to discuss Disclosure Day and cinema’s future at SXSW Keynote

The talk – which runs on 13 March in Austin, Texas – will take the form of a live episode of The Big Picture podcast hosted by Sean Fennessey.

The appearance marks a rare festival stop for the director, whose body of work spans the invention of the summer blockbuster with Jaws through to prestige dramas such as Schindler’s List. The conversation is expected to touch upon the future of movies and moviegoing as well as his new film, Disclosure Day, due for release in June.

Claudette Godfrey, VP of Film & TV at SXSW, frames the booking in personal terms: “Childhood dreams do come true!” she explains. “Steven Spielberg is a true pioneer and legend whose seminal work has inspired generations of filmmakers and audiences alike.”

Spielberg’s influence on the industry is difficult to overstate – from Jurassic Park’s CGI dinosaurs to the Omaha Beach sequence in Saving Private Ryan, his films have repeatedly reset audience expectations of what mainstream cinema can achieve. While specific plot details for Disclosure Day remain under wraps, the project is described in festival materials as an “original event thriller.”

The director joins a conference lineup that includes sessions with Breaking Bad creator Vince Gilligan, comedian Larry David, and actor Jamie Lee Curtis. Disclosure Day is released on unknown release date via Universal Pictures.