BRIAN
Section: Narrative Feature Competition
Director: Will Ropp
Screenwriter: Mike Scollins
Logline: It sucks to be Brian. He’s smart, funny, and capable, but his mental health issues make it hard for anyone to see it – especially when compared to his effortlessly cool older brother. At school, Brian harbors an unrequited crush on Brooke: she’s smart, kind, pretty… and very much his teacher. A disastrous drama club audition leads to yet another one of Brian’s trademark public meltdowns. Thus begins Brian’s search for his new “thing.” On paper he’s chosen the worst possible fit: running for class president. With help from his therapist and the new kid, Justin, Brian launches his high-stakes campaign and sparks a messy, exquisitely awkward journey toward self-acceptance.
Panelists: Will Ropp, Ben Wang, Randall Park, Edi Patterson, Natalie Morales
Sales Agent: CAA, Gersh
Premiered: March 14, 2026
Key Quote: “What I like, really, about this movie overall is, I think of it like ‘Gen Z Charlie Brown’. This is an archetypal sort of—”loser” is a strong word—but he’s an archetypal kid trying to figure it out. And what I love about the movie is, it really incorporates every hardship that a kid could possibly struggle. He has it at the same time,” explained Wang.
Deadline Studio at SXSW presented by Redbreast Irish Whiskey.
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