South by Southwest announces initial keynotes and speakers

"SXSW has become a premier destination for innovation and creative discovery. We’re pleased to begin our 2018 season with strong programming that represents a diverse and talented group of pioneers in the technology, social sciences, healthcare, and entertainment industries," said Hugh Forrest, Chief Programming Officer. “The depth and breadth of knowledge these speakers bring to the event is an excellent indicator that this is going to be one of our best years ever.”

Keynote speakers include Academy Award-winning writer and director B arry Jenkins ( Moonlight, Medicine for Melancholy), psychotherapist and best-selling author Esther Perel , and technology entrepreneur and quantum computing expert, whurley , a Managing Director at Goldman Sachs and the founder of Honest Dollar, a fintech company Goldman purchased in 2016. The list of featured speakers include space entrepreneur and futurist Bob Richards , Kaiser Permanente Chairman and CEO Bernard J. Tyson, Ingrid Vanderveldt , Chairman and CEO of Empowering a Billion Women by 2020 , the artist and poet C leo Wade , and the author and founder of the Future Today Institute, Amy Webb .

“We are overjoyed to invite Barry Jenkins back to SXSW as a Film Keynote having presented theworldpremiereofhisfirstfeature, MedicineforMelancholy, in2008,” saidJanetPierson, Director of Film. “ Moonlight is a magnificent piece of work, transcendent, and made on his own terms. We couldn’t be happier for his success and to have this remarkable artist with such a generous soul return to SXSW.”

Registration opens for SXSW 2018 beginning on August 1 at sxsw.com. SXSW Conference programming is organized into 24 Tracks divided between Interactive, Film, Music, and Convergence, presented in a variety of session formats. Once again, SXSW is offering expanded access to events for all registrants. Attendees will receive primary access to programming associated with their badge type but now also enjoy secondary entry to most other SXSW events.