Highway 10 Showcases Ambitions with SXSW Debuts

Producing partners Matt Smith and Dan Gedman premiere two films at this year's festival.

Mar. 15, 2026 at 3:34pm

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

Matt Smith and Dan Gedman, best friends since college who bonded over a shared love of movies, are now producing partners showcasing their filmmaking ambitions at this year's SXSW Film Festival. The duo premiered two films - the comedy-thriller "The Saviors" and the Portland-set drama "Wishful Thinking" - at the prestigious Austin festival.

Why it matters

SXSW is one of the most influential film festivals in the U.S., providing a high-profile platform for up-and-coming filmmakers to debut their work. Smith and Gedman's dual premieres at the festival highlight their growing clout in the independent film world and the ambitions of their production company, Highway 10.

The details

Smith and Gedman, who went to the same high school in Kansas City before becoming fraternity brothers at the University of Kansas, bonded over a shared passion for movies. After college, they decided to parlay that cinematic enthusiasm into a producing career, founding Highway 10 and bringing "The Saviors" and "Wishful Thinking" to SXSW.

  • Smith and Gedman premiered their two films at the 2026 SXSW Film Festival in Austin, Texas.

The players

Matt Smith

One of the producing partners at Highway 10 who co-premiered two films at SXSW 2026.

Dan Gedman

One of the producing partners at Highway 10 who co-premiered two films at SXSW 2026.

Highway 10

The production company founded by Matt Smith and Dan Gedman that premiered two films at SXSW 2026.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“We both loved movies. We went to see 'Hoop Dreams' together and there was a great art theater in Lawrence that would play things like 'Fargo' and 'Pulp Fiction.' We ended up playing a lot less pickup basketball and watching a lot more movies than the guys we lived with.”

— Dan Gedman (IMDb)

The takeaway

Smith and Gedman's dual premieres at SXSW showcase the ambitions of their production company Highway 10 and highlight the opportunities available for up-and-coming filmmakers to break through at prestigious festivals like SXSW.