SXSW 2014: 5 Actors to Watch Out For

The SXSW Springboard: 5 Actors to Watch Out For at the 2014 Festival

Natalia Dyer in "I Believe in Unicorns"

Lena Dunham, Tom Cullen, Dree Hemingway and Brie Larson all came to Austin as relative unknowns and emerged as sought-after talents. With the 2014 edition of the SXSW Film Festival launching today, the springboard is loaded. Here's Indiewire's picks for the 10 actors to watch this year:

Natalia Dyer, "I Believe in Unicorns"
Why You May Know Her: Dyer got her start early on the stage and first popped up on screen in bit parts fit for a pretty face. She made her debut in "Hannah Montana: The Movie" and showed up in "Blue Like Jazz" and briefly in "The Between" alongside "Hunger Games"' Isabelle Fuhrman.
What SXSW Could Mean for Her: A breakthrough. "I Believe in Unicorns" puts her in the spotlight and gives her a huge chance to showcase her acting chops. In this sober and ethereal project, a runaway romance between a young girl and an older bad-boy slowly turns tragically dark.
What's Next: Dyer's next project just finished filming "After Darkness," a survive-the-apocalypse drama. Starring as the sister of wonderful John Patrick Amedori, Dyer plays a key role. She might be looking at a few more of those after SXSW.
Roger: There is a good chance the chick doff her top in the flick. She was in Hannah Montana which for unknown reason giving me good vibes about T-and-A factor.

Alex Essoe, "Starry Eyes"
Why You May Know Her: She's been in a slew of shorts, features and TV shows, from being the Girl in the Waiting Room in "Life Happens" to Model no. 1 in "House of Lies." Her center role in "Starry Eyes" only seems right after bit parts since 2008.
What SXSW Could Mean for Her: An aspiring actress trying to catch her big break finally does so -- that's the premise of "Starry Eyes." Although what follows is odd and terrifying ramifications, we're hoping for that first half to be true for Essoe.
What's Next: Essoe's next appearance will be as a nurse in "The Divine Order," a horror about a cult.
Roger: Alex role requires nudity and as written in the original script according to a reliable source.

Rose Leslia and Harry Treadaway, "Honeymoon"
Why You May Know Them: This couple is coming together for the dark thriller, "Honeymoon." Both are equipped with a background in current dark-material TV series -- Leslia stars in "Game of Thrones" and Treadaway is Dr. Frankenstein in Showtime's upcoming "Penny Dreadful" (the pilot for the show is premiering at SXSW).
What SXSW Could Mean for Them: "Honeymoon" should help them both step out strong into leading feature roles. Having specialized in generally not-lighthearted material, we're looking forward to seeing the duo shine in this deep-in-the-woods fright piece.
What's Next: Leslia will continue with "Game of Thrones," and Treadaway's "Penny Dreadful" is in production.

Brooke Bloom, "She's Lost Control"
Why You May Know Her: She's frequented plenty of TV shows, probably most prominently in "Alpha House" as Julie. Other projects include "Person of Interest," "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close,"  "The Good Wife," and over 30 more titles that are predominantly TV shows. Her lead role in a feature film is definitely something we don't want to miss.
What SXSW Could Mean for Her: After plenty of recent comedic roles, Bloom's doing something kind of new. In drama "She's Lost Control," mid-30's Ronah works as a sexual surrogate who takes on a new client and struggles to keep what's professional and what's personal unmixed. If this interesting modernity-driven film is a hit, we expect to see more intriguing roles in her future.
What's Next: Nothing official yet.
Roger: Nude debut by Ms. Bloom.