SXSW 2025 : The Premiere of Degens

Degens the short film premiered last week at SXSW in Austin and the experience was surreal!

As both the producer and director, I couldn’t be more thrilled to see this vision come to life on the big screen and be shared with an audience that had never before seen a crypto story told this way.

This premiere was not just about showcasing our film—it was an opportunity to explore how a non-crypto audience could resonate with the themes we’re tackling.

At its core, Degens is a film about people—not about coins, wallets, or blockchain, but about how a new wave of individuals is navigating the rapidly changing and often misunderstood world of cryptocurrency.

I wanted to step back and ask, "What does crypto mean to regular people? To those who aren't experts, but who are nonetheless impacted by its consequences?"

Through Degens, we focus on the people behind the technology—the dreamers, the risk-takers, the believers who see crypto as a tool to disrupt the old systems and forge new possibilities.

The debut of Degens at SXSW was a defining moment for us at New Wave Productions, a company I founded to produce and develop more independent films that explore unique, contemporary narratives. We knew that crypto stories had been told before, but not like this. I wanted to create a film that addressed not only the mechanics of crypto but its emotional and social impact. It’s about people’s dreams, their mistakes, and how they reconcile their values in a space that’s constantly evolving.

Watching the audience's reactions at SXSW was both exhilarating and humbling. The real test was how the film would land with a crowd that might not have been familiar with cryptocurrency. Would they connect with the characters? Would they see the humanity in the choices made by these people chasing something bigger than themselves? From what I gathered in conversations after the screening, the answer was a resounding "yes."