Hip Hop/ Rap
Eminem’s STANS Documentary to Debut at Inaugural SXSW London Festival
Twenty-five years after Eminem’s landmark single “Stan” redefined fan culture, the rap icon is once again making waves—this time with a deep dive into the phenomenon he helped name. His new documentary, STANS, will premiere on opening night of the inaugural SXSW London Screen Festival on June 2, 2025, bringing both hip-hop legacy and cultural reflection to the UK stage. Produced by Shady Films and directed by Steven Leckart, STANS examines the complex, and at times unsettling, relationship between artists and their most obsessive followers. The film is set to include interviews with Eminem’s longtime collaborators and his most passionate fans, offering insight into the psychological dimensions of fame, fandom, and the blurred lines between admiration and obsession.
Eminem’s documentary premiere is one of the highlights of the newly launched SXSW London, which runs from June 2 to June 7 in Shoreditch. Full-screen passes are already available on the festival’s official website. MTV Entertainment Studios distribute STANS and will debut later this year on Paramount+ in the U.S.
“Putting together the first-ever programme of the SXSW London Screen Festival has been a dream,” said Anna Bogutskaya, head of screen at SXSW London. “We are excited to present bold new work from across the world, celebrating boundary-pushing films across documentary, animation, and narrative filmmaking.”
The choice to debut STANS documentary at this groundbreaking festival is fitting. The SXSW brand has long been associated with innovation and cultural relevance, and its London debut aims to push those boundaries further. The film is poised to spark conversations about celebrity culture, identity, and the digital age of fan engagement.
Eminem’s 2000 single “Stan,” produced by The 45 King and sampling Dido’s “Thank You,” was a storytelling triumph that resonated far beyond the charts, peaking at No. 51 on the Billboard Hot 100 and amassing nearly 1.3 billion Spotify streams to date. More importantly, the term “stan” entered pop culture as a widely used term for extreme fandom—eventually making its way into the Merriam-Webster Dictionary.
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Eminem confirmed his involvement in the documentary last year, publicly inviting his fanbase to share their stories and contribute to the project. The result promises to be a raw, thought-provoking portrait of the modern fan-artist relationship, particularly in the era of social media amplification.
Beyond Shady Films produced STANS, the SXSW London Screen Festival has lined up an eclectic mix of premieres. Notable entries include Tom Kingsley’s action-comedy Deep Cover, Love & Rage: Munroe Bergdorf, and a pair of Eminem films, which will close the festival on June 7, and The Institute.
With STANS ducumentary, Eminem continues to influence not just music, but also the broader cultural conversation. The documentary promises to peel back the curtain on one of pop culture’s most fascinating dynamics—and it all begins in London this June.
