Summer 2000: The X-Cetra Story (SXSW 2026) | Director Ayden Mayeri Interview

At SXSW 2026, the documentary Summer 2000: The X-Cetra Story tells the unbelievable story of four pre-teen friends who recorded a homemade album in 2000 — only for it to go viral two decades later. In this interview, director Ayden Mayeri talks about early-2000s nostalgia, rediscovering childhood dreams, and how an obscure CD-R became an internet phenomenon. The film premieres in the Documentary Feature Competition at SXSW 2026. summer 2000 the x cetra story x cetra documentary sxsw 2026 documentary sxsw 2026 interview ayden mayeri interview summer 2000 documentary sxsw documentary feature 2000s nostalgia documentary teen band viral story lost album rediscovered outsider music documentary indie documentary sxsw documentary filmmaker interview early 2000s music nostalgia sxsw film festival interview viral music story documentary 0:00 Intro 0:22 How the X-Cetra story was discovered 1:10 The magic of early 2000s nostalgia 2:02 Why childhood creativity is so powerful 3:05 When the album suddenly went viral 4:08 Reuniting the girls after 20 years 5:20 Capturing the feeling of lost girlhood 6:15 What audiences should take away