Kiwi film The Breaker Upperers to premiere at SXSW Festival in Texas

Jackie Van Beek and Madeleine Sami have written, directed and starred in The Breaker Upperers. Photo / supplied

Upcoming Kiwi comedy The Breaker Upperers will have its world premiere at the prestigious South by Southwest Film Festival in Austin, Texas.

Written, directed and starring Funny Girls alumni Jackie van Beek and Madeleine Sami, the film is described as a comedy about two best friends who make a business out of breaking couples up.

Executive produced by Thor: Ragnarok director Taika Waititi, the film also stars James Rolleston (Pork Pie), Rima Te Wiata (Hunt for the Wilderpeople) and Nic Sampson (The Brokenwood Mysteries).

The film will premiere at the festival in March in the Narrative Spotlight section before opening in New Zealand cinemas on May 3.

"I'm an avid lover of country music," says van Beek, "so premiering in Austin, Texas is a double whammy for me."

Jackie van Beek and Madeleine Sami. Photo / supplied

The Breaker Upperers was produced by Piki Films and Miss Conception Films in association with the New Zealand Film Commission. It will be co-distributed in New Zealand by Madman NZ Limited and Piki Films Limited.

SXSW is an annual music and arts festival that takes place over two weekends in mid-March.

The festival has announced a line-up of 132 movies, with John Krasinski's thriller A Quiet Place starring Emily Blunt slated as the opening night film.