AUSTIN, Texas — Former President Barack Obama made a surprise appearance in Texas at SXSW Festival for an Obama Foundation event that was celebrating the premiere of the “No Ordinary Campaign” documentary, according to People Magazine.

What You Need To Know

  • Former President Barack Obama made a surprise appearance at the SXSW Festival in Austin, Texas, on Sunday

  • The former president appeared at an Obama Foundation event held in celebration of the premiere of a documentary called "No Ordinary Campaign"

  • The film chronicles two of Obama's former staffers and includes an appearance by the former president 

  • Obama delivered a keynote address at SXSW in 2016 

 

The celebration took place at Arlyn Studios in Austin Sunday. Obama was accompanied by his former White House staffers Brian Wallach and Sandra Abrevaya.

Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Austin, was also present, tweeting that former Obama alums were gathered together at the premiere.

The documentary “No Ordinary Campaign” follows the lives of Wallach and Abrevaya when they brought their second child home from the hospital in 2017. On the same day, Wallach was diagnosed with ALS and given six months to live. This documentary captures their family’s journey with the disease as well as their campaign to fight the disease.

Obama makes an appearance in the documentary, talking about Wallach’s work ethic and the couple as they both met while working on the former president’s 2008 campaign.

This is Obama’s second appearance at a SXSW festival, with the first being his keynote in 2016 when he became the first sitting president to ever be a part of the conference.

"No Ordinary Campaign," which premiered at the Rollins Theatre at the Long Center Sunday evening, was produced by Christopher Burke joined by Katie Couric as one of the executive producers.