This blogger at SXSW - photo by John Biehler on Flickr
This erstwhile reporter is a big fan (+ 2X attendee & 1X presenter) of SXSW, the (almost legendary) music/film/interactive festival in Austin, Texas (though the locals will tell you “Austin ain’t Texas”).
I noticed the deadline is approaching for the film submission so i’ve compiled a few resources to help you figure out if this is the best place for your film – I’ve attended a few fests (including Sundance from 1991-3) but nothing is quite like SXSW if you are a fan of all sorts of arts, people and parties. You are guaranteed to get your mind blown one way or another ;-).
Get the SXSW Lowdown
First up, get to know SXSW’s Youtube channel with presentations, panels, concerts and miscellania (like Johnny Cash’s keynote song/speech from 1994) Also there are a playlist of information about the fest – watch this so you don’t hafta take my word about the hi-jinks and the mayhem.
Of yeah, you’d better follow SXSW’s Twitter Account and Alltop has a SXSW aggregation page which is pretty handy. There are also un-official SXSW Twitter fan accounts like SXSWi and stellar web resources like SXSWBaby & SXSW Insider’s Guide.
Submit your Film
Next for you filmmakers, submit your film to SXSW after reading this blurb to know you chances and the rules.
The SXSW 2010 Film submissions continue to roll in. Add yours to the stack by submitting now at http://sxsw.com/film/screenings/submit. Stay ahead of the game and submit by the early deadline of November 5th, and your submission fees will only be $25 for a short or $40 for a feature. Those rates will go up with each successive deadline, so get your film in as soon as you can. Questions? Check out the Film Submission FAQ.
SXSW Film does not accept trailers or works-in-progress. We do accept rough cuts (picture lock w/ temp sound, color, etc), but we cannot guarantee we’ll have time to view a finished product. Applicants will be informed of the status of their project no later than February 16, 2010.
NOTE: We cannot consider film submissions sent to us via URL (e.g. YouTube, MySpace, Google Video, or Quicktime uploads). All submissions must be sent on DVD.
Film Memories and Predictions
Last year, the film which stuck with me was ‘RiP – The Remix Manifesto‘ with Q&A following by Brett Gaylor and uber-lawyer Lawrence Lessig and I also was charmed by Col Needman, founder of IMDB’s casual conversation/presentation.
The previous year, seeing ‘Gonzo – The story of Hunter S. Thompson’ at the Alamo Draft House (with a pint of beer and a huge meaty salad) was the jaw-dropper. This year, I am eager to see ‘We Live In Public‘ which just screened at Vancouver International Film Festival. Here’s a bit of background of this experimental film about a much wilder experiment gone oddly wrong.
Ondi Timoner’s We Live in Public is the story of “the greatest Internet pioneer you’ve never heard of”, Josh Harris, and was a successful Special Screening at SXSW 2009, subsequently touring festivals around the world. On Friday, October 9th, the award-winning documentary returns to Austin for a run at the Alamo South Lamar. Director Ondi Timoner will be present on opening night for a Q&A.
The preview alone is a wild ride:
and finally … here’s superalright’s video stream of consciousness of the fest:
Note: If you go, don’t plan on sleeping much.
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