A handy guide to SXSW Film Fest venues

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Alamo on South Lamar

Note: A 2010 guide to SXSW Film Fest venues is now available.

SXSW Film Festival has six venues this year, and if you've never been to Austin you may not know where all the theaters are located and all of their little quirks. You might think it's possible to run from the Paramount to Alamo on South Lamar on foot in ten minutes, and you'd schedule movies accordingly, and then be sad later. Or you might make it through the entire festival without trying the root-beer float at Alamo Drafthouse.

I thought I'd offer a guideline to the Austin theaters playing SXSW movies to help visitors who want to maximize the number of films they see in a day or who want to make sure they're able to find decent meals in between or even during the movies.

The SXSW film venues are a little different this year -- the Arbor is no longer on the list. This is a shame in one way, because it's a very nice venue and a good place for locals with cars to see movies. On the other hand, trying to drive across town to catch a movie at the Dobie right after seeing one at the Arbor is something I'd rather not attempt again. SXSW has added another screen at Alamo on South Lamar instead, which is more convenient to downtown.

The official SXSW Venues PDF provides a list of theaters with a map, including nearby hotels and film party venues. This useful page also has info on bus service: "Cap Metro’s Film Fest Flyer (Route 3) stops within a few blocks of nearly all the Film Fest venues. Ride from downtown to the Dobie (from 8th and Brazos) or Alamo South (from 3rd and Colorado) for just 50 cents, or buy a Day Pass on the bus for just $1 a day. Buses leave around every 20 minutes and run from 6am to midnight on weekdays, with reduced schedules on weekends. See capmetro.org, call 474-1200, or see the CapMetro flyer in the 'Big Bag'" (which I assume is the bag you get at registration).

Update 3/6/07: The B-Side Unofficial SXSW Other Site Guide includes a venue page with a Google map display for each venue, which you can use to get directions to/from the venues. Here are the six SXSW theaters, with info on location, nearby food, and nearby wireless. If I've missed some tips and tricks that you think belong in this guide, please add a comment or email me and I'll be happy to update this entry.

 

The Paramount -- 713 Congress Ave.

The Paramount The

Paramount is nearly 100 years old and hosts the official opening-night and closing-night SXSW films. The theater can seat about 1200 people, and it does fill to capacity for splashy premieres and local favorites. I saw A Scanner Darkly there last year with a packed house. Lines for the films form outside the theater and wrap in both directions down Congress. The lines here can look deceptively long, so just because a line is wrapped around the block and into the next street doesn't mean you won't get in. The Paramount is the venue where you're most likely to find security checks during festival screenings for movies that are associated with big-name studios. If you're going to see one of those films, don't bring your camera even if you've got a press pass for it.

Pros: It's a big enough theater that if you have a film badge, you are almost certainly going to see the movie. While you're waiting for the movie to start, have a look around the theater -- it's lovely. Also, this is the best venue for celebrity spotting.

Cons: The seats are narrow and close together, and since the theater does tend to fill up, you may feel a little too close to your neighbors. This is a problem near the end of the festival when everyone seems to have colds. The balcony seats have cramped legroom but offer good visibility if you're short. Don't sit on the front row of the balcony; your view will be impeded by a big iron bar. The house lights are a little dim if you're trying to take notes beforehand.

Parking: The Paramount doesn't have its own parking -- you can park in nearby garages or, on weekends and after 5:30 on weekdays, on the street. Bear in mind that once SXSW Music starts, downtown parking gets amazingly expensive at night. I like parking at St. David's garage (E. 7th) if I want to avoid the hassle of finding a spot on the street.

Distance: You can walk to ACC and Alamo Downtown. It's about a mile to the Dobie, with a gentle incline -- I wouldn't recommend walking it.

Food and Beverages: You can buy bottled water, soft drinks, and beer and wine. Food is mostly limited to popcorn. There's a sushi place across the street, Silhouette (with happy hour sushi!), and nearby Jamba Juice has lots of vitamin C-filled smoothies if you're worried about getting sick. Bear in mind that most of the other nearby fast-food places are closed at night, and many restaurants are closed on Sundays.

Update 3/11/07: Make sure you conceal any water bottles or other food/drinks you have on your person when you go to the Paramount. The ushers keep a sharp eye out and will confiscate whatever they find.

Wireless: You can walk a block towards 6th Street to The Hideout, or a couple of blocks to Schlotzky's (which I believe is closed on Sunday). Alternatively, walk couple of blocks in the other direction to Little City Coffeehouse (which has good sandwiches too). Alamo Downtown

 

Alamo Drafthouse Downtown -- 409 Colorado The cool kids all go to Alamo Downtown. It's a popular venue at SXSW because it's walking distance to ACC and serves food and beer. This is a great venue for funky midnight movies (if you can get in). The theater seats about 200. The lines for the movies form outside the theater; sometimes they extend past a parking lot, so make sure you're not in the line of incoming cars.

Pros: The pre-show clips are usually fun. And did I mention you can order food and beer (and yummy root-beer floats)? If you've never been to an Alamo Drafthouse, you really need to see at least one movie here, at the original downtown location.

Cons: It's not a big venue and movies often fill up fast, especially in the evenings. I've never even bothered to try to get into a midnight movie because you have to get there pretty early and forego seeing a movie in the 9 pm timeslot. Don't try to put an empty seat between you and the people next to you, the waitstaff will ask you to move so seats can be consolidated if the theater fills up.

Parking: Alamo Downtown doesn't have its own parking, although there's a pay parking lot next to the theater. A good pay parking place that's a short walk away is the state parking lot on San Antonio between 3rd and 4th. You also can park near ACC and walk here. If you're seeing a midnight movie and parking in a garage, make sure it will still be open after the movie ends.

Distance: You can walk to ACC and the Paramount. Take a bus or cab or find a ride to Alamo South Lamar and Dobie.

Food and Beverages: Alamo offers a full menu for lunch and dinner, including an extensive beer menu. If you've never been to an Alamo before, ordering instructions are on the menu, and waitstaff can help you out. (Don't forget to tip the waitstaff if you order anything.) You also can get standard movie-theater fare like popcorn and candy. I like to try to schedule movies at Alamo around mealtimes so I don't have to rely on granola bars for sustenance. I recommend the salads because you know you need your vitamins and vegetables during the long festival week. I'm also very fond of the Spicy Bleu Burger and the Blazing Saddles pizza but that's not exactly health food. There are plenty of restaurants nearby, but they tend not to be cheap.

Wireless: The theater has wireless, but the lobby isn't very big and SXSW volunteers will shuttle you directly into the theater from the line on the street. You can walk a block west down 4th Street to Halcyon, a coffeehouse with late hours that has free wireless.

 

Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar -- 1120 South Lamar

Alamo on South Lamar

Alamo South Lamar opened two years ago just before SXSW. There are six theaters of various sizes: I think the largest can seat about 200 people. I don't know which two screens will be used for SXSW. Midnight movies are also playing here, and might not be as difficult to get into as Alamo Downtown because of the distance. Despite the fact that it's not in walking distance from ACC, the theaters will fill up, especially for locally shot films. Lines for the movies may be inside the lobby or outside depending on the size of the crowds and the weather.

Pros: Like Alamo Downtown, pre-show clips and food. The seats here are probably the comfiest of all the SXSW venues. There are little lights under the tables in front of your seat, which are meant to make menu-reading easier but are also helpful if you're taking notes on the film. Sometimes Alamo puts a tray full of glasses of ice water near the entrance to a specific theater, which can be a real blessing during the festival.

Cons: The big festival crowds can sometimes tax this Alamo's normally smooth kitchen service. If you intend to order food, get to the theater early and order as soon as possible. Avoid the first two rows of the theater unless you like craning your neck.

Parking: Alamo South Lamar is part of a strip mall with a big parking lot. If the lot looks full, you can park behind the Alamo in a smaller lot.

Distance: You can't walk anywhere from here unless you're into hiking. But bus service is available.

Food and Beverages: The menu is similar to Alamo Downtown. However, here you can get milkshakes. The milkshakes are my favorite in Austin, and I've abstained from milkshakes for months to wait for the reward of having an Alamo South chocolate milkshake during SXSW. There are a few restaurants nearby, too, although I'm not especially fond of any of them.

Wireless: I believe wireless was available in the lobby during Fantastic Fest but I don't know if that's true for SXSW. Someone needs to open a coffeehouse in walking distance from Alamo South Lamar for a post-movie hangout.

 

Dobie Theatre -- 2025 Guadalupe in the Dobie Mall

The Dobie is a Landmark-owned theater located in Dobie Mall near the UT campus. Dobie has four theaters, each one with a different themed decor: Egyptian, library, Gothic, and Art Deco. I believe the Egyptian is the largest, but I don't know its capacity -- and I don't know which screen will be used during SXSW. I like the Dobie in theory, but in practice I don't go there often because the seating is so messed up, especially for a short person, and I dislike the parking garage.

Pros: Because "smaller" movies and shorts collections are shown here and the venue isn't as central, it's often a little easier to get a seat. The lines for movies are inside the mall, which means they're covered and climate controlled, but you can't smoke inside the mall while you're in line.

Cons: The theaters are weirdly shaped and in some of them, the seats are at an angle. Get to the theater early so you won't have to sit sideways or in the front row. Also, there's very little incline so if you're short, see if you can grab an aisle seat.

Parking: Parking is free in the Dobie garage if you get your parking ticket validated at the theater. If you are planning to see more than one movie, ask for the five-hour validation stamp so you don't have to move your car. The garage can seem a little scary at night, although I've never had any problems there.

Distance: Don't try to walk here from downtown, but the bus should stop nearby.

Food and Beverages: The theater concession stand offers gourmet movie-theater snacks in addition to the usual popcorn, candy, and sodas. There's a food court adjacent to the theater with pizza and other fast food.

Wireless: I'm not entirely sure -- is there a coffeehouse nearby with wireless? Anyone?

 

ACC (Exhibit Hall 5) The ACC "theater" is actually a temporary setup in a large room at the convention center. It seats a surprising amount of people and I've rarely seen a full house. During the film conference, this is the most convenient theater of the festival.

Pros: The location is unbeatable during the conference and the theater rarely fills to capacity, especially once the conference ends. You feel like you're right there in the heart of the festival with all the crowds. Although the seats aren't perfect, they're on a good incline and short people should have no problem seeing the screen.

Cons: The seats are a little close together and not very comfortable. You don't get the movie-theater vibe that you would with the Paramount ... this feels more like a big classroom.

Parking: You have to pay to park near ACC unless you can land one of the rare street spots.

Distance: You can walk to the Paramount and Alamo Downtown, and you're right there with the conference. If you've got a room at the Hilton, you barely have to walk at all, you lucky stiff.

Food and Beverages: You're limited to whatever's available at the convention center, which isn't much. Fortunately there are restaurants nearby.

Wireless: When the conference is going on, the wireless lounge is right next to the theater.

The Hideout

The Hideout -- 617 Congress Ave. A few movies are showing at The Hideout, a combination coffeehouse/performance venue. The theater seats about 75. I've never seen a line form for Hideout movies. Even if you are not seeing a movie here, it's a good place for coffee-and-wireless.

Pros: Good coffee and other caffeinated beverages.

Cons: It's not primarily a movie theater and sometimes there are problems with the digital projection.

Parking: Downtown (see Paramount and Alamo Downtown listings).

Distance: It's between Paramount and Alamo Downtown, and you can walk to ACC too.

Food and Beverages: Lots of coffee drinks, frappes, tea, etc. They also have baked goods and snacks, depending on the time of day (the earlier you go, the better the selection). The Espresso Rocket Shake is delicious but I was asked a couple of years ago not to drink any more of those because I'm intolerable afterwards.

Wireless: Free wireless, yay. And you can sit on a nice comfy sofa with a tasty beverage while you use your laptop.

Misc.

For South Lamar don't rely on cabs or anything else showing up magically. If you've been dropped off there or taken a cab, definitely keep the number of a cab service (or friend with a car close by) with you or you may get stuck there for a long period of time. This is especially critical if your seeing a screening here and have to immediately haul to catch another program at another venue. If your going to be driving a car to each venue, definitely allow yourself enough time inbetween screenings to find parking. This is especially critical if your leaving one program to go to one of the big screenings. Figuring out your schedule should also include figuring out transportation inbetween screenings (where applicable). I would also keep a list of back up films for most of your schedule as certain screenings you might show up to could already have a line that looks like it might head down to Corpus Christi. For the midnight screenings at the Drafthouse you will need to get there at least an hour early.

Cabs from South Lamar

If you need a cab after the screening, ask you waiter to call you one for a specific time. Also, make sure they tell the cabbie to wait for you, your specific name, or else it may be nabbed by someone else.