SXSW 2012 Guides: Film Festival Theaters/Venues

sxsw12_para_state_nite

Welcome to the sixth annual Slackerwood SXSW Film Venue Guide. Our guide includes details on the best seats, the least crowded theaters, transportation options and decent food and wireless access between or even during the movies. This year, there are ten venues, some using multiple screens.

Even if you live in Austin, you may not have visited all these theaters, especially since one of them is opening this week for the first time. SXSW has more downtown theaters than ever, and two new-to-SXSW remote theaters for locals to enjoy.

If you're local and wondering what the "Canon Screening Room" is, it's the Rollins Theater at the Long Center, specially branded for this year's fest. And "Stateside" is just a new name for the State Theatre next to the Paramount.

This year, SXSW is bringing back the SXSW Film Fest Flyer, which will run all week long for badgeholders at no cost. The shuttle has four stops: ACC, Congress at 2nd Street (not far from Violet Crown), the Long Center and Alamo South Lamar. Note that this year, you've got to hoof it a few blocks south from Paramount and Alamo Ritz to get a shuttle. Alamo Slaughter and Alamo Village, the two "SXSatellite" venues, are not on the shuttle route -- if you don't have a car, don't plan to visit them.

If you don't want to sit on the shuttle for an entire loop down Lamar and back, you can walk from Canon/Rollins to downtown; it's a tad more than a mile to the Paramount. Unless your destination is Violet Crown, I recommend a rest break at one of the coffeehouses near City Hall. (I've done Rollins-to-Paramount at a jog, carrying a camera backpack, and I hope never to plan screenings those close between those venues again.) NOTE: SXSW is not showing movies at Canon/Rollins from Thursday 3/15 to Saturday 3/17, so the film shuttle will not stop there on those days. If you park at Long Center you'll have to hoof it or cab it.

Alamo South Lamar is too far from downtown for walking unless that's your planned cardio workout for the day (two miles from Paramount). You could walk from Alamo South to Canon/Rollins if you weren't in a hurry -- it's about a mile. If you're feeling energetic, you can always rent a bike.

New for SXSW 2012: The festival has a bike-share program called SXCycles that sounds pretty awesome. (Don't attempt to bike to Alamo Slaughter, though, although admittedly it is next to the Veloway.)

Catch a Chevy is a great way to get from ACC to a theater, or from a venue back downtown. Badgeholders can flag down one of the marked cars (a Chevy Cruze) and it will take you anywhere in the downtown region. (This includes Alamo South Lamar, but not the SXSatellite venues.) They're quite nice, often faster than a shuttle, and very helpful if you accidentally leave your phone in one of the cars, although I hope none of you ever has to find that out firsthand. Catch a Chevy is running for the entire film festival this year.

In addition to the venues below, SXSW will use The Hideout as a lounge for film badgeholders during the film conference, and will hold free community screenings and events on Saturday, March 10 and Sunday, March 11 at the Carver Museum theater (full schedule).

Special thanks to Jenn Brown, our resident Cap Metro expert, who provided the bus info. I'd also like to thank our webmaster Chip Rosenthal, who has made our venue guides a snap to assemble. Finally, SXSW Senior Programmer and Operations Manager Jarod Neece has provided lots of useful info and answered all my questions quickly and helpfully.

If I've missed some tips and tricks, please add a comment or contact me and I'll be happy to update this guide.

Venue Type: Theater

320 East Sixth Street, Austin TX 78701
512-476-1320
5701 W. Slaughter Lane, Austin TX 78739
(512) 476-1320
1120 South Lamar Blvd., Austin TX 78701
512-476-1320
2700 W. Anderson Lane, Austin TX 78757
512-476-1320
500 E. Cesar Chavez, Austin, TX 78701
512-404-4000
713 Congress Avenue, Austin TX 78701
512-472-5470
701 West Riverside Drive, Austin TX 78704
(512) 474-5664
719 Congress Ave., Austin TX 78701
434 W 2nd Street, Austin, TX 78701
(512) 495-9600