Theater

The State Theater is next to the Paramount on Congress Ave. downtown. The theater, which dates back to 1935, was previously used for live performances, and in 2006, was seriously damaged by flooding. The State has not yet reopened officially, but was used as a SXSW Film venue in 2011. The theater looks quite spiffy and you'd never know from watching a movie there that renovations are incomplete.

The State Theatre is run by the same folks as the Paramount, so we suspect you will have to conceal water bottles before you get in the theater, or else ushers will make you leave them outside or throw them away.

Pros: The theater is right in the middle of downtown film-fest action. Renovations might not be entirely complete, but it's a real theater with real theater seats that are extremely comfortable and spacious, with good legroom.

Cons: It's downtown, so parking can be challenging. You are not supposed to shoot video in the State Theatre at any time, and depending on the event, you may not be allowed to take still photos either.

Screens and Capacity: For SXSW 2011, the State held 298. Movies were projected in HD on a big standard theater screen, but that was with SXSW equipment. We don't know yet what equipment will be used when/if the State screens films itself.

Parking: No theater-specific parking. You can park in nearby garages or, on weekends and after 5:30 on weekdays (until August), on the street in metered spots. Parking at St. David's garage (E. 7th) is reasonably priced if you want to avoid the hassle of finding a spot on the street, although their rates often increase during special events (like the music portion of SXSW, or some weekend nights).

Bus routes: All downtown routes. You can take the #3 to easily get to/from the theater (or nearby at 7th and Colorado) to Alamo Drafthouse on South Lamar.

Distance: You can walk to Alamo Ritz or the Hideout, to Austin Convention Center, and many downtown hotels, bars and restaurants. Alamo on South Lamar is too far for a walk; grab a cab or find a ride. A cab stand is located on the southbound side of Congress and Sixth, a couple of blocks away.

On-site food and beverages: Standard movie-theater concessions, like candy and soft drinks.

Nearby dining options: Jette likes Roaring Fork in the Stephen F. Austin hotel a few doors down, which offers weekday happy-hour food specials at the bar. Debbie and Jenn rave over Thai Passion, with quick lunch specials and good service all day long. Sadly, most nearby fast-food places are closed at night (except Pita Pit and Jimmy John's) and even on Sundays.

If you're looking for a pre-movie cocktail, try the second floor of the Stephen F. Austin and sit out on the balcony, which is perfect for people-watching.

Wireless: Walk a block toward Sixth Street to The Hideout. For a less crowded alternative, walk a few blocks toward the Capitol to Little City Coffeehouse, which has great sandwiches at lunchtime.

[Photo credit: "State Theater" by define23 (Rebecca) on Flickr. Used under Creative Commons license.]

Alamo Drafthouse at South Lamar, also known as Alamo South or Alamo Lamar, is one of the three Alamo Drafthouses directly owned by Tim and Karrie League. Located in a strip mall, you might never know this is a full-service restaurant that can handle as many as 800 covers per hour, as well as a first-run theater and special event mini-cineplex. Alamo South Lamar is a popular location for many local film festivals and is the home theater for Fantastic Fest.

Pros: Pre-show clips, food, and beer. Little lights under the tables in front of your seat not only make menu reading easier, but are also helpful if you're taking notes on the film (or want to look at your bill). The theater has a serious "no talking/texting" policy during screenings, so don't be surprised if a manager gives you a warning if you text or get chatty after the house lights go down. If they get multiple complaints after that warning, they reserve the right to "take your ass out."  They mean it, so respect the film and the rest of the audience unless it's a special event like "Hecklevision."

Cons: Avoid the first two rows in the theaters unless you like craning your neck. When it gets crowded here, the lobby gets super crowded and verges on the chaotic, although Alamo staff (and volunteers, during fests) have managed to instill very good line control. Popular first-run movies often sell out quickly, especially on summer weekends.

Screens and Capacity: Six theaters with stadium varying in size from 82 seats to 218, all with Sony 4K digital but still capable of showing 35mm films.  (196 seats in #1, 218 in #2, 118 in #3 & #6, 82 in #4 & #5).  Lines for the movies may be inside the lobby or outside depending on the size of the crowds and the weather. During festivals you may be able to order at the bar by the ticket counter, and enjoy a bite or a brew out at the picnic tables under the awning.

Mobility Impaired Access: Every theater has three floor-level rows, with spaces in the third row specifically for those needing chair access, and the view in that third row is fine. All other amenities are on the ground-floor level so the only problem chair users might have is dealing with crowds (and on weekend nights and during fests, it can get crowded). 

Parking: Parking has become a major issue at this location both in front and back, as it's a small strip mall with several other businesses, and The Highball is also a big draw. Be aware of reserved parking and if you must park on the street near the theater, be respectful of the neighborhood.

Bus routes: #3, #338 go to and from the venue. The #484 Night Owl will take you from downtown to the theater but it's only late night and only goes southbound on Lamar. An alternate route is the #30, which requires walking to/from Barton Springs Rd. The #3 can drop you off near the Ritz (the route is on long-term detour and on Congress), and in front of the Paramount. The #338 (which requires a walk from Congress) will take you directly to Westgate theater. For more information, visit the Capital Metro website (hint: click the Service Nearby link then selecting Submit). 

Distance: You can't walk to downtown movie theaters (or bars) from here unless you're into serious hiking, but you can take a bus or find a friendly Austinite with a car. A cab from the theater to downtown isn't expensive, but taxis are unlikely to hang around, so be prepared to phone. Make sure the cab service has your name so they won't drive off with some other film geek.

On-site dining options: All Alamo Drafthouses in Austin have a full menu including wine and beer (Ritz is the only one at this time serving hard liquor). You can view the regular menu and current specials on the South Lamar menu, which also includes helpful hints on the ordering process, and information on gluten-free and vegetarian items. If you need more information than what's included on the menu, ask the waitstaff to check for you. 

Nearby dining options: The Highball, Suzi's Chinese Kitchen and Casa Garcia are in the same strip mall, and the super-trendy (and pricey) Japanese restaurant Uchi is across the street and down about a block. Almost directly across Lamar, you will find a lot with several food trailers: Odd Duck has bistro-style small plates but is only open after 5 pm Thu-Sat, and Gourdough's offers huge decadent donuts (open late for your sugar and fat convenience). Other outstanding options are along South Lamar, many of which have opened in recent months, as well as "restaurant row" on Barton Springs Rd. For all-night options, Jette likes Kerbey Lane's gingerbread pancakes, and Jenn is partial to the Eggs Francisco.

Wireless: Free wireless is available in the lobby and theaters, and out by the picnic tables you'll find outlets to plug in your electronic devices. The Highball also has wireless and a couple of the boots have outlets. About two blocks further south down Lamar (away from downtown), you'll find a Starbucks in a strip mall across the street from Saxon Pub. Further than a walk, drive north to Barton Springs Road, then turn right to Flipnotics or Austin Java (Jette's "remote office" during film fests), which both offer coffee and wireless access.

Austin Film Festival's two theaters at Austin Convention Center (ACC) are a temporary setup. They are not in the same location as the ACC theater that is set up during SXSW. We don't know much about the specifics, even if it will be the same part of ACC as the AFF theater in 2010. One of the screens is the second-largest theater at AFF after The Paramount, seating up to 275 people. The other theater will seat up to 175.

Pros: The theaters are large, so they're a good bet for passholders and people who want to buy tickets. The location is excellent -- a short walk from the heart of downtown, with plenty of bars and restaurants nearby. In 2010, the seats were more spacious and comfortable than the ones found in the SXSW ACC theater.

Cons: In 2010, the screen was a little small and far away from the audience, and the sound could be a little echo-y at times. No idea if this will be true in 2011.

Parking: Pay to park in the garage next to the convention center, which is usually more economical than other parking garages in the area. In fact, the ACC garage may be an affordable option for keeping your car downtown all day during the conference.

Distance: You can walk to the Paramount and Alamo Ritz, and to the conference venues. If you've got a room at the Hilton, you barely have to walk at all. Texas Spirit Theater is a little far for a walk; Rollins Theatre at the Long Center is manageable if you're not in a hurry.

Food and Beverages: Skip the convention center itself unless you're seriously dying of hunger or in need of coffee. Outside, you'll find some good, affordable spots like Iron Works, PF Chang's, and Mongolian BBQ. Cedar Door is a nice place for a Mexican martini. These places can be swamped at lunchtime, so you might want to walk a few blocks more and explore Austin's many downtown lunch options.

Wireless: Probably unavailable. You may need to find a nearby coffeehouse or restaurant.

[Photo credit: "Austin Convention Center" by Scott Beale/Laughing Squid. Found on Flickr, used under Creative Commons license.]

Westgate 11 Theatres is part of the large national Regal Cinemas chain. The theater usually shows first-run movies but in 2011, is being used as a SXSW venue for the first time. It has 11 screens, one of which will be used during SXSW. SXSW is billing Westgate and Arbor as "SXSatellite venues" that are intended to appeal to Austin festgoers (or anyone who wants to buy a ticket).

Pros: Because of its distance from downtown, this will be a very good SXSW venue for Austinites with cars, especially if you are hoping to see movies on a film pass or with individual tickets.

Cons: Traffic to/from downtown to Westgate can be very heavy during rush hour. Make sure you allow plenty of time to get here if you are traveling from the Paramount or Ritz. Audio and picture quality have been inconsistent at Westgate in the past, but we're hoping that SXSW quality control means it won't be a problem for the fest.

Screens and Capacity: Eleven screens. The theater being used for SXSW will seat 175.

Parking: Westgate has a large, ample parking lot.

Bus routes: The #338 (which requires a walk from Congress) will take you from Westgate to Alamo on South Lamar as well as downtown. For more information, visit the Capital Metro website (hint: click the Service Nearby link then select Submit). 

Distance: It's nearly a three-mile walk to Alamo on South Lamar, and more than four miles to reach downtown. If you don't have a car, then take a bus, call a cab or find a friendly Austinite to give you a lift.

Nearby dining options: Westgate is adjacent to a strip mall with good options for dinner or a snack. Hyde Park Grill has excellent brunches, lunches and dinners -- if you want to achieve near-cardiac arrest, try their Horseshoe open-faced burger. Madam Mam's, across the street, has great Thai food. Central Market, the nearby chi-chi grocery, has a cafe and a salad bar. And an Amy's Ice Creams is in the same strip mall as Central Market. If you drive down South Lamar to/from downtown, you'll find a wealth of dining possibilities from family-friendly Phil's Burgers to the small trendy Barley Swine.

Wireless: No wireless in the theater itself.

This theater is located in the Barton Creek Square Mall.