SXSW 2010 Day 0: Big Lines and Big Bags

Why Day 0? Because SXSW Film hasn't really started, of course. But that doesn't mean it wasn't a busy day. Hundreds of people were in line well before 3 pm to pick up their badges a day early. Even with hiccups, though, I got my badge in 15 minutes as well as my press tag. The line kept growing but people moved through quickly once it got going.

They were still working hard to set up all the panel rooms and spaces being used for SXSW but things were clearly coming together yesterday afternoon. So I hope everyone got a good night's sleep because it's going to be the last you get for 10 days, if you're doing the whole festival.

The downside was for about an hour I had no internet access on my T-Mobile Blackberry, which sucked tremendously. It didn't help that some bright bulb decided to run a 5,000 tweet campaign for some charitable cause, which I'm sure helped make it impossible for me to respond to people who needed a timely response. Perhaps it was karmic backlash for having no problems last year when all the iPhone users were having issues.

The big bag is gotten, and while it seemed a bit light on the paper, it also had a lot more party invites this year. I can see this year's big annoyance in it, a pen that lights up. It'd be handy if it was just at the tip, but this a veritable torch, giving off more light than my Blackberry screen in the dark.

Tomorrow the fest we've been waiting for opens. I admit I'm really looking forward to seeing Kick-Ass again, but here's a tip for newbies and those who have passes or want to buy tickets: go see something else opening night. Kick-Ass will truly be Kick-Ass, and I'm covering the film, so I have to be there.

That means I don't do what I normally do on opening night, which is to find a film that screens maybe once or twice, and I've yet to be disappointed. So don't neglect those smaller films. Last year I fell in love with the twisted thriller The Square. Maybe this year, you'll fall in love or get paranoid with the privacy doc Erasing David, or the coming-of-age film Cherry, or perhaps the Edward Norton double-headliner Leaves of Grass. There are six other options opposite the Opening-Night film, so take advantage.

Kick-Ass is still coming out in April, and there will be plenty of Kick-Ass events tomorrow, including free rides around downtown in special Kick-Ass SUVs.