Share Your Panel Ideas for SXSW 2012

It may seem hard to believe that planning for the 2012 SXSW Festivals and Conferences has already started, but that's how SXSW is able to offer a staggering amount of programming every year. The PanelPicker entry process for SXSW 2012 opened this week, and SXSW welcomes ideas for their daytime programming from the community.

Proposals will be accepted now through the end of the day on Friday, July 15. Are you knowledgeable on a particular film, music, or interactive related subject, or can come up with a panel of experts? Enter a proposal for a solo presentation, workshop or panel via the PanelPicker and your idea could possibly be included in the 2012 SXSW Festivals and Conferences.

SXSW is particularly looking for daytime programming to include the future of new media, music and filmmaking. To learn more about this year's panel submission process, read the PanelPicker FAQ, which contains answers to just about any question you can think of.

The new and improved SXSW PanelPicker allows you to self-edit your proposal through Friday, August 5. Whether you submit an idea or just want to vote, I recommend signing up for a SXSW PanelPicker account while you ponder your choices. The deadline for submitting panels is Friday, July 15, with community voting to take place from Monday, August 15 through Friday, September 2.

Speaking of programming deadlines, SXSW Film announced last month that the late -- and final -- deadline for film submissions has moved up. Due to an increase in submissions and the relatively small amount of time in which to review films, the film submission deadline of Tuesday, November 15, 2011, is a full month earlier than in the past. Filmmakers should also note that deadlines are now on a received basis, not postmarked date. All 2012 submissions must be in the SXSW offices in Austin by November 15, 2011 to be considered for 2012. This change will allow the SXSW Film staff enough time to review and decide on film programming.

For those filmmakers who want to save on submission fees, make sure that you submit your film by the early deadline of Tuesday, October 4. If you miss the early deadline, you still have until Tuesday, November 1, 2011 to receive a discounted fee.

SXSW Film accepts submissions in several categories, including Narrative Feature, Documentary Feature, Narrative Short, Documentary Short, and more. SXSW is also an official qualifying festival for the Academy Awards Short Film competition -- the Best Narrative Short and Best Animated Short winners become eligible for the Academy Awards. As I mentioned in my 2011 review of Narrative Shorts, SXSW offers top-notch short films that are both engaging and heartwrenching -- just the other day I shared the stories of Animal Control and The Strange Ones.

Mark your calendar now for these important 2012 dates: SXSW Interactive (March 9-13), SXSW Film (March 9-17), SXSW Music (March 14-18).

Have a panel idea? Feel free to share in the comments!