SXSW Brings 'Woods' and Whedon to Austin

in

The Cabin in the Woods

It's that time again ... we finally get to find out what will open the SXSW Film Festival this year. And like Kick-Ass two years ago, it looks like this opening-night movie will pack in the fanboys and fangirls: The Cabin in the Woods, directed by Drew Goddard and written by Goddard and Joss Whedon, who will be in Austin for the screening. The fest has also announced a few other movie selections and conference events.

The SXSW screening will be the world premiere for The Cabin in the Woods, although it unofficially screened in Austin already -- it was the worst-kept secret and supposedly a big favorite at a certain private local movie marathon in December. Mike saw it and says, "Cabin In The Woods is going to turn the world of horror upside down and shake it to see what falls out. It will change your entire perspective."

In addition to attending the opening-night premiere, Whedon will participate in one of the SXSW Film Conference's one-on-one "conversation" panels on Saturday, March 10.

Filmmaker Lena Dunham, who brought Tiny Furniture to SXSW 2010, will also be participating in a panel this year. She's been working on a TV series called Girls, and will discuss the show with several of her production team members and producer Judd Apatow. Austin filmmaker/actor Alex Karpovsky (who was in Tiny Furniture) will moderate the panel. Dunham will also host a sneak preview of three episodes of Girls, which premieres on HBO in April.

Other SXSW Film 2012 selections announced today, with the synopses from the press release:

  • Beauty is Embarrassing -- A funny, irreverent and insightful look into the life and times of one of America's most important
    artists, Wayne White. World premiere.
  • Citadel -- An agoraphobic father teams up with a renegade priest to save his daughter from the clutches of a
    gang of twisted feral children. World premiere.
  • Marley -- The definitive documentary on the life, music, and legacy of Bob Marley.
  • The Oyster Princess -- Ernst Lubitsch’s tart 1919 silent comedy that parodies the rich and the spoiled. Austin jazz/rock band Bee vs. Moth performs their original score live with the film for the first time.
  • Small Apartments -- When Franklin Franklin accidentally kills his landlord, he must hide the body; but, the wisdom of his
    beloved brother and the quirks of his neighbors, force him on a journey where a fortune awaits him. World premiere.

SXSW 2012 Film Festival and Conference starts on Friday, March 9 and runs through Saturday, March 17. Of course, Slackerwood will be publishing our usual guides and previews to get you started

If badge prices are a bit steep for you this year, you could always consider volunteering for SXSW. Sign up for three shifts or 30 hours, and you're set. The conference and festival is holding two Volunteer Call meetings: Saturday 1/21 from 3 to 5 pm and Tuesday 1/24 from 6 to 9 pm, both at Austin Convention Center (Ballroom ABC on the first floor). If you can't make the meetings, you can email volunteer [at] sxsw [dot] com to find out more information.