SXSW 2012: Day Five, 'Trash Dance' and Awards

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Trash Dance red carpet

Find your second wind yet? I haven't, but I did manage to make it to three SXSW events on Tuesday. First up, I finally saw Trash Dance, which earned two standing ovations: first for director Andrew Garrison and choreographer Allison Orr, and then for two of the participants in the Trash Project, Tony and Orange, who had just finished their shift at work and had the audience in stitches. All the men and women who participated in the Trash Project will make you think differently about the people who help keep our cities clean. It may have been Bernie that won the Louis Black Lone Star Award this year at SXSW, but Trash Dance earned a Special Jury Recognition nod last night as well.

Even though we're halfway through the festival, the film conference is over, so most of the film awards were given out last night. Not all, as not all the audience awards have been tallied (more announcements on the 17th and the 19th). It was the first time I've made it the awards ceremony and it was fun ... and unlike the Oscars, there was no way SXSW Film Festival Producer Janet Pierson was going to let it go over the scheduled timeslot. Of course it helps that several filmmakers weren't there to accept their awards in person. Check out the list of awards and see how the new screening timeslots fit into your schedule.

What made it more fun for me was making a new friend at the Film Awards Reception after the ceremony. This is where I remind you that as annoying as lines may be, they are a great opportunity to make friends. If it weren't for the long line for the food, I might not have met them, especially since they're flying out tomorrow. I had planned on grabbing something to eat (which was dinner) and then to sit with friends; instead, I chattered on with someone I'd never met before, and perhaps even helped them network. And SXSW is as much about that as it is about the films.

I almost made it to another midnighter, but I had just a little too much time on my hands, and my back is killing me from the seats at the Stateside and Paramount. Don't get me wrong, I love the Paramount, and it's a great venue for an Austin film, but the seats are not made for tall people, and while Stateside has more legroom, the arms are so low that my back has been hurting ever since. But I'm old. Tall and old.

And that leads me to Good Deeds. I meant to mention yesterday that I saw a man who didn't get a bill for a soda leave money for it at the Ritz. He could have easily justified not paying, but he didn't, so kudos to him.

I need to revise my schedule for the next few days, but now, sleep.

[Photo credit: "Trash Dance SXSW 2012 Red Carpet" by Jette Kernion. All rights reserved.]