What I Learned From My First SXSW Film Festival Experience

By Reid Connell

Editor's Note: Reid Connell won the Austin Film Society Intern blogging contest last semester. He won a badge to SXSW and shares his reflections on the the experience. --Agnes Varnum

As I sit in my living room on the Sunday after SXSW, sipping from a bottle of NyQuil, surrounded by dozens of cough-drop wrappers, I reflect on what exactly SXSW 2012 has taught me. I got the chance to see so many great movies, learn some great insight at a number of panels and share an experience like no other with some great people. Looking back this is what I've learned at SXSW.

When someone tells you to be wary of sicknesses lurking at SXSW, heed their advice.

I'm sick, very sick, have been all week. And whether it's from standing for hours in the rain or shaking strangers hands or spending too much time on Sixth Street, I only know one thing for sure; I have SXSW to thank. At the start of the festival I gawked at all the germ-a-phobes wiping their hands with Germ-X like it was some sort of religious obligation, now I envy them. I'm sure it could have been that simple and I wouldn't be writing this while coiled up in every blanket I have in the house.

There are too many good movies not to see. So when people ask me, "Are you getting enough sleep?" I scream, "No way!" I have to find downtown parking before 8 am and have to see V/H/S at midnight and then do it all again tomorrow. How could you possibly be getting enough sleep during SXSW. So I learned: Take precautions. With movies from all over the world and people too you'll never know what type of flu or cold you can catch. Also, if you get sick during the festival, you quit or you suck it up and watch as many movies as you can without passing out. Your choice.

I thought parking downtown was going to be "tough" during SXSW, quickly learned it's impossible.

I found driving through downtown during this past week was the quickest way to put me in a bad mood. If one more pedicab cut me off, if one more garage tried to charge me $30, if I had to listen to any more dubstep remixes from the car next to me in traffic, I'm sure I'd be writing this from a slightly less cozy environment. I'm a person who doesn't connect well with big huge crowds of people. If you're like me come Wednesday (when Music starts), stay as far away from downtown as you possibly can.

I found a few solutions to parking on a budget during SXSW. Firstly, stay at Alamo Drafthouse on South Lamar. They have movies playing all day from 2-4 theaters. You can certainly program your whole day around this venue and stay far from the downtown crowds. And if you really need to trek into downtown, take the Film Fest Flyer (if you have a badge). It'll drop you at the Austin Convention Center without all the hassle of driving yourself and looking for parking. The flyer is one of the most underutilized aspects of the festival but is so important!

For the slightly more desperate SXSW filmgoer: Drive to Rainey Street at 6 am. Get free parking and nap in your car till the first movie. You'll enjoy free parking, a safe place to park your car and a short walk to downtown. It's win-win in my book. And finally if you're having the thought, "Well let me just go see if I can find parking on 4th and Brazos," stop right there, take a deep breath and pick a different thought.

Shit! I didn't sign up for any mentor sessions.

I heard Sean Durkin, director of Martha Marcy May Marlene, was in town and was doing a mentor session. I'd never done a mentor session, this being my first SXSW, so I thought I'd sign up for that online the night before. Turns out I'm not the only one who had that idea. The mentor session with Sean Durkin had been booked for weeks. It was a naïve thought but worth trying.

The next day I found myself wandering around the Convention Center not buying six-dollar sodas looking for some way to kill time. I thought maybe I could at least catch a glimpse of Sean Durkin and that'd be a cool enough story to brag about. When I arrived at the room, it was almost empty. No one who signed up actually went. They said, "Who do you want to talk with? We have Andrew Bujowski, Bryan Poyser, Sean Durkin etc." I nonchalantly replied, "I mean if Sean Durkin isn't doing anything, sure."

So they brought me to a table with one of my favorite filmmakers from last year and we chatted. For almost a half hour. About filmmaking, John Hawkes, screenwriting, directing, film festivals, Sam Mendes, shitty Bluegrass bands, The White Horse, Skrillex and film schools. What I learned was even if you didn't sign up, you can still probably talk to Sean Durkin for 25 minutes and that's all you need to feel inspired.

I went back the next day and chatted with Holly Herrick, Programmer at Hamptons International Film Festival. She was a wonderful person who gave me some great insight on getting into festivals and getting a job with festivals. I can't recommend these mentor sessions enough, even if you didn't sign up.

Texas sure knows how to make movies.

From KID-THING to America's Parking Lot, Hellion to Somebody Up There Likes Me, Do-Deca-Pentathlon to Trash Dance, Slacker 2011 to Bernie I can tell Texas is doing something right. Some of the very best of my festival experiences came from right here in Austin. Which is really special when you think about it. A culmination of the best independent filmmaking out there and a master class on how it should be done. I feel honored to vaguely be a part of it. I'd like to thank the Austin Film Society, Slackerwood and SXSW for including me in such a magical experience. I can't wait for next year.

Quick Facts:

• Premiering your movie at the Paramount is the only way to premiere your movie.
• After seeing Trash Dance, I will now try that much harder to keep Sixth Street that much cleaner.
• Get to the Violet Crown now if you want seats for SXSW 2013.
• Bring a date to Alamo Slaughter and share a cute little table for two!

Reid Connell is the Programming Apprentice at the Austin Film Society.

[Photo credit: Jette Kernion.]