Saucy and Slackery SXSW Tidbits

in

SXSW FilmOnly a few days before SXSW Film starts, and I still am not entirely sure which movies I'm going to see. I always end up changing my schedule at the last minute, anyway.

Slackerwood still has interviews, helpful guides, and other SXSW-related info that will be appearing this week, so keep checking your RSS feed, or bookmark, or whatever you use. (We may even have non-SXSW news, amazingly.) Here are some bits of news and information that you surely want to know before Friday:

  • B-Side SXSW 2009 Festival Genius -- Have you tried this yet? It's lots of fun and also can be very useful. Check out B-Side's handy video overview and tutorial. You plug in the titles of the films you want to see at SXSW this year, and Festival Genius makes you a tidy little schedule with no overlaps. The only drawback is that Festival Genius doesn't care if you have to run back and forth three times from Alamo South to Paramount, but maybe you don't care either, if the films are good enough.
  • SXSW Advance Tickets -- If you're a SXSW Film badgeholder, watch the linked video for info about the new Advance Ticket system, which ensures you get into the movies you want to see most.
  • SXSW Restaurant Specials -- Courtesy of Yelp. Uchi is near Alamo South; Cuba Libre is next to where the old Alamo Downtown used to be; Taste, Paciugo Gelato, Imperia and Taverna are in easy walking distance of the Paramount and Ritz.
  • Vegetarian and Vegan Survival Guide to SXSW -- Veg Out! Austin has compiled a wonderfully comprehensive listing of vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free offerings in downtown restaurants. And don't forget David Lowery's recommendations, too.
  • The 2009 SXSW Film Family Tree -- Aaron Hillis updated his graphic from 2007 of "mumblecore"-ish films and filmmakers, many of which are in Austin. And speaking of mumblecore, you've got to read Zane Rutledge's "Ten Commandments of Mumblecore," which made me giggle. A lot.
  • The Carver Museum is hosting several SXSW-related events that are free to the general public -- you don't need a badge.
  • Finally, I just want to say that I love the SXSW Interactive tote bag design this year, and enjoyed reading about how it was designed. (If anyone wants to swap me an Interactive bag for some of the interesting stuff in my Movie Swag Drawer, let me know.)

SXSW pre-conference jitters

There are just too many films and you get all nervous that you will miss something you really, really want to see. Then you settle in and realize that it's all about the in between drinks and snacks (half price wine and apps...yea!) and meeting people in lines.

I've tried to make a schedule on both the SXSW site and B-side. The genius didn't understand that I had relatives coming in on the last weekend and that I didn't want to run all over the place. I was annoyed that B-side both in its genius and its grid KNOWS run times and uses them for calculations and displays but neither site has run times readily available. But, anyway, my grouchiness will go away when the festival starts.

I'm also a bit circumspect about the advanced tickets bit. I mean this essentially means there are four lines. Or five if you count VIPs getting in first. And you have to go stand in a line to get them, deciding what two to pick up. Do you try to get the jump on tomorrow and take your chances on today? Also is SXSW giving the priority tickets to certain people regardless to help them jump the badge line, in effect, even though one paid all this money for the badge? I feel all grumpy about it.

Like I said, though, once the fest starts and I realize that everyone else is at some narrative feature about young peoples' angst and we are watching some obscure doc (Conspiracy theories? A soul concert in Africa in '74?) and meeting someone in line we'll become friends with for a few days or life...then all will be well.

See you around...LB

The Ticket Thing

The badge ticket concept isn’t as bad as it appears. They implemented a similar system at Fantastic Fest last year and while not perfect, it was a vast improvement over line sitting for hours even with a badge to make those “only reason I got a badge” films. You knew for sure you could get in, and not having a ticket didn’t mean you couldn’t get seating in some instances.

I imagine folks trying to get into Alamo Ritz screenings will be the most appreciative, as I know at least a few badgeholders unable to get into the first and second screenings of Dance of the Dead there last year.

I know the Bside festival Genuis isn't perfect, but they keep making nifty improvements (it's a big step up from last September and Fantastic Fest).