SXSW is Finally Here! Now What?
SXSW is upon us and I always get a little antsy trying to figure out my schedule. It's tough to balance the screenings, panels, parties and general socializing with friends I only see at festival time. Not for the first time, I had to decide if I was going to stick with a Film badge or upgrade to Gold to take advantage of the Interactive conference. Thankfully, SXSW knows the lines between Interactive and Film get blurrier each year, and offer a number of joint panels and events.
Like every other year, I like to have a screening-heavy schedule. SXSW is a film lover's dream because the programming is very eclectic, with an emphasis on smart, independent films (Hollywood hates me, but I'll write about that later). This year, my most anticipated films seem to include more docs than usual, something I blame on SXSW; I never used to be a big doc fan, but the lineup is consistently strong, and several of them really resonate with me.
Just a few of the films I'm looking forward to seeing are:
Objectified (Spotlight Premieres)
Director: Gary Hustwit
Hustwit's Helvectiva was one of my favorites from SXSW 2007, as I'm an admitted font geek, and this just made me a bigger one. A friend rolled his eyes at my excitement... til he saw it, and got the font geek bug ("look! Helvetica is everywhere!"). Hustwit certainly likes his titles succinct, and that's definitely the case of Objectified, described as "A glimpse into our relationship to manufactured objects and, by extension, the people who design them." If he can sensitize my jaded friend to fonts, I can't wait to see what he does with this subject. There's also a panel on the subject as well, for both Interactive and Film badge holders.
Mine (Documentary Feature Competition)
Director: Geralyn Pezanoski
The subtitle is "Taken By Katrina." Austin has no few Katrina refugees, and I remember my emotional reaction to the stories of families forced to abandon their pets, and the heartbreaking images of those pets in the aftermath. I know what it's like to be parted for months from a beloved pet, but I knew I was getting mine back, so I can only imagine what some of these people have gone through. Being a documentary about the pets caught between rescuers and their previous family obviously caught my attention. I'll make sure to have a stack of tissues with me. I know I'll be sobbing.
Motherland (Emerging Visions)
Director: Jennifer Steinman
The concept intrigued me; Six grieving mothers on a 17-day intensive pilgrimage to volunteer in rural South Africa. I know this will be another tear jerker, but I can't seem to remove it from my calendar.
St. Nick (Emerging Visions)
Director: David Lowery
I fully intended to skip this Texas film, then Jette turned me on to the trailer, and it hooked me. SXSW is pretty good with scheduling, but it's just not possible to see everything. The premise is a brother and sister are on the run from something, and take refuge in an abandoned house, "and, for a brief, happy period, manage to escape the harsh realities of their circumstances." The trailer makes me think this is one that's going to get under my skin.
Artois the Goat (Narrative Features Competition)
Directors: Cliff Bogart, Kyle Bogart
How can I resist a film summed by the line, "A felonious German baker, a grave-digging hermit, and a tiny white goat color this journey of love, destiny and dairy products." All three screenings are at the Alamo, so if I catch it on the weekend, I could have the Smoked Salmon and Goat Cheese Pate. If not, then perhaps the Wild at Artichoke Heart pizza, or the Goat Cheese Salad.
Drag Me to Hell (Special Screenings)
Director: Sam Raimi. Writers: Ivan Raimi, Sam Raimi
Who cares if it's a work in progress, it's Sam Raimi. SXSW is, after all, the film geek festival. With it screening at the Paramount, it's guaranteed to be a rowdy event, in the best possible way. This won't be the jerks who can't keep their mouths shut, it'll be a communal experience.
There's also all the midnight films, and this year it's double the terror, double the fun. SXSW continues to build on its partnership with Fantastic Fest, adding a special category called Fantastic at Midnight on top of the existing Midnight screenings. As a long time badge holder for both festivals, this makes me very, very happy. SXSW developed my horror/comedy tooth over the years, so I really look forward to these films, which usually feature international titles, adding a nice perspective. It's always the hardest part of my schedule to juggle.
Filial grieving themes abound this year, including a grieving father's wrath (The Horseman), the bond between mother and her unborn child's corpse (Grace), the aftermath of a daughter's drowning (Lake Mungo), and the house with a dark past (The Haunting in Connecticut). And to make the decisions even harder, they announced a couple of days ago that there will be a special screening of Tobe Hooper's locally shot and unseen for decades Eggshells, opposite of a Spirit Award nominated film. Decisions, decisions.
[Photo credit: "SXSW - Film t-shirt detail" by Stef Lewandowski on Flickr, used under Creative Commons license.]