SXSW

Why Day 0? Because SXSW Film hasn't really started, of course. But that doesn't mean it wasn't a busy day. Hundreds of people were in line well before 3 pm to pick up their badges a day early. Even with hiccups, though, I got my badge in 15 minutes as well as my press tag. The line kept growing but people moved through quickly once it got going.

They were still working hard to set up all the panel rooms and spaces being used for SXSW but things were clearly coming together yesterday afternoon. So I hope everyone got a good night's sleep because it's going to be the last you get for 10 days, if you're doing the whole festival.

The downside was for about an hour I had no internet access on my T-Mobile Blackberry, which sucked tremendously. It didn't help that some bright bulb decided to run a 5,000 tweet campaign for some charitable cause, which I'm sure helped make it impossible for me to respond to people who needed a timely response. Perhaps it was karmic backlash for having no problems last year when all the iPhone users were having issues.

Each year the SXSW Film Festival and Conference supports the Austin film community by hosting special screenings by local film-related nonprofit organizations. As part of the Austin Media Arts Committee (AMAC) series,  Austin Film Society, Austin School of Film and Reel Women have each compiled two programs that showcase their members' work. All SXSW badgeholders and non-badgeholders are encouraged to come out and check out the showcases. Audiences will also have the opportunity to vote on their favorite Reel Women short, and the winning filmmaker will receive a special award package.

The Austin School of Film has not released their lineup yet for their screenings on Sunday, March 14 at noon and Monday, March 15 at 2 pm. The Austin Film Society and Reel Women have made their programs available. Here's the 2010 lineup:

Austin Film Society Program for Saturday, March 13 at noon (70 mins)

• Make a Wish, dir. David Ward
• Squeezed Out of Business, dir. Chithra Jeyaram
• The Alligator, dir. Jeff Marrow
• Seeds of Change, dir. Kelly West
• Big Hands, dir. Aaron Holloway
• Manos de Madre, dir. Greg Kwedar

Austin Film Society Program for Sunday, March 14 at 2 pm (70 mins)

• Platypus Rex in: ABC-Hole, dir. Bob Ray 
• I Love You, Will Smith, dir. Bradley Jackson 
• Never Do This, dir. Scott Rice 
• To Do That, dir. Jason Brenizer 
• Der Vater, dir. James Moore 
• El Pez, dir. Brian Scofield 
• Shades of the Border, dir. Patrick Smith 
• The Shrimp, dir. Keith Wilson

In conjunction with the Austin Parks and Recreation Department, SXSW returns to the George Washington Carver Museum & Cultural Center with several events open to the general public. This year's evening events include:

• "Blacks in Technology" on Friday, March 12 (6 pm-9 pm) and
• "Latinos in Technology" Sunday, March 14 (6 pm-9 pm)

Carver will also host the Texas High School Shorts on Saturday, March 13 at 5 pm. This showcase serves as a preview of the next filmmaking generation, as Texas high school students present shorts of 5 minutes or less.

Also screening for free at Carver is The Work of Alan Govenar: Part 1, Sunday, March 14 at 2 pm, featuring:

• Little Willie Eason and His Talking Gospel Guitar (2005) takes the stage of the street and a House of God Church south of Miami to highlight the man who introduced the pedal steel guitar as an instrument to express his deep-seeded faith.

Although he hails from Baltimore, documentary filmmaker Mike Woolf is now firmly planted in Austin and no stranger to SXSW. In 2000, he started Beef and Pie Productions with renowned photographer/DP Andrew Yates and producer Karen Yates. Four of their short docs including Growin’ A Beard, The 72oz Steak, Tuesday Nighter and Life is Marbleous have premiered at SXSW. I caught Growin' A Beard at SXSW in 2003, and was amazed to see how the filmmakers made an engaging documentary based on an annual beard-growing contest in Shamrock, Texas.

The Beef and Pie Productions team has now taken on their first full-length documentary, Richard Garriott: Man on a Mission, featuring a certain local entrepreneur and the first second-generation astronaut. I had the chance to sit down with Mike Woolf at the Draught House -- hence all the beer references -- to discuss his latest project. Here's what he had to say:

What attracted you to Man on a Mission and how did you get involved with this subject?

Both Brady Dial [producer] and I have known Richard Garriott through a mutual friend. We knew this wasn't just a $30 million vacation for Richard. We knew that he would be the first son of an astronaut to go to space ... that alone was enough to consider following him. We knew his dad Owen Garriott was involved in his mission, and we learned that Richard had basically pioneered private space travel to make this happen. Finally, Richard is a born storyteller -- that's what his games are about, his haunted houses and his mansion. Put that all together and we knew it was worth trying to make this project happen.

Despite the risk of creating lines at the places I want to eat at during SXSW, I'm gonna share some secrets with you. Austin has many more restaurants than the ones you automatically see while treading the usual paths between venues. And with a little extra effort, you can enjoy some really great (maybe even healthful) meals.

We're not going to recreate the resources at Yelp, Urban Spoon, Dishola and the Austin Chronicle, which we recommend as handy resources on local eateries and more. But you probably don't have time to search through all that, and you might not even know where to find great restaurants in town. Here are some possibilities to explore near the SXSW 2010 film festival venues

Near Alamo Drafthouse on South Lamar

You'll find plenty of dining around the theater/restaurant if you decide you just don't want another Alamo meal. But let me point out what you get at Alamo Drafthouse, as I know there are a few unititiated souls reading this. It's not just a theater. It's got table service and a full menu, as well as beer and wine, and at the Ritz you can get cocktails. Think pub food gone wild, with specials like the Kick-Ass Tofu Sandwich and Lamb of the Gods, as well as classics like the Royale With Cheese Burger and Porky's pepperoni pizza. I'm still partial to the Matango pizza, which started as a special last SXSW. Brunch specials are available on weekends, and gluten-free and vegetarian items are marked on the menu.

Across the street and a few steps south is a little food trailer park, with Odd Duck and Gourdoughs. Gourdoughs offers donuts that eat like a meal and they are open late; talk to some locals to find out just how tasty they are. OddDuck is only open Tuesdays through Saturday starting at 5 pm, but they are farm-to-trailer, inexpensive and really good. Portions aren't huge, but they are filling.

Update: The 2011 guide for locals and non-badgeholders is now available.

The SXSW Film Festival schedule looks excellent this year, and even though you didn't buy a badge, maybe you're thinking about catching a few of the films over the course of the eight-day fest. Don't you want to hang out with Film Fest Geek Barbie?

But perhaps you haven't bought a film pass or SXSW film tickets before, or you remember it being a hassle last time. Fear not -- here are some tips on enjoying the films at SXSW even if you don't have a badge this time. You'll miss the conference, but if you plan ahead, you can catch a bunch of good movies.

Your options if you don't have a badge:

SXSW Film Pass -- The film-fest equivalent of the Music fest wristband. You're in a second-tier line, and are admitted into a screening after the badgeholders line has been let into the theater, if space permits. Passes for 2009 are $70 and are now available at Waterloo Records or any Austin-area Alamo Drafthouse. If you see multiple movies a day, this is a steal.

South by Southwest Film Festival and Conference is a particularly busy time for the folks over at Austin Film Society (AFS). Their biggest annual event is the Texas Film Hall of Fame Awards, which is being held on Thursday, March 11 at Austin Studios. SXSW Film provides the opportunity for AFS to showcase several of their filmmakers' short films at the Austin Media Arts Committee (AMAC) special screenings at the Hideout. Many AFS Texas Filmmakers Production Fund (TFPF) award winners will also be premiering their films at SXSW, including Austin filmmaker Miguel Alvarez (Mnemosyne Rising).

These SXSW special events couldn't happen without two critical AFS staff members, Agnes Varnum and Bryan Poyser. Agnes has been busy for weeks in preparation of the Texas Film Hall of Fame Awards, and is one of the featured panelists for "How to Rawk SXSW Film." Attendees learn from professionals in the industry how to make meaningful connections with all the independent film and new media professionals in town for the event. Bryan coordinates the AMAC screenings for AFS at the Hideout, hosts a Texas Filmmakers Production Fund Workshop, and as one of my favorite panel moderators is part of the "The Kids are Alright: Jay and Mark Duplass Plus" panel. Even more exciting, Bryan's film Lovers of Hate -- well-received at last month's Sundance Film Festival -- is also screening at SXSW. I caught up to this dynamic duo by email for an interview, and here's what they had to say.

Film festivals are fun, right?  Films, partying, it's a blast. Well, yes and no; the unprepared film festgoer is likely to end up miserable as early as halfway through. If you're a seasoned SXSW badgeholder, you still might find some value in this survival guide written by a local who usually sees 4-6 screenings a day without resorting to a car or hotel room.

Last year's survival guide had such a strong response, I'm updating it with even more useful tips. Jette has also provided us with Film Fest Geek Barbie (pictured at right), complete with mobile phone, water bottle, and handy shoulder bag. She even keeps a toothbrush, tissues, an energy bar and a DVD screener of her short film stashed in there. Obviously, she's been paying attention to the following suggestions.

Sleep
Get it now, while you can.  Do not skimp on sleep before the festival. Arriving well-rested means you're more likely to have the endurance to make it through the festival, especially if you stay for all 10 days, and most especially if you also add Interactive and/or Music. I'm not exaggerating, I went into the shorter Fantastic Fest sleep deprived and missed out on the infamous Team Bill versus Team Eric karaoke battle because of it, as well as being such a zombie people thought I was ignoring them. 

Comfortable Shoes
Opt for comfort over style and wear shoes you know you can stand in for hours. This is not the time to try out new, pretty shoes, but rely on your old faithful sneakers, sandals, and Danskos and Birkenstocks. After your first 45-minute line, you'll thank me. After your fifth, your feet will thank you. Me, I'm swapping out shoes daily, having the home closet advantage, and alternating between Danksos, Earth Sandals and sneakers. My feet will be happy and so will my bad knees.

Let's see what the latest Austin and SXSW film news is today.

• The big big news: Robert Rodriguez is bringing a rough cut of Predators, which he's produced, to SXSW. He and director Nimrod Antal will present a "First Look" at the movie, which was partially shot in Austin, on opening night (Friday, March 12) at Alamo Ritz at 10:15 pm. The dark side of this news is that the bigger Ritz theater only holds about 200 people, maybe a few more if they squeeze folks into the balconies. Even though the event is open only to SXSW badgeholders, you'd probably have to line up outside the Ritz before the opening-night film even starts in order to get a seat. (People are already talking about lining up that afternoon.) So sadly, I'm unlikely to be reporting on this event myself.
• In addition, the SX Fantastic "Super Secret Screening" has been announced: it's the world premiere of 13, Gela Babluani's bigger-budget remake of his 2006 film Tzameti. The film stars Jason Statham, Mickey Rourke, Ben Gazzara and (Fantastic Fest favorite) Alexander Skarsgard.
• SXSW film passes are now on sale: $70 for eight days, which is an excellent deal for second-tier access to a lot of good movies around town. Individual tickets are $10 so if you see 8 movies you're ahead financially (plus, ahead in the admission lines). You can buy passes at Alamo Ritz, South Lamar, and Village, and at Waterloo Records. Look for our special guide for passholders and ticket buyers next week.

Among the many world premieres at SXSW in just two weeks is Geoff Marslett's Mars, a sci-fi rom-com indie brimming with local and nationally known talent. Earlier this week, Jette and I caught up with Marslett and talked about Austin, film and food over a long brunch at Olivia on South Lamar. 

Marslett is a veteran of short films, and a self-taught animator on faculty at The University of Texas at Austin. His films have been featured at CinemaTexas, SXSW, and even in Spike and Mike's Sick and Twisted Film Festival (vol. 7).  Perhaps best known for the award winning Monkey Versus Robot as well as Bubblecraft, Marslett has worked on 14 of his own shorts as well as contributing to other films such as Last Man Standing: Politics Texas Style. In 2009, Marslett was named one of the "25 New Faces of Independent Film" by Filmmaker magazine.

Three years ago, Marslett started working on Mars, with a 17-day live-action shoot followed by two years of animation work. This was a labor of love and obsession, with Marslett and his team of animators and interns working impossible hours to complete the film over the last two years while he also juggled a teaching schedule at UT's RTF program.