I haven't had a chance to see too many SXSW films in advance, but one that I've watched a few times and highly recommend is my friend Sascha Paladino's "Throw Down Your Heart," the story of his brother Bela Fleck's journey to take the banjo back to its homeland of Africa. Great music and a terrific journey are at the heart of Sascha's first feature, which is previewed in this week's Austin Chronicle. I have a sense it'll be a crowd-pleaser tomorrow night at its world premiere...

The film is being repped by John Pierson and his advanced producing class at the University of Texas, here in Austin. Apparently the street team did their advance work... I spotted this poster for the film upon walking in the door at Guero's on South Congress yesterday.
[photo by eugene hernandez]