I was trying to think of something to blog about that was not SXSW-related, but I soon realized that was pointless. My three favorite industries (film, music, new media) have their eyes focused on SXSW starting today. The 8 a.m. JetBlue flight from JFK on Thursday morning was seemingly packed with nothing but SXSW attendees, both new and familiar faces. When I worked at SXSW, this was always one of my favorite days. Festival Eve was not just “the calm before the storm” but the most relaxed reunion in the world. People arrive one day early to ease into the upcoming 11 days of chaos.
There are Thursday night gatherings both formal (the Texas Film Hall of Fame) and informal. In 2006, I started an annual tradition of SXSW filmmakers and other guests meeting at some random bar. Something was happening for the first time that year: people arrived on Thursday even though no films or panels started until Friday night. Before 2006, there was never that rush of coming to town over 24 hours before the Opening Night films. That year, we realized a shift was occurring, and decided we should come up with something for these filmmakers to do. Each year that has followed, it feels like more and more folks decide to arrive on Thursday.
Before I left for Austin I asked my former SXSW colleague Jarod Neece, “you guys doing the meet-up on Thursday night?” His answer: “You know it.” When most of us arrive a day early to film festivals, you do it because of stress. One gets to Sundance early to shop for groceries and condo supplies. You get to Cannes early in hopes of curing jetlag. At SXSW, people started to come early because everyone’s just so excited to start having fun. I hope I’m always able to experience that.
A few days ago, I mentioned two films that we’re launching out of SXSW 2010. If you’re attending SXSW, come check them out, and meet the filmmakers who are coming over from the UK. If you’re not attending SXSW, you will be able to watch Erasing David and Crying With Laughter on iTunes and Amazon VOD. Either way, here are their trailers now available on Hulu:
And by “titles,” I mean “title sequences.” SXSW is working with AIGA, the professional association for design, for the “Excellence in Title Design” prize. The 18 finalists will be screened on Monday, March 15 and the winners will be announced during the annual SXSW Film Awards ceremony on Tuesday, March 16. The finalists include everything from popular TV shows like Community and Bored to Death, to films such as Up In The Air and Where The Wild Things Are. There are even a few indie productions, as highlighted by Michael Cieply forThe New York Times:
For “Wowie,” one of 18 finalists chosen from about 100 entries, the emphasis was more on imagination than technique. The credits were scrawled with a Sharpie on the writhing belly and hairy limbs of that eight-minute short’s star.
“He was going to have them written on his hand, that’s where it started,” said Craig Webster, a University of Iowa graduate arts student who, with Florina Titz, directed, edited and produced the film, a love story about a “delusional postman.”
But the film’s star, Luther Bangert, whom Mr. Webster describes as a “guy who rides a unicycle” around Iowa City, turned out to have been a circus performer. Among other things, Mr. Bangert did some impressive contortions to get an abdominal shot crediting the directors of photography.
The first real trailer for Tron Legacy is now online. This sequel to the beloved 1982 Disney film, starring Jeff Bridges and Bruce Boxleitner (both returning), opens December 17. Get ready for a lot more on this film between now and then:
I thought that Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin did a fine job as hosts for Sunday night’s Academy Awards. They were a bit under-utilized, but their fleeting moments were always a welcome interruption from what was arguably the most conflict-free Oscars in recent memory. As part of his usual column on The Huffington Post, Alec Baldwin recounts some of what he observed from his point-of-view backstage and onstage. He writes:
Hosting the show is an odd experience because you’re out there, but it isn’t about you. Steve Martin and I worked rather hard, along with the writers and producers, to make sure our contribution did not detract from the primary purpose of the evening, honoring the highest achievements in film. We tell some jokes and show some clips, but the night belongs to the great talent in that room.
I had a wonderful time at the Oscars this year, because the reality of just how many remarkably talented people work in the movie business was never more vivid to me than last night. We all have our preferences (I had to be careful to keep mine to myself in advance of the show).
Baldwin goes on to list specific memories from the evening, and praises everyone from Carey Mulligan to Lee Daniels, in the process.
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