Popular writer Lorraine Ali, of Newsweek, is just one of the many music-based journalists from major publications who decided to fly into Austin early and check out the film festival at SXSW.

Among the comments in her new report:

"Record industry folk, artists and critics all came late this week to SXSW to discover new acts, and hundreds of unsigned bands came to be discovered. It?s where musicians like Beck, The Fugees and Los Lonely Boys showcased their talent early on and impressed rock critics and major record labels. But slowly SXSW has become a new platform for launching independent film."