WHAT WOULD JESUS BUY? was one of the most-talked about docs at SXSW and was received by an incredibly enthusiastic audience at its premiere at the Paramount. Produced by Morgan Spurlock (Super Size Me), the film follows the larger-than-life Reverend Billy and the Church of Stop Shopping gospel choir on their unorthodox national tour of consumer responsibility during the Christmas season.

We sat down with both Morgan and Rev. Billy to chat about the making of the film, spreading the word through humor and the impending "shopacalypse." Oh, and there's some singin', too!

PLAY VIDEO.

Made it to the airport just in time to fitfully sleep through my flight to Austin. Word of advice: if you're flying American, expect a lot of air conditioning and very few blankets.

The Austin airport is small and cute and easy to navigate. I always get a small thrill out of arriving in a new city. I suppose it's the residual, ancestral drive for exploration that resides somewhere deep in our genetic matter. As I drove from the airport into Austin, two things stuck out: the land is very, very flat and the sky is very, very blue. Suddenly, all the songs I've heard that reference the wide skies of Texas made a lot of sense.

After checking into the Hilton, I headed across the street to the convention center to pick up my badge and get situated. Despite the long line, everyone was incredibly friendly and in good spirits.

SUFFERING MAN'S CHARITY
Had barely enough time to make it over to the Paramount Theater to catch a screening of SUFFERING MAN'S CHARITY, directed by Alan Cummings. Mr. Cummings is known for making big, bold character choices and this black comedy provides ample opportunity. He plays Jonathan Vandermark, a music teacher with operatic aspirations, who takes in a writer named Sebastian, played by David Boreanaz (aka "Angel"). Alas, Sebastian is really a hustler, and when Vandermark finds out that he’s been played, he goes to extreme measures to get payback.

Cummings said that it was quite a challenge juggling his dual roles as actor and director. He joked, "It was hard to be splattered with blood and weeping and suddenly have to talk about camera angles." A theme for the piece was acting with abandon, and Cummings said that he asked everyone to approach their roles as if "jumping off a cliff."

Karen Black clearly took these instructions to heart in the role of, in her words, "a drunk nympho" that Sebastian brings home one night. Her special moment on a chair is a joy to watch.

Also a joy to watch - David Boreanaz clad in lingerie and Christmas lights. We interviewed Boreanaz on Saturday afternoon, where he filled us in on his unique wardrobe for SUFFERING, as well as his thoughts on independent film (video goodies coming soon).

OPENING NIGHT FILM: THE LOOKOUT
I exited the Paramount only to turn around and make my way right back inside for Oscar-nominated writer Scott Frank's directorial debut THE LOOKOUT. Joseph Gordon-Levitt stars as Chris Pratt in this small town crime drama. A former high school athlete, Pratt suffers both physical and mental impairments from an accident he caused several years prior, and all he wants is to feel like he used to.

What sets the film apart is its focus on character and moral choices. Frank has done a good job in casting the film. Gordon-Levitt's sympathetic performance pulls the audience in, urging them to root for him to make the right choices. Supporting roles are strong, notably, Jeff Daniels’ as Pratt's blind, cantankerous caretaker and the effervescent Isla Fisher as Luvlee, the lady who lures Pratt into taking part in a bank heist.

OPENING NIGHT PARTY
Following the screening, I headed off to 401 Guadalupe for the Opening Party for the Film program. Sponsored by A&E IndieFilms, there were fajitas on the grill, port-o-potties, and an open bar - the perfect way to kick off a festival.

Spent some time talking with producer Corey Marr, director Matt Bissonnette and his wife Molly Parker, who stars in Bissonnette's WHO LOVES THE SUN (Special Screenings). As luck would have it, the pair is in town for the month while Parker is shooting the CBS pilot SWINGTOWN, so they were easily able to show up at the fest to support the film. iklipz interviewed the WHO LOVES THE SUN team at AFI FEST earlier this year – click here to watch red carpet & clips from the film.

My lack of sleep finally kicked in around 1:30, at which point I excused myself and made my way back for a night of glorious sleep...

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."

Lord of the Rings star Elijah Wood has been a frequent attendee of many festival events during SXSW 2005.

Here, Christy Lemire of AP, sits down and interviews the actor about his new award-winning SXSW feature as well as his budding musical career.

One of the most popular topics of the SXSW Film Festival this week has been the overwhelming crowds and audiences hoping to make it into the sold-out screenings.

Chris Garcia profiles this year's high attendance, taking a look at how things have grown.

Harry Knowles falls for a Chilean comic book coming-of-age film called Promedio Rojo, which had its U.S. Premiere at SXSW 2005. His report is here.

The director, Nicolas Lopez, flew in to Austin for the screening... which packed the Alamo South Lamar. Lopez, a self-professed fan of Knowles, Kevin Smith, and Robert Rodriguez was a fun presence at parties later on.

Christy Lemire of the The Associated Press interviews character actor Stephen Tobolowsky during his visit to the South by Southwest (SXSW) Film Festival.

The actor was in attendance with the narrative/documentary hybrid film, Stephen Tobolowsky's Birthday Party, directed by Robert Brinkmann. The actor also joined a panel discussion called "Acting Out" featuring Marcia Gay Harden, David Krumholtz, and more.

Al Franken pulls double-duty with a SXSW interview, live broadcast, the same day. Matt Thompson reports in the Austin American-Statesman.

Todd Solondz, the maker of such dark, daring films as "Happiness" and "Storytelling," had very traditional influences growing up. While talking about his new movie, "Palindromes," which touches on teen pregnancy and abortion, he shared fond memories of going to see "Mary Poppins" and "The Sound of Music" at New York's Radio City Music Hall as a child. The Associated Press profiles the director and film.

Having just checked in to the hotel here in Austin, its time to settle in for SXSW '05. The festival seems to have a solid lineup this year, a roster that fest/conference producer Matt Dentler is quite proud of, as he explained yesterday in a brief email interview for indieWIRE on the eve of this year's festival.

More to come as we get our bearings... [Eugene Hernandez]