It’s that time again: South By SouthWest PanelPicker voting is open, which means you get a say in the panels that appear at the Film, Music, and Interactive Conferences. Voting closes on Friday so get yourself over to the site and vote.
Regional Filmmaking: Revenge of the Flyover States – The best film festival in the U.S. is in Texas, so why should the best filmmakers in the country have to live in New York or Los Angeles? Working filmmakers from the so-called “flyover states” talk about the challenges and advantages of making movies outside of the cities traditionally associated with filmmaking. Also proposed by me and Jesse. Vote for it.
Sex it Up! – What’s the difference between art and porn? The old joke is that “one is in focus,” but it’s also an aesthetic distinction that is increasingly irrelevant. Just as more “mainstream” indie filmmakers are utilizing explicit themes and imagery in their works, a new school of directors working on the adult side of the industry are creating works that defy the porn clichés. Even if you’re not looking to bare all, here’s your chance to learn from each and tell stories that move past the bedroom door to embrace the full range of our experiences. Proposed by Lisa Vandever of Cinekink. Vote for it!
Yet another in our series of South by Southwest 2010 videos, this time with Brian Chirls, creator of Crowd Controls. This venture is based on his work with Four-Eyed Monsters and is currently powering some of the fan engagement with Iron Sky.
Thanks to Mark Potts for shooting and editing this video.
The third in our series of South by Southwest 2010 videos features Managing Director of IFF Boston Brian Tamm. Brian talks about the reasons he and other IFF Boston staff members attend other festivals like SXSW.
The Independent Film Festival of Boston starts tonight with their opening night film, The Extra Man. Kevin Kline will be at the Somerville Theater after the screening to receive a career achievement award from the festival. If you live in the Boston area and you hadn’t made plans to attend, I highly recommend showing up.
Thanks to Mark Potts for shooting and editing this video.
In this episode Jesse Trussell and I are joined by filmmaker Mark Potts and a surprise guest or two while waiting to see MacGruber at SXSW 2010. This was a really fun episode to record. The background noise of the crowd and a few friends wandering by – one of whom stopped in to contribute substantially – really made it a great experience. We’re going to have to do this again. Listen now.
Trevor was kind enough to duck out of the convention center and spend a few minutes talking with me about the first Sundance on his watch as Director of Programming, and about some of his favorite festival moments.
Kudos to Mark Potts for shooting and editing this series of videos.
I’m fond of telling filmmakers that friendships and business relationships are the real rewards of the film festival circuit. Seeing a dozen or so collaborators stand up in front of the awards audience at this year’s South By SouthWest reaffirmed that feeling. They were the filmmakers who came together to help Lena Dunham make the festival’s 2010 grand prize winner, “Tiny Furniture.”
Typical of the smaller films premiering at the festival is “Tiny Furniture,” a story of female post-collegiate ennui playing as part of this year’s narrative feature competition. The movie marks a personal and professional leap that could only have been achieved through the support of SXSW, which played filmmaker Lena Dunham’s debut feature, “Creative Nonfiction,” in last year’s lineup.
While at the festival in 2009, Dunham not only met cinematographer Jody Lee Lipes, but also her key collaborators for “Tiny Furniture,” producers Alicia Van Couvering and Kyle Martin, editor Lance Edmands and costar Alex Karpovsky.
The festival “was really the connective tissue for my relationships with a lot of these people,” Dunham says. “I just wanted to connect with other filmmakers but I don’t think I expected it would be such a gold rush.”
If you’re coming to the South By Southwest film festival this weekend, you’ll have the chance to see me speak during the Short Film Secrets panel on Tuesday, March 16th at 2:00 p.m.
The official description from the SXSW guide: There’s more out there for shorts than just YouTube, despite apparently limited sales and distribution avenues. Learn to make the most of festivals, the red flags that might keep you out, how to get away with breaking the rules, and what to do with that opus afterwards.
I will also be serving on the Texas Short Film jury at the festival, and you’ll be able to buy copies of Film Festival Secrets in the bookshop on the expo floor.
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It’s that time again: South By SouthWest PanelPicker voting is open, which means you get a say in the panels that appear at the Film, Music, and Interactive Conferences. Voting closes on Friday so get yourself over to the site and vote.
If you’re coming to the South By Southwest film festival this weekend, you’ll have the chance to see me speak during the 
