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Film has now been part of South by Southwest for 25 years. It鈥檚 grown from a local fest to a competitive international stage for filmmakers and has launched the careers of many big names. Academy Award winner Brie Larson credits SXSW with launching her career and so does Oscar nominee Greta Gerwig.
When SXSW Film began in the mid-90s, it was a very different event than it is today.
鈥淲hen we started off it was all Texas films, maybe films from Sundance,鈥� says , who has led for 10 years. 鈥淎nd, over the years, our landscape in terms of the work we鈥檝e shown has vastly increased. We鈥檙e an international festival. So we鈥檙e not a regional film festival, we can鈥檛 just show Texas films and, in fact, they show a fraction of the Texas films that are submitted to us.鈥�
While the fest鈥檚 growth has meant fewer Texas films, she knows this state loves to love itself.
鈥淚t鈥檚 funny because we have a tip sheet for press and it鈥檚 kind of like 鈥楩ilms Shot in Texas by Texans or filmmakers currently living in Texas鈥� and then there鈥檚 鈥楽hot in Texas by Filmmakers Living Elsewhere鈥� and then there鈥檚 鈥楤y Current Texas Residents Shot Elsewhere鈥� and there are 鈥楤y Native Texans or Past Texas Residents Now Living Elsewhere鈥� or then just 鈥楽ome Texas Relationship,鈥欌�� Pierson says.
Altogether, SXSW Film 2018 is screening 256 films in nine days on 14 screens 鈥� and that includes 89 world premieres, 13 North American premieres and six U.S. premieres.
Of all those, the hottest ticket this year does in fact have a Texas connection. It鈥檚 Houston-born and Austin-educated director Wes Anderson鈥檚 new stop-motion film 鈥� .鈥�
鈥淭his film is extraordinary,鈥� Pierson says. 鈥淲e would have shown it sight unseen. But, we鈥檝e seen it, and it鈥檚 just amazing.鈥�
That鈥檚 the fest鈥檚 closing night film. To open, it鈥檚 the other most anticipated picture: 鈥� .鈥�
鈥淚t鈥檚 a thriller and the premise is like that you can鈥檛 make a sound or the aliens or, whatever, the forces will get you 鈥� so this film is really quiet! But the acting is extraordinary. Emily Blunt is amazing, she鈥檚 pregnant, there are kids. It鈥檚 very suspenseful and really entertaining,鈥� Pierson says.
That one鈥檚 directed by John Krasinski. You know him as the guy from The Office.
Another face you could see around Austin during the film festival? Mark Hamill. He鈥檚 coming with the premiere of a documentary about the making of 鈥淭he Last Jedi.鈥� Spike Lee is also a featured speaker.
Pierson is always reminding folks that SXSW isn鈥檛 just about famous faces, though, but also discovery, like the film 鈥淧rofile鈥� by a director from Kazakhstan, Timur Bekmambetov.
鈥淗e鈥檚 been working for a couple of years just making films within a desktop. Which sounds like 鈥� who wants to see this after working all day? But he鈥檚 perfected the form so that these are intensely entertaining and suspenseful work and they鈥檙e great,鈥� Pierson says.
Another unexpected surprise? A Japanese documentary called 鈥� 鈥� about an artist who is obsessed with 鈥� of all things 鈥� recycling cardboard.
鈥淎nd he鈥檚 so obsessive like he goes to markets and he searches for the right kind of cardboard with the right kind of graphic. In the film he searches to find the designer of this one kind of cherry or orange that鈥檚 on a cardboard and he finds somebody who did this thing 20 years before and he makes art wallets out of them,鈥� Pierson says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 so beautiful.鈥�
The 25th edition of SXSW Film also showcases its continuing evolution. There鈥檚 something new in the episodics lineup.
That鈥檚 from a show 鈥� episodic if you prefer 鈥� called 鈥� 鈥� made by Jordan Peele and starring Tracy Morgan. It鈥檚 screening at SXSW before it comes to TBS. And that鈥檚 something the festival has been doing for a few years now. The idea behind the independent episodics program is to introduce new programs that are still in the works.
鈥淲e鈥檝e talked about it for years and this year we are showing two programs of independent pilots that are looking for funding, looking for a home. And it鈥檚 a great way to kind of be earlier in the process,鈥� Pierson says.
It鈥檚 another chance for the film festival crowd to see something before it gets big. For the rest, it鈥檚 the beginning of the buzz that 鈥� for the best of the fest 鈥� will just continue to build until it finally comes to a screen near you.
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