Film FAQ

SXSW Film takes place in Austin, Texas each March. This year's dates are March 11 - 19, 2011.

The SXSW Film Conference and Festival is a uniquely creative environment featuring the dynamic convergence of talent, smart audiences and industry heavyweights. A hotbed of discovery and interactivity, the event offers invaluable networking opportunities and immersion into the art and business of the rapidly evolving world of independent film.

The Film Conference buzzes as world-class speakers, creative minds, and notable mentors tackle the latest filmmaking trends amidst the unmatched social atmosphere of the SXSW experience. Simultaneously, the internationally acclaimed, nine-day Festival celebrates raw innovation and emerging talent, featuring a truly diverse program that includes provocative documentaries, subversive comedies, DIY narratives, genre standouts and more.

SXSW Film launched in 1994, so this year will be our 18th event!

Screening at SXSW is a cost effective way for your film to reach a wide segment of the film industry and generate valuable buzz. If your film is accepted for a screening and you effectively prepare and promote your film, you will have the chance to screen for a highly influential audience of industry experts and knowledgeable film lovers.

SXSW Film Conference events take place at the Austin Convention Center between Friday, March 11 - Tuesday, March 15, 2011 from 11:00am - 6:00pm. Film screenings take place daily from 11:00am through midnight shows, starting Friday, March 11 - Saturday, March 29, 2011 at the Austin Convention Center, Paramount Theatre, Alamo Ritz, Hideout, and the Alamo South Lamar. Networking events and parties are held in a variety of venues in downtown Austin throughout the event.

The range of registrants at SXSW Film includes distribution company presidents, first-time filmmakers, film fans, veteran film crew members, and everything in-between. Representatives from major and independent distribution houses scout films and talent. Writers conduct interviews and madly watch films. Filmmakers check out films from around the world that are rarely seen in America. Actors, directors, agents, distributors and screenwriters get together and talk. People seeking new business, fascinated with new films and exploring new technologies find what they need at the trade show and panels.

A SXSW Film badge is an affordable way for industry professionals and fans alike to gain priority access to screenings, full access to the Conference and Trade Show, and great opportunities for networking at a host of lively parties and social events. You may also purchase single admission tickets at the door before individual screenings, space permitting.

E-mail us at film@sxsw.com. Or, call SXSW Film at 512.467.7979.

Peruse the SXSW Film web pages.

Registration gives you access to the 1) Film Conference with its Conversations, Panels, Workshops, Mini-meetings, and Mentor Sessions, in addition to multiple Interactive Crossover panels 2) SXSW Trade Show, 3) priority seating for the Film Festival, and 4) invites to SXSW Film parties! Whether you are a newcomer to the film industry, a well-established veteran or an avid film fan, SXSW Film provides an invaluable opportunity for increasing your skills, know-how, contacts against the backdrop of a kick-ass film festival.

A SXSW Film registration badge is the only way you can attend all the panels, workshops, mentor sessions, hands-on demos, Trade Show and Parties! SXSW Film registrants also get priority entrance to SXSW Film Festival venues along with the Registrants' Directory/Program Book, Online Registrants' Database, a version of the conference Registrants' Directory complete with e-mail addresses, and the Big Bag of goodies.

If your film or title sequence is selected to screen at SXSW Film, you will receive complimentary registrations to attend the festival. Feature films will receive 3 badges and short films and title sequences will receive 2 badges. Of course you're welcome to buy as many more as you need at our lowest price of the season.

If you submitted to the festival, but your film or title sequence is not accepted, you will be offered the lowest registration rate of the season regardless of your notification date, though important to note, this has no effect on your hotel choices. Historically all hotels in the downtown area sell out well before the event. Registering for SXSW gives you the ability to book a room through the SXSW Hotel Requester and Housing Desk at special SXSW discount rates.

You should weigh your choice carefully, whether to register sooner for more hotel choice or take your chances and wait. SXSW does not grant registration refunds under any circumstances. Under limited circumstances, we'll allow badge registration name transfers.

Austin is a culturally-diverse community with a thriving film scene. Prominent film industry professionals working and/or living in Austin include Robert Rodriguez, Richard Linklater, Mike Judge, William Broyles, Lawrence Wright and Sandra Bullock. For more information about Austin, check out Austin Convention and Visitors Bureau. If you're attending SXSW for the first time check out our First-Timers Guide.

Although spring weather in Austin can be unpredictable, the weather is usually in the 70's during the day and in the 50's and 60's at night. Murphy's Law of Meteorological Events dictates that if you bring an umbrella, it probably won't rain, but it usually does at least one day during SXSW.

The SXSW Housing Desk can book the best selection of Austin hotels at the best available rates during SXSW.

All theaters are within walking distance or a short cab ride from each other. The largest venue is the Paramount Theatre on Congress & 7th. One block south is the The Hideout, an intimate theatre currently housing SXGlobal. The Ritz 1 & 2, beloved for it's full bar and tasty menu is around the corner towards the Convention Center on Sixth Street. Inside the Austin Convention Center is the comfortably sized ACC. A short shuttle, cab or car away down south are the three screens at the Alamo South Lamar. For detailed directions, see the map in your program book. When planning, keep in mind that the Alamo Ritz and South Lamars sell out quickly and often. SXSW is planning to add additional venues for 2011. Check back for updated information.

Yes. Each of our venues will have designated seating that is wheelchair accessible. For more information, please check the Alamo Drafthouse, Paramount Theatre, Austin Convention Center, and the Hideout's websites.

Location, location, location. The Alamo Ritz is located on 6th Street in the heart of Austin’s club district, only a few blocks away from the Austin Convention Center. The Alamo South Lamar, where we host three screens, is a few minutes from downtown, easily accessible on our shuttle buses, city bus or cab at 1120 South Lamar Blvd. Both are fantastic venues, where you can eat and drink beer, milkshakes, and at the Ritz, even hard liquor is available!

This is a tough question. As SXSW Film has grown more popular, more and more screenings have sold out. There is no absolute guarantee of admission. Seating will happen on a priority basis - badge-holders first, then pass-holders, and lastly single-admission ticket holders, if any seats remain. Even though the lines may look long, outside of Opening Night, chances are always good at the Paramount Theatre. The next generously sized venue is the ACC. Lining up 30-45 minutes ahead should save you a place. The Alamo Ritz and Alamo South Lamar cinemas are highly desirable venues and more intimate, so your wait line will depend on the film and time. We try to seat the Alamos 45 minutes in advance of the screening time, so arrive at least that early. In 2011, for the first time, SXSW Film will be utilizing line numbers, so that once you que up, you'll receive a number noting your place in line. That should help on two counts 1) it'll prevent line cutters (so, no saving seats!), and 2) you'll know when capacity is met so there's no reason to keep waiting on line.

Yes. These will go on sale about 15 minutes prior to screening time if there is still seating available. The single admission ticket price is $10 for all screenings.

No, SXSW Film Festival and Conference doesn't actually end on Tuesday, after the awards ceremony. The awards ceremony just marks the end of the jury competition and opening of SXSW Music. The Film Festival programming continues with plenty of premieres through Saturday March 19.

On March 17, 18, and 19, SXSW hosts free shows at Auditorium Shores Stage on Lady Bird Lake. These shows often include popular artists playing in an outdoor festival setting. Check back here once the music lineup has been announced to find out who will be performing!

It depends on the theater and yes, you have to plan extra time to deal with parking. There is plenty of free parking at the Alamo South Lamar. For the Alamo Ritz, Paramount, and Austin Convention Center theaters, there are several parking options. Since these venues are downtown, there are a number of paid garages and parking lots available to you. Be mindful of the strict towing and ticketing laws for certain parking spaces, including those curbside. If you live in Austin, consider leaving the car at home and taking public transportation!

The easiest way is to get the concierge at your hotel to call you a cab. From the theaters, you can call American Yellow Checker cab at 512.452.9999. Fares are fairly inexpensive in Austin. A cab from the Convention Center to the Paramount Theater normally costs around $6. For a cab from the Convention Center to the Alamo South Lamar, the fare will be closer to $8, without heavy traffic.

The #3 Capital Metro bus runs every 15 minutes from downtown Austin to the Alamo Drafthouse on South Lamar. Use the CapMetro Route planner to see all your Austin bus options - http://www.capmetro.org/planner/

SXSW Film Panels present topics from across the film spectrum with an emphasis on where the Film and Interactive worlds intersect. Topics for 2011 will include online marketing, transmedia, social networks, and the ever evolving landscape of distribution and exhibition, as well as entertaining discussions with filmmakers and industry veterans exploring their craft. The panels at SXSW have been hailed as some of the most extensive, forward thinking, and educational forums found in a festival setting. There are also one-on-one mentor sessions and mini-meetings to offer even greater insight and training for select topics. Check out some of our recent highlighted speakers!

Registrants may sign up for ten-minute sessions with selected panelists, who represent a wide variety of professions within the film business. This is a great opportunity to meet one-on-one with established professionals.

The SXSW Film Festival is a highly competitive program consisting of several different sections, curated in-house by SXSW Film Programmers. Submissions are accepted from August until early December. For an idea of our programming, please check our SXSW 2010 archive.

Screening at SXSW is a cost effective way for your film to reach a wide segment of the film industry and generate valuable buzz. If your film is accepted for a screening and you effectively prepare and promote your film, you will have the chance to screen for a highly influential audience of industry experts and knowledgeable film lovers.

SXSW will receive over four thousand submissions. Please include everything that is requested on the online submission form including a 35 word logline, 100 word synopsis, director's bio, cast and crew lists, and list of previous and planned screenings. Do not underestimate the importance of reading and following the instructions. Check out the Submission FAQ for more info.

Because it's really fun! And it's a great way to network and learn so much of what you'll need in your filmmaking life. Opportunities for film professionals do not stop at screenings for the prepared professional - informative panels reveal tips and tricks of the industry, the Trade Show gives a chance to size up the offerings and bend a few ears, and the parties provide access to movers and shakers across all spectrums of the filmmaking and new technology worlds. Creative self-promotion can create a buzz without your film even being screened!

Peruse the SXSW Film web pages.

E-mail us at film@sxsw.com. Or, call SXSW Film at 512/467-7979.

We're sorry! You can find more information at the Info Desk in the Registration area at SXSW HQ starting March 11 or email us at film@sxsw.com.