Blogging SXSW: Opening Weekend

A collage of images from "Second Skin" which screened at this year's South by Soutwest Film Festival.

The sheer number of features, documentaries and shorts, not to mention the conference panels, being shown at SXSW 2008 is more than a little overwhelming. The multi-colored grid for the nine days of this film festival is a periodic table of world premieres and special screenings. From six-minute animated shorts to star-studded features, there is more than a little bit of everything to make choosing difficult. It seemed I would need detailed plans and a disciplined strategy to take on this festival.

Instead, I chose to wing it. I figure I'll ride the wave of buzz and interest and take opportunities as they came. After navigating through the long lines and crowds, I found myself at the regional premiere of Goliath, a dark comedy by Austin filmmakers David and Nathan Zellner. Portraying one man's bizarre and sometimes funny response to his divorce and missing cat, the film manages to tap into a genuine sense of loss. This film had big local interest and the energizing Q&A with the Zellner brothers after the film was a great start to the festival.

As the film fest shared it's opening weekend with SXSW Interactive, it only seemed fitting that my next choice should be a world premiere featuring online gamers. The documentary, Second Skin, focuses on gamers who are truly obsessed, if not addicted, to the virtual worlds of their games. While well received, the film could benefit from a heavier hand by the director in order to make the ending really resonate.

Saturday marked the beginning of the discussion panels. With the WGA strike just having ended, a panel discussion of what it taught us was not only topical but mirrored what was on the minds of many attendees. The presenters, two writers and a guild representative, did their best to explain the issues around the strike and the eventual agreement. Their version of the process didn't leave me with much hope that a SAG is not on the horizon in a few months.

Some good news for indies came from the SAG reps attending the festival, who later said that due to a recent agreement, SAG members will be able to work on independent films even if the actors do strike.

Documentaries seem to be the cornerstone of SXSW. Bearing that out, a packed house came to hear about a growing issue central to independent documentaries at my second panel of the day, "Is Fair Use Fair?" After asking a few filmmakers about fair use and only getting puzzled responses, it seems there is much confusion about the issue of what is free and what is not. Vague laws aren't any help, and as a result insurance companies are reluctant to cover films utilizing fair use material. New guidelines (available for free from http://www.centerforsocialmedia.org/resources/fair_use/) have been developed that can help filmmakers with the legal aspects of fair use. But even with these guidelines, there is still risk. As each case is different, the panel strongly suggested getting a good attorney and a good insurance carrier as soon as possible, as well as knowing your rights and best industry practices.

So far, attendees have been courteous and kind, friendly even. Possibly inspired by Austin's southern hospitality, which includes large quantities of breakfast tacos and BBQ. I was curious to see if geniality would hold up in the light of another big local interest movie: Crawford. This world premier documentary tackles the impact of Crawford, Texas' most famous resident, George W. Bush. Without taking sides, the film manages to capture the emotional dichotomy of a small town that will always be linked to the legacy of the 43rd President of the United States.

Not as evocative is the documentary Bulletproof Salesman. The film's focus is on Fidelus Cloer, a German armored car salesmen, and his "sales calls" in Iraq and Afghanistan. The filmmaker's decision to show Cloer just as a salesman obstructs any clue to his humanity and where exactly his morality falls.

By Sunday, people have seen enough movies that some are getting definite buzz. One such film is Alex Karpovsky's Woodpecker, and deservedly so. The film deftly blurs the lines of documentary and feature, fact and fiction, blending them together to great effect as we join in the search for the elusive Ivory-Billed Woodpecker. We see the search through the eyes and actions of Jonny Neulander, a poet and self-professed "Varsity Birdwatcher" hoping to join the ranks of Master. The film reveals one man's sadness with humor and a skillful touch.

Pondering what exactly the woodpecker meant in that movie probably led me to enter the wrong panel discussion. I only realized my error when Helen Hunt came onto the dais to discuss her new film, Then She Found Me. Seeing my first movie star of the festival was a bit of a jolt. And I'm not alone. The presence of more big name stars and Hollywood movies at SXSW has been a source of grumbling. Red carpet premieres just don't seem to fit with the feel SXSW. That said, the festival does provide some balance. For instance, while hosting the premier of Harold & Kumar Escape From Guantanamo Bay, they also had the stars and filmmakers sit for a panel on race, politics, and drugs.

For now, I'll leave the big budgets for the Cineplexes. Depending on which theater I can make it to, my third day will close with either another doc on the war in Iraq or an indie feature called Baghead.

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