SXSW - News, Reviews, Video and Photos From The 2008 South By Southwest Film & Music Festival in Austin, Texas

January 23, 2009

SXSW trailer | "Objectified"

Scott at Filmmaker Mag tuned us into a cool trailer for Gary Hustwit's new docu "Objectified," making its preem at SXSW.

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January 19, 2009

SXSW, IFC to simul-preem "Alexander the Last"

IFC Films and the SXSW Film Festival will simultaneously world preem Joe Swamberg's "Alexander the Last" on March 14.

Produced by Noah Baumbach, pic explores the highs and lows of a young marriage. IFC will broadcast the film on their Festival Direct VOD label.

Other SXSW film are also involved in the deal. Javor Gardev's neo-noir "Zift" and Matthew Newton's dark comedy "Three Blind Mice" will also have their simul-preem on the channel and fest. And in a fest rewind, SXSW 2008 pics "Medicine for Melancholy" and "Paper Covers Rock" will be broadcast.

IFC Films prexy Jonathan Sehring said they will look to expand the program to other festivals -- "It's a natural leap for us."

"At a time when the U.S. marketplace for truly American independent and foreign films is rapidly changing, and many films are having difficulty getting exposure, IFC Films has created opportunities for a wide range of films to find an audience," said Sehring.

IFC also announced the formation of IFC Midnight, a new genre label, for their VOD platform. It will include horror, sci-fi, thriller, and... "erotic arthouse." New titles included Duane Graves and Justin Meeks' horror pic "Wild Man of Navidad" and Laurence Trillings' "Group Sex."

Photo: SXSW's Janet Pierson and IFC's Jonathan Sehring

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December 15, 2008

"I Love You, Man" to open SXSW

Proving its mettle with studio preems, SXSW will open next March with the world premiere of John Hamburg's "I Love You, Man" starring Paul Rudd as a man with only women for friends, desperate to find a best man for his wedding.

Pic follows a growing line of studio preems the fest has launched -- "Knocked Up," "Forgetting Sarah Marshall," "21," "Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay."

The film also stars Jason Segel, Jon Favreau, and Rashida Jones whose father Quincy is giving the keynote at SXSW Music.

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December 10, 2008

SXSW get Academy cred

Winning short films from the 2009 SXSW Film Festival will qualify for an Oscar nom, the festival and Academy announced today. This Friday, December 12, is the final deadline for submissions. So three days to make an Oscar qualifying pic. Good luck.

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October 27, 2008

SXSW announces first round speakers

Helmers Richard Linklater and Todd Haynes will join the 2009 South by Southwest confab. Haynes and Linklater will discuss indie filmmaking together via their recent work, "I'm Not There" and "Me and Orson Welles," respectively. It marks the first time Haynes has traveled to the Austin event.

"I couldn't be more pleased with this first round of speaker announcements, "said Janet Pierson, Producer of SXSW Film Conference and Festival. "These are vital innovators, and true ambassadors for the spirit of SXSW. In these turbulent times we feel this is more important than ever as we head further and faster into unknown territory"

Other speakers include IMDb.com founder Col Needham who will outline how his simple spreadsheet became the industry go-to destination for film info, which was acquired by Amazon in 1998. German producer Jan Harlan will discuss working with his brother-in-law, Stanley Kubrick, on such films as "Barry Lyndon," "The Shining," and "Eyes Wide Shut."

The 16th SXSW Film Conference and Festival will run in March 13-21, 2009 in Austin, TX.

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