SXSW Film Fest Announces 2008 Lineup

Written by Sean McBride

Wednesday, 13 February 2008

The South by Southwest Film festival has announced its upcoming lineup of films and guest speakers. The festival runs from March 7th through the 15th in Austin, and will feature more than a hundred films, nearly half of them being world premieres. SXSW has always featured a diverse lineup, and this year is no exception. The roster has plenty of highbrow fare (Martin Scorsese’s “Shine a Light” and Kimberley Pierce’s “Stop Loss”) as well as a handful of films that are still buzzing from Sundance (“Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden” and “American Teen”). I’ve always been a fan of the SXSW documentary slate, but if none of this appeals to you, there’s always “Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay.” You can get the full lineup at www.sxsw.com. According to SXSW Film Festival Producer Matt Dentler, this year’s lineup features “a well-rounded slate of films, from both veteran masters and promising newcomers.” That intriguing mix, combined with the opportunity to see films along side a theatre filled with actors, producers and dedicated film fanatics is the main appeal of any film festival. As somebody who interned at Sundance just as it blew up, believe me when I say that SXSW has a similar vibe going for it. If you’re a film fanatic, as I obviously am, then you should be thrilled to have such a high-profile festival playing just a few hours away. SXSW has also announced its complete slate of panels and workshops. The SXSW Film Conference will take place in the Austin Convention Center during March 8-11, and is open to all SXSW Film, Gold, and Platinum registrants. In addition, the SXSW Film Conference will co-host joint sessions with the SXSW Interactive Conference. Nearly 200 industry veterans and experts are on tap as speakers for the panels. Among the newly-announced additions to the panels schedule are: A Conversation with Billy Bob Thornton & Dwight Yoakam on March 11, Coming Soon:  The Making of a Trailer scheduled for March 10, An Actor¹s Workshop with Jeffrey Tambor on March 9, Drugs, Politics, and Race: A “Harold & Kumar” Panel and What the Writers Strike Taught Us on March 8.   These panels join already announced highlights such as A Conversation with Harlan Ellison, Stanley Nelson: History in the Making and A Conversation with Helen Hunt, both confirmed for March 9. The SXSW Film Conference will conclude on the afternoon of March 11 with A Conversation with Moby, where BMI’s Doreen Ringer-Ross will conduct an interview with the prominent musician and film composer. New this year for the SXSW Film Conference is Global Doc Days, an event built around programming by various international film organizations. In the Austin Suite of the Austin Convention Center, countries such as Mexico, Canada, Norway, and China will present some of their latest documentary programming to SXSW Film Conference participants. Global Doc Days will strive to bridge gaps between international documentary industries, and place itself as one of the only venues in the United States where such activity occurs. Two selections from Mexico, the documentaries Born Without and The Old Thieves, have also been added to official festival screenings lineup of SXSW. The entire panels lineup and schedule can be found at www.sxsw.com/film. Movie reviews by Sean, “The Movie Guy,” are published Wednesdays and Fridays in “The Port Arthur News.” He can be found weekly on KAVU-TV, KFDM-TV, and KVIC Radio. Additional reviews can be found at www.rottentomatoes.com, www.panews.com or at www.myvictoriaonline.com. Sean welcomes your comments via email at smcbride@kavutv.com.