My SXSW Movies, Part 3

Yesterday afternoon actually worked out as planned which turned out to be a minor miracle. It violated several rules of SXSW. For one, you are supposed to be faced with huge crowds for any movie that you think is too obscure to possibly draw a crowd and be punished for having gotten caught up in any other tasks and arriving right when seating should begin. Secondly, no matter how close two screens are you should never assume that you can just pop from one to the other like the schedule would seem to indicate.

FFP got some photos for his West Austin News article done after two tries. We were trying for an 11:30 show. We didn't get off as soon as we'd have liked. But the badge line for Imagine the Sound was not long. The movie, playing in a retrospective of music docs, was shot in 1981 about the free jazz movement (beginning in the 60's). The filmmaker was there (looking considerably older...he was 22 when it was shot). The material is difficult even for jazz fans but it contained some outstanding performances of four amazing players. As I write this I'm listening on Rhapsody to Cecil Taylor tracks. But nothing compares with watching him play the piano inside and out. The only criticism I'd have of this one is that it didn't seem to be projected in the correct aspect ratio for the screen. This was a minor irritation.

We didn't stay for Q&A and we ducked out and walked a few feet and they had already let the line in for Fall from Grace so we slid right into that film. This amazing documentary was made by an undergraduate film student at KU. It follows the church which is much in the news for preaching that God hates gays and all people, countries and other entities who don't hate them as well. Staying out of the way of the impassioned people in this film while they speak for themselves was quite a task. But K. Ryan Jones managed to reveal much about the positions of these 'one issue' Christians, people who live near them, people who have been subjected to their protests and people who vehemently disagree with them and feel they have hijacked a religion they care a lot about. The resulting film is an object lesson in how to deal with insanity in a free speech society.

Today we had good luck getting into Helvetica even though the festival opened it up to Interactive badge holders. It was sold out. At the convention center screen which means that about 500 people saw its first showing. A movie about a type face. This SXSW thing has gotten awfully big. The movie is pretty darn good but it needed a little help on sound levels and a bit of editing. There is Helvetica type everywhere. No need to show every single example.

Today we even walked through the trade show. We didn't get around to all the booths but we found some interesting vendors. Now the Film and Interactive Trade show will move out and make way for music. We don't have any interest in that trade show. In fact, we won't even be able to get into that tradeshow. We won't see any music. The closest we will get to music is seeing long lines outside clubs. This year we didn't see any panels in the film festival either. We thought about some of them but didn't make it. We always do some panels in the Austin Film Festival.

Well, we've seen eleven documentary features and one documentary short. We've seen only two SXSW trailers. (Are there more? I'm tired of these two although they are great.) We've seen lots of SXSW folks. (Fashion advice for the festival? Three words. Denim, vintage, untucked.) We've tried all the venues save the (minor for this fest) Hideout venue. Which, of course, we have experienced in other events. And we plan to see a movie tonight. Yes, another doc. We may even make a party tonight. That would be our first (and will probably be our last). And the festival continues. For four more days of film screenings. It's a feast all right. And everyone takes a little something different off the buffet.