The line wraps around the block in front of the Paramount, causing Canadian documentary filmmaker Ron Mann to shake his head in amazement. When I comment that this is an incredible turnout for a documentary, he notes that he had just made that very comment. The audience fills the Paramount and loves his film, Grass.
One might suggest the film’s topic was the cause of the turnout, but then there was a packed house at George Wallace: Settin’ the Woods on Fire and The Target Shoots First, at Don’t Look Back and Bittersweet Motel. Documentaries are hot at SXSW 2000. Which isn’t to say narratives aren’t holding their own. As a director of SXSW and editor of the Chronicle, I have a clear conflict of interest — but that aside, SXSW 2000 is going great. As you read this, the Interactive and Film conferences are over, but the SXSW Film Festival is still running. The Austin Music Awards Show is over (though as I write this, they are a day off), and the SXSW Music Festival has begun in earnest.
Music and movies and then more music and movies will flood Austin over the next few days. Austin will be multiplied by 10.
The big news here at the Chronicle (and the big worry) is our upcoming three daily issues. There will be a small distribution of this issue Wednesday night (March 15) in conjunction with the Austin Music Awards. The bulk of the distribution will be on Thursday morning. We’ll also distribute our first daily edition on Thursday morning. This will be followed by daily editions on Friday (March 17) and Saturday (March 18).
Editorially, Music editor Raoul Hernandez is spearheading this issue. He’s working closely with art director Taylor Holland and production manager Karen Rheudasil. In a pivotal position is Cindy Widner, proofreading leader and head of all-around editorial clean-up. Lots of other people are helping out, but I’m not going to work my way through the whole staff naming names. The effort required is going to be extraordinary; everyone will be pitching in to make these issues happen. Meanwhile, of course, the staff has already been offering regular reports from SXSW Film and Interactive on our Web site at http://www.auschron.com. We hope all this coverage entertains our readers who are attending SXSW events as well as those who have no intention of even getting close to downtown.
Raoul Hernandez hasn’t slept in days — the dominant editorial in this issue was edited by him. Considering this is the largest issue of the Chronicle we’ve ever produced, it should be entertaining to see what shape he’s shifted into by Friday evening. In fact, the whole staff will probably be entertaining by Friday night after a record issue and three dailies (over 360 pages).
This issue includes the Austin Music Awards. Special congrats to Kate Messer and her killer team for processing the ballots. The awards show is ahead for me (the writer) and behind for you (the reader), but I’m betting it’s going to be a legendary show, so a special nod to Margaret Moser.
We’re in the middle of it now, at least on our end, and there’s little sleep till we come out the other side. 
This article appears in March 17 • 2000.