Blue Starlite Gives Some SXSW-Selected Shorts Some Big Screentime

Everyone remembers where they were when South by Southwest 2020 was canceled. Josh Frank, owner and operator of the Blue Starlite Mini Urban Drive-In, was in Florida on a tour for his book Giraffes on Horseback Salad when the news came. “I remember sitting at the hotel and worrying they were going to cancel my flight,” he said. “South By was the thing where, for the world, it was clear that things were going to change.”

However, just because the festival was canceled, Frank decided he was going to use his screens to help give some films a little extra life. He said, “My first thought went to, not the features, but I felt really bad for the shorts. They count on these festivals, both to get attentions for the film and what they can do in the future. So, the thought process was, what can I do?”

He reached out to the booking team at SXSW with an idea: He would screen some of that year’s shorts. They gave him the OK, and he sent out the call to filmmakers that his drive-in was open to them. About seven replied (the perfect number for a 90-minute block), but he had low expectations that audiences would respond in numbers. Instead, he said, “I booked four nights, and they all sold out, immediately. It was great. It made the beginning of the pandemic feel like it wasn’t the end.”

So with SXSW going virtual again in 2021, Frank has booked another series of SXSW-selected shorts, again with the approval of the festival. Again, the call went out, and he’s been able to select seven shorts that will screen after SXSW has finished. Two animated tales from France, the historical “Navozande, the Musician,” and the enigmatic “Hold Me Tight”; British claymation oddity “O Black Hole!”; quirky comedies “Marvin’s Never Had Coffee Before” and “Significant Other”; the erotic hilarity of “Squeegee”; and taxidermy musical rom-com “Stuffed.” Frank called it “a mix of uplifting and thought-provoking entertainment,” adding that he hoped this year’s event will carrying the same unique energy it did in 2020. “It was really special. I still stand and help check cars in four or five nights a week, and I remember being there and it was a whole different vibe.”

Fresh from SXSW Short Films

This article appears in March 19 • 2021.