South By Southwest 2000 is upon us, and like a plague of Arriflex-toting locusts, myriad filmmakers and assorted cineastes have descended on Austin, networking everything in their paths. We should be used to this by now, but no, it’s still as exhilarating as it ever was, thank goodness. To say this is a busy week is an understatement of epic proportions, so sit back, crack a Red Bull, and dive in. For those of you who have not yet registered to participate in this year’s festival, walk-up registration is currently going on in Ballroom A at the Austin Convention Center (between Trinity and Red River on East Cesar Chavez). Registration opens at noon today. SXSW has also created an online discussion forum for registrants, available by logging in to the SXSW Registrants’ database at http://www.sxsw.com/mysxsw. In addition, anything else you might want to know about screenings (i.e. times, locations) is available online at http://av.sxsw.com/films/filmsindex.php… In conjunction with SXSW (and, really, what isn’t?), the Alamo Drafthouse is presenting a pair of their immensely popular (and insanely fun) live music and silent film combos at midnight, Sat. and Sun., Mar. 18 and 19. The first night features a restored 35mm archive print of Fritz Lang‘s Metropolis, backed by local wall-o’-sounders ST 37, the second is Raoul Walsh‘s 1924 epic The Thief of Baghdad with music from the 1001 Nights Orchestra. Ticket prices and availability vary depending on whether or not you have that all-important SXSW badge or wristband — for all the details call the Alamo at 867-1839 or see their Web site, http://www.drafthouse.com… Park City’s “digital-est” alternative festival, Nodance, will be screening at SXSW this year, Mon., Mar. 13, 7pm, at the Ritz Lounge (320 E. Sixth). The mini-fest will DVD-project selected Nodance shorts and features including local fave Bob Ray‘s Rock Opera (9pm), which, by the way, is making its East Coast premiere at the New York Underground Film Festival this weekend. More info on Nodance and Rock Opera is available at http://www.nodance.com and http://lonestar.texas.net/~crashcam/, respectively… As if that weren’t enough, festival-wise, the Conduit 2K Digital Film and Gaming Festival is back for their fourth year of computer-enhanced mayhem. This year’s program includes two evenings of innovative digital programming showcasing new forms of 3D real-time cinema, gaming cinematics, digital film shorts and features, animation, and (duh) parties. All events, times, ticket info, and locations are available by calling 485-3147 or at the official Conduit 2K site, http://www.conduitfest.com… On the subject of Conduit, Austin’s small-gauge filmmaking consortium, the Cinemaker Co-op, will present a screening salon as part of the Conduit Festival, Wed., Mar. 15, 7pm, at the Artplex (1705 Guadalupe). General admission is $6 ($3 for Co-op members). Titled Future Fusion: No-budget Film Meets Digital Media Production, the salon “will provide the average Joe with some tools and techniques for creating digital art right in their own living room.” Call 236-8877 for more info… So you don’t have your film ready for SXSW 2000 because your backer weaseled off to Cancun with the funding? Sounds like you should apply to the Austin Film Society’s Texas Filmmakers’ Production Fund 2000, an annual grant awarded to emerging film and video artists in the state of Texas. Applications are available starting April 1, and all necessary info is available either by calling 322-0145 or online at http://www.austinfilm.org.
This article appears in March 10 • 2000.