South by Southwest (SXSW) is one of the largest and diverse festivals to be held in the United States with 2012’s attendance equaling out to be around 60,000 attendants. SXSW first opened its doors in 1987 in Austin, TX. It first began as a festival to bring an audience to Austin diverse music scene. It continues to grow year after year. SXSW now holds an Interactive Festival, Music Festival, Film Festival and Trade Shows. It is a place where new businesses can showcase network and showcase their product. The Music Festival used to be the more populated festival until the Film Festival exceeded the attendance numbers in 2012.
I have been a fan of The South by Southwest Film Festival. It is very important for independent filmmakers to see the importance of this festival. It offers a lot of opportunities for upcoming filmmakers who want a chance to gain recognition in the industry. It is an affordable way to meet industry leaders and well-known actors. For filmmakers who want to focus on the technical side of film, there are opportunities to Some benefits of of attending SXSW are the movie premieres for anticipated movies. Bridesmaids (2011) and Cabin in the Woods(2010) premiered its movie at the film festival. Both movies have gone on to be a success. One of the more promising benefits of participating in the festival is having the opportunity to win a distribution deal, like The Tall Man and Girls Against Boys have.
Submitting a film to South by Southwest and having it accepted into the festival can open many doors. As previously mentioned before, it can open up the opportunity of sealing a credible distribution deal. Whether the filmmaker wins an award or not, think of it this way. The film was shown in front of other filmmakers and well-known industry attendees. The filmmaker gains recognition which can lead to networking with idols and potentially gaining work or partnerships.
Submitting a film to South by Southwest and having it accepted into the festival can open many doors. As previously mentioned before, it can open up the opportunity of sealing a credible distribution deal. Whether the filmmaker wins an award or not, think of it this way. The film was shown in front of other filmmakers and well-known industry attendees. The filmmaker gains recognition which can lead to networking with idols and potentially gaining work or partnerships.
I learned a lot by reading your post. I was aware of the South by Southwest festival, but I though it had started in the 90’s as opposed to late 80’s. It is great how the festival has been growing and has been able to incorporate more elements of the entertainment industry, and not just solely a music festival. I agree that festivals are a great way to network, and it presents an opportunity for upcoming artists to get exposure. I believe more festivals should use SXSW as an example to broaden what they showcase. After all if you think about it we are all artists and film, music, and art have always been related. At the end of it all we are all artists and we should support each other, and what better way than to follow the example of SXSW. Great work as always and I look forward to more blog posts!
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