For more than 25 years, the South by Southwest Music, Film and Interactive Festival has been a spring time staple in Austin. What began as a small music festival in 1987 has blossomed into a true force in the music, interactive media and film industries (a film expo, conference and festival was added to the SXSW annual festival in 1994, the interactive media event was added a few years later). Today, between the conference, concerts, film screenings and other activities, South by Southwest draws thousands of industry experts as well as casual fans to people to Austin each March.
The 2012 SXSW event is set to be even bigger than any previous year. Set to take place March 9-18, 2012 (Interactive is March 9-13, Film March 9-17, Music March 13-18), the 2012 SXSW promises to showcase more than 2,000 bands and musical acts from 55 countries during the six-day music portion of the event. These performances and concerts are set to take place on 90 stages scattered throughout downtown Austin. Beyond the concerts and performances, SXSW features a variety of music industry seminars, conferences, workshops, discussion panels and more. This year's SXSW Music Conference, which features more than 450 music industry panelists, is slated to be anchored by Bruce Springsteen, who will be the keynote speaker. There will also be music parties, a Music Gear Expo, SXSW Trade Show and more.
The film component of SXSW, which will be held March 9-17, will feature the screening of 130 feature-length films. Organizers say these 130 films were chosen from nearly 2,000 film submissions. Of these films, 51 are from first-time filmmakers. There will also be dozens of "premiers" at SXSW, as among the film screenings there will be 65 world premiers, 17 North American premiers, and 10 US premiers. The films which will be screened over the nine-day SXSW Film Festival were all winners in the annual SXSW Film Competition, which includes the following categories: Narrative Feature, Documentary Feature, Narrative Spotlight, Documentary Spotlight, Emerging Visions, 24 Beats Per Second, SX Global, Festival Favorites, and Special Events. However, the most popular category among casual film fans is the "Headline" division, which SXSW organizers term as including "big names, big talent." This year's Headliners category includes the following films: 21 Jump Street, Big Easy Express, The Cabin in the Woods, Decoding Deepak, Girls, The Hunter, Killer Joe, and Marley. Like the music portion of SXSW, the film component also features a conference which includes discussion panels, seminars and workshops.
The most recent addition to the SXSW event is the interactive media element, now in its nineteenth year. However, it is also one of the fastest growing portions of the festival, which is not surprising given the high-tech nature of today's society. New for 2012 is the SXSW "Startup Village," which event organizers term as a "place for startups, venture capitalists/investors, media and other entrepreneurial-minded attendees to gather for targeted panels, meet ups, lounges and mentoring/coaching sessions." The SXSW Startup Village is located on the fourth floor of the Austin Downtown Hilton. In addition to the Startup Village, the Interactive Festival features a wide range of activities, from hands-on educational seminars to the always popular Accelerator competition. During its five-day run, the SXSW Interactive Festival will offer an unbelievable amount of information for those in the technology field.
Of course, as much is there is to do within the confines of the SXSW Festival events and activities, many attendees also take the time to take in some of Austin's top attractions and dine at some of the best restaurants the Capital City has to offer. But, be forewarned, if you are hoping to attend this year's event, it is best to book a room as soon as possible as the city's hotels fill up fast during SXSW.
