Film still from “One” (Credit: Emily Ma and Grace Zhang)
While narrative and documentary features get their fair share of buzz, movie lovers should know SXSW offers a slew of short films that educate, entertain and inspire viewers. Although the festival highlights work from all over the world, there are many Austinites and other Texans who are showcasing their shorts between March 10 and 18, too. Here’s a list of the screenings you should look out for to support local creatives. Some of them are free and open to the public.
SXSW Community Screenings
Inge and her nephew standing at Buchenwald Concentration Camp in “Inge” (Credit: Rachel Schlesinger)
This year, SXSW is offering seven events called Community Screenings that are completely free and open to the public. They’re taking place in either Vimeo Theater (inside Austin Convention Center) or Rollins Theater (in The Long Center for the Performing Arts).
In order to learn more about what goes into creating a featured short film, I interviewed local filmmaker Steve Conn. He shot “Bringing Back the Stars,” a film that shows the incredibly detailed and complicated work that went into renovating the historical twinkling ceiling of Austin’s Scottish Rite Theater.
Conn pointed out one of the most exciting but unnerving parts of making a documentary is realizing no matter how much you plan, you can never fully know where filming will take you. “It’s sometimes tough to control what makes it into your camera….How people respond to being filmed? Is there a compelling story to tell?…It’s a bit like gathering pieces to a jig-saw puzzle for a picture you can’t see,” he explained. “You just have to be persistent and receptive to ideas and opportunities that come your way. That’s when you find those wonderful, unexpected moments that will make your story.”
“Bringing Back the Stars” will be featured during the “Faces of Austin” screening at Vimeo Theater on March 13 at 3 p.m. These shorts were chosen from a competitive open call held by the City of Austin Cultural Arts Division and Economic Development Department.
Other Community Screenings
2017 AFS ShortCase (work by Austin Film Society members)
Monday, March 13
8:30 p.m. at Vimeo Theatre
Austin School of Film Community Screening (selected pieces from Austin School of Film students)
Sunday, March 12
10:30 a.m. at Vimeo Theatre
ACC Sneak Peeks (films by students from Austin Community College Radio-Television-Film Department)
Monday, March 13
6 p.m. at Vimeo Theatre
UT Radio-Television-Film Student Showcase
Sunday, March 12
9:30 p.m. at Vimeo Theatre
Youth Animation & M.A.F.I.A Screening & Competition (films from Austin School of Film youth program)
Tuesday, March 14
10:30 a.m. at Vimeo Theatre
Rainforest Partnership’s Films for the Forest (not specifically Austin-related, but rather an international group of works concerning the environment)
Sunday, March 12
4:30 p.m. at Rollins Theatre at The Long Center
Texas High School Shorts
Aya in ESL class in “Newcomers” (Credit: Haley Bun)
From all over the Lone Star State, high school students created pieces lasting five minutes or less to be shown during SXSW Film. The chosen shorts will have two showings: one at Vimeo Theatre on March 11 from 5:30 to 7 p.m., and another at Alamo Drafthouse Lamar location on March 18 from 2 to 3:31 p.m.
Viewers will see 22 5-minute-or-less films ranging from the realistic relationship drama seen in “Breakfast,” to an animated look at a young bird with a wing injury in “Flightless,” to an experimental film about office job purgatory in “Limbo.” According to the SXSW online schedule, there’s even a documentary about a woman returning to a concentration camp with her family (“Inge”) and a peek into the life of refugee students at Anderson High School (“Newcomers”).
Texas Shorts Program
Still from Hannah Whisenant’s “Makeup” (Credit: Marah Wilson)
There’s one more Texas-centric program that mirrors the “regular” narrative shorts program. SXSW says the Texas Shorts are a group of seven films “shot in, about, or somehow relating to the Lone Star state.” Screenings take place at the downtown Vimeo Theatre on March 10 from 8 to 9:40 p.m., Rollins Theatre on March 13 from 11:30 to 1:10 p.m. and Zach Theatre on March 16 from 9:15 to 10:50 p.m.
Viewers can expect to see an animated black comedy about a codependent bird and boy (“Hold Me (Ca Caw Ca Caw)”), a documentary on the cultural importance of rabbit hunting in a part of rural Florida (“The Rabbit Hunt”), and a drama set in the 70’s about a woman and her estranged father (“Chasing Grace”).
Attend a Short Film Screening During SXSW 2017
Community Screenings are free and open to the public. If you want to see the work of other talented Texans during SXSW Film Festival, you can attend with a badge, film wristband or wait in line for individual screening tickets 15 minutes before a show begins ($15).
For more information on attending SXSW Film 2017, check the SXSW website.
@theAustinot wants to know:
Which film screenings are you looking forward to during SXSW Film 2017?
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