PHOTO CREDIT: Alexa Potamianos | Newscast Editor
This past spring break, I had the opportunity to attend the South by Southwest (SXSW) film festival in Austin, Texas.
While there is no way one person could see everything the festival has to offer in just one week, here is a recap of my top SXSW experiences.
As a film student, watching movies was what I was most excited about going into the week.
My number one pick of the festival was without a doubt “If You Were the Last” directed by Kristian Mercado. I thought I was walking into another sci-fi situation similar to “Gravity,” but I could not have been more wrong. The movie was a 90-minute engaging rom-com that had the perfect balance of humor and love with a strong heart to back it.
The film stars Zoey Chao and Anthony Mackie who have a beautiful on-screen chemistry that carries through to the audience. What made this experience even better was the fact that it was the world premiere of the film. Getting the director’s live reaction to seeing his film shown to a live theater audience was priceless.
Speaking of premieres, I also had the opportunity to see the world premiere of “Air” in the beautiful Paramount theater. The film, directed by Ben Affleck, had a stacked cast featuring Jason Bateman, Matt Damon, Chris Tucker and Rhode Island’s own Viola Davis. It is a classic underdog story about the footwear manufacturing company Nike with very noteworthy performances from each member in the cast to tell a story that changed the sneaker game for athletes and their families.
Other films I enjoyed include “Theater Camp” directed by Molly Gordon and Nick Liberman and “Problemista” directed by Julio Torres.
Not everything was a five-star screening, however, but that may just be my short attention span or sense of humor speaking. Once you see the television show “I’m a Virgo” you will never be able to unsee it for better or for worse.
While the movies themselves were great, the atmosphere can really make or break an experience. The Paramount built-in 1917 is a historical landmark with stunning architecture. However, my personal favorite viewing experience took place at The Alamo. The Alamo is a dine-in theater experience where you can sit back, relax and enjoy a meal while watching.
Unlike more traditional film festivals, SXSW has far more to offer than just films. Other notable experiences included a standup show featuring none other than Eric Andre at a classic local Austin comedy club, a music showcase featuring Michigander and a keynote conversation with Jake Johnson about his directorial debut of “Self Reliance.”
If you are like me and cannot sit in a dark theater for 8 hours straight, have no fear as the city of Austin has so much to offer. My top experience of the trip was kayaking down Lady Bird Lake. The weather was perfect and the view was incredible. It was definitely a much-needed break from all the theaters.
When in Texas, you eat two things, tacos and BBQ. I personally was not big on Texas-style BBQ which I learned has a thinner vinegar-based sauce, but the tacos made the trip without a doubt. If I took one thing away from this trip, it is that we need more breakfast tacos in Rhode Island.
From the films to the food, SXSW was certainly an unforgettable experience with a little something for everyone.