SxSW 2023 Reactions

Winner of the Grand Jury Narrative Award at SxSW this year, I changed my schedule late at SxSW to ensure I was able to check out this movie later in the schedule before I left town. The screening of RAGING GRACE was on the second to last day of the festival in a packed screening […]

Though I promised myself not to attend TV & Series shows at SxSW 2023, I had an opening in my schedule and was already downtown and decided to line-up for the Netflix show BEEF starring Steven Yeun from MINARI. It was an extremely well attended premiere with all of the actors and creators in attendance. […]

Around the middle point of SxSW 2023, I made one single visit to the Violet Crown 4 in Austin, a very tiny little micro plex with four screens that reminds me of a modern version of the Eaton Centre Cineplex in Toronto. Small seating area and small to medium sized screens, the key feature is […]

ABOUT: “War Pony” follows the interlocking stories of two young Oglala Lakota men growing up on the Pine Ridge Reservation. At 23, Bill just wants to make something of himself. Whether it’s delivering goods or breeding Poodles, he is determined to hustle his way to the “American Dream”. Meanwhile, 12-year-old Matho can’t wait to become […]

Through a bit of a scheduling conflict at SxSW this year, I had an opportunity to check out the premiere of the new Disney+ series AMERICAN BORN CHINESE at the Paramount Theatre. We were not planning to cover the TV aspect of the festival as we wanted to concentrate on the movies, but with this […]

In the midst of big SxSW premieres at the Paramount, I had to slide next door to the lovely Stateside Theatre to see the Euro comedy NORTHERN COMFORT with filmmaker Hafsteinn Gunnar Sigurðsson and crew in attendance. ABOUT: A special forces veteran, an uptight property developer, an influencer with half a million followers and an […]

Earlier in the SxSW week I ran into Texas and LA based filmmakers that I have known for many years with SxSW and Fantastic Fest screenings so of course I had to check out their new movie ONLY THE GOOD SURVIVE with a massive burger and pile of fries at the Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar […]

ABOUT: Today, nearly 2 million Americans are being held for ransom. Without insulin, they’ll be dead in days. “Pay or Die” follows 3 families on the receiving end of these ransom notes, revealing the harrowing reality of life with chronic illness in the richest country in the world. From a mother-and-daughter struggling to rebuild their […]

It was late in the festival and a major thunderstorm hit Austin and as a result I missed a Midnighters screening and attendance dropped due to fear that the storm would continue into the morning. I peeked out of the house I was staying at, saw it was rather clear and made my way to […]

It was the last day of screenings at SxSW and I was happy to see the Austin premiere of Molly Gordon and Nick Lieberman’s powerhouse THEATRE CAMP at the Paramount Theatre after a loud reaction a few months ago at Sundance. ABOUT: THEATER CAMP follows the eccentric staff running a scrappy theater camp in upstate New […]

One of the bigger studio movies to screen at SxSW this year, Universal & Focus Features’ POLITE SOCIETY is coming out in late April and I was really happy to attend an early screening at the Zach Theatre to a really enthusiastic crowd. ABOUT: A merry mash up of sisterly affection, parental disappointment and bold […]

Last week at SxSW I saw the premiere of YOU CAN CALL ME BILL from SxSW and Fantastic Fest alum Alexandre O. Philippe to a very packed and enthusiastic crowd, and even more so because Mr. Shatner was also in attendance for the screening! ABOUT: Captain Kirk. T.J. Hooker. Denny Crane. Big Giant Head. Alexander […]

If you haven’t heard the name Zoe Lister-Jones before, it’s time you fix that. I have attended SxSW since 2007 and have seen many, many movies in Austin over the last decade and a half, but a real highlight was at the 2009 edition where I met Zoe along with acclaimed director Daryl Wein for […]

The closing night gala of AIR was a movie that was officially announced just a few days ago. I was lucky to attend the screening where SxSW Film & TV lead Claudette Godfrey (who absolutely killed it as the new showrunner this year taking over for long time lead Janet Pierson) introduced Ben Affleck, who […]

One of the very best narrative movies of SxSW and of 2023 is Tony Tost’s new movie AMERICANA which had its premiere on Friday at a nearly sold out screening at the Paramount Theatre with the filmmakers and a portion of the cast in attendance. ABOUT: A heist of the mythical Lakota Ghost Shirt goes […]