Film Quotes

"With no velvet rope to separate movie folk from the event's notoriously enthusiastic audiences, SXSW delivers instant gratification for movie marketers, which is especially important in these belt-tightening times ... Festivals like this exist for filmmakers to connect with their audience directly, without intermediaries." - Variety

"...SXSW has become an important platform for exposure, buzz generation and even finding a distributor, especially for youth-skewing pictures ... It also has become a place for emerging filmmakers to connect with one another." - Hollywood Reporter

"SXSW has emerged as a vital haven for low budget indies and has cultivated a camaraderie among a new generation of filmmakers." - indieWIRE

"From the raucous midnight screening of Sam Raimi's unfinished cut of 'Drag Me to Hell' to the delighted howls at the world premiere preview of ‘Bruno’ to the passed tissues at the Katrina documentary 'Mine,' the SXSW Film Festival attracts audiences looking to feast on fresh cinema. Would that I went to every movie with this discerning and thoroughly unjaded crowd. People came ready to love." - Entertainment Weekly

"South by Southwest, which added its film programming component in 1994, has a slightly different identity: movies that young people can't resist. Thanks to its concentration of both film lovers, South by Southwest also can support a number of ambitious art films ... It's precisely the festival's talent for initiating word of mouth that attracts the studios, much as they now flock to Comic-Con to jump-start momentum for fanboy flicks like 'Watchmen' and 'Iron Man.'" - Los Angeles Times

"Springing out of a music festival that began in 1987, the South by Southwest Film Festival just had its 16th year in Austin, Texas, presenting a selection of films as bold and bizarre as any American film festival. Combining documentaries (that often have a heavy degree of crossover with the Interactive and Music festivals), big-studio movies making world or American premieres, independent films, horror movies and special events, this year's festival, the first under new director Janet Pierson, was considered an across-the-boards success ... Once a tiny, fringe festival, South by Southwest has become an important part of big Hollywood ... Although big stars were making their way to Austin, plenty of smaller films played to acclaim and great receptions ... By the end of the event, the clatter of film projectors and the applause of moviegoers may have had to compete with the clashing chords or rock 'n' roll, but rest assured, the things the moviemakers and talents of the South by Southwest Film Festival had to say were heard by the audience." - MSN

"The South by Southwest Film Festival originated as an afterthought -- a 1994 addition to the popular Austin, Texas music festival that began in 1987. Now on the eve of its sixteenth year, the movie festival hasn't just survived, it's thrived and is taking its place as one of the more important -- and more interesting -- film festivals in the U.S. ... That SXSW also takes place alongside a Music and Interactive festival also leads to crossover, with great rock docs and fascinating looks at technology ... A big part of SXSW, though, is the festival's relaxed vibe. Unlike the pressure-cooker feel of Sundance or Cannes, SXSW has a reputation for fun -- in part because the Music and Interactive festivals offer plenty of diversion for harried festivalgoers, and the mix of live shows, late night events and local barbecue means there are plenty of opportunities to unwind ... this year a new Festival Director Janet Pierson was taking the reins. So perhaps it's a tribute to her that SXSW 2009 went as amazingly well as it did. There was, literally, something for everyone ... The theaters, panels and red carpets of South by Southwest have been filled with familiar faces and established names -- Seth Rogen, Todd Haynes, Kathryn Bigelow, Spike Lee and many more -- but it's also important to note the festival's role as a springboard for new talent ... The 2009 South by Southwest film festival may recede into memory tonight, but it's already been the kind of success it'd be impossible to forget." - AMC News

"The great thing about SXSW is that it doesn’t take itself too seriously ... South By Southwest is always fun. But the real kick for festivalgoers, if not for filmmakers, is knowing that they’ll have the chance to see movies that might not get any kind of general release, and it’s those rare treats that often are the biggest standouts." - The Onion A/V Club

"... SXSW was pretty damn amazing this year. I can't remember a year with the sheer level of talent out to support their films playing the festival. This seemed to energize the screenings and the audience themselves. It's one thing to have a single member of a cast on stage - and something else to have a line-up of 9 or 10 on stage. At one level it illustrates how supportive the cast is of the film to come to Austin and SXSW - at another, it really shows just how important a festival SXSW has bloomed through the Dentler years as programmer - and now this year with Janet Pierson taking that post over. Things seem to be firing on all cylinders - that really is something that the team at SXSW, both past and present should be applauded for. Another is the sheer quality of programming - throughout the festival I was constantly hearing how good another film was, while I was missing it - watching another film that was really good." - Ain't It Cool News

"Under the guidance of new festival head Janet Pierson and the rest of the festival staff, this year’s event went incredibly smoothly. The new advance ticket process, the special press screening library and the overall selection of films were top-notch ... SXSW has a very unique flavor to it with the coinciding music and technology festivals, making it one of the most interesting and fun weeks of the year. - Film School Rejects

"South By Southwest is a film festival unlike any other ... it’s a great place to simply hang out, drink up, and watch movies." - Cinemablend

"Both a huge party and something of a petri dish of American independent creativity, SXSW is steadily becoming an invaluable stop on the festival circuit. The Austin festival is also the forerunner of a whole slew of American festivals that are proud to be far from New York and LA, and more importantly, far from Park City. So it’s no surprise that the festival would break even more ground in the decentralization of the independent film experience." - Spout Blog

"…the experience of attending the SXSW film festival is characterized by a tangible, warm enthusiasm that greets virtually every title screening. One of our favorite components of the festival is the line preceding each screening—it’s here that recommendations are received and shared and many new people are met. And it’s an experience unique to Austin; at least, it’s one difficult to replicate outside of the marvelous Alamo Drafthouse." - Not Coming to a Theater Near You

SXSW Film 2009 Press Quotes (PDF 97.76 KB)