The Circuit

Scott at Filmmaker Mag tuned us into a cool trailer for Gary Hustwit's new docu "Objectified," making its preem at SXSW. 

IFC Films and the SXSW Film Festival will simultaneously world preem Joe Swamberg's "Alexander the Last" on March 14.  

Produced by Noah Baumbach, pic explores the highs and lows of a young marriage.  IFC will broadcast the film on their Festival Direct VOD label.

Other SXSW film are also involved in the deal.  Javor Gardev's neo-noir "Zift" and Matthew Newton's dark comedy "Three Blind Mice" will also have their simul-preem on the channel and fest.  And in a fest rewind, SXSW 2008 pics "Medicine for Melancholy" and "Paper Covers Rock" will be broadcast.

IFC Films prexy Jonathan Sehring said they will look to expand the program to other festivals -- "It's a natural leap for us."

"At a time when the U.S. marketplace for truly American independent and foreign films is rapidly changing, and many films are having difficulty getting exposure, IFC Films has created opportunities for a wide range of films to find an audience," said Sehring.

IFC also announced the formation of IFC Midnight, a new genre label, for their VOD platform.  It will include horror, sci-fi, thriller, and... "erotic arthouse."  New titles included Duane Graves and Justin Meeks' horror pic "Wild Man of Navidad" and Laurence Trillings' "Group Sex."




Photo: SXSW's Janet Pierson and IFC's Jonathan Sehring

Proving its mettle with studio preems, SXSW will open next March with the world premiere of John Hamburg's "I Love You, Man" starring Paul Rudd as a man with only women for friends, desperate to find a best man for his wedding.

Pic follows a growing line of studio preems the fest has launched -- "Knocked Up," "Forgetting Sarah Marshall," "21," "Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay."

The film also stars Jason Segel, Jon Favreau, and Rashida Jones whose father Quincy is giving the keynote at SXSW Music.

Winning short films from the 2009 SXSW Film Festival will qualify for an Oscar nom, the festival and Academy announced today.  This Friday, December 12, is the final deadline for submissions.  So three days to make an Oscar qualifying pic.  Good luck.

Helmers Richard Linklater and Todd Haynes will join the 2009 South by Southwest confab.  Haynes and Linklater will discuss indie filmmaking together via their recent work, "I'm Not There" and "Me and Orson Welles," respectively.  It marks the first time Haynes has traveled to the Austin event.

"I couldn't be more pleased with this first round of speaker announcements, "said Janet Pierson, Producer of SXSW Film Conference and Festival. "These are vital innovators, and true ambassadors for the spirit of SXSW.  In these turbulent times we feel this is more important than ever as we head further and faster into unknown territory"

Other speakers include IMDb.com founder Col Needham who will outline how his simple spreadsheet became the industry go-to destination for film info, which was acquired by Amazon in 1998. German producer Jan Harlan will discuss working with his brother-in-law, Stanley Kubrick, on such films as "Barry Lyndon," "The Shining," and "Eyes Wide Shut." 

The 16th SXSW Film Conference and Festival will run in March 13-21, 2009 in Austin, TX.

Cinetic Rights Management has announced that Mary Bronstein's feature "Yeast", starring Bronstein, Greta Gerwig, Amy Judd, Josh Safdie, and Benny Safdie, will debut for free on Dailymotion.com on October 10. 

Pic, about a woman stuck between two toxic relationships, preemed at SXSW. 

Meanwhile, IFC Films is set to open another SXSW find. Joe Swanberg's "Nights and Weekends," also starring Gerwig, unspools at the IFC Center in New York on the same date.

Pinny Grylls' doc "Peter and Ben," about a man and his lamb, has won SXSW's online festival, SXSWclick. 

It's in English, subtitled in English and lamb.  When the lambs says "Baaah" the subtitle reassures you:  "Baaah!"  Watch it here.

The jury included actor Jeffrey Tambor (Arrested Development), comedians Eugene Mirman and Doug Benson (Super High Me), producers Anish Savjani (Old Joy) and Mary Sweeney (The Straight Story, Mulholland Drive), animator Don Hertzfeldt (Rejected), among others.

SXSW also announced a call-for-entries for the 2009 event, running March 13-21. Rules and apps here.

"Humboldt Country" directors Danny Jacobs and Darren Grodsky have been blogging as their theatrical release approaches. (Magnolia got it after the film's SXSW preem.)

There's an issue over their poster.  The MPAA doesn't like it.  In particular, they don't like the giant, smoking hooch.

But rather than climbing on a soapbox, Darren has a proposal:

Let's pepper the world & the world wide web with our "Smoking Joint" poster, which may soon become a limited edition piece.

See if you can find ways to show off the smoking joint poster. This will turn out to be win-win as both a way to stick it to the "man" and also a way to promote the film, a task in which we need all the help we can get.

Let's not do it because the smoking joint poster is necessarily that much better than what ultimately might replace it (we have a brilliant designer who I'm sure will come up with something equally amazing), and let's not even do it because it's all that reflective of what Humboldt County the picture is all about (we're never 100% comfortable emphasizing the pot element of the film so much anyway). Instead, let's do it because it will be our own shared source of amusement, and perhaps a source of mild irritation to the powers that be.

• SXSWclick, the fest's online competition of short work, has picked 15 finalists, including Becky James' animated "Snake."  Other films are divied up into five categories: Old School Shorts, Really Real Shorts, Animate-It, Sound Checks, and What the F*#!?.  SXSWclick.com to watch.

• The inaugural LA Irish Film Festival will run October 2-5, and they're looking for films.  They're advisory board has directors Jim Sheridan, Neil Jordan, and Mary McGuckian on it.  Check out lairishfilm.com.

• NYC's second annual Japan Cuts will unspool 18 mostly-recent films from Japan, including Naomi Kawase's Cannes 2007 Grand Prix winner "The Mourning Forest" (pictured).  Other flicks include Takashi Miike's "Sukiyaki Western Django," starring Quentin Tarantino and "The Inugami Family" to commemorate the late director Kon Ichikawa.  Full lineup here.

Soon after the news that IFC picked up Barry Jenkins' "Medicine for Melancholy" ahead of its LAFF screening (it preemed at SXSW), Winter Miller reports that Lance Hammer has pulled "Ballast" from the distrib, opting instead to go with Strand.

"Crawford" director David Modigliani (pictured below) sent us these photos by Nathan Deibenow, which show the fabled Alamo Drafthouse Inflatable Screen in Crawford, TX.  The screen travels the Great State to towns without screens, or where the beautiful single-screen palaces have been taken over by Evangelicals.  There's a lot of those.

David's docu on the prez's inherited small-town screened in the Texas town to many of its subjects.  The doc premiered this year at SXSW.  From the AP story:

"Crawford" played on a 50-foot outdoor screen at the football field Sunday night because the one-stoplight town had no movie theater. About 300 people sat on blankets and lawn chairs on the warm, windy night and munched on $2 bags of popcorn sold at the entrance.

The NY Times' Michael Cieply writes about Sony's "Baghead" gamble - opening the Duplass Brothers' "Baghead" in Austin.  "Baghead's" next fest - after being picked up at Sundance - was SXSW, where lines to screenings snaked around corners. 

Can Texas open an indie film?

Cieply says it may not be such a gamble:

Professional reviews and expensive advertising in the national media centers matter less. Internet buzz and the folkways of a flourishing festival culture now count for more.

“It’s a cumulative effect,” [SPC's Tom] Bernard said. Critics in the big media centers, he argued, have generally gotten into the habit of writing for one another more than for movie viewers. Meanwhile, audiences in regional centers like the Texas cities he has in mind for “Baghead” have become well informed about films thanks to the widespread availability of information on the Web.

And the studio can generate excitement, for instance with an open-air premiere planned for “Baghead” in Austin, word of which will presumably spread to Dallas and Houston.

However, every Texan knows that Austin is not an accurate reflection of the state.  Ask many Austinites and they'll claim to be from Austin, not Texas.  After all, what's the local news filled with?  Branch Dividians, Texas Militia, polygamists, the mass arrests of the black population in Tulia, and outright murder in Jasper. 

With such fertile contradictions surrounding Austin, it's natural that great art and music is coming from it.  But beyond its liberal leanings - on a very basic level - Austin is the closest place to escape Texas.  It's an oasis, with a front row seat to miles of fantastic and tragic drama. 

But the rest of the state looks on the city as the weird sibling who never fit in.  They tolerate Austin.  "Baghead's" opening will be a unique test.  Will they tolerate Austin's exports as something more than the weird kid's new project?  As a Texan, I hope so.  But I'm not holding my breath. 

Janet Pierson will take over as SXSW Film Producer from Matt Dentler, who will be moving to a position at John Sloss’s company, Cinetic.  He will head the programming operations of the newly formed Cinetic Rights Management. 

Anne's got a good, long post about it here.

When I talked to Janet today, she was utterly thrilled.  Furthering what SXSW has been doing for years, she's interested in using the fest to explore alternative distrib options for filmmakers by keeping the film and interactive sections close.

And Matt's also not going anywhere in terms of new media.  Within his title are the word marketing and programming, meaning not only will he be selling content for online, he'll also be promoting it.  No word yet on projects.

Peter Debruge has a review of Joe Swanberg and Greta Gerwig's "Nights and Weekends", which was picked up by IFC just before SXSW:

Still, "Nights and Weekends" reps Swanberg's most straightforward project yet, showing a subtle evolution in style and form. Although many scenes still unfold within a single, handheld shot, lighting and technique have improved, and a number of the compositions are striking.

Full review here.

Yet another video roundup that proves the aftertaste of SXSW is still sweet, this time from Eugene Hernandez's blog.

At the Filmmaker Mag blog, Scott Macaulay put up Mike Hedge's frenetic montage of SXSW.  So if you wish you'd gone, take this pill.  You'll feel a little better.


SXSW 2008 from mikehedge on Vimeo.

"The Queen of Rockabilly," Wanda Jackson talks about Elvis and where she gets her growl.

Her doc, "The Sweet Lady with the Nasty Voice" will air on the Smithsonian Channel, May 18.

SXSW announced the audience award winners in the music-themed "24 Beats Per Second" and Texas-centric "Lone Star States" categories. Honors went to Sascha Paladino's world music documentary starring Bela Fleck, "Throw Down Your Heart" (24 Beats Per Second), and David Pomes' small-town drug drama "CookCounty

Check out Phil Gallo's interview with Bela Fleck and Abigail Washburn:

by Phil Gallo/The Set List

One item I did not have a chance to slip in. A performer was near the end of set and when she was told one, she started talking about her last number of the night. The person holding up the single finger corrected her, shouting "one minute." She regrouped, walked to the step ladder at the side of the stage, reached  back into musical theater history and started singing "the sun has gone to bed and so must I" from  "The Sound of Music's" "So Long, Farewell" as she lowered herself down the steps.

The sun has set on yet another festival and here's a rundown of our coverage.

Overall, the 22nd edition of South By Southwest was a success thanks to a lack of overly hyped bands and an abundance of acts making music on their own terms.   

Day Four was a spin through international sounds.

Day Three found winners in Kate Walsh and Billy Bragg and impressive sets from Duffy, Lykke Li and Laura Marling.

Day Two's revelation: Some bands attract audiences who actually know the music and the charm of Jens Lekman.
Day One was old-timer's day: Daryl Hall, Joe Ely, Daniel Lanois and Van Morrison.

A photo gallery is here

Notes on parties: New West Records, Guitartown and the Ponderosa Stomp.

When all was said and done:
INTERVIEWS: 18, 16 of which are on video

PERFORMANCES: 36

HOURS LISTENING TO LIVE MUSIC: 35

SPEECHES ATTENDED: 1

PANELS: 0

REGRETS: Not taking the RMAT trivia test; missing the Lou Reed tribute; having to pass on the Rolling Stones movie in IMAX;

FAVORITES: Talking residential architectural styles in the Northeast with Daryl Hall;  Billy Bragg's  "Old Clash Fan Fight Song"; everything about My Brightest Diamond in conversation and performance; Torchy's trashy trailer park tacos; Kate Walsh's "Tonight"; four days of never hearing the word "ringtone"; Van Morrison singing about drinking wine; the elk at Jezebel restaurant; the remarkable interplay between the members of Abigail Washburn's Sparrow Quartet; a big band playing on a rooftop around 6 p.m., a glorious brass sound cascading over 2nd Street and masking uneventful hard rock from several blocks away.

by Phil Gallo/The Set List

If bands at SXSW were ranked like college basketball teams, DeVotchKa would be a contender for No. 1.

The Denver-based punk-gypsy outfit plays with confidence, speed and finesse. They compose fearlessly. And they organically create a sound that comes into its own "A Mad and Faithful Telling," which Anti- will release Tuesday.

Forty-minute set Saturday afternoon was performed stripped down without the string quartet that will accompany the band on a European tour in April followed by a monthlong U.S. trek that begins April 26 at Coachella. Personally, this was the triumph of the festival.

The ultimate fusion band, they bounce frenetically between eastern Europe traditions, disco beats and the sounds of spaghetti Westerns; the singing is full-throated and romantic; the blend of guitar,  violin, trumpets and sousaphone astonishingly well meshed.

It could be filed under "world music" but that cuts short its ambitiousness and applicability in the rock 'n' roll realm. What they do is seamless, and just hours after seeing them display a brilliant melange, I happened to catch an example of the blend not quite working properly with Lobi Traore and Joep Pelt.

Traore is a brilliant guitarist from Mali who makes largely acoustic records on his own. Pelt, also a guitarist but from Amsterdam, has partnered with Traore over the last several years to provide a forum for the dance music he plays at home. The blending of the two does not come together so organically and there's little sign of their years working together. Pelt lacks the grace and warmth of Traore and has placed himself as an equal, with does not work in a convincing fashion.

Prior to them taking the stage, kora player Boubacar Diebate played a lengthy and engrossing set backed by electric guitar, upright bass and saxophone. Diebate, a native of Senegal who now lives in Boulder, Colo., arrived in Austin with no band and created the ensemble during his stay in town. The saxophonist, a new Austin arrival from Detroit named Joshua Thompson, met Diebate the day before the gig; no one was quite sure about the bassist's surname; and the guitarist, whose fulltime job is as bassist in Traore's band, became part of Diebate's ensemble and hour before showtime. Whatever criticisms I had about certain Western bass lines working better than others were tossed out soon after the show, a unique blending of skills and styles that existed for one night only.

The Saturday tally:

HOURS SEEING SHOWS: 12:30 p.m. to 5:15 p.m./8 p.m.-midnight

PERFORMERS SEEN: 11

ACTS INTERVIEWED: One

ACTS UNFORTUNATELY MISSED: She and Him, Jim James, the Ting Tings, Santogold, Joe Ely, R.E.M., a Lou Reed tribute, Why?, Wooden Shjips, Ryan Bingham, Vinicio Capossela, Black Mountain, Freddie Stevenson, Duke Spirit, Fellice Brothers
 

by Phil Gallo/The Set List

A real rarity arose Friday, and in a sea of hyperbole, it almost feels like I am feeding right into the machine.But after catching two performances by Kate Walsh, I am convinced she has penned a perfect song in "Tonight."
Perfection, it's all in the eye of the beholder, but to me, this is a case of a song constructed and performed in a way that feels unchangeable. What she has to say, how she says it and the manner in which just a bare acoustic guitar backs her are unimpeachable; there's no need for addition or subtraction.

Like Tracy Chapman's "Fast Car," another perfect song, "Tonight" relies on emotional honesty that displays a range and instrumentation that provides a subplot while complementing the lyrics.

Walsh, a 24-year-old from Brighton, England, whose U.S. debut "Tim's House" has been released by Verve Forecast, wrote "Tonight" about one-night stands. As she expresses an acceptance of her situation, she finger-picks in a higher register, a hint that inside there's fear and tears. Her guitar strumming builds - heavy breathing and a rapid heartbeat? - and she enters with a verse of resignation before rising to a moment of exultation.

The song calms down and a feeling of recrimination arises, turning the song's ultimate point to human need and the emotional gap created by romantic indifference. It's a powerful piece and a marvelous accomplishment for a young writer whose musical vocabulary is just beginning to develop. For more critical analysis of the day's shows, go here.

Elsewhere on Friday:

HOURS SEEING SHOWS: 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.; 3 p.m.-1 a.m.

PERFORMERS SEEN: 16

ACTS INTERVIEWED: One

BEST SETS: My Brightest Diamond at Central Presbyterian Church; Laura Marling at Ninety Proof Lounge

BILLY BRAGG TO THE RESCUE: Amid performances of songs from his new Anti- album "Mr. Love & Justice," the fabled Brit storyteller-protest singer urged a gathering of music managers to put up a fight for the future."The real enemy of people wanting to make a better world is cynicism. ... I have been doing this for 25 years. When I raised a glass (at my 50th birthday party last year) I was grateful that I had been able to do what I dreamed of doing. Everything else is icing. (The focus) needs to be on the kids with their first contractual opportunity. Their careers are the ones on the line. (They play music) for people with 30,000 songs on their computers and they're not bandits or thieves. Engage withs world and on their terms. Stand up for this. The public doesn't care about rock stars but they do care about kids. Overcome cynicism. It's down to us." With that he launched into the glorious "I Keep Faith."

ARTISTS AS FANS: Part of the fun of SXSW is seeing established acts enjoying others. Mick Jones of the Clash and Carbon/Silicon, for example, has been spotted on the street sharing cigarettes and stories with young musicians and Friday he and current bandmate Tony James took in Duffy's set at the Fader/Levi's party. My Brightest Diamond's Shara Worden asked her audience during a midnight show what acts people had seen and liked. She received a single response: Lightspeed Champion.

COOL INSTRUMENTS OF THE DAY: Worden's enriching set included her playing the kalimba - and African thumb piano - backed by her string quartet. The duo Ladyfingers uses guitar and an open-backed six-sting banjo, an instrument from the 1930s that found favor for a short while with jazz guitarists of the day.

By Jim Hynes

The Ponderosa Stomp, with a more eclectic and trimmer lineup, rocked the Continental Club on Friday night, previewing the annual multi-stage, weekend version to be held in New Orleans on April 29 and 30. While portions of the show featured New Orleans artists, there was also vintage Philly soul, rockabilly and East Texas garage rock.

Barbara Mason, a Philly soul pioneer, delighted the packed house with her impeccable phrasing and lush delivery of her classic hits, "Yes, I’m Ready", "Sad, Sad Girl" and a killer female version of the Billy Paul hit "Me and Mrs. Jones." The Flaming Arrow Mardi Gras Indians donned full headdresses and robes for a rhythm-driven, chanting set.

The self-proclaimed king of New Orleans "gut bucket blues," Little Freddie King, was 60 minutes of primal energy full of stripped down, ragged guitar playing and Chuck Berry-inspired stage antics. The influences of his cousin, Lightnin’ Hopkins, John Lee Hooker, and, of course, Texas blues giant Freddie King were evident throughout.

New Orleans’ Michael Hurt and the Haunted Hearts followed King’s set with a dozen vintage rockabilly tunes. Kenny and the Kasuals, a Dallas-based, regionally popular garage rock band from the 1960s, concluded the evening, mixing popular early rock n’ roll tunes with a few originals, including their one mega hit, "Journey to Tyme."

The Stomp began with three southern soul artists: Wiley and the Checkmates from Mississippi, Herman Hitson from Atlanta, and Ralph "Soul" Jackson from Birmingham, Ala. They excelled in gaining audience participation for their dance numbers; all hands were in the air as Jackson concluded the party with a pulsating version of "Sunshine of Your Love."

by Phil Gallo/The Set List

Every venue on Thursday had its fair share of interesting audience response, which seemed directly proportional to audience preparedness.

Local trio the Evangelicals were greeted initially with caution and Jens Lekman and Bon Iver found attentive and appreciative crowds. But it was Stephen Kellogg and the Sixers that were greeted with over-the-top enthusiasm, a spirit that remained throughout their 35 minutes at the Thirsty Nickel.
Playing music rooted in the work of the Band and filtered in away that makes one wonder if a lighter version of the Counting Crows is commercially viable, it makes perfect sense that this act would appeal to a post-collegiate crowd in Texas.

Au contraire. Kellogg detailed seven years of submitting applications to SXSW only to be rejected six times. Last year they received a thumbs up, but the band was forced to stay home in Massachusetts due to bad weather. Thursday was not only their first show at SXSW, it was their first show in Austin. Kellogg half jokingly referred to the Sixers as a "buzz band," using finger quotes, on the heels of positive reception for last year's album "Glassjaw."

HOURS SEEING SHOWS: 8 p.m. to 1 a.m.

PERFORMERS SEEN: Eight

ACTS INTERVIEWED: Eight

BEST SET: Jens Lekman at Emo's

CRAZIEST MEDLEY OF COVERS: Stephen Kellogg uses as a conceit, the music that might have been playing while audience members were conceived and delivers the marathon number decade by decade. I think I have them all - "That's Amore" / "Great Balls of Fire" / "Age of Aquarius" / ""Always on My Mind" / "Do Ya Think I'm Sexy?" / "Physical" / "I Wanna Dance With Somebody" / "Pour Some Sugar on Me" / "Hero" (That last one has him speculating about underage drinkers.

TV PARTY: Mick Jones and Tony James of Carbon/Silicon - or more rightfully the Clash and Gen X, respectively, are huge HBO fans. Both say "The Sopranos" and "Deadwood" are their favorite shows; James is more keen on "Entourage" than Jones" and both were thrilled by the "Extras" Christmas special. 

JOHN ZORN NAME-CHECKS: Lou Reed, My Brightest Diamond

L.A. BAND TO CHECK OUT UPON RETURNING: Bodies of Water

WORST BAR SERVICE: El Rio

More observations on music and parties.

by Dana Harris/The Knife

I questioned the wisdom of Lamberts' motto: Fancy Barbecue. I was wrong to do so. Lamberts is exactly as billed and, as such, I would like them to open a Los Angeles outlet as soon as possible.

This is what we ate:

Green-chili queso (Fancy defined: Velveeta free.)

Fried green tomatoes topped with greens and crab remoulade.

Pork ribs. Hanger steak with chili butter. Brisket with homemade barbecue sauce. Homemade jalapeno hot link. Green-chili cheese grits.

There were also some smoky ranch beans and collard greens on the table, but by the time I got around to those, I was in no position to appreciate them.

Also noted: A bottle of Pinot Meunier from Mendocino's Domaine St. Gregory.  Like a Pinot Noir (and it's related), but with a stronger fruit flavor.

How good was it? We took a friend and said friend is returning this evening, solo. Plan to do likewise; as much as we ate, there's more to be had and the idea of waiting until SXSW next year is depressing.

Lamberts Barbecue, 401 W 2nd St., Austin. (512) 494-1500.

by Phil Gallo/The Set List

Hal Wilner interviewed Lou Reed for SXSW’s keynote address and Reed, maybe because of the early hour, was typically irascible.

He talked about his music being misunderstood, problems with music critics and the industry in general, the horrible sound quality of MP3s and the manner in which the world’s problems that informed “Berlin” in 1973 are occurring in the 21st century.

“Berlin” was staged for five concerts in Brooklyn -- “not in L.A., the music business town,” Reed pointed out -- and filmed by Julian Schnabel. It was shown Tuesday and will head to Europe for more screenings before returning to the U.S. in the summer.

“It’s emotional music,” Reed said after a performance clip of “Men of Good Fortune” was screened for the packed house.

“In 1973, a lot of the songs dealt with things, some of which is going on now. I don’t know if people relate to it.

“It’s based on Othello and Desdemona. It’s about intense jealousy and in that sense it’s romantic. Everyone has experience jealousy. I though people could relate to it easily and not be offended. To dislike this because of the subject matter is narrow-minded.”

Reed offered thoughts about a variety of subjects.

ON SONGWRITING: “I don’t know if I know how to do it. If I did I would have written ‘Son of Wild Side’ and would now have a Caribbean island.”

ON PUNK: We made city music. We said no R&B licks, no blues licks because we can’t do that. Aggressive steel street action -- that’s punk. Now it exists and it will last forever.

ON CREATING MUSIC: “What I have going for me is instinct. Thinking won’t get me to where I want to go. Instinct makes the music. “

ON TECHNOLOGY : "MP3s have very bad sound. If you find out you like good sound you have to go out and get a good unit to play over. If the guy making the record likes good sound, the price goes up.
People have to have higher standards. Some might say ‘that’s elitist.’ You can get any song you want in the world. If you don’t care about good sound, none of this matters for a second.
“If no one cares, it will stay the same. Technology is talking us backwards, making it easier to make things worse.”

YOUNG BANDS HE ENJOYS: Dr. Dog, Melt-Banana, Holy Fuck, Joan as Police Woman.
“I look to a young group for energy. They all have energy.”

‘BERLIN’ PART II: “(Filming) ‘Berlin’ was not an audition. But I think about doing ‘Magic and Loss’ or ‘Street Hassle’, putting together songs (that share a similar) milieu. I dream on.”

by Phil Gallo/The Set List

It was a bit of old timer's day on Wednesday's opening of the 22nd edition of SXSW. Long-time visitors were wondering how they might having to set up at Stubb's three or four hours early to catch R.E.M.; Daryl Hall opened DirecTV's Convention Center club; and chit-chat nearly always got around to the quality of Van Morrison's performance on Tuesday.

For this reviewer, here was the breakdown.

HOURS SEEING SHOWS: 4 p.m. to midnight

PERFORMERS SEEN: Seven

ACTS INTERVIEWED: Eight

TIDBIT OF THE DAY: Lubbock native and longtime Austinite Joe Ely is working on a documentary on C.B. Stubblefield, the barbecue cook from Ely's hometown of Lubbock, Texas, whose Stubb's Barbecue is a staple of the Austin music scene. Ely started in October and has been rounding up footage and blues performers to record for the indie documentary, which he figures should ready for screenings this time next year.

DARYL HALL'S SET LIST:You Make My Dreams / Everything Your Heart Desires / Cab Driver / Can't Stop Dreaming / Someone Like You / It's Uncanny /  Maneater / Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood / Sara Smile / Kiss is on My List

ONLY IN AUSTIN MOMENT: Jimmie Dale Gilmore and his son Colin waiting outside a restaurant for his daughter and grandkids.

BEVERAGES CONSUMED BESIDES BEER AND COFFEE: 2005 Marchesi di Gresy Langhe Nebbiolo; one Diet Coke

MEALS EATEN WITH SILVERWARE: 0

In Eric Kohn's article on indieWIRE, mumblecore gets a drubbing, but he also makes mention of films getting dangerously overlooked, with a particular note to Barry Jenkins' "Medicine for Melancholy" which picked up some late buzz mid-fest:

...the warmly poetic festival entry "Medicine for Melancholy" examines the aftermath of a breakup and finds some semblance of hope. At a packed screening earlier this week, one of the audience members asked during the Q & A session whether director Barry Jenkins' first film could be deemed mumblecore. In this case, the label would seem like condensation. A fiercely intellectual story about two San Francisco residents hanging out the day after a one night stand, "Meloncholy" is too streamlined, or coherent, to justify the title.

Check out the trailer:

Harmony Korine talks about his new film "Mister Lonely."  What's it about?

"The story is about a down-on-his-luck Michael Jackson impersonator.  One day he meets a Marilyn Monroe.  She's married to a Charlie Chaplin and they have a daughter that's a Shirley Temple."

Daniel Junge's doc "They Killed Sister Dorothy" and Jake Mahaffy's "Wellness" won the Grand Jury Awards at the SXSW Film Festival.  "They Killed Sister Dorothy," (pictured) about the brutal murder of an activist nun in Brazil also won the audience award. 

Mark Webber's Philadelphia story starring Rosario Dawson, "Explicit Ills," picked up the narrative audience award and a special jury award for cinematography for Patrice Lucien Cochet. 

"In a Dream," Jeremiah Zagar's doc on his father, mosaic artist Isaiah Jagar, won the audience award in the festival's Emerging Visions category.

The doc jury included Denver fest director Britta Erickson, journalist Dennis Lim, and filmmaker Ellen Spiro.  The narrative jury was comprised of Sundance programmer Trevor Groth, casting agent Beth Sepko, and filmmaker David Zellner.


The full list:

REEL SHORTS
Special Jury Award -The Second Line, Director: John Magary

Winner - (Tie) Warlord, Director: David Garrett & Small Apartment, Director: Andrew T. Betzer


ANIMATED SHORTS
Special Jury Award - I hate you don't touch me or Bat and Hat, Director: Becky James

Winner - Madame Tulti-Putli, Director: Chris Lavis & Maciek Szczerbowski


EXPERIMENTAL SHORTS
Special Jury Award - Upwards March, Director: Kaveh Nabatian

Winner - Safari, Director: Catherine Chalmers


SXSW WHOLPHIN AWARD
Winner -  Glory at Sea, Director: Benjamin Zeitlin


MUSIC VIDEOS
Special Jury Award - (TIE) Group Sounds, 'Temporarily in Love,' Director: Randy Scott Slavin & Cornelius, 'Fit Song,' Directors: Keigo Oyamada & Koichiro Tsujikawa

Winner - TV on the Radio, 'Me-I,' Directors: Mixtape Club & Daniel Garcia


TEXAS HIGH SCHOOL COMPETITION
Special Jury Award - Inflections, Director: Matthew Campbell

Winner - Picnic, Director: Wesley Bronez


ON NETWORKS GREENLIGHT AWARD
Best Original Production - The Guild, Director: Jane Selle Morgan

Best Original Series Idea - Knock Off, Written: Brandi-Ann Milbradt


DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
Special Jury Award - Full Battle Rattle, Directors: Tony Gerber & Jesse Moss

Grand Jury Award - They Killed Sister Dorothy, Director: Daniel Junge


NARRATIVE FEATURE
Special Jury Award for Cinematography - Explicit Ills, Cinematographer: Patrice Lucien Cochet

Special Jury Award for Best Ensemble Cast - Up With Me, Director: Greg Takoudes

Grand Jury Award - Wellness, Director: Jake Mahaffy


Audience Awards

EMERGING VISIONS
Winner - In a Dream, Director: Jeremiah Zagar


DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
Winner - They Killed Sister Dorothy, Director: Daniel Junge


NARRATIVE FEATURE
Winner - Explicit Ills, Director: Mark Webber


24 BEATS PER SECOND & LONE STAR STATES Winners will be announced on Monday, March 17th.