Why SXSW Film Does Not Suck for the Press

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Hmmm, not sure what to make of Hollywood Blogger Jeffrey Wells attack on the organisation of SXSW Film. Pointed out by SXSW Baby, his blog post has three main points that say more about him than the Austin festival.

  1. There are no press screenings.
  2. The movies mostly suck.
  3. The press office is a joke, nobody knows anything, and the press pass is useless… Oh, and the film press office won’t help you if you want to check out a couple of the music events. You’re on your own, and on your own dime.

Having been under the ‘press’ banner for the last few years at SXSW, I think that Wells is out of touch on all three points. First up, most films at SXSW have only one or two screenings, and the point of a film festival is to watch films. To have one screening dedicated to the press (who can;t be guaranteed to turn up in any case) is going to limit the exposure a film can get. When some films get one screening, should that be press only?

And what’s wrong with just joining in with everyone else watching the film and enjoying it with an audience.

The movies mostly suck? That’s going to be a bit of a subjective judgement. Sure I’ve seen some clunkers at SXSW over the years, but I see clunkers in the local Cameo Cinema as well. I’ve also seen some classic films, that made me laugh, cry and think. Perhaps there aren’t huge Hollywood massive budget films, but frankly the film industry should be more than the big budget blockbusters.

Now the third point. The press office is a joke? Hmm, what are you expecting. In terms of information they’ve got the practical knowledge at their fingertips, and have always pointed me in the right direction. In the room there’s free wi-fi, tea, coffee and snacks. There are tables, seats and lounges, with plenty of space to work quietly, conduct interviews, and meet people.

And on the note that he couldn’t get a freebie into the music festival because he was at the film festival… I think that sums up his attitude. The press pass at SXSW is actually a complimentary pass for either Film, Interactive, Music, or Gold (Film and Interactive) or Platinum (all three). If all you do is cover Film, then you get a comp Film pass. If you want to attend music as well, then you can buy an upgrade.

Mr Wells, a Press Pass isn’t a freebie. It’s an agreement with the organisers that you can provide coverage of their event, in exchange for help from them to cover the cost of the conference ticket. It’s not some sort of right that allows you to avoid the paying public or to be treated like royalty. You’re still human, just like everyone else at the conference.