Tuesday, March 16, 2010

The Halfway point: Mark's first timer take on SXSW 2010

It is Tuesday March 16, day five of the world famous film festival that has helped put our beloved city of Austin, Texas on the map. I’m a little tired and still adjusting to sometimes hectic pace, the crowds, and the long waits in line to see movies. This is my first year to participate in the fun, madness, and mayhem of the festival which according to my associates and other veterans has grown immensely in recent years. Long are the days when festival badge holders casually sauntered in a theater at their leisure to view a film.

This year, even the badge holder lines are insanely long, especially for red carpet premieres at the Paramount Theater. As for the Movie doc, I applied early for my press badge but was denied because of the high demand for this coveted ID. I settled for the seventy dollar press pass because I honestly could not fathom spending three hundred dollars on a badge when I was only interested in the films and not any of the other programs. For the most part, this pass has been a good investment. Since opening night, I have watched a total of six films, one of which was through a press invite that didn’t require my pass. I am hoping to watch at least eight more films. If things go as planned--which honestly they haven’t but I’m hoping and praying—I will end the festival after having watched fourteen films. Divide this by seventy and that equals five dollars a movie. That is one hell of a bargain these days! Throw in some celebrity viewing along with some fun Q&A sessions at the end of most films and one will have a great investment.

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