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MillimeterPre-SXSW Film Festival Highlights
Mar 12, 2009 4:46 PM, Craig Erpelding
"I Love You, Man," "Adventureland," Spike Lee, Robert Rodriguez, and imdb.com founder Col Needham land in Austin.
Tomorrow, Friday the 13th of March, marks the opening of the 2009 SXSW Film Festival. Some had feared the day as Matt Dentler, who produced the Film Festival lineups for the past five SXSW events (five years in which the film festival saw tremendous growth in popularity) left his post after the 2008 festival. But, for 2009 a new leader emerged in industry veteran and Austin native, Janet Pierson.
Pierson, who worked closely with Dentler on past SXSW festivals--mostly as a screener--was excited to continue his legacy of bringing in a wide range of both studio and independent films, local and international filmmakers, as well as first-time and seasoned directors to Austin again this year.
The first-time festival producer says some of the highlights of the 2009 festival include screening director Spike Lee's film Passing Strange at Austin's historic Paramount Theater, as well as another Sundance 2009 selection Adventureland from director Greg Mottola--both screening as Spotlight Premieres.
Other films of note include an insider's look at the latest global tour of one of Rock's most-feared metal bands (Iron Maiden: Flight 666), a feature debut from IFC Channel's sketch comedy artists Whitest Kids U Know (Miss March), a 10th Anniversary screening of Office Space presented by director Mike Judge, a showing of Troll 2 as well as a documentary about the making of that film entitled Best Worst Movie, and directorial debuts for Iron Giant writer Tim McCanlies (The Two Bobs) and Snakes on a Plane writer Sebastian Gutierrez (Women in Trouble).
Pierson rounded out the festival with a nice lineup of speakers, including a 3D talk between Robert Rodriguez (Sin City) and Henry Selick (Coraline, Nightmare Before Christmas) and a Keynote from imdb.com's Founder Col Needham.
You can hear a full discussion with Pierson previewing SXSW 2009 on our Blogcast page.
Continue the discussion on “Crosstalk” the Millimeter Forum.