What drew Blue Ant Studios’ Lilla Hurst to attend the Austin event and what did she find when she got there?
Having had the fortune to be tipped off about Stormy, a feature doc directed by Sarah Gibson that premiered at SXSW last year (that Blue Ant Studios subsequently acquired for distribution and sold globally), it was decided that 2025 would be the year that I finally ventured to Austin, Texas, for my first taste of the event in person.
Since I attended my first Sundance Film Festival earlier this year, I was keen to see how SXSW compared to the much-revered film festival that is Sundance.
My mission was to spend my time at the festival viewing feature docs that could potentially be acquired and distributed by Blue Ant Studios, in addition to meeting with producers and directors to discuss their current slates and likely future collaborations.
Unlike Sundance, which is packed into the set-like precinct of Park City Utah - all at the height of ski season - SXSW has tentacles that spread throughout downtown Austin across many streets and several blocks.
SXSW originated in 1987, as a music conference and festival, and has expanded since 1994 to include film, interactive media, and education conferences and festivals, as well as a showcase for emerging talent and innovation across various media-based industries.
More than 500,000 people attended the festival in 2024 and they come from not only across the US, but from around the world.
According to the SXSW Film & TV event figures, in 2024 there were 118 feature films screened that just shy of 57,000 industry people attended. This year, across nine days, the event hosted film premieres, screenings, conference talks and showcases.
“During the three-and-a-half days that I was there, I clocked up eight films, three sessions, 10 meetings and about 35 fish tacos - they were all worth it”
A typical day could include attending several film premieres, dipping into conference talks on anything from the role of AI in sex and intimacy co-ordinating in film to a keynote with Don’t Die’s Bryan Johnson, to holding meetings in the various hotels, cafes and restaurants around town.
Attendance at all of the above is, however, heavily reliant on the right choice of footwear and securing an efficient Uber pick-up or electric scooter availability - Austin is huge!
During the three-and-a-half days that I was there, I clocked up eight films, three sessions, 10 meetings and about 35 fish tacos - and I can candidly say that they were all worth it.
The mix of attendees is notably different from Sundance in that the number of channel execs in attendance is significantly lower.
Very few channels are here to buy and only seem to attend if they are already behind a film that is launching, otherwise it seems that they are reliant on agents, industry press and word of mouth to draw their attention to the event’s emerging hits.
The main mix that I witnessed - aside from the handful of channel execs - comprised of producers, directors, agents and talent, all flown in for premieres, photo ops and launch parties.
So, what’s the damage to the ever-shrinking corporate travel budget?
Surprisingly (or not), the event is only a couple of thousand dollars more expensive than Mipcom and that’s mainly down to the flight, because the registration, accommodation and food costs are pretty comparable.
But it would be unfair to compare like for like, as this is a very different affair - it is definitely a festival first and a conference second. Swap out the oysters and nicoise for fish tacos and brisket (I know which I prefer), and the abrasive service for laid back charm. There isn’t a suit in sight and you can find a mean margarita on virtually every corner.
Did I return home with a shopping basket full of premium docs for the team to let loose on the world in the coming months? Watch this space…
Lilla Hurst is global head of acquisitions & content strategy at Blue Ant Studios.
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