Hollywood Reporter
Distribution deals were never the point of the SXSW Film Festival, and that’s still true at its 17th edition, which began this weekend. But for filmmakers, actors, independent film aficionados and sales executives, it’s a laid-back Lone Star love-in. “Audiences are more relaxed here,” says Ron Yerxa, who executive produced a film which premiered Saturday in Austin. Wedged between Sundance and Tribeca, SXSW has continued to grow and draw a wider spectrum of North American and world premieres. Though this has contributed to greater attendance, the festival remains a less pressurized destination for film fans and industry folk to get a look at a new crop of films without the pressure of marketing concerns. Many Northwest filmmakers are premiering their work at the festival, including Katie Aselton’s feature film The Freebie, shot by Seattleite Ben Kasulke and starring local Sean Nelson; Seattle’s Noel Paul’s Annie Goes Boating, produced by Seattle-based Joy Saez, starring Davie-Blue (Bass Ackwards), Alycia Delmore (Humpday) and Alessandra Torresani and shot in the Arboretum; and more. To read more about SXSW 2010’s Film Festival, follow the above link.