Local Events: The 10th Anniversary of THE SCHOOL OF ROCK

AFS will integrate Mass Relevance’s technology into the 2014 Texas Film Awards, AFS’s signature event honoring legends of cinema and television, to create and monetize interactive social experiences in venue, on mobile and at austinfilm.org. Mass Relevance’s technology will allow exclusive AFS sponsors the opportunity to “own the conversation” around the Texas Film Awards by bringing together the best in design, technology and social content from Instagram, Vine, Twitter, Google+ and Facebook. Utilizing Mass Relevance’s technology throughout the year, AFS will be able to tap into best practices from major studios rapidly integrating more than 30 “visualizations,” including voting, live Q&A and Flock to Unlock.The first experience launches Thursday, August 29th as AFS and Cirrus Logic present THE SCHOOL OF ROCK 10-Year Reunion at a special screening at the Paramount Theatre, followed by a VIP After Party hosted at the Gibson Austin Showroom. The experience, powered by Mass Relevance, will dynamically visualize the social conversations happening at the VIP After Party using the event hashtag #AFSSchoolofRock. Through the experience, fans and partygoers will be able to listen in as the cast comes together a decade later and performs two songs from the film. The anniversary event reunites director Richard Linklater and 16 cast members of the 2003 hit, including star Jack Black, writer/co-star Mike White, co-star Miranda Cosgrove and the young cast members who made up the movie’s “School of Rock” band.

AFS also plans to encourage corporate partners to sponsor high-profile experiences at film premieres and special events, generating new revenue to support its community programs. Since 1996, the AFS Grant has given $1.3 million to 323 emerging filmmakers, who have gone on to win Emmys, premiere at prestigious festivals and secure national distribution deals. AFS currently teaches after-school workshops in 17 under-resourced public schools, screens over 200 films each year at local theaters including its new art house theater AFS at the Marchesa, and operates Austin Studios, a 20 acre film production facility that has generated $1.35 billion in economic impact for Texas since 2000.

“With Mass Relevance, we have a new way to bring together art, technology and social content to engage our members and fund our community programs,” said Rebecca Campbell, Executive Director of AFS. “We’re able to bring our extended community to life with real conversations from moviegoers, fans, filmmakers and creative leaders. We’re also able to provide our corporate partners with a new sponsorship option that aligns them with innovative, meaningful programs and some of the most exciting names in film.”

“Austin Film Society is an incredibly innovative non-profit organization,” said Sam Decker, CEO and Co-Founder of Mass Relevance. “We’re excited to work together to showcase the value that social experiences can bring to a high-profile, non-profit environment for fans, members, corporate sponsors and ultimately the Austin community that AFS serves so well.  There are many impactful strategies from the major studios that AFS can apply immediately, and I fully anticipate that we will blaze some trails that larger entertainment brands will want to follow.”