By Liz Lopez
As in years past, SXSW offers film screenings around the community for the public to attend for free and no badges are required. Coming up this weekend is the “Faces of Austin” (a short film program) that showcases works by Austin filmmakers that reflect the many diverse faces, voices and experiences of Austin. The films can be seen on AXTN, the City’s government access channel; online, and at special screenings.
The public is invited to attend the premiere of the 2018 “Faces of Austin” short film showcase, as an official SXSW Film Festival Community Screening. The program features 13 shorts from local filmmakers who submitted their work to the City of Austin’s Cultural Arts Division. The premiere will be held on Saturday, March 10th from 11am – 12:30pm. at the AFS Cinema, 6406 N IH-35 Suite 3100.
The filmmakers were selected from the 2018 Faces of Austin short film competition that began last November, when the Cultural Arts Division opened a call for local filmmakers to submit short films that reflect the diverse faces, voices, and experiences of our city. There were over 70 submissions, with the 13 films chosen.
After the selected shorts are screened on March 10th as part of the SXSW Film Festival’s Community Programming, the films will air throughout the year on the City’s television station, ATXN.
Four films went on to the Celebrity Judge, Austin filmmaker and actor Macon Blair. His “Judge’s Choice” selection will be announced during the screening and the filmmaker will receive an honorarium of $1000. The semi-finalists will receive $750 honoraria. All other selected filmmakers for the Faces of Austin program will receive a $500 honorarium.
The following shorts have been selected and the films are listed in order of screening:
David Freid and Nick Kondylas, “Austin Graffiti Project: Chapter 1, The Foundation”
Christopher Kim, “Belonging”
Blair Waltman-Alexin, “A Common Thread”
Travis Lee Ratcliff and John Carmichael IV, “Art of the Moment”
Tatiana Gonzalez, “PEOPLE in Need & Experiencing Homelessness at the Library”
H. Cherdon, “Awesome in Austin” Music Video
Louisiana Kreutz, “Language Lessons”
Jake Fordyce, “Lord’s Boxing Gym”
Katherine Craft and Artemis Anastasiadou, “Charlotte and Charlie”
Jose Rocha, “El Maestro: Hector Galan”
Rachel Bardin, “Animal Facts Club Presents: Birds and Humans”
Christopher Kim, “Today, I Gave The World A Flower”
Aaron Weiss, “Struggling for Weird”
The AFS Cinema, 6406 N IH-35 Suite 3100, has free parking. For more information about the programming, visit http://www.austintexas.gov/facesofaustin and the venue (512) 686-3823.
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SXSW will also offer an Outdoor Film Screening, “Cartoon Network on the Green” on Monday, March 12th at 6:30pm – 9pm at the Long Center, 701 W Riverside Dr.
For the third year in a row, Cartoon Network presents a fun-filled family event open to all fans. Be among the first to watch the upcoming adventure series, “Craig of the Creek,” plus catch brand new episodes of favorite shows “Ben 10” and “Unikitty!” Fans are in for a special treat with a never-before-seen look at “Teen Titans GO! to the Movies,” coming to theaters this summer.
The events begin at 6:30p.m. with games and activities prior to the screening. There will be an opportunity to stuff your pockets with prizes before the sneak peeks.
It is recommended to take a blanket to stretch out and enjoy the show on the Long Center lawn.
This event is for all ages, and is free and open to the public. You will need to obtain the SXSW 2018 Guest Pass to attend and tickets are available at guestpass.sxsw.com.
To receive an update on this and other free activities, visit http://explore.sxsw.com/2018-sxsw-free-events
Source: SXSW, City of Austin Cultural Arts Division