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If I was told I had to attend a "conference," I don't think I would be too happy about that. I think the word reeks of boring academic workshops that seem to never end and even when they do, you are forced into another one and a never ending cycle. I mean, how much fun could a Parent/teacher conference really be? Well, I decided to take a look at a film conference held in Austin, TX annually and I found that it is much more fun than any academic conference I've ever been a part of:

By clicking on the link to the left of this blog that says "SXSW Film Conference," you will be thrown into the fascinating world of Austin's South By Southwest film festival. The conferences are split into sections; conversations, workshops, and panel presentations. There is a video under "Conversations" of an interview with Bob Berney, the former President of the now defunct Picturehouse Films. Picturehouse released such films as Pan's Labyrinth, Mongol, and The Orphanage. Berney gave some real great insight into the business world of filmmaking, including the importance of picking which films to distribute. According to Berney, Picturehouse passed on Slumdog Millionaire (Ouch!) SXSW also has acting workshops taught by some pretty big name actors. I can imagine that being really cool for a young actor to have the opportunity to pick the brain of a veteran. The Panel Presentations are probably the coolest part of the conference. The audience is allowed to have a lively Q & A with a panel of about 8 experts who could be actors, directors, producers, and/or writers. There is an awesome video of the cast of I Love You Man during a panel presentation. Not only is the audience having a blast, it seems like the panel members actually want to be there too. 

On a personal note, I actually went to the University of Texas at Austin for a year and a half and I never was able to go to SXSW. After researching this conference, I really regret not going. It looks like a whole lot of fun and could have been very valuable to me as a filmmaker.

-Adam