The AFS Guide to SXSW 2024

SXSW is a magical time of the year where, for a few weeks in March, the world turns its eyes on Austin, and the entire city transforms to exhibit the freshest work across creative disciplines and host countless artists, industry titans, fans, and supporters. For us, it’s all about the films and the Texas filmmakers who get the spotlight during the festival.

With so much going on, it can be hard to keep track of all the exciting events going on, but if you’re reading this, you’re a part of the Austin Film Society, which also means you’re now the recipient of our handy guide for all events in the AFS universe taking place at this year’s festival. Read on, help us support the talented members of the film community, and we hope to see you out and about during SXSW 2024!

AFS Filmmaker Events

The AFS community includes filmmakers from throughout Texas: those who’ve received support from the AFS Grant and members of the AFS Board of Directors. Many of these artists are exhibiting their in this year’s festival, so be sure to check out their screenings at various venues across town. (Click through film titles to see the showtimes for each film.)

AFS Panels

In addition to film screenings, AFS also gets to participate in panels and meetups with other members of the industry at large. Come and listen to members AFS’s leadership discuss a range of topics pertaining to the present and future of the Texas film industry.

SXSW EDU: Who’s Tracking the Creative Workforce?
Panelist Rakeda Ervin (AFS Director of Community Education)
March 4 | 1–2 PM | Austin Convention Center

Having access to creative workforce data is essential to the success of the creative industry. That’s why AFS Director of Community Education Rakeda Ervin and a panel of regional experts will discuss their insights at SXSW EDU. Educators, employers, and filmmakers are all invited to join this discussion about who is reflected in the data and the role we play in strengthening the industry’s ecosystem.

Trust the Process: The Making of SING SING
Moderator Holly Herrick (AFS Head of Film and Creative Media)
March 9 | 10–11:00 AM | Austin Convention Center (Room 17AB)

Join the filmmaking team for a deep dive into the seven year journey to bring SING SING to life from script to screen and what it takes to truly make films as a community. SING SING is screening as part of the SXSW Film & TV Festival. SXSW Film & TV badge holders are welcome.

The Shine Co. Presents Texas Studios’ Tapestry
Panelist Martin Jones (AFS Head of Austin Studios)
March 11 | 10:00 AM | Arterie House

AFS’s Head of Austin Studios Martin Jones joins panelists Heather Page and Mindy Raymond from The Shine Company at Arterie House to discuss stages, sustainability, and savings while giving a glimpse into the future of local film production. SXSW Film & TV badge holders are welcome; please email mindy@weareshineco.com to RSVP.

AFS Member ShortCase

March 10 | 12 PM | AFS Cinema

The AFS ShortCase is an annual program of short films made by AFS members at the MAKE level and above. The event will include a post-screening Q&A with the filmmakers featured in the program.

This screening is free and open to the public, but you must reserve your ticket in advance.

CAN I DANCE FOR A SANDWICH
Filmmaker: Mike Woolf, Beef and Pie Productions
Photographer Alan Pogue’s documentation of Austin’s cultural and political life over the last 50 years is unmatched. So of course he was there, in the rain, shutter clicking, catching a random moment as it became magic. ‘Dance for a Sandwich’ is one of ten short documentaries embedded in the 23rd Street Mural Project.

BABE MAGNET
Filmmaker: Rachel Kichler
Upon news of their cancelled flight, four strangers band together to rent a car from Corpus Christi to Houston.

TINY, TEXAS
Filmmaker: David Lykes Keenan
In 1980s Texas, a star player and his coach face off on the basketball court and, figuratively speaking, hard truths are revealed as the onion of their relationship is peeled back.

BLACK MAGIC
Filmmaker: Cristin Stephens
Black Magic is about a diversity hire who contends with the expectations of her boss at the cost of her identity.

REVERIE
Filmmaker: Kelli Horan
In a future where time travel is used as a form of therapy, Imogen grapples with the weight of her troubled past and is given the opportunity to revisit her younger self and confront the experiences that shaped her present self.

BOYZ NIGHT
Filmmaker: Chris Lyke
When their mutual friend flakes on game night, two acquaintances get to know each other better.

RACA
Filmmaker: Drew Saplin
Raca follows Nacho, a socially inept, katana-wielding weirdo in search of connection, as he treks across his small coastal town on the 4th of July on a quest to find ice for his “best friends” in time for the fireworks show.

GRILLED QUESO
Filmmaker: Sergio Muñoz Esquer
A night in the life of an immigrant couple working in a food truck in the busiest area in Austin.

THE HUNGRY STORYTELLER
Filmmaker: Yuta Yamaguchi
A three-year-old boy tells his first favorite story.

SXSW Film Satellite Venue: AFS Cinema

For 2024, the SXSW Film & TV Festival will be releasing a limited number of public pre-sale tickets for select screenings at select venues, including AFS Cinema. All screenings are general admission. Seating is subject to capacity and will occur on a priority basis approximately 45 minutes before the screening starts, and attendees are advised to arrive as early as 60 minutes prior to each screening. For more information, be sure to check out our website. 

Among the 19 films we’re screening this year are GASOLINE RAINBOW (dir. the Ross brothers, BLOODY NOSE, EMPTY POCKETS); SING SING (dir. Greg Kwedar, prod. Monique Walton and Clint Bentley, all AFS Grant-supported filmmakers); the Austin-made AN ARMY OF WOMEN (prod. AFS-supported Jessica Wolfson, dir. Austin Public Producer Julie Lunde Lillesæter); YASMEEN’S ELEMENT (dir. Amman Abbasi, DAYVEON); and SASQUATCH SUNSET (dir. the Zellner brothers, DAMSEL, KUMIKO, THE TREASURE HUNTER). 

This is a great way to catch some of the amazing films playing at the festival without having to compete for downtown parking. Plus, we feel there’s something extremely satisfying about drinking a margarita while seeing a movie before almost everyone else in the world.