Audience at Digital Domain session, SXSW 2012. Image courtesy, Cal Holman

If you're a student in an Austin area high school or college, we want to hear from you. The SXSW Film Scholarship aims to recognize new talent, and is offering one of 5 Film Badges or 20 Conference passes for successful participants.

Photo Credit: JW Walthall

A communal networking hub amongst the SXSW Trade Show bustle, the Meet Up Pavilion is the place to rub elbows with other peers and professionals who share your interests, passions and concerns. After a successful debut during SXSW 2012, we are expanding our agency and job-seeker mingling event into: I Met My Agency @ SXSW. This four day series allows registrants dedicated time to meet with their future employers. Check the Meet Up Page for other events, including networking for startups and investors, futurists, and online activists. Check back for an updated schedule.

THEATRICAL

Funeral Kings, Emerging Visions 2012. Image courtesy Funeral Kings LLC

Photo Credit: Jojo Marion Innovative graphic design meets cinematic creativity at the SXSW Film Design Competition in 2013. The competition is open to all films accepted at the SXSW Film Festival and includes two exciting categories, "Excellence in Poster Art" and "Title Sequence Design." Posters are displayed in a highly visible gallery space right outside the Austin Convention Center theatre, to be viewed from March 8 through 17. A reception, open to all SXSW attendees, will kick off the competition and winners of both categories will be announced at the SXSW Film Awards.

Sleeping on the sidewalk is not advised, you may be kicked by a wayward breakdancer. Photo courtesy of Chris Van Loan.

Since late July the SXSW Housing Department has made thousands of hotel reservations for registrants for our events and Austin hotels are nearly sold out for certain SXSW dates. Because events are back-to-back or overlapping, March 8 through 11 dates are difficult to find at a single hotel. You can check the updated list of hotels and their availability online. (SXSWedu registrants–good downtown hotels are still available. Make your reservation when you purchase your registration.)

SXSW 2012 IFC Crossroads House, courtesy Antony Ng

Perennial SXSW Super Sponsor IFC is back for another year of bringing their "Always On - Slightly Off" personality to SXSW Music, Film, and Interactive. SXSW 2013 will see the return of the IFC Crossroads House, a March mainstay for several years running.

Dree Hemingway and Besedka Johnson at the Starlet world premiere. Image courtesy Tim Strauss

A huge congratulations to the many SXSW alumni included in the 2013 Film Independent Spirit Award nominations! Among the list of nominees are SXSW world premieres Starlet, Gimme The Loot and Gayby, along with audience favorites like Bernie, Killer Joe, and more.

See the full list of our alumni nominees below, and head over to this page for the full lineup and more details. The winners will all be revealed on Saturday, February 23.

Image from SXSW 2012 Film & Interactive Fusion Party, courtesy Jojo Marion If you are already attending SXSW Film or Interactive take advantage of all that SXSW has to offer by upgrading your badge to Gold or Platinum. Gold badge holders get access to all things Interactive and Film including networking events, film screenings, parties, sessions and more. Gold badge holders get the full SXSW experience by immersing in both events.

THEATRICAL

Funeral Kings, Emerging Visions 2012. Image courtesy Funeral Kings LLC