The four uplifting documentaries in today's Filmmakers in Focus tackle the ways in which we make an impact. Whether conquering the immediate environment, rethinking how we perceive the universe, investigating the footprint we occupy on the planet, or the simple act of bringing joy to everyday life, these are films that deliver great energy, insight and vitality, and about as life-affirming as documentaries get.
Scroll through to add titles to your schedule, and be sure to read all of the Filmmakers in Focus interviews to date right here.
Click on a title below to read the conversation, then start planning your SXSW with our film schedule.
Lucy Walker on The Crash Reel
Image courtesy the Pearce Family
Tell us a little about your film.
The Crash Reel is an eye-popping and deeply emotional ride through the life of champion snowboarder Kevin Pearce -- from the epic rivalry with Shaun White that propelled him to the top of his sport, to the devastating training accident that left him brain-injured, to his inspirational recovery, assisted by his incredible family (including an older brother with Down syndrome who also has to deal with adversity and disability).
Sadly, it's a film that has become timely and relevant, with news continuing to come in about brain-injured sports stars -- most recently Caleb Moore, who tragically died from injuries sustained at X Games Aspen a few weeks ago, just days after we screened the film there. Tragedy notwithstanding, The Crash Reel is above all an intimate, exhilarating portrait of an immensely inspiring sport and sports star. We like to think of it as a comeback story with a difference. It's hard to describe why the film is so good, all I can say is we're in love with the film and can't wait to share it with the SXSW audience!
Why did you start making films? 
Lucy Walker
Starting from when I was a kid in school, I loved theater and plays and moved from acting to directing them. Then there was an "a-ha!" moment when for the first time I filmed one of my plays with a video camera. I realised I loved close-up shots because of their power to powerfully put you in someone else's perspective. I had always loved watching movies, but it wasn't until I found myself that I could actually be the one to make them.
I applied for a Fulbright Scholarship and told the interview panelists there weren't enough female directors. They must have agreed because they gave me a scholarship to attend the graduate film programme at NYU and it all took off from there. As a filmmaker, I love taking audiences into new worlds that they would never get to experience without me having made a kickass film for them. My films let you experience life as a Tibetan blind kid, or as an Amish teenager, or a Brazilian garbage picker, or an X-Games gold-medal-winning pro snowboarder.
Have you been to SXSW before?
Yes, I was there in 2008 with my film Blindsight, and I've been back just to hang as well. I love SXSW and Austin and can't wait to be coming back. I'm most looking forward to everything -- seeing other films and hearing music, meeting the audiences and the other filmmakers, urm... what's NOT to look forward to? I can't think of anything!
Tell us a random fact (or two!) that would help our attendees get a better idea of who you are.
I love music just about as much as I love film, and that's a lot. When I was in film school at NYU I supported myself DJing and was in a band called Byzar -- we were on the Asphodel label and played some incredibly fun shows all over the world and put out some records that we like to think of as highly influential! These days I channel my music taste into trying to get the best possible soundtracks for my films.
This film has surely the most brilliant soundtrack of any film at SXSW: Lykke Li, Groove Armada, Stars of the Lid, Chemical Brothers, DJ Shadow, Cliff Martinez, Sigur Ros, Bon Iver, Spiritualized, Jose Gonzalez, The Hives, Moby, Ben Howard, M83, Ryan Adams... the list goes on, and everyone who's seen the movie so far wants the soundtrack, and we ourselves listen to it on repeat as well!
- Add The Crash Reel to your schedule here
- Click here to read all Filmmakers in Focus interviews to date
Stephen Finnigan on HAWKING
Image courtesy Andrew Kolker
Tell us a little about your film.
"HAWKING is the intimate story the life and work of Stephen Hawking. The film is told in Stephen's own words and by those who are closest to him. What makes the film different, is that we look at the 'man' more than his 'science'. We tell the inside story of how he became who is today and how he has battled for survival over his illness.
I was privileged to be given unique access to film his daily life and it was great to get to know and understand what kind of a man he is. Stephen is a very, very funny man - with a great sense of humour."
Why did you start making films? 
Stephen Finnigan courtesy
HAWKING
Great documentary's and dramas should make you think about the world in a different way. Oh....and perhaps more importantly, my mum used to take me to cinema all the time......with a packed lunch....cheese and HP sauce sandwiches. Priceless.
Have you been to SXSW before?
This is my first time at SXSW - so I'm looking forward to experiencing the 'buzz' that people say the festival cultivates. Apart from the great films I also want to check the music - I love watching live bands.
Tell us a random fact (or two!) that would help our attendees get a better idea of who you are.
Although we share the same name, unlike Stephen Hawking, Physics and Maths were my worst subjects at school......
Christopher Smith & Merete Mueller on TINY: A Story About Living Small
Image courtesy the filmmakersTell us a little about your film.
The film follows our process of building a Tiny House from scratch with no building experience. We also profile other families around the country who have downsized their lives into these houses that are smaller than the average parking space. We're interested in environmental issues and in good design, and in the idea of Home. What does it mean, and how do we find it?
Why did you start making films? 
Merete Mueller & Christopher Smith,
courtesy the filmmakers
Christopher: I've been interested in filmmaking since I was in Middle School. There was a series on The Discovery Channel called "Movie Magic", which focused on special effects, and I watched it religiously. As I grew older my tastes evolved and I became more focused on the entire craft of visual storytelling, and not just on special effects.
Merete: My background is in writing and this is my first film project. I got involved in this one because the story and the themes captured my attention. I love that in film, you can imply elements of the plot or of a character with an image or a sound, rather than having to say everything outright. I think more now about creating an experience in addition to telling a story. "
Have you been to SXSW before? What are you most looking forward to?
This will be our first SXSW! We're looking forward to seeing so many of the other films playing at the festival and meeting other filmmakers. We're in such talented company. This festival combines many of our different interests: music, tech, design, film...it's sort of overwhelming and also totally amazing.
Tell us a random fact (or two!) that would help our attendees get a better idea of who you are.
(We wrote these for each other:)
Christopher is so full of "random" facts it's hard to know which ones to choose! He was the vocalist in two hardcore bands in his 20s (one of which included Tim Cleary, who wrote the score for TINY). Much later at the University of Colorado, he helped to design a summer program for students learning about energy issues in the American West. Also, his dad served as a psychic spy for the US military.
Merete graduated from an unusual program at Naropa University, called the "Jack Kerouac School of Disembodied Poetics." It was founded by Allen Ginsberg. Naropa is the only Buddhist-inspired university in the country and Merete's been a meditation practitioner ever since.
- Add TINY: A Story About Living Small to your schedule here
- Click here to read all Filmmakers in Focus interviews to date
Matt Adams on We Cause Scenes
Image courtesy the filmmakersTell us a little about your film.
We Cause Scenes tells the story of Charlie Todd, an actor who moved to New York City with hopes of making it big. Frustrated by the lack of opportunities available to him, Charlie began using the city of New York itself as his stage, causing scenes in bars, parks, and subway cars, documenting these unauthorized performances on the web under the name "Improv Everywhere."
A prank collective ten years in the making, Improv Everywhere has grown from a few 22-year-olds staging guerrilla pranks on the streets to a phenomenon that has spread across the globe. The group is now known as one of the leaders in online video creation with a YouTube channel totaling over a quarter of a billion views. From the No Pants Subway Ride to the Grand Central Freeze, Improv Everywhere's scenes of chaos and joy have inspired pranksters around the world."
When did you start making films? 
Matt Adams
courtesy the filmmaker
Film seemed to be the best way that I could take everything I loved and combine it under one roof. Shortly after I got my first video camera, I moved to NYC. I remember being so excited that I had a camera and could document whatever I wanted - having a video camera was a big deal in 2001!
Within a few weeks of moving to Manhattan, my mother sent me a news clipping about Improv Everywhere and said, “I think you’d like this.” I thought to myself “this is cool,” and I hung up the clipping on my wall, not exactly sure how to get involved, but knowing somehow I would. A few months after that happened, I met Improv Everywhere founder, Charlie Todd, while taking classes at The Upright Citizens Brigade Theater and told him that if he ever needed an extra hand, I’d love to be able to film his events.
Improv Everywhere quickly became a big part of my life and I found myself in the inner circle of the group, working with Charlie Todd to brainstorm the best ways to transform the group’s ideas into successful internet videos. The deeper I got, the more I needed to make a film about what was happening around me. We Cause Scenes tells the story of Improv Everywhere - I’m just happy that I just sort of stumbled into it, so thanks Mom!
Have you been to SXSW before?
This is my first time! When I started this project, I’d always secretly dreamed that it would make its premiere at SXSW but never could wrap my mind around it actually happening. I could not be more excited to meet all the filmmakers and other participants attending such a cool festival.
Tell us a random fact (or two!) that would help our attendees get a better idea of who you are.
Instead of going the traditional route of working as a Production Assistant after film school, I decided to get as many jobs as I possibly could outside of the industry to inform my filmmaking. I love meeting new people and having unique experiences and didn’t want to burn out creatively.
In my free time, I worked on my own projects, making videos with my friends and family. My parents must have starred in every film that I made when I was in college! I think that not starting my career in a traditional filmmaking environment is the thing that actually shaped me most as a filmmaker.
