Screen Australia will soon host visits by Janet Pierson, Producer of the SXSW Film Festival and Conference, and Jay Jeon, Deputy Director of the Busan International Film Festival, South Korea.
SXSW commenced in Austin, Texas, in 1987 as a music festival and conference, growing quickly in popularity with bands and music companies. In 1994, SXSW added film and interactive components which together now attract approximately 32,000 registrants to Austin every March. The original goal was to create an event that would act as a tool for creative people and the companies they work with to come together from a wide area and share ideas. That continues to be the goal today, whether film, music or the internet.