SXSW 2023: My New Favorite Film Festival

The SXSW 2023 Film & TV Festival took the internet by storm last week and as someone who was boots on the ground, I had an AMAZING time. I got to see the sights, eat the food, watch the movies, eat some more food, and interact with some of my favorite filmmakers! There were a ton of Avengers in town in Austin including Robert Downey Jr, Anthony Mackie, Elizabeth Olsen, and Dave Bautista. I was able to screen movies like ‘If You Were The Last’, ‘Hypnotic’, ‘Problemista‘, ‘Swarm‘, ‘Under My Skin‘, and more. I have a ton of great content posted that I hope to turn into videos the second I get more images and footage from the projects to use. 

This wasn’t my first time in Austin as I had originally planned to go to SXSW in 2020 but the event got canceled a week before it was scheduled to take place. Me having non-refundable tickets on everything just bit the bullet and decided to visit Austin at the beginning of the pandemic and make the most of visiting weird old Austin. This visit this year was a lot more lively with all the extra people there which culminated in a lot of fun activities, events, and networking. Overall I had a fantastic time at SXSW in Austin and I am excited to attend again next year. 

Here are a few links to our coverage of the SXSW 2023 Film Festival lineup:

Troublemaker Studios Tour

Now there is one more thing about Austin that I didn’t mention. I was among the lucky few people who were selected by Robert Rodriguez himself to actually leave the SXSW 2023 event and attend an in-person private studio tour at Robert Rodriguez’s film studio Troublemaker Studios. Now I don’t know how much I am allowed to share from the tour because of NDA’s that I had to sign but I can say that I learned a few fun facts like the fact that both Sin City 1 and Sin City 2 were filmed in their entirety in a single former airport hangar, not unlike the one that maverick lives in Top Gun 2. In fact, I’m pretty sure that Troublemaker studios are built on top of an old airport with several hangars scattered across the properly. 

I also learned that the entire town that was constructed for the filming of Battle Angel is STILL STANDING in Austin! The set is standing in place in what I think are hopes that they will eventually get the green light to make a sequel to that film and reuse what they’ve constructed. The set was made to last as it looks and feels like a living breathing city that can withstand a lot of natural elements without getting damaged. I was able to walk through the entire town and take a ton of pictures and videos that I can share with you all and make public to the world. Apparently, Rodriguez’s troublemaker studios also use this set to double for scenes in other projects including in Robert’s upcoming film Hypnotic starring Ben Affleck. I hope to share more from that tour with you in the future after I reach out to Troublemaker studios to review my content and give me the okay. 

Anyway, that’s all I have for the week in review this week. Do me a favor and if you are new here to the movie blog go ahead and get initiated and join the correct team by subscribing to the channel do me a favor and hit that like button before you go, otherwise I’ll have to check you all later. PEACE!

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About Anthony Whyte

Content Manager | Senior Editor | Daydreamer | Keep your head on a swivel and don't blink