September 15, 2017

me Convention Starts Now: Follow the Festivities in Frankfurt from September 15-17

Join us all weekend in Frankfurt, Germany for the inaugural me Convention – a partner event hosted by SXSW and Mercedes Benz – featuring over 150 speakers across three days of workshops, expert talks, inspiring keynotes, plus an evening music and culinary program all within a festival-like setting.

An evolution of its mission to help creative people achieve their goals, me Convention brings together people across a wide set of disciplines to engage in a dialogue about the future through the lens of technology and design. This new, inspiring, and open platform creates an intimate space for international exchange and business in one of Europe’s most vibrant cities.

Day one kicks off with a full day of inspirational talks and special events. Explore programming highlights below and follow the festivities with our live-streaming and social media coverage.

Day One: Streaming Schedule

Buzz Aldrin – Cycling Pathways to Mars: My Vision for Our Future in Space
Astronaut, rocket scientist, and second human on the moon Buzz Aldrin presents his latest project, “Cycling Pathways to Mars,” an impressive VR simulation that allows us to experience his vision of a human settlement on the red planet. Watch here »

Sheryl Sandberg and Dr. Dieter Zetsche – Culture, Leadership, and Innovation in the Digital Age
Facebook’s Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg will join Daimler CEO and SXSW alumni speaker Dr. Dieter Zetsche for a Keynote discussion on how the next generation of leaders can best employ, build, and develop their skills in order to achieve their full potential. Watch here »

Josh Rubin and Rana June – The Art of Emotion Data
Josh Rubin, Co-Founder & Editor in Chief of Cool Hunting, and Rana June, Founder & CEO of Lightwave, discuss using biometric data to visualize the human experience. Watch here »

Watch the Live Stream

More Programming Highlights

Startup Cities
A two-day gathering of 24 of the world’s leading startup cities. Speakers from startups, cities in Europe, the Middle East, and Asia will discuss why their hometown is a serious player in the global startup ecosystem.

Katherine Maher – Who Do You Trust on Tomorrow’s Internet?
Katherine Maher, Executive Director of the Wikimedia Foundation, the nonprofit behind Wikipedia, will explain how the world’s free encyclopedia has built trust on the divided internet, and what lessons we might be able to carry forward in rebuilding for our future and the trends in technology, information, and access that lie ahead.

whurley – From Science Fiction to Science Act?
In this talk, whurley discusses the coming age of quantum computing and its effects on virtually every aspect of our life. Whether you’re an entrepreneur or engineer, business leader or IT professional, you need to be prepared for one of the greatest paradigm shifts in the history of computing.

Brock Pierce – The Blockchain, Cryptocurrencies & Icos
Venture capitalist and entrepreneur Brock Pierce gives a peek into this fascinating world and shows new opportunities for the application of blockchain technology.

Beyond these inspiring talks, the evening is packed with special events throughout Frankfurt’s hip Bahnhofsviertel community as well as the world premiere of the documentary film Conny Plank – the Potential in Noise and musical performances from Beth Ditto and Iggy Azalea.

View Full Schedule

Not able to make it to Frankfurt? Go behind the scenes with speakers and to the front row of all the shows this weekend – follow me Convention on Instagram and Twitter as well as SXSW channels for the latest coverage. Tune in each day for the live stream of select talks at me-convention.com.

Stay tuned for day two featuring Hans Ulrich Obrist, Neil Harbisson, and Guy Kawasaki.

me Convention venue Festhalle Frankfurt – Photo by Annie Forrest

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Source: SxSW Film

September 14, 2017

Nate Nanzer, Christina Alejandre, Brendan Donohue, and Pete Vlastelica to Speak at SXSW Gaming 2018

The SXSW Gaming Festival (March 15-17) has revealed the first of its Featured Speakers lineup for SXSW Gaming 2018.

With esports being a focal trend from SXSW Gaming 2017, and one that has recently taken the gaming industry by storm, this is an exciting time to be at the forefront of pivotal conversations and trends that will forever shift the landscape of esports.

Access to SXSW Gaming Featured Speakers and other Gaming festival-related events is complimentary to all SXSW badgeholders, and can be accessed with SXSW Gaming wristbands as well.

SXSW Gaming Featured Speakers

Nate Nanzer (Commissioner, Overwatch League) – Serving as the Commissioner of the Overwatch League, Nate Nanzer leads the cross-discipline esports effort for the team-based shooter. Nate began developing plans for an Overwatch esports program in his spare time while working in Blizzard’s marketing department, and has now turned that passion into a full-time role. He oversees the strategy, development, and execution of Overwatch esports for all levels of play, and is responsible for everything from partnerships to competition rules.

Christina Alejandre (GM of ELEAGUE & VP of Esports, Turner Sports) – Christina Alejandre joined Turner Sports in March 2016 as General Manager of ELEAGUE and Vice President of Esports. In this role, she leads the development and strategy for ELEAGUE, a transformative esports tournament brand created in partnership with IMG. She is responsible for business operations, content, and program strategy for ELEAGUE, as well as the pursuit of new esports opportunities.

Brendan Donohue (Managing Director, NBA 2K League) with Manny Anekal – As Managing Director of the NBA 2K League, Brendan Donohue is responsible for overseeing the newly formed esports league set to launch in 2018. Donohue, a sports industry veteran with more than two decades of experience in team and league operations, manages a league that will feature 17 NBA teams in its inaugural season. Prior to assuming his current role in April 2017, Donohue served as SVP of the NBA’s industry-renowned Team Marketing & Business Operations (TMBO) department. Donohue will be interviewed by Manny Anekal, founder and CEO of The Next Level.

Pete Vlastelica (President and CEO, MLG) – Pete Vlastelica is President and CEO of Major League Gaming (MLG), a division of Activision Blizzard devoted to creating the best esports experiences for fans across games, platforms, and geographies. Prior to MLG, Vlastelica was the Executive Vice President of Digital at FOX Sports, where he focused on content and product development, social media, technology, and creation of multi-platform content properties, including the Emmy-award winning Garbage Time with Katie Nolan. He directed the growth of FOXSports.com and the mobile app FOX Sports Go, where he oversaw the streaming of thousands of live sporting events, including Super Bowl XLVIII, which set a new internet record for streaming viewers for a sporting event.

Visit SXSW Gaming 2018

SXSW Gaming registration is now open! If you’re looking to immerse yourself in the gaming industry and learn more about the impact that’s being made at SXSW, register to attend with an official SXSW Gaming Wristband and book your hotel reservation for the 2018 SXSW Gaming Festival.

Nate Nanzer, Christina Alejandre, Brendan Donohue, and Pete Vlastelica – Photos courtesy of Speakers

The post Nate Nanzer, Christina Alejandre, Brendan Donohue, and Pete Vlastelica to Speak at SXSW Gaming 2018 appeared first on SXSW.

Source: SxSW Film

September 13, 2017

Film Submission Tips: Premiere Status

If you are looking to submit your film to the 2018 SXSW Film Festival, make sure your film meets our premiere status requirements!

SXSW Film understands that many of the films submitted to our festival are being entered to other festivals around the world. However, it is very important to keep us posted if your premiere status will change from what was listed on your application.

• Our 2017 lineup included 85 World Premieres, 11 North American premieres, and 5 U.S. Premieres from a submission pool of 2,432 feature films.

• Films that play in our Narrative and Documentary Feature Competition categories consist solely of world premieres. This is a case where the premiere status of your film is key.

• While the premiere status is a factor in our final decision-making, we don’t place tough restrictions for our shorts program.

• The SXSW Film Festival plays a number of shorts that have appeared on the internet or played at other festivals. If SXSW Film really connects to and loves a short and has received minimal attention, we will try to share it with our enthusiastic audience.

• For Episodics, your series content cannot be available online, have already had its broadcast premiere, or be available in any other form. Remember, your content must include a pilot or first episode.

• If you get invited to another festival and want to know where your film stands here at SXSW, you can email filmfest@sxsw.com after October 20. We may not be able to give you an answer, but we’ll do our best!

Submit Your Film Here

To learn more about submitting to SXSW, watch our How To Submit Your Film video and check out our Film Submission FAQ.

Join Us For SXSW 2018

Grab your Film Badge today for primary access to all SXSW Film events including world premieres, roundtables, workshops, and parties. Register to attend by Friday, October 20 and save before prices go up in November. Make your hotel reservations through SXSW Housing & Travel for the best available rates. We hope to see you in March!

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and SXSW News for the latest SXSW coverage, announcements, application tips, and updates.

Screening from 2018 SXSW Film Festival – Photo by Anthony Mireles

The post Film Submission Tips: Premiere Status appeared first on SXSW.

Source: SxSW Film