October 26, 2017

Stories of Courage Celebrated at the 2017 StoryCorps Gala

StoryCorps celebrated remarkable stories of courage and the storytellers who shared them at our annual gala Wednesday, October 25, at Capitale in New York City.

The evening’s honorees were Dr. Rajiv Shah, President of The Rockefeller Foundation, and Amani Al-Khatahtbeh, an inspiring example of a new generation of storytellers expressing positive social change.

In honoring the Rockefeller Foundation, StoryCorps also revealed its newest initiative, One Small Step, a new project aimed to help bring together a politically divided United States by applying StoryCorps’ methods and recording conversations between people with different political viewpoints.

Scott Simon, host of NPR’s Weekend Edition, served as the evening’s host and emcee and offered remarks about the power of stories to transform our worldview.

“[T]he need for us to develop empathy for one another is also powerful, especially in times when we’re divided by politics, race, class, and experience,” said Scott Simon. “Hearing stories from each other, sharing, learning, questioning, putting our minds and hearts into the stories of others, can be a step toward what Sir Tom Stoppard called ‘building bridges across the incomprehension and chaos.’”

The evening celebrated some of the people who have recorded stories with StoryCorps that were shared on NPR’s Morning Edition. Among the featured participants were Darius Clark Monroe and David Ned, who shared their story of seeking and extending forgiveness; Paul Braun and “his Iraqi brother” Philip, who served as Paul’s interpreter during a tour of duty in Iraq; and Scott Skiles, who interviewed his son Scott.

Amani Al-Khatahtbeh received the YouTube Creators for Change Award for her work as a rising voice in social, religious, and political issues and the editor-in-chief of Muslim Girl, a platform for Muslim women’s voices in the West. StoryCorps and YouTube also debuted a new digital series, “When we listen,” that features StoryCorps conversations among YouTube Creators shared on video.

Through the outstanding leadership and generosity of our supporters, the event raised more than $725,000 for StoryCorps’ mission to preserve and share humanity’s stories in order to build connections between people and create a more just and compassionate world.

Top photo: Amani Al-Khatahtbeh (left) accepts the YouTube Creators for Change Award. Pictured with YouTube’s Lauren Bozarth.
Bottom photo: Honoree Dr. Rajiv Shah, President of The Rockefeller Foundation.
All photos by Margarita Corporan.

Source: SNPR Story Corps

October 24, 2017

25 Years of SXSW Film Festival – Karyn Kusama and Ry Russo-Young

In commemoration of the 25th edition of the SXSW Film Festival, we continue our spotlight on careers launched, artists discovered, powerful performances, and more from our alumni with this week’s featured artists Karyn Kusama and Ry Russo-Young.

Karyn Kusama

Kusama’s debut feature Girlfight was released in 2000 and received numerous awards and nominations for both Kusama and the film’s lead, Michelle Rodriguez. Her horror-thriller film The Invitation premiered in the Midnighters section at the 2015 SXSW Film Festival. The Invitation was not Kusama’s first foray into the horror genre — she previously directed Jennifer’s Body, written by Academy Award Winner Diablo Cody. Earlier this year, Kusama directed Her Only Living Son, a short in the anthology film XX. Recently, Kusama has directed episodes of critically-acclaimed shows such as Halt and Catch Fire, which had its world premiere at SXSW 2014, and The Man in the High Castle.

“SXSW gave us one of the most fulfilling and thrilling moments of our film lives – the debut of The Invitation at the Stateside, in front of the perfect audience. SXSW means discovery, it means surprise, and it means a jolt of energy, which was there in abundance for us. We carried that energy with us for the life of the movie. SXSW is where it’s at.”

Ry Russo-Young

Russo-Young’s short Marion tied for the 2006 Experimental Short Jury Award. In 2007, she acted in Hannah Takes the Stairs, a film she worked on with fellow #SXSWFilm25 artists Joe Swanberg and Greta Gerwig. That same year, she premiered her feature directorial debut Orphans, where it won the Special Jury Award for Narrative Feature. She returned to the festival in 2009 for her second feature, You Won’t Miss Me. Russo-Young’s next film, Nobody Walks, was a screenplay collaboration with SXSW alum Lena Dunham released in 2014. Russo-Young’s latest feature, Before I Fall, based on the book of the same name by Lauren Oliver, is one of highest grossing independent films of 2017.

“SXSW changed my life by helping to give me courage to keep making movies. I love SXSW because I’ve met people who became life long friends.”

Stay tuned to SXSW News each week for more 25th edition stories.

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, November 17 and save. Make your hotel reservations through SXSW Housing & Travel for the best available rates.

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

See you in March!

Karyn Kusama at the world premiere of The Invitation – Photo by: Way Tao chang
Ry Russo-Young at the world premiere of Orphans – Photo courtesy of filmmaker

The post 25 Years of SXSW Film Festival – Karyn Kusama and Ry Russo-Young appeared first on SXSW.

Source: SxSW Film

October 24, 2017

Exclusive Low Rate for SXSW at the Fairmont Austin When You Book Before the New Year

Special Rate Offer! SXSW Housing & Travel is excited to announce an exclusive low rate at the brand new Fairmont Austin. When you book a room before the end of 2017, the rate at this elegant 5-star property has been reduced to just $399 to check-in March 14 and $349 for March 15-18. These rates are perfect if you’re looking to experience Music, Flatstock, Gaming, VR/AR, and more! Check out the SXSW Timeline to see all that’s happening the second half of SXSWeek®.

Fairmont Austin – Opening November 2017

New to SXSW, the Fairmont Austin is a towering icon, uniquely located amid the lush greenery of Palm Park and Waller Creek and directly connected to the Austin Convention Center. This 37-story luxury hotel features richly appointed guest rooms and suites with picturesque vistas of Lady Bird Lake, a dramatic cityscape, and the State Capitol. Indulge in exquisite dining, a pampering spa, and state-of-the-art meeting facilities. Fairmont Austin engages guests with the city’s famed music scene, as well as Austin’s celebrated cuisine and diverse artistic lifestyle.

Have you already booked the Fairmont? Extend your stay or access this rate with ease at a price you can love by emailing us at housing@sxsw.com.

Do you plan to arrive before March 14? Not a problem, you can still access the lowest rate available for the Fairmont by booking with SXSW Housing & Travel.

Looking for something different? Check out our Hotel Availability page. Enter your check-in and check-out dates to see all currently available hotels with SXSW Housing & Travel.

More Questions? Email housing@sxsw.com or give us a call at 512-467-7979.

Photo Courtesy of the Fairmont Austin

The post Exclusive Low Rate for SXSW at the Fairmont Austin When You Book Before the New Year appeared first on SXSW.

Source: SxSW Film

October 23, 2017

The Unedited StoryCorps Interview: Steve Zeitlin & Marjorie Eliot

Did you know that the stories you hear from us on NPR and our podcast are excerpts of interviews pulled from the StoryCorps Archive? Participants visit one of our recording locations with a friend or family member to record a 40-minute interview with the help of a trained StoryCorps Facilitator, or record a conversation using the StoryCorps App. We’re sharing this unedited interview from the StoryCorps Archive with you in its original form.

In this interview, Harlem jazz legend Marjorie Eliot talks with her close friend, Steve Zeitlin, about growing up in a musical family and how she started hosting weekly jazz performances in her home. This interview was recorded back in 2005 at our StoryBooth, formerly located at Grand Central Terminal in New York City.

During the interview, Ms. Eliot recounts the essential role music played in her family, and talks about “not remembering a time when she did not play piano.” In her family, learning to read music was just as “important as learning to read books.” She cites that music was a part of being a “whole person” and was central to her development.

It was music that helped her find her way through her grief. Ms. Eliot found solace in music after the death of her son, Phillip, and has cited music for saving her. In 1994, Ms. Eliot started a concert series to honor her son and continues to host these events every Sunday at 4pm in her Edgecombe Avenue apartment to this day.

The interview is a beautiful conversation between two friends with a couple of musical interludes included.

All material within the StoryCorps collection is copyrighted by StoryCorps. StoryCorps encourages use of material on this site by educators and students without prior permission, provided appropriate credit is given. This interview has not been fact-checked, and may contain sensitive personal information about living persons.

Source: SNPR Story Corps

October 23, 2017

Film Submission Tips: Extensions

Even though the Late Deadline has passed for the 2018 SXSW Film Festival, it is still possible to enter your film for consideration.

• SXSW Film does grant submission extensions on a case-by-case basis.

• If you are in need of an extension please fill out this form. Make sure all the information is accurate and the extension request date is within a reasonable time frame.

• Keep in mind that we do accept work-in-progress cuts of films, so if you are awaiting color correction and/or audio mix, but your picture is locked, we encourage you to request an extension.

• If you have any questions regarding extensions or any other submissions questions please email filmfest@sxsw.com, and we would be happy to assist you.

• If you are unsure if your film is eligible for the SXSW Film Festival, read our blogs breaking down film eligibility and premiere status.

• To learn more about submitting, take a minute to watch our How to Submit Your Film Video
  and take a look at our Film 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, November 17 and save. 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.

World Premiere of 68 Kill – Photo By Mauricio Lujan

The post Film Submission Tips: Extensions appeared first on SXSW.

Source: SxSW Film