November 9, 2017

25 Years of SXSW Film Festival – Keith Maitland

To commemorate the 25th edition of the SXSW Film Festival, we continue our weekly alumni spotlight on careers launched, artists discovered, powerful performances, and more with filmmaker Keith Maitland.

Maitland is a documentary storyteller whose narratives all revolve around the people and history of Austin, TX. In 2009, Maitland premiered his directorial feature debut, The Eyes of Me at the SXSW Film Festival.

Tower premiered at SXSW in 2016 and won the Grand Jury Award and Audience Award for Documentary Feature, as well as, The Louis Black “Lone Star” award. Tower is based on writer Pamela Colloff‘s Texas Monthly feature 96 Minutes, about the UT Austin sniper. Maitland used a mix of animation, interviews and archival footage to bring Tower to life.

That same year, Maitland directed A Song For You: The Austin City Limits Story which gave audiences a backstage pass into the show’s evolution. A Song For You won the Audience Award in the 24 Beats Per Second category.

We are honored to share his #SXSWFilm25 story with you.

“I love SXSW – the entire city is alight with parties and music and distractions of every type, and none of that matters when you step into the darkened theater to be transported by the incredible array of movies and premieres that Janet and Jarod bring to the screen.

My first night ever in Austin was SXSW 1994, spring break of my senior year of high school – it was the very first year of movies at the fest and I saw a doc called Janis Joplin Slept Here. I didn’t know much about Austin but that first night of SXSW convinced me that I could live and thrive in this town, and a few months later I was an Austinite.

Over & over, I am thankful and grateful that we got to launch Tower at SXSW. There’s something so special about the Austin audience, plus those that come here for the fest, and sharing this deeply emotional story here where it happened, was one of the most cathartic cinematic experiences I’ve ever witnessed.”

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. Book your hotel through SXSW Housing & Travel for the best available rates.

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See you in March!

Photo by Mike Windle/Getty Images for SXSW)

The post 25 Years of SXSW Film Festival – Keith Maitland appeared first on SXSW.

Source: SxSW Film

November 9, 2017

Christiane Amanpour, Young Guru, Alex Rodriguez & More Featured Speakers Announced for SXSW 2018

Building on an already impressive 2018 programming lineup, SXSW announces additional Featured Speakers including CNN chief international correspondent Christiane Amanpour, Forerunner Ventures founder Kirsten Green, Vox co-founder and editor-at-large Ezra Klein, serial entrepreneur Loic Le Meur, former New York Yankee Alex Rodriguez, political strategist and commentator Symone Sanders, entrepreneur and venture capitalist Peter Thiel, legendary audio engineer Young Guru, James Beard Award-winning TV personality Andrew Zimmern, and many more.

“This diverse and dynamic group of speakers represents many of the burgeoning trends we see coming out of SXSW in 2018,” said Hugh Forrest, Chief Programming Officer. “From leaders in blockchain and AI ethicists to supporters of women’s rights around the world and more, we’re excited to showcase many of the exciting ideas that make our event the foremost destination for creative people.”

Yesterday, SXSW announced the addition of Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, to the Keynote lineup. Khan joins previously announced SXSW Keynotes Darren Aronofsky (Film Keynote), Ta-Nehisi Coates (Convergence Keynote), Barry Jenkins​ (Film Keynote), Esther Perel ​(Interactive Keynote), and whurley ​(Convergence Keynote).

Register to attend SXSW by Friday, November 17 and save. Dive into our speaker lineup below and get ready to explore what’s next in the worlds of film, culture, music, and technology during the 2018 SXSW Conference & Festivals from March 9-18 in Austin, TX. Stay tuned for more programming announcements throughout the season.

Keynotes

Sadiq Khan (Convergence Keynote) – Sadiq Khan is the Mayor of London, having been elected in May 2016 with the largest personal mandate in the history of British politics. Khan began his career practicing law with a focus on human rights, then served as a Member of Parliament representing a constituency in south London for ten years.

2018 Keynotes

Featured Speakers

Christiane Amanpour (News & Journalism) – Christiane Amanpour is CNN’s chief international correspondent and anchor of the network’s award-winning, flagship global affairs program Amanpour. She is based in the network’s London bureau. Amanpour’s fearless and uncompromising approach has made her popular with audiences, and a force to be reckoned with by global influencers.

Brian Behlendorf (Startup & Tech Sectors) – Brian Behlendorf was a primary developer of the Apache Web server, the most popular web server software on the Internet, and a founding member of the Apache Software Foundation. He has also served on the board of the Mozilla Foundation since 2003 and the Electronic Frontier Foundation since 2013. Behlendorf was the founding CTO of CollabNet and CTO of the World Economic Forum. Most recently, Behlendorf was a managing director at Mithril Capital Management LLC, a global technology investment firm.

Daniel Glass (Music Industry) – Daniel Glass is Founder/President of Glassnote Entertainment Group, a full service independent music company that began in 2007. Glassnote Entertainment Group includes Glassnote Records, Insieme Music Publishing, Present Artist Management, and Resolved Records.

Kirsten Green (Startup & Tech Sectors) – Kirsten Green used a unique and unconventional blend of professional history and acquired investment experience to launch San Francisco-based Forerunner Ventures in 2010, where she currently serves as Founder and Managing Director. Noticing that emerging purchasing processes were linear and ripe for improvement, Green developed a pacesetter mentality and analytical eye to remain ahead of experience-driven retail trends and identify compelling brand platforms and visionary entrepreneurs.

Ryan Holiday and Peter Thiel (News & Journalism) – Ryan Holiday is the best-selling author of Trust Me, I’m Lying; The Obstacle Is the Way; Ego Is the Enemy; and other books about marketing, culture, and the human condition. His upcoming book Conspiracy will be released on March 6, 2018. Peter Thiel is an entrepreneur and investor. He started PayPal in 1998, led it as CEO, and took it public in 2002, defining a new era of fast and secure online commerce. In 2004, Thiel launched Palantir Technologies, a software company that harnesses computers to empower human analysts in fields like national security and global finance.

Walter Isaacson (Startup & Tech Sectors) – Walter Isaacson, University Professor of History at Tulane, has been CEO of the Aspen Institute, chairman of CNN, and editor of Time Magazine. He is the author of Leonardo da Vinci, Steve Jobs, Einstein: His Life and Universe; Benjamin Franklin: An American Life; and Kissinger: A Biography. Isaacson is also the coauthor of The Wise Men: Six Friends and the World They Made.

Guy Kawasaki and Symone Sanders (Government) – Guy Kawasaki is the chief evangelist of Canva, an online graphic design tool. He is a brand ambassador for Mercedes-Benz and an executive fellow of the Haas School of Business (UC Berkeley). Symone D. Sanders is a strategist who rose to prominence during her tenure as the national press secretary for U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaign.

Ezra Klein (Government) – Ezra Klein is the editor-at-large and co-founder of Vox, the news brand from Vox Media known for explaining the news and going deeper into the stories that define the world today. Klein focuses on writing, reporting, and podcasting, and offers creative guidance to Vox’s Emmy-nominated video programming.

Dylan Marron (Social Impact) – Dylan Marron is a writer, performer, and videomaker whose work blends social activism and entertainment. He voices Carlos on Welcome to Night Vale and created Every Single Word, a video series that edits down popular films to only feature the words spoken by people of color. Dylan creates, hosts, and produces interview shows like Sitting in Bathrooms with Trans People and Shutting Down Bullsht*, as well as his signature Unboxing series. In his critically-acclaimed podcast Conversations with People Who Hate Me, Marron calls up folks who have said negative or hateful things about him on the internet.

Loic Le Meur, Adam Cheyer, Daphne Koller, and Nell Watson (Intelligent Future) – This group of extraordinary leaders and AI experts will discuss and debate the burning questions around AI. Do we need to fear the rapid progress in AI? Does AI replace humans or augment us, and is now the right time to be worrying about ethics, or is it still too early? They’ll examine where AI is being practically applied in industry now, along with the “unexpected” applications. Looking to get into the mix? Hear how to start an AI company and why it is a good idea. What’s next? Learn how biology and medicine are a big AI frontier and more.

Ted Leo and Money Mark with Molly Neuman (Music Industry) – The challenges and opportunities in the music business are well documented and discussed. Who are the real leaders taking risks and forging new models of business and careers? How can we have a healthier ecosystem for all? Artists are on the front lines with their fans and community making the case for their careers and offering new ways of running their businesses to positive effect for us all.

Matthew Libatique and Snehal Patel (Making Film & Episodics) – Matthew Libatique is a cinematographer best known for his work on Black Swan, Iron Man, The Fountain, Mother!, and Requiem for a Dream. Libatique was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Cinematography for his work on Black Swan, for which he won his second Independent Spirit Award. Snehal Patel is a filmmaker, technologist, and instructor with over twenty years of experience filming video and film.

Miguel McKelvey (Workplace) – Miguel McKelvey is the Co-founder and Chief Culture Officer of WeWork, a platform for creators that helps people make a life, not just a living. McKelvey oversees diverse initiatives across the company, ensuring that WeWork’s foundational values are infused into all aspects of the company’s culture, design, products, and operations.

Alex Rodriguez with Mark Hoffman (Sports) – Former New York Yankee Alex Rodriguez, one of the greatest players in the history of the game, reflects on his storied career — the highs and the lows — and how he’s leveraging what he’s learned to mentor a new generation of sports stars on his new CNBC primetime series, Back in the Game. CNBC Chairman Mark
Hoffman will moderate the conversation.

Bruce Sterling (Startup & Tech Sectors) – Bruce Sterling, author, journalist, editor, and critic, was born in 1954. Best known for his ten science fiction novels, he also writes short stories, book reviews, design criticism, opinion columns, and introductions for books ranging from Ernst Juenger to Jules Verne. His most recent book, Utopia pirata – I racconti di Bruno Argento, is a collection of Italian fantascienza stories.

Gary Vaynerchuk (Startup & Tech Sectors) – Gary Vaynerchuk is an entrepreneur, four-time New York Times best-selling author and CEO of VaynerMedia. Vaynerchuk is also a prolific angel investor and co-founded VaynerRSE, a $25M investment fund. Currently, he hosts two shows on his YouTube channel, #AskGaryVee and #DailyVee.

Wendy Williams (Music Culture & Stories) – Wendy Williams is a media mogul, actress, comedian, entrepreneur, designer, and New York Times best-selling author, who is best known for her long-running Daytime Emmy® nominated talk show, The Wendy Williams Show. Prior to achieving success in daytime television, Williams built a devoted fan base throughout a successful 23-year career in radio, with, The Wendy Williams Experience, being a top-rated daily radio show. Williams will discuss female empowerment in the entertainment and music industries.

Young Guru (Music Industry) – The Wall Street Journal calls Young Guru “the most influential man in hip-hop you’ve never heard of.” Often referred to as “The Sound of New York,” legendary audio engineer, Gimel “Young Guru” Keaton is most known for his work behind the boards with Jay Z. Guru’s ability to communicate complex technical terms, not only to artists but students, creatives, and business professionals alike, has led to his reputation as the foremost leader bridging the gap between hip-hop and the tech community. He works tirelessly to help music and brands intersect in fruitful ways in his role as Chief Music Strategist at the advertising agency The Marketing Arm. Through his love for technology and innovation, Guru co-founded Era of the Engineer – a social enterprise designed to shed light where culture and technology intersect.

Andrew Zimmern (Food) – A four-time James Beard Award-winning TV personality, chef, writer, and teacher, Andrew Zimmern is regarded as one of the most versatile and knowledgeable personalities in the food world. As the creator, executive producer, and host of the Bizarre Foods franchise on Travel Channel and Andrew Zimmern’s Driven by Food, he has explored cultures in more than 170 countries, promoting impactful ways to think about, create, and live with food.

2018 Featured Speakers

Join Us March 9-18, 2018

Explore new opportunities during 10 days of sessions, screenings, showcases, exhibitions, networking, and beyond from March 9-18 at SXSW 2018.

With expanded access to events for all registrants, attendees will receive primary access to programming associated with their badge type but now also enjoy secondary entry to most other SXSW events. Save big when you register before Friday, November 17 at 11:59pm PT.

Take the Tracks Quiz to generate the perfect badge for you. Maximize your SXSW experience with the Platinum Badge which grants primary access to all of SXSW.

Download the SXSW GO app and use the online schedule to browse the full lineup of confirmed programming and build your own personal schedule for SXSW 2018.

SXSW registrants get access to SXSW hotels at the lowest rates available by making reservations through SXSW Housing & Travel. Visit our availability page and then book your stay today to save.

Stay in the SX know throughout the season as more exciting programming is announced – sign up for SXSW Event Updates and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

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2018 Featured Speakers (l-r) Christiane Amanpour – Photo courtesy CNN; Young Guru – Photo courtesy the speaker; Alex Rodriguez – Photo courtesy of the speaker.

The post Christiane Amanpour, Young Guru, Alex Rodriguez & More Featured Speakers Announced for SXSW 2018 appeared first on SXSW.

Source: SxSW Film

November 9, 2017

A World of Voices: Presenting the StoryCorps Archive

When StoryCorps was launched in 2003, the date marked not only the beginning of a new of audio production focused on the intimate conversations that emerge between people who know each other, but also the start of the creation of an archive of voices marked and defined by the transmission of stories and recollections, passed down through generations, between friends, and in the memories of individuals speaking into a microphone in a space created for listening.

Over the years, this archive would grow and expand to include not simply the cadences and tales of our hometown, the city of New York, but also the voices of people from cities and towns across the United States, spanning generations, languages, and experience. The archive was created through the efforts of individual facilitators — who were trained to conduct the delicate task of walking participants through every stage of a StoryCorps interview — and a variety of others: archivists, educators, recording technicians, and more. The archive was a collection of living voices formed and shaped by living practice. Every interview was carefully cataloged and described, with careful attention paid to the topic of conversation, the geographies invoked, and the historical period referenced.

Making the archive accessible to others was always a part of the StoryCorps mission and embedded in our central goals for the project. Over the years, critical partnerships with the Library of Congress, the University of Texas at Austin, the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and the September 11 Museum & Memorial meant that the stories recorded in booths across the country were disseminated to partners and shared with listeners wherever they sought to find wisdom, history, humor, and, even, themselves.

This month, we make the first step towards making this archive of voices accessible through an intuitive, searchable, online platform. We’ve started by providing you with a new website, designed to make it easier for you to search the interviews uploaded by users of the StoryCorps App. We encourage you to search these interviews by keyword or location or topic, and check in frequently as we add new ways to access these materials that span so much time and experience.

Source: SNPR Story Corps

November 8, 2017

Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London, Announced as a Keynote Speaker for SXSW 2018

SXSW is honored to announce Sadiq Khan as a Keynote Speaker for the 2018 event.

Sadiq Khan is the Mayor of London, having been elected in May 2016 with the largest personal mandate in the history of British politics. London-born and state school educated, Khan became a human rights lawyer before being elected MP for a south London constituency in 2005 and appointed as a British Cabinet minister.

He made news as the first Muslim to serve as mayor of a major Western capital and earned a reputation internationally as an effective leader with a progressive, forward-thinking agenda which includes appointing London’s first ever Chief Digital Officer. With a strong focus on policy and advancement of London as a smart city, Khan will share his unique and compelling perspective with SXSW registrants.

“I’m delighted to have accepted the invitation to speak at South by Southwest next year. South by Southwest is one of the world’s leading culture, media and technology festivals which has become a major global event for artists, business people and policy makers alike,” Khan said.

“London is a hotspot for innovation, a launchpad for start-ups, and the home of many international tech giants. I look forward to sharing our experiences with some of the world’s most exciting businesses and thinkers, as well as to learn from them and exchange ideas. London is open to innovation, talent and investment, and I look forward to carrying that message to Austin next year.”

Khan’s appearance at SXSW exemplifies the event’s substantial growth in international participation, with representatives hailing from 94 countries outside the U.S. in 2017.

Sadiq Khan joins previously-announced Keynote Speakers Darren Aronofsky, Ta-Nehisi Coates, Esther Perel, Barry Jenkins, and whurley. His Keynote will take place at SXSW on Monday, March 12.

Register now for SXSW to take advantage of savings on the walk-up rate.

2018 SXSW Keynote, Sadiq Khan – Photo courtesy of the speaker.

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Source: SxSW Film