SXSW 2022

Pretty Problems, the new independent feature by director Kestrin Pantera, lets audiences follow Jack (Michael Tennant) and Lindsay (Britt Rentschler), whose careers and marriage hang by a thread. The movie highlights the different class divisions between these characters and a wild bunch of wealthy strangers which include Matt Flax (Graham Outerbridge), a self-made billionaire; and his bestie Kerry (Alex Klein), a trust fund kid with an actress/model girlfriend, Carrie (Charlotte Ubben).

The popular South by Southwest (SXSW) festival in Austin, Texas, wrapped on March 20 after 10 memorable days celebrating the convergence of tech, film, music, and comedy. Of course, you’ll find coverage of the festival highlights on our website, but what is it really all about? The Hollywood Foreign Press invited three of our members who were attending the event for the first time to share their impressions; on not just the events that make the festival so unique, but the party vibe, the BBQ, and the Nic Cage flyers all over town asking him to call his biggest fan.

There is no doubt that SXSW is one of the most important conferences for innovation and creativity. And while it brings important conversations of new behavior, trends and technology, it is also a great place to spot your favorite celebrity.

South by Southwest isn't just tech and the metaverse.  There are screenings, Q&As, and meet & greets with famous names that make every Silicon geek or Hollywood fan’s heart beat faster: great minds from Mark Zuckerberg, Mark Cuban and Jeffrey Katzenberg to Pussy Riot.

After a COVID-19-imposed hiatus in 2020 and 2021, SXSW’s back! Austin’s biggest festival returns with a vengeance – maybe not in size, as the event has been scaled down and mask-wearing and distancing were encouraged – but with an urgency to address social, political, and environmental issues here and now on Earth, out of space, and as Virtual, Augmented and Mixed Reality (XR Experience). Founded in 1987 to converge the tech, film/TV, music, and gaming industries as well as an expression of all forms of creative and innovative art, this year’s predominant theme of “South By” (as locals, fans, and SXSW pros like to call the festival which runs from March 11-20, 2022) is crypto-mania – with its hype and skepticism alike.