The curtain goes up on SXSW film festival today, and the silver screen will flicker until the 13^th.  The 17th annual SXSW Film Festival will feature a smorgasbord of high dollar Hollywood blockbusters and low budget independent films and music based documentaries as fans flock to Austin to toast the beginning of the post Oscar season. With literally hundreds of films being showcased at theaters around town, the city will be host a Hollywood-like scene for the next eight days. There will be plenty of lights, cameras, and action as stars, directors, producers, and other industry types come to premier their films, and sample the screenings.

The Film Festival portion of SXSW has gained considerable notoriety in the past several years, as the festival has gained worldwide attention in the realm of cinema. The Festival will offer competitions in numerous categories, including: narrative, documentary, headliners, narrative shorts, music videos, and many more. Some of the films are world premiers, and others are U.S. premiers. Many smaller independent film companies will be getting a chance to debut their films, and even some students, with Texas High School Short film Competition.

The films will be screening at various theaters around town. Venues include several Alamo Draft Houses, the acclaimed Paramount Theatre, and the Violet Crown Cinema. Many other smaller venues around town will host competitions and screenings as well. With literally hundreds of screenings, there will be plenty of films to be seen, and who knows, maybe even a star or two.

The remake of the classic ‘80s television show “21 Jump Street” will be taking center stage at the festival, but many other small films and docs such as Eating Alabama and Wikileaks: Secrets & Lies will be debuted.

There will also be industry panels and presentations, showcasing developments in production techniques and seminars where industry insiders can share their tips of the trade.

The SXSW Film Festival will be held from March 9^th to the 17^th and for more information go to SXSW.com