AUSTIN, Texas — South by Southwest (SXSW) is back in town, and Friday night is the Film & TV opening party.
The film festival portion of SXSW is undoubtedly one of the biggest things that draws people to Austin this time of the year.
"Austin is telling, that the actual film community remained like, really tight-knit and collaborative," said Jim Kolmar, a SXSW film programmer, adding, "People who maybe have worked together locally or even have met at the festival and return with collaborative projects. I think that's something very special about Austin in particular."
The Paramount Theatre is one Austin spot that has been around for decades. It's where the festival's headliners screen. The festival's opening film, "Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves," will premiere there Friday night at 6 p.m.
"It's kind of like the sort of a crown jewel of the venues, in a way, because it just has that movie magic," Kolmar said.
Thousands of people have already arrived in town for SXSW. Kolmar said he is excited for the week ahead, and the film festival has people from all over the world coming in.
"There is that creative, energetic core here," Kolmar said. "So, no matter how big the city goes, how big the city becomes and how much it grows, I think that spirit is always going to be there."
As for the actual film festival, Kolmar is one of the people in charge of going through all the submissions and choosing what films make it to the big screen.
"The main thing about the film festival – and the festival in general – is about discovery," Kolmar said. "So it's about, you know, finding new talent, people who [are] maybe, you know, looking to get a start in their creative careers."
Having a film screen during SXSW can make a person's career.
The coming days will be very exciting for the city, but remember: If you're going downtown, it will be very busy and parking will be limited.