GFEM at South by Southwest Interactive + Film 2010

"If you haven't yet attended SXSW, you need to.  Plan for it now.  Do whatever you have to to convince your higher ups it's worthwhile.  Everything is changing.  Advertising is dying.  Come to SXSW and see where things are going next."   --- AdRants, March 20, 2009

How do funders stay ahead of the curve, spark innovation, find the next big thing - whether it's specifically designed for the public good or requires transforming tools initially meant for commercial use? 



Join the GFEM Funder Delegation to SXSW, with an exclusive funder evening prior to the start of the festival with guest speaker Joi Ito, CEO of Creative Commons.

Established in 1994, the South by Southwest Interactive Festival (SXSWi) features five days of exciting programs and events.  Attracting digital creatives as well as visionary technology entrepreneurs, the event celebrates the best minds and the brightest personalities of emerging technology. 

SXSWi particularly addresses the larger issues and long-term implications of tomorrow's innovations today.  http://sxsw.com.  In addition to the SXSW website, see our BEFORE YOU GO section below for more background information.

The range of presenters and the more than 300 panels, solo presentations, Core Conversations, Salons, Book Readings, and a three-day Trade Show & Exhibition represents the world's most creative web developers, designers, bloggers, wireless innovators, and new media entrepreneurs.  The newest element of the event is ScreenBurn at SXSW, which adds specific gaming industry programming as well as a three-day Arcade to the mix.

Just a taste of the provocative, game-changing sessions:
•    2009 Iran Election: Women's Revolution? Twitter Revolution?
•    Blah Blah Blah: Why Words Won't Work
•    Crowd Sourcing Innovative Social Change
•    Crowdsourcing: The Ensemble's Experience With the Netflix Prize
•    Exploiting Chaos - How to Spark Innovation During Times of Change
•    How the Internet is Disrupting the Concert Industry
•    How to Teach Entrepreneurialism Globally
•    In Code We Trust: Open Government Awesomeness
•    Interactive Documentaries: a Multidimensional Narrative
•    Open Leadership: The Upside Of Giving Up Control
•    Our Digital Future: The National Broadband Plan and You
•    Process Journalism: Getting it First, While Getting it Right
•    Real-Time Everything: the Era of Communication Ubiquity
•    Social Justice and Video Games
•    Universities in the "Free" Era

Confirmed presenters include: Trish Bendix, MTV/AfterEllen.com; danah boyd, social media researcher at Microsoft Research New England and a fellow at Harvard University's Berkman Center for Internet and Society; Ben Fullerton, IDEO; Joi Ito, CEO, Creative Commons; Clay Shirky, author, Here Comes Everybody; Amanda Stiles, X PRIZE Foundation; Jason Wishnow, TED; Skylar Woodward, Kiva; and more (click here).

"...with its overlapping film, music and interactive festivals, SXSW is a  great place to sample the latest twists and fillips in Internet and computer culture, which at some point is almost certain to transform the film industry as profoundly as it has transformed the music industry."  --- Salon


Taking place along-side South by Southwest Interactive is the SXSW Film Festival.  Featuring panels, parties, filmmaker conversations and more, the main event is their world renowned film program.  Bringing the very best of international independent cinema, expect to see emerging talent, essential docs, and cutting-edge storytelling in their most exciting lineup yet.

Our delegation offers the inside scoop on must-see films, panels, and presentations.  GFEM delegates take part in a teleconference with the SXSW Festival programmers and staff in early March (date TBA) and have the chance to hear, first-hand, about the festivals' offerings.  You'll be able to talk directly with staff about your own area of interest and hear about interactive panels and films that meet your funding goals and program needs.

There are a variety of pass options allowing you to attend either the Interactive, Film, or Music Festivals or a combination of two or three. 

Before you register for the festival(s), please reserve your space with the GFEM funder delegation by contacting Alyce Myatt at amyatt@gfem.org.  Then secure your registration for any of the festivals at http://sxsw.com/attend.  While the festivals are open to all, the GFEM delegation is for funders only.



GFEM will be holding A LIMITED NUMBER OF HOTEL ROOMS for our funder delegation.  



Participation in the delegation is free for GFEM members.  The non-member fee is $50.  As a GFEM delegate you have access to:

• A preparatory teleconference to brief funder delegates on "not to be missed" sessions and other highlights of the program;

• A packet of curated reading materials to provide context for the festival experience;

• An informal dinner with delegates on the evening prior to the start of the festival, with guest speaker Joi Ito, CEO of Creative Commons;

• Daily informal breakfast meetings to assist delegates in analyzing the festival as it progresses and to recommend specific sessions that reflect attendees' interests;

• On-call, knowledgeable staff members available throughout each day of the festival to assist and advise program participants; and

• A post-festival phone briefing to share information, insights, funding strategies, identify gaps in the field, and make recommendations for future gatherings.