SXSW!

It's hard to express how excited I am to be screening "Backroads" at SXSW this year.  Though the film was not finished in time to submit a final version for consideration for the regular competition, it's wonderful to be chosen by the Austin Film Society to screen as part of their Member Filmmaker Showcase.  Our screening will be a small one at the Hideout, but I can't imagine wanting to show the film for the first time anywhere but in Austin.  I think it will be the perfect way to get the film's festival run started.

I showed the finished film to a small group of people who worked on or were in the film: Heather, JP, Michael, Josh, Caitlin, David, etc.  It was rewarding to see how excited (and I think even a little surprised) everyone got about the final product and how it all came together.  After having worked on the film for so long and watched it so many times, objectivity on my own part seems completely out of the question, so I rely a lot on the first impressions of those I trust.  It made me a lot more confident about showing the film to a wider audience.  In addition to SX, we're planning an open screening at the end of the month for the entire cast, crew, and all our friends and families.

Now comes the fun of marketing.  We're gearing up with postcards and posters, breaking out the tshirts, writing emails and getting a plan in place for SXSW and the other festivals we have on the horizon.  I'll be sure to use what little spare time I have to write about what we're doing and share some of our experiences.