SXSW Film Preview: Outside Industry: The Story Of SXSW

In 1994, director Alan Berg released a short film called South by Southwest: The Business Of Music. Just in time for the festival's 25th Anniversary, that project has developed into a full-length documentary that is making its World Premiere at the film festival this year.

Berg and his filmmaking team at Arts+Labor had unprecedented access to the SXSW archives, and Outside Industry is told using interviews with festival founders and local media professionals (including our own Paige Maguire) presented alongside vintage clips from Austin cable public access shows and rare footage of festival performers including Johnny Cash, Lucinda Williams and The Fugees.

From meager beginnings to rapid success (and the inevitable backlash), Outside Industry focuses on the Music side of SXSW. While it has grown into an even bigger event including Film & Interactive, the evolution of the city of Austin has been a big part of the festival's growth, and we probably wouldn't be here without the original 700 attendees in its first year.

If you've ever wondered how SXSW became one of the biggest and most important festivals in the world, this doc should be on your filmgoing schedule for next week.

Outside Industry: The Story Of SXSW has its World Premiere at the Paramount Theatre on Wednesday, March 16 at 4:30pm. There is an additional screening on Saturday, March 19 at Noon at the Vimeo Theater (located in the Convention Center).

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