sxsw2020
Latest
Amazon will stream SXSW Film Festival selections for free for 10 days
SXSW was cancelled this year due to COVID-19, but that isn't stopping organizers from offering a taste of what the Austin event would have offered. They're partnering with Amazon on an SXSW Film Festival Collection that will stream movies from the festival on Prime Video for 10 days, completely free in the US -- you won't need a subscription. While creators will have to opt in, they'll receive a screening fee for their trouble. Amazon and SXSW are tentatively looking at a late April timeframe for the virtual festival.
Why streaming isn’t the savior of canceled film festivals
The cancellation of the SXSW festival came as a major blow to the film industry, bringing with it the postponement of 99 world premieres. To cut down on the spread of coronavirus, other film festivals soon followed suit. All this has led to a flurry of Twitter users suggesting film festivals should pivot to streaming. That isn't the easy answer viral tweets would have you believe. Still, there's a way it might work. Focusing on SXSW, there have been suggestions that film critics could create a DIY streaming festival by sharing the logins and passwords we are given to screen select films from home. Beyond being a breach of professional etiquette, sharing screening links could easily be shut down by the filmmakers and PR reps who oversee them. A password change or a pulled upload is all it'd take to cut a title from this proposed lineup.
Austin cancels SXSW over coronavirus fears
During a news conference on Friday afternoon, Austin city officials announced that they have declared a local disaster and canceled this year's SXSW festival. The show is being called off over infection fears regarding the growing coronavirus outbreak.
HBO is the latest to abandon SXSW because of coronavirus
HBO is the latest company to pull out of SXSW. Several other companies -- including Amazon, Apple, Facebook, Netflix and Twitter -- have done the same, as the coronavirus outbreak continues to cause concern. HBO said Thursday that its parent company Warner Media "decided it's best not to move forward with activations at SXSW," CNET reports.
Netflix, Apple reportedly pull out of SXSW 2020
While the SXSW 2020 festival is still scheduled to take place, a couple more big names are reportedly taking a pass on the event in a couple of weeks. Outlets like Variety, Deadline and The Hollywood Reporter have confirmed that both Apple and Netflix have canceled, abandoning plans for panels and premieres for highly-anticipated releases like the Beastie Boys documentary that's coming to Apple TV+. Amazon has also pulled out of the event as premieres and debuts largely go online instead of in-person as companies try to avoid putting people in unnecessary contact.
Amazon drops out of SXSW due to coronavirus concerns
Following Twitter and Facebook, Amazon has become the latest high-profile company to drop out of South by Southwest (SXSW) 2020 due to coronavirus-related concerns. The company's Amazon Studios subsidiary and employees won't attend the annual music, technology and entertainment festival, according to Variety.
Facebook pulls out of SXSW amid growing fears over coronavirus
Facebook just became the latest high-profile company to pull out of SXSW. The company, citing health concerns, announced that its employees will no longer be attending the annual festival. "Due to concerns related to coronavirus, our company and employees will not be participating in SXSW this year," Facebook said in a statement to Engadget.
Twitter pulls out of SXSW 2020 over virus fears
Twitter has announced that it will not be sending its employees to South by Southwest (SxSW) 2020 this year in an attempt to avoid the spread of coronavirus. A spokesperson confirmed to the Verge that the company, where CEO Jack Dorsey was going to make a keynote, has pulled out. Twitter had issued an edict over the weekend, saying that it was restricting all non-essential travel to reduce the risk of exposure to the virus.
