The DGA recently hosted orientation events for filmmakers with projects accepted into the Film & TV Festival program of the 2025 SXSW, a nine-day event that is scheduled to take place from March 7-15 in Austin, TX. The Film & TV Festival program runs concurrently with the SXSW Conference, Music and Comedy Festivals.
At the February 19 orientation in the DGA’s Los Angeles Theater, Special Assignments Executive Jennifer Peat welcomed the attendees to the DGA building and emphasized the ways in which becoming a member of the Guild enables Independent Directors especially to protect their vision in bring projects to fruition. The attendees also heard festival survival tips from SXSW Film Festival VP of Film & TV, Claudette Godfrey and SXSW Senior Film & TV Festival Programming Manager + Lead Shorts Programmer, Francis Román.
During the February 24 orientation in the DGA’s New York Theater, DGA Assistant Executive Director Mary Hatch explained how the Guild works with independent filmmakers and shared information on the protections, support, and community that come with being a part of the DGA, and SXSW staffers Godfrey and Román delivered more valuable festival information.
On March 7, DGA Associate National Executive Director/Western Executive Director Rebecca Rhine is also scheduled to take part in the SXSW panel discussion, The Future of Hollywood in an AI-Saturated World. Rhine will appear alongside other union leaders from SAG-AFTRA, IATSE and the WGA to discuss how recently negotiated contracts are protecting their members from threats posed by AI, how they’re harnessing the technology to grow and strengthen the industry, and what they believe AI’s legacy on the industry will be.
About the Festival:
SXSW is an annual March event in Austin, Texas that features conference sessions, film and television festival screenings, music festival showcases, world-class exhibitions, competitions, awards ceremonies, and networking with creatives from around the world.