South by Southwest Film Festival drawing more hullabaloo

AUSTIN -- At the Austin Convention Center on Thursday afternoon, there was a 90-minute wait to collect your credentials for this year's South by Southwest Film Festival. That's a sign of what's likely to be some crowded days ahead.

The festival doesn't officially begin until this evening, but organizers are promising more films and more people, along with longer lines and more sold-out screenings.

This is my 10th South by Southwest Film Festival, and it's amazing to consider the changes that have taken place in the last decade. The festival was once a scrappier, lo-fi alternative to Sundance -- the place where the real indies came to play.

But now, South by Southwest offers a steady stream of boldface names (the likes of Quentin Tarantino, James Franco, Edward Norton and numerous others are all expected this year). IFC Films has set up a temporary lounge in the middle of downtown featuring parties and music performances -- another thing you usually see only at Sundance.

Even the smallest films seem to be employing the services of expensive publicity firms from New York and Los Angeles.

Whether the festival can maintain its quirky point of view amid so much hullabaloo remains to be seen.

As for what's in store over the next few days: The Texas Film Hall of Fame Awards dinner, a fancy annual shebang that serves as an unofficial kickoff to the festival, was set to unfold at the Austin Film Studios on Thursday night, with the likes of Tarantino, Lukas Haas and Catherine O'Hara being honored. (Tarantino was getting the "honorary Texan" prize.)

The festival's opening-night world premiere is Kick Ass, the new action movie based on the popular comic book series, directed by Matthew Vaughn ( Layer Cake). Other highlights include a documentary about Saturday Night Live, directed by James Franco; and the world premiere of MacGruber, a comedy spun off from the SNL skit.

CHRISTOPHER KELLY IS THE STAR-TELEGRAM FILM CRITIC.

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