If you’re returning to South by Southwest, you may already be looking forward to visiting your favorite movie theater or enjoying a specialty cocktail or snack. Oh yeah, you can drink and have full meal service at most Austin theaters. And if this is your first time at the South by Southwest Film Festival, and that piece of news sounds enticing, there’s even more you should know about the venues ahead of time.
I’ve spent many weeks inside all the regular SXSW film venues. When you’re making your film festival schedule, you will probably choose by film first and foremost, so you’ll go wherever your films are playing. But if you want to be sure to see every movie house, here’s why you should check out each one. Or if you’ve got a wild card slot in your schedule, maybe choose a movie to see the cool different theater instead of the big premiere.
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Mind you, there’s no last place in these rankings. There are personal preferences, and each theater has its own advantages and disadvantages, but I’ve ranked these according to how much of my SXSW is spend at each one. If I seem stuck on food, you’ll understand when you start doing back to back movies on an empty stomach (and drinking to boot).
I’m also sticking to the eight venues around the immediate downtown Austin area. If you’re from out of town, transportation to and from the Satellite theaters is unfeasible, so you won’t likely go there unless you are local and have a car and/or live near Slaughter Lane or Marchesa. My rule about making line friends goes for all locations.
A local performing arts theater seats over 200 for SXSW movies. Somehow I haven’t ended up at the Rollins Theater for very many screenings, even though I saw my favorite movie of 2012 at this theater the year before its release.
Pros:
Healthy seat count so you are likely to get in if you get there early.
It’s close enough for pedicabs to get there so you don’t have to walk.
Cons:
Odd location means shuttles are fewer and further between.
Limited concessions since it’s not a year-round movie theater, but still snacks are available outside.
One of the Austin Convention Center halls is turned into a movie theater for festival screenings. It’s more like Comic-Con’s Hall H than a cinema, but imagine if they showed entire films in Hall H! As they mainly show documentaries, a doc fan may make Vimeo their number one theater. I saw another of my SXSW favorites, Indie Game: The Movie, at this venue.
Pros:
Large capacity makes admittance a cinch.
Stadium style seating makes it easy to see the screen.
Walkable from the downtown area.
Cons:
Only overpriced convention center food available (the pretzels are good though).
Since it is a convention center hall, there’s no decor to speak of.
Convention center seating isn’t the best either.
One of the newest locations for SXSW, this boutique theater specializes in small houses. They won’t be showing big premieres here, but if something at Violet Crown catches your eye, it is an experience.
Pros:
Full bar in lobby with a food menu.
You can take both food and drinks into theaters.
The theaters are so small, the front rows are lounge sofas!
Near a shuttle stop and walkable from downtown, if you like exercise.
Cons:
Because it’s small, there are fewer seats.
Queue numbers are handed out rather than forming a line, so no line friends.
Smaller screens, despite top of the line projection, sound and comfort.
Situated right in the middle of Congress Ave next to the Paramount Theater, which makes the Stateside theater another prime venue for SXSW movies. Of the theaters that stay open for midnight shows, this is the largest with about 300 seats for night owls.
Pros:
Location!
Capacity.
All raised seating means not a bad seat in the house.
Alcohol available at concession stand.
Cons:
Line queue extends along a busy street.
If you’re hungry, the sandwiches will fill you up, but they’re a bit plain.
There’s no center aisle, so you’ll be stepping over people to get to and from the restroom (and they’ll be stepping over you).
The Alamo Drafthouse chain is legendary for a reason. It is truly a great place to see movies with top notch screens and sound systems, plus full food and bar service during shows. You won’t believe some of the obscure video they find for the preshow entertainment! The Ritz is one of the original locations, with a storied history as a movie house, music hall and adult theater before Alamo restored it to its current form.
Pros:
Full food and drink service.
It’s an Alamo Drafthouse.
While you’re waiting outside, 6th street musicians and performers will entertain you.
Cons:
It’s a smaller Alamo Drafthouse so it can be difficult to get in, especially for big midnight shows.
The line queue extends into the middle of the street. It’s blocked off from vehicular traffic, but it’s still messy.
Your patience for 6th street performers will dwindle by day 4-5.
The newest SXSW venue, added the year Alamo S. Lamar underwent renovation. I’m glad it’s still in rotation. The cool blue decor becomes completely dark when the lights dim for a pure movie experience. It’s risen to the top of my SXSW schedule by showing a host of festival favorites and other big premieres.
Pros:
Extensive bar selection inside, and you can bring it into the theater.
Comfortable seats designed for extended theater performances.
Line queue in courtyard snakes back and forth, for exponential line friends, and relaxing outdoors before showtime.
Cons:
Way outside the walkable downtown area. You’ll need the shuttle or a cab to get there.
Limited snack selection if you’re hungry for more substantial food.
By far the largest SXSW theater with over 1000 seats, the historic Paramount theater is home to the biggest headliner premieres of the fest. You’re probably going to see something here. It’s become such a staple of SXSW that when I make my schedule, I feel like I’m already lined up around Congress Ave.
Pros:
Over 1,000 seats, so you’ll probably get into the movie.
Historic atmosphere: Built in 1915, lots of legendary performances happened here.
The queue wraps around the entire building, perfect for line friends!
Easy to walk to, since it’s basically the center of SXSW.
Cons:
Some far left/right side seats and balcony seats have obscured vision.
Alcohol available but food limited to snacks and sandwiches. If you’re here all day, go across the street to Cozzoli’s Pizza for meals in between.
The Alamo Drafthouse S. Lamar has reopened with its new design. With three houses devoted to SXSW films and larger capacity than the Ritz, you could conceivably plan a SXSW schedule to stay at Alamo Drafthouse S. Lamar all day.
Pros:
It’s Alamo Drafthouse.
Larger capacity than Ritz, but not so big that it loses intimacy.
Full food and drink service during the movie.
The Highball bar and restaurant is available between movies to hang out.
Cons:
It’s further away, so you’ll need a shuttle or cab to get there.
Fred Topel is a staff writer at CraveOnline. Follow him on Twitter at @FredTopel.
