SXSW: the Trinity

At SXSW, the geeks open the show and the musicians close it. The filmmakers are the second act or the meat between the bread — depending on your alliance. From March 11 through March 19, once you get over the scene and spectacle, SXSW is the nexus for brains, beauty, and brilliance with people who have money, and more importantly, people who are resourceful.

Interactive and film opened this year’s conference last Friday. If you’re unfamiliar or vague about the meaning of "interactive," Ze Frank, a popular interactive performance artist, offers a history of SXSW Interactive in under a minute in this video (recorded in 2007). With over 200 panels and presentations, plus a trade show, the energy focuses on how creativity and new media are shaping the future — from emerging web designs and social media to interactive 3D cinema to music for mobile and video games.

Film runs from March 11 through Saturday, March 19. Like all great film festivals, the

internationally renowned — such the Oscar-winning "A Better World" and "Tabloid", the latest from Errol Morris — mix with the obscure, the emerging darlings, and the local quirk. After their festival circuit, some of these films you’ll see in theaters near you, some will stream on television, and some you’ll only see streaming on the Internet. Some, the international shorts, in particular, will only play at festivals. Plus, don't forget the Q&As with the filmmakers, cast, and crew after the films — often a surprising delight. Trailers and podcasts covering the film are on SXSW's site, and IFC.com is hosting a live feed.

While Music plays eternally in Austin, the official SXSW shows run March 15-19. NPR Music will stream live from SXSW, March 16 through 19. They’ll feature performances from acts such as Bright Eyes, Great Lake Swimmers and the Ghost of a Saber Tooth Tiger. If you can’t make it to a live performance, these live streams plus SXSW’s own podcasts and videos are the next best thing.

Music, film, interactive — it’s not any one tract of the trinity that gives the conference its pull; it’s the cross-pollination of all three. With the collaborations between the disciplines, the ideas exchanged in chats while waiting in lines or shuttling between venues, the whole is greater than the parts at SXSW.

Community activism is at the heart of it all. Case in point: SXSW launched on the same day Japan was shattered by earthquakes and a tsunami. In response, organizers have set up sxsw4japan.org, a fundraising site with the goal of raising $50,000 for the American Red Cross. In its third day, over 85% of the goal has been reached.