SXSW Part 1 - Criterion Closet
My 5 hour quest to feel part of a film fandom.
I once had a manager that told me SXSW was not worth the time to even attend, and that stuck with me for years. But since moving to Austin a few months ago, it had been my mission to see what this whole festival really was about. That kicked into overdrive when I saw the Criterion Mobile Closet was going to be parked a few blocks away from our Austin office location.
The Criterion Collection back in the 90s or 2000s transformed a “disused bathroom” into a closet to store 1500+ movies. Since 2010 with Guillermo del Toro visiting, Criterion has invited countless actors, directors, producers, and creators alike to visit the closet and be featured in their “Closet Picks” series and yes getting a Polaroid at the end. Watch episodes of the series HERE. Film fans ate this up because it showed their favorite people often picking movies that they liked, even making them jealous for picking movies they don’t have in their collections. Criterion took notice, and decided it was time to take that show on the road.
Well into it’s 40th anniversary tour, Criterion decided they wanted to take the Mobile Closet to SXSW and park it right outside of the Paramount theater amidst all the premieres of the season. Attracting many a film fan in the process. Each night causing a line to form down 1-2 blocks. After a while they had to turn people away only letting 250 people in each day vs the THOUSANDS that showed up and waited. Criterion Collections President Peter Becker was there to help hype people up and make them feel as excited to enter as any of the talent that come in to the NYC office. And that is exactly how I felt.
Sunday, March 9, 2025 was my shot. I woke up super early to get into line before it even officially started. 8:30 AM I took my spot and began to wait. For 5 hours I waited before I finally got to the the entrance itself. After hours of talking with other fans, eating snacks, making jokes, asking questions about other festivals and SXSW woes, it was my time. My group of 6 and I went in, and we only had 5 minutes to make our picks. After a whirlwind of decisions and questions we all made our picks, got our Polaroids and headed out. 5 hours for 5 minutes, and it was worth being a part of a community of fans who get to share that experience with me.
In honor of this “victory” I had to take an “Olympic bite” out of my selections for good measure. Stupid I know, but it felt right in the moment. My picks, David Lynch’s The Elephant Man, David Byrne’s True Stories, and Bob Fosse’s All That Jazz. Elephant Man felt appropriate due to all the happenings in the world right now concerning humanity and our treatment to others. True Stories takes Texas themes and turns them on their head to create this wild, unserious, and yet truly human view of the world. All That Jazz, pushed the movie musical genre to the edge, and I still don’t think anyone has been able to pass it. They all leave have left an important mark on me in some way, that I wanted them for my collection.
So why did I like this so much?! It’s the perfect example of a fan centered event vs a brand centered event. Brand centered, they could’ve made this a simple walk through with instagrammable stops. But that wouldn’t have been memorable. Fan centered, they made the fans feel like the people they see in the series. Making their picks, getting their Polaroid, and getting the chance to be featured in a massive supercut video for the YouTube.
Listen to your fans, and let them guide you to help create a memorable experience that makes them feel seen and heard! They are your fans for a reason.
10/10 job Criterion!