Austin Insider Blog

This blog, written and curated by Visit Austin staff, shares the things that visitors love and locals can't get enough of.

Author

Brian Gannon

Brian is Director of the Austin Film Commission (part of Visit Austin). The Austin Film Commission works to bring film, television and commercial productions to Austin while advocating for production on a local level. Brian was born in Ireland and grew up in Boston and Milwaukee before relocating to Austin. Brian has explored his passion for film, working on freelance on numerous Austin-shot film productions and working as a Location Scout for the Texas Film Commission. Before coming to the Visit Austin, Brian spent three years as a Design & Video Coordinator with PBE as they built two exhibit halls for the Perot Museum of Nature and Science in Dallas.

Sausage Party Premiere at SXSW 2016. Photo by Mike Windle, Getty Images for SXSW. LIMITED USAGE.

The Insider's Guide to SXSW Film 2017

By Brian Gannon on Feb. 08, 2017

It’s that amazing time of year again, SXSW is almost upon us, March 10–19, 2017. The program for the 2017 festival and conference is stellar. Every year I tell myself, “this is the best SXSW lineup”…

SXSW Film Conference and Festival 2015

By Brian Gannon on Mar. 06, 2015

The South by Southwest (SXSW) Film Conference and Festival has some great stuff lined up for the cine-files. 2015 brings 145 features, 60 short shorts and more than 100 world premieres, 13 U.S…

2015 Sundance Film Festival

By Brian Gannon on Jan. 26, 2015

Austin film has been a staple of the annual Sundance Film Festival for quite some time, Robert Redford even cites the late Austin filmmaker Eagle Pennell as the inspiration for the festival. Things…

Awards Season: The Boyhood Tally

By Brian Gannon on Jan. 12, 2015

Austin history has already been made in 2015 with "Boyhood" taking home three Golden Globe Awards: Best Motion Picture Drama, Best Director Richard Linklater and Best Supporting Actress Patricia…

Austin Film Year in Review

By Brian Gannon on Jan. 08, 2015

To say 2014 was a phenomenal year for Austin film is an understatement. The Austin Film Commission launched our NEW Production Directory, Austin Studios' renovation and expansion started, the City of…

Boyhood

By Brian Gannon on Jul. 28, 2014

Filmed over 12 years (with only 36 actual shooting days), Boyhood is Austin filmmaker Richard Linklater's intimate epic about adolescence. The film, which Linklater began production in Austin in 2002, debuted to a standing ovation at this year's Sundance Film Festival. Boyhood, filmed in Austin…

SXSW Austin Films in 2014

By Brian Gannon on Mar. 02, 2014

Like Sundance, this year's SXSW Film lineup is stacked with Austin made films. It has nothing to do with playing favorites, it is the fact that Austin is a hub for independent cinema; at this point it…

Iconic Film Locations: Dazed and Confused

By Brian Gannon on Nov. 20, 2013

Austin is a busy city when it comes to film production. In the last 40 years there have been more than 250 television and film productions. We get asked about different iconic locations all the time, but the one that comes up the most is Richard Linklater's 1993 classic "Dazed and Confused." Here…

ACL Live at the Moody Theater. Credit Scott Newton Photography.

Nine Inch Nails at Austin City Limits

By Brian Gannon on Nov. 06, 2013

From the opening comments by Austin City Limits show-runner Terry Lacona, the audience at 310 Willie Nelson Blvd. knew they were in for nothing short of a historic performance. There is a right time…