Three trucks prototypes from Daimler Truck North America are on display at South by Southwest (SXSW) in Austin, Texas, the United States, on March 11, 2023. The ten-day festival South by Southwest (SXSW), which focuses on emerging creative technologies, kicked off in Austin on March 10. (Photo by Bo Lee/Xinhua)
AUSTIN, the United States, March 10 (Xinhua) -- In a style like a colorful kaleidoscope with patterns changing at every twist, South by Southwest (SXSW), a conglomerate of film, interactive media, music festivals and conferences, kicked off on Friday in Austin, the capital city of U.S. state Texas.
For the film festival, the opening night film will be Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, directed and co-written by Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley.
"This year marks another epic reunion of global creatives, dreamers, innovators, and storytellers from the world's of tech, film, music, and beyond," said the organizer on the SXSW website.
"Interactive, intelligent, and of course weird," Sadie Kreitz, a 24-year-old social media specialist, described SXSW in her eyes in an interview with Xinhua on Friday.
"It is a big group of smart people coming together to talk about big issues in their specific field," she said. "I love that all of these things are coming together so we can all be in one place and all collaborate."
"Energy, art and fun," a couple from Europe commented on SXSW to Xinhua in downtown Austin.
Austin Mayor Kirk Watson said earlier this week the city is prepared.
"There is a need for heightened vigilance when it comes to safety and security," he said.
Large events like SXSW add to the city's vibrancy and bolster the local economy, but they also strain local resources, he reportedly told a local news conference.
The ten-day interactive feast across numerous creative industries is expected to attract about 300,000 people this year.
The annual festival can be traced back to 1987. Around 2000, SXSW started to focus more on emerging technologies and has earned the reputation as a breeding ground for new ideas and creative technologies. ■
Porsche showcases a sports car model featured in the upcoming film, "Transformers: Rise of the Beasts", at South by Southwest (SXSW) in Austin, Texas, the United States, on March 10, 2023. The ten-day festival South by Southwest (SXSW), which focuses on emerging creative technologies, kicked off in Austin on March 10. (Photo by Bo Lee/Xinhua)
An all-electric recreational vehicle is on display at South by Southwest (SXSW) in Austin, Texas, the United States, on March 13, 2023. The ten-day festival South by Southwest (SXSW), which focuses on emerging creative technologies, kicked off in Austin on March 10. (Photo by Bo Lee/Xinhua)
