KINGSTON, RI – Apr 18, 2025 – Film Professor Keith Brown took students to the South by Southwest (SXSW) Film Festival from March 7-15. What started as a personal trip for Brown became a beloved annual tradition for film students.
“I used to go on my own, and when I came back to the classroom and talked about it with my students, they all expressed that they wanted to go,’” Brown said. “I knew there were other film-related trips that were happening, so I reached out to the Office of International Education, and they helped me make this a course credit.”
SXSW is an annual film and music festival in Austin, Texas, where attendees can connect with industry members through panels, presentations, film screenings, and more. Students enjoyed leisure activities like watching films together, snapping photos with Seth Rogan, joining The Last of Us panel, or learning about AI.
Though the student’s trip to the festival is technically a class, students can form their schedules based on their areas of interest. They can attend any panels, equipment demonstrations, trade show discussions, film screenings, mentor sessions and Q&As.
“A film I enjoyed was a documentary titled Spreadsheet Champions,” attendee Riley Walter said. “It followed six kids competing in the Microsoft Excel World Championships. I also enjoyed eating breakfast tacos, going to the Austin Rodeo, and playing Jackbox with my peers at the hotel.”
Students must meet three requirements while attending the festival to complete their three credits in either FLM 491 or COM 491. The first is to participate in a mentor session hosted by the festival, allowing them to meet personally with someone in their intended field for a one-on-one meeting.
“They get exposed to films (like independent films and documentaries) they might not see on their own, even though SXSW does host a lot of industry-premiere content,” Brown said.
Brown collaborates with his students to create promotional content for the annual trip through their documented experiences. The second requirement is for attendees to film blog-style videos of their journey. Later, the content is shared and edited to form a preview video for interested students. The final requirement is to write a reflection paper documenting what they learned and experienced while in Texas.
“Usually, it’s senior film students who go on the trip. While we’re away, they have projects they are working on back at URI. Ultimately, this experience creates an opportunity to collaborate better when they return to school,” said Brown.
This story was written by Erin Malinn, class of 2028.