The films, music, and brands of SXSW 2015

Austin's biggest, weirdest, most brand-friendly festival / conference / convention / show has already begun. Apps have risen and fallen. Interactive Brand Experiences have taken our staff and held them hostage overnight in a murder hotel. Virtual reality has been hyped. Movies have been watched. Tacos have been eaten. This is SXSW 2015. We're already attending and reporting from panels where very smart people say very smart things and panels where very smart people say not to smart things. We're ready to experience the best of the indie film industry, catch some concerts, party at parties, and tell you all about them. And through it all, we can't escape the marketing from companies that are increasingly desperate to catch any kind of buzz. It's a mix of the sublime and the banal, seasoned with BBQ to taste. It's a pork sandwich wrapped in Wonderbread. Catch all of it right here, and bring some napkins.