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"Today marks the beginning of the 2010 South by Southwest creative media festival. Held in Austin, Texas, the nine day-long event brings together music, film and interactive media pro&amp;#039;s and, most notably, plenty of up-and-coming talent.  Comprised of conferences, trade shows, music showcases and film screenings, SXSW is always buzzing with little shots and big shots alike, who all come to mingle, enjoy each other&amp;#039;s art and help each other out. It&amp;#039;s a beautiful thing, and I wish I was en route with my favorite local band, The Stationary Set (photo below), who was selected this year to perform this year alongside some greats, like Citizen Cope. The festival, which takes advantage of several venues throughout the city, will play host to over 2,000 musical acts, 200 independent films and a slew of interactive media companies.  Here are the main highlights:  1. The music festival, running from March 17-21, will take place on over 80 stages in downtown Austin. Catch a glimpse of rock-&amp;#039;n&amp;#039;-roll legend James Burton, whose collaborations with Elvis Presley earned him a place in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.  2. The film festival, which runs from March 12-20, screens everything from international documentaries to big star\u2013boasting Hollywood flicks. Best picture winner, The Hurt Locker, was screened at last year&amp;#039;s festival, while this year, the highly anticipated biopic, The Runaways, is due to hit the screen.  3. The interactive media conferences and trade shows is possibly the biggest draw of the festival. The event brings together top web developers, graphic designers and producers. Get in on the fun at the ScreenBurn arcade, where attendees can try their hand at the newest gaming technology.  Limited access to events is still available, so check out the schedule to keep up! "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.womansday.com/life/entertainment/news/a45014/sxsw-creative-festival-takes-over-austin-starting-today-3232/>