SXSW: 1 in 3 Films in Competition Funded by Kickstarter

It’s a very Kickstarter South by Southwest.

28 films playing this week at SXSW were backed by successful Kickstarter campaigns. These films include four of the ten narrative features in competition and 30 percent of the festival’s entire competition slate.

In total, the 28 films raised more than $1.7 million from over 23,000 people. Nearly $400,000 of that total went to indie stalwart Hal Hartley’s new film Ned Rifle, with another $92,000 having gone to actor Colin Hanks’ doc All Things Must Pass: The Rise and Fall of Tower Records.

While Kickstarter’s footprint on the festival circuit continues to grow, the Austin-based movie lovers’ meet-up has an established track record of selecting crowdfunded films. Last year’s SXSW featured 30 Kickstarter-backed titles and this year’s crop brings the grand total to over 125 selections from the crowdfunding site, including success stories like Gimme the Loot, Twelve O’Clock Boys and Veronica Mars.

“In part, the strong showing of Kickstarter films at SXSW year after year reflects the truly DIY nature of the festival,” Kickstarter spokesman Justin Kazmark tells The Hollywood Reporter. “And, in part, it’s about the interdisciplinary spirit that pervades both of our communities — the mix of music, film, and interactive is what animates Kickstarter as well.”