• Walked 76,500+ steps each
• Attended more than two dozen events and panels
• Took 700+ photos

2023 Film & TV Festival Jury and Special Awards

• Narrative features winner: “Raging Grace,” directed by Paris Zarcilla
• Documentary features winner: “Angel Applicant,” directed by Ken August Meyer
• Narrative shorts winner: “It Turns Blue,” directed by Shadi Karamroudi
• Documentary shorts winner: “Nǎi Nai & Wài Pó (Grandma & Grandma),” directed by Sean Wang
• Midnight shorts winner: “The Flute,” directed by Nick Roney
• Animated shorts winner: “The Debutante,” directed by Elizabeth Hobbs
• Texas shorts winner: “Breaking Silence,” directed by Amy Bench

Innovation Awards

• Artificial Intelligence: Bird Buddy Smart Bird Feeder from Kalamazoo, MI
• Best in Show: GAF Beats the Heat by Cooling Streets from Parsippany, NJ
• Design: The Pollinator™ Kit for Renewable Design from Alameda, CA
• Immersive: Move.ai iOS Application from London, UK

• Braedon Barnhill | Monday, Mar. 20 | 6-7:30 p.m. | The Saxon Pub, 1320 S. Lamar Blvd., Austin | Free | Catch this Americana musician live.
• Yamato: The Drummers of Japan | Monday, Mar. 20 | 7 p.m. | The Paramount Theatre, 713 Congress Ave., Austin | $35-$65 | This drumming group has performed in 54 countries since 1993.

• Emmer & Rye welcomes Roaming Restaurant, Slow Burn | Wednesday, Mar. 22 | 5:30-10 p.m. | Emmer & Rye, 51 Rainey St., Ste. 110, Austin | Cost of purchase | Michelin Slow Burn chefs Andy Doubrava and Tiffani Ortiz will takeover the restaurant’s menu with five special dishes.

• John Wick: Chapter 4 | Thursday, Mar. 23 | 5 p.m. | Bullock Texas State History Museum, 1800 Congress Ave., Austin | $12-$15 | The world awaits a new chapter — experience it on a screen the size of Texas.
• Laguna Gloria Open Late | Thursday, Mar. 23 | 6-9 p.m. | The Contemporary Austin - Laguna Gloria, 3809 W. 35th St., Austin | Free | Get lost among the trees as you explore art in the garden.

• Austin VHS Swap & Film Screening | Saturday, Mar. 25 | 4-10 p.m. | Austin School of Film, 2200 Tillery St., Austin | Free | Calling all film lovers — now is the time to take a stand on the final frontier of physical media.

• 59º | Cloudy | 3% chance of rain

• Travel for SXSW 2023 and other spring events broke records at the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, setting three of the top five record-high travel dates. (KXAN)

• Both Longhorn men’s and women’s basketball teams took home wins this weekend. The women’s team toppled East Carolina 79-40 in the first round of the NCAA tournament. They face Louisville tonight. Meanwhile, the Texas men beat Penn State 71-66. They’ll play Xavier on Friday, March 24 in the Sweet 16. (KXAN + Austin American-Statesman)
• Pickleball pros from all over the world gathered in Austin over the weekend for the No. 2 annual ONIX Austin Showdown. The winners received $238,314 in prize money. Get the highlights. (KXAN)

• New York-based speakeasy Dead Rabbit will open in Austin this fall. The bar will take over the former home of B.D. Riley’s on 204 E. 6th St., and offer an extensive liquor selection and elevated Irish pub food. (Austin Monthly)

• Limbo Jewelry will close its Domain Northside location, which opened in 2017, due to inability to renew the lease. The store’s South Congress location will remain open. (Community Impact Austin)

• The Austin Board of Realtors says the Austin’s metropolitan area is heading in “the right direction” as monthly housing inventory increased from 2.3 to 2.6 months. Homes are staying on the market for 84 days on average, and active listings are up by 499%.

• ICYMI, Rice University now offers precollege online programs where high school students can study advanced subjects like genome engineering and physiology with renowned Rice faculty at their own pace. Explore courses + sign up your child.*

• Refinance rates are skyrocketing. But home equity rates remain relatively low — which means that now is a great time to borrow against your home. Calculate your payment.*

• If your vacuum isn’t picking up dirt and debris like it used to, it may be time for a new one. This handheld Shark vacuum is lightweight, cordless, and highly rated on Amazon. Or splurge on the Dyson V11 Cordless Vacuum that sucks up particles as small as allergens and bacteria.
• To celebrate the first day of spring, refresh your home with tea towels by Jessica Reynolds and find your city print by Signet Sealed. Now, that’s how you start the new season.