• Walked ~70,000 steps each
• Took the Red Line to the Austin Convention Center every day
• Enjoyed panels from high-profile celebrities including Michael Dell, Dwyane Wade, and Lilly Singh

2024 Film & TV Festival Jury and Special Awards

• Narrative features winner: “Bob Trevino Likes It,” directed by Tracie Laymon
• Documentary features winner: “Grand Theft Hamlet,” directed by Pinny Grylls and Sam Crane
• Narrative shorts winner: “Dissolution,” directed by Anthony Saxe
• Documentary shorts winner: “Remember, Broken Crayons Colour Too,” directed by Shannet Clemmings and Urša Kastelic
• Animated shorts winner: “Wander to Wonder,” directed by Nina Gantz
• Texas shorts winner: “Jedo’s Dead,” directed by Sara Nimeh

Innovation Awards

• Student Innovation winner: FireBot
• Interface design finalist: Kicks as Currency: A Tradeblock Story
• Health + Biotech: VISIE Intraoperative 3D Computer Vision
• WTF (What the Future) finalist: Blackdot: A New Way to Tattoo™

• Pat Byrne Band | Monday, March 18 | 6-7:30 p.m. | The Saxon Pub, 1320 S. Lamar Blvd., Austin | $15 | Head to south Austin to start your week with some live music from the indie folk songwriter.

• 2024 Central Texas Water Conservation Symposium | Tuesday, March 19 | 8 a.m.-3 p.m. | Austin Central Library, 710 W. Cesar Chavez St., Austin | $45 | State and national experts will discuss conservation and consumer solutions at this program featuring panels on outdoor water use, El Niño, and drought management.
• Pink Martini | Tuesday, March 19 | 8 p.m. | The Paramount Theatre, 713 Congress Ave., Austin | $35-$75 | The “little orchestra” celebrates the 30th anniversary of its founding this year, and has sold more than 3 million albums worldwide.

• Elevate ATX: Women in Business Networking | Wednesday, March 20 | 6-8 p.m. | Mira Mira Studio, 2505-A E. 6th St., Austin | $35 | “Unbottled Potential” author Amanda Kuda will lead a discussion on mindful drinking.
• The Ransom Brothers | Wednesday, March 20 | 10-11:30 p.m. | The Saxon Pub, 1320 S. Lamar Blvd., Austin | $10 | Southern rock sounds will fill the space at this 21+ concert.

• Steven Curtis Chapman | Thursday, March 21 | 7 p.m. | The Paramount Theatre, 713 Congress Ave., Austin | $23-$63 | Hear brand new music on the “Still” tour.

• The City of Austin is seeking public feedback about the future development of the South Central Waterfront District. Plans for the 118-acre area along Lady Bird Lake include a hotel and six towers of office + residential space. Here’s how to put in your two cents. (KXAN)

• The City of Austin might purchase the former Tokyo Electron Ltd. headquarters, 2400 Grove Blvd., for $90 million. The city would use the 107-acre, 140,000-sqft campus to create a second Combined Technology and Emergency Communications Center and potential office space. (Austin Business Journal)

• $2.5 million. That’s how much direct economic impact the I-35 Series had on Austin last year. We don’t have the economic numbers for this weekend’s series, but we do know a record 16,223 fans attended their game against the Denver Nuggets on Saturday, March 16. (KVUE)

• Rainey Street bar Stagger Lee, along with Thunder Chief Jr, closed down earlier this month. The bar’s ownership company, FBR Management, cited issues renewing the lease and said there are no current plans to relocate. (Eater Austin)

• How strong will the Wemby effect be on this year’s NBA draft? Get the biggest stories every day from the local experts of the San Antonio Spurs with Locked On’s daily podcasts.

• Last call: Rodeo Austin comes to a close this Saturday, March 23 (read: you only have five more days to experience The Capital City’s largest carnival). Did you know? Proceeds from the event support the next generation of Texas kids, with $3.3 million contributed last year alone. Snag tickets.*
  

• With 50+ shops and restaurants, you’ll want to arrive early for your next trip through Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. The local flavors are so good, your taste buds will be soaring before take off.*

• Home Slice Pizza and Pinthouse Pizza | It’s the South Congress Avenue “Queen of Pies” versus the sourdough pies from Pinthouse (which was also a finalist in our brewery bracket).