Our 12 favorite films, parties, and moments from SXSW 2023

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Courtesy SXSW

Another year of South by Southwest (SXSW) has come and gone, and we have the sore throats and trapezius muscles to show for it. The conference offered some inspiring moments, celebrity sightings, and the networking can never be beat — especially for the tireless penny pinchers and tree huggers who took the bus or got rides. But it was the local aspect that swept us away this year.

There were more than 25 conference tracks and hundreds of showcasing artists wrapped up in the 2023 festivities. Even an attendee who makes three events all 10 days only covers less than 10 percent of the schedule — and that’s not even counting all the unofficial parties. This year, we were proud to see the brightest cultural lights in Austin shining through on an international stage, and our favorite picks reflect that duality.

From hyperlocal to here-there-and-everywhere, here are our top films, concerts, parties, and more from SXSW 2023.

Most adventurous meal:National Geographic dinner
Austin chefs were busy during SXSW, but Arlo Grey’s Kristen Kish was busy long before the festival even started. The Top Chef winner is debuting a new National Geographic series this week, and CultureMap was lucky enough to get a sneak peek at a private preview dinner. The menu paired ingredients inspired by the remote locations featured in the four-part docuseries, giving us a culinary glimpse of Kish’s adventures in Restaurants at the End of the World, premiering March 21 on Disney+. — Hannah J. Frías, Editor

Favorite new product: Calibrate Wellness brunch
Speaking of busy chefs, Nic Yanes (Juniper, Uncle Nicky’s) recently launched Calibrate Wellness, a line of delicious Delta8 edibles with his co-founder Janice Omadeke, a former tech CEO of The Mentor Method (and the first Black woman with a venture-backed tech exit in Austin). The pair shared their wares during a special Future of Food brunch on the first Sunday of SXSW, with food from 1417 French Bistro. Inviting guests to try four different flavors of dosed or undosed samples, Yanes and Omadeke discussed their mission at Calibrate to provide safe, delicious, and even nutritious cannabis products. Considering we had a long day of SXSW ahead, we tried the undosed versions (the matcha one and the peanut butter were standouts), but we may or may not have saved a sample for a venture out to Willie Nelson’s ranch later in the week. — HJF

A new obsession:Balimaya Project
One of the best parts of SXSW is the international curation. Jazz re:freshed, a contemporary jazz record label in London, hosted an “outernational” showcase highlighting British jazz, which happened to feature Balimaya Project when I wandered into the seemingly defunct Seller’s Underground. The large band — too many to count through the packed crowd — piled onstage, but the figurative spotlight fell mostly on the kora player, Jali Bakary Konteh. The West African instrument is something between a harp and a banjo, and the crowd was transfixed by its spiraling tones and rhythms. The groove included lots of percussive elements and assertive horns for one of the most sonically and physically engaging live shows of the festival. — Brianna Caleri, Assistant Editor

Most inspiring documentary:Going Varsity in Mariachi
There was no shortage of star-studded premieres at SXSW this year, but my favorite film of the fest was Going Varsity in Mariachi. Mexican-American filmmakers Alejandra Vasquez and Sam Osborn have created something truly special with this one, blending the story arc of a high school underdog team with realistic, joyful, and at times raw insights into South Texas border culture. The film follows Edinburg North High School’s mariachi team on their road to the state championship, and all the challenges they face along the way — individually, and as a team. Paired with an incredible original soundtrack, the film often felt visually more like a Wes Anderson creation than a documentary, capturing the colors and sounds of life in the Rio Grand Valley and inviting viewers on a vibrant emotional journey. — HJF

Courtesy SXSW

Going Varsity in Mariachi captures the colors and sounds of life in the Rio Grand Valley, inviting viewers on a vibrant emotional journey.

The power of a place:Join or Die
There was one event I couldn’t stop telling people about, and I did it like this: “A political scientist found that joining one group,” [pause for emphasis], “reduced someone’s chances of dying by half.” This was met with many incredulous stares. Join or Die, a documentary, did justice to the incredulity of its premise, treating the concept of social capital and the power of joining groups with a necessary seriousness, but keeping the tone approachable. After all, the goal is to invite more people to get involved, not to push a doomsday narrative about the collapse of social infrastructure, one of the driving problems that prompted the research. I distilled some of the film’s major points and made recommendations on Austin groups to join for CultureMap readers. — BC

Favorite unofficial party: Rolling Stone X Bumble party
One of the wildest things about SXSW is the plethora of unofficial parties that pop up in intimate Austin venues across town. One of my favorites took place at Howard’s Bar, co-hosted by Rolling Stone and Bumble to kick off Rolling Stone’s inaugural music showcase. Both the party and the showcase celebrated emerging women’s voices in the music industry, providing a stage to elevate the next generation of influential artists. The party itself featured a curated setlist from Madison McFerrin (a.k.a., Melismata Mama), which attendees bopped to while enjoying specialty cocktails and bites from Rosie’s Wine Bar, Howard’s Bar & Club, and Swedish Hill Sweets. Notable guests included actress and musician Scout LaRue Willis, singer-songwriter Remi Wolf, Grammy-nominated artist Valerie June, model Nicole Trunfio, members of The Bros Fresh, and more. — HJF

The Austin element:Local bands
As intoxicating as a good international find is, SXSW is a great time to connect with local talent. One audience member before a show sounded disappointed to learn that Caleb de Casper was local, and left to find something more unattainable year-round. From what I saw, that audience member missed out. De Casper strutted out in sneaker heels, a sparkler bra, and body hair, and delivered his usually synth-pop tunes in a harder rock style with a reminder that SXSW underpays artists and that the dragged out performance may be “illegal next year.” I also appreciated the theatrical and funky grooves of Walker Lukens, and was proud to introduce a visiting friend to one of Austin’s most established performers outside of the pop mainstream, swamp-funk band Shinyribs. He was smitten. — BC

Shelter from the storm: The Young Wife
One challenge of SXSW is that everything you want to attend seems to happen at the same time. After missing the film’s opening night on Sunday, March 12, I was glad to catch The Young Wife for an intimate showing at the AFS Cinema, a satellite SXSW location. Directed by Tayarisha Poe (Selah and the Spades), The Young Wife follows a young woman on her wedding day as she grapples with the meaning of love in the face of an uncertain world. Relative newcomer Kiersey Clemons (Somebody I Used to Know) plays the titular character, alongside an impressive cast that includes Emmy-Award winner Sheryl Lee Ralph. Leon Bridges makes his acting debut opposite Clemons, and while I will admit that was my main draw, I enjoyed the film’s moody aesthetics, which paired perfectly with the tornado-level storm that washed out festival events in other parts of Austin that night. — HJF

Spellbinding art:Kite Zo A (Leave the Bones)
Fans of Beyoncé’s Lemonade and other visual albums may be swept away by Kite Zo A, something between that and a cultural documentary. The “sensorial film” travels to Haiti and places a special emphasis on movement and ritual, following dancers, rollerbladers, parade revelers, and more to the sounds of Haitian band Lakou Mizik and electronic artist Joseph Ray. “Kite Zo A,” in Haitian creole, means “Leave the Bones” — that is, an evil or oppressive force may consume a person’s living form, but their essence remains. Although the film does address some politics, poverty, and a spirit of resistance, it takes an immaculate and celebratory spiritual tone thanks to some attentive editing and the omnipresence of Vodou as a cultural overlay. — BC

Most seductive sound: Quinn x Bumble brunch
Bumble kept the focus on women with its second SXSW party of the week. On the heels of their “You Come First” Valentine’s Day campaign, Bumble partnered with audio erotica app Quinn for a SXSW brunch. The luxurious Hotel St. Cecilia provided a perfectly sensual setting for the event, which served as the exclusive premiere of a new Quinn Original Audio - the third episode to 'The Misty Door' series, voiced by actor Jesse Williams. Guests were invited to catch a sneak preview of the audio and left with customized goodie bags. — HJF

A gateway experience:NoSex|SexParty
File this under “really useful, but still finding its legs.” A collective of sexual health, sexy entertainment, and hookup facilitators (including Austin’s own Afterglow, a women-led, ethical porn creator), joined forces to throw a sex party without the messy bits. It was crowded and a little awkward since most attendees came with their SXSW posses and weren’t dressed for the occasion. Downstairs, there was flogging, body painting, a sensual movement workshop, and an ongoing screening of a new Afterglow film. Upstairs, some of us chatted about practicing morally tricky kinks in a safe and considerate way, and buying food trucks. Once you know the ins-and-outs of someone’s most intimate fantasies, the conversation can go anywhere. — BC

Best escape: Potluck + Luck Reunion
One of my SXSW highlights every year is escaping the fest altogether, heading out to Willie Nelson’s ranch in Spicewood for his annual Luck Reunion. The event is the perfect antithesis to the standard over-crowded, over-stimulating SXSW affair, inviting attendees to celebrate great music on smaller stages with a more intimate crowd. In 2023, Luck Reunion became its own mini-festival, expanding beyond the main music night to include three food-focused events. My favorite was Potluck, a family-style dinner where proceeds go to Nelson’s longtime charity partners, including Farm Aid, Wholesome Wave, and the Texas Food & Wine Alliance. This year’s iteration paid homage to the main agricultural crops of indigenous cuisine (maize, squash, and climbing beans), and included a private performance from the living legend himself. I was lucky enough to snag a front row spot, where I got a wink and a wave from Willie and thus have reached the pinnacle of my career. I can retire happy. — HJF

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8 Austin entrepreneurs rank among Forbes' richest self-made women for 2023

Elite entrepreneurs

Twelve of the country's 100 most successful female entrepreneurs live in Texas this year, and eight of them call Austin home. So says Forbes in its 2023 list of America's Richest Self-Made Women, released June 1.

"Bolstered in part by a rebound in the stock market, [the richest 100 female entrepreneurs] are cumulatively worth a record $124 billion, up nearly 12 percent from a year ago," says Forbes.

To make the Forbes list, women had to garner wealth on their own, rather than by inheriting or winning it.Texas' wealthiest women have made their fortunes in fields ranging from home health care, insurance, and aviation logistics to jewelry design, dating apps, and running the show at SpaceX.

With an estimated net worth at $4.8 billion, Thai Lee, of Austin, remains at the top of the list in Texas, and ranks No. 5 nationally.

She falls behind only No. 1 Diane Hendricks of Wisconsin (co-founder of ABC Supply, $15 billion net worth); No. 2 Judy Loveof Oklahoma (chairman and CEO, Love's Travel Stops And Country Stores, $10.2 billion); No. 3 Judy Faulkner of Wisconsin (founder and CEO, Epic Systems, $7.4 billion); and No. 4 Lynda Resnick of California (co-founder and co-owner of Wonderful Company, $5.3 billion) among America's richest self-made women.

For some additional perspective, Oprah Winfrey lands at No. 13 on the list for 2023. The TV titan (and most famous woman on the planet) has an estimated net worth of $2.5 billion, Forbes says.

Austin's Lee, a native of Bangkok who holds an MBA from Harvard University, is founder, president, and CEO of SHI International Corp., a provider of IT products and services with a projected revenue of $14 billion in 2023. Fun fact: "Lee majored in both biology and economics," Forbes says, "in part because her English was less than perfect and she wanted to avoid writing and speaking in class."

The other seven Austin women on the list are:

Lisa Su, No. 34, Austin. Forbes pegs Su’s net worth at $740 million, tying her with April Anthony of Dallas. The native of Taiwan is president and CEO of Santa Clara, California-based semiconductor company Advanced Micro Devices.
Kendra Scott, No. 47, of Austin.Forbes says she has amassed a net worth of $550 million as founder of Kendra Scott LLC, which designs and sells jewelry in more than 100 stores (and is worth $360 million). The celebrity entrepreneur is also a judge on TV's Shark Tank.
Whitney Wolfe Herd, No. 52, of Austin. She is worth an estimated $510 million. Herd is co-founder and CEO of Bumble Inc., which operates two online dating apps: Bumble and Badoo. She owns a 17% stake in Bumble and became the youngest self-made woman billionaire after it went public in February 2021.
Paige Mycoskie, No. 73, of Austin. She is worth an estimated $380 million. Mycoskie created founded her 1970s-inspired California lifestyle brand, Aviator Nation, which took off during the pandemic and now has 16 retail locations across the U.S. If the name sounds familiar, that's because she's the sister of TOMS founder Blake Mycoskie, with whom she competed on TV's The Amazing Race.
Imam Abuzeid, No. 77, of Austin. Her net worth is estimated at $350 million. Abuzeid is the co-founder and CEO of Incredible Health, which she started in 2017 to help alleviate America's nursing shortage. Forbes describes it as "a souped-up version of LinkedIn for nurses." Abuzeid is one of only a handful of Black female founders to run a company valued at more than $1 billion, Forbes notes.
Julia Cheek, No. 92, of Austin. Her net worth is estimated at $260 million. Cheek founded at-home testing company Everly Health in 2015 "out of frustration at having to pay thousands for lab testing to diagnose issues related to vitamin imbalance," Forbes says. It got a Shark Tank deal with Lori Greiner and is now worth roughly $1.8 billion.
Belinda Johnson, No. 96, of Austin. She is worth an estimated $250 million. Johnson was Airbnb's first chief operating officer and led many of its legal disputes. She stepped down from that role in March 2020, Forbes says, and left the company's board in June 2023.

The remaining Texas women on the list include:

Gwynne Shotwell, No. 27, of Jonesboro (Coryell-Hamilton counties). Her net worth is estimated at $860 million. Shotwell is president and COO of Elon Musk's SpaceX. She manages the operations of the commercial space exploration company and owns an estimated stake of 1 percent, Forbes says.
Robyn Jones, No. 29, of Fort Worth. Her net worth is estimated at $830 million. Jones is founder of Westlake-based Goosehead Insurance Agency LLC. She started the property and casualty insurance agency in 2003 after being frustrated with her truck-driver husband's "road warrior lifestyle," Forbes says. He joined her in 2004 and they took the company public in 2018. It has nearly 1,000 franchised offices.
April Anthony, No. 34, of Dallas. Forbes puts her net worth at $740 million. She founded the Dallas-based home health and hospice division of Encompass Health Corp and sold it for $750 million to HealthSouth. In 2022, she was named CEO of VitalCaring, a home health and hospice care firm.
Kathleen Hildreth, No. 44, of Aubrey. Her net worth is estimated at $590 million. Hildreth is co-founder of M1 Support Services LP, an aviation logistics company based in Denton. A service-disabled Army veteran, she graduated from West Point in 1983 and was deployed all around the world as a helicopter pilot.

Endless creativity of Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse keeps superhero story in overdrive

Movie Review

The blast of pure fun that was 2018’s Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse accomplished several goals, but none more important than reclaiming the character from being part of just the Marvel Cinematic Universe. By not participating in the never-ending connecting stories of the MCU, the filmmakers could do whatever they wanted, first and foremost using Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) instead of Peter Parker as its main character.

It was also at the forefront of multiversal storytelling that has become the rage in the MCU and elsewhere. Given the multitude of Spider characters that have existed in the comics over the years, it was uniquely suited to telling a story with people from multiple universes. That concept is taken to the nth degree with Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, a film that has seemingly limitless levels of creativity.

Miles, having separated from Gwen Stacy (Hailee Steinfeld), Peter B. Parker (Jake Johnson), and other Spider-people at the end of the first film, is doing well as the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man, casually protecting people from threats big and small. But when a highly unusual villain named The Spot (Jason Schwartzman) proves especially tricky, a series of events has Miles follow Gwen into a portal where he encounters every other Spider character in existence.

Lest you think that’s hyperbole, among the people he meets are Jessica Drew/Spider-Woman (Issa Rae), Miguel O’Hara/Spider-Man 2099 (Oscar Isaac), Hobie Brown/Spider-Punk (Daniel Kaluuya), Ben Reilly/Scarlet Spider (Andy Samberg), and Spider-Man India (Karan Soni), and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Revelations made while meeting all of them lead Miles to a whole new understanding of himself and the multiverse in general, with far-reaching consequences.

The filmmakers, once again led by writers/producers Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, fill the screen with so many visual elements that at times it can be overwhelming, but in the best possible way. Unlike most animated films, there are multiple different styles employed throughout, and never knowing what to expect gives the film a kineticism that borders on manic, although it always stops short of being incomprehensible.

The storytelling is much more complex this time around, no surprise since it involves so many more characters. But the personal stories of each of the Spider characters, especially Miles and Gwen, maintain a grounded nature that keeps the plot anchored even while delving into increasingly fantastical territory.

Although this film deals with some darker themes, there is still plenty of humor to be had. The intersection of so many Spider characters highlights their differences, and the way they interact can’t help but be entertaining. Miles is still a 15-year-old kid, and the way he navigates the world(s) has a lightness to it that is a sharp contrast to the various adults in his life.

Moore, who’s not as well-known as some of his co-stars, has proven to be the perfect voice for Miles, making him relatable and powerful at the same time. Everyone else gives similarly great performances, although the fact that many of them are famous for their non-voicework doesn’t really play a factor in how well they come across here.

A third film, Beyond the Spider-Verse, is teased with a cliffhanger, and unlike other franchises where multiple films are unnecessary, there are no such reservations here. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse equals the success of the first film, and there is no doubt that the filmmakers will bring the same level of attention to detail to the end of the trilogy.

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Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse opens in theaters on June 2.

Photo courtesy of Sony Pictures Animation

Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.

Dip your toes into these 7 Austin pools with passes, snacks, and summer events; plus more top stories

hot headlines

Editor’s note: It’s that time again — time to check in with our top stories. From hotel pools, to museums, to a show-stopping Hill Country rental, here are five articles that captured our collective attention over the past seven days.

1. Dip your toes into these 7 Austin pools with passes, snacks, and summer events. The city is getting unreasonably hot again; It's time to start planning poolside hangs, which are even better with a cocktail.

2. Breathtaking Hill Country hideaway is one of Vrbo's top 10 vacation homes in the country. The retractable floor-to-ceiling glass windows are a nice touch in this $400-a-night house.

3. 6 Austin museums are offering free admission for military families all summer long. These organizations want to help military families spend more time together without breaking the bank.

4. Space-inspired screenings invade Austin Film Society ahead of Wes Anderson's upcoming release. Austinites looking forward to the June 16 release of Asteroid City can soak up the inspirations and watch a sneak peek screening.

5. Texas ranks No. 2 best state to start a small business in new report. The state's tax framework makes the finance side of running a business relatively easy.

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