AUSTIN, Texas — The SXSW 2021 Online Film Festival featured fewer films and less face-to-face contact with its creators.

Director of Film Programming, Janet Pierson, said the process in choosing the films remained the same, making for an impactful festival.

“We’re looking at films and making decisions about what we’re going to show for a lot of different reasons,” Pierson said. “We’re looking for a lot of different stories and a lot of different voices and it’s always in the context of what else is being made that year.”

Some aspects of the planning process had to be adapted, due to this year’s virtual model. Open submissions are normally from June through October, but they were only in October of this year. Fewer films were selected this year in relation to past events, and it didn't hold the big premieres that is ususally put on.

Despite the changes, Pierson said their approach in planning wasn’t that different. Having the luxury of watching other film festivals experiment with different methods of putting shows on and fan interaction helped them shape how SXSW’s online film festival came to life. The key for Pierson was creating an experience around something people have already been doing during the pandemic, watching movies.

“What we love is actually helping to nurture talent, we love to help new talent connect with audiences,” Pierson said. “I know people might be shy like ‘Oh, I don’t wanna bother the filmmakers.’ No, tell the filmmakers you loved it!”

Features like film event pages allow for fans to comment on movies and even chat with directors to ask questions.

SXSW Online goes from March 16 to March 20. Organizers say conference content and some Music and Film Festival showcases will be available to participants through April 18.