It's 2025 and we're kicking off our first Third Thursday with our friends at SXSW! Each month, join Women In Film & Television Austin members for a networking session. Start off the evening with simple introductions, then mix & mingle and learn about each others' ideas and goals.
Our special guests for the January Third Thursday event is Film & TV Industry Relations Manager, Lindsey Ashley, and Director of Event Staffing, Lisa Pulsifer.
BONUS: We will also have a short table read demonstration by our Writer's Group!
Who: Everyone! WIFT Austin members, allies, and the public community interested in film, television, and the media industry in general. Whether in front of the camera, or behind the camera, we have attendees in all roles.
What: A FREE, low-stress networking and mingling opportunity.
When: Thursday, January 16 from 7PM - 8:30PM
Where: SXSW Center, 1400 Lavaca Street, Austin, TX 78701
- NOTE: We will provide free lite bites, beer, wine and Titos mixers.
Why: In this industry, it's not just who you know, it's who knows you! We've created a space for you to meet other like-minded individuals in a no-pressure situation and we're proud to share that many personal and professional relationships have formed from our Third Thursday networking event.
Let us help you make your special connections in this industry.
RSVP BY JANUARY 15
GUEST SPEAKERS
Lindsey Ashley
SXSW | Film & TV Industry Relations Manager
lindsey@sxsw.com
For 20+ years, Lindsey has worked on behalf of the Texas film and production community. As the SXSW Film & TV Industry Relations Manager, she works with agents, distributors, studios, networks and production companies to help them navigate their SXSW Film & TV submissions, programming and festival experience. Previously, she worked at the Texas Film Commission as a Location Scout, Production Consultant and ultimately Deputy Director. Lindsey's background is in Arts Administration, helping to match film, television and commercial projects of all shapes and sizes with filming destinations and available resources. She's a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin with a degree in Radio, Television and Film.
Lisa Pulsifer
SXSW | Director of Event Staffing
pulsifer@sxsw.com
Lisa volunteered for and attended SXSW for more than a decade before joining the Event Staffing team and eventually moving into her role as director. She has a passion for live events and matching people with the best roles for their interests and ambitions. Prior to working at SXSW, Lisa was the head of Education and Public Engagement at the Harry Ransom Center where she brought the archives to life for volunteers and museum patrons alike. In addition to her role at SXSW, Lisa spends time each summer improving attendee experiences at music festivals — and seeing as much live music as possible! She is certified in volunteer administration, has an M.A. in museum education from the University of Texas at Austin, and a B.F.A. in art history from the University of North Texas.
About SXSW
In 1986, Ronald Reagan was president. "Electronic mail" was used primarily by universities and the military. The Berlin Wall was standing. The Euro did not exist. Many phones used rotary dials to enter numbers. An Apple Macintosh computer with 128 kilobytes of RAM sold for $5,500 (in 2015 dollars). 40 million music CDs were made and sold worldwide.
That same year, a small group of people in Austin, Texas began a series of long discussions about the future of entertainment and media. The meetings were in the offices of The Austin Chronicle, and participants were sworn to secrecy. A fundamental opinion shared by the group was that the local creative and music communities were as talented as anywhere else on the planet, but were severely limited by a lack of exposure outside of Austin.
Music was the uniting factor, but the group had a catholic taste for art and ideas. Inclusiveness and reaching for new things were core values. The solution being discussed was an event that would bring the outside world to Austin for a close-up view.
As the key ideas were formed, recognition grew that Austin was not the only city where this was an issue. For a local event to bring the world to Austin, it needed to have value everywhere. A name was sought that was not restrictive in its concept.
Finally, in October of 1986, the announcement of the first South By Southwest was made. The SXSW group expected initial resistance from the locals, but it was quite the opposite. Almost everyone wanted to be involved. Resistance would come later.
The first event, held in March of 1987, saw an expected 150 registrants swell to 700 on the opening day. As hoped for, Austin’s charm won over the visitors, and SXSW took on a life of its own.
Growth was steady for the first seven years. For SXSW ’94, often remembered for the Johnny Cash keynote/performance, two new events - Interactive and Film - were introduced. It would mark a fundamental shift in how the world viewed SXSW. Still early in the paradigm shift created by the internet, the film and digital communities found a home in SXSW.
The event has changed in many surprising and meaningful ways since 1987, but at its core, SXSW remains a tool for creative people to develop their careers by bringing together people from around the globe to meet, learn and share ideas. (And maybe have a few once-in-a-lifetime experiences.)
