Page 9 - Film Festival Journal + Review Spring/Summer 2020

According to the Chronicle, the losses hit staffers across the board, from those who had been with
the company for just a few months to some who had been with SXSW for more than a decade. The
paper said the departing staffers are being offered severance pay.
Among those confirming via Twitter that they were hit by the cuts was festival publicist Heather
Kaplan, who wrote, “Got laid off today, plz send me your favorite songs/shows/movies to cry to.”
Elements of Austin’s tourism business are also expected to be devastated by the cancellation, which
SXSW had said had an operational impact of $157 million on the local economy last year.
Talking with the Austin Statesman, mayor Steve Adler said, “They told me they fully intend to
come back next year…. They haven’t quite figured out the path yet. But they fully intend to come
back.”
In a separate development, Austin city officials, after canceling the festival, also declared that no
events with a capacity of more than 2,500 could proceed unless specifically approved by health is-
sues, under the new disaster declaration. Without a waiver, that could affect events looming as
quickly as Tuesday night’s Post Malone concert, set to take place at the city’s 16,000-capacity Erwin
Center. The city has said it will allow events at mid- and large-size venues to proceed only if
“mitigation plans for infectious diseases are in place.”

8 FILM FESTIVAL JOURNAL SUMMER 2020