SPARK, a Burning Man Story is a new documentary to hit SXSW Film Festival on March 10, 2013.
During the summer solstice in 1986, Larry Harvey and his bohemian friends decide to burn a wooden man in a bonfire on Baker Beach in San Francisco. Little do they know that this intimate gathering would eventually turn into a cultural phenomenon that draws a crowd of nearly 60,000 people each year to the deserts of Nevada. Now more than 20 years past its origins on that small beach, filmmakers Steve Brown and Jessie Deeter embed themselves with the co-founders, staff and attendees for a year and find themselves witnessing one of the greatest crises that has ever hit the Burning Man community. Idealism and the dreams of the staff and participants clash with the realities of commerce and event management. Is there a way that Burning Man can grow and become relevant in the larger world without betraying its core principles and what made it special in the first place?
SPARK was born out of SXSW itself when Brown attended the SXSW Interactive Conference as a speaker and took the opportunity to attend the film festival, which served as a catalyst for him to pursue his own creative passions and channel them into making a documentary film. “After many years of being involved in tech innovation, it was at SXSW that I got my first taste of the craft of filmmaking, and I realized that film would one day be my creative canvas. It is a dream come true to be back at SXSW with SPARK,” Brown says. “Larry Harvey once described his mission in leading Burning Man as creating a place that would give people permission to act on their dreams. Larry’s advice and Burning Man itself inspired me to take a chance and make this film.”
Filmmakers: Steve Brown & Jessie Deeter
PREMIERE
5:15 pm – Sunday, March 10 @ Vimeo Theater
ADDITIONAL SCREENINGS
1:45 pm – Wednesday, March 13 @ Alamo Ritz 2
11:15 am – Friday, March 15 @ Vimeo Theater
Photo credit: loupiote.com
Renee Blodgett is the founder of We Blog the World. The site combines the magic of an online culture and travel magazine with a global blog network and has contributors from every continent in the world. Having lived in 10 countries and explored nearly 80, she is an avid traveler, and a lover, observer and participant in cultural diversity.
She is also the CEO and founder of Magic Sauce Media, a new media services consultancy focused on viral marketing, social media, branding, events and PR. For over 20 years, she has helped companies from 12 countries get traction in the market. Known for her global and organic approach to product and corporate launches, Renee practices what she pitches and as an active user of social media, she helps clients navigate digital waters from around the world. Renee has been blogging for over 16 years and regularly writes on her personal blog Down the Avenue, Huffington Post, BlogHer, We Blog the World and other sites. She was ranked #12 Social Media Influencer by Forbes Magazine and is listed as a new media influencer and game changer on various sites and books on the new media revolution. In 2013, she was listed as the 6th most influential woman in social media by Forbes Magazine on a Top 20 List.
Her passion for art, storytelling and photography led to the launch of Magic Sauce Photography, which is a visual extension of her writing, the result of which has led to producing six photo books: Galapagos Islands, London, South Africa, Rome, Urbanization and Ecuador.
Renee is also the co-founder of Traveling Geeks, an initiative that brings entrepreneurs, thought leaders, bloggers, creators, curators and influencers to other countries to share and learn from peers, governments, corporations, and the general public in order to educate, share, evaluate, and promote innovative technologies.
