SXSW became a precampaign stop for Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., who sat down for a conversation with Texas Tribune editor-in-chief and CEO Evan Smith Sunday night at the JW Marriott. Paul said he would “make a decision in the next few weeks,” about whether to seek the Republican nomination for president.
All signs point to “yes,” including opening a tech office in Austin on Monday. It will be run by Vincent Harris, senior digital strategist for the presumptive campaign, and Rachel Kania, who will bear the title, “senior field and technology strategist.”
Presumably, Paul is not opening the Austin office to do constituent service work for folks back in Kentucky, Smith said.
Both Harris and Kania are veterans of the successful 2012 Senate campaign of Sen. Ted Cruz, who is also considered a pretty sure bet to enter the GOP presidential contest.
Paul told Smith that he was articulating a message that would be “completely different” from the other candidates and that would appeal to “free thinkers,” more interested in ideas than party ID and be drawn to his liberty-minded “leave-me-alone” coalition.
Sunday’s keynotes were actor, director, screenwriter former Austinite Mark Duplass for Film and SiriusXM Radio inventor Martine Rothblatt for Interactive.
Duplass hit one theme over and over: “The cavalry is not coming” for indie films.
“I am going to talk about the bad news and the good news of indie films,” he said, delivering a thoughtful, inspirational, and, above all, practical career path for budding feature filmmakers that emphasized becoming your own cavalry, long term.
Duplass also told filmmakers to not scoff at television: “As the death of the middle class of film has happened, it’s been rebirthed in television”
Rothblatt, who is now working in the field of artificial intelligence, discussed many aspects from her book “Virtually Human: The Promise — and the Peril — of Digital Immortality.” They included the ways that we may, in the future, transfer our consciousness to machines (think lifelike robots with human form); the legal and ethical implications of creating “mind clones” of ourselves which would have their own consciousness; and the ways medicine and organ cloning will save many, many lives.
Rothblatt tackled thorny questions about whether a mind clone is the same as the person who is being cloned (Yes, she says, it would be like having a best friend who is you), and whether software would really be alive (once it has consciousness, yes).
The keynote, which was an interview by New York Magazine writer Lisa Miller, touched briefly on Rothblatt’s own personal journey as a transgender woman who grew up in strong family and was always encouraged to question authority. Rothblatt, who is the founder of United Therapeutics Corp., also happens to be the highest-paid CEO who is not a man.
Sunday saw some big movie premiers that were not from the “Fast & Furious” franchise. Mavis Staples performed during a showing of the documentary “Mavis!” at the Paramount; and “Love & Mercy,” the biopic of Beach Boy Brian Wilson premiered with the musician, star John Cusack and director Bill Pohland in attendance.
After Sally Field got a standing ovation at the Saturday premiere of “Hello, My Name Is Doris,” at the Paramount, she said Sunday that she was very nervous, adding that “you always get nervous if you care.”
In the movie, she plays an older woman who has taken care of her mother in a cluttered house on Staten Island. She’s lonely, and she’s pretty much overlooked at her office, where she’s surrounded by youngsters.
In an interview Sunday, she said she had a great time making the movie, especially picking out the outfits. But she’s still not sure about one of the neon get-ups she wears to a concert, saying she told director Michael Showalter that she didn’t want Doris to look crazy.
She doesn’t.
Actress Jessica Alba spoke to an Interactive audience on Sunday about how she branded her The Honest Company, her line of nontoxic products. People didn’t get it at first, she says.
Branding the company became more than a just a name, but a lifestyle. It launched in 2011 and is now worth nearly a billion dollars.
When asked to give advice to other businesswomen, Alba said to be prepared with answers for everyone’s questions because everyone will poke holes at your idea. “Think about how you are going to be different,” she said. “Really know your strengths and weaknesses and surround yourself with people who can support your weakness.”
Alba was stumped when a festgoer asked her, “What’s your spirit animal?” “Whoa, I’m in Austin,” she said with a laugh.
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