Hot movie premieres, smart women and a royal visit: Best moments we've seen at SXSW so far

The South by Southwest Film and Television Festival and Conference kicked off on Friday with a colorful roster of red carpet premieres, star-studded panels and splashy activations. From heartfelt flicks that made us cry to whimsical oddities we stumbled upon downtown, here are a few of the best things we experienced during the first weekend of SXSW.

Full belly laughs and deep cries at 'Babes'

It only took two days of South by Southwest to find a movie that made me laugh full belly laughs in between deep cries about womanhood. Come on! I’m just trying to enjoy a festival here, not have an emotional moment in a dark theater. But seriously, for real, you must get your eye in front of “Babes” when the movie comes out in May. Starring Ilana Glazer and Michelle Buteau, the movie follows two friends at different points in their lives — Buteau’s character has a husband and two young children when Glazer’s finds out she’s pregnant after a one night stand. The movie was truly heartfelt and extremely funny. Highly, highly recommend seeing it with your best friend. — K.B.

More: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle visit La Barbecue in Austin for some brisket during SXSW

Jean Smart, Katie Couric and other women of a certain age

On the opening day of SXSW, comedian Samantha Bee (54) joked about spending International Women's Day "surrounded by hoards of dudes who talk and dress exactly like Scooter Braun" at Variety's Power of Comedy award show, where she was the featured honoree. But amid the carnival of bros, some of the most powerful commentary of weekend one came from women over 40. At an opening day panel, Meghan Markle, Katie Couric and Brooke Shields talked about the way traditional media dismisses women when they lose their ingenue bloom. Markle is 42, Couric is 67 and Shields is 58. Couric and Shields have created their own media platforms to give voice to broader perspectives and to build a healthier media landscape for younger women coming up.

The theme of cross-generational, female empowerment is a driving force for the HBO Max series "Hacks," starring Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder. When Smart (72), entered the theater for the season premiere screening at the Paramount Theatre on Saturday morning, the audience erupted in a sustained cheer that shook Austin's classic playhouse. After the screening, which included fabulous performances from both actresses, Smart received a standing ovation when she took the stage. Youth-obsessed Hollywood might be slow to get the message, but there is a real hunger for stories about a fuller female experience. — D.S.S.

'Don't take the easy road': Jean Smart's advice for young comedians at SXSW

'Road House' has muscles, gators and Jake Gyllenhaal. We're in!

Jake Gyllenhaal stars in a reimagining of the 1989 Patrick Swayze film "Road House," and while he’s no Swayze, Gyllenhaal does do the iconic movie justice. The new “Road House”  is funny, gives main character Elwood Dalton a back story, and is based in the Florida Keys. We loved Jessica Williams as Frankie, the bar owner who recruits Dalton to her establishment to help shape the place, which is riddled with rowdy patrons, up. The movie has muscles, great music, beaches, an alligator, fist fights, laughs and rapper Post Malone. It manages to honor the original while creating a space for itself. The movie lands on Prime March 21. — K.B.

'3 Body Problem' does existential terror right

Mysterious time travel? Sign me up. “3 Body Problem” will be your latest Netflix obsession when it releases March 21. The show follows scientists in both 1960s China and present-day England as they deal with … well, what are they dealing with? In the 2024 timeline, things are going awry with science itself. Back in the 60s, a woman deals with loss and imprisonment and that’s all I’ll say! The show stars Marvel’s Benedict Wong and brief Austinite Eiza González. — K.B.

More: Benedict Wong is running surveillance on the paparazzi at SXSW

Celebrating the original quiet quitter as 'Office Space' turns 25

Jennifer Aniston couldn't fly in to celebrate her cult classic film. But writer-director Mike Judge and the rest of the main cast opened up about the film's enduring appeal. As noted by the panel, Peter was basically the first quiet quitter. And the film was ahead of its time: While it tanked at the box office in 1999, Judge said that in 2001, he was told it had landed in the top 10 of video rentals, "right up there with Harry Potter."

The movie was lauded by fans for its quotables, underdog humor, celebration of hip-hop music as its chief soundtrack and social commentary. Judge said people regularly told him it changed their lives and inspired them to quit. And yes, fans geeked out and savored the cast's detailed breakdown of the meticulous planning behind the infamous "beat the office printer up with a baseball bat" scene. — Ramon Ramirez, Special to American-Statesman

WNBA legend Sue Bird calls for equity in women's sports

Fox Sports reported that women's college basketball averaged more viewers than the men's side this season. As soon as Iowa Hawkeyes star Caitlin Clark declared for the 2024 WNBA draft, the Indiana Fever, which hold the No. 1 overall pick, sold out their lower bowl in 15 minutes. Last August, Nebraksa volleyball had the largest attendance for a women's sporting event of all time, fitting 92,000 fans inside Memorial Stadium, normally the home of the football team.

At her keynote on Sunday, Bird said that even with these numbers, the archaic media system isn't built for women's sports to succeed the way the men's has been able to. What she wants is equity within that system, which could lead to even more of a rise. "We want the same opportunity to grow," Bird said. — C.Y.

A bucking bronco bed tosses tourists on Trinity Street

Sometimes the best parts of SXSW are the things you randomly stumble upon, and that was the case on Friday with an unconventional experience from citizenM hotels. At 99 Trinity Street, the hotel offered random Convention Center passersby the chance to ride a mechanical bed. Yes, bed. Not bull. The contraption was set up in an unassuming parking lot for just a few hours, and anyone who stayed on the bed for at least 30 seconds won a free one-night stay at any citizenM hotel.  — H.O.

Talking mind, body, spirit with Mayim Bialik

"The Big Bang Theory" actress Mayim Bialik recorded an episode of her podcast “The Breakdown” on Sunday morning. What we learned from her: the mind, the body and the spirit are all connected. Trauma is held in the body, she said, and it will come out.

“Being in a mind space where you routinely practice gratitude … can help you heal,” she said. “There’s a different set of resources when you believe you can heal.”  — N.V.

The mushroom yogurt they're giving out to attendees

It's pretty good! — R.R.

Iman & Ahrii Shmupurt podcast stage

Former NBA forward Iman Shumpurt and his older brother recored their live podcast "Iman Amongst Men." Shumpurt shared stories of playing for the New York Knicks, college basketball, gambling companies doing business with sports leagues and more. We even got a couple of questions with Shumpurt after the show that can be seen on our Austin 360 Instagram.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: The best of SXSW 2024 in Austin: Here's what we saw during weekend one