SXSW Film 2009 announces festival opener: John Hamburg’s I Love You, Man

by John P. Meyer

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Hamburg scripted Zoolander and Meet the Fockers and directed Along Came Polly. Festival producer Janet Pierson thinks he's got the right stuff.

Hard to believe we're talking about SXSW already, but it takes a lot of preparation and planning to put a film festival together so we shouldn't be surprised that things are already beginning to gel on the programming front.

SXSW has just announced that their opening night (March 13) film for the 2009 film festival will be the Paul Rudd starrer I Love You, Man, co-written and directed by John Hamburg - scripter of Zoolander and Meet the Fockers. Hamburg's most recent directorial effort in the cinematic arena was Along Came Polly (2004).

Says SXSW film fest producer Janet Pierson: "We are thrilled to have I Love You, Man kick off the 2009 festival. The film is the perfect representation of the kind of smart and unconventional humor that SXSW audiences flock to, and we are happy to welcome back SXSW Alumni Paul Rudd and Jason Segel.”

Segel and Rudd play buddies in the movie, which plays their male bonding activities against the romantic relationship Rudd's character has developed with his fiance, portrayed by Rashida Jones. Interestingly, Rashida's dad, the legendary Quincy Jones, will be a keynote speaker at the 2009 SXSW music fest.

Other announced highlights of the forthcoming festival include a conversation with Todd Haynes and Richard Linklater; a discussion with Jan Harlan (a longtime Stanley Kubrick producer); and an appearance by Col Needham of IMDB.

A complete festival lineup will be available in Feb., and undoubtedly more tidbits will trickle out in the weeks to come.