Kourosh, Omar and Mila during Taqwacore Q&A at SxSW

HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE TRIP TO SxSW:

•  Great write up in the Austin Chronicle, thanks Marjorie!

•  Hearing lots of people say "Yeah I heard about the scene and the films."

•  Hanging out with Kourosh, the premiere Taqwacore punk from the Iranian republic of San Antonio. Always good to spend time with that kid, he's a sweetheart.

•  Playing a sold out show at the legendary Austin cinema, The Alamo Ritz Drafthouse.   The coolest cinema in the world.

•  A packed audience cheering wildly during the ISNA scene.

•  Watching Eyad's take on The Taqwacores on the big screen.

•  The shy Desi kid who asked a question at the Taqwacores panel whose mind was apparently blown after seeing both films.

•  Watching Kourosh, actors Dominic Rains and Bobby Naderi form an Iranian posse mingling at all the panels, screenings and chic sxsw parties.

•  Walking down Sixth Street thinking, like Holden Caufield, that the world is full of phoneys, and then seeing a small Desi Qawalli party on the sidewalk giving it their all:  harmonium player, violinist, tabla player, two vocalists, hand clapping...the works.  That was some Taqwacore shit right there. 

•  Having friends from Toronto and Pakistan in the crowd, as well as a few Taqwacores. 

•  Meeting Ron Mann and Bruce McDonald and discussing Taqwacore with them. 

•  Getting four free packs of American Spirit cigarrettes from the stall on the smoking deck where they were giving it away.  So evil, but so good too.

For more information on the doc, go to www.taqwacore.com