Opening Day: Hello, SXSW 2011!

AUSTIN (KXAN) - This year about 200,000 people are expected to come into Austin for the annual SXSW music, film and interactive festival.

Friday night "Source Code" starring Jake Gyllenhaal makes its world premiere at the Paramount, along with "Blacktini" and "Girl Walks Into a Bar," starring Danny DeVito. 

This year festival organizers have added the State and Rollins theaters as well as the Arbor to their list of 11 places to watch the movies.

In total, about 140 features and 153 shorts will be playing during the next nine days.

But get this: 5,000 movies were submitted for this year's festival.

The head of the film festival described how they wind up narrowing it down to fewer than 300.

"It's hard because you are watching films in an odd way. You are not taking your time with one film -- you are bulk watching and you are watching with a purpose. You are looking to be moved, surprised or wowed in a way. There's something unhealthy about i,t but the discovery is what makes it exciting," said Janet Pierson, producer of the SXSW Film Festival.

This is the third year the Alamo Drafthouse is doing its "South by Fantastic" sidebar festival.

At midnight, starting Friday through Tuesday, the public can check out five different horror, fantasy and sci-fi movies.

Last year Tim League, the founder of the Alamo Drafthouse, brought in a movie called "Monsters" which was purchased by a studio right after it premiered.

"The director went on to a huge array of press, he got an agent, representation, and now he is coming from 'Monsters,' which is a low budget sci-fi movie. He is now going to helm the 'Godzilla' reboot, the new $100 million picture," said League.

To see a film during the festival priority is given to persons with badges, then passes and finally tickets.

Festival organizers said the best way to see a movie if someone doesn't have a badge is to either come during the day when fewer people are attending the movies, or wait until the music starts on March 15 and fewer people are coming at night.

Click here for a complete guide of all of the SXSW films.

Also down at Third Street and Congress Avenue GE has a free cell phone solar power cellular charging station .  The station features a large white carousal to ride on while waiting for the charge.  GE has set up the station to showcase its solar power technology during the Interactive portion of the festival.