As a conoisseur of the freebie lifestyle, and an unreformed member of the spoiled Press Club who simply refuses to (over)pay to see movies, I was beginning to think that Austin’s freegan claims had been vastly overrated. The SXSW film end of the fest is clearly no place for bargains (nor entry sans badge, harumph!), and for those who love film, I began to suspect that free flicks were just another rainbow-colored pipe dream.

But after a fateful tip from a guy on the bus (the source of many an insider tip, Chez Shoestring, btw), I discovered the wonderful world of gofobo.com. Film-related sweepstakes and free screenings abound here, but alas, they are only accessible with a magical (and rather mysterious) RSVP code.

Curses, Batman, foiled again!

Luckily, using my mighty memory, I recalled that my mystery bus man had informed me that gofobo.com was just one of several sites he regularly cruised for access to freebies in the movie world, implying that there were others, were a young Jedi so inclined to look for them. Thus, with a quick flick of the Google button I discovered the untold riches at The Movie Outsider’s Austin page.

As The Movie Outsider notes, freebies may not always be easy to come by, but they sure beat the heck outta paying full price for admission. If you’ve got to dig a little, you may just appreciate those hard-earned tickets a bit more, too. Or at least avoid the truly terrible pap that Hollywood deems to dish out.

Whatever the case, here were some of the best sites I found in my mission to uncover movie freebies, to help you along your way:

• Slackerwood’s 2010 Guide to Free (and Cheap) Summer Movies in Austin
• The Paramount’s 2010 Summer Film Series (not free, but cheaper if you’re a member of their “Film Fan” club)
• A complete list of showtimes for the Harry Ransom Center’s “Making Movies” classic film events, held on Thursdays throughout the summer
• The Austin Film Society’s screening calendar, listing all manner of movies showing throughout the year (some free, some cheap, and some not-so-cheap)

Tell 'em Shoestring Austin sent ya!

If all else fails, Netflix is still offering a pretty sweet one-month-free subscription, where you can instantly stream movies straight from your computer (or Blu-ray player, or gaming system), or rent movies with no late fees and free shipping to and from your house. Set up your home theater and you’ll be set; at only $8.95 a month, that’s still way cheaper than paying for admission at your local theater.

Still too rich for your blood? Hit up the nearest branch of the Austin Public Library for a selection of totally free movies and TV shows, which you can keep for a full seven (7) days. With the Interlibrary Loan system, you can even snag flicks from far-away branches (provided you agree to pay a $1 fee if you fail to actually pick up your items within 10 days of your notification email), all from the comfort of your Internet connection.

Friends, freegans, countrymen: bemoan your free movie quandary no more, and may The Force be with you.