With Robert Altman’s star-studded “A Prairie Home Companion” making its North American premiere on opening night Friday, and celebrities including Charlize Theron, Ray Romano, Brad Garrett and Erykah Badu appearing throughout the week, the South by Southwest film festival only looks like it’s gone Hollywood.

Organizers say the festival will maintain the same laid-back, small-town atmosphere for which Austin, Texas, is known.

“It’s definitely bigger, definitely more people, definitely more premieres than we’ve ever had before, more films than we’ve ever had before, more filmmakers than we’ve ever had before,” festival producer Matt Dentler said.

From Friday through March 18, 230 features and shorts are on the schedule, 60 of which are world premieres. They include “95 Miles to Go,” a documentary about Romano’s stand-up comedy tour, and “East of Havana,” a documentary Theron helped produce about Cuban rappers.

John C. Reilly is expected to appear with “A Prairie Home Companion,” based on the longtime Garrison Keillor radio program, which co-stars Meryl Streep, Lindsay Lohan, Woody Harrelson and Kevin Kline.

Also arriving in Austin to discussions their careers are veteran rocker Henry Rollins and Peter Bart, the longtime editor in chief of Variety.

Despite the presence of these high-profile celebrities and others, “I don’t think it’ll change at all,” Dentler said.

“I think people know they can come to South by Southwest and stay under the radar, blend in and mingle,” he said. “South by Southwest is one of the rare festivals where you can look out at the audience and see five or six incredibly important figures in the entertainment business, all sitting next to each other – maybe they know each other, maybe they don’t know each other – but they’re just hanging out. There’s just a friendly, communal vibe in Austin.”