Wrath of the Titans

Considering the horrible 2010 Clash of the Titans the sequel doesn't instill much hope for the franchise. This time around Jonathan Liebesman (Battle Los Angeles) is at the helm working with a script by Dan Mazeau and David Johnson (Red Riding Hood). Another adventure in useless 3D spending less time battling weird creatures, although it has it share, but this time around with more character and story that is not muddled with mythology.

Ten years after Perseus (Sam Worthington) saved the world from the Kraken, he's living quietly in a small village as a widowed fisherman with his son Helius (John Bell). Zeus (Liam Neeson) his father comes to ask for his help as the gods are losing their power from humanity's lack of prayers to them. Their hold on the Titan Kronos threatens to destroy the world unless they use their collective power from the gods half human children. Perseus doesn't want to get involved with the battling gods and turns down his father although there are ominous signs of a coming apocalypse such as some two headed dragon type creatures attacks the village. Plus Zeus's son Ares (Édgar Ramírez) double crosses his father with his Uncle Hades into making a deal with Kronos for immortality. Ares has always been over come with the human trait of jealousy has no qualms about having Kronos siphon off his dad's god power.

Queen Andromeda (Rosamund Pike) was once a princess when Perseus saved her and is now getting her troops ready to battle the evil forces that are accumulating when Perseus the hero comes riding in with Pegasus. Poseidon (Danny Huston) had delivered the news about the Hades/Ares alliance. He uses his last bit of power to charge Perseus to find his demi-god son Agenor (Toby Kebbell) and give him the trident. Poseidon tells him he would need Agenor's help to get into Tartaus to free his dad. Agenor is under the Queen's arrest having stolen the crown jewels. Together they find Hephaestus (Bill Nighly) the “Fallen One”, who was once a god now a bumbling fool that talks to the mechanical owl (the nod to the 1981film Clash of the Titans) to help them transverse the labyrinth to the abyss of Tartarus to save Zeus and stop Kronos from ending the world.

What made Clash of the Titans so tiresome was the convoluted story, the over indulgence in episodic monster attacks, and the really bad use of 3D. It was just loud and unexciting until the battle with the Kraken. This time they built on the relationships between Perseus and the gods with their sons which is vast improvement over than the first film. The battles don't have that blurry quick cutting so you can enjoy two headed dragon, the family of cyclops in a trap filled forest, the labyrinth of moving walls like the moving rooms in Harry Potter only made out of stone and the mountain sized Kronos looking like he's made of molten lava. Add the warrior queen who isn't just the token woman role by looking competent and believable.

Worthington looked buff and hard in the first film, but now looks more like a suburban dad who has to step up to the plate. Neeson and Fiennes ramp up the ham and the beards as the battling brothers who have to forgiveness with each other. Maybe it's because the first movie was so bad that in comparison it makes Wrath of the Titans looks so much better. It's not worth the 3D glasses, but worth the popcorn.
(Review by reesa)

Mirror Mirror

Julia Roberts is such an iconic actress that just her name alone sells movie tickets. You also know what to expect. The big teeth smile, the twinkle in her eye, and the loud laugh. The thought of having her play the evil queen in the Grimm's classic fairy tale of Snow White would normally have one scratching their heads in wonder. Director Tarsem Singh who also did The Cell, The Fall and Immortals uses his unique visual style in this treatment with comic effect from a screenplay by Melissa Wallack and Jason Keller. The snide snappy dialogue couple with the outrageous costumes (may battle Hunger Games attire) make for an irreverent take on the source material.

Bigger than life Roberts plays the wicked step-mother of Snow White (Lily Collins) whose father the King disappears while battling black magic that has appeared in his kingdom. It's the Queen herself generating the bad mojo and after 10 years the place has gone to hell in a hand basket. The only way to get out of the mess is to marry someone rich. Snow is considered a major threat to the queen's beauty so she is kept locked up and the people think she's deformed. The queen constantly reminds Snow of her inability to rule, how she's totally annoying with that black hair and all. Despite her horrid upbringing by Mommie Dearest, Snow remains kind hearted. On her 18th birthday she slips out of the castle and to see for herself what's going on. She cute meets a traveling prince who was attacked by some giants that later turned out to be dwarfs who the prince mistakenly insults. Hence is in a half naked state and hanging upside down when he meets Snow. Prince Alcott (Armie Hammer) eventually encounters the queen who when she discovers he's rich decides he will be her next husband. But the prince is too smitten by Snow so the queen orders her secretary Brighton (Nathan Lane) to take her out of the palace and kill her or leave her to the monster that haunts their surrounding woods. Brighton as a favor to the king who always treated her well, lets Snow go and she meets the dwarfs. Not the Disney named miners of the cartoon, these guys are Napoleon, Half Pint, Grub, Grimm, Wolf, Butcher and Chuckles. They once lived in the village, but the queen outlawed “ugliness”. Now they are outlaws and thieves. When they steal the queen's taxes, Snow takes it back to the people and turns the dwarfs into heroes.

The queen, the prince, the dwarfs and Snow eventually battle it out. There's some spells, there's the land of the magic mirror, there's some inventive spa treatments, there's a wedding, and wooden corsets. It's eye candy with familiar faces like Mare Winningham, Michael Lerner, and Sean Bean popping up. Lily Collins (Abduction and daughter of rock star Phil Collins) is lovely in the light weight role of the perfect princess who finds how to stand up for oneself. She is so sweet you expect the birds to fly on her fingers singing happy tunes. Arnie Hammer does the comedic turn as the square jawed prince who finds himself under a spell of puppy love with the queen. Nathan Lane is his frenetic self as the queen's assistance. But the movie is all about Julia Roberts who plays evil with a delight and sarcasm that is not menacing. In fact she instills a slight air of loneliness with the object lesson being that what you put out will come back to you three fold. Mindless entertainment that happily is not in 3D.
(Review by reesa)

Honoree's Announced for the Dallas International Film Festival

The Dallas International Film Festival presented by
Boardwalk Auto Group Volkswagen Dealers Announces

Costume Designer Bernie Pollack to be Honored with the
Dallas Star Award

Academy Award Nominee Gabourey Sidibe to be Honored with the
Dallas Shining Star Award

Full Line Up of the Spotlight on South Korea

Additions to the Full Schedule

Dallas, TX, March 28, 2012 – The Dallas International Film Festival presented by Boardwalk Auto Group Volkswagen Dealers announced today that a Dallas Star Award would be presented to one of the great legends of costume design, Mr. Bernie Pollack. DIFF also announced that rising star, Ms. Gabourey Sidibe will be honored with the Dallas Shining Star Award for the contribution she has made to film in her short, yet impressive career to date. Both Pollack and Sidibe will receive their awards at DIFF’s annual awards dinner, the Dallas Film Society Honors on Friday, April 20, 2012. Other announcements include the full line-up for the South Korean International Spotlight and programming duo James Faust and Sarah Harris have announced the titles of additional films which will play in the Premiere Series, World Cinema and Deep Ellum Sounds categories.

Bernie Pollack’s legend as a costume designer spans over 40 years and more than 40 motion pictures and television shows, including some of the greatest big-screen comedies and dramas of the 1980s and ‘90s: THE ELECTRIC HORSEMAN (1979); ORDINARY PEOPLE (1980); BRIGHT LIGHTS, BIG CITY and RAIN MAN (1988); A RIVER RUNS THROUGH IT (1992), INDECENT PROPOSAL (1993); and CLEAR AND PRESENT DANGER (1994). Pollack has also personally seen to the on-screen and on-stage wardrobes of such celebrated performers as Dustin Hoffman, Robert Redford, Harrison Ford and Barbra Streisand, and is responsible for such iconic looks as Ford’s Indiana Jones, Redford’s Roy Hobbs in THE NATURAL, and Hoffman’s Raymond Babbitt in RAIN MAN and Michael Dorsey/Dorothy Michaels in TOOTSIE.

“In 2010, we made a commitment that the Dallas Star Award would recognize not only the contribution that actors and directors have made to the advancement of film, but also the incredible work of the men and women in the film industry who have made equal impact but are not household names,” said James Faust, artistic director of the Dallas Film Society. “Bernie Pollack is a film industry veteran and a superstar in his field of costume design. His work has helped create and instantly recognize some of the greatest characters in film, and that is nothing short of pure artistry. We also had the fortune of honoring his late brother, Sydney Pollack, in 2007 so I am humbled that we have the opportunity to complete the circle and put Bernie’s work on a pedestal this year.”

Academy Award nominee, Gabourey Sidibe will be honored with the Dallas Shining Star Award in recognition of the impact she has made to the art of film in the four short years since she was plucked from studying for her degree in Psychology and cast in the title role as Claireece in Lee Daniels’ PRECIOUS (2009). Sidibe’s breakout role was a revelation and was met with huge critical acclaim, providing a source of inspiration for many. This role earned her accolades across the world and opened up doors into the Golden Globe nominated Showtime comedic series “The Big C”, opposite Laura Linney. Sidibe was recently seen in Brett Ratner’s TOWER HEIST opposite Ben Stiller and Eddie Murphy. She can soon be seen in Victoria Mahoney’s independent film YELLING TO THE SKY.

“Meeting Gabourey Sidibe in 2008 was one of my favorite moments of my career to date,” adds James Faust. “She not only has an extraordinary talent on screen, she has the most incredible presence in life and that is a rare find. Gabourey has an illustrious career ahead of her and this Shining Star Award is indicative of that. I can’t wait for Dallas to experience her infectious enthusiasm – she will knock the socks off our Honors event!”

Conversations with Gabourey Sidibe and Bernie Pollack will be open to pass and ticket holders on April 21, 2012. On that day, a special screening of PRECIOUS will take place prior to the conversation with Ms. Sidibe.

Joining MY WAY and world premiere LET ME OUT, the line-up for the International Spotlight on South Korea is completed by titles PUNCH, QUICK and SECRETS, OBJECTS. In working to complete the full schedule line-up, DIFF announced that DRAGON AGE: DAWN OF THE SEEKER joins the Premieres Series. Two new titles are added to the musical Deep Ellum Sounds category: TONIGHT YOU’RE MINE and QUEENS OF COUNTRY starring Lizzy Caplan and DIFF alum, Ron Livingston. World Cinema gains two extra titles POLICEMAN and STILL LIFE. Finally, PRECIOUS and the 60th anniversary of SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN will be featured as Special Presentations with ALADDIN being added in conjunction with the conversation with Texas Avery Animation Award recipient, Glen Keane. The additional films are as follows:

Premiere Series
DRAGON AGE: DAWN OF THE SEEKER (USA)
Director: Fumihiko Sori
In the land of Orlais, where battles are fought with swords and magic, a young heroine rises as templars, mages, and dragons clash.
Stars Luci Christian, Pam Dougherty, Mike McFarland, Christopher Sabat and John Swasey.

South Korean Spotlight

PUNCH (South Korea) – Texas Premiere
Director: Han Lee
Poor and meek but rebellious 18-year-old Wan-deuk has a hunchback father, a strange uncle, and a Filipino mother who just re-appeared after being missing most of his life. But when his radical and confrontational schoolteacher, Dong-joo—who is every bit the troublemaker Wan-deuk is—corrals the fight-prone youngster into channeling his rage as a kickboxer, Wan-deuk learns what family truly means. Based on the novel by Kim Yeo-ryung and adapted screenplay by Kim Dong-soo, PUNCH was one of Korea’s biggest box office draws in 2011.
Stars Yun-seok Kim, Ah In Yoo, Su-young Park, Yeong-jae Kim and Sang-ho Kim.

QUICK (South Korea) - Texas Premiere
Director: Beom-gu Cho
Motorcycle messenger Ki-soo witnesses a building blow up just after he delivers a package to it. He moves onto his next job—escorting a girl group singer, Ah-rom, to a TV station. As she puts a proffered helmet on her head, he gets a call saying that her helmet is a booby trap, and that he has more deliveries. Made in the spirit of the American action movies SPEED and CRANK, this 2011 Korean box office success by Jo Beom-goo is definitely a ride.
Starring Min-ki Lee, Ye-won Kang, In-kwon Kim, Chang-Seok Ko and Jin-mo Ju.

SECRETS, OBJECTS (South Korea) - Texas Premiere
Director: Young-Mi Lee
40-year-old Sociology professor Hye-jung falls for a 21-year-old Usang, a male student who helps her project research on women's extramarital affairs. Stars Seo-hee Jang, Suk Won Jeong, Pil-mo Lee and I-Young Shim.

Deep Ellum Sounds

QUEENS OF COUNTRY (USA) - Texas Premiere
Directors: Ryan Page, Christopher Pomerenke
Living in a fantasy era long gone and obsessed with old time country stars, the prettiest girl in a small Arizona town finds a lost iPod filled with songs that speak to her sensitive heart. Stars Lizzy Caplan, Ron Livingston, Joe Lo Truglio, Maynard James Keenan, Matt Walsh and Anthony Zanlungo.

TONIGHT YOU’RE MINE (UK) - Texas Premiere
Director: David Mackenzie
Two feuding rock stars get handcuffed together for 24 hours at a music festival where they are both due to perform. Starring Luke Treadaway, Natalia Tena, Mathew Baynton and Alastair Mackenzie.

World Cinema

POLICEMAN (Israel) - Texas Premiere
Director: Nadav Lapid
A member of an Israeli anti-terrorist unit clashes with a group of young radicals. Stars Ben Adam, Michael Aloni, Meital Barda, Gal Hoyberger and Yiftach Klein.

STILL LIFE (Austria) – Texas Premiere
Director: Sebastian Meise
An unexpected letter forces siblings Bernhard and Lydia to confront each other and to deal with their family history.
Starring Anja Plaschg, Daniela Golpashin, Christoph Luser, Roswitha Soukup and Fritz Hörtenhuber.

Special Presentation

ALADDIN (1992, USA)
Director: Ron Clements
The animated classic follows Aladdin, a street-urchin who accidentally meets Princess Jasmine who is in the city undercover. They love each other, but she can only marry a prince. Voices include Scott Weinger, Robin Williams, Linda Larkin and Jonathan Freeman.

PRECIOUS (2009, USA)
Director: Lee Daniels
In Harlem, an overweight, illiterate teen who is pregnant with her second child is invited to enroll in an alternative school in hopes that her life can head in a new direction. Starring Gabourey Sidibe, Mo’Nique, Paula Patton, Mariah Carey, Sherri Shepherd and Lenny Kravitz.

SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN (1952, USA)
Directors: Stanley Donen, Gene Kelly
A silent film production company and cast make a difficult transition to sound.
Stars Gene Kelly, Donald O’Connor, Debbie Reynolds, Jean Hagen and Millard Mitchell.

Tickets are currently on sale at the Prekindle Box Office in the Festival Village at Mockingbird Station at 5321 E. Mockingbird Ln., Suite 105. Passes are for sale and range from $100 for a Faulkner Design Group Festival Lounge Pass to $750 for an all-access Star Pass. To purchase tickets and passes telephone the Prekindle Box Office at 972-707-0838 or visit: www.DallasFilm.org. For further information about the Dallas Film Society telephone 214.720.0555.

Movies Scheduled for the Week of 3/25 - 3/31

The moderator is very happy with everyone posting the correct way with the subject designator, not including phone numbers, addresses and personal history. It makes it easy to weed through your emails for items that relevant to your needs. However...and it seems to be the same people who do it... that continue to just hit reply when responding and it goes right to the list. Do y'all understand that when you do that it gets rejected. The Moderator sends it right back to you with no discussion. Are people wondering why their posts come back? Do they understand? Just wondering.

Don't forget the Dallas International Film Festival is coming in April. Volunteer opportunities are happening now. You earn vouchers to trade in for your festival movie tickets. To sign up go to
http://www.dallasfilm.org/explore/get-involved/festival-volunteer/
If you don't care for helping out, the box office is open. Get your tickets now because they sell out quickly!
http://diff2012.dallasfilm.org/

March 25 - 31, 2012

Sun
3/25

Mon
3/26

Tue
3/27

7:00 pm
Bully
Studio Movie Grill Dallas

7:30 pm
Wrath of the Titans
Cinemark West Plano

7:30 pm
American Reunion
AMC Northpark

Wed
3/28

7:30 pm
Mirror Mirror
Studio Movie Grill Dallas

7:30 pm
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
Magnolia

10:00 pm
Horror Remix: Spring
Studio Movie Grill Dallas

Thu
3/29

7:00 pm
Mirror Mirror
tba - Dallas

Fri
3/30

Sat
3/31

Hunger Games Cast Interview and More

Some of the cast from the Hunger Games did a promotional tour that involved meet and greet with fans and a Q&A on the ice rink at the Galleria. Earlier that day Josh Hutcherson (Peeta), Isabelle Fuhrman (Clove) and Jacqueline Emerson (Foxface) talked with the press about their work in the film. Click on the You Tube link below to watch part of the coverage from the round table interview which feature a couple of questions from Dallas Movie Screenings. For the full 23 minute discussion go to Big Fan Boy

Thanks to Nathan at Thank You for Watching for providing the video coverage.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygcMAk4JytA

Salmon Fishing in the Yemen

Paul Torday's novel, a absurdest political satire, has been adapted to the big screen by screenwriter Simon Beaufoy who also wrote the Oscar winning Slumdog Millionaire. Swedish director Lasse Hallstrom (Chocolat, The Cider House Rules, Dear John) was attracted to the story of life, love and passion and what propels us to cope and swim upstream. The biting edge in the book has been turned into a whimsical romantic comedy that is filled with beautiful actors, scenery and will insure that warm and cozy fluffy feeling.

Emily Blunt has stashed the typical clumsy harried character she usually plays to be Harriet Chetwode-Talbot a confident investment consultant for Yemen's Sheikh Muhammed (Amr Waked) who wants to bring salmon fishing to his desert country. She brings in Alfred Jones(Ewan McGregor) a prickly fisheries specialist to advise on the project which he of course finds preposterous. Kristin Scott Thomas plays Bridget Maxwell the prime minister's press secretary who is trying to find some good news about the middle east jumps on the story as a way to distract the public and score points with her boss. She's the type that snaps her orders out and expects results.

The Sheik is a avid fly fisherman who has a Scottish estate sees this project as a way of uniting his people across barriers of sect and class. The uber cool and handsome sheik is an inspirational quasi-religious visionary. Alfred thinks he's mad but the sheik tells him “I have a dream that one day when war is in the air, someone will say 'gentlemen, let us arise and go fishing.” He wins over Alfred when they bond while fly fishing at his estate. Alfred and Harriet have to work closely together to figure out how to import 10,000 Scottish salmon to the desert. Alfred is in an unhappy marriage with a cold wife who leaves for months on business. Harriet's who was seriously looking for love gets a perfect soldier boyfriend that suddenly gets sent to Afghanistan and is reported missing in action. Alfred and Harriet are unlikely pair that develop a quirky kind of attraction getting swept up in the seemly impossible plan of bringing fish to the desert. McGregor and Blunt can't be any cuter or appealing.

The film is light and hopeful that the danger that involves some political subplot about a plot by Islamic extremists trying to destroy the Sheik feels a bit of an after thought. It's more exciting wondering if the fish will adapt and actually swim upstream. It all comes down to believing that it will all work, that the relationship of Harriet and Alfred will finally break through their discreet emotional connections, that something as so crazy as salmon in the desert will become a reality. The actors all do a competent job especially Scott Thomas as the edgy PR person who tries to turn the project into votes for her PM. A nice sweet date movie for those of us who still believe in love.
(Review by reesa)

Hunger Games

The dystopian world that Suzanne Collins created for her characters is centered in a futuristic United States which is now called Panem and where the population is limited to 12 districts. Each district is responsible for the different needs that are supplied to the Capitol which is located in what was known as the Rocky Mountains. There used to be 13 districts, but one of them rebelled unsuccessfully. Because of this each district must hold a raffle to choose one boy and one girl between the ages of 12-18 to participate in the Hunger Games. This is a competition of 24 children who must fight to the death and the population is mandated to view it on television. The winner is honored with gifts, food and supplies. Supposedly this reminds the districts that a price has to be paid to keep future wars in check. Pretty heavy subject matter for a book aimed at young adults. But it proved to be wildly popular and two more books followed.

Seabiscuit and Pleasantville director Gary Ross directed and co-wrote with Suzanne Collins and Billy Ray into a script that gives the movie version a coherent and successful interpretation. Obviously the book lovers will notice certain changes like characters missing, lack of back story for key characters, none of the angst filled commentary and the story pared down to just important scenes. Despite those few changes, the film runs quickly in it's 143 minute running time. The costumes and makeup stand out in a good way with a sharp contrast of the poor 30's style districts and the over the top puffy haired, extreme makeup and ornate dresses of the Capitol.

Jennifer Lawrence may have gotten flack when first cast as Katniss Everdeen the resourceful survivor in her Winter Bone's Appalachia District 12 but on screen it's a good fit. She looks like she could illegally hunt beyond the fence that's forbidden territory for game meat with her best friend Gale Hawthorne (Liam Hemsworth) to trade for necessities. After she lost her father in a mining accident, her mom couldn't pull her self out of depression so Katniss became mother and father to her younger sister Primrose (Willow Shields). When the day of the “reaping” comes her 12 year old sister's name is called so Katniss volunteers to take her place. An unusual event for the poorer districts as the rich districts train certain children to volunteer who are called “careers”. Also chosen is the baker's son Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson) who harbors a secret crush on Katniss since they were kids.

The affluent difference in the lifestyle in the Capitol where all the “tributes” are taken is for some reason supposed to impress the teens. Instead it makes Katniss uncomfortable as her team which includes their drunk mentor Haymitch Abernathry (Woody Harrelson), shallow PR handler Effie Trinket (Elizabeth Banks) and endearingly normal stylist Cinna (Lenny Kravitz) try to make her likeable to garner sponsors and support. They deck them out in fancy clothes, schooled on manners, and fed opulent meals. The hype that surrounds the annual carnage has turned into a holiday type of atmosphere in the Capitol but a day of tread for the Districts. The whole affair is MC'd by slick Caesar Flickerman (Stanely Tucci) on the screens encouraging all to put on a good show. Their tag line is “Happy Hunger Games, may the odds be ever in your favor”. The teens are given 2 weeks of training and then set out onto the game fields where the Gamemaker Seneca Crane (Wes Bentley) manipulates the environment and the players to make for better TV advised by President Snow (Donald Sutherland) who claims the games give the district just enough hope to keep the status quo.

There's no way to avoid the violence but the scenes are fortunately quickly cut and most of the horrific scenes in the book are toned down. After all the audience for this film are the same Twilight tweens and perhaps their parents. Team Gale or Team Peeta doesn't come into play here. You are only given a hint that the handsome Gale cares more for Katniss than just friends, and Peeta is someone who did her a kindness in the past she can't forget. The boys aside this is very much all about Katniss. Her constant narrative in the book is replaced by Lawrence's interior performance, her athletic prowess and her natural attractiveness.

This is nothing like Asian cult film Battle Royale where classmate are set up to destroy each other except for the prickly subject matter of a world where one has to sacrifice their children as a show of control over the populace. It may be hard to take, but there's a serious lesson there about avoiding a totalitarian future. Katniss' s determination to win if only just to see Gale and Prim again, and Peeta's desire to live and die on his terms and not for the games give the tributes an edge not expected by the Capitol. Added to the movie is a hint of the coming rebellion that's covered in the sequels. This is a satisfying film treatment for fans of the books series.
(Review by reesa)

October Baby

Hannah is a beautiful 19 year old college student who suffers from epilepsy, asthma, and some deep seated psychological problems that stem from her traumatic birth. She doesn't find out the whole birth thing until the start of the movie which sets the stage for the remaining story of her journey of self discovery and the search for her bio-mother. Written and directed by Andrew and Jon Erwin this is a faith based independent feature that strives not to hit the viewer too hard over the head with the “message”. The film makers based the story on a real life cases where babies born after abortion attempts end up with serious physical maladies. The tag line for the film is “Every life is beautiful”.

Rachel Hendrix is fine as the troubled Hannah who never quite felt “wanted” although she was was brought up by her doctor dad Jacob (John Schneider) and mom Grace (Jennifer Price). They discover Rachel's journal talking about her depressive emotional angst. This coupled with the resurgence of her epileptic symptoms forces her adoptive parents and her doctor to explain the circumstances of her birth. Hannah decides her life is a lie and relays all to her best friend Jason (Jason Burkey). He invites her to the Spring Break trip for Mardi Gras in an old beat up VW van (driven by American Idol's Chris Sligh). Jason hopes to give Hannah a chance to look for her mom when they pass Mobile, AL. Of course things go awry when Jason's girlfriend gets jealous. Jason and Hannah end up together looking for her story. Hannah finds Nurse Mary (Jasmine Guy) who handled the procedure that was performed at 24 weeks. She describes in detail what she witnessed that will curl your stomach no matter what side you stand on the right to life debate. Mary gives her the address of her biological mom who was 18 at the time.

While the subject matter of this film will be off putting to the mainstream the main theme of the story is mostly about forgiveness and letting go of the hate, anger, fear and pain. Hannah wanders into a Catholic church and gets some words of advise from the wise benevolent priest which of course solves all of her attitude problems. The performances are all very earnest and sincere although the younger actors are a bit stiff. The music sort of alt-folksy by Paul Mills swells in all the right places to signal when one should feel teary eyed. The movie will probably play well with church groups or on the Lifetime Channel.
(Review by reesa)

2012 DIFF Film Guide

The Dallas International Film Festival has just published their guide and schedule. Check it out and plan your fest! Don't forget that volunteer opportunities abound so you can earn vouchers to see the films. Go to this link to volunteer:

http://www.dallasfilm.org/explore/get-involved/festival-volunteer/

DFS Members may purchase tickets March 19-21. The box office opens to the public on March 22.

http://secure.dallasfilm.org/diff2012

Movies Scheduled for the Week of 3/18 - 3/24

Yes, we all know y'all want Hunger Games. There was some available from the radio stations and from the Observer. If you are were lucky enough to get them and suddenly can't go, there's any number of people here that will happily take it off your hands. So people lets not all start begging once this calendar comes out and you just realized that there's a Hunger Games screening this week. If people went through the trouble to get the passes chances are they are not going to give it up. Keep an eye on GOFOBO in case it goes "live".

March 18 - 24, 2012

Sun
3/18

Mon
3/19

Tue
3/20

Wed
3/21

1:00 pm
Blue Like Jazz
AMC Northpark

6:00 pm
Blue Like Jazz
AMC Palace 9, Fort Worth

7:30 pm
Hunger Games
AmStar Cinemas 14

Thu
3/22

7:30 pm
Salmon Fishing in the Yemen
Angelika Dallas

7:30 pm
American Reunion
tba - Dallas

7:30 pm
Hunger Games Charity Screening
tba

Fri
3/23

Sat
3/24

10:00 am
Mirror Mirror
AMC Northpark

21 Jump Street

High school for Morton Schmidt was a complete loser-ville for the book smart nerd teen. While Greg Jenko was the popular jock prom king, but not all that bright. Some five years later they find themselves in the police academy helping each other out and becoming best friends. After an unsuccessful first assignment on bike patrol they are sent to 21 Jump Street headquartered in a Korean church where they are sent undercover as high school students investigating a new synthetic drug called HFS.

The reboot of the popular TV series of the same name that ran in the late 80's catapulting Johnny Depp to fame has been in development for years. Directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller (Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs) with writer Michael Bacall (Project X and Scott Pilgrim vs. the World) mixes a bit of grisly police work and slap stick comedy. Parroting Pineapple Express in it's broad comedic expressions that are held together with a careful dose of heart and friendship in this buddy movie.

The newly svelte Jonah Hill plays Schmidt and Channing Tatum for once not playing a love object as Jenko go back to high school with their unresolved issues. Of course high school has radically changed since 2005 with different cliques and attitudes where nerds are now cool and jocks are not. Arrested developed Schmidt and Jenko awkwardly fit right in despite looking much older than a teen. The fish out of water concept works really well as the two over aged kids try to not only right their high school blunders but also catch who is behind the drug trafficking. Drug dealer Eric (Dave Franco, James Franco's younger brother) makes the two take the new hallucinate drug in front of him so he can make sure they are not narcs. The result is a hilarious bit as the drug has stages of effects that are written on the screen in comic book style.

Like other self aware comedies of late this movie doesn't take itself seriously even poking fun at itself throughout like when their Captain (Nick Offerman, Parks and Recreation) tells them their new assignment is a rehashed idea from the 80's. The chemistry between Tatum and Hill as polar opposites works really well. Ice Cube as Capt Dickson leader of 21 Jump Street, Ellie Kemper as Ms. Griggs the over heated teacher after Jenko, and Rob Riggle as Mr. Walters the off skew coach are all very funny popping in and out with their bits. There's car chases, parties, and a high school production of Peter Pan. At times you may feel guilty for laughing at something so inane, but the laughs go from beginning to end, and it's about time.
(Review by reesa)

Casa De Mi Padre

Will Ferrell's newest project doing a Spanish language feature comes from watching telenovelas. The fact that he only had some high school and college Spanish classes in which he didn't do that well didn't deter him. Director Matt Piedmont and writer Andrew Steele have worked with Ferrell on SNL and Funny or Die. The jokes, the set decorations, the special effects are low budget 70's grindhouse type production that is mocking the Mexican soap operas.

Will Ferrell takes on the role of Armando Alvarez who has lived on this father's (Pedro Armendáriz Jr.) cattle ranch his entire life. He doesn't get much respect from his father who says he reminds him too much of his dead wife with his little chicken eyes. In fact he tells his son that he not only looks like his mother but is not very bright like her too. When the ranch gets into financial difficulties his younger brother Raul (Diego Luna) shows up with a new fiancée, Sonia (Génesis Rodríguez). He pledges that he will settle all the debts, but his business dealings turn out to be illegitimate. He gets into a feud with the local drug lord Gael García Bernal as Onza who wears ornate cowboy boots with a white cat patch on them that he's constantly pulling up the pant leg to reveal. The local police joins with some American DEA agents who want to use the brothers to get to Onza. They tell him that Raul is also in the drug trade. Meanwhile Armando is falling for Sonia and Sonia for Armando, but she is also harboring a secret.

Props must be given to Farrell for doing all his dialogue in Spanish even if he had to learn them phonetically. His awkward lines are like Spanish 101 in high school and is trumped by DEA Agent Parker (Nick Offerman) in even more awkward Texican.

The best parts of the movie are the fake back drops, the fake cow and horses, the toy cars and cardboard city sets, and the mannequin body doubles in the sex scene and also used as crowd fillers. Yet the deliberate low quality set ups grow tiresome. The Jim Henson puppet of the mystical white jaguar is probably the worst ever, even if it's supposed to be that way. It's wonderful to look at the costumes and period furniture. But it's sad that it's the only thing interesting.

The cast play their roles in earnest, probably because of their experience playing these types of over blown melodramas for telenovelas. There's a few running gags peppered throughout like laughing and saying goodbye that have no end, and smoking cigarettes constantly. There's the uncomfortable butt shots during the love scenes which probably are inappropriate for the number of kids that were present at the screening.

If you are a hard core Will Farrell fan then it will probably make you laugh. But the screening audience laugh meter didn't sustain itself through the film. This probably would have worked better as an online Funny or Die or SNL skit. Stay through the credits for a bit at the end. Worth staying for? Well if you paid for the movie you may as well.
(Review by reesa)

Jeff, Who Lives at Home

The Duplass brothers Jay and Mark proved in their last indie movies The Puffy Chair and Cyrus that they are masters at telling stories about real quirky characters that portray that awkward human condition called life. In this story which they wrote and co-directed Jeff played by mole covered Jason Segel is unemployed and living in his mother's basement. He is given an ultimatum by said mom to get off the couch, take a bus to the hardware store and fix the broken shutter in the kitchen.

Jeff has this thing for the M.Night Shyamalan movie Signs where there must be an order to the chaos. He gets a wrong number phone call where the caller berates him because Kevin is not there and he should remember Kevin. Jeff takes this as a sign which is reinforced when he meets random Kevins. The story covers a single day while he contemplates trying to find the universal message which takes him to see his brother Pat (Ed Helms) who had a very serious fight with his wife Linda (Judy Greer) when he bought a Porsche they can't afford. Pat discovers his wife is out having lunch with a strange man and the brothers decide to try and determine if she his having an affair.

Jeff doesn't have any particular ambition or motivation to move out of the basement, much less find a job. He doesn't understand his brother's statements about being proud to be independent when he's stuck at a job that he hates, saddled with bills and in a passive/aggressive relationship with his wife. Their mother Sharon (Susan Sarandon) works a 9-5 job wondering how to get her grown son out of the house and possibly get a shot at happiness since her husband's death. Sharon starts to get little secret admirer instant messages on her computer. That little bit of flirtatious folly fills her with a little bit of hope and confidence.

The film relies heavily on the spacey brother Jeff and his complicated brotherhood with Pat. Mom even admits that she doesn't even like her kids at times. They fight, bicker, and will pretty much do everything and anything for each other. The guys spend a lot of time walking around (after Pat crashes the Porsche) their small city, Pat obsessed with finding his wife and the other guy and Jeff completely forgetting he was out getting wood glue while chasing Kevin's. Some how the cosmic forces tie these discordant players into a somewhat satisfying conclusion making for a movie that doesn't really go anywhere but still offers a filling slice of life.
(Review by reesa)

Seeking Justice

Seeking Justice was formerly titled The Hungry Rabbit Jumps and has seasoned action director Roger Donaldson at the helm and one of the producers is Tobey Maguire. Having Nicolas Cage as the main actor puts the movie at a disadvantage because with Cage you always know he will play Cage. For one, Cage plays an English teacher in New Orleans who is approached by a mysterious man named Simon who offers to deal with the perpetrator who raped his wife in return for a “favor” to be asked of him later.

We are introduced to the happy couple celebrating their anniversary during Mardi Gras (because it's New Orleans and doesn't everything happen there?). Laura (January Jones) and Will (Cage) are a happy well adjusted couple. When tragedy hits, Simon (Guy Pearce looking incredibly menacing with a tight crew cut) tells Will at the hospital that he represents a few citizens seeking justice. They know who the rapist is and will take care of the problem for him in exchange he will be asked to do a task in the future. Distraught and grief stricken Will readily agrees and they soon receive news that the rapist has committed suicide. Six months later the organization calls Will for the favor.

The film colored in a dark palette that for some reason most movies in New Orleans are hued as if the city is perpetually overcast and spooky even in full sunlight. At first the task given to Will seems innocuous but strange. Then they ask for even more which includes causing an an accident to look like a suicide. Once he calls it in with the message “the hungry rabbit jumps” then his favor is paid. Only Will is not very cooperative. He wants nothing to do with getting this supposed child pornographer. As with all these revenge gone wrong scenarios it becomes evident everything is not what it seems. When Will tries to talk to the target guy a fight ensues and soon Will is being charged with murder. Simon and crew are soon after Will when he finds out the man was not who they said he was supposed to be (duh). Meanwhile Laura who could have been just another pretty wife object shows some moxie when confronted by the bad guys who come after her.

This movie forces you to accept the paranoid premise and asks you not to think that asking regular normal people to do their dirty work would seem ineffective and clumsy rather than trying to do it themselves. The script by Robert Tannen offers nothing new for this genre. Rather the movie seems to rely on the presence and box office appeal of Nicholas Cage in the drivers seat. While Cage offers his best and usual performance it's still hard to imagine that he's just an inner city high school teacher. Between the car and foot chases he reacts in action star style rather than bumbling normal guy. The movie may not sell a lot of tickets in the theaters but will make a good rental.
(Review by reesa)

The Dallas International Film Festival Full Schedule

The Dallas International Film Festival presented by
Boardwalk Auto Group Volkswagen Dealers Announces

United Artists and Orion Pictures’ Eric Pleskow to be honored
at the Dallas Film Society Honors

PANAVISION to award the winners of the Texas Competition with a $30,000 camera rental package for their next production

Full Schedule including all Features and Shorts

Star-laden films include James Cromwell, Zac Efron, Danny Glover, Richard Jenkins, Diane Keaton and Elizabeth Olsen

Dallas, TX, March 15, 2012 – The Dallas International Film Festival presented by Boardwalk Auto Group Volkswagen Dealers announced today that the past president and CEO of United Artists and Orion Pictures respectively, Eric Pleskow, will be honored for his lifetime achievements in the film industry at the Dallas Film Society Honors on April 20. Also revealed is the full schedule of features and shorts that will be screened through the Festival’s 11-day run (April 12 – 22, 2012). Finally, the lucky filmmakers who win the Texas Competition category will enjoy a camera rental package worth $30,000 for their next production, courtesy of PANAVISION.

In a year where key industry players and their achievements are celebrated and put under the spotlight, Austrian native, Eric Pleskow will be honored for the work he has done in advancing the film industry through his incredible tenures as president and CEO of both United Artists and Orion Pictures. During Pleskow’s time at United Artists (1951 – 1978), their market share of motion picture revenues, among the major film companies, rose from last place in 1951 to first place in 1977. They also earned ten Best Picture Academy Awards, more than any other studio in any comparable period for such films as THE APARTMENT (1960), WEST SIDE STORY (1969), MIDNIGHT COWBOY (1969), ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO’S NEST (1975) and ROCKY (1976). In 1978, Pleskow formed Orion Pictures and during his regime, Orion was honored with Best Picture Academy Awards for AMADEUS (1984), PLATOON (1987), DANCES WITH WOLVES (1990) and SILENCE OF THE LAMBS (1991).

“In our decision to dedicate the 2012 DIFF to Cinemark’s Lee Roy and Tandy Mitchell, we decided to spotlight the important and tireless work that film industry executives undertake to bring these works of art to the big screen. Eric Pleskow, one of Hollywood’s greatest executives, has helped bring much-loved classics to fruition and yet to most people outside of the industry his name is unknown,” said Lee Papert, president and CEO of the Dallas Film Society. “That is the beauty of a film festival. We have the opportunity of opening people’s eyes to the unbelievable work that these powerful men and women do behind-the-scenes in the film industry and I am thrilled to highlight Eric Pleskow’s achievements in Dallas.” Eric Pleskow will be honored at the Dallas Film Society Honors on April 20 and will have a “Conversation with…” on Saturday, April 21.

Film technology giant PANAVISION is confirmed as the sponsor of the coveted Texas Competition category. Seven filmmakers in this category will have the opportunity to vie for the Texas Competition Award, which will come with a generous camera rental package from Panavision for their next production. The value of this package is worth $30,000 which is a goldmine for independent filmmakers.

With 111 films representing 27 countries, 5 World Premieres, 1 North American Premieres, 1 U.S Premiere and 36 Texas Premieres, the Dallas International Film Festival is heading into its 6th year with a rich tapestry of features and shorts that celebrate the best of independent filmmaking and a strong line-up of DIFF’s celebrated alum: Morgan Spurlock presents COMIC-CON EPISODE IV: A FAN’S HOPE; Robert Byington returns with SOMEBODY UP THERE LIKES ME following his success at DIFF 2010 with HARMONY AND ME; DIFF 2009 Environmental Visions winner for CRUDE and Academy Award nominee Joe Berlinger will grace this year’s Festival with the celebrated Paul Simon documentary, UNDER AFRICAN SKIES. World Premieres of Will Moore’s SATELLITE OF LOVE and Timothy Armstrong’s COWGIRLS N’ ANGELS will see talent Zachary Knighton (HAPPY ENDINGS), Janina Gavankar (TRUE BLOOD), James Cromwell (L.A CONFIDENTIAL, THE ARTIST) and rising star Bailee Madison (CONVICTION, DON’T BE AFRAID OF THE DARK) adorning the Dallas screens. Brandon Dickerson’s SIRONIA will see musician and writer Wes Cunningham and SMU alum Amy Acker (CATCH ME IF YOU CAN, ALIAS) return to their Texas roots and X-MEN’s Famke Janssen will introduce her directorial debut BRINGING UP BOBBY. Other star laden films include (in alphabetical order) Common, Barry Corbin, Marcia Cross, Mark Duplass, Zac Efron, Danny Glover, Richard Jenkins, Milla Jovovich, Diane Keaton, Arielle Kebbel, Kevin Kline, Melissa Leo, Andrew McCarthy, Elisabeth Moss, Elizabeth Olsen, Bill Pullman, Jason Ritter, Sam Shepard, Wilmer Valderrama, Michael Urie, Dianne Wiest, Michael K. Williams.

James Faust, artistic director of the Dallas Film Society comments, “I am exceptionally proud of the slate of films we have lined up this year. With works from 27 countries, a spotlight on South Korea, edgy blockbusters as well as challenging, thought provoking independent films there really is a film in this line-up for everyone. Some people think film festivals are inaccessible for the general public – this year we are working to dispel that theory for good. Come one, come all and join us in this truly international celebration of film.”

Passes are currently for sale and range from $100 for a Festival Lounge Pass to $750 for an all-access Star Pass. Tickets go on sale at the Prekindle Box Office and online to the public on March 22. The Prekindle Box Office will be featured as part of the Festival Village at Mockingbird Station at 5321 E. Mockingbird Ln., Suite 105. For further information on pass levels and how to purchase passes visit: www.DallasFilm.org or telephone 214.720.0555.


The full schedule is as follows
Centerpiece

MY WAY (South Korea) – Texas Premiere
Director: Je-gyu Kang
Inspired by a true story. Jun Shik works for Tatsuo's grandfather's farm while Korea is colonized by Japan, but he has a dream to participate in Tokyo Olympics as a marathon runner. Starring Dong-gun Jang, Jô Odagiri, Bingbing Fan and In-kwon Kim.

Premiere Series

BROOKLYN BROTHERS BEAT THE BEST, THE (USA) – Texas Premiere
Director: Ryan O’Nan
A singer-songwriter hits the road with a self-appointed music revolutionary. Cast includes Ryan O’ Nan, Michael Weston, Arielle Kebbel, Andrew McCarthy, Jason Ritter, Wilmer Valderrama, Christoper McDonald and Melissa Leo.

BRINGING UP BOBBY (USA) – Texas Premiere
Director: Famke Janssen
A European con-artist and her son Bobby find themselves in Oklahoma in an effort to escape her past and build a better future. Starring Milla Jovovich, Bill Pullman, Marcia Cross and Rory Cochrane.

COMIC-CON EPISODE IV: A FAN’S HOPE (USA)
Director: Morgan Spurlock
A behind-the-scenes look at the fans who gather by the thousands each year in San Diego, California to attend Comic-Con, the world's largest comic book convention. Featuring Kevin Smith, Stan Lee, Eric Hensen, Stephenie Werner, Tayler Hudson and Chuck Rozanski.

COMPLIANCE (USA)
Director: Craig Zobel
When a prank caller convinces a fast food restaurant manager to interrogate an innocent young employee, no one is left unharmed. Starring Ann Dowd, Dreama Walker, Pat Healy, Bill Camp and Philip Ettinger.

DARLING COMPANION (USA) – Texas Premiere
Director: Lawrence Kasdan
A story of a woman who loves her dog more than her husband and then her husband loses the dog. Cast includes Diane Keaton, Kevin Kline, Dianne Wiest, Richard Jenkins, Sam Shepard, Mark Duplass, Elisabeth Moss and Ayelet Zurer.

DIANA VREELAND: THE EYE HAS TO TRAVEL (USA) – Texas Premiere
Directors: Lisa Immordino Vreeland, Bent-Jorgen Perlmutt, Frédéric Tcheng
A look at the life and work of Diana Vreeland, the influential fashion editor of Harpers Bazaar and later the editor of Vogue.

LIBERAL ARTS (USA) – Texas Premiere
Director: Josh Radnor
When 30-something Jesse is invited back to his alma mater, he falls for a young 19-year-old college student and is faced with the powerful attraction that springs up between them. Starring Elizabeth Olsen, Zac Efron, Josh Radnor, Allison Janney, Richard Jenkins.

Narrative Feature Competition

FAITH, LOVE AND WHISKEY (USA, Bulgaria) – Texas Premiere
Director: Kristina Nikolova
Neli, a Bulgarian woman, engaged to a well-off American panics and runs back home. She reunites with her drifter friends and falls in love with her passionate but alcoholic best friend. When her fiance arrives Neli must make a choice between two opposing futures. Starring Ana Stoyanovska and Valeri Yordanov.

FATHER’S CHAIR (Brazil) – Texas Premiere
Director: Luciano Moura
A man who has put his career ahead of everything else in life learns the value of family when his son goes missing. Stars Wagner Moura, Lima Duarte, Mariana Lima and Brás Antunes.

LUV (USA) - Texas Premiere
Director: Sheldon Candis
Over the course of one day, a shy 13-year-old forms a bond with his troubled uncle as he shows the boy what it takes to be a man in Baltimore. Starring newcomer Michael Rainey, Jr., Common, Michael K. Williams, Danny Glover, Meagan Good and Charles S. Dutton.

MAYA (Albania) – North American Premiere
Director: Pluton Vasi
A man who has been living in the west returns to his village in Albania to bury his father. Having met the beautiful Maya, he wants to stay on and make a life for himself there, but a vicious web of rumor and hearsay threatens his happiness. Starring Genti Kame, Rovena Lule Kuka, Myzafer Zifla

SAVE THE DATE (USA) – Texas Premiere
Director: Michael Mohan
Two sisters fumble their way along the road to happiness. Stuck between having it figured out and screwing it up, they're compelled to learn how to love and be loved in the moments when everything changes. Stars Lizzy Caplan, Alison Brie, Martin Starr and Mark Webber.

SOMEBODY UP THERE LIKES ME (USA)
Director: Robert Byington
The film follows Max, his best friend Sal and a woman they both adore through 35 years of mandatory but apparently unfulfilling entanglements at weddings, funerals, hospitals, eateries, divorce courts… and the tool shed. Stars Keith Paulson, Jess Weixler, Megan Mullally, Nick Offerman

TEDDY BEAR (Denmark) – Texas Premiere
Director: Mads Matthiesen
Dennis, a 38-year-old bodybuilder, would really like to find true love. He has never had a girlfriend and lives alone with his mother in a suburb of Copenhagen. Stars Kim Kold, David Winters, Elsebeth Steentoft, Chanicha Shindejanichakul and Lamaiporn Hougaard.

Documentary Feature Competition

BIBA! ONE ISLAND, 879 VOTES (USA) – World Premiere
Director: Benjamin Bloodwell
BIBA! follows the rallies and debates of Trenton Conner and Henry San Nicolas in their battle for control over the Pacific island, Tinian, which was the launch point for the Enola Gay in World War II and presently the home of the Voice of America broadcasting towers, sending pro-democracy propaganda into China and North Korea.

BROOKLYN CASTLE (USA)
Director: Katie Dellamaggiore
Amidst financial crises and unprecedented public school budget cuts, BROOKLYN CASTLE takes an intimate look at the challenges and triumphs facing members of a junior high school's champion chess team.

ESCAPE FIRE: THE FIGHT TO RESCUE AMERICAN HEALTHCARE (USA)
Directors: Matthew Heineman, Susan Froemke
ESCAPE FIRE exposes the perverse nature of American healthcare, contrasting the powerful forces opposing change with the compelling stories of pioneering leaders and the patients they seek to help. The film is about finding a way out, about saving the health of a nation.

THE IMPOSTER (UK)
Director: Bart Layton
Layton uncovers the story about a young Frenchman who convinces a grieving Texas family that he was their 16-year-old son who went missing for 3 years.

LOW & CLEAR (USA)
Directors: Kahlil Hudson, Tyler Hughen
A meditation on friendship and life in the disappearing wilderness of the West, LOW & CLEAR follows two formerly close friends who reunite for one last fly-fishing trip. Over the course of their time together they come to understand how much they have each changed and how these changes now threaten the friendship.

TCHOUPITOULAS (USA)
Directors: Bill Ross, Turner Ross
Three young brothers take to the night streets of New Orleans in this sensory and kaleidoscopic odyssey.

WE'RE NOT BROKE (USA) – Texas Premiere ♥
Directors: Karin Hayes, Victoria Bruce
An exposé on how the government has allowed U.S. corporations to avoid paying taxes and the growing wave of discontent that it has fostered.

Documentary Showcase

GIRL MODEL (USA) ♥
Directors: David Redmon, A. Sabin
Follows a complex supply chain between Siberia, Japan, and the U.S. within the modeling industry. The story is told through the eyes of the scouts, agencies and a 13 year-old model.

THE INVISIBLE WAR (USA) – Texas Premiere ♥
Director: Kirby Dick
An investigative and powerfully emotional documentary about the epidemic of rape of soldiers within the US military, the institutions that perpetuate and cover up its existence, and its profound personal and social consequences.

NO ASHES NO PHOENIX (Germany) – Texas Premiere
Director: Jens Pfeifer
A locker room exposé about young basketball players in Hagen, Germany who face their fears of losing and challenge enormous odds to succeed. The team signs “Michael Jordan”, but their savior brings a lot more baggage to Hagen than just a famous name.

VITO (USA) – Texas Premiere ♥
Director: Jeffrey Schwarz
The story of Vito Russo, founding father of the gay liberation movement, author of "The Celluloid Closet," and vociferous AIDS activist in the 1980s.

World Cinema

5 BROKEN CAMERAS (Palestine, Israel, France) – Texas Premiere ♥
Directors: Emad Burnat, Guy Davidi
A documentary chronicles a Palestinian farmer's nonviolent resistance to the actions of the Israeli army.

ALPS (Greece) – Texas Premiere
Director: Giorgos Lanthimos
A nurse, a paramedic, a gymnast and her coach have formed a service for hire. They stand in for dead people by appointment, hired by the relatives, friends or colleagues of the deceased. Starring Aris Servetalis, Johnny Vekris, Ariane Labed, Aggeliki Papoulia and Stavros Psyllakis.

ELENA (Russia) – Texas Premiere
Director: Andrei Zvyagintsev
Elena and Vladimir are an older couple from different backgrounds. Vladimir is a wealthy and cold man, Elena comes from a modest milieu and is a docile wife. They
have met late in life and each one has children from previous marriages. Stars Aleksey Rozin, Andrey Smirnov, Yelena Lyadova and Nadezhda Markina.

EXTRATERRESTRIAL (Spain)
Director: Nacho Vigalondo
Everyone knows what to do if one morning the sky would be absolutely full of UFOs: run as fast as you can. However, what would happen if the invasion started while you are in the flat of the girl of your dreams, the one you have just met? Starring Michelle Jenner, Carlos Areces, Julián Villagrán, Raúl Cimas and Miguel Noguera.

I WISH (Japan) – Texas Premiere
Director: Hirokazu Koreeda
A 12-year-old boy, Koichi, wishes that his family separated by divorce is brought together again. He devises a plan that a miracle will transpire at the exact moment when two bullet trains bound in opposite directions pass each other.
Starring Hoshinosuke Yoshinaga, Rento Isobe Ryôga Hayashi and Kanna Hashimoto.

SALT OF LIFE (Italy) – Texas Premiere
Director: Gianni Di Gregorie
Gianni is a retiree who has become invisible to most everyone around him. In response, he tries his best to generate some kind of extracurricular love life. Stars Gianni Di Gregorio, Valeria De Franciscis Bendoni, Alfonso Santagata and Elisabetta Piccolomini.

UNTOUCHABLES (France) – Texas Premiere
Directors: Olivier Nakache, Eric Toledano
A true story of two men who should never have met: a quadriplegic aristocrat who was injured in a paragliding accident and a young man from the projects. Starring François Cluzet, Omar Sy, Anne Le Ny, Audrey Fleurot and Clotilde Mollet.

WHERE DO WE GO NOW? (France, Lebanon, Egypt, Italy) – Texas Premiere
Director: Nadine Labaki
A group of Lebanese women try to ease religious tensions between Christians and Muslims in their village. Starring Claude Baz Moussawbaa, Layla Hakim, Nadine Labaki and Yvonne Maalouf.

Latino Showcase

BEING: CAFÉ TACVBA (Mexico) – U.S. Premiere
Directors: Ernesto Contreras and José Manuel Craviotto
As Mexican rock band Café Tacvba celebrates 20 years, this film uncovers the creative process that brings them together, their friendship, frustrations and the desire of still being a rock band, Featuring Ruben Albarran, Emmanuel del Real, Enrique Rangel and Joselo Rangel.

HELENO (Brazil) – Texas Premiere
Director: José Henrique Fonseca
A biography of the tragic life of one of Brazil's greatest soccer players, Heleno de Freitas. Starring Rodrigo Santoro, Othon Bastos, Herson Capri, Angie Cepeda and Erom Cordeiro.

MARIACHI GRINGO (USA) – Texas Premiere
Director: Tom Gustafson
A stifled, small-town man stuck in a dead end life, runs away to Mexico to be a mariachi singer. Starring Shawn Ashmore, Martha Higareda, Kate Burton and Adriana Barraza.

South Korean Spotlight

LET ME OUT (South Korea) – World Premiere
Directors: Jae Yong Soh, Chang Rae Kim
A student filmmaker whose inexperience, demands and impatience cause every human involved in his first film – an undead melodrama – to go crazy. So, the zombies step in and help out.
Starring Hyun Sang Kwon, Geunsup Han, Yumouyoung, Hee Von Park and Jessica Choi.

Texas Competition in partnership with PANAVISION

AMERICA'S PARKING LOT (USA)
Director: Jonny Mars
Two die-hard fans and leaders of the legendary 'Gate 6' tailgate party spend their last season with the Dallas Cowboys at historic Texas Stadium. When the Cowboys move 20 miles west to Arlington, the shifting politics and economics of major league sports threaten to dissolve the friendships and traditions they have built over 20 years and they scramble to preserve their place in AMERICA'S PARKING LOT.

CINEMA SIX (USA) – World Premiere
Directors: Mark Potts, Cole Selix
Three small-town friends have to decide whether to keep their easy jobs at a movie theater or actually try to do something meaningful with their lives. Cast includes John Merriman, Mark Potts, Brand Rackley, Byron Brown, Lindsey Newell, Heather Wallis, Madi Goff, Chris Doubek, Cole Selix, Kevin M. Brennan, Maggie Carey and Barry Corbin.

KID-THING (USA)
Director: David Zellner
A fever-dream fable about a rebellious girl who spends her time roaming the land, leaving destruction in her wake. Starring Sydney Aguirre and Nathan Zellner.

SATELLITE OF LOVE (USA) – World Premiere
Director: Will Moore
To atone for his absence at their wedding, globe-trotting and hard-partying musician, Samuel, invites his best friend Blake, a successful chef, and Blake's new wife Catherine (with whom Samuel has previously shared both a bed and a bond) to idyllic Nadi Vineyards for a week-long party in paradise. Samuel imports cosmopolitan DJ, Michelle, from Barcelona to stir the pot. Stars Nathan Phillips, Zachary Knighton, Shannon Lucio and Janina Gavankar

SIRONIA (USA)
Director: Brandon Dickerson
A singer-songwriter beat up by the L.A. music machine moves with his wife to Sironia, Texas. Starring Wes Cunningham, Amy Acker, Tony Hale, Jeremy Sisto, Courtney Ford, Carrie Preston and Robyn Lively.

THANK YOU FOR JUDGING (USA)
Directors: Sean Fornara, Michael Urie, Selma Al-Faqih, Travis Flournoy
In Texas every year, the best of the best come to be judged at the mother of all Speech and Debate competitions. These kids will tug at your heart strings and tickle your funny bone as they learn not only about speaking in public, but also confidence, adult relations, and self-presentation, both in appearance and eloquence. Featuring Michael Urie.

WOLF (USA)
Director: Ya'Ke Smith
A family is shaken to the core when they discover that their son has been molested. As they struggle to deal with the betrayal, their son heads towards a total mental collapse because of his love for his abuser. Cast includes Irma P. Hall, Amelia Jeffries, Shelton Jolivette and Jordan Cooper.

Environmental Visions Competition in partnership with Whole Foods

ATOMIC STATES OF AMERICA, THE (USA) – Texas Premiere
Directors: Dan Argott, Sheena Joyce
In 2010, the United States announced construction of the first new nuclear power plant in more than 32 years. A year later, a 9.0 magnitude earthquake struck the Fukushima Power Plant in Japan sparking a fierce debate in the U.S. over the safety and viability of nuclear power.

DIRTY ENERGY (USA) – Texas Premiere
Director: Bryan D. Hopkins
April 20th, 2010: The Deepwater Horizon drilling rig abruptly exploded into flames off the Gulf of Mexico just 50 miles from the coast of Louisiana tragically taking the lives of 11 workers. Now, with the disaster’s first anniversary passed, the fate of the Gulf is still largely unknown.

LAST CALL AT THE OASIS (USA)
Director: Jessica Yu
LAST CALL AT THE OASIS presents a powerful argument for why the global water crisis will be the central issue facing our world this century. Among those appearing in the film are Erin Brockovich-Ellis, Jay Famiglietti, Peter H. Gleick and Tyrone Hayes.

Family Friendly

COWGIRLS N’ ANGELS (USA) – World Premiere
Director: Timothy Armstrong
A group of rodeo trick-riders recruits a young girl to join them. Stars Jackson Rathbone, James Cromwell, Bailee Madison, Alicia Witt, Drew Waters and Frankie Faison.

E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982, USA)
Director: Steven Spielberg
A meek and alienated little boy finds a stranded extraterrestrial. He has to find the courage to defy the authorities to help the alien return to its home planet. Stars Dee Wallace, Henry Thomas, Peter Coyote, Robert MacNaughton and Drew Barrymore.

FIRST POSITION (USA) – Texas Premiere
Director: Bess Kargman
A documentary that follows six young ballet dancers as they prepare for the Youth America Grand Prix.

OBLIVION ISLAND: HARUKA AND THE MAGIC MIRROR (Japan) – Texas Premiere
Director: Shinsuke Sato
Having lost her mother, Haruka is now a 16-year-old girl and feels neglected by her father. She escapes to her grandmother's house and discovers a fox-like creature who steals her keys. She follows him and is transported into a magical world. Starring Haruka Ayase, Miyuki Sawashiro, Mitsuki Tanimura, Naho Toda and Nao Ohmori.

Deep Ellum Sounds

ANDREW BIRD: FEVER YEAR (USA) – Texas Premiere
Director: Xan Aranda
Filmed during culminating months of the acclaimed singer-songwriter's most rigorous year of touring, Andrew Bird crosses the December finish line in his hometown of Chicago - feverish and on crutches from an onstage injury. FEVER YEAR is the first to capture Bird's precarious multi-instrumental looping technique and features live performances at Milwaukee's Pabst Theater with collaborators Martin Dosh, Jeremy Ylvisaker, Michael Lewis and Annie Clark of St. Vincent.

UNDER AFRICAN SKIES (USA)
Director: Joe Berlinger
Paul Simon returns to South Africa to explore the incredible journey of his historic Graceland album, including the political backlash he received for allegedly breaking the UN cultural boycott of South Africa designed to end the Apartheid regime. Among those appearing in the film are Maya Angelou, Harry Belafonte, Whoopi Goldberg, Quincy Jones, Paul McCartney, Oprah Winfrey and Paul Simon.

Midnight Specials

BINDLESTIFFS (USA) – Texas Premiere
Director: Andrew Edison
Three high school virgins, suspended from school on a bogus graffiti charge, flee to the inner city in an attempt to live out the plot of The Catcher in the Rye - a book they neither have read nor understand. Starring John Karma, Luke Loftin, Andrew Edison and Will Fordyce.

JUAN OF THE DEAD (Spain, Cuba)
Director: Alejandro Brugués
Where the Cuban government sees an American conspiracy and the rest of the world sees a non-political zombie outbreak, Cuban nationalist and scoundrel Juan sees the business opportunity of a lifetime – charging people to kill their undead loved ones.
Stars Blanca Rosa Blanco, Elsa Camp, Alexis Díaz de Villegas, Antonio Dechent and Andrea Duro.

THE PACT (USA) – Texas Premiere
Director: Nicholas McCarthy
As a woman struggles to come to grips with her past in the wake of her mother's death, an unsettling presence emerges in her childhood home. Starring Caity Lotz, Casper Van Dien, Agnes Bruckner, Mark Steger and Haley Hudson.

TORMENTED (Japan, Netherlands) – Texas Premiere
Director: Takashi Shimizu
TORMENTED centers on a young boy whose family seems to be unraveling around him. His sister is grappling with the reality of life or death, while his father walks a line with insanity. The situation intensifies when the boy manifests a dangerous friendship with a stuffed toy rabbit that comes to life. Starring Teruyuli Kagawa, Hikari Mitsushima and Nao Ohmori.

Special Presentation

L.A. CONFIDENTIAL (1997, USA)
Director: Curtis Hanson
A shooting at an all night diner is investigated by three LA policemen in their own unique ways. Stars Kevin Spacey, Russell Crowe, James Cromwell, Kim Basinger and Danny DeVito.

GAYBY (USA)
Director: Jonathan Lisecki
Jenn and Matt, best friends since college who are now in their thirties, decide to have a child together, the old-fashioned way - even though Matt is gay and Jenn is straight.
Starring Jenn Harris, Matthew Wilkas, Charlie Barnett, Samantha Buck and Louis Cancelmi.

AN OVERSIMPLIFICATION OF HER BEAUTY (USA) – Texas Premiere
Director: Terence Nance
Nance’s explosively creative debut feature documents the relationship between Nance and a young woman as it teeters on the divide between platonic and romantic delving into his own male psyche when she stands him up. Stars Alisa Becher, Jc Cain, Dexter Jones and Namik Minter.

QWERTY (USA) –Texas Premiere
Director: Bill Sebastian
An off-beat love story about a closeted competitive Scrabble savant, Zoe & her new found irascible love-interest, Marty. Together they try to carve out their place in a world filled with other people. Starring Dana Pupkin, Eric Hailey, Bill Redding

THE REVISIONARIES (USA) – Texas Premiere
Director: Scott Thurman
THE REVISIONARIES follows the rise and fall of some of the most controversial figures in American education through some of their most tumultuous intellectual battles. Among those appearing in the film are Don McLeroy, Kathy Miller and SMU professor, Ron Wetherington.

ROBOCOP (1987, USA)
Director: Paul Verhoeven
In a dystopic and crime ridden Detroit, a terminally wounded cop returns to the force as a powerful cyborg with submerged memories haunting him. Starring Peter Weller, Nancy Allen, Dan O'Herlihy, Ronny Cox and Kurtwood Smith.

Community Showcase

CLOSE TIES: TYING ON A NEW TRADITION (USA)
Director: Gemal Woods
Cultural traditions have been the cornerstone of African American communities for centuries, and CLOSE TIES examines the similar impact of a new tradition—the tying of a necktie, an act associated with men who embody professionalism and prestige—that inspires high school boys to commit to a life of achievement and success.

KISSED BY THE DEVIL (USA)
Director: M. Legend Brown
Although Oakland Hill is a well known, late night radio personality, her life is far from storybook. She spends most of her time caring for her mentally ill brother Michael, who witnessed their father commit an unimaginable act.

PATRIOCRACY (USA) – Texas Premiere
Director: Brian Malone
PATRIOCRACY explores the extreme polarization in America that cripples the country from tackling its most serious problems. Featuring Elliot Ackerman, Jason Altmire, Rob Andrews, Pat Buchanan and Jason Chaffetz.

Shorts Competition

'92 SKYBOX ALONZO MOURNING ROOKIE CARD (USA)
Director: Todd Sklar
Two estranged brothers are forced to come together for a week when their dad dies in Kansas City. Dave believes he has a limited edition 1992 Skybox Series Alonzo Mourning rookie card, but Jim has other ideas.

AARON BURR, PART 2 (USA)
Director: Dana O'Keefe
A contemporary re-imagining of the duel between Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr explores the idea of history as a contested narrative.

ANOTHER BULLET DODGED (USA)
Director: Landon Zakheim
A wolf in sheep's clothing who thinks he is a sheep.

AT THE FORMAL (Australia)
Director: Andrew Kavanagh
Modern and ancient rituals collide in this macabre depiction of a high school formal.

AUDACITY (India)
Director: Anirban Roy
What happens when a father scolds his daughter? Meltdown of an entire community.

AURORA BOREALIS (USA)
Director: Matt H. Mayes
A man visits his mother in a rest home when a shift of light reveals the spaces between and inside them.

BEAR (Australia)
Director: Nash Edgerton
Jack means well, but sometimes good intentions have horrible consequences.

CHORES (USA)
Director: Terence Bernardo
On a remote and isolated farm, a man passes his days with only his animals for company. His idyllic life quickly takes a turn for the unexpected when he realizes that he is not alone.

DOUBLES WITH SLIGHT PEPPER (USA, Canada, Trinidad)
Director: Ian Harnarine
Set in Trinidad during Christmas a young street food vendor must decide if he will help save his estranged father from dying.

THE DUMP (New Zealand)
Director: Hamish Bennett
A comedy/drama about an 11-year old boy and the gradual bond he develops with his estranged dad Orlando, the sole employee at a tiny rubbish dump in rural New Zealand.

THE ELECT (USA)
Directors: Dan Moore, Erin Zacek
Everyday life inside the controversial Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kansas, is explored through this verité-style documentary

EVERYTHING IS INCREDIBLE (USA)
Directors: Tyler Bastian, Trevor Hill, Tim Skousen
A disabled man named Agustin in Honduras has been building a helicopter in his home for the past 53 years causing controversy amongst his family and community.

FAMILY NIGHTMARE (USA)
Director: Dustin Guy Defa
This dizzying trip through the mid-1990s with a dysfunctional American family is a crumpled letter from a filmmaker to his family: a shattered kaleidoscope of the destructive patterns that have been trapped and wounded its members.

FUNGUS (Sweden)
Director: Charlotta Miller
Katrin is sitting apathetically in her dump like apartment, after being cheated on and left by her boyfriend. Time passes slowly and Katrin is just trying to endure being in her own skin.

HEART STOP BEATING (USA)
Director: Jeremiah Zagar
Two visionary doctors from the Texas Heart Institute successfully replaced a dying man's heart with a rotor-driven artificial one—proving that life is possible without a heartbeat.

HELLION (USA)
Director: Kat Candler
Little seven-year old Petey falls prey to his older brothers' hellion ways.

THE HICCUP (USA)
Director: Matt Smukler
Two friends desperately trying to skip town find that an overheated radiator is the least of their problems.

IZZY & SALVADOR (USA)
Director: Jean-Pierre Caner
Izzy is bringing Salvador home to meet the family for the first time.

A LETTER TO JULIA (Spain)
Director: David González Rúdiez
She writes a letter to Julia.

LIFE AND FREAKY TIMES OF UNCLE LUKE (USA)
Director: Jillian Mayer
A modern adaptation of the 1962 French short film 'La Jetee', the film recounts Luke's (Uncle Luke, legendary rapper from the hip-hop group 2 Live Crew) rise to fame as he changes the face of hip-hop, fights for first amendment rights, and later ushers Miami into a golden era of peace and prosperity as Mayor.

LIFELIKE (USA)
Directors: Erick Stoll, Chase Whiteside
A taxidermist coolly goes about his business.

THE LOVE COMPETITION (USA)
Director: Brent Hoff
The Stanford MRI Lab hosts the world’s first ever love competition, in which seven contestants have five minutes to neurochemically love someone as hard as they can.

LOVE HACKING (USA)
Director: Jenni Nelson
A virtual relationship becomes a reality when a robot inventor falls in love over the Internet and journeys to Nepal to meet his fiancée for the first time. They marry the next day.

MEANING OF ROBOTS (USA)
Director: Matt Lenski
The benevolent Mike Sullivan, age 65, has been shooting a stop-motion robot sex film in his apartment for the last 10 years. Now his miniature robot porn stars are threatening to squeeze him out of the space he needs to shoot his epic.

ONCE IT STARTED IT COULD NOT END OTHERWISE (USA)
Director: Kelly Sears
Terrifying and strange happenings descend on a 1970s high school.

PERFECT FIT (Mexico)
Director: Leonel Fernandez
A 30-year-old man works at a mall's parking lot booth. He lives a lonely, monotonous and apparently an emotionless life.

PLAYTIME (Germany)
Director: Lucas Mireles
A seamless journey of German youth and innocence on a Sunday afternoon.

PLUTO DECLARATION (USA)
Director: Travis Wilkerson
Restore the classical definition of planet! Bring back planet Pluto! The solar system needs its 12th planet.

RASPBERRY JAM (USA)
Director: Courtney Ware
A mystical tale about a man who loses everything on his journey toward hope. Oh, and there's a leprechaun, too.

ZERGÜT (USA)
Directors: Natasha Subramaniam, Alisa Lapidus
ZERGÜT focuses on the unique, often overlooked, beauty of everyday edible delights.

Shorts Before Features

THE BIRTH OF SAINT ELISEO (USA)
Director: Stacy Dean Campbell
Set along the Texas-Mexico border in the late 1930's, THE BIRTH OF SAINT ELISEO is a story of vengeance that is not solely the Lord's.

Student Shorts Competition

BENNY (USA)
Director: Huay-Bing Law
An overweight teenager revisits a friend from his past - now a personal fitness trainer.

GRANDMOTHERS (UK)
Director: Afarin Eghbal
In a small apartment in Buenos Aires, an old woman eagerly awaits the birth of her grandchild. However, horrific circumstances mean that she will be forced to wait for over 30 years.

THE KIDS DON’T LIKE IT (USA)
Director: Jeremy David White
The bond between two brothers is tested amidst the turmoil caused by their father.

NANI (USA)
Director: Justin Tipping
Oscar got caught spraying graffiti. Now doing community service at a nursing home, he meets Isabel who is suffering from dementia.

NEWSWORTHY (USA)
Director: Jeremy Robbins
Frederick Wiles, an ambitious high-school sophomore, with dreams of becoming the next Woodward or Bernstein, tries to find a story worthy of the seniors-only news show.

WASH ME (USA)
Director: Winston Tao
After the death of their daughter, a remorseful policeman, Mick, faces a broken marriage and seeks his penance as he answers a domestic disturbance call.

Animation Competition in partnership with REEL FX

663114 (Japan)
Director: Isamu Hirabayashi
I am a 66-year cicada. There was a big earthquake. There was a big tsunami. There also was a big accident.

DR. BREAKFAST (USA)
Director: Stephen Neary
One day at breakfast, a man's soul bursts out of his eyeball. While the soul roams the earth eating everything in sight, two wild deer bathe, clothe, and feed the man's catatonic body.

IT’S SUCH A BEAUTIFUL DAY (USA)
Director: Don Hertzfeldt
Don Hertzfeldt narrates the close of this trilogy as Bill finds himself in a hospital struggling to piece together his shattering psyche.

A MORNING STROLL (UK)
Director: Grant Orchard
When a New Yorker walks past a chicken on his morning stroll, we are left to wonder which one is the real city slicker.

MOXIE (UK)
Director: Stephen Irwin
A pyromaniac bear misses his mother.

SLOW DEREK (UK)
Director: Dan Ojari
The tale of Derek, an office worker, as he struggles with the true speed of planet earth.

WILD LIFE (Canada)
Directors: Amanda Forbis, Wendy Tilby
An Englishman moves to the Canadian frontier, but is singularly unsuited to it. His letters home are much sunnier than the reality.

TXU Energy Light Up the Red Carpet Video Contest


High school and college students from across Texas have been competing to win $30,000 in cash and grants in the TXU Energy Light Up the Red Carpet Student Film Contest. The students were challenged to create a video demonstrating their view of the future of energy.

All videos can be seen at http://www.txu.com/studentfilmcontest
Grand Jury Prize-Animation presented by REEL FX
The Grand Jury Prize is awarded to the film in the Animation Competition as selected by a panel of jurors from REEL FX along with the 2012 Texas Avery Animation Award recipient.
The films marked with a ♥ are eligible for the Silver Heart Award
The Silver Heart Award will be bestowed on an individual or film for their dedication to fighting injustices and/or creating social change for the improvement of humanity. The winner of the Silver Heart Award will receive a $10,000 cash prize courtesy of the Embrey Family Foundation.
The recipients of the following 2012 Dallas International Film Festival awards will receive Movie Magic Software Bundles from Entertainment Partners: Grand Jury Prize Narrative and Documentary Feature, Grand Jury Prize Texas Competition, Environmental Visions, Grand Jury Prize Short, Grand Jury Prize Student, Silver Heart Award and our Audience Award winners for best Documentary Feature, Narrative Feature and Short Film.

ABOUT THE DALLAS FILM SOCIETY
The Dallas Film Society celebrates films and their impact on society. A 501(c)3 non-profit organization, the Dallas Film Society recognizes and honors filmmakers for their achievements in enhancing the creative community, provides educational programs to students to develop better understanding of the role of film in today's world, and promotes the City of Dallas and its commitment to the art of filmmaking. The annual Dallas International Film Festival, scheduled for April 12 – 22, 2012, is a presentation of the Dallas Film Society. In addition to producing one of the largest festivals in the Southwest, the Society produces numerous year round events, screening series and partnership programs with arts organizations around the city. For more information, call (214) 720-0555, or visit www.DallasFilm.org. The offices of the Dallas Film Society are located at 3625 North Hall Street, Suite 740, Dallas, TX 75219.

2012 FESTIVAL SPONSORS: ABCO, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, The Angelika Film Center, Arts and Culture Magazine, Austin Film Festival, Barefoot Wine & Bubbly, Baylor Heart and Vascular Hospital, BNYMellon, Boardwalk Auto Group Volkswagen Dealers, Central 214, CBS Radio, Colibri Promotions, Community Trust Bank, Cowles & Thompson, D Magazine, Dallas Film Commission, Dallas Observer, Design Expediting Services International, Division of Film & Media – Southern Methodist University, Downtown Dallas, Inc., Earth Day Dallas, El Creative, Eurochannel, Faulkner Design Group, Flagship Marketing, Forte Public Relations, G Texas Custom Catering, GrandLuxe Magazine, Hotel Palomar, Metro PCS, Mockingbird Station, Modern Luxury, Movie Magic, MySweetCharity, NorthPark Center, Panavision, Pencilneck, Plains Capital Bank, Post Asylum, Prekindle, Private Social, Pure Evil Sound & Music, Reel FX, The Residences at Hotel Palomar, SAGIndie, Sandshop Media, Showtech Production, Inc., smartwater, Stella Artois, Temerlin Advertising Institute at Southern Methodist University, Texas Association of Film Commissions, Texas Capital Bank, Texas Film Commission, Texas Western Hospitality, Time Warner Cable, TXU Energy, Univision, The UPS Store on Lemmon Avenue, Vergent Communications, Videotex Systems, Inc., West Village, WFAA, Whole Foods Market, WRR Classical 101.1

ABOUT BOARDWALK AUTO GROUP VOLKSWAGEN DEALERS
Boardwalk Auto Group has three Volkswagen Dealerships serving the North Dallas community. Boardwalk Volkswagen, located in Richardson, Texas, was recently named 2012 Volkswagen Dealer of the Year for Texas by DealerRater® reflecting on the dealer's commitment to unparalleled customer service. Park Cities Volkswagen and McKinney Volkswagen are also two of the Highest-Rated DealerRater® Certified Volkswagen Dealers in Texas. Boardwalk Auto Group Volkswagen Dealers offer the absolute best selection and price in the Metroplex in addition to their state-of-the art Service Departments. Boardwalk Auto Group is one of the premier auto groups in the nation representing Porsche, Audi, Ferrari, Maserati, Lamborghini and Volkswagen. For more information about Boardwalk Auto Group Volkswagen Dealers, please visit www.DallasVWDealers.com.