DIFF Announces Mary Elizabeth Winstead Recipient of Dallas Shining Star Award

2013 Dallas International Film Festival

Presented by AutoNation Volkswagen Dealers



Announces Mary Elizabeth Winstead

Recipient of

Dallas Shining Star Award



Award to be presented at Dallas Film Society Honors Awards April 12



Dallas, TX, April 2, 2013 – The Dallas International Film Festival presented by AutoNation Volkswagen Dealers announced today that actress Mary Elizabeth Winstead will accept the Dallas Shining Star Award at the 2013 Dallas Film Society Honors presented by the Arthur E. Benjamin Foundation April 12.




“Mary Elizabeth is the kind of effervescent shining star that is inspiring and fun to watch,” said James Faust, Artistic Director of the Dallas International Film Festival. “We are happy to honor this kind of artist who is inspiring a new generation of filmmakers – shining stars have spirits that are simply infectious, and Mary Elizabeth is just that kind of actress.”




Winstead starred in the film SMASHED that Faust refers to as “so amazing.” In SMASHED, which will play during DIFF, Winstead plays a wife whose bond with her husband, played by Aaron Paul, is built on a mutual love of alcohol. Their relationship is put to the test when Winstead’s character decides to get sober.




Winstead’s other notable film roles include SKY HIGH, THE RING TWO, the horror remake BLACK CHRISTMAS, Tarantino’s GRINDHOUSE and the blockbuster LIVE FREE OR DIE HARD. Her television credits include the NBC daytime drama “Passions,” where she played the role of Jessica Bennett, for which she received nominations from The Hollywood Reporters' Young Star Awards and the Young Artist Awards.




Winstead co-starred opposite with Michael Cera in the comic-book adaptation of SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD, in which Winstead performed most of her own stunts. She earned a Teen Choice Award nomination for Choice Actress Action.




Winstead is a native of North Carolina. Her early ambitions included becoming a ballerina, for which she attended the Joffrey Ballet School in Chicago at the age of 11. She also began taking acting lessons. Her theater credits include “The Nutcracker” and the Broadway production of “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” with Donny Osmond. Winstead is actually a cousin of screen legend Ava Gardner.





Dallas Film Society Honors

The Dallas Shining Star Award will be presented to Winstead at the Dallas Film Society Honors Awards on April 12, an evening of tributes with Dallas Star Award Honorees and Filmmaker Award Winners, as well.

The DFS Honors Night, presented by The Arthur E. Benjamin Foundation, will be held at the Hotel Palomar with additional sponsorship provided by Central 214. A $10,000 unrestricted cash prize will be awarded to both the best narrative feature and documentary feature filmmakers. The Silver Heart Award winner will receive a $10,000 cash prize courtesy of the Embrey Family Foundation. Cash prizes will be awarded to both a high school and college winner of the TXU Energy Light Up the Red Carpet Student Film Contest. Panavision will award the winning filmmaker of the Texas Competition with a $30,000 camera-rental package for their next production. Other Grand Jury Prize awards will be presented to the best Short Film, Student Short Film and Animated Short Film. The coveted Audience Award winner will also be announced.


Passes and Tickets



DIFF Passes are now available at the online Prekindle Box Office at www.DallasFilm.org and at the Prekindle Main Box Office located on the southeast side of Mockingbird Station on the first floor, next to Urban Taco (469-547-1230). Prices range from $100 for a Festival Lounge Pass to $750 for an all-access Star Pass, which includes:



· All-access pass to all screenings

· One invitation to the Opening Night Screening and Gala on April 4, 2013, subject to availability

· Admission for one person to all Centerpiece screenings and parties during the Festival

· Access for one person to the Festival Lounge (Must be 21 or over to enter the Festival Lounge or to consume alcohol)

· Admission for one person to all regular film screenings and panel discussions

· Dallas International Film Festival swag bag full of unforgettable merchandise



For a fast and easy guide on “How to Fest,” watch the video at

http://diff2013.dallasfilm.org/how-to-fest-its-easy-watch-the-video/

or visit http://diff2013.dallasfilm.org/fest-info/getting-around/how-to-fest/






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 4-14, 2013, 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.





2013 Dallas International Film Festival Sponsors

ABCO; Akin Gump Strauss Hauer and Feld, LLP; Alamo Drafthouse DFW; Angelika Film Center; Arthur E. Benjamin Foundation; Arts + Culture Magazine; Austin Film Festival; AutoNation Volkswagen Dealers; Balloons Everyday; Barefoot Wine & Bubbly; Baylor Heart and Vascular Hospital; BNY Mellon Wealth Management; BuyLED’s; CBS Radio; Cinelease; Cinemark USA, Inc.; Colibri Promotions; Commerce House/Pam and Mark Denesuk; Community Trust Bank; The Container Store; Crow Collection of Asian Art; CultureMap; D Magazine; Dallas Convention and Visitors Bureau; Dallas Film Commission; Dallas Morning News; Dallas Museum of Art; Dallas Observer; Dallas Producers Association; David Baertsch db Editorial; Deep Eddy Vodka; Division of Film and Media Arts – SMU; Downtown Dallas, Inc.; Earth Day Dallas; El Creative; Element X Creative; Flagship Marketing; Forte Prime; FunFlicks; Gemini Light, Sound & Video; GrandLuxe Magazine; Holiday Inn Dallas Park Cities; Hotel Palomar/Central 214; InformateDFW; KellyKitchensPR.com; Klyde Warren Park; Kung Fu Saloon; La Madeleine; LOOK Cinemas; Marc Lee; Mary Kay, Inc.; Matthews Southwest; The McKinney Avenue Contemporary; Media 2-Way Radio; Mockingbird Station; Mockingbird Taproom; Modern Luxury; Modia Home Theater; Movie Magic; MPS Studios Dallas; My Sweet Charity; Nasher Sculpture Center; Newtek; NYLO Dallas South Side; Panavision; PaperCity; Pencilneck Software; PlainsCapital Bank; Post Asylum; Prekindle; Pure Evil Sound & Music Design; ReelFX; Rentex; SAGIndie; Salon Pompeo; Savannah College of Art and Design; smartwater; Southwest Airlines; Stella Artois; Texas Association of Film Commissions; Texas Capital Bank; Texas Film Commission; Time Warner Cable; Two Sisters Catering; TXU Energy; UBER; Univision Radio; Univision TV; Uptown Latino; Urban Taco; Vergent Communications; Videotex Systems; Well Go USA Entertainment; West Village; WFAA; Whole Foods; WRR Classical 101.1 FM.





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