DALLAS STAR AWARDS, TALK/SHOW PANELS, JURORS AND NEW FILMS ADDED TO THE 2014 DALLAS INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL EXPERIENCE
DALLAS, TX, April 4, 2014 —The Dallas Film Society kicked off opening night of the 2014 Dallas International Film festival at City Performance Hall to a sold out crowd anxious to celebrate and experience film at its finest during the next 11 days. The 8th edition of the Dallas International Film Festival, presented by AutoNation, continues through April 13, 2014 and has added even more reasons to join in the fun of #DIFF2014.
Six additional films have joined the roster of over 175 in 2014; legends, mavericks and visionaries will be honored for the Dallas Star Awards; conversations about youth, race and faith will encourage great dialogue among aspiring and award-winning filmmakers and a passionate council of jurors will deliberate to select winners from each of the four categories in competition.
New Films added include:
THE MEND (USA)
Director: John Magary
Synopsis: One night in Harlem, sour, aging Mat reunites with his younger brother Alan, just before Alan heads out for a long-planned vacation with his live-in girlfriend Farrah. Only days later, much sooner than expected, Alan returns home from his vacation to find his apartment commandeered by Mat, Mat’s girlfriend, and Mat’s girlfriend’s son. As doors slam and the power gives out and the threads of family fray, a mystery lingers: why has Alan returned home without Farrah?
BREAK POINT (USA)
Director: Jay Karas
Synopsis: Jimmy Price (Jeremy Sisto) is a reckless man-child on the last leg of his career as a doubles tennis player. When his latest partner drops him, he realizes he’s officially burned all of his bridges on the pro circuit. He decides to make one last ditch effort to revive his career, reaching outside of the tennis world and convincing his childhood partner -- his estranged brother Darren (David Walton), now an apathetic substitute teacher -- to team up with him. The mismatched pair, with the help of a unique 11-year-old named Barry (Joshua Rush), make an unlikely run at a grand slam tournament and are forced to re-discover their game, and their brotherhood.
LONG DISTANCE (Spain/USA)
Director: Carlos Marques-Marcet
Synopsis: In an age when technology shrinks distances but may not substitute the need for physical companionship, writer Clara Roquet and writer-director Carlos Marques-Marcet present a love story that may hit too close to home. Lovers Alex (Natalia Tena, of Game of Thrones fame) and Sergi (David Verdaguer) cling to their relationship despite the thousands of miles separating Los Angeles and Barcelona, where they live respectively. With heart-wrenching performances by the two leads and Marques-Marcet’s clever use of familiar tech tools as storytelling devices, audiences will be asking themselves the same question—can love survive LONG DISTANCE?
THE OUTSIDERS (USA)
Director: Francis Ford Coppola
Synopsis: Set in Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1965, THE OUTSIDERS follows the lives of a gang of tough, working-class teens known as the Greasers. Living on the outskirts of town and the social scene, Ponyboy Curtis, his brothers and their friends have an on-going rivalry with the Socs, wealthy kids from the other side of the tracks. After a late-night fight results in death, Ponyboy is forced into hiding while the rest of the gang is embroiled in an old-fashioned rumble. Based on the coming-of-age novel by S.E. Hinton, Francis Ford Coppola’s star-studded film gives a now classic look at life on the outside. Part of Big D Reads month-long celebration of reading.
FACE OF LOVE (USA)
Director: Arie Posin
Synopsis: Five years after the death of her beloved husband Garrett (Ed Harris), Nikki (Annette Bening) meets a man who seems his exact duplicate. Not only does this stranger possess the same deeply lined face and startling blue eyes, he also shares Garrett's kindness, humor, and passion for art. And yet he is a stranger. Romance blossoms between Nikki and this alluring doppelgänger, but she can't bring herself to tell him the truth about what drew her to him. So she hides her photos and prevents him from meeting friends and family. Still, she can't resist taking him to all the old haunts. It isn't a question of if the truth will come out, but when. Arie Posin directs this emotionally thorny drama about how we cope with loss, live in the moment and ultimately move forward.
THE ONE I LOVE
Director: Charlie McDowell
Synopsis: Ethan and Sophie are a married couple on the brink of separation. At the urging of their therapist, they escape to a beautiful vacation house for a weekend getaway in an attempt to salvage what’s left of their relationship. What starts off as a relaxing and tranquil retreat soon spirals into a dizzyingly bizarre experience that forces the couple to reflect upon the complexities of their troubled partnership. Over the course of a few days, Ethan and Sophie work diligently to rediscover their better selves and embrace the unexpected as everything they once thought was real becomes more and more surreal.
In acclaimed author Charlie McDowell’s highly original directorial debut, Elisabeth Moss and Mark Duplass deliver delightfully wry and engaging performances as a couple on the verge of dissolution. McDowell injects his distinct, comedic voice into this uncanny exploration of the human relationship—with welcomingly unpredictable results.
DIFF 2014 DALLAS STAR AWARDS
The Dallas Star Award honors individuals who have made important contributions to shaping the face of modern cinema and the advancement of the art of film.
JOHN WAYNE (Posthumously)
John Wayne’s monumental film career spanned five decades. He appeared in more than 175 films, more than a dozen directed by John Ford alone. For an entire generation, he was Hollywood’s biggest and most durable box-office star. Incredibly versatile, Wayne starred in just about every genre Hollywood offered: war movies, romantic comedies, police dramas, histories. But it was the Western—the American cinema—where Wayne made his most lasting mark. He was nominated three times for the Academy Award, winning the Oscar for Best Actor in 1969 for TRUE GRIT. And his powerful performance in THE SEARCHERS has been singled out by filmmakers and actors alike as the greatest performance by an actor on film, ever.
Patrick Wayne and Marisa Wayne will accept the Dallas Star Award on April 13 at a special screening of STAGECOACH at the Texas Theatre. They will participate in a Q&A after the film and accept the award presented to John Wayne on behalf of the John Wayne family.
CHERYL BOONE ISAACS
Boone Isaacs was elected president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on July 30, 2013, by the organization’s Board of Governors. She has served for 21 years as an Academy Governor representing the Public Relations Branch and has held every elected office at the Academy. In 2014, Boone Isaacs was inducted into the NAACP Image Awards Hall of Fame. She currently heads CBI Enterprises, Inc., where she has consulted on marketing efforts on such films as THE ARTIST, THE KING’S SPEECH, PRECIOUS: BASED ON THE NOVEL ‘PUSH’ BY SAPPHIRE, SPIDER-MAN 2 and TUPAC: RESURRECTION.
Cheryl Boone Isaacs will accept the Dallas Star Award on April 11 at the DFS Honors.
2014 TEXAS AVERY AWARD Presented by REEL FX
JOHN KRICFALUSI
John Kricfalusi, better known as John K., is an award-winning Canadian animator who grew up watching, drawing and being inspired by Hanna-Barbera and Tex Avery cartoons. After studying at Ontario’s Sheridan College, he moved to Los Angeles to realize his childhood dream, working for both Filmation and Hanna-Barbera before embarking on his own projects.
Together with influential animator Ralph Bakshi, John K. supervised and animated the CBS series MIGHTY MOUSE: THE NEW ADVENTURES, considered a forerunner in creator-driven cartoons. In 1991 he premiered his best-known series, THE REN & STIMPY SHOW, which ran for five seasons on Nickelodeon and garnered him two Emmy nominations and two Annie Awards for Outstanding Individual Achievement in the Field of Animation. With its off-color humor, sexual innuendo and violence, REN & STIMPY quickly gained a cult following and is credited today with inspiring everything from THE SIMPSONS to SOUTH PARK.
John Kricfalusi will accept his Texas Avery Animation Award presented by REEL FX on April 11 at the DFS honors.
TALK/SHOW
The Dallas International Film Festival presents Talk/Show, a free series of panel discussions and conversations that will interest filmgoers and filmmakers alike. Held at locations around the city, Talk/Show features notable filmmakers and journalists, special guests and honorees
Sunday, April 6, 2014
Location: The Dallas Museum of Art
NOON: FILM MATTERS—IMPACTING YOUTH
The discussion will focus on messaging to children, tweens and teens; structuring an age appropriate story; entertaining young audiences while driving home a message that can change behavior or attitudes; marketing to young audiences and their parents; funding films that can IMPACT younger audiences and measuring IMPACT on behavior and actions of younger audiences. Free.
Moderated by Director Keith Maitland
Panelists: Leslie Ferrell, President of Big Idea Entertainment (producer of VeggieTales); Sharon Amezcua (Founder of JuntoBox Films); and Trevor Hall (President of the Creative Visions Foundation)
Presented by ArtHouse Dallas and M3 Films
2 P.M.: RACE IN FILM
This panel will explore the racial memes, stereotypes and hurdles that exist in modern cinema, where films today are increasingly divided into categories based on race, gender and sexuality. The discussion will also focus on how quality storytelling can transcend cultural differences and be universally enjoyed by people of all backgrounds. Free.
Moderated by Jamilah King – News Editor for Colorlines.com
4 P.M. FAITH IN FILM
Lots of films can be said to have soul, but faith-based films take it to another level. This panel will discuss the lucrative and growing trend of faith based filmmaking, including who is making them, who are the audiences, and whether or not this could become the next big movie making market. Free
Moderated by Michael Cain of M3 Films
FEATURED Q&As
Saturday, April 12, 2014
DALLAS STAR AWARD HONOREE CHERYL BOONE ISAACS
Location: The Crow Collection of Asian Art
Time: 1 p.m.
Join us for a free conversation with Dallas Star Award Honoree Cheryl Boone Isaacs. The recently elected president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will talk about her career in the movie business, which includes every elected office at the Academy and positions in marketing and publicity with CBI Enterprises, Inc., New Line Cinema and Paramount Pictures. Free.
TEXAS AVERY AWARD WINNER MICHAEL JOHN KRICFALUSI
Location: Angelika Film Center 6
Time: 3 p.m.
Dallas International Film Festival presents a Conversation with John K. and a Screening of his Collected Works. The award-winning animator will discuss his career, animation technique and the animation industry. We’ll follow it with a screening of his favorite pieces, spanning his illustrious career. Tickets available soon!
Sunday, April 13, 2014
MEMBERS OF THE JOHN WAYNE FAMILY AT ‘STAGECOACH’ SCREENING
Location: The Texas Theatre
Time: 3:30 p.m.
Members of the John Wayne family will talk about the legendary actor’s life and career before a special screening of one of his most loved films, STAGECOACH.
JURORS
Each year we ask a distinguished group of filmmakers, industry veterans, programmers and film educators to sit on our competition juries. They screen the films in the Narrative Feature, Documentary and Short film competitions and deliberate the merits of each. It’s an often excruciatingly difficult task to elevate one film from a group of works that have great strengths. We appreciate our jurors’ hard work, and we’d like to introduce them to you:
NARRATIVE FEATURE COMPETITION JURY
Shari Frilot
An alumna of Harvard/Radcliffe University, and the Whitney Museum Independent Study Program, Shari Frilot is an award-winning filmmaker and Senior Programmer for the Sundance Film Festival. She is the creative force behind New Frontier at Sundance, a convergence of film, art, technology and the expansion of the art of storytelling.
Jordan Vogt-Roberts
Jordan Vogt-Roberts directed and executive-produced the film THE KINGS OF SUMMER, which premiered at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival and won the 2013 Dallas International Film Festival Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature. The film was bought by CBS films and theatrically released to critical acclaim. Before that, he won awards for his commercial and Web work and directed the acclaimed short film SUCCESSFUL ALCOHOLICS, which premiered at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival and subsequently screened at more than 30 festivals worldwide, including SXSW and AFI. Hailing from the ruins of Detroit but currently living in Los Angeles, Vogt-Roberts also loves dachshunds.
Doug Mankoff
Doug Mankoff has produced and executive produced over 20 films including NEBRASKA, AWAY FROM HER, TSOTSI, WATER and AFTERNOON DELIGHT. He grew up in Dallas and currently resides in Los Angeles.
DOCUMENTARY FEATURE COMPETITION JURY
Josh Mandel
Josh Mandel is a film producer and senior programmer at the Slamdance Film Festival. He worked in music videos with artists like Eminem before segueing into features. Josh produced the seminal Lord of the Rings documentary, RINGERS. He recently produced THE WHITE ORCHID, starring Olivia Thirlby. As a producer and festival programmer, Josh works year round to support independent film.
Shaz Bennett
On her way to being a full time filmmaker and writer for television (THE GLADE) – Shaz Bennett worked in a fish cannery; bartended at a mafia bar; was a film programmer at Sundance, LA Film Festival and AFI FEST; peddled liquor undercover; developed films for actor Giancarlo Esposito; and was Cher’s stand-in for a day. Her films and performance pieces have been seen all over the United States, Mexico, Canada, South Africa and Europe. Shaz has been on the selection committee for the IDA and Cinema Eye for the past five years. Her latest film ALASKA IS A DRAG screened in over 65 film festivals and sold in the US and United Kingdom.
TEXAS COMPETITION JURY
Lindsey Ashley
Since 2005, Lindsey Ashley has been on staff at the Texas Film Commission helping to spread the word about all of the resources available for creative industries in Texas. As a Production Consultant and Location Scout she has worked closely with Writers, Producers, Directors, Production Designers and Cinematographers to find Texas-based filming destinations on projects that range from summer blockbusters to art films. She is a graduate of The University of Texas at Austin with a degree in Radio, Television and Film.
Bart Weiss
Bart Weiss is an award-winning filmmaker, educator and director/founder of the Dallas VideoFestival and produces “Frame of Mind” on KERA TV. He was President of AIVF and was a video columnist for The Dallas Morning News and United Features Syndicate.
Yen Tan
Yen Tan premiered the critically-acclaimed PIT STOP at Sundance 2013. The film won the 2013 Dallas International Film Festival’s Texas Grand Jury Prize sponsored by Panavision. It was nominated for a John Cassavetes Awards at the 2014 Independent Spirit Awards. The film has acquired distribution worldwide. His previous feature, CIAO (2008), was released theatrically and was a Queer Lion contender at Venice Film Festival. He currently lives in Austin and also works as a graphic designer, where he is known for his key art of several prominent independent films that screened at Cannes, Toronto, Berlinale, SXSW, and Sundance.
SHORTS COMPETITION JURY
Clint Bowie
Clint Bowie is the program director of the New Orleans Film Society, the non-profit responsible for the annual New Orleans Film Festival (now in its 25th year). He previously worked with the Northwest Film Center and the Portland International Film Festival and has served on juries at Starz Denver, Crossroads, and UNO.
Matthew Campbell
Matthew Campbell is the Denver Film Society’s head programmer for festivals and special events, including the Starz Denver Film Festival, Stanley Film Festival and Women+Film VOICES Film Festival. He has previously worked for the Sundance Film Festival, Los Angeles Film Festival and the Palm Springs International Film Festival.
Kat Candler
Kat Candler’s award winning films including HELLION and BLACK METAL have screened at Sundance, Los Angeles Film Festival, San Francisco International Film Festival, Austin Film Festival, SXSW, Slamdance, Florida Film Festival and Chicago International Children’s Film Festival. Candler is a film Lecturer at the University of Texas. BLACK METAL was the 2013 Dallas International Film Festival’s Short Grand Jury Prize winner.
Passes and Tickets
DIFF passes are on sale at the online Prekindle box office at www.DallasFilm.org and range from $125 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 & Gala on April 3, 2014, 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
Individual tickets and passes can be purchased at the Prekindle Main Box Office in Mockingbird station, and online at www.DallasFilm.org.
##
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 3 – 13, 2014, 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.
2014 CONFIRMED SPONSORS: ABCO; AeroMexico; Akin Gump Strauss Hauer and Feld, LLP; Alamo DraftHouse DFW; Allied Integrated Marketing; The Angelika Film Center; The Arthur E. Benjamin Foundation; Austin Film Festival; AutoNation; Buy LED’s; Camp TV; CBS 11; CentralTrack.com; Cinemark USA, Inc.; City of Richardson; Colibri Promotions; Consilient Hospitality; The Crow Collection of Asian Art; Commerce House; CultureMap Dallas; Dallas Convention and Visitors Bureau; Dallas Film Commission; D Magazine; Dallas Morning News; Dallas Museum of Art; Dallas Tourism Public Improvement District; Deep Eddy Vodka; Deterling Hawkes; Division of Film and Media Arts – SMU; DJ Darren Russell; Downtown Dallas, Inc.; Dublin Bottling Works; Earth Day Texas; El Creative; Embrey Family Foundation; Flagship Marketing; The Front Room; Frost Bank; FunFlicks; FUNimation; Gemini Light Sound & Video; Gilley’s Dallas; High West Distillery; Hilton Anatole; Holiday Inn Central Park Cities; Hong Kong Economic & Trade Office; Hyatt Regency Dallas; Informate; In-N-Out Burger; Jorge’s Tex Mex; KD College; Klyde Warren Park; Lascaux Films; The Lumen; Lufthansa Airlines; Lush Catering Co.; Lyft Dallas; Marcs Clips; Mary Kay Inc.; Matthews Southwest; Media 2-Way; Mockingbird Station; Modern Luxury Media; Modia; Montage Media; Movie Magic; Murray Media; My Sweet Charity; The Naked Grape; Nasher Sculpture Center; NYLO Southside; Omni Dallas; One Arts Plaza; Panavision; Paper City; Pencilneck; Perot Museum of Nature and Science; Post Asylum; Prekindle; Pretty Good Pictures; Pure Evil Sound & Music Design; Radar Creative Studio; Ralston Outdoor Advertising; ReelFX; SAGIndie; Selig Polyscope Company; Stella Artois; Studio Movie Grill; Texas Association of Film Commissions; Texas Capital Bank; Texas Commission for the Arts; Texas Film Commission; TXU Energy; Twin Peaks; Univision TV; Univision Radio; Uptown Latino; Urban Taco; Well Go USA Entertainment; Which Wich
No comments:
Post a Comment