Before Dallas Star Award presentations to Larry Hagman (posthumously), William Friedkin, Sherry Lansing and Mary Elizabeth Winstead, we screened highlights from their careers. Take a look at moments from their spectacular careers in these tribute reels compiled by our good friend and editor Gordon Smith.

TRIBUTE TO LARRY HAGMAN

TRIBUTE TO WILLIAM FRIEDKIN

TRIBUTE TO MARY ELIZABETH WINSTEAD

Click here to watch our tribute to Mary Elizabeth Winstead.

Each selection in the Cinemark Classic Series has been digitally restored, highlighting unseen dimensions and giving new clarity to highly regarded thrillers, Westerns, dramas and more.

Films in the series are screened at Cinemark’s theaters in Allen, Dallas, Denton, Frisco, Grapevine, Grand Prairie, Mansfield, Plano (Plano West and Legacy), and Rockwall.

Visit Cinemark’s website or individual theaters for tickets.

 A TEACHER receives $10,000 Grand Jury Prize for Narrative Feature

GOD LOVES UGANDA receives $10,000 Grand Jury Prize for Documentary Feature

PIT STOP receives $30,000 camera rental package Grand Jury Prize for the Panavision Texas Competition

TOMLINSON HILL receives $10,000 Embrey Family Foundation Silver Heart Award

BLACK METAL, THE FIRST HOPE AND HEAD OVER HEELS are named winners for Best Short Film, Student Short and the REEL FX Animated Short

Audience Awards go to THE KINGS OF SUMMER for Narrative Feature, THE CRASH REEL for Documentary and HEAD OVER HEELS for Short Film

Dallas, TX, April 13, 2013 – The Dallas International Film Festival presented by AutoNation Volkswagen Dealers announced its 2013 award winners at its annual gala, The Dallas Film Society Honors presented by the Arthur E. Benjamin Foundation. In an evening where independent film and filmmakers were celebrated for groundbreaking work, the award winners also took home cash and prizes totaling more than $100,000.

Two provocative films took top honors in the Narrative and Documentary Feature competitions. Hannah Fidell’s intense drama A TEACHER won the narrative category and Roger Ross Williams’ GOD LOVES UGANDA won in the documentary category.

The Narrative competition jury also gave Special Mentions to Matt Johnson’s debut feature film THE DIRTIES and Xavier Dolan’s LAURENCE ANYWAYS. Jessica Vale’s SMALL SMALL THING received a Documentary Feature Special Mention.

A Dallas-based festival is going to have strong contenders in the Texas Competition and the Texas Grand Jury saw several powerful films from across the state. In the end, it was PIT STOP, directed by Yen Tan and written by Tan and David Lowery that took home the $30,000 camera rental package courtesy of Panavision. The jury also gave a Special Mention for Ensemble Cast to Sean H. A. Gallagher’s GOOD NIGHT.

For the third year, Lauren Embrey presented the $10,000 Silver Heart Award courtesy of the Embrey Family Foundation. Inspired by the film’s courage and the need to necessitate change, Embrey said TOMLINSON HILL and its director Lisa Kaselak won the award as it most represented a filmmaker’s fearless storytelling and dedication to fighting injustices and creating social change for the improvement of humanity.

Kat Candler’s BLACK METAL won the Grand Jury Prize in the Shorts Competition while Robert Machoian’s MOVIES MADE FROM HOME #6 and #15 and Manuel Branaa’s BOWL FOR FUN AND HEALTH received Special Jury Prizes in that category.

Jeremy David White’s THE FIRST HOPE was awarded the Student Short Grand Jury Prize and Timothy Reckart’s HEAD OVER HEELS won the Animated Short Grand Jury Prize presented by Reel FX.

The winners of the Grand Jury Prizes for all the competitions will each receive Movie Magic Budgeting and Scheduling software bundles from Entertainment Partners.

This year’s Audience Award winners were Jordan Vogt-Roberts’ THE KINGS OF SUMMER in the Narrative Feature category, returning DIFF filmmaker Lucy Walker’s THE CRASH REEL for Documentary Feature and Timothy Reckart’s HEAD OVER HEELS in Shorts.

Presented by TXU Energy’s Sydney Seiger, director of brand management and marketing, cash grants for the TXU Energy “Light Up the Red Carpet” Student Film Contest were handed out to students from both high schools and colleges. In both divisions, prize money in the form of scholarship funds is split evenly between the student and the school’s audio-visual department. Taylor Martin’s DAY IN, DAY OUT won the grand prize of $7,500 for Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in Dallas; Malak Abdallahi’s POSITIVE VIBES took the first place prize of $3,000 for Fossil Ridge High School; while Rachel Cocke’s THE ELECTRICITY BETWEEN US won a community choice award for Wakeland High School. Robert Ochoa and Baylor University will share the $7,500 award for THE GIANTS IN THE SKY; Samantha Gipson and the Art Institute of Dallas will share the $3,000 first place for THE MAKEOVER; and Jeremy Williams and Northlake College were awarded the $1,000 community choice prize for SPIRITS.

For presenting sponsor, Arthur E. Benjamin, The Dallas Film Society Honors was the culmination of a Festival in which he dedicated his sponsorship to the memory of his late friend, the beloved Larry Hagman.  Benjamin also premiered his own film CHAMPION at the Festival and was so moved by Steven Bernstein’s DECODING ANNIE PARKER starring Helen Hunt that he publicly vowed to help take the film worldwide when he saw it earlier in the week, thrilling the filmmakers and audience alike. A great success story for DIFF. Said Benjamin: “Annie Parker’s story is not just entertaining, moving, funny, heart-wrenching and uplifting, but it is a cinematic achievement that needs to be told to every human on the planet.”

Any soiree in this city would not be complete without a mention of the Dallas-shot television series “Dallas” and of beloved late Texas actor Larry Hagman. Dallas Film Society CEO Lee Papert introduced Ken Topolsky, producer of the series, to present the first of the evening’s Dallas Star Awards to Hagman. Known around the world for his role as the iconic oilman J.R. Ewing on Dallas as well as Captain Tony Nelson on “I Dream of Jeannie,” Hagman was also a dedicated philanthropist. In 2012, Hagman began the Larry Hagman Foundation, saying that it was “time that J.R., who took all that money from oil, and Larry, who took all that money he made from J.R., to give back to Dallas.”

To further honor Hagman and his 62-year-long career, Ryan Trimble, a representative of State Representative Dan Branch’s office, read a resolution from the Texas House of Representatives that a tribute be made to Hagman and “that this memory of his talent as an artist and generosity as a human being continue to inspire his fellow Texans.”

The charming Mary Elizabeth Winstead (SMASHED, SKY HIGH, SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD, GRINDHOUSE, LIVE FREE OR DIE HARD), was next to receive the Dallas Shining Star Award, and expressed, “I’m a little embarrassed by the riches that you’ve bestowed upon me since I’ve been here – such great hospitality. Thank you very much.”

The night was capped with the Dallas Star awards presented to Academy Award Winner William Friedkin (THE EXORCIST, THE FRENCH CONNECTION) and Sherry Lansing (FATAL ATTRACTION, THE ACCUSED, TITANIC).

Val Kilmer presented Friedkin’s award for his breadth of work and powerful storytelling ability. Lansing is recognized as a pioneer after arriving in Hollywood in the late 1960s when few women worked behind the scenes, ultimately becoming the first women president of a major studio. Though each accepted individually, they couldn’t help but acknowledge the other in their speeches, as they’ve been married for more than 20 years.

“When I was 30 years old, I saw a film called THE SORCERER, and I told my friend if I could only make a film, or be part of a film, like that someday, then I would know my career in the movie business had been worthwhile,” she said, speaking of the 1977 thriller directed by Friedkin.

“Sherry Lansing and William Friedkin epitomize the beautiful art of film,” noted James Faust, creative director of DIFF. “They were inspired by film, committed their own careers to the art, and now inspire others to do the same. The entire night was about the inspiration that the art of film produces. The Dallas Film Society could not be more pleased with the outcome of the Festival and the Honors.”

JURY AWARDS:

Narrative Feature: A TEACHER

Dir:  Hannah Fidell

Special Mention: THE DIRTIES

Special Mention: LAURENCE ANYWAYS

Documentary Feature: GOD LOVES UGANDA

Dir: Roger Ross Williams

Special Mention: SMALL SMALL THING

PANAVISION Texas Filmmaker Award: PIT STOP

Dir: Yen Tan

Special Mention, Ensemble Cast: GOOD NIGHT

Silver Heart Award: TOMLINSON HILL

Dir: Lisa Kaselak

Grand Jury Prize Short: BLACK METAL

Dir: Kat Candler

Special Mention Short: MOVES MADE FROM HOME #6 & #15

Dir:  Robert Machoian

Special Mention Short: BOWL FOR FUN AND HEALTH

Grand Jury Prize for Student Short: THE FIRST HOPE

Dir: Jeremy David White

Grand Jury Prize, Animated Short:  HEAD OVER HEELS

Dir: Timothy Reckart

AUDIENCE AWARDS

NARRATIVE:  THE KINGS OF SUMMER

DIR: Jordan Vogt-Roberts

Cast:  Alison Brie, Nick Offerman, Mary Lynn Rajskub

DOCUMENTARY: THE CRASH REEL

DIR: Lucy Walker

SHORT: HEAD OVER HEELS

DIR: Timothy Reckart

TXU ENERGY “Light Up the Red Carpet” VIDEO CONTEST WINNERS FOR HIGH SCHOOLS:

Grand Prize winner ($7,500 prize) – DAY IN, DAY OUT

DIR: Taylor Martin, student at Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in Dallas

First Place winner ($3,000 prize) – POSTIVE VIBES

DIR: Malak Abdallahi, student at Fossil Ridge High School

Community Choice winner ($1,000 prize) – THE ELECTRICITY BETWEEN US

DIR: Rachel Cocke, student at Wakeland High School

TXU ENERGY “Light Up the Red Carpet” VIDEO CONTEST WINNERS FOR COLLEGES:

Grand Prize winner ($7,500 prize) – THE GIANTS IN THE SKY

DIR: Robert Ochoa, student at Baylor University

First Place winner ($3,000 prize) – THE MAKEOVER

DIR: Samantha Gipson, student at the Art Institute of Dallas

Community Choice winner ($1,000 prize) – SPIRITS

DIR: Jeremy Williams, student at Northlake College

2013 DIFF JURY MEMBERS

NARRATIVE FEATURE JURY includes:

Mynette Louie

Mynette Louie won the 2013 Independent Spirit Awards’ Piaget Producers Award and was one of Ted Hope’s “21 Brave Thinkers of Truly Free Film.” Her credits include CALIFORNIA SOLO (Sundance 2012), STONES IN THE SUN (Tribeca 2012), CHILDREN OF INVENTION (Sundance 2009), ARCADIA (Berlin 2012), and MUTUAL APPRECIATION (SXSW 2005).

Lou Taylor Pucci

Lou Taylor Pucci received awards at the Sundance and Berlin film festivals for his performance in THUMBSUCKER.  Pucci’s credits also include the current EVIL DEAD and THE STORY OF LUKE, THE MUSIC NEVER STOPPED, THE ANSWER MAN, CARRIERS, EMPIRE FALLS, FAST FOOD NATION, SOUTHLAND TALES, PERSONAL VELOCITY and “Girls.”

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE JURY includes:

Christian Gaines

Since 1988, Christian has been administrative director of the American Pavilion in Cannes, film programmer at the Sundance Film Festival, director of the Hawaii International Film Festival and director of Festivals at the American Film Institute. Currently he’s a festival specialist for the Withoutabox division of IMDb.com, an Amazon.com company.

Turner Ross

Turner Ross is a documentary filmmaker whose works include 45365 (SXSW Best Documentary Feature, 2009) and TCHOUPITOULAS (Dallas International Film Festival Documentary Feature Grand Jury Prize winner, 2012).

Bill Young

Bill Young is vice president of Television Programming and responsible for selecting programs and developing KERA’s broadcast schedule. In addition, Young sits on a number of PBS advisory panels, including the PBS Children’s Advisory Panel and the Top 20 Market Programmer’s Advisory Group, which help evaluate and set PBS network programming and policy agendas.

TEXAS COMPETITION Jury includes:

Joe Dishner

Joe Dishner has worked in the film industry for more than 30 years. His feature film line producer and unit production manager credits include: THE MOTHMAN PROPHECIES, A IMPLE PLAN, THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE (2003), THE EVENING STAR, HOUSEGUEST, and THE BIG GREEN. His television credits include: “Starkweather,” ‘Murder in the Heartland,” “Two for Texas,” “The Ghost Whisperer,” “The Good Guys,” and the TNT – TV series “Dallas.” He was a founding member of the weekly newspaper The Austin Chronicle and is a member of the Texas Motion Picture Alliance and the Directors Guild of America.

Ya’ke Smith

Known for his unflinching and veracious style of storytelling, Ya’Ke Smith is a rising voice in independent cinema. His films have screened and won awards at more than 90 film festivals. WOLF, his feature-film directorial debut, premiered at the SXSW Film Festival and has won awards at the Dallas International, Little Rock, Sidewalk, Martha’s Vineyard African-American and Urbanworld Film Festivals. Ya’Ke teaches film at the University of Texas at Arlington.

Adam Montgomery

As senior manager of Programming for the Sundance Film Festival, Adam Montgomery oversees the viewing and selection process for the more than 12,000 submissions submitted to the Festival each year. Additionally, he lends his passion for cult and genre filmmaking to the programming of the Festival’s Park City at Midnight section.

SHORTS COMPETITION Jury includes:

Mark Bell

A veteran of the film festival circuit, Film Threat owner Mark Bell is furry, cuddly and near-sighted. When not causing film festival-related trouble, Mark presides over FilmThreat.com, focusing coverage on the indie, underground and film festival favorite films that are often overlooked (but should never be underestimated).

David Lowery

David Lowery is a filmmaker from Texas. His most recent feature, AIN’T THEM BODIES SAINTS, premiered in competition at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival. His previous films, ST. NICK and PIONEER, have screened in festivals around the world. He is an alumni of the Berlinale Talent Campus and the Sundance Screenwriting Labs, and in 2011 was named one of the 25 New Faces of Indie Film.

Michael Mohan

Michael Mohan directed the feature film SAVE THE DATE (Sundance, Dallas International Film Festival 2012) and the short film EX-SEX (Sundance, Dallas International Film Festival 2011). Prior to this, he directed music videos for Fitz and the Tantrums, Minus the Bear, and Sea Wolf, as well as the micro-budget feature ONE TOO MANY MORNINGS (Sundance 2010).

ANIMATION COMPETITION JURY includes:

REEL FX Entertainment – Funded in 1993, Reel FX is an award-winning creative studio where accomplished artists and preeminent technology converge to produce extraordinary creative solutions. Their services include visual effects, animation, design and creative editorial.

 SILVER HEART JURY includes:

Embrey Family Foundation – The Foundation was established in 2004 for the purpose of supporting programs that advance human rights, healthy communities, the environment, education and creativity.

The seventh annual Dallas International Film Festival kicked off on April 4, 2013, at the new LOOK Cinemas with a pink carpet by Mary Kay and films that included JAVA HEAT, THE CRASH REEL, STILL MINE, KON-TIKI and 8 ½.

Highlights of the Festival included the strong, diverse line up of films programmed by artistic director James Faust and senior programmer Sarah Harris that saw many of the films at rush line within hours of the Festival opening. More than 1,400 volunteers helped the Dallas Film Society produce the Festival – everything from red carpets to behind-the-scenes work — that received high praise not only from attendees but also from industry insiders.

With 11 days of feature films, documentaries, shorts, parties, events, panel discussions and awards, the Festival had too many shining moments for one person to experience in a week and a half. In fact, so much happened that we don’t even know about all of it.

This post maps out as many avenues to Festival memories as possible — to help you bookmark the film you missed, continue to discover new filmmakers or catch up on who walked the red carpet.

FILMMAKER STORIES

Before the Festival started, DIFF’s News Editor, Chad Jones, and his team of writers watched many films and interviewed multiple filmmakers. The news team sought to discover unexpected and sometimes unusual connections between DIFF’s movies and to uncover how the filmmakers approached their work. The result: A series of interviews that let the filmmakers talk to DIFF audiences, and feature stories on subjects like sports, war, families and more.

See all the articles in the Filmmaker Stories section of the DIFF13 site.
Or view them by Features, Docs, or Shorts.

DIFF VIDEO INTERVIEWS

As soon as our filmmakers landed in Dallas, we swept them off to the DIFF Studios at the Hotel Palomar. Our Video Guy, Mike Brown, and a team of interviewers and volunteers captured them on camera. In these interviews, you’ll hear from the filmmakers about their films, about the subjects they cover and about the multifaceted careers of our Star Award Honorees.

Click here to watch the DIFF Filmmaker interviews.

DIFF PHOTOGRAPHY

Our crack photography unit, led by eagle-eye Tim Valis, fanned out over the Festival to capture each moment for posterity. If there was a red carpet, our photographers were there. If there was a Gala, our photographers were there. If there was a filmmaker conversation, our photographers were there. We have hundreds of photos, neatly organized in our photo galleries by Festival Day. And there are even more on our Flickr account. Don’t miss a moment of the Festival.

Click here for DIFF Galleries. See even more on Flickr.

Each selection in the series has been digitally restored, highlighting unseen dimensions and giving new clarity to highly regarded thrillers, Westerns, dramas and more. Films in the series will be screened at Cinemark’s theaters in Allen, Dallas, Denton, Frisco, Grapevine, Grand Prairie, Mansfield, Plano (Plano West and Legacy), and Rockwall. Each movie will show twice on the date of its screening, usually one matinee and one evening showing.

We’re looking forward to seeing movie lovers at screenings all over DFW. Visit Cinemark’s website to purchase tickets, or you can buy them at individual theaters.

THE DALLAS FILM SOCIETY PRESENTS CINEMARK’S CLASSIC FILM SERIES

April 24: RAGING BULL
May 1: THE GRADUATE
May 8: ALIEN
May 15: BLAZING SADDLES
May 22: CLEOPATRA

PREVIOUS SCREENINGS
Aug. 23: JAWS
Aug. 30: HIGH NOON
Sept. 6: DR. ZHIVAGO
Sept. 13: CHINATOWN
Sept. 20: BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI
Sept. 27: THE AFRICAN QUEEN
Oct. 10: GONE WITH THE WIND
Oct. 17: MARY POPPINS
Oct. 25: 20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA
Oct. 31: YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN
Nov. 7: THE GREAT ESCAPE
NOV. 14: THE STING
NOV. 28: MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET
DEC. 5: A CHRISTMAS STORY
DEC. 12: HOME ALONE
DEC.19: IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE
Jan. 16: THE SOUND OF MUSIC
Jan 23: TO CATCH A THIEF
Jan 30: BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID
Feb 6: SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER
March 6: FORREST GUMP
March 13: WEST SIDE STORY
March 20: LAWRENCE OF ARABIA
March 27: AMERICAN BEAUTY
April 3: CASABLANCA
April 10: THE GODFATHER

Dallas, TX, April 13, 2013 – The Dallas International Film Festival presented by AutoNation Volkswagen Dealers announced its 2013 award winners at its annual gala, The Dallas Film Society Honors presented by the Arthur E. Benjamin Foundation. In an evening where independent film and filmmakers were celebrated for groundbreaking work, the award winners also took home cash and prizes totaling more than $100,000.

Two provocative films took top honors in the Narrative and Documentary Feature competitions. Hannah Fidell’s intense drama A TEACHER won the narrative category and Roger Ross Williams’ GOD LOVES UGANDA won in the documentary category.

The Narrative competition jury also gave Special Mentions to Matt Johnson’s debut feature film THE DIRTIES and Xavier Dolan’s LAURENCE ANYWAYS. Jessica Vale’s SMALL SMALL THING received a Documentary Feature Special Mention.

A Dallas-based festival is going to have strong contenders in the Texas Competition and the Texas Grand Jury saw several powerful films from across the state. In the end, it was PIT STOP, directed by Yen Tan and written by Tan and David Lowery that took home the $30,000 camera rental package courtesy of Panavision. The jury also gave a Special Mention for Ensemble Cast to Sean H. A. Gallagher’s GOOD NIGHT.

For the third year, Lauren Embrey presented the $10,000 Silver Heart Award courtesy of the Embrey Family Foundation. Inspired by the film’s courage and the need to necessitate change, Embrey said TOMLINSON HILL and its director Lisa Kaselak won the award as it most represented a filmmaker’s fearless storytelling and dedication to fighting injustices and creating social change for the improvement of humanity.

Kat Candler’s BLACK METAL won the Grand Jury Prize in the Shorts Competition while Robert Machoian’s MOVIES MADE FROM HOME #6 and #15 and Manuel Branaa’s BOWL FOR FUN AND HEALTH received Special Jury Prizes in that category.

Jeremy David White’s THE FIRST HOPE was awarded the Student Short Grand Jury Prize and Timothy Reckart’s HEAD OVER HEELS won the Animated Short Grand Jury Prize presented by Reel FX.

The winners of the Grand Jury Prizes for all the competitions will each receive Movie Magic Budgeting and Scheduling software bundles from Entertainment Partners.

This year’s Audience Award winners were Jordan Vogt-Roberts’ THE KINGS OF SUMMER in the Narrative Feature category, returning DIFF filmmaker Lucy Walker’s THE CRASH REEL for Documentary Feature and Timothy Reckart’s HEAD OVER HEELS in Shorts.

 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 on 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.

Announces Opening Night

presented by Arthur E. Benjamin Foundation

JAVA HEAT, THE CRASH REEL, STILL MINE, KON-TIKI and 8 1/2

Start Festival’s 7^th Year

SWEETWATER, DECODING ANNIE PARKER and 42 Named as Centerpiece Films

Dallas, TX, March 21, 2013 – The Dallas International Film Festival presented by AutoNation Volkswagen Dealers announced today that JAVA HEAT, THE CRASH REEL, STILL MINE, KON-TIKI and 8 ½ will all screen as part of the Festival’s Opening Night and Gala presented by the Arthur E. Benjamin Foundation. DIFF 2013’s Opening Night is being held on Thursday, April 4, at the new LOOK Cinemas. Following a Red-Carpet entrance of community and film luminaries, five Opening Night films that reflect the diversity of film at the Festival will be screened for the night’s guests.

“The 2013 Festival is proving to be one of excitement and diversity. Everything from Italian classics to extreme sports to unbelievable tales of journey and survival—there is something for everyone on this night,” said James Faust, Artistic Director of the Dallas International Film Festival.  “LOOK Cinemas is an amazing theatre. Having our opening night festivities there will showcase the best in screening technology and offer all the glitz and glam that’s became a customary with these type of events.”

“LOOK Cinemas is thrilled to help open the 2013 Dallas International Film Festival. It’s an honor to be a part of one of Dallas’ keystone public events.  LOOK Cinemas joins Dallas Film Society’s commitment to the art of film, and we’re pleased to present the films with a little fun and fine dining as well,” said Tom Stephenson, CEO, LOOK Cinemas.

Opening Night Films

DIFF’s Opening Night Films are an appetizing sample of the diversity that this year’s Festival has on the menu at LOOK Cinemas.

Starring Mickey Rourke, Kellan Lutz, and Ario Bayu, JAVA HEAT is written, directed and produced by the father-son team of Conor and Rob Allyn. This action-thriller about two cops who team up to thwart a terrorist plot to steal the Sultan’s royal treasure will experience its World Premiere at DIFF. Star Kellan Lutz will be in attendance opening night.

Director Lucy Walker’s THE CRASH REEL is an intimate and eye-popping look at U.S. champion snowboarder Kevin Pearce’s rise and fall and ultimate rise again. Walker uses years of vérité footage to expose the excitement, appeal, and the high stakes of participating in extreme-action sports.

STILL MINE is director Michael McGowan’s exquisitely crafted and deeply affecting true story about a couple in their twilight years who fight for their right to live their lives together as they see fit.

Norwegian explorer Thor Heyerdahl crossed the Pacific Ocean in a balsa wood raft in 1947, together with five men, to prove that South Americans already back in pre-Columbian times could have crossed the sea and settle on Polynesian Islands. After gathering financing for the trip with loans and donations, they set off on an epic 101-day-long journey across 8,000 kilometers, all while the world was watching. KON-TIKI tells about the origin of Heyerdahl’s idea and the evens surrounding the group’s voyage.

Influential Italian director Federico Fellini’s 8 1/2 rounds out the film offerings for opening night with a 50^th Anniversary Screening. Part of the Festival’s spotlight on Italian films, the 1963 avant-garde film won two Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language and Best Costume Design and is considered a true classic. The film centers on Guido Anselmi, a renowned director, struggling to reconcile his artistic and personal demons.

Opening Day Festivities

As part of the opening festivities, the Arthur E. Benjamin Foundation has partnered with The Larry Hagman Foundation, Dallas Film Society and LOOK Cinemas to present a matinee screening of the animated film THE CROODS for more than 100 elementary and middle school students from Dallas.  To enhance their experience, the students will have the opportunity to walk the Red Carpet and to participate in a Q&A with filmmakers following the screening.

“I am grateful for the opportunity for the Arthur E. Benjamin Foundation to sponsor the Dallas International Film Festival for the fourth year in memory of my uncle, Robert S. Benjamin, the late chairman of United Artists,” said Arthur E. Benjamin.

“It is especially personal for me this year in funding a partnership with The Larry Hagman Foundation to remember a great ‘Dallas Point of Light’ by recognizing Mr. Hagman’s works and his contributions to the needy kids of Dallas. Larry was my friend, my mentor and one of those ‘bigger than life personalities’ that touched one’s life and heart in such a way that things are never the same again. We are grateful to remember him in this special way,” concluded Benjamin.

Centerpiece Films

 Three films will be spotlighted during the Festival as this year’s Centerpiece Films. Logan Miller’s SWEETWATER, Steven Bernstein’s DECODING ANNIE PARKER and writer-director Brian Helgeland’s 42 will be screened in DIFF’s coveted Saturday, Tuesday and Thursday Centerpiece slots, respectively.

SWEETWATER stars Ed Harris and January Jones in an old-fashioned, 1800s Western directed by Logan Miller. Against the backdrop of the American Old West, newlyweds struggle to make a living cultivating their patch of land in the magnificent New Mexico countryside, while a powerful landowner and community preacher, Prophet Josiah, makes a play for their property. As he launches his diabolical plot to take their land, an eccentric big-city sheriff comes to town and things soon go from bad to worse, culminating in a jaw dropping, hell-hath-no-fury showdown in this intense, but humorous, film. SWEETWATER will be screened at the Angelika Film Center in Mockingbird Station on Saturday, April 6, at 7 p.m. Prolific character actor, Stephen Root will join co-writers Noah Miller and Logan Miller, director, for this Centerpiece celebration.

DECODING ANNIE PARKER is a feature film by writer/director Steven Bernstein, based on the real lives of two extraordinary women separated by thousands of miles, by circumstance, background and education. Yet their two lives gradually intertwine until a final singular life changing reckoning. It is the story of Annie Parker (played by Samantha Morton) a young woman who loses her mother and sister to breast cancer and when diagnosed with the disease herself, fights back against immeasurable odds and survives. It is also the story of Mary Claire King, the geneticist whose discovery of the BRCA1 gene and its link to breast cancer was one of the most important medical advancements of the 20th century. Cast includes Helen Hunt, Samantha Morton, Aaron Paul, Maggie Grace, Alice Eve, Rashida Jones, Corey Stoll, Ben McKenzie, Bradley Whitford and Richard Schiff. DECODING ANNIE PARKER will be screened at the Angelika

Film Center on Tuesday, April 9, at 7 p.m. Director Steven Bernstein and Annie Parker herself will be in attendance along with Dallas’ own, Johnathan Brownlee, executive producer.

Completing the Centerpiece lineup is the film 42, which represents the jersey number of the great Jackie Robinson. 42 recounts Robinson’s history-making career as the first African-American to play Major League Baseball. Starting as a first baseman for the Brooklyn Dodgers, Robinson broke the baseball color line on April 15, 1947—nearly a decade before racial segregation in the U.S. would be ruled unconstitutional. 42 will be screened on Thursday, April 11, at 7:30 p.m. at the Cinemark West Plano 10.  Sharon Robinson, Jackie Robinson’s daughter, will be attending this Centerpiece screening.

Presented by AutoNation Volkswagen Dealers

Announces List of All Films Screening

During 11-Day Festival

 Dallas, TX, March 11, 2013 – The Dallas International Film Festival presented by

AutoNation Volkswagen Dealers announced today its full list of features and shorts that will be screened through the Festival’s 11-day run (April 4 – 14, 2013).

For the 2013 Festival, more than 160 features, documentaries, shorts and student films representing 28 countries make DIFF truly an international Festival. Of the feature films at the Festival, 11 will see their world premieres and two are North American premieres—all represent some of the best in the art of filmmaking. These films were selected from more than 1,300 submissions from around the world.

The 2013 Festival is featuring one country in particular for its contribution to the art of film: Italy. From classic films to new works, the cinematic achievements of Italian filmmakers are being highlighted as this year’s DIFF cultural spotlight.

“From family-friendly fare featuring girls with their dogs and a cup-stacking contest to challenging documentaries that bring you into the daily lives of some of the world’s most interesting people—well known and unknown alike—the variety of films offered truly define our Festival,” said James Faust, Artistic Director of the Dallas International Film Festival.

“They range from funny and light-hearted to thought-provoking and generation-defining. The one thing these diverse films have in common is that these filmmakers are telling stories with the spirit and creativity that is the hallmark of independent filmmaking,” Faust concluded.

For a full list of films and categories, visit the 2013 DIFF Online Film Guide.

This year, as always, we’ll have a fantastic mix of features, documentaries, shot films, narratives, animation—and almost any other genre or format you can think of. We’re especially proud of our Dallas and Texas filmmakers, and will showcase them prominently.

We’ll have the full schedule for you when the Prekindle Main Box Office opens on March 11 for DFS Members (March 14 for the public). Until then, check out these 10 that we’ve chosen for you:

BUCK WILD (USA)
Director: Tyler Glodt

Set in Texas, BUCK WILD follows four friends whose hunting trip goes horribly, gruesomely awry after they accidentally shoot the deer lease’s owner. While covering their tracks, the boys get into even more of a mess that includes conniving cops, eccentric New York gang bangers, a seductress named Candy and a growing plague of zombies.

THE DIRTIES (Canada)
Director: Matt Johnson

After years of being picked on at school, best friends Matt and Owen decide to make a revenge fantasy movie about their bullies. But what starts out as a funny and creative way to cope with their daily abuse starts to become an actual plan for Matt who wants to make their lighthearted fiction into a violent reality.

GOD LOVES UGANDA (USA)
Director: Roger Ross Williams

GOD LOVES UGANDA reveals how various pastors and politicians, both in the US and abroad, are trying to convert Ugandans to fundamentalist Christianity, complete with anti-gay views and policies. With so much of Uganda’s population under the age of 15, these influential powers are preaching to vulnerable minds with violent consequences. This film gives an enthralling look at a movement that is both a threat to human rights and a contradiction to the Christian message of love thy neighbor.

JUMP (Ireland)
Director: Kieron J. Walsh

JUMP follows the intersecting lives of four very different twenty-somethings as fate brings them together on New Year’s Eve. United by their connection to a crime boss and the disappearance of an innocent man, Greta, Pearse, Johnny and Marie are dangling on the edge of legality and redemption, and their actions will have consequences for them all.

MUD (USA)
Director: Jeff Nichols

MUD is an adventure about two boys, Ellis and his friend Neckbone, who find a man named Mud hiding out on an island in the Mississippi. MUD describes fantastic scenarios—he killed a man in Texas and vengeful bounty hunters are coming to get him. He says he is planning to meet and escape with the love of his life, Juniper, who is waiting for him in town. Skeptical but intrigued, Ellis and Neckbone agree to help him. It isn’t long until Mud’s visions come true and their small town is besieged by a beautiful girl with a line of bounty hunters in tow.

PIT STOP (USA)
Director: Yen Tan

Filmed and set in Texas, PIT STOP paints a portrait of multiple lovers recovering from loss. After an affair with a married man, Gabe finds solace in the enduring love of his daughter and ex-wife, while on the other side of town, Ernesto spends his free time in the hospital caring for a past love trapped in a coma. This subtle and moving film captures the enduring hope of people temporarily stalled on the highway of life.

RENOIR (France)
Director: Gilles Bourdos

Set in the French Riviera during the summer of 1915, RENOIR paints a portrait of the last years in the life of famous impressionist Pierre-Auguste Renoir. When the artist’s son Jean returns home after being wounded in World War I, he finds his father has a new muse, Andree. Her vibrant presence breathes new life into both men.

RISING FROM ASHES (USA/Rwanda/UK/South Africa)
Director: T.C. Johnstone

In RISING FROM THE ASHES, cycling legend Jock Boyer moves to Rwanda to help a rag tag group of cyclists pursue their dream of representing their country at the 2012 Olympics. Coached by the first American to ride in the Tour de France, the aspiring athletes are also survivors of the 1994 Rwandan genocide. Narrated by Forest Whitaker, this moving documentary shows how hope breaks away from sorrow.

STACKER (USA)
Director: Jeremi Mattern

Begun in California in the early 1980s, competitive cup stacking is a lesser-known but growing sport. In STACKER, director Jeremi Mattern documents the fast-paced lives of young athletes as they train for and compete in the annual World Sport Stacking Championships in Denver, Colorado, with more than 300 competitors from across the globe battling it out in lightning-quick rounds with the odds quite literally stacked against them.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS MAY APPLY (USA)
Director: Cullen Hoback

We’ve all clicked “Agree” on a website or smartphone app without reading the way-too-wordy extended policy. But have you wondered what exactly you’re agreeing to? The documentary TERMS AND CONDITIONS MAY APPLY ventures into the fascinating and frightening rabbit hole of high-tech communications and privacy policies and will live you wondering if there is such a thing as a private life online.

Passes and Tickets

DIFF passes are now on sale at the online Prekindle box office at www.DallasFilm.org and 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 & 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

Starting March 14, individual tickets and passes can be purchased at the Prekindle Main Box Office in Mockingbird station, and online at www.DallasFilm.org.