What Filmmakers Say

“So far in my travels, Dallas has been the most filmmaker friendly. The crowds are the best. The organization is the best. The hospitality is the best.”

—SAVE THE DATE director Michael Mohan, 2012

“It means a lot to me. … I thought, heck, Larry Hagman’s here, and it’s Dallas? I’ve got some cowboy boots. Why not?”

—Peter Fonda, awards presenter at DIFF 2011

“The big thing for me is that it’s a showcase for new talent. It’s a venue for people to show their films, and we have a lot of great Texas filmmakers here.”

—Bill Paxton

“It feels pretty fantastic. This is an award that is bestowed upon us by our peers in the industry. And that’s really the highest level of compliment for us, because these guys know their stuff, and they’re often hard to please. … Even the past recipients are heroes of mine, like Pete Docter (UP), Brad Bird (THE INCREDIBLES) And Henry Selick (CAROLINE) and Chris Wedge (ICE AGE). These guys are very important players in our world, so to be standing in that company is huge and humbling at the same time.”

—Dean DeBlois, director-writer of HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON on receiving the 2011 Tex Avery Award

“To come to a place where people really love moves, where the movies are more important than the industry … it makes me really happy to be in a place like that.”

—Scott Z. Burns, screenwriter (THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM and THE INFORMANT) and recipient of the 2011 Dallas Shining Star Award

“It’s fabulous. The Dallas International Film Festival has meaning to it, because it does push social issues, which means a lot to me. ELEVATE tries to have a social message and tell a great story.”

—Ann Buford, director ELEVATE, winner of the DIFF 2011 Documentary Feature Competition