Tag: dallas international film festival

DALLAS IFF Announces Award Winners

The 2011 DALLAS International Film Festival Announces
Award Winners

JESS + MOSS receives the $25,000 Target Filmmaker Award for Best Narrative Feature

ELEVATE receives the $25,000 Target Filmmaker Award for Best Documentary Feature

FIVE TIME CHAMPION receives the $20,000 in Cash, Goods and Services for the MPS Studios Texas Filmmaker Award

IF A TREE FALLS: A STORY OF THE EARTH LIBERATION FRONT receives the Environmental Visions Award

ZERO PERCENT receives the $10,000 Embrey Family Foundation Silver Heart Award

THE LEGEND OF BEAVER DAM, THE ROBBERY and PATHS OF HATE are named winners for Best Short Film, Student Short and Animated Short

Audience Awards go to SNOWMEN for Narrative Feature, WILD HORSE WILD RIDE for Documentary and THE LEGEND OF BEAVER DAM for Short

For the second year running, the “Dallas Film Society Honors” presented by the Arthur E. Benjamin Foundation provided an elegant forum for the awards presentation at the DALLAS International Film Festival presented by Cadillac. Clay Jeter’s JESS + MOSS was announced as the winner of the unrestricted $25,000 cash prize for the Target Filmmaker Award for Best Narrative Feature and Anne Buford‘s ELEVATE received the unrestricted $25,000 cash prize for the Target Filmmaker Award for Best Documentary Feature. On receiving her award, Buford declared that the $25,000 would be donated back to the SEEDS ACADEMY, the one-of-a-kind boarding school in Senegal for basketball players.

The Narrative Feature competition jury also gave a Special Jury Prize to Dave Boyle’s SURROGATE VALENTINE for Goh Nakamura’s acting and an Honorable Mention for Darragh Byrne’s PARKED.  The documentary competition jury gave a Special Jury Prize to Joseph Mantegna’s NORMAN MAILER: THE AMERICAN.

Legendary actor, director and producer Peter Fonda presented the Target Filmmaker Awards to both the documentary and narrative feature winners. “Having the opportunity to award a filmmaker with a $25,000 cash prize is a significant moment for Target,” said Dustee Tucker Jenkins, Vice President of Communications for Target. “For Peter Fonda to present these awards is a very proud moment for us.  He represents not only classic Hollywood but is an inspirational icon for all budding filmmakers and actors to actively want to realize their dreams.  At Target we are dedicated to highlighting the arts in people’s lives.”

Dallas favorite Larry Hagman flew in to present IF A TREE FALLS: A STORY OF THE EARTH LIBERATION FRONT with the Environmental Visions Award.  As green issues remain very close to Hagman’s heart, this award fits perfectly with his commitment to environmental conservation.  Hagman also presented the winning high school and college students with cash prizes for the TXU Energy “Light Up the Red Carpet Student Film Contest”.  Hagman also spoke of his excitement at returning to Dallas in the near future to start shooting the new pilot for DALLAS.

The stunning Steuben Crystal DALLAS Star Awards, courtesy of Neiman Marcus, were presented to Academy Award-nominated director Steve James (HOOP DREAMS, THE INTERRUPTERS), BAFTA-nominated writer and producer Scott Z. Burns (THE INFORMANT, THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM, AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH), and posthumously to Academy Award winner Horton Foote (TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD, A TRIP TO BOUNTIFUL) for an incredible career that spanned over 50 years.  Foote’s daughter Hallie was on hand to accept the award in memory of her father.  The Texas Avery Animation Award presented by Reel FX Entertainment was given to Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois (HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON, LILO & STITCH).  This marked the first year this award was shared by two recipients but Dean DeBlois accepted the award on behalf of them both as Chris Sanders was unable to attend.  There were standing ovations for each Honoree.

Dallas Film Society President and CEO Tanya Foster said, “This was a really wonderful evening for the Dallas Film Society and the DALLAS International Film Festival.  We showcased the incredible films that have screened at the festival this last week and thanks to the Arthur E. Benjamin Foundation we have the opportunity to put these award winners on a pedestal and congratulate them all for that they have achieved. Filmmaking is such an art and I am constantly in awe of the passion these filmmakers have for projects.  Tonight’s event was our way of giving back to them.”

Berndt Mader’s FIVE TIME CHAMPION was the recipient of MPS Studios’ Texas Filmmaker Award and $20,000 in cash, goods and services. Clay Liford’s WUSS received a Special Jury Prize. The presentation was made by MPS Studios’ Meredith Stephens.
The festival’s first ever $10,000 Silver Heart Award was presented to Tim Skousen’s ZERO PERCENT by Lauren Embrey of the Embrey Family Foundation for the filmmaker’s dedication to fighting injustices and creating social change for the improvement of humanity.  ZERO PERCENT had its world premiere at the festival.

It was a successful night for Jerome Sable as his short THE LEGEND OF BEAVER DAM won the Grand Jury Prize in the Shorts Competition as well as the Audience Award for Best Short. Special Mentions went to Lake Bell’s WORST ENEMY and Kazik Radwanski received a Special Mention for his directing in his film GREEN CRAYONS. The Grand Jury Prize for Student Short went to Johnny Ma’s THE ROBBERY with a Special Mention for Christopher Jarvis’s THE BIRDS UPSTAIRS. Reel FX Entertainment presented the award for Best Animated Short to Damian Nenow’s PATHS OF HATE.

Robert Kirbyson’s SNOWMEN won the Audience Award for Best Narrative, while Alex Dawson and Greg Gricus’s WILD HORSE WILD RIDE won for Best Documentary.

The winners of the Grand Jury Prizes for all the competitions will each receive movie magic budgeting and scheduling software bundles from Entertainment Partners.

Introduced by TXU Energy’s Chief Marketing Officer Michael Grasso, Larry Hagman presented the prizes for the TXU Energy “Light Up the Red Carpet” Student Film Contest. This year the cash grants went to both High Schools and Colleges.  Kassidy Testut’s film LOOKING OUT FOR TEXAS won the $7500 award for Richardson High School, Christian Vasquez’s I WANT TO MAKE YOU HAPPY took the $5000 prize for Booker T. Washington High School and Olivia Pich’s THE AFTERMATH won the $2500 award for Garland High School.  For colleges the prize money was split between the winners and their schools. Katherine Yarbrough of The Art Institute of Dallas share the $7500 award for QUEEN KILL-A-WATT, Aaron Carolina of the University of Texas at Arlington share the $5000 award for AFTER THE DARK while Dylan Voisard and Patrick Perkins of the University of North Texas share the $2500 award for ZEPHYR.

DALLAS IFF Artistic Director James Faust said, “2011 has been a wonderful growth year for us. The fifth year was always pivotal in our minds and I am thrilled because this year Dallas has embraced us like never before.  Ticket sales were up by 25 percent from last year throughout the festival, we have shown 169 films from 27 countries and I really think we have enjoyed much more cultural and ethnic diversity in our programming than ever before.”

JURY AWARDS:
Target Narrative Feature: JESS + MOSS
Dir: Clay Jeter

Target Documentary Feature: ELEVATE
Dir: Anne Buford

Honorable Mention: PARKED
Dir:  Darragh Byrne

Special Jury Prize, Acting: SURROGATE VALENTINE, Goh Nakamura
Dir: Dave Boyle

MPS Studios Texas Filmmaker Award: FIVE TIMES CHAMPION
Dir: Berndt Mader

Special Jury Prize: WUSS
Dir: Clay Liford

Silver Heart Award:ZERO PERCENT
Dir: Tim Skousen

Environmental Visons Grand Jury Prize: IF A TREE FALLS: A STORY OF THE EARTH LIBERATION FRONT
Dir: Marshall Curry

Grand Jury Prize Short: THE LEGEND OF BEAVER DAM
Dir: Jerome Sable

Special Mention Short, Directing: GREEN CRAYONS
Dir:  Kazik Radwanski

Special Mention: WORST ENEMY
Dir: Lake Bell

Grand Jury Prize for Student Short: THE ROBBERY
Dir: Johnny Ma

Special Mention Student Short: THE BIRDS UPSTAIRS
Dir:  Christopher Jarvis

Grand Jury Prize, Animated Short: PATHS OF HATE
Dir: Damian Nenow

AUDIENCE AWARDS

Narrative Feature: SNOWMEN
Dir: Robert Kirbyson

Documentary Feature: WILD HORSE WILD RIDE
Dir:  Alex Dawson, Greg Gricus

Short: THE LEGEND OF BEAVER DAM
Dir:  Jerome Sable

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

$7500 prize winner – LOOKING OUT FOR TEXAS – Richardson High School
Dir: Kassidy Testut
$5000 prize winner– I WANT TO MAKE YOU HAPPY – Booker T. Washington
Dir:  Christian Vasquez.  Writer: Spencer Kenney.  Cinematographers: Amelia Mickelsen and Caryl Shiell
$2500 prize winner– THE AFTERMATH – Garland High School
Dir: Olivia Pich.  Cinematographer: Jeffrey Rivas.  Also Stafford Parrish

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

$7500 prize winner– QUEEN KILL-A-WATT – The Art Institute of Dallas
DIR: Katherine Yarbrough.  Director of Photography: Nik Pavlov
$5000 prize winner– AFTER THE DARK – University of Texas at Arlington
Dir: Aaron Carolina
$2500 prize winner– ZEPHYR – University of North Texas
Creators: Dylan Voisard and Patrick Perkins
Music: William Naley

2011 DALLAS IFF JURY MEMBERS:

NARRATIVE FEATURE JURY includes:
Will Canon– Director of 2010 festival favorite, BROTHERHOOD
Kim Yutani–  Programmer for Sundance Film Festival, Outfest, RAW CUT Filmfest

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE JURY includes:
Stephen Nemeth– Head of Rhino Films and has produced FEAR AND LOATHING IN LAS VEGAS, WHY DO FOOLS FALL IN LOVE and DOGTOWN AND Z-BOYS among many others.
Basil Tsiokos– Documentary Programming Associate for the Sundance Film Festival and consultant for filmmakers and film festivals.  Regular contributor to indieWIRE.

MPS STUDIOS TEXAS COMPETITION JURY includes:
David Gil, Jr. – Film Competition Programmer at the Austin Film Festival
Burton Gilliam– One of Hollywood’s most iconic character actors for 37 years with roles in PAPER MOON, BLAZING SADDLES, HONEYMOON IN VEGAS, FLETCH and many more.
Philip Wuntch– Film Critic of The Dallas Morning News from 1974 until his retirement in 2006. He was the first arts writer in the Dallas media to have the title “film critic”.

ENVIRONMENTAL VISIONS COMPETITION JURY includes:
Rob Ganger– Head of Pollinator Media Group and is currently producing Earth Day Dallas 2011.  Rob is also executive producer of award-winning documentary TRUDELL.
Michael Nash– Director of CLIMATE REFUGEES, the Environmental Visions Grand Jury Prize winner at the 2010 DALLAS IFF.
Troy Stuckey– Professor at the Huffington Department of Earth Sciences at SMU, Dallas

SHORT COMPETITION JURY includes:
Topaz Adizes– Director of short films LAREDO, TEXAS, TRECE ANOS and CITY as well as the feature documentary AMERICANA.
Ryan Silbert– Independent filmmaker and founding partner of Toy Closet Films.  Recent credits include Academy Award winner GOD OF LOVE as well as HOLY ROLLERS and THE GIRL IS IN TROUBLE.

STUDENT COMPETITION JURY includes:
Beth Spitalny–Writer and Director of PROCESSION – a previous DALLAS IFF Grand Jury Prize for Best Student Short.
Chase Whale – Co-founder, owner and Editor-in-Chief of GordonandtheWhale.com

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 fifth annual DALLAS International Film Festival kicked off on March 31, 2011, in the architecturally stunning Dallas Arts District.  For the first time since the festival’s inception the Arts District hosted Opening Night to over 1,000 movie lovers.  Academy Award winner and true beauty, Ann-Margret was honored with the first DALLAS Star Award for 2011.  The evening then focused on an incredible tribute to Founder and Chairman Emeritus Liener Temerlin with a 10-minute reel featuring not only personal comments fromPresident George Bush and President George W. Bush but also the who’s who of business luminaries in Texas.  Ross and Margot Perot were the honorary chairs of the Temerlin tribute.

Highlights of the festival included a fun-filled family day sponsored by Bright Realty at AMC NorthPark, an H3 Celebration promoting heart health by the Baylor Jack and Jane Hamilton Heart and Vascular Hospital in association with the American Heart Association, Mission Foods and designer Abi Ferrin.  Sunday, April 3, was named Latino Day culminating in a beautifully poetic event under the stars at the Nasher Sculpture Center featuring Euforia Live and the festival’s first artist in residence, Rolando Diaz.

Country music legend Jerry Jeff Walker packed theatres with Patrick Tourville’s OK BUCKAROOS before picking up a guitar and wowing an audience with two of his famous tunes.

FilmMatters – a new series of three panels produced by Stephen Nemeth, Melina McKinnon and Susan Thomson – kept audiences gripped as industry professionals from across the nation discussed with a standing room only audience how to promote social change through the art of film.

Michael Cain, Chairman of the DALLAS Film Society comments: “In five years, the DALLAS International Film Festival has been enjoyed by 240,000 people and we have flown in over 1,000 filmmakers to share their art with the city.  In year five, the festival gave away $120,000 worth of prizes and we are thrilled that by opening in a $300,000,000 venue we are putting film on the same pedestal as other leading arts organizations.  With extending the festival reach into Plano and Oak Cliff, we look forward to building on this growth in year six.”

DALLAS IFF’s closing weekend will feature a spotlight on Indian filmmaking along with encore presentations of award winners and sold-out screenings on Saturday, April 9, and Sunday, April 10.  Other highlights will include the official closing night film BURKE AND HARE plus a very special 20th Anniversary screening of HOOK with screenwriter James V. Hart in attendance.

Other notable attendees at this year’s DALLAS International Film Festival included Dennis Quaid, Morgan Spurlock, Ari Graynor, Gil Cates Jr., Lou Taylor Pucci, Summer Glau, Judy Reyes, Andy Tennant, Theodore Shapiro, G.W. Bailey, Glenn Morshower, Drew Waters, Oscar Nunez, Ryan Lee, Constance Marks and James Miller, Garry Brown, Kyle Kirk, Dana Wheeler Nicholson, Betty Buckley, Ryan Lee and Bobby Coleman.

Overall, the 2011 DALLAS International Film Festival showcased 85 features and 84 shorts for a total of 169 films from 27 countries.

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 March 31-April 10, 2011, 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, orvisit www.dallasfilm.org.  The offices of the DALLAS Film Society are located at 3625 North Hall Street, Suite 740, Dallas, TX 75219.

2011 DALLAS International Film Festival presented by Cadillac – Festival Sponsors:  Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP, AVID, Barefoot Wine, Baylor Heart and Vascular Hospital, Bright Realty, Inc., CBS Radio, Colibri Promotions, D Magazine, Dallas Film Commission, Dallas Museum of Art, Dallas Observer, Design Expediting Services International, Inc., eatZi’s Market & Bakery, El Creative, Euforia Live, Faulkner Design Group, Fauxcades Creative Event Design, Forté Public Relations, Fun Flicks Outdoor Movies, Gemini Lighting, Sound & Video, Gordon& The Whale, GrandLuxe Magazine, Highland Park Village Theatre, Joule, A Luxury Collection Hotel, Mahr Images, MetroPCS, Metroplex Cadillac Dealers, Milagro Tequila, Mission Foods, Mockingbird Station, Modern Luxury Dallas, MODIA Home Theater Store, Movie Magic, MPS Studios Dallas, Nasher Sculpture Center, Neiman Marcus, NorthPark Center, Post Asylum, Pure Evil Music & Sound Design, Raze Media, REEL FX ENTERTAINMENT, Red Carpet Crash, Screen International, smartwater, Stella Artois, SYNTHETIC PICTURES, Target, Texas Association of Film Commissions, Texas Film Commission, The Macallan Single Malt Scotch Whisky, The Shops at Legacy, The Texas Theatre, The Trammell and Margaret Crow Collection of Asian Art, Time Warner Cable, TM Advertising, TXU Energy, Univision 23, West Village, WFAA-TV, Whole Foods Market, WRR Classical 101.1 FM, You Plus Dallas.

ABOUT CADILLAC
Cadillac has been a leading luxury auto brand since 1902. In recent years, Cadillac has engineered a historic renaissance led by artful engineering and global expansion. The Metroplex Cadillac Dealers are comprised of eight dealerships throughout North Texas, committed to supporting the artistic talent and achievements in performance and visual arts within the community.  More information on Cadillac and their affiliation with the Arts can be found at metroplexcadillacdealers.com

ABOUT TARGET
Minneapolis-based Target Corporation (NYSE:TGT) serves guests at 1,755 stores in 49 states nationwide and at Target.com. In addition, the company operates a credit card segment that offers branded proprietary credit card products.Since 1946, Target has given 5 percent of its income through community grants and programs; today, that giving equals more than $3 million a week. For more information about Target’s commitment to corporate responsibility, visit Target.com/hereforgood.

BURKE AND HARE Closing Night Film At Dallas International Film Festival

The DALLAS Film Society Honors to Feature
PETER FONDA and LARRY HAGMAN

 Dallas, TX, April 5, 2011 – The DALLAS International Film Festival presented by Cadillac has announced the Closing Night film will be John Landis’ BURKE & HARE.  The screening will take place on April 9 at 8PM at the Texas Theatre in Oak Cliff, Dallas.

Based on the true story about the famous murderers, BURKE AND HARE follows the hapless exploits of these two men as they fall into the highly profitable business of providing cadavers for the medical fraternity in Nineteenth Century Edinburgh, then the centre of medical learning. The one thing they were short of was bodies. The film stars Tom Wilkinson, Tim Curry, Simon Pegg, Andy Serkis, Jessica Hynes and Isla Fisher.

Other Announced Attendees:

PETER FONDA will be attending the DALLAS Film Society Honors on April 8, 2011 to present the Target Filmmaker Awards to the best narrative and documentary feature film as chosen by an independent jury of filmmakers and film professionals. The winner from each category will receive an unrestricted $25,000 cash prize courtesy of Target.

LARRY HAGMAN will also be attending the DALLAS Film Society Honors to present the Environmental Visions Award to the film that best communicates the importance of environmental conservation through the art of film. Known for being incredibly eco-conscious the presentation of this award ties in perfectly with Hagman’s dedication to green issues.

Finally, ANDY TENNANT (director of THE BOUNTY HUNTER, HITCH, SWEET HOME ALABAMA) will be in Dallas on April 6 to speak at the Young Presidents Organization. He will be walking the festival’s red carpet on April 6 at the Angelika Dallas between 6-7PM.

The DALLAS International Film Festival will run March 31 – April 10, 2011. Passes and tickets are currently on sale: available via online (www.dallasfilm.org), phone (214.782.9168) and in person at the FAUXCADES Box Office: 5321 E. Mockingbird Lane, Ste 100, Dallas.

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 March 31-April 10, 2011, 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 http://dallasfilm.org/. The offices of the DALLAS Film Society are located at 3625 North Hall Street, Suite 740, Dallas, TX 75219.

Dennis Quaid & Morgan Spurlock at DALLAS IFF

The DALLAS International Film Festival presented by Cadillac hosted amongst others SOUL SURFER’S Dennis Quaid and documentary director, Morgan Spurlock on the red carpet of April 2, 2011.  Spurlock joined the festival to promote his latest documentary THE GREATEST MOVIE EVER SOLD.

DALLAS International Film Festival Announces New Honorees and More Films

The DALLAS International Film Festival Announces  SCOTT Z. BURNS to receive the DALLAS Shining Star Award

HORTON FOOTE to be posthumously honoured with the DALLAS Star Award
CHRIS SANDERS and DEAN DEBLOIS named as recipients of the TEXAS AVERY ANIMATION AWARD

Additions to the Festival Line Up

The DALLAS International Film Festival presented by Cadillac (March 31 – April 10, 2011) announced today that two new Honorees have been added to the slate of DALLAS Star Award recipients – writer, producer and director Scott Z. Burns (THE INFORMANT, THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM) and posthumously to Texas legend and Academy-Award winner Horton Foote(TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD, TENDER MERCIES).   The popular Texas Avery Animation Award presented by Reel FX Entertainment will be awarded to the writers and directors of the Academy Award nominated HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON and LILO & STITCH, Dean DeBlois and Chris Sanders.   Previous recipients include Pete Docter (UP), Henry Selick (CORALINE),Chris Wedge (ROBOTS)and Brad Bird (RATATOUILLE,THE INCREDIBLES). Three world premieres have also been added to the festival line-up along with Warner Bros’ documentary BORN TO BE WILD.

Horton Foote and Scott Z. Burns join Ann-Margret and Steve James on the 2011 roster of DALLAS Star Award recipients, all four of whom will receive the stunning Steuben Crystal awards courtesy of Neiman Marcus. Horton Foote becomes the fourth person in the festival’s five-year history following Gregory Peck, Jack Lemmon and Rita Hayworth to be posthumously honored with this award.

“I am so proud of our DALLAS Star Award honorees this year,” said Tanya Foster, President & CEO of the DALLAS Film Society. “To have the opportunity to put Horton Foote’s incredible writing career on a pedestal and bask in everything that he has done, and at the same time be able to celebrate the rising achievements of a young writer/ producer in Hollywood is exactly the purpose of our mission at the DALLAS Film Society. To honor those individuals, young or old, who have made important contributions to modern cinema and the advancement of the art of film is so fitting to our fifth celebration.”

Horton Foote’s career spanned 70 years in the entertainment industry. He started out as an actor but on receiving better reviews for his writing than for his acting, he switched his focus to the written word.  His reputation as a television dramatist grew through the 1940s and ’50s and in 1962 he won his first Academy Award for TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD, which also marked the debut performance of previous DALLAS Star Award recipient, Robert Duvall. Ten years later, Foote and Duvall collaborated again on the critically acclaimed TOMORROW, which prompted Duvall to call Foote “the rural Chekhov”. Ten years on, Foote wrote TENDER MERCIES (1983) for Duvall, which earned them both Academy Awards for Screenplay and Best Actor respectively.  Foote’s third Academy-Award nomination came in 1985 with the emotive classic, A TRIP TO BOUNTIFUL.  Other awards included the Pulitzer Prize for Drama for his play THE YOUNG MAN FROM ATLANTA (1995) and an Emmy for Outstanding Writing for a Miniseries or a Special for his second adaptation of William Faulkner’s OLD MAN (1997).

Foote’s daughter, Hallie, will receive the award in her father’s memory at the DALLAS Film Society Honors on April 8.  In celebration of the Dallas arts community paying tribute to Horton Foote, A TRIP TO BOUNTIFUL will be screened at the DALLAS IFF on April 9 at the Texas Theatre.

Award-winner Scott Z. Burns will receive the DALLAS Shining Star Award at the DALLAS Film Society Honors on April 8.  After graduating Summa Cum Laude from the University of Minnesota, Burns began his career in advertising before moving into writing, producing and directing for television and film.  His first award as a Producer was the Humanitas Prize and the Stanley Kramer award from the Producers Guild of America for the Academy Award winning documentary, AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH (2006).  His screenplays and collaborations with directorsSteven Soderbergh andPaul Greengrass have earned him the recognition of being one of Hollywood’s rising stars in screenwritings – HBO Film’s PU-239 (2006), THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM (2007), THE INFORMANT (2009) and the yet to be released CONTAGION (2011).  Currently Burns is adapting Jules Verne’s classic 20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA for Disney and another feature script for Soderbergh based on the 1960s TV series MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E.

The Texas Avery Animation Award presented by REEL FX Entertainment honors a lifetime achievement in animation filmmaking. 2011 is the first year that there will be two recipients of this award.  Collaborators Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois are highly respected in the animation world after being propelled to fame for the Academy Award- nominated film LILO AND STITCH (2002).  Sanders is also known for his work on BEAUTY AND THE BEAST (1991), ALADDIN (1992), THE LION KING (1994) and MULAN (1998).

DeBlois was already an accomplished animator and writer at the time LILO & STITCH became a worldwide phenomenon, having worked on THE NUTCRACKER PRINCE (1990), THUMBELINA (1994) and as head of story on MULAN (1998), another collaboration with Chris Sanders. He then stepped behind the camera to direct the indie critical darling HEIMA (2007) and most recently he and Sanders have regrouped to bring audiences the breathtaking HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON (2010).

“For the past five years, Reel FX Entertainment has sponsored the Texas Avery Animation Award, which honors achievement in the animation industry,” said Ed Jones, CEO of Reel FX Entertainment. “This year, we give the award to two recipients – Dean DeBlois and Chris Sanders – for the first time. With films like HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON and LILO & STITCH, they have created unforgettable characters whose stories are told through very different styles of animation. We feel their creativity and versatility embody the spirit of the award, and its namesake.”

Finally, Warners Bros’ BORN TO BE WILD and three world premieres, SPLIT MILK, BETWEEN NOTES and IN THE LAND OF FIREWORKS have been added to the slate of wonderful films at the upcoming festival.

BETWEEN NOTES (USA) – WORLD PREMIERE

Director: Christopher Grissom

A musician trades his dream for a corporate job to keep his relationship but when the girl leaves him, he’s left wondering what went wrong. Is he ready to fall in love again with a person or just with an idea of love?

BORN TO BE WILD (USA)

Director: David Lickley

Narrated by Morgan Freeman, BORN TO BE WILD documents the animal orphan rehabilitation program at the Birute Galdikas’ research station in Borneo.   It gives audiences an intimate look at these amazing beasts in their natural habitats.

IN THE LAND OF FIREWORKS (USA) World Premiere

Director: Joel Curry

A successful businessman sees his professional and personal life veer out of control after his girlfriend announces she is pregnant.

SPLIT MILK (USA) WORLD PREMIERE

Director: Blake Calhoun

A disenchanted assistant manager of a local grocery store is the victim of a late-night robbery during his night shift and as everyone is taken hostage in the store, the group is forced together to wait in the safe.

The DALLAS International Film Festival will run March 31 – April 10, 2011. Passes and tickets are currently on sale: available via online (www.dallasfilm.org), phone (214.782.9168) and in person at the FAUXCADES Box Office: 5321 E. Mockingbird Lane, Ste 100, Dallas.

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 March 31-April 10, 2011, 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, orvisit www.dallasfilm.org.  The offices of the DALLAS Film Society are located at 3625 North Hall Street, Suite 740, Dallas, TX 75219.

2011 DALLAS International Film Festival presented by Cadillac – Festival Sponsors:  Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP, AVID, Barefoot Wine, Baylor Heart and Vascular Hospital, Bright Realty, Inc., CBS Radio, Colibri Promotions, D Magazine, Dallas Film Commission, Dallas Museum of Art, Dallas Observer, Design Expediting Services International, Inc., eatZi’s Market & Bakery, El Creative, Euforia Live, Faulkner Design Group, Fauxcades Creative Event Design, Forté Public Relations, Fun Flicks Outdoor Movies, Gemini Lighting, Sound & Video, Gordon& The Whale, GrandLuxe Magazine, Highland Park Village Theatre, Joule, A Luxury Collection Hotel, Mahr Images, MetroPCS, Metroplex Cadillac Dealers, Milagro Tequila, Mission Foods, Mockingbird Station, Modern Luxury Dallas, MODIA Home Theater Store, Movie Magic, MPS Studios Dallas, My Sweet Charity, Nasher Sculpture Center, Neiman Marcus, NorthPark Center, Post Asylum, Pure Evil Music & Sound Design, Raze Media, REEL FX ENTERTAINMENT, Red Carpet Crash, Screen International, smartwater, Stella Artois, SYNTHETIC PICTURES, Target, Texas Association of Film Commissions, Texas Film Commission, The Macallan Single Malt Scotch Whisky, The Shops at Legacy, The Texas Theatre, The Trammell and Margaret Crow Collection of Asian Art, Time Warner Cable, TM Advertising, TXU Energy, Univision 23, West Village, WFAA-TV, Whole Foods Market, WRR Classical 101.1 FM, You Plus Dallas.

ABOUT CADILLAC
Cadillac has been a leading luxury auto brand since 1902. In recent years, Cadillac has engineered a historic renaissance led by artful engineering and global expansion. The Metroplex Cadillac Dealers are comprised of eight dealerships throughout North Texas, committed to supporting the artistic talent and achievements in performance and visual arts within the community.  More information on Cadillac and their affiliation with the Arts can be found at metroplexcadillacdealers.com

DALLAS IFF Announces Honoree, Centerpieces, Target Competition Line Up

The DALLAS International Film Festival presented by Cadillac Announces Ann-Margret to receive the DALLAS Star Award
 
BEAUTIFUL BOY, OK BUCKAROOS and SOUL SURFER named as the Centerpiece screeningsAll Selections in the Target Documentary and Narrative CompetitionsThe DALLAS International Film Festival presented by Cadillac announced today that award-winning actress Ann-Margret will be honored with the DALLAS Star Award at the upcoming festival (March 31 – April 10, 2011). This marks the first announcement of the prestigious DALLAS Star Award Honorees.

Poignant dramas BEAUTIFUL BOY and SOUL SURFER and the world premiere of OK BUCKAROOS will be featured in the coveted Centerpiece screening slots. Fourteen films will vie for the unrestricted $25,000 Target cash prize in both the Target Documentary Feature and Narrative Feature Competitions.

The selection of Ann-Margret as a recipient of the DALLAS Star Award follows a DALLAS IFF Honoree Hall of Fame that features esteemed greats such as Sydney Pollack, Lauren Bacall, Adrien Brody, Charlize Theron, Frank Darabont, Kathryn Bigelow, John Lee Hancock, Peter Bogdanovich, Marvin Hamlischand and freshly minted Academy Award-winner Wally Pfister to name but a few.  2011 will mark Ann-Margret’s 50th year in the entertainment industry, a career that has taken her from her early starring roles in BYE BYE BIRDIE, STATE FAIR, as well as VIVA LAS VEGAS opposite Elvis Presley, to an illustrious recording, stage, television and film career that has seen her nominated for two Academy Awards (CARNAL KNOWLEDGE (1971), TOMMY (1975)) and a winner of five Golden Globes (“Most Promising Newcomer” (1962), CARNAL KNOWLEDGE, TOMMY, WHO WILL LOVE MY CHILDREN? (TV-1983) and A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE (TV-1984)).

Ann-Margret’s award-winning roles in TOMMY and CARNAL KNOWLEDGE pitched her against legends Roger Daltrey and Jack Nicholson with other countless memorable performances including THE TRAIN ROBBERS, Oliver Stone’s ANY GIVEN SUNDAY and GRUMPY OLD MEN starring John Wayne, Al Pacino, Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon respectively.  Most recently, Ann-Margret won a 2010 Emmy Award for her performance in LAW & ORDER: SVU.

“Ann-Margret is a rare talent in that she has beautifully balanced live musical performances with incredible dramatic film roles throughout her career,” said the DALLAS Film Society President & CEO, Tanya Foster. “It is a real honor for us to publicly acknowledge the contribution she has made to the art of film.”

The DALLAS Star Award, designed by Steuben Crystal, is courtesy of Neiman Marcus.  Ann-Margret will be presented with the award on the Opening Night of the festival. The world premiere of her latest film, LUCKY, will take place the following night on Friday April 1st.

DALLAS IFF’S Centerpiece screenings are works from acclaimed actors, directors and producers that hope to inspire conversation, spark imagination and encourage contemplation.  In announcing BEAUTIFUL BOY, SOUL SURFER and OK BUCKAROOS as the three Centerpieces, DALLAS IFF is staying true to finding films that do just this. Although very different works of art, both BEAUTIFUL BOY and SOUL SURFER focus on the emotional impact that tragedy has on the family unit, whilst OK BUCKAROOS is an insightful journey through the life of music legend, Jerry Jeff Walker.

In Shawn Ku’s hard-hitting poignant drama BEAUTIFUL BOY, starring Michael Sheen and Maria Bello, a couple in the midst of a rocky marriage suddenly have to face the devastating news that their son has committed a mass shooting before taking his own life.  The US Premiere of BEAUTIFUL BOY will take place at DALLAS IFF and it will bring the film home to Dallas for natives Lee Clay (producer) and cast members Meatloaf and Alan Tudyk. The cast also includes Moon Bloodgood, Kyle Gallner, Darren O’Hare and Deidrie Henry.

Based on the true story of surfer Bethany Hamilton, Sean McNamara’s heart-wrenching yet inspirational SOUL SURFER sees a family, living an idyllic life in Hawaii, thrown into turmoil when their daughter/sister loses an arm, and nearly her life, in a vicious shark attack.  The 2008 DALLAS Star Award recipient Helen Hunt joins Dennis Quaid as Bethany’s parents with rising star AnnaSophia Robb as Bethany. Carrie Underwood, Lorraine Nicolson, Ross Thomas andChris Brochu also star.

Patrick Tourville’s OK BUCKAROOS is the story of a troubadour’s journey in the last years of the twentieth century.  Jerry Jeff Walker was a street singer in the sixties.  In the seventies he led a musical movement and in the eighties he walked away from the recording industry.  Tourville’s film explores the 50-year journey of this Gypsy Song Man from Upstate New York to the beaches of Florida and the hustling sidewalks of New Orleans to Independence Day in 2009 and a hot summer’s night in Round Rock, Texas.

For the fifth consecutive year, Target is enhancing their mission of fostering the creative spirit of film by presenting the winners of the Documentary Feature and Narrative Feature competitions with the Target Filmmaker Award and an unrestricted $25,000 cash prize for each category. Seven films in each competition will be judged by a jury of industry professionals and the winners will be announced at the DALLAS Film Society Honors on April 8.

“Target is thrilled to be supporting the DALLAS International Film Festival once again,” said Dustee Tucker, VP of Communications for Target and a member of the DALLAS Film Festival Advisory Board. “We believe in the importance of making art accessible to all and Target is very excited to present independent filmmakers with $25,000 and the Target Filmmaker Award in hopes of inspiring them and countless others to continue discovering their artistic vision in film.”James Faust, Artistic Director of the DALLAS International Film Festival adds: “This year, we have fourteen incredible films lined up in competition, with two World Premieres and one US Premiere in the Documentary Narrative competition alone. I urge audiences to come see these films in competition – it is cutting edge, international cinema at its very best.”

Brothers and University of Texas alums, Jack and Yossy Zagha, bring their comedic ADIÓS MUNDO CRUEL (GOODBYE CRUEL WORLD) to Dallas, a film that was inspired by Jack’s own experience of being mugged in Mexico City.  US Premiere PROSECUTOR explores the behind-the-scenes drama of the tumultuous year-in-the-life of the International Criminal Court’s first Chief Prosecutor, the controversial Argentine jurist, Luis Moerno Ocampo.  Two world premieres in the documentary competition promise to engage audiences: THE GREATER GOOD will incite debate as it highlights families whose lives have been forever changed by vaccine choices and ZERO PERCENT follows the lives of men who experience the transformative power of education within the notorious Sing Sing Correctional Facility.

The DALLAS International Film Festival presented by Cadillac will run March 31 – April 10, 2011. Passes are currently on sale, tickets go on sale March 17. Tickets will be made available via online (www.dallasfilm.org).
 

The Official Selections Include:


Centerpiece Screenings

BEAUTIFUL BOY (USA) – US PREMIERE

Director: Shawn Ku
In Shawn Ku’s emotional drama, BEAUTIFUL BOY, a married couple on the verge of separation struggle to deal with their own personal loss whilst trying to find refuge from the public and the media after their son commits a mass shooting and kills himself.  Starring Michael Sheen, Maria Bello, Alan Tudyk and Moon Bloodgood.

OK BUCKAROOS (USA) – WORLD PREMIERE

Directed by: Patrick Tourville
Patrick Tourville’s documentary OK BUCKAROOS is the story of Jerry Jeff Walker whose music has led him from the nation’s biggest arenas to hundred-year old honky-tonks. Walker is an artist who has been a cog in the wheel of the recording industry’s star-making machinery and an involuntary pioneer on the frontier of artistic independence. Among those appearing in the documentary are Jerry Jeff Walker and Willie Nelson.

SOUL SURFER (USA)

Director: Sean McNamara
SOUL SURFER chronicles the inspirational story of surfer Bethany Hamilton who lost her left arm following a shark attack and the subsequent trials that she and her family go through in both her physical recovery and her emotional battle to continue surfing. Starring Dennis Quaid, Helen Hunt, AnnaSophia Robb, Lorraine Nicholson, Carrie Underwood, Kevin Sorbo, Jeremy Sumpter, Ross Thomas, Sonya Balmores Chung and Chris Brochu.

Target Narrative Feature Competition


ADIÓS MUNDO CRUEL (Goodbye Cruel World) (Mexico)

Director: Jack Zagha
When a hard-working accountant is let go from his job because of the economic slump, he finds a new way of earning a living: becoming part of a criminal gang. ADIÓS MUNDO CRUEL is a creative comedy from Mexico that finds humor in a series of unfortunate events.  Starring Carlos Alberto Orozco, Mónica Bejarano, JoséMontini, Lourdes Villarreal, Sandra Sánchez Cantú, Carlos Aragón, Justo Martínez and Pedro Gámez.

BOY WONDER (USA)

Director: Michael Morrissey
After witnessing the brutal murder of his mother, a young Brooklyn boy grows up obsessed with finding her killer. BOY WONDER challenges morality by exploring distorted perceptions of what is right and what is justified. The film stars James Russo, Zulay Henao and Tracy Middendorf.

JESS + MOSS (USA)

Director: Clay Jeter
A series of vignettes involving memories of companionship and sexual awakening shared by two second cousins, JESS + MOSS captures the evocative and haunting character of the dark fire tobacco fields of rural Western Kentucky. Cast includes Sarah Hagan, Austin Vickers and Haley Strode.

PARKED (IRELAND, FINLAND)

Director: Darragh Byrne
A proud man living in his car decides to become a better person after being inspired by a young drug addict. Byrne’s PARKED is a moving, uplifting film about friendship, trust and the need to feel truly at home. Stars Colm Meaney, Colin Morgan and Milka Ahlroth.

THE PRESENCE (USA)

Director: Tom Provost
Provost’s stunning directorial debut, THE PRESENCE, is a darkly romantic ghost story that follows a woman’s (Academy Award winner Mira Sorvino) relationship with an apparition in her isolated cabin in Oregon.  With the unexpected arrival of the woman’s boyfriend, the spirit’s haunting becomes more obsessive. Starring Mira Sorvino, Shane West and Justin Kirk.

SMALL TOWN MURDER SONGS (Canada)

Director: Ed Gass-Donnelly
A modern, gothic tale of crime and redemption about an aging police officer from a small Ontario Mennonite town who hides a violent past until a local murder upsets the calm of his newly reformed life.  Stars Martha Plimpton, Peter Stormare and Jill Hennessy.

SURROGATE VALENTINE(USA)

Director: Dave Boyle
Directed by Dave Boyle, SURROGATE VALENTINE is about a San Francisco indie musician who lives a life on the road, navigating friendships and relationships. The film stars Goh Nakamura, Chadd Stoops and Lynn Chen.

Target Documentary Feature Competition


BEING ELMO: A PUPPETEER’S JOURNEY (USA)

Director: Constance Marks
The Muppet Elmo is one of the most beloved characters among children across the globe. Constance Marks’ BEING ELMO uncovers the unlikely man behind the puppet – the heart and soul of Elmo – Kevin Clash. Featuring interviews with Frank Oz, Rosie O’Donnell, Whoopi Goldberg, Carroll Spinney, Joan Ganz Cooney, Marty Robinson, Fran Brill, and Bill Barretta.

ELEVATE (USA)

Director: Anne Buford
From rural Senegal to American Prep schools, ELEVATE documents the basketball journey of four particularly tall African teenagers with NBA dreams.

THE GREATER GOOD (USA) – WORLD PREMIERE

Directors: Chris Pilaro, Kendall Nelson
Pilaro and Nelson’s THE GREATER GOOD looks behind the fear, hype and politics that polarize people into emotionally charged pro-vaccine or anti-vaccine camps.

NORMAN MAILER: THE AMERICAN (USA)

Director: Joseph Mantegna
Mantegna documents the life and times of controversial, celebrated post-WWII American writer Norman Mailer as told through the people who knew him personally.  Interviews include Muhammad Ali, Beverly Bentley and William F. Buckley.

PROSECUTOR (CANADA) – US PREMIERE

Director: Barry Stevens
A fascinating story with extraordinary inside access, PROSECUTORfollows the Chief Prosecutor, Luis Moreno-Ocampo through the first trials of the newly formed International Criminal Court. He’s a hero to genocide survivors, but has bitter enemies on both the right and the left.  Featured interviews include Luis Moreno-Ocampo, Mahmood Mamdani, Ben Ferencz, Silas Chekera, Sir Geoffrey Nice.

WILD HORSE, WILD RIDE(USA)

Director: Alex Dawson, Greg Gricus
WILD HORSE, WILD RIDEfollows a handful of unforgettable characters who set out on a 100-day quest to tame a totally wild mustang for a Texas competition. This stunning documentary highlights the profound bond between people and animals.

ZERO PERCENT (USA) – WORLD PREMIERE

Director: Timothy Skousen
Skousen gives his audience rare access within the walls of the Sing Sing Correctional facility.  The inmates experience the power of education while going through a rigorous college program called Hudson Link – with astounding statistical results.

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 March 31-April 10, 2011, 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.

2011 DALLAS International Film Festival presented by Cadillac – Festival Sponsors:  Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP, Barefoot Wine, Baylor Heart and Vascular Hospital, Bright Realty, Cerón Salon, CBS Radio, Colibri Promotions, D Magazine, Design Expediting Services International, Inc., El Creative, Faulkner Design Group, Forté Public Relations, Fun Flicks Outdoor Movies, Gordon and The Whale, GrandLuxe Magazine, Joule, A Luxury Collection Hotel, MetroPCS, Metroplex Cadillac Dealers, Mockingbird Station, Modern Luxury Dallas, Movie Magic, MPS Studios Dallas, My Sweet Charity, Neiman Marcus, Post Asylum, Pure Evil Music & Sound Design, REEL FX ENTERTAINMENT, Red Carpet Crash, Screen International, smartwater, Stella Artois, Target, The Macallan Single Malt Scotch Whisky, The Popcorn List, Time Warner Cable, TM Advertising, TXU Energy, West Village, WFAA-TV, Whole Foods Market, WRR Classical 101.1 FM

ABOUT CADILLAC
Cadillac has been a leading luxury auto brand since 1902. In recent years, Cadillac has engineered a historic renaissance led by artful engineering and global expansion. The Metroplex Cadillac Dealers are comprised of eight dealerships throughout North Texas, committed to supporting the artistic talent and achievements in performance and visual arts within the community.  More information on Cadillac and their affiliation with the Arts can be found at metroplexcadillacdealers.com

ABOUT TARGET
Minneapolis-based Target Corporation (NYSE:TGT) serves guests at 1,755 stores in 49 states nationwide and at Target.com. In addition, the company operates a credit card segment that offers branded proprietary credit card products.Since 1946, Target has given 5 percent of its income through community grants and programs; today, that giving equals more than $3 million a week. For more information about Target’s commitment to corporate responsibility, visit Target.com/hereforgood.

The DALLAS Film Society Announces 12 Titles for the DALLAS International Film Festival in Official Selections

The DALLAS Film Society Announces

Twelve Titles for the DALLAS International Film Festival in Official Selections

FOUR World Premieres & ONE U.S Premiere

Lineup marks return to DALLAS Intl Film Fest by indie filmmakers Calvin Reeder and Dave Boyle

CADILLAC takes the wheel as presenting sponsor for 2011

The DALLAS International Film Festival announced today the first twelve films that will screen at this year’s fifth festival (March 31 – April 10) including four world premieres and one U.S. premiere.  The festival announced three films set for its Texas Competition, two films in its Family Friendly section and the first film selected for a brand new India Spotlight series. Films entered into the narrative feature and narrative documentary competition will once again have the chance to win an unrestricted cash prize of $25,000 per category courtesy of Target.

The twelve official selections include:

BLOOD OF EAGLES (Darah garuda – Merah putih II)(Indonesia) – US PREMIERE
Director: Yadi Sugandi, Conor Allyn
The action film BLOOD OF EAGLES follows the exploits of an elite army unit recruited to halt the construction of an enemy’s key airfield. The cast includes Doni Alamsyah, Ario Bayu and Atiqah Hasiholan.

COOPER & THE CASTLE HILLS GANG (USA) – WORLD PREMIERE
Director: Sam Ditore
COOPER & THE CASTLE HILLS GANG is an action-packed, family-friendly story that takes lead character “Cooper” on a quest to help Castle Hills’ favorite grandpa, “Mr. Wilson,” find something he has lost. The film’s cast includes rising child star Kyle Kirk as Cooper and JB Edwards as Mr. Wilson.

ELEVATE (USA)
Director: Anne Buford
From rural Senegal to American Prep schools, ELEVATE documents the basketball journey of four particularly tall African teenagers with NBA dreams.

LUCKY (USA) – WORLD PREMIERE
Director: Gil Cates Jr.
Darkly comic LUCKY follows the journey of $36 million Iowan lottery winner Ben Keller as he follows his life-long crush, Lucy St Martin.  But can all the money in the world compensate for the fact that Ben is a fledgling serial killer?  Starring Colin Hanks, Ari Graynor, Jeffrey Tambor and Ann-Margret.

MUMBAI DIARIES (Dhobi Ghat)(India)
Director: Kiran Rao
MUMBAI DIARIES is a drama following the intersecting lives of a collage of people, emotions and situations in the diverse city of Mumbai. The film stars Aamir Khan, Prateik Babbar and Monica Dogra.

OK BUCKAROOS (USA) – WORLD PREMIERE
Directed by: Patrick Tourville
Patrick Tourville’s documentary OK BUCKAROOS is the story of Jerry Jeff Walker, whose music has led him from the nation’s biggest arenas to hundred-year old honky-tonks. Walker is an artist who has been a cog in the wheel of the recording industry’s star-making machinery and an involuntary pioneer on the frontier of artistic independence. Among those appearing in the documentary are Jerry Jeff Walker and Willie Nelson.

THE OREGONIAN (USA)
Director: Calvin Lee Reeder
THE OREGONIAN follows the experiences of an Oregon woman who enters a nightmarish unknown after suffering a brutal car accident.The film stars Lindsay Pulsipher, Robert Longstreet, Matt Olen and Lynne Compton.

THE PERFECT GAME (2009) (USA)
Director: William Dear
THE PERFECT GAME is based on a true story about a group of boys from Monterrey, Mexico who become the first non-U.S. team to win the Little League World Series.The film stars Clifton Collins, Jr., Cheech Marin and Moises Arias.

RAINBOWS END (USA)
Director: Eric Hueber
RAINBOWS END is a comedy that follows a band of native East Texas misfits West as they make a run at California gold. The cast includes William Neal Edwards III, Brian Birdwell and Legendary Stardust Cowboy.

SURROGATE VALENTINE (USA)
Director: Dave Boyle
Directed by Dave Boyle, SURROGATE VALENTINE is about a San Francisco indie musician who lives a life on the road, navigating friendships and relationships. The film stars Goh Nakamura, Chadd Stoops and Lynn Chen.

TRAVELING (USA) – WORLD PREMIERE
Director: Rachel Shepherd
Traveling is a drama which follows the story of three people who have never really had a family that find that connection on a road trip to Austin. With one passenger just looking for a ride, another greatly needing a distraction, and the third looking for any kind of connection, they may or may not find what they need along the way. The cast includes Reece Rios, Melissa Odom and McKaley Miller.

WILD HORSE, WILD RIDE (USA)
Director: Alex Dawson, Greg Gricus
WILD HORSE, WILD RIDE follows a handful of unforgettable characters who set out on a 100-day quest to tame a totally wild mustang for a Texas competition. This stunning documentary highlights the profound bond between people and animals.

DALLAS IFF also announced that CADILLAC will be the film festival’s presenting sponsor for the 2011 edition.

Gil Cates Jr.’s comedy LUCKY stars Colin Hanks as a wannabe serial killer who wins the lottery and decides to pursue his lifelong crush. Hanks will return to Dallas where he filmed the FOX television series “The Good Guys” last year. The film also stars Jeffrey Tambor, Mimi Rogers and Ann-Margret.

Three selections for DALLAS IFF’s coveted Texas Competition category were announced. Sponsored by MPS Studios, the first films lined up for the Texas Competition are: Patrick Tourville’s documentary OK BUCKAROOS, which profiles Country Western music troubadour and legend, Jerry Jeff Walker; Eric Hueber’s RAINBOWS END, a comedy that follows a band of native East Texas misfits West as they make a run at California gold; and Rachel Shepard’s TRAVELING, which connects three “lost” strangers on a road trip to Austin.

A festival highlight, Family Day, will be returning on Saturday, April 2, with the world premiere of Sam Ditore’s COOPER & THE CASTLE HILLS GANG, a children’s action adventure filmed on location in the north Dallas community featuring the title character’s attempts to help his neighborhood’s beloved grandpa find something he lost.  Sponsored by Bright Realty and supported by the Junior League of Dallas, adults and children of all ages will be invited to walk the Family Day red carpet, participate in arts and crafts, watch live performances, and experience the fun buzz of families and film. Also announced for the Family Friendly Section is William Dear’s THE PERFECT GAME, which is based on the true story about the first non-U.S. team to win the Little League World Series.

The initial international entries on the DALLAS IFF slate include the first official selection for the debut of a new India Spotlight section. Kiran Rao’s MUMBAI DIARIES (Dhobi Ghat) is a drama involving the lives of four different people living in Mumbai. The movie brings into focus, among other things, the problems and situations of non-resident Indians, in particular those raised in the U.S. The second international selection revealed today also has strong Dallas ties. Dallas residents, Rob and Conor Allyn, produced (Rob Allyn) and co-directed (Conor Allyn, with Yadi Sugandi) BLOOD OF EAGLES (Darah garuda – Merah putih II), an Indonesian take on a classic Hollywood premise: an elite army unit is put together to halt work on the enemy’s strategically situated airfield. BLOOD OF EAGLES was the highest grossing film in Indonesia last year.

Two selections vying for the $25,000 Target cash prize in the Documentary Feature competition were announced.  Alex Dawson and Greg Gricus’s poignant WILD HORSE, WILD RIDE and Anne Buford’s ELEVATE, a story documenting the journey of four teenagers from Senegal as they embark on life in American Prep schools in the hope of reaching the NBA.

Having just premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, Calvin Lee Reeder brings his signature surreal and horrific filmmaking style back to Dallas with a screening of his debut feature THE OREGONIAN. The film follows an Oregon woman’s experiences after she survives a brutal car accident. Reeder’s work is familiar to DALLAS IFF audiences following screenings of his short films LITTLE FARM, which was the 2007 Festival’s Short Grand Jury Prize winner, THE RAMBLER and SNAKE MOUNTAIN COLADA. Another indie filmmaker returning to DALLAS IFF will be Dave Boyle. Boyle’s SURROGATE VALENTINE about a San Francisco indie musician on the road will mark his second appearance at the festival following BIG DREAMS LITTLE TOKYO in 2007.

“These first dozen selections really highlight how international cinema and our own Dallas and Texas filmmakers intersect at DALLAS IFF. We are proud to present the inspired work of our local filmmakers and returning DALLAS IFF alumni side-by-side with other auteurs from around the world. Just as much as the city of Dallas is truly an international center connecting the world with our local businesses and culture, DALLAS IFF has become a southwestern hub for international and local filmmaking,” said James Faust, DALLAS International Film Festival Artistic Director.

For the first time since the inception of the DALLAS International Film Festival, automotive giant CADILLAC has signed on as presenting sponsor.  Metroplex Cadillac Dealers will be providing the festival with a Cadillac fleet to transport filmmakers and festival guests around Dallas for the entire 11-day duration.  “We are proud to be able to support the DALLAS International Film Festival in this capacity,” said Tom D’Angelo, Regional Marketing Manager for Cadillac, South Central Region.  “Metroplex Cadillac Dealers are dedicated to celebrating the arts within the community and what a better way to do this than supporting an internationally respected festival of this caliber.”  To entice festival audiences even further, the DALLAS Film Society will be launching a raffle for one lucky winner to walk away with a 2011 Cadillac CTS Coupe.  On February 10, a CTS Coupe will be unveiled at an ultra chic festival kick-off party at Stanley Korshak in Dallas – only 1,000 raffle tickets will go on sale for $100 each or 6 for $500 (for information on how to buy a ticket visit dallasfilm.org).  The winner will be notified following the DALLAS Film Society Honors on April 8, 2011.

The 2011 DALLAS International Film Festival presented by Cadillac will be dedicated to founder and Chairman Emeritus, Liener Temerlin.  “The creative influence of Liener Temerlin has left a mark on the city of Dallas,” said Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert. “As Mayor, I have always been proud to be a part of the DALLAS International Film Festival, even more so in 2011 when the festival is being dedicated to Liener, a true trailblazer.”

Downtown Dallas will become a vibrant epicenter of the festival as the stylish Joule Hotel will host out-of-town filmmakers and visiting celebrities. With the Festival Lounge only steps away from the Joule, filmmakers and film fans can mingle and experience the energy of downtown, whilst within striking distance of the Dallas Arts District, which will offer thought-provoking panels, museum-oriented events and red carpet Galas. With theaters in the fashionable West Village, hip Mockingbird Station and family friendly Plano, filmmakers and attendees will receive a 360 degree cultural Dallas experience.

The DALLAS International Film Festival will run March 31 – April 10, 2011. Passes are currently on sale, tickets go on sale March 14. Passes and tickets will be made available via online (www.dallasfilm.org), and phone (214.720.0555).

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 March 31-April 10, 2011, 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, orvisit www.dallasfilm.org.  The offices of the DALLAS Film Society are located at 3625 North Hall Street, Suite 740, Dallas, TX 75219.

2011 DALLAS International Film Festival presented by Cadillac – Festival Sponsors:  Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP, Barefoot Wine, Baylor Heart and Vascular Hospital, Bright Realty, Cerón, CBS Radio, Colibri Promotions, D Magazine, Design Expediting Services International, Inc., El Creative, Faulkner Design Group, Forté Public Relations, Fun Flicks Outdoor Movies, GrandLuxe Magazine, Joule, A Luxury Collection Hotel, MetroPCS, Metroplex Cadillac Dealers, Mockingbird Station, Modern Luxury Dallas, Movie Magic, MPS Studios Dallas, Neiman Marcus, Post Asylum, Pure Evil Music & Sound Design, REEL FX ENTERTAINMENT, Screen International, smartwater, Stella Artois, Target, The Macallan Single Malt Scotch Whisky, Time Warner Cable, TM Advertising, TXU Energy, West Village, WFAA-TV, Whole Foods Market, WRR Classical 101.1 FM

ABOUT CADILLAC
Cadillac has been a leading luxury auto brand since 1902. In recent years, Cadillac has engineered a historic renaissance led by artful engineering and global expansion. The Metroplex Cadillac Dealers are comprised of eight dealerships throughout North Texas, committed to supporting the artistic talent and achievements in performance and visual arts within the community.  More information on Cadillac and their affiliation with the Arts can be found at metroplexcadillacdealers.com