You know what a huge film buff I am. And if you follow this blog you know that I love film festivals. You might be asking yourself how does one attend a film festival like Sundance, Tribecca or SXSW (South by Southwest)? Well, why don’t you start with the DIFF in our own backyard? The Dallas Film Society just announced some major tidbits about the 2015 DIFF (Dallas International Film Festival). And to celebrate I am giving away two festival passes to the April 9-19 film festival. These passes are each worth $375 and provide access for one person to all regular film screenings and panel discussions (not valid for Special Event / Gala Screenings) as well as access to the film festival lounge (as long as you are at least 21 years old). That’s 11 days of non-stop film and a $750 value!
Contest runs today through February 20th. You have to enter with the link below and you have two opportunities to enter – subscribe to the blog and LIKE my Facebook page. The winner will be announced on all social media after the contest ends.
Happy Friday the 13th. Good Luck! xoxo- Tanya
The Dallas Film Society Announces the First Ten Films of the
2015 Dallas International Film Festival Presented by AutoNation
Director John Landis to receive the Dallas Star Award
The Dallas Film Society announced today the first 10 films chosen to screen at the 9th annual Dallas International Film Festival presented by AutoNation. The 2015 Festival, taking place April 9-19, will feature national and international films, as well homegrown selections. The Festival will also host the North American premiere of PLAYING IT COOL, a romantic comedy starring Chris Evans and Michelle Monaghan. Making its world premiere at this year’s Festival is the Civil War drama ECHOES OF WAR, starring James Badge Dale, Ethan Embry and William Forsythe.
The Dallas Film Society is proud to announce that director John Landis will receive the Dallas Star Award at DFS Honors on Friday, April 17 at the Highland Hotel in Dallas. The Dallas Star Award honors individuals who have made significant contributions to modern cinema and the advancement of the art of film. The award presentation will be followed by a special screening of John Landis’s 1980 comedy classic THE BLUES BROTHERS on Saturday, April 18. John Landis has left a lasting impression on the film world as director of many iconic comedies such as NATIONAL LAMPOON’S ANIMAL HOUSE, ¡3 AMIGOS!, COMING TO AMERICA, TRADING PLACES, and INTO THE NIGHT. John Landis also wrote and directed AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON and the groundbreaking theatrical short MICHAEL JACKSON’S THRILLER.
“Confirming our first 10 films is a major milestone in producing our festival,” said James Faust, Artistic Director of the Dallas Film Society. “We plan to screen around 170 films this year, and are well on our way to selecting the best cinema has to offer. We’re also elated to mark the 35th anniversary of THE BLUES BROTHERS by honoring legendary filmmaker John Landis.”
The Festival will also celebrate the incredible life and career of Texas writer, actor and producer L.M. Kit Carson by featuring his 1983 film BREATHLESS. Carson is recognized for writing the Palme d’Or winning PARIS, TEXAS, and also for inventing the first ‘mockumentary’ with his film DAVID HOLZMAN’S DIARY.
Last April, DIFF successfully completed a marathon of more than 165 screenings with attendance surpassing 33,000. The 2015 Festival will highlight World Cinema, Latino Cinema Showcase, and an International Spotlight on Germany with red carpet entrances at theaters throughout the city, award presentations, filmmaker panels and other special events.
Returning again this year as Presenting Sponsor is AutoNation. “We are thrilled to welcome back AutoNation as our Presenting Sponsor. Their return to the festival further demonstrates their commitment to the community and the arts,” said Lee Papert, CEO of the Dallas Film Society.
This year, the Dallas Film Society has teamed up with DART for an exciting new partnership called DART to DIFF. Many DIFF activities and events take place in the heart of Dallas and the partnership with DART will provide quick and convenient transportation for all festival attendees.
Online ticket sales will be available for members only beginning Monday, March 16 at www.DallasFilm.org, with online ticket sales opening to the public on Thursday, March 19. The physical Prekindle Box Office at Mockingbird Station will open on Thursday, March 26.
5 FLIGHTS UP
Director: Richard Loncraine
USA
Cast: Morgan Freeman; Diane Keaton; Cynthia Nixon
Synopsis: Over one crazy weekend, a long-time married couple discovers that finding a new apartment is not about winding down, but starting a new adventure.
BEING EVEL
Director: Daniel Junge
USA
Synopsis: Millions know the man, but few know his story. In BEING EVEL, Academy Award® winning filmmaker Daniel Junge (SAVING FACE) and actor/producer Johnny Knoxville take a candid look at American daredevil and icon Robert “Evel” Knievel, while also reflecting on our voracious public appetite for heroes and spectacle.
ECHOS OF WAR (World premiere)
Director: Kane Senes
USA
Cast: James Badge Dale; Ethan Embry; William Forsythe; Maika Monroe
Synopsis: A Civil War veteran returns home to the quiet countryside, only to find himself embroiled in a conflict between his family and the brutish cattle rancher harassing them.
HOLLOW
Director: Ham Tran
Vietnam
Cast: Kieu Chinh; Jayvee Mai The Hiep; Ngoc Hiep Nguyen
Synopsis: A young girl falls into a river and drowns. When her body is found in a remote village along the river, her uncle arrives to claim her body, only to find that she is very much alive. But when she returns to her family, unexplainable occurrences lead them to believe she is possessed.
JASMINE
Director: Dax Phelan
USA
Cast: Jason Tobin; Byron Mann; Sarah Lian
Synopsis: JASMINE is a gripping and chilling psychological thriller about a man still struggling to come to terms with his grief nearly a year after his wife’s unsolved murder.
THE BLUES BROTHERS
Director: John Landis
USA
Cast: John Belushi; Dan Aykroyd; James Brown; Cab Calloway; Ray Charles; Aretha Franklin; John Lee Hooker
Synopsis: Jake Blues, just out from prison, puts together his old band to save the Catholic home where he and brother Elwood were raised.
THE LOOK OF SILENCE
Director: Joshua Oppenheimer
Denmark/Finland/Indonesia/Norway/UK
Synopsis: In Joshua Oppenheimer’s companion piece to the Oscar® nominated THE ACT OF KILLING, a family of survivors of the 1965 Indonesian genocide discovers how their son was murdered and the identity of the men who killed him. The youngest brother is determined to break the spell of silence and fear under which the survivors live, and so confronts the men responsible for his brother’s murder – something unimaginable in a country where killers remain in power.
PLAYING IT COOL (North American Premiere)
Director: Justin Reardon
USA
Cast: Chris Evans; Michelle Monaghan; Luke Wilson; Aubrey Plaza; Topher Grace; Anthony Mackie
Synopsis: It’s this generation’s SWINGERS meets (500) DAYS OF SUMMER. The story is fresh, quirky, and weirdly relatable as this young, slightly pretentious man falls for an unlikely girl, and will stop at nothing to get her even after realizing she’s already in a relationship.
WELCOME TO LEITH
Director: Michael Beach Nichols; Christopher K. Walker
USA
Synopsis: A white supremacist attempts to take over a small town in North Dakota.
WESTERN
Director: Bill Ross; Turner Ross
USA/Mexico
Synopsis: For generations, all that distinguished Eagle Pass, Texas from Piedras Negras, Mexico was the Rio Grande. But when darkness descends upon these harmonious border towns, a cowboy and lawman face a new reality that threatens their way of life.
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 a 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 is a presentation of the Dallas Film Society and has been named by Movie Maker Magazine as one of the “25 Festivals Worth the Entry Fee.” In addition to producing one of the largest festivals in the Southwest, the Society produces numerous year round events, screenings series and programs in partnership with arts organizations around the city. The offices of the Dallas Film Society are located at 3625 North Hall Street, Suite 740, Dallas, TX 75219. For more information about the Dallas Film Society and its ongoing events, visit www.dallasfilm.org or call (214) 720-0555.
I receive a link to enroll in an entry for a ticket.Then notified it is closed. Just a scam Ms. Foster?