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Dallas Film today announced Capital One as the title sponsor in 2020 for the Dallas International Film Festival (DIFF), and a supporting sponsor of the Veterans Institute for Film & Media (VIFM) and the Mercury One High School Film Labs. The partnership kicked off at the start of 2019, and after a successful year, the two organizations decided to collaborate again in 2020.

“Dallas is home to a thriving arts culture, which is critical to inspiring innovation and creativity,” said Sanjiv Yajnik, president, Financial Services, Capital One. “Capital One and Dallas Film share a passion for elevating our vibrant city as a world-renowned destination for creative thinkers and makers, so we are thrilled to continue this partnership.”

In 2019, more than 1,300 people registered for passes to attend DIFF (a record 20-percent increase), and it was the first film festival to introduce all-reserved seating in five auditoriums at two unique venues. VIFM expanded Film Basic Training Courses and added several Master Classes helping veterans pursue careers in film, TV and media production. At the conclusion of bi-monthly Mercury One High School Film students showcased their work at DIFF 2019. In addition, Dallas Film ran the first-ever North Texas Film Festival, which launched the expansion of educational and film initiatives in North Texas.

“We see the intersection of art, tech and commerce as vitally important to the growth of DFW and Texas, and we are designing our programs to help drive commerce to the metroplex,” said Johnathan Brownlee, CEO and president of Dallas Film/executive director of Dallas International Film Festival. “As we plan for 2020, we are excited to expand our services. We are thankful for the continued support of Capital One. Our mutual goal is to make the city a top destination for film, television and digital media production. By positioning Dallas as an entertainment, arts and cultural hub and embracing technological advancements, we can drive economic growth and make Dallas a prime location for producing and seeing films.”

Since its inception in 2006, Dallas Film established DIFF as an important stop on the international festival circuit, attracting quality films and talented filmmakers from all over the world. From April 16 to April 23, 2020, the festival will feature over 120 films from approximately 29 countries. Thousands of people will come together to attend screenings, outdoor concerts and festival-related activities in West Village, where the Capital One Filmmakers Lounge will host visiting celebrities and festival badge holders. As a result of the partnership, Dallas Film will bring more international filmmakers, celebrities and industry leaders to the Festival, resulting in greater educational and entertainment opportunities for people living in Greater Dallas.

“VIFM (a program of Dallas Film) exists to serve those who have so selflessly served us by providing a unique opportunity for American military veterans to explore and train for careers in the film and media production industry through education, mentorships, and job placements,” said Brownlee. “VIFM prepares them for jobs that provide meaningful, fulfilling work and can be performed in any city in any market around the world. Capital One shares a similar vision and is committed to hiring and helping to prepare transitioning service members, veterans, and military spouses for new jobs. Their program – Military New Hire Transition – shares the same values as VIFM, helping veterans reintegrate into civilian societies and translate the skills earned serving in the military—including specialties and subspecialties—into civilian professional qualifications. With their help, the combination of our programs will make an impact on even more veterans.”

Dallas Film offers the Mercury One High School Film Labs series during the school year for high school students in North Texas who want to get hands-on experience with various aspects of film production. Dallas Film aligned the curriculum with the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) for a more relevant classroom impact for Texas students and teachers. In the spring, students will have the opportunity to present their films during the DIFF Texas Student Showcase. College students attending North Texas area universities are also invited to submit their film projects for the annual College Shorts Showcase held during the annual Dallas International Film Festival powered by Capital One.

“The arts are a non-negotiable element in building thriving communities and businesses,” Yajnik said. “Through Capital One’s partnership with Dallas Film, we are bringing an increased focus to STEAM education, which will expand opportunities for our veterans, students and ultimately our broader population, to experience an even better quality of life.”

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Dallas Film will honor Dallas Sonnier with The Stodghill Award at the 2020 Spotlight Luncheon set for Wednesday, January 22, 12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Four Corners Brewing Company (1311 S. Ervay Street, Dallas, Texas 75215). The luncheon is being chaired by Dr. Carr Vineyard and Mrs. Meghan Vineyard. The Stodghill Award recognizes individuals for their long-term philanthropic efforts on behalf of the art of film. Proceeds from the luncheon will benefit Dallas Film's Mercury One High School Film Labs, a series of six informative and engaging film workshops to pique the interest of student filmmakers and teachers in DFW area high schools. The High School Film Labs are led by filmmakers and film industry professionals covering various aspects of the entertainment and production industry. Dallas Film aligned the film curriculum written for the program with the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) for more meaningful classroom lessons and to help teachers and administrators balance the impact of student film courses in their schools. It has now evolved into an innovative program that provides multiple opportunities for high school students to get hands-on experience with film production outside the classroom. The film labs are sponsored by Mercury One and presented at the Capital One corporate campus in Plano. Students will have the opportunity to present their films at the 2020 Dallas International Film Festival on April 16 – 23.

 

“We are thrilled the proceeds from this year’s Spotlight Luncheon will be used to enhance the education of Texas high school students who are interested in pursuing careers in film,” said Johnathan Brownlee, president and CEO of Dallas Film. “Sonnier actually helped establish and became the first student to graduate from a joint venture between film industry and business schools that allowed students to major in the Business of Cinema. Film education is a very relevant issue, and we too recognize the need to create more opportunities for learning if we want to position DFW as an economic hub for film. We need to develop filmmakers at a young age and support them during this critical time in their lives.”

 

The Stodghill Award was created in honor of two of Dallas Film’s most ardent supporters, Steve and Anne Stodghill. The award itself is a signature sculpture designed by Brad Oldham Sculpture. In his faceted Art Deco style, Oldham sculpted a Thespis-like character sitting in a movie theater chair with his comedy and tragedy masks in one hand and a bucket of popcorn in the other.  The award design serves to express the concept that the viewing experience is highly relatable and timeless while ultimately democratizing the industry, as anyone can be transported via the story told.

 

“Sonnier is a veteran of the entertainment industry with an independent approach to financing and a production model that has generated some of the most unique independent movies in recent memory,” said Steve Stodghill. “He is a committed architect of change in the Dallas movie scene with the paramount goal of fiercely protecting the singular visionary work of filmmakers.”

 

In 2016, Sonnier developed CINESTATE and acquired FANGORIA positioning the company into a full-fledged entertainment studio thriving in the heart of the country. With CINESTATE & FANGORIA, a podcast network, a half dozen published novels, a print-only collectible magazine with a robust circulation, and more than half a dozen features under its belt, CINESTATE has established itself as a critical voice in genre entertainment. In 2019, CINESTATE under FANGORIA filmed “Satanic Panic” and “VFW” in Dallas.  In 2020, CINESTATE will begin production on two projects in Dallas in January – “Till Death” starring Jason Sudeikis and Evangiline Lilly and “The Seventh Day” starring Guy Pearce.  

 

The deadline for sponsorships and ticket purchases for the event is December 27. For more information on sponsorships, tickets and event information, please visit www.dallasfilm.org/spotlight2020

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Dallas Film is delighted to announce that passes for the 14th annual Dallas International Film Festival (DIFF) powered by Capital One will go on sale November 27. The festival, which is the largest film festival in North Texas, will be held from April 16 to April 23, 2020 and feature screenings at Magnolia Theater, West Village in Uptown Dallas. Passes will be available for special holiday pricing at 50 percent off starting on Black Friday (November 29) and running through Cyber Monday (December 2).

 

“Dallas Film exists to make the art of film accessible to the Dallas community, and one of our biggest opportunities to do this is during the Dallas International Film Festival, which runs for eight days and is the largest film festival in North Texas,” said Johnathan Brownlee, CEO and president of Dallas Film/Executive Director of Dallas International Film Festival. “Since its inception in 2006, we have established DIFF as an important stop on the international festival circuit, and we attract films and filmmakers for several reasons. We strategically schedule the festival during a time of the year that helps both studio and indie films best maximize their exposure to the marketplace, and our hospitality is second to none. We are pleased to offer festivalgoers the opportunity to see incredible films and meet filmmakers from all over the world, and there are a variety of passes available so festivalgoers can ensure they have the festival experience they desire. We are eager to connect thousands of people through film at DIFF 2020.”

 

In 2019, DIFF welcomed more than 140 filmmakers, screened more than 125 films from 36 countries and had a record 20-percent increase in pass holder registrations of more than 1,300 for the first-ever film festival to introduce all-reserved seating in five auditoriums at two unique venues. In addition, the festival screened several movies that were released nationwide later in the year including “Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile,” “The Biggest Little Farm,” “Wild Rose,” “Her Smell,” “Non-Fiction” and “Brian Banks.” The nonprofit organization is finalizing plans for DIFF 2020 and anticipates an even more successful festival this spring. In addition to showcasing a diverse range of films, the festival boasts Q&A sessions with filmmakers, nightly red carpets, films produced by area students and veterans, award presentations, live music performances each night and engaging activities. Festivalgoers will also have the opportunity to meet filmmakers and actors from both major and independent films.

 

Dallas Film is accepting film submissions until January 9. Submissions are 35 percent off as part of a Black Friday special. To access promotion, enter ‘DIFFBlackFriday’ in the promotional code section of the submission. To submit a film for DIFF 2020, please visit https://filmfreeway.com/DallasInternationalFilmFestival

 

2020 Pass Information

 

Star Pass $500.00 Includes:

  • Two reserved seats for all DIFF 2020 screenings
  • Opening Night Film
  • VIP Access to Opening Night Party
  • Closing Night Film
  • VIP Access to Closing Night Festivities
  • Centerpiece Film(s)
  • The Capital One Filmmakers Lounge

 

Festival Pass $250.00 Includes:

  • One reserved seat for regular DIFF 2020 screenings
  • Excludes Opening Night Film, Closing Night Film & Centerpiece Film 
  • The Capital One Filmmakers Lounge

 

Student Pass $75.00 includes:

  • One reserved seat for regular screenings at DIFF 2020
  • Excludes Opening Night Film, Closing Night Film & Centerpiece Film
  • No Festival Lounge Access 

 

RUSH Pass (NEW!) $40.00 includes:

  • Admits one guest for a single unreserved, first-come-first-serve seat if presented in designated theater (waiting lines pending release of unoccupied single seats 15 minutes prior to show time)
  • No Festival Lounge Access

DIFF 2020 discounts?codes required at purchase: 

  • Black Friday & Cyber Monday Sale requires this code (DIFF2020Holiday) at checkout on the DIFF website. Sale promotion ends Dec 2, 2019.

 

To purchase passes and/or register your email to receive updates regarding DIFF 2020, please visit www.DallasFilm.org  or www.DallasIFF.org 

 

For members of the media who are interested in covering this story or arranging an interview, please email Lauren Witt at lwitt@thepointgroup.com or call (214) 378-7970, ext. 306.

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With the first-ever North Texas Film Festival (NTXFF) quickly approaching, Dallas Film is pleased to release more updates regarding new films, shorts blocks, panels and collaborations. The festival will be held September 26-29, 2019 and is powered by Capital One. This year’s opening night film will be “The Laundromat” screening on Thursday, September 26 at 7:00 p.m. The closing night film will be “Two Popes” screening on Sunday, September 29 at 7:15 p.m. In addition, NTXFF is excited to release updates to programming associated with North Texas VetFest, EarthXFilm and Vans.   

 

“We are pleased to announce that the NTXFF will incorporate programming from North Texas VetFest, a festival which debuted last year and will be a stand-alone festival in 2020. This festival is affiliated with the Veterans Institute for Film and Media (VIFM), a Dallas Film program that prepares veterans for careers in film and media production through education, mentorships, and job placements,” said Johnathan Brownlee, CEO & president of Dallas Film and executive director of Dallas International Film Festival and North Texas Film Festival. “We are excited to note that proceeds from this year’s inaugural NTXFF will benefit VIFM. In honor of VIFM, the NTXFF will showcase “A New Leash on Life: A K9’s for Warriors Story” and a shorts block with films created by veterans or pertaining to military service.”

 

Films in the shorts block programming include “Now, After,” “The Fallen,” “Evidence Unseen,” “Waiting for the Sun” and “A Soldier’s Way.” From showcasing what it is like to live with PTSD or to recover from a traumatic brain injury to seeking treatment after combat and finding healing in art, these films touch on a variety of subjects many veterans and their families can will relate to. The shorts block will screen on Saturday, September 28 at 4:00 p.m. at Cinemark West Plano, and XD. Immediately following the shorts block, there will be a moderated panel featuring veterans, specialists and filmmakers including: Dr. Amy Williams, director of Cohen Military Family Clinic; Kyle Mitchell, director of Veteran and Military Policy for Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute; Richard Casper, founder of CreatiVets; Emily Casarona, military program manager for the Bush Institute; Drea Lewis, community outreach for North Texas VA; and Kate Hoon, chief of staff for Psych Hub.

 

“We are pleased to welcome these veterans and special guests for the panel discussion,” said Maggy Croxville, director of the Institute and a former Marine. “Kyle will be able to speak on PTSD issues and depiction in film, while Amy can address how TBI and PTSD have similar symptoms. Richard and Emily can provide insight on veterans’ transitions into civilian communities. Drea will focus on the Public Health approach to suicide prevention and how we can engage with the veteran community, while Kate will be able to touch on Psych Hub’s efforts at engaging the community in issues regarding mental health, reducing stigma and creating more points of access on tough issues. This programming helps us comprehend where we are in understanding these difficult issues that affect our nation’s veterans and their families, and it showcases where people can seek help. Our goal is to create an open discussion regarding mental health, as opposed to being afraid to talk about it because of the stigma many people associate with these issues. We are looking forward to celebrating veteran artists and being enlightened through the discussion of these hard topics.”

 

In addition to the VIFM shorts block, EarthXFilm will have its own shorts block in the NTXFF on Saturday, September 28 at 12:00 p.m. EarthXFilm is an organization that puts on its own annual film fest to showcase films and emerging media that explore conservation, climate change, and the environment while honoring the heroes who work to protect our planet. The shorts block will include films screened during the EarthXFilm Festival 2019 such as: “There’s Something in the Water,” “Uniontown,” “Tungrus,” and “Detroit Hives.”

 

Wanting to put together a special event in honor of “The Tony Alva Story” screening, NTXFF is collaborating with Vans and 4DWN to bring a skateboarding exhibition to the Cinemark West Plano, and XD (3800 Dallas Parkway, Plano, TX 75093). This special event is scheduled for Sunday, September 29 at 2:15 p.m. The film’s directors Rick Charnoski and Coan “Buddy” Nichols will be in attendance, with plans to walk the red carpet prior to the screening and do a Q&A afterward.

 

“The first-ever North Texas Film Festival truly has a broad range of films that will speak to a variety of people and special interests,” said Brownlee. “From films pertaining sports to military service and veterans, to the environment, horror stories, family features and more, we are delighted to present the inaugural North Texas Film Festival. Our goal is to have a full house for each screening happening during the four-day festival. We welcome all lovers of film to join us as we celebrate the art of film and share experiences with one another.”

 

In addition, The Texas Archive of the Moving Image is conducting a pop-up event in partnership with the North Texas Film Festival, the Veterans Institute for Film & Media, and the Texas Film Commission. North Texas residents, organizations, and businesses are invited to drop off their old films and videotapes for free digitization at the TEXAS FILM ROUND-UP on September 29 between 12:00 – 7:00 p.m. at Cinemark West Plano and XD. To qualify for FREE digitization, participants must be willing to donate a digital copy of their materials to Texas Archive of the Moving Image's (TAMI) archive, a digital collection at texasarchive.org. TAMI will digitize these materials in Austin and return them by mail to the owners along with a digital copy. For more information about how to participate, visit: https://texasarchive.org/library/index.php?title=News:Texas_Film_Round-Up_Plano

 

Tickets for the events at Cinemark West Plano and XD are on sale and can be reserved through Atom Tickets.

 

To view the full lineup please visit www.ntxff.com/schedule

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Dallas Film is pleased to announce several exciting updates regarding the first-ever North Texas Film Festival powered by Capital One. The announcement includes the addition of a second venue, newly added films, Q&As with leading stars and filmmakers, as well as exciting partnerships that will enhance the NTXFF experience. This will be the first festival to represent North Texas, and it will be held September 26-29, 2019.

 

“In addition to the NTXFF host theater, Cinemark West Plano, and XD (3800 Dallas Parkway, Plano, TX 75093), we have partnered with The Star in Frisco (9 Cowboys Way, Frisco, TX, 75034) to host two special screenings,” said Johnathan Brownlee, CEO & president of Dallas Film and executive director of Dallas International Film Festival and North Texas Film Festival. “On Saturday, September 28, we are excited to present a 10th-anniversary screening of “The Blind Side” at 4:30 p.m. and a 15th-anniversary screening of “Friday Night Lights” at 7:15 p.m. on Tostitos Championship Plaza at The Star in Frisco. We are delighted to welcome actors and filmmakers representing both films and will do a Q&A following the screenings.”’

 

Tickets for the events at Cinemark West Plano and XD are on sale and can be purchased at https://ntxff.com/.  Admission and parking are free to the event at The Star in Frisco on September 28.

 

Quinton Aaron had a lead role in “The Blind Side” playing Michel Oher, a homeless and traumatized boy who became an All-American football player and first round NFL draft pick with the help of a caring woman and her family. He will make a red carpet appearance prior to the screening and will participate in a Q&A following the screening. Representing the 2004 film “Friday Night Lights,” Brad Leland, who starred as John Aubrey, and Grover Coulson, who starred as L.V. Miles, will also walk the red carpet and take part in a Q&A following the screening. “Friday Night Lights” is based on H.G. Bissinger's book, which profiled the economically depressed town of Odessa, Texas, and their heroic high school football team, The Permian High Panthers.

 

“We wanted to capture the spirit of North Texas sports and felt The Star in Frisco was the perfect setting to screen these iconic sports films,” said James Faust, artistic director for Dallas Film. “In addition to these two classics, we will have a special presentation of the Disney channel original film “Back of the Net” at 4:15 p.m. on Saturday, September 28 at Cinemark West Plane and XD. Opening for this film will be the world premiere of “Second Skin,” a short film directed by Farah White. White and lead actress, Ellen Locy, of “Second Skin” will be in attendance. This is the story of an introverted young girl who finds she had more in common with her deceased grandmother than she could have ever possibly imagined. Our goal with these films is to showcase powerful women in film and in sports.”

 

“Now or Never: A Tony Romo Story” was just added to the official film selection of the NTXFF and complements the previously mentioned sports features, showcasing the life story of a man who became one of the most prolific quarterbacks to play for the Dallas Cowboys. Reserved seating for each screening at both venues is available to the public through Atom Tickets.

 

“We are pleased to offer festivalgoers reserved tickets made possible by a unique partnership with Veezi and Atom Tickets,” said Brownlee. “Veezi is responsible for behind-the-scenes functionality, and Atom’s innovative ticketing platform runs the customer-facing side of it. Part of the challenge with film festivals is the pass/badge structure. There are different levels of passes, and each give attendees different benefits. Veezi’s Loyalty system took on this challenge quickly delivered tickets right to festivalgoers’ phones, with all passes and benefits accounted for without missing a beat. So much peace of mind comes from knowing you’ve got reserved seats to the films you want to see, and it elevates the festival experience. Festivalgoers can focus on having fun and forego the stress of standing in lines worrying about seats.”

 

Not only will guests of the festival benefit, but NTXFF volunteers and staff will benefit from e-ticketing too; allowing them the ease of scanning passes directly from phones and alleviating the stress of counting passes and tearing tickets. The new process also provides valuable real-time data pertaining to who is sitting in each seat, how many seats are available and which seats are most popular. This partnership was first implemented at the 19th Annual Dallas International Film Festival this past April, and the team is excited to bring it back for the NTXFF this fall. A new advancement allows for VIP pass holders to reserve two seats together during the booking process.

 

For more information, please visit www.ntxff.com.

 

Proceeds from NTXFF will benefit the Veterans Institute for Film and Media, a program that prepares veterans for careers in film and media production through education, mentorships, and job placements. For details about VIFM, visit www.vifm.us.

 

For members of the media who are interested in covering this story or arranging an interview, please email Lauren Witt at lwitt@thepointgroup.com or call (215) 378-7970 ext. 306.

 

About Dallas Film  

Dallas Film (www.dallasfilm.org), established as Dallas Film Society in 2006, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that exists to celebrate the past, present and future of film in our community. The organization provides leadership in screen education and the recognition and celebration of excellence in the art of film, television, and digital media. Through a variety of screenings, educational programs, and festivals, Dallas Film raises awareness of the world’s most approachable and inclusive art form.

 

 

Additional film selections include (listed alphabetically):

 

Movie Title: Dolemite is my Name

Festival Category: Premiere

Director: Craig Brewer

Country: USA

Running Time: 118 minutes

Synopsis: Stung by a string of showbiz failures, floundering comedian Rudy Ray Moore (Academy Award nominee Eddie Murphy) has an epiphany that turns him into a word-of-mouth sensation: step onstage as someone else. Borrowing from the street mythology of 1970s Los Angeles, Moore assumes the persona of Dolemite, a pimp with a cane and an arsenal of obscene fables. However, his ambitions exceed selling bootleg records deemed too racy for mainstream radio stations to play. Moore convinces a social justice-minded dramatist (Keegan-Michael Key) to write his alter ego a film, incorporating kung fu, car chases, and Lady Reed (Da’Vine Joy Randolph), an ex-backup singer who becomes his unexpected comedic foil. Despite clashing with his pretentious director, D’Urville Martin (Wesley Snipes), and countless production hurdles at their studio in the dilapidated Dunbar Hotel, Moore’s Dolemite becomes a runaway box office smash and a defining movie of the Blaxploitation era.

 

Movie Title: Friday Night Lights

Festival Category: Sports

Director: Peter Berg

Country: Germany, USA

Running Time: 118 Minutes

Synopsis: Based on H.G. Bissinger's book, which profiled the economically depressed town of Odessa, Texas and their heroic high school football team, The Permian High Panthers.

 

Movie Title: Now or Never: A Tony Romo Story

Premiere Status: Special Presentation

Festival Category: Sports

Director: Chris Hanna

Country: USA

Running Time: 95 Minutes

Synopsis: This is the true story of Tony Romo, a kid from Burlington, WI who became one of the most prolific quarterbacks to play for the Dallas Cowboys. Though he never won a Superbowl, his community describes a man whose passion for the game continues to inspire his fans, community, family and friends.

 

Movie Title: The Laundromat

Festival Category: Premiere

Director: Steven Soderbergh

Country: USA

Running Time: 95 Minutes

Synopsis: When her idyllic vacation takes an unthinkable turn, Ellen Martin (Academy Award winner Meryl Streep) begins investigating a fake insurance policy, only to find herself down a rabbit hole of questionable dealings that can be linked to a Panama City law firm and its vested interest in helping the world's wealthiest citizens amass even larger fortunes. The charming — and very well-dressed — founding partners Jürgen Mossack (Academy Award winner Gary Oldman) and Ramón Fonseca (Golden Globe nominee Antonio Banderas) are experts in the seductive ways shell companies and offshore accounts help the rich and powerful prosper. They are about to show us that Ellen's predicament only hints at the tax evasion, bribery and other illicit absurdities that the super wealthy indulge in to support the world's corrupt financial system.

 

Zipping through a kaleidoscope of comic detours in China, Mexico, Africa (via Los Angeles) and the Caribbean en route to 2016’s Panama Papers publication — where journalists revealed the secret, leaked documents of Mossack Fonseca’s high-profile patrons — THE LAUNDROMAT is directed by Academy Award winner Steven Soderbergh (Ocean's Eleven, Magic Mike, High Flying Bird) with a screenplay by Scott Z. Burns (The Informant!, The Report), adapted from “Secrecy World"" by Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporter Jake Bernstein. The film is produced by Lawrence Grey, Gregory Jacobs, Michael Sugar and Burns with a cast that includes Jeffrey Wright, Melissa Rauch, Jeff Michalski, Jane Morris, Robert Patrick, David Schwimmer, Cristela Alonzo, Larry Clarke, Will Forte, Chris Parnell, Nonso Anozie, Larry Wilmore, Jessica Allain, Nikki Amuka-Bird, Matthias Schoenaerts, Rosalind Chao, Kunjue Li, Ming Lo, with James Cromwell and Sharon Stone.

 

Movie Title: The Two Popes

Premiere Status: Texas Premiere

Director: Fernando Meirelles

Country: UK, Italy, Argentina, USA

Running Time: 125 Minutes

Synopsis: From Fernando Meirelles, the Academy Award-nominated director of “City of God,” and three-time Academy Award-nominated screenwriter Anthony McCarten, comes an intimate story of one of the most dramatic transitions of power in the last 2,000 years. Frustrated with the direction of the church, Cardinal Bergoglio (Jonathan Pryce) requests permission to retire in 2012 from Pope Benedict (Anthony Hopkins). Instead, facing scandal and self-doubt, the introspective Pope Benedict summons his harshest critic and future successor to Rome to reveal a secret that would shake the foundations of the Catholic Church. Behind Vatican walls, a struggle commences between both tradition and progress, guilt and forgiveness, as these two very different men confront their pasts in order to find common ground and forge a future for a billion followers around the world.

*Inspired by true events.

 

North Texas Film Festival Sponsors Include:

 

 


Title Sponsor

Capital One

 

Official Sponsors

Dallas Film

Four Corners

The Point Group

 

Affiliate Sponsors

Atom Tickets

Cinemark

Hidden Friends

Selig Polyscope

Veezi

 

Contributing Sponsor

Commerce House

 

Sustaining Sponsors

ABCO Inc.

Culture Map

iHeart Media

Thought Culture

 

Screening Sponsors

ARTSonepass

Bloomfield Knoble

IdeaMan Studios

 

Supporting Sponsors

Cassaro Wines

eCarra

Lightning Rod Events

Southern Glazers

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2019_Skate_TheTonyAlvaStory_WYNN_COPING FIRE_ALVA_

Dallas Film today announced the first 15 films for the first-ever North Texas Film Festival (NTXFF) powered by Capital One. The full lineup will consist of more than 20 curated films for categories pertaining to sports, family, date night, horror, Best of DIFF 2019 (popular films from the 2019 Dallas International Film Festival), veteran films, early access sneak peeks, shorts, and Oscar-contending films. In addition, two of the shorts are Texas and world premieres. This will be the first festival to represent North Texas, and it will be held September 26 – 29, 2019, at Cinemark West Plano and XD (3800 Dallas Parkway, Plano, TX 75093). Reserved seating for each screening will be available to the public through Atom Tickets starting August 26. A festival lounge will be located within the theater with special perks for festivalgoers to indulge in.

 

“We are thrilled to bring a diverse and accessible collection of films and red-carpet events to the North Texas area,” said Johnathan Brownlee, CEO & president of Dallas Film and executive director of Dallas International Film Festival and North Texas Film Festival. “We value bringing people together to discover the art of film. Film is the most relatable art form and our goal with this new festival is to spark meaningful engagement with film in the North Texas region, welcome a full house for each screening, bring in incredible talent and filmmakers from around the world and create a one-of-a-kind festival experience for all who attend.”

 

This year, Dallas Film is pleased to announce a special partnership with FANGORIA, an iconic horror magazine. For 40 years, FANGORIA has remained a pre-Internet beacon for what’s new and exciting in horror. If it was on the cover of a Fango, it was a must-see. To honor those must-see horror movies, FANGORIA is teaming up with Dallas Film and the North Texas Film Festival to present two beloved films, both famously gracing the pages of the magazine. Curated screenings of “Re-Animator” (Stuart Gordon, 1985) & “Poltergeist” (Tobe Hooper, 1982) will be presented with exclusive introductions from the FANGORIA Vault. Movie lovers and horror fans alike will delight at the opportunity to see these classics on the big screen once again.

 

“Poltergeist is not only iconic, ranking amongst the best horror films ever made, but one of the genre’s most effective “haunted house” movies,” said a representative of Fangoria. “A terrifying team-up like no other between writer / producer / “ghost director” Steven Spielberg and director Tobe Hooper (THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE), Poltergeist became quintessential suburban horror of the 1980s Amblin era. It is required viewing for any lover of film and the horror genre - no matter your age or current status in your "transition to a different sphere of consciousness.”

 

Based on the 1922 H. P. Lovecraft serial novelette Herbert West–Reanimator, Re-Animator (1985) is one of the most impressive debuts from a first-time filmmaker in the genre of horror. The film not would only introduce us to the genius of co-writer/director Stuart Gordon but also Herbert West himself, genre icon & star Jeffrey Combs, as well the legendary "Scream Queen" Barbara Crampton in her first horror role. Oozing with neon green gross-out gory horror, Re-Animator is equally as spine-tingling as it is inappropriately, irreverently comedic.  

 

“As we considered several types of films for this festival, we knew we wanted to speak to the culture and interests of the North Texas area,” said James Faust, artistic director of Dallas Film. “Given the incredible sports presence and family-friendly environment, we knew we wanted to pick films that inspire, showcase how athletes overcome adversities, and bring joy to people of all ages. We have many exciting events in the works and are eager to create an exceptional festival experience for all who attend.”

 

For more information, please visit www.ntxff.com.

 

Proceeds from NTXFF will benefit the Veterans Institute for Film and Media, a program that prepares veterans for careers in film and media production through education, mentorships, and job placements. For details about VIFM, visit www.vifm.us.

 

For members of the media who are interested in covering this story or arranging an interview, please email Lauren Witt at lwitt@thepointgroup.com or call (215) 378-7970 ext. 306.

 

About Dallas Film  

Dallas Film (www.dallasfilm.org), established as Dallas Film Society in 2006, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that exists to celebrate the past, present and future of film in our community. The organization provides leadership in screen education and the recognition and celebration of excellence in the art of film, television, and digital media. Through a variety of screenings, educational programs, and festivals, Dallas Film raises awareness of the world’s most approachable and inclusive art form.

 

 

The first 15 official selections include (listed alphabetically):

 

Movie Title: A Soldier’s Way

Premiere Status: Texas Premiere (Shorts Film)

Director: Adam Dietrich & Elliott Gilbert

Country: USA

Running Time: 13:22 Minutes

Synopsis: A Soldier’s Way follows the story of soldiers Steven Barr (Tim Llewellyn) and Chris Villanueva (Grey Acuna) during a tour in Afghanistan, simultaneously exploring their lives/commitments stateside.  Steven Barr is the modern soldier, from his physique to his adrenaline addiction, with a wife Andrea (Molly May Rockwell) and child (Kohen Marburger) wishing they had more of his focus between multiple tours of duty.  Chris Villanueva is a combat photographer assigned to Barr’s company during a routine tour in country, who has a healthier relationship to his pregnant wife, Lacey (Bonnie Gayle), and combat career.  The film explores the connection between these two soldiers and their families back home, blurring the line between here and now, much like a dream, as both worlds face a deteriorating reality.

 

Movie Title: Back of the Net

Festival Category: Family Feature

Director: Louise Alston

Country: Australia

Running Time: 98 Minutes

Synopsis: A new student at a soccer academy is determined to beat her rival's team in the national tournament.

 

Movie Title: Clemency

Premiere Status: Texas Premiere

Director: Chinonye Chukwu

Country: USA

Running Time: 113 Minutes

Synopsis: Years of carrying out death row executions have taken a toll on prison warden Bernadine Williams. As she prepares to execute another inmate, Bernadine must confront the psychological and emotional demons her job creates, ultimately connecting her to the man she is sanctioned to kill.

 

Movie Title: Live from the Astroturf

Festival Category: Best of DIFF 2019, Audience Award Winner – Documentary Feature

Director: Steven Gaddis
Country: USA

Running Time: 58 Minutes

Synopsis: Alice Cooper reunites with the surviving members of the original lineup of the band to perform a blistering set on a small stage of pink AstroTurf at independent music store Good Records in Dallas, TX, 40 years after the band parted ways. Store owner Chris Penn pulls off the near insurmountable task of organizing the event and keeping Alice's appearance a secret until the original shock-rocker hits the stage.

 

Movie Title: Mack Wrestles

Festival Category: Best of DIFF 2019 Shorts

Director: Taylor Hess, Erin Sanger

Country: USA

Running Time: 25 Minutes

Synopsis: Mack Wrestles takes the audience behind the scenes as Mack Beggs, a gifted athlete from Euless, Texas, struggles against the outside forces that stigmatize transgender athletes.

 

Movie Title: Poltergeist

Festival Category: FANGORIA Feature, Horror

Director: Tobe Hooper

Country: USA

Running Time: 115 Minutes

Synopsis: A family's home is haunted by a host of demonic ghosts.

 

Movie Title: Rapaz (Raptor Rapace)

Festival Category: Best of DIFF 2019 Shorts

Director: Felipe Gálvez

Country: Chile

Running Time: 13:02 Minutes

Synopsis: Ariel (38), is involved in the arrest of a teenager accused of stealing a cell phone. A mass of people surrounds the young man, some blame him, beat him, others defend him. The police do not arrive. Ariel must decide which side he is on.

 

Movie Title: Re-Animator

Festival Category: FANGORIA Feature, Horror

Director: Stuart Gordon

Country: USA

Running Time: 105 Minutes

Synopsis: After an odd new medical student arrives on campus, a dedicated local and his girlfriend become involved in bizarre experiments centering around the re-animation of dead tissue.

 

Movie Title: RENEEPOPTOSIS

Festival Category: Best of DIFF 2019 Shorts

Director: Renee Zhan

Country: USA

Running Time: 9:55 Minutes

Synopsis: Three Renees go on a quest to find God, who is also Renee. As they travel the hills and valleys of Renee, they discover all the great joys, trials, and mysteries of being Renee.

 

Movie Title: Second Skin

Premiere Status: World Premiere (Shorts Film)

Director: Farah White

Country: USA

Running Time: 6:01 Minutes

Synopsis: An introverted young girl finds she had more in common with deceased grandmother than she could have ever possibly imagined.

 

Movie Title: The Blind Side

Festival Category: 10th Anniversary Special Presentation

Director: John Lee Hancock

Country: USA

Running Time: 129 Minutes

Synopsis: The story of Michael Oher, a homeless and traumatized boy who became an All American football player and first round NFL draft pick with the help of a caring woman and her family.

 

Movie Title: The Lodge

Festival Category: Late Night Date Night

Director: Severin Fiala, Veronika Franz

Principal Cast: Alicia Silverstone, Riley Keough, Richard Armitage

Country: UK, USA

Running Time: 100 Minutes

Synopsis: A soon-to-be stepmom is snowed in with her fiancé's two children at a remote holiday village. Just as relations begin to thaw between the trio, some strange and frightening events take place.

 

Movie Title: The Queen's New Clothes 

Festival Category: Best of DIFF 2019 Shorts

Director: Ashley Bush

Country: USA

Running Time: 23:42 Minutes

Synopsis: Winn Morton - a visionary, 90-year-old costume designer who honed his craft on Broadway and with Ringling Brothers Circus- brings over-the-top fantasy and sparkle to a conservative debutante pageant in small town Texas.

 

Movie Title: The Tony Alva Story

Premiere Status: Texas Premiere

Director: Coan ‘’Buddy’’ Nichols, Rick Charnoski

Country: USA

Running Time: 54 Minutes

Synopsis: The Tony Alva Story chronicles T.A.’s humble beginnings on the streets of Santa Monica to his rise to superstardom as part of the legendary Z-Boys, his inevitable drug-induced implosion and his ultimate rise from the ashes to accept his rightful place as a beacon of hope and inspiration for generations of skateboarders the world over. 

 

Movie Title: This World Won’t Break  

Festival Category: Best of DIFF 2019, Audience Award Winner – Narrative Feature

Director: Josh David Jordan

Principal Cast: Greg Schroeder, Roxanna Redfoot, Tim DeLaughter, Mathew Posey
Country: USA

Running Time: 158 Minutes

Synopsis: A Texas troubadour's quiet life is upset by the realization that he isn't where he had hoped to be at this point in his career. He questions the decisions of putting off a family life in hopes to one day "make it" by isolating himself on the open road and playing small honkey-tonks. Too late to stop following the dream and too early in his career to be a legend, Wes Milligan's struggle for a better life begins to spiral out of control. In these darkest moments, he writes THE song.

 

North Texas Film Festival Sponsors Include:

 

 


Title Sponsor

Capital One

 

Official Sponsors

Dallas Film

Four Corners

The Point Group

 

Affiliate Sponsors

Atom Tickets

Cinemark

Hidden Friends

Selig Polyscope

Veezi

 

Contributing Sponsor

Commerce House

 

Sustaining Sponsors

ABCO Inc.

Culture Map

iHeart Media

Thought Culture

 

Screening Sponsors

ARTSonepass

Bloomfield Knoble

IdeaMan Studios

 

Supporting Sponsors

Cassaro Wines

eCarra

Lightning Rod Events

Southern Glazers

 

-End-

 

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Dallas Film, a nonprofit organization that exists to celebrate the past, present and future of film in our community, is pleased to announce a new film festival debuting this fall in Plano. The North Texas Film Festival (NTXFF) powered by Capital One will be held September 26 – 29, 2019, at the Cinemark West Plano and XD theatre (3800 Dallas Parkway, Plano, TX 75093). “Men in Black: International” will be screened at a kickoff event for the festival. 

 

“We are excited to serve a broader audience and expand the love of film to North Texas, which is centered upon the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the largest metropolitan area in Texas,” said Johnathan Brownlee, CEO & President of Dallas Film and Executive Director of North Texas Film Festival. “At the North Texas Film Festival, attendees can expect a lineup of more than 20 curated films including films related to sports, family, date night, Indian, veterans, horror, Best of DIFF (popular films from the 2019 Dallas International Film Festival), shorts, and Oscar contending films. There will be nightly red carpets, Q&As with filmmakers, an exclusive festival lounge, live music stage, theme nights.”

 

This will be the first film festival to represent North Texas and, since the North Texas economy is booming, the location makes perfect sense, say organizers of NTXFF.  As home to several major corporate offices including Capital One, it’s a community full of opportunities and welcoming to people of all ages. North Texas is comprised of 150 cities with over 7.1 million residents in a 9,000-square-mile, 13-county region.

 

“Overall, North Texas is the fourth largest region in the United States and is the most diverse economy in Texas,” said Brownlee. “Our goal with this new festival is to spark meaningful engagement with film, have a full house for each screening, bring in incredible talent and filmmakers from around the world, expand the love of film in the North Texas region, and create a festival experience like no other for all who attend.”

 

Proceeds from NTXFF will benefit the Veterans Institute for Film and Media, a program that prepares veterans for careers in film and media production through education, mentorships, and job placements. For details about VIFM, visit www.vifm.us.

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The Veterans Institute for Film and Media (VIFM), a Dallas Film educational initiative, has announced its search for a sculptor to create the organization’s first-ever “Art for Heroes Award,” which will be presented in recognition of recipients’ contributions to the US military.

Future honorees will be persons who are dedicated to ensuring veterans are recognized for their service and supported when they end their tour of duty. Honorees will also exemplify a commitment to helping veterans ease their transition back into civilian life. The inaugural presentation will be made in September 2019.

“Our mission at VIFM is to prepare veterans for careers in film and media production through education, mentorships and job placements,” said Maggy Croxville, director of the Institute and a former Marine. “The Art for Heroes Award is an extension of this program that seeks to honor men and women who use art to chronicle the military experience, preserve the legacy of those who have served, and support and encourage veteran artists. Narrative art is a powerful tool that illustrates a story or experience by using a central moment to tell a whole story. Our goal for this sculpture is to create a piece of work that resonates with veterans from all branches of service and walks of life, as well as civilians. We are hopeful the piece will serve as a source of inspiration for years to come.”

The award must be portable for recipients to take to their office or home and replicable so it can be recreated for future honorees. The design should honor compassionate service and selfless dedication to those who protect our nation and, in the broader sense, acknowledge the unique way art reflects and enriches lives. The award should promote patriotism, commitment and dignity.

“We request the proposals contain a statement of interest or intent, a resume or short biography, two reference letters, visual support materials of past projects – digital or print (photos not to exceed 30, videos not to exceed 20 minutes and prints not to exceed 30), as well as a description of the project, including concept and approach, and proposed material. We are thrilled to open this request for proposal to artists from all over the nation, and we encourage artists who are also veterans to apply.”

Proposals must contain all costs to design and manufacture the proposed artwork, including delivery to the VIFM office. It should also include costs for reproduction for future editions. Proposals must be submitted by 5:00 p.m. on June 3, 2019. All proposals will be evaluated by a panel of art professionals, military veterans, funders and Dallas Film/VIFM staff members. All proposals will be evaluated for artistic excellence, embodiment of the design criteria and cost, as well as if the artist serves or served in the military. The winner will be notified by 10:00 a.m. on Monday, June 14, 2019. The completed piece must be at the Dallas office no later than 5:00 p.m on Wednesday, September 4, 2019.

Electronic submissions should be sent to: admin@vifm.us.

All mailed submissions should be sent to:

Dallas Film Society, Inc.

ATTN: VIFM Art for Heroes

110 Leslie Street, STE 200

Dallas, TX 75207

 

For additional information on the Veterans Institute for Film and Media, please visit vifm.us. To request more information about the award or request for proposal, please contact Maggy Croxville at maggy@vifm.us

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Dallas Film is pleased to announce the winners of the 13th annual Dallas International Film Festival.

 

“We are proud to present the award recipients of this year’s Dallas International Film Festival,” said Johnathan Brownlee, CEO & president of Dallas Film and executive director of Dallas International Film Festival. “Film is a labor of love, a medium for sharing our ideas, passions, interests and stories. We thank everyone who submitted their work to Dallas IFF. Putting your film out for the world to see is like opening a piece of your mind and heart for the world to experience. We applaud you for contributing to the film industry because films have the power to change our lives outside the theater in tangible ways.”

 

Award Recipients of the 2019 Dallas International Film Festival:

 

Dallas County Historical Society (DCHS) Historical Film

$1000 Cash Prize

Seadrift, Tim Tsai

 

Short Film Competition

 

Grand Jury Award – Animated Short

$500 Cash Prize

Reneepoptosis, Renee Zhan

 

Grand Jury Award – Documentary Short

Sony Camera Prize

Mack Wrestles, Taylor Hess & Erin Sanger

 

Special Jury Award – Narrative Short

Okaasan (mom), Kana Hatakeyama

 

Grand Jury Award – Narrative Short

Sony Camera Prize

Rapaz, Felipe Gálvez

 

Texas Film Competition

 

Special Jury Award, Emerging Filmmaker

Shoot the Moon Right Between the Eyes, Graham Carter

 

Grand Jury Award

$35,000 Panavision Camera Package Grant

J.R. “Bob” Dobbs and the Church of the SubGenius

 

Documentary Feature Competition

 

Special Jury Award

Caballerango, Juan Pablo González

 

Grand Jury Award

Sony Camera Prize

Always in Season, Jacqueline Olive

 

Narrative Feature Competition

 

Special Jury Award, Best Screenplay

Sister Aimee, Samantha Buck & Marie Schlingmann

 

Grand Jury Award

Limited Theatrical Release by Studio Movie Grill

Ms. Purple, Justin Chon

 

“We are extremely grateful to all of the individuals who participated as jury members and spent hours deliberating the recipients of the awards for the 2019 Dallas International Film Festival,” said James Faust, artistic director for Dallas Film. “With more than 150 films screened, we know that it was not an easy task of choosing the winners for each category. We are appreciative of your time and dedication to serving the filmmakers who participated in this year’s festival.”

 

Audience Award Winners:

 

Short Film – Queen’s New Clothes, Ashley Bush

 

Documentary Feature – Live from the Astroturf, Alice Cooper, Steven Gaddis

 

Narrative Feature – This World Won’t Break, Josh David Jordan

 

Jurors and Bios:

 

Dallas County Historical Society Jury

The Dallas Historical Society is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the preservation of Dallas and Texas history. Offering education programming, lectures, historic city tours, museum exhibitions and other special events, this organization strives to be the preeminent resource for exploring and instilling appreciation for the diverse history of Dallas and Texas. We endeavor to encourage historical inquiry and maintain the importance and relevance of history today. Our collection of archival material – including historic photographs, diaries, journals, papers, periodicals, maps, and books – is available to researchers. Formed in 1922, the Dallas Historical Society is the oldest organization in Dallas County committed to preserving the history of the region and presenting it to the public in innovative and informative ways.

 

Short Film Jury

 

Tom Oyer

Tom Oyer is associate director, Member Relations and Awards at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, where he oversees all aspects of the Documentary and Short Film categories, including rules, eligibility submission and voting. Oyer is in his eleventh year at the Academy.

 

Laura Moss

Laura is a director and production designer from New York City. Her work has screened at MoMA, Tribeca, SXSW, Sundance, Telluride, Berlin and Cannes. She was named one of Filmmaker Magazine’s 25 New Faces of Independent Film, an IFP Emerging Storyteller and has earned jury awards for her films at Tribeca, SXSW, Melbourne International Film Festival and Hollyshorts. Laura is an alumna of NYU’s graduate film program. Her first feature will be produced by Fangoria Films in 2019.

 

Nick McCarthy

Nick McCarthy is the Director of Programming & Operations at NewFest, New York's LGBTQ Film & Media Arts Organization. Nick curates and manages the annual New York LGBTQ Film Festival – which celebrated its 30th anniversary in October 2018 – in addition to NewFest’s year-round programming, including the community-driven monthly series NewFest at The Center Presents and the retrospective series Coming out Again at Quad Cinema. Prior to NewFest, Nick served as the Film Curator at The Tank, and worked in academic publishing and international media. Nick has written about film and media for publications including Slant Magazine, Time Out New York, NBC News, and the Boston Phoenix.

 

Texas Film Jury

 

David Blue Garcia

David is an Emmy award-winning Director / DP working in commercials, documentaries and narrative films and based in Austin, Texas. He has lensed 6 independent feature films as a cinematographer including his feature length directorial debut, TEJANO. At its world premiere, TEJANO won the Audience Award at the 2018 Dallas International Film Festival.

 

Milan Chakraborty

Milan Chakraborty is a 15-year veteran of the film industry after a career as an auditor/Certified Public Accountant. He started his career at Warner Bros. ("WB") and New Line Cinema ("NLC”), where he performed detailed reviews of 10 feature film productions with budgets ranging from $5 - $200 million. Productions include: WB: BATMAN BEGINS – London; DUKES OF HAZZARD – Baton Rouge!; V FOR VENDETTA – Berlin and NLC: HISTORY OF VIOLENCE – Toronto. In 2008, Milan left the big studios to focus on independent films, and has since produced 13 features including the 2014 film WHERE HOPE GROWS, which won the HEARTLAND AUDIENCE AWARD in 2014 and world premiered at DIFF, 2013 Sundance competition film THE LIFEGUARD starring Kristen Bell directed by Liz Garcia and MY FRIEND DAHMER directed by Marc Meyers, released in November 2017 and “certified fresh” by ROTTEN TOMATOES. He was recently an Executive Producer for the Sam Levinson directed film, ASSASSINATION NATION, which premiered at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival and sold to NEON and AGBO. Milan has world premiered 2 films at DIFF, WHERE HOPE GROWS and ROCK SLYDE, his first film, in 2009 - both written/directed by CHRIS DOWLING of Richardson.

 

Jim Brunzell

Jim Brunzell III was born in the 70's, played sports in the 80's, went to school in the 90's, and started working on film festivals in the 2000's. He is the Artistic Director for the All Genders, Lifestyles, and Identities Film Festival (aGLIFF) in Austin, TX and the 32nd annual festival will take place August 22-25, 2019. He was named a “Top 10 Local Queer Hero” by the Austin Chronicle in 2016 saying, “It says a lot when an ally makes the list, but as Artistic Director of aGLIFF, Brunzell has done a bang-up job curating the film festival and screenings for the entire LGBTQ spectrum.” He is also the Festival Director for the music/film/art festival Sound Unseen in the Minneapolis, MN, which was just named "One of the 25 Coolest Film Festivals in the World for 2016" by Moviemaker Magazine and will be celebrating its 20th annual festival, November 13-17, 2019. He has served on numerous film festival juries and is also a big sports nerd.

 

Documentary Feature Jury

 

Meredith Shea

Meredith Shea is an Associate Director of Member Relations and Awards at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in Los Angeles. She oversees the Animated Feature and Foreign Language film Oscar categories, along with the Directors, Film Editors and Writers branches. She has participated on panels at Marché du Film at the Cannes Film Festival, BFI London Film Festival, Flanders CONNeXT at Film Fest Gent and served on juries for the Cleveland International Film Festival and Milwaukee Film Festival. Miss Shea began her career in the arts at Everett Collection, the Manhattan film archive and photo agency. She is a graduate of St. John’s University in New York City.

 

Jon Olshefski

Jonathan Olshefski is an artist and documentary filmmaker. In 2017 he was named as one of 25 New Faces in Independent Film by Filmmaker Magazine and mentioned in the New York Times as one of “The 9 New Directors You Need to Watch.” His debut feature documentary, QUEST, premiered in competition at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival and went on to be selected for over 75 festivals internationally where it won multiple awards including prizes at: Full Frame Documentary Film Festival, Mumbai Film Festival, Dallas International Film Festival, Cleveland International Film Festival, Camden International Film Festival, Baltimore International Black Film Festival, and the Milwaukee Film Festival. Olshefski strives to tell intimate and nuanced stories that honor his subjects’ complexity by employing a production process that emphasizes collaboration, dialogue, and relationship to amplify their voices and reflect their points of view in an artful way. He has an MFA in Film and Media Arts from Temple University and is an Associate Professor at Rowan University where he teaches in the department of Radio, TV, and Film. He lives in Philadelphia with his wife and two sons.

 

Bart Weiss

Bart Weiss is an award-winning filmmaker, educator and director/founder of the Dallas VideoFest, which produces, DocuFest, Alternative Fictions, the Ernie Kovacs award, the 24 hour video race and the North Texas Universities Film Festival. He is the artistic director of 3 stars Jewish Cinema. He produces the TV show “Frame of Mind” on KERA TV. He is an associate professor at the University of Texas at Arlington where he teaches film and video. He was President and Chair of AIVF and was a video columnist for The Dallas Morning News, and United Features Syndicate. He currently writes for Student Filmmaker Magazine and TheaterJones.com. Bart received an MFA in Film Directing from Columbia University.

 

Narrative Feature Jury

 

Christine Davila

Before her role as Creative Executive at Stage 13 where she found and developed short form digital episodic series, she spent over ten years screening hundreds of independent films, focusing on Spanish language and U.S. Latino as a freelance programming associate for film festivals like Sundance, Los Angeles Film Festival, San Antonio’s CineFestival, Morelia Film Festival and the Curacao International Film Festival Rotterdam. Her goal is to promote awareness to diverse and compelling stories that cross genres and borders. She also wants to define the conversation of what “Latino” means.

 

Josephine Decker

Part of Time Warner's 150 incubator, Sundance's New Frontier Lab and one of Filmmaker Magazine’s 25 New Faces of Independent Film, Josephine Decker has been said to be ushering in a “new grammar of narrative” by The New Yorker, Her newest feature Madeline’s Madeline World Premiered at Sundance 2018 where it was called a “mind-scrambling masterpiece” by Indiewire and a “radical, breathtaking beauty” by The Village Voice. The film was recently nominated for Best Picture and lead Helena Howard for Breakthrough Actor at IFP’s Gotham Awards and received two Independent Spirit Award nominations as well.  Josephine premiered her first two narrative features at the Berlinale Forum 2014 to similarly rave reviews.  Josephine is currently in post-production on her fourth narrative feature starring Elisabeth Moss about the writer Shirley Jackson and just directed an episode of HBO’s Room 104.  Her documentary, film and music video work has shown at the Museum of the City of New York, on Netflix, PBS and MTV and at hundreds of film festivals around the world. 

 

Casey Baron

Born and raised in the small island of Dominica located in the West Indies, Casey Baron moved to Austin after graduating from Florida State University with a degree in English – Editing, Writing, and Media. While attending FSU, Casey worked for The Torchlight Program. During his time there, he was the Team Leader and Personal Assistant to film industry veteran Paul Cohen, the program’s Executive Director. Beyond that creative venture, Casey has also been an editor on a handful of literary magazines, including FSU’s The Kudzu Review and Miami Dade College’s AXIS Creative Arts Magazine. Casey has been a part of the Austin Film Festival family for three years running; starting off as an intern before climbing the ladder to become the festival’s Shorts Programmer for its 25th anniversary. He’s excited to jump into his new role as the Senior Film Program Director, and continuing the organizational and personal mission of championing storytellers. When he’s not racing to find interesting stories, Casey spends his spare time watching basketball and soccer, listening to music, and playing with his dog Niobe.

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Dallas Film is proud to host Dallas area students for High School Day during the 13th annual Dallas International Film Festival powered by Capital One. Students who participate in the Dallas Film High School Roundtable Program powered by Capital One – are invited to a full day of film panels, workshops and screenings on April 16.

This year’s High School Day is themed around the “Avengers,” with the highly anticipated new film, Avengers: Endgame, set to be released on April 26. More than 500 students, teachers and chaperones will be broken into groups to rotate through five different topics related to film and media production.

“We can’t wait to give hundreds of students access to working professionals in the film industry on High School Day,” said Johnathan Brownlee, CEO & President of Dallas Film and Executive Director of Dallas International Film Festival. “Dallas Film is committed to arts education, and this program allows us to show students how their dreams can become reality. We’re thankful to everyone in the industry who gives their time to make this event possible.”

Panels and workshops for the day include: “Set Design on a Budget” hosted by Mercury One’s Chuck Ekl, “Shot Smarts: Enhancing your Story through the Camera” taught by filmmaker Rebecca Flores, and “Old Joe and the Story Circle” presented by Shaun Colon of [open-ended] films.

Some of the students in attendance at High School Day will also be showing their own films during the festival. Ryan Schwenn from New Tech High in Coppell, who was recently named Coppell Chamber student of the month, will air his film, Lights On, during the high school shorts block. This will be the second year for Makayla Hoover to air a film during DallasIFF. Her film Denim will also debut during the high school shorts block.

High School Day includes lunch and gifts of commemorative t-shirts sponsored by Southern Methodist University. The event is also made possible through a crew of volunteers and Mercury One, a nonprofit which sponsors the High School Roundtable. Mercury One’s mission, in part, aims to take action through educational initiatives.

“Dallas Film is proud to support Title I schools through the Roundtable Program,” said Michele Goodson, Director of Education for Dallas Film. “We value creating opportunities for schools across the DFW area and are eager to nourish the next generation of artists.”

The Dallas Film Roundtable Program strives to develop the next generation of filmmakers, recognize student achievement and celebrate student films. The program also provides educational programs and acts as a resource for educators. Teachers or administrators interested in joining next year’s Roundtable Program can contact Michele Goodson at mgoodson@dallasfilm.org.