Last night's Academy Awards has me all giddy about the movie industry, so I was elated to get a press release in my in-box today from the Dallas Film Society announcing the first 10 films chosen to screen at the 8th edition of the Dallas International Film Festival, presented by AutoNation on April 3 – 13, 2014. The DIFF 2014 films will not only represent works from America, and Texas in particular, but also films from Poland and Hong Kong and classics from years gone-by — truly an international and timeless offering.
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| DIFF brings A-list celebs to town like Charlize Theron in 2011 (photo: D Magazine) |
Also announced is the debut of Audience Awards sponsored by Lascaux Films which will award a cash prize of $5000 in the categories of Narrative Feature, Documentary Feature and Short Film, made possible by Lascaux Films, providing filmmakers a level of recognition that confirms their film resonated with the audience.”
Passes and Tickets DIFF passes are on sale at the online Prekindle box office at www.DallasFilm.org and range from $125 for a Festival Lounge Pass to $750 for an all-access Star Pass, which includes: All-access pass to all screenings One invitation to the Opening Night Screening & Gala on April 3, 2014, subject to availability. Admission for one person to all Centerpiece screenings and parties during the Festival Access for one person to the Festival Lounge. (Must be 21 or over to enter the Festival Lounge or to consume alcohol.) Admission for one person to all regular film screenings and panel discussions Dallas International Film Festival swag bag full of unforgettable merchandise Starting March 17, individual tickets and passes can be purchased at the Prekindle Main Box Office in Mockingbird station, and online at www.DallasFilm.org.
This year's selections include:
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| Juliette Binoche in Words and Pictures |
WORDS AND PICTURES (USA)
DIRECTOR: Fred Schepisi
CAST: Keegan Connor Tracy, Clive Owen, Juliette Binoche
SYNOPSIS: An art instructor and an English teacher form a rivalry that ends up with a competition at their school in which students decide whether words or pictures are more important.
JOE (USA)
DIRECTOR: David Gordon Green
CAST: Nicholas Cage, Tye Sheridan, Ronnie Gene Blevins
SYNOPSIS: An ex-con, who is the unlikeliest of role models, meets a 15-year-old boy and is faced with the choice of redemption or ruin.
HELLION (USA)
DIRECTOR: Kat Candler
CAST: Aaron Paul, Juliette Lewis, Josh Wiggins
SYNOPSIS: When motocross and heavy metal obsessed, thirteen-year-old, Jacob's increasing delinquent behavior forces CPS to place his little brother, Wes, with his aunt, Jacob and his emotionally absent father, Hollis, must finally take responsibility for their actions and for each other in order to bring Wes home.
QUEENS & COWBOYS: A STRAIGHT YEAR ON THE GAY RODEO (USA)
DIRECTOR: Matt Livadary
SYNOPSIS: QUEENS & COWBOYS: A STRAIGHT YEAR ON THE GAY RODEO chronicles a complete season of the International Gay Rodeo Association. Roping and riding across North America for the past 30 years, the IGRA's courageous cowboys and cowgirls brave challenges both in and out of the arena on their quest to qualify for the World Finals at the end of the season. And along the way, they'll bust every stereotype in the book.
RICH HILL (USA)
DIRECTOR: Tracy Droz Tragos and Andrew Droz Palermo
SYNOPSIS: RICH HILL intimately chronicles the turbulent lives of three boys living in an impoverished Midwestern town and the fragile family bonds that sustain them.
ABOVE ALL ELSE (USA)
DIRECTOR: John Feige
SYNOPSIS: One man will risk it all to stop the tar sands of the Keystone XL oil pipeline from crossing his land. Shot in the forests, pastures, and living rooms of rural East Texas, ABOVE ALL ELSE follows David Daniel as he rallies neighbors and environmental activists to join him in a final act of brinkmanship: a tree-top blockade of the controversial pipeline. What begins as a stand against corporate bullying becomes a rallying cry for climate protesters nationwide.
IDA (Poland)
DIRECTOR: Pawel Pawlikowski
SYNOPSIS: Anna, a young novitiate nun in 1960s Poland, is on the verge of taking her vows when she discovers a dark family secret dating back to the years of the Nazi occupation.
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| Andy Lau in Firestorm |
FIRESTORM (NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE) (China/Hong Kong)
DIRECTOR: Alan Yuen
CAST: Andy Lau
SYNOPSIS: A storm is heading to the city of Hong Kong, and with it comes another occurrence so destructive, it vows to bring down everything it touches. A crew of seasoned criminals led by the notorious Nam (Hu Jun), armed with high-powered weapons, pulls off another smooth and violent armored car heist in broad daylight in a crowded street. Whoever tries to get in their way, they will show no mercy. This puts the police force to shame and humiliation.
BELIEVE ME (WORLD PREMIERE) (USA)
DIRECTOR: Will Bakke
CAST: Nick Offerman, Johanna Braddy, Christopher McDonald
SYNOPSIS: Desperate, broke, and out of ideas, four college seniors start a fake Christian charity to embezzle money for tuition
PARIS, TEXAS (1984) 30th Anniversary Screening reuniting cast and crew at the Historic Texas Theatre. (West Germany/USA/France/UK)
DIRECTOR: Wim Wenders
CAST: Harry Dean Stanton, Nastassja Kinski, Dean Stockwell
SYNOPSIS: A man wanders out of the desert after a four year absence. His brother finds him, and together they return to L.A. to reunite the man with his young son. Soon after, he and the boy set out to locate the mother of the child, who left shortly after the man disappeared.
