Dallas International Film Festival

Last updated
Dallas International Film Festival
Location Dallas, Texas, U.S.
Founded2007
Hosted byDallas Film
Artistic directorJames Faust
LanguageInternational
Website dallasfilm.org

The Dallas International Film Festival (DIFF) is an annual film festival that takes place in Dallas, Texas.

Contents

The 20th edition of the Dallas International Film Festival will be held April 23-30, 2026.

DIFF 2025 was held April 25-May 1, 2025.

Since its inception, the Dallas International Film Festival has contributed more than $1M in filmmaker awards, brought more than 2,000 filmmakers to Dallas, and screened more than 2,500 films from more than 50 countries. [1]

DIFF, established as Dallas Film Society, Inc., is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2006. [2]

History

2007

The Dallas International Film Festival began in 2007 as the AFI Dallas International Film Festival. The festival was cofounded by advertising executive Liener Temerlin and Deep Ellum Film Festival founder Michael Cain [3] with the intention that "film should be placed on the same pedestal as all of the other arts". [4] The Festival was held March 22 to April 1, 2007. The Opening Night Gala film was Steven Sawalich’s “Music Within” and Sarah Polley’s directorial debut, “Away From Her,” closed the fest. The newly inaugurated AFI Dallas Star was presented to Lauren Bacall, Jack Valenti, David Lynch, Sidney Pollack, Marvin Hamlisch, Alan and Marilyn Bergman, Sarah Polley and posthumously to Gregory Peck, who served as the first chairman of the AFI’s board. [5]

2008

In 2008, the AFI DALLAS International Film Festival was held from March 27 to April 6, 2008. The Opening Night Gala film was Helen Hunt's directorial debut film, Then She Found Me . The Closing Night Gala film was Stuart Townsend's Battle in Seattle . Mickey Rooney attended a presentation of the 70th anniversary of Boys Town . Helen Hunt, Mickey Rooney, Charlize Theron and Todd Wagner each received the AFI DALLAS Star Award. Director Chris Wedge received the Tex Avery Animation Award, which honors lifetime achievement in animation filmmaking. Special guests included Robert DeNiro, Barry Levinson, Art Linson, Keke Palmer, Michelle Rodriguez, Stuart Townsend amongst others.

2009

The 3rd annual festival was held from March 26 to April 2, 2009. Kathryn Bigelow was presented with the AFI DALLAS Star Award before a screening of her film, The Hurt Locker .

Adrien Brody was presented with the AFI DALLAS Star Award prior to the screening of the Opening Night Gala film, The Brothers Bloom . Robert Towne received the AFI DALLAS Star Award at a presentation of the 35th anniversary of the film, Chinatown .

2010

In 2010, the name of the festival was changed to the Dallas International Film Festival after the contract with AFI expired. [6] [7] The 11-day 2010 Dallas International Film Festival, ran April 8-18th, its full schedule encompassing 153 features and shorts making up a total of 170 screenings. Opening Night has a unique look too, as the festival presented not just a single opening night film, but instead took over 8 screens at the Angelika Film Center and showcased multiple films from the festival. Amber Heard received the inaugural DALLAS Shining Star Award. Dallas Star Award Recipients were cinematographer Wally Pfister, Pixar animation wizard Brad Bird, writer/director John Lee Hancock and writer/director Frank Darabont. [8] The 4th annual festival was held from April 8 to April 18, 2010.

2011

In 2011, the 5th annual festival was held from March 31 to April 10, 2011. Opening night was held at the Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House in the AT&T Performing Arts Center, a location in the Arts District of downtown Dallas. The festival was dedicated to founder and chairman emeritus Liener Temerlin. [9]

2012

The 6th annual festival was held from April 12 through April 22, 2012. [10] Dallas Star Award Recipients included award winning actress Laura Linney and Gabourey Sidibe and behind-the-scenes legends Glen Keane, Eric Pleskow and Bernie Pollack. A special tribute to RoboCop included star Peter Weller.

2013

In 2013, the 7th annual festival was held from April 4 through April 14, 2013, and presented more than 160 features, documentaries, shorts, and student films from 28 countries. [11]

2014

The 8th annual festival was held from April 3 through April 13, 2014. [12]

2015

In 2015, the 9th annual festival was held from April 9 to 19, 2015., and featured 165 films. [13] The opening night film was I'll See You in My Dreams , starring Blythe Danner, who was present to accept the Dallas Star Award. Director John Landis ( An American Werewolf in London , Coming to America , National Lampoon's Animal House, Blues Brothers ) was also present to accept the Dallas Star Award. Texas writer/producer/actor L.M. Kit Carson ( Paris, Texas and David Holzman's Diary ) was presented with a posthumous Dallas Star Award.

2016

The 10th annual festival was held from April 14 through April 24, 2016. The opening night film was The Land, starring Erykah Badu. [14] The Dallas Star Award was presented to cinematographer Ed Lachman and the inaugural L.M. Kit Carson Maverick Filmmaker Award was presented to Monte Hellman.

2017

In 2017, the 11th annual festival was held from March 30 through April 8, 2017. [15] [16] The Dallas Shining Star Award was presented to Zoey Deutch (Before I Fall). A posthumous Dallas Star Award was presented to Bill Paxton. The L.M. Kit Carson Maverick Filmmaker Award was presented to David Gordon Green.

2018

The 12th annual festival was held from May 3 through May 10, 2018. [17] In 2018, the festival screened more than 130 films from 22 countries, including several movies that were released nationwide later in the year: Eighth Grade, Won’t You Be My Neighbor, Dead Pigs, and Blindspotting . [18]

2019

In 2019, the 13th Dallas International Film Festival powered by Capital One was held from April 11 through April 18, 2019. [19] The festival screened more than 130 films from more than 35 countries, including five world premieres, one U.S. premiere, 37 Texas premieres, and 15 Dallas premieres. [20] World premieres included: After So Many Days,El Corazón de Bolívar (Bolivar's Heart), Hurdle,The Pursuit, and This World Won't Break.

2020

The 2020 Dallas International Film Festival as an in-person event was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Dallas Film presented summer drive-in movie screening events in Dallas at Four Corners Brewing Company. [21] Dallas Film and Ozarka also collaborated to present the first-ever Ozarka® Brand Drive-In Film Festival events, held in Dallas, Austin and Houston in fall 2020. [22] [23]

2021

After the 2020 festival was postponed during the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2021 Dallas International Film Festival returned under the direction of artistic director James Faust with an abbreviated in-person event from October 8 through October 10, 2021, at Alamo Drafthouse Cinema - Cedars. [24]

2022

In 2022, the Dallas International Film Festival (DIFF) returned as a seven-day festival from October 14 through October 20. [25] In its 16th year, DIFF presented screenings at Alamo Drafthouse Cinema - Cedars, the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center, Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, Texas Theatre, South Dallas Cultural Center, and 4DWN Skate Park. [26]

2023

The 2023 edition of the Dallas International Film Festival (DIFF) was held April 28-May 5, 2023, at Violet Crown Cinema in the West Village district of Dallas. [27] The 2023 Dallas International Film Festival was cited by Travel + Leisure magazine in naming Dallas among the "12 Best Places to Travel in April 2023". [28] The festival was also cited by MovieMaker magazine in naming Dallas among the "Best Places to Live and Work as a MovieMaker 2023". [29]

2024

The 2024 edition of the Dallas International Film Festival was held April 25-May 1, 2024. Opening Night featured the world premiere of ESPN ‘30 for 30’ documentary, “Dude Perfect: A Very Long Shot”, at the historic Majestic Theatre. [30]

2025

In 2025, the Dallas International Film Festival was named an Oscar(R) Qualifying Film Festival for short films by the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences. [31] The festival was held April 25-May 1, 2025, at Cinepolis Victory Park. [32]

Awards

2007
Actor Bill Paxton at the 2010 Dallas International Film Festival BillPaxtonDIFFApr10.jpg
Actor Bill Paxton at the 2010 Dallas International Film Festival
2008
2009
2010
Actress Judy Reyes at the 2011 Dallas International Film Festival JudyReyesApr2011.jpg
Actress Judy Reyes at the 2011 Dallas International Film Festival
2011
2012
Actor Buck Taylor at the 2011 Dallas International Film Festival Buck Taylor.jpg
Actor Buck Taylor at the 2011 Dallas International Film Festival
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2022
2023
2024
2025

Grand Jury Prizes

Audience Awards

Screenwriting Competition

References

  1. ↑ "Dallas International Film Festival". Dallas Film. Retrieved 2023-02-15.
  2. ↑ "Dallas Film Society Inc. | Charity Navigator Profile". www.charitynavigator.org. Retrieved 2022-11-04.
  3. ↑ Mendenhall, Ryan. "The Men Behind the Curtain". D Magazine. Retrieved 2022-11-04.
  4. ↑ "Dallas International Film Festival Co-Founder Liener Temerlin, 1929-2017". Films Gone Wild. 2017-01-13. Retrieved 2022-11-04.
  5. ↑ Wilonsky, Robert. "AFI Fest Releases Lineup of Films and Guest List. Oh, Look: The Guy From Office Space". Dallas Observer. Retrieved 2022-11-07.
  6. ↑ Wilonsky, Robert (2009-06-17). "AFI Dallas Is No More. But Debuting Next Spring, the Dallas International Film Festival". Dallas Observer. Retrieved 2019-07-25.
  7. ↑ Rogers, Tim (2010-01-04). "Bye-Bye, AFI. Hello, Dallas International Film Festival". D Magazine. Retrieved 2019-07-25.
  8. ↑ "2010 Dallas International Film Festival Honors Amber Heard and Frank Darabont". Dread Central. 12 April 2010.
  9. ↑ "2011 Dallas International Film Festival". Dallas Film Society. Archived from the original on 2014-08-26. Retrieved 2014-08-23.
  10. ↑ Renninger, Bryce J. (2012-03-15). "Dallas International Film Fest Announces 2012 Lineup; 'Cowgirls' and 'Satellite' to Make World Premieres". IndieWire. Retrieved 2019-07-03.
  11. ↑ "Dallas International Film Festival Announces Full 2013 Lineup". D Magazine. 2013-03-12. Retrieved 2019-07-03.
  12. ↑ Simek, Peter (2014-04-03). "Your Guide to the 2014 Dallas International Film Festival". D Magazine. Retrieved 2019-07-03.
  13. ↑ Darling, Cary (March 16, 2015). "Dallas International Film Festival announces line-up". star-telegram. Retrieved 2019-07-03.
  14. ↑ "Your Guide to the 2016 Dallas International Film Festival". D Magazine. 2016-04-14. Retrieved 2019-07-03.
  15. ↑ "Dallas International Film Festival Unveils Full Schedule". D Magazine. 2017-03-13. Retrieved 2019-07-03.
  16. ↑ Laughlin, Jamie (2017-03-15). "Dallas International Film Festival Reveals Its 2017 Schedule". Dallas Observer. Retrieved 2019-07-03.
  17. ↑ "The 2018 Dallas International Film Festival has unveiled its first 12 titles, including an ode to Mr. Rogers". GuideLive. 2018-04-02. Retrieved 2019-07-03.
  18. ↑ Doyle, Steven (2019-02-21). "Dallas International Film Festival 2019". cravedfw. Retrieved 2019-07-10.
  19. ↑ "Dallas International Film Festival 2019 (DIFF)". artandseek.org. 11 April 2019. Retrieved 2019-07-03.
  20. ↑ "Dallas International Film Festival". CultureMap Dallas. Retrieved 2019-07-10.
  21. ↑ Innovates, Dallas; Gonzalez, Sophia (2020-06-11). "DIFF Revives the Drive-In Movie Trend With a New Summer Series". Dallas Innovates. Retrieved 2022-11-07.
  22. ↑ Times, The Rockwall (2020-10-15). "Ozarka® Brand 100% Natural Spring Water creates drive-in film festival to celebrate the beauty of Texas". The Rockwall Times. Retrieved 2022-11-07.
  23. ↑ Austin, We Are (2020-10-28). "Free fun this Fall at the first-ever Ozarka Brand Drive-in Film Festival!". KEYE. Retrieved 2022-11-07.
  24. ↑ "After COVID hiatus, Dallas International Film Festival puts emphasis on local fare, social justice". Dallas News. 2021-10-07. Retrieved 2021-10-11.
  25. ↑ Ziots, Megan (2022-09-27). "5 Must-See Films at the Dallas International Film Festival 2022". PaperCity Magazine. Retrieved 2022-11-04.
  26. ↑ "Oscar hopeful among first films announced for Dallas International Film Festival". CultureMap Dallas. 2022-09-15. Retrieved 2022-11-04.
  27. ↑ Gaughan, Liam. "What Dallas Film Fans Can Expect in 2023". Dallas Observer. Retrieved 2022-12-07.
  28. ↑ "12 Best Places to Travel in April 2023". Travel + Leisure. Retrieved 2023-02-14.
  29. ↑ "Best Places to Live and Work as a Moviemaker, 2023". www.moviemaker.com. 2023-01-18. Retrieved 2023-02-14.
  30. ↑ Read, 3 Min (2024-04-18). "Texas A&M Joins Dallas International Film Festival For Premiere Of ESPN '30 for 30' Documentary On Dude Perfect" . Retrieved 2025-08-12.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  31. ↑ Goodman, Matt (2025-01-27). "The Oscars Chart a New Path Through Dallas-Fort Worth". D Magazine. Retrieved 2025-08-12.
  32. ↑ "Dallas International Film Festival Returns April 25–May 1, 2025". Dallas News. Retrieved 2025-08-12.
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