The Dallas International Film Festival was held for the first time in 2007. At that time, it was little known and not very popular among the townspeople. However, every year they talked about it more and more. Almost imperceptibly to everyone, this event became one of the largest in the entire state of Texas. Thousands of famous directors, actors and those who are interested in modern cinema come to Dallas every year to participate in it. Read more on dallas-trend.
In its early history, the Dallas Film Festival was called the AFI Dallas International Film Festival. It appeared on the initiative of the founder of another festival, which takes place in Dallas, Deep Ellum, Michael Cain and advertising director Liener Temerlin. They were interested in movies not only as professionals but also as ordinary Americans and were annoyed to see that the film industry was often ranked lower than any other art form. During the planning of the educational and entertainment program of the first AFI Film Festival, the following goals were defined:
- to honor cinematographers, as well as highlight the role of their activities in the development of modern society
- to identify and discuss the best films of the year
- to provide all the information necessary to understand the cinema to those who are interested in it
- to promote Dallas as a city, particularly through its dedication to the film industry.
In 2010, the contract with AFI was terminated and the event was officially called the Dallas International Film Festival. Traditionally, it continued to take place in March-April every spring.
What events are included in the program?
Each year, the program of the Dallas International Film Festival remains almost unchanged. During the events dedicated to the festival, screenings of short and full-length films and premieres of new cinematography are held. After this part of the program, discussions continue for a long time, during which the townspeople talk about what they saw.
There were years when each part of the festival was dedicated to a separate person. In 2011, the Dallas International Film Festival was held at the Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House and was entirely dedicated to founder and honorary chairman Liener Temerlin.
In addition, an award ceremony is held every year as part of the festival. The Dallas Star Award is given to actors who have proven themselves as true professionals in the art of cinema. Actors, cinematographers, directors, screenwriters and animation specialists usually leave the festival with honors.
Which films headlined the 2024 Dallas International Film Festival?
The films shown during the Dallas International Film Festival are bound to feature the D-city or at least the state of Texas. To convey the atmosphere in which Dallasites are immersed every year, we can consider the movies of the 2024 festival.
- Bastards of soul. The film is about the Dallas music band. In 2020, it stood on the threshold of international fame, but everything collapsed due to the sudden death of one of the band members, Chadwick Murray.
- City of Hate: Dallas and the Assassination 60 Years Later. The film tells about what Dallas was like 60 years ago when President John F. Kennedy came to the city for a visit. The director of the film communicated with the townspeople who were near the scene of the tragedy to convey the tragic atmosphere.
- Print it black. This was another new very touchable movie at the 2024 festival. The film revolves around a shooting at a Texas elementary school. Reporter Kimberly Rubio, who lost her 10-year-old daughter in the shooting and was involved in the search for the culprits, managed to play an important role in the film.
