At last, the full schedule for the Dallas International Film Festival -- which kicks off three weeks from today, so better late than never. We've already taken sneak peeks at the first 22 titles, which include Oscar-winner Alex Gibney's Jack Abramoff documentary Casino Jack and the United States of Money, South by Southwest fave Thunder Soul, acclaimed Sundancer Winter's Bone and local filmmaker Clay Liford's Earthling. But, after the jump, the whole shootin' match -- all 153 features and shorts spread across 170 screenings.
And, this year, many of them will occur on Opening Night, April 8, when the DIFF takes over all eight screens at the Angelika Film Center in Mockingbird Station. Among the films scheduled to screen that night are Bill Cunningham New York (about the legendary New York Times photographer) the Tim Hutton-Mira Sorvino-starring Multiple Sarcasms, the 1948 Mexican drama Nosotros Los Pobres, the Texas-set Skateland and a block of short films.
The fest also announced the recipients of the DALLAS Star Awards: Guillermo Arriaga (who was here last year debuting The Burning Plain), John Lee Hancock (who directed The Blind Side), Chris Nolan's cinematographer Wally Pfister and the late Pedro Infante.
Of course, in coming days we'll get to the highlights and post trailers and all that good stuff ... and, look, the Bill Hicks documentary's coming to town! But first, this programming note for those wondering if the fest is returning to Victory Park or NorthPark or another park for that matter.
The fest, no longer associated with the American Film Institute after three years, has made some wise decisions this year -- chief among them, moving out of the W Hotel in Victory Park and relocating to the Hotel Palomar at E. Mockingbird Lane and N. Central Expressway, a mere cross-the-street walk from the Angelika. Panels will take place at the Palomar as well, though some will remain at the Nasher Sculpture Center.
Which brings us to another significant change: The NorthPark Center experiment has ended, and screenings will take place, for the most part, at the Angelika and The Magnolia in the West Village -- though, during the final two days of the fest, the Studio Movie Grill at Royal Lane and Central Expressway will also play host to so-called "encore screenings." (In an effort, perhaps, to capture a bit of that drinky, casual vibe of South by Southwest's film fest, where many screenings take place at two Alamo Drafthouse locations.)
That out of the way, let me get out of the way. Jump for the lineup. Screening schedules to follow shortly; so too a list of attending talent (and, just maybe, an additional title or two). Not today, necessarily. Just shortly.
