Stephanie Keith
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This year, the Dallas International Film Festival (DIFF) celebrates its 20th anniversary, a monumental milestone that serves as a cinematic love letter to the city and deeply cherishes the movie screen. From April 23 – 30, DIFF will once again roll out the red carpet.
If you look closely at this year’s lineup, documentaries are dominating the conversation, offering raw, unblinking looks into the human condition. Interspersed among these real-world narratives are gorgeous retro screenings, midnight horrors that will make your skin crawl and fierce, homegrown films that bring the action right back to Texas soil.
As you prepare to return to the plush seats at Cinépolis Luxury Cinemas in Victory Park, check out the 10 films we are absolutely burning to see at the festival:
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
DIFF knows exactly how to resurrect a classic, and this year, they are tipping their hats to a cinematic titan. Serving as the 19th annual Stodghill Classic Movie Night film, this 1969 masterpiece brings Paul Newman and Robert Redford back to the big screen. Following a band of 1890s outlaws on the run from a relentless posse, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid feels just as crackling and charismatic today as it did over half a century ago. Sharing the sheer joy of this western with a packed theater is a rare magic, offering a perfect chance to introduce a newcomer to its brilliance or simply to bask in the glow of Newman and Redford’s legacies.
The Furious
Sometimes you just need to feel the adrenaline vibrate through the floorboards. The Furious, a Hong Kong action film, is sure to deliver exactly that kind of kinetic, bone-crunching thrill. When his daughter is violently abducted, humble tradesman Wang Wei (Miao Xie) plunges into a deadly, neon-soaked underworld of corruption. Teaming up with a relentless, haunted journalist named Navin (Joe Taslim), the duo carves a path through an international criminal network. Featuring talent from the legendary martial arts film The Raid, this bruiser promises beautifully choreographed mayhem and a desperate, gripping fight for survival.
Gaslit
Jane Fonda has spent most of her career channeling her fierce passion into razor-sharp activism, and her latest documentary feels painfully urgent. As the planet teeters on the edge of irreversible climate disaster, Gaslit follows Fonda deep into oil and gas country, joined by many fellow activists and advocates such as Connie Britton, Maggie Rogers and Sharon Wilson. The film journeys from the Permian Basin of West Texas to the Gulf Coast of Louisiana, shining a light on activists, shrimpers, ranchers and everyday people fighting to protect their homes from the fossil fuel industry’s grasp. Expect a stirring, unflinching look at the machinery of power, with Fonda and others amplifying the voices of those trying to safeguard the only home we have.
Kenny Loggins: Conviction of the Heart
Welcome to the danger zone. Serving as the festival’s Closing Night Film, this documentary unpacks the man behind legendary anthems. Director Dori Berinstein strips away the rock star mythology to reveal a shy, self-conscious kid with big ears who built a massive persona just to survive in the music industry. Following 50 years of constant reinvention, the film documents Kenny Loggins’ deeply personal journey toward simply becoming himself. It is a fitting, triumphant note to close out the festival — trust us, you’ll want to “kick off your Sunday shoes” and stick around.
Kim Novak’s Vertigo
Director Alexandre O. Philippe is a maestro of cinematic deconstruction. He takes films we think we know inside and out and unearths entire new worlds within them. Taking on Alfred Hitchcock’s mesmerizing Vertigo, Philippe turns his sharp, analytical eye toward Kim Novak. Blending rare archival footage with Novak’s own intimate reflections, the documentary traces her explosive stardom and her eventual retreat into a quiet, reclusive life as an artist. It’s a tale of truth told by the woman herself — something you’ll appreciate even more with a much-hyped Sydney Sweeney-starring biopic on the way, ready to offer its own set of distractions.
Obsession
If you have stumbled across Curry Barker’s viral internet videos or his rather brilliant horror short Milk & Serial, you know the filmmaker possesses a terrifying, deeply original vision. In his new feature-length terror Obsession, a hopeless romantic breaks a mysterious “One Wish Willow” artifact to win over his crush. He gets exactly what he wants, only to discover the sinister, soul-crushing price attached to his desire. The film’s impressive journey includes a pickup by Focus Features, which only adds to the buzz. Barker dares to drag us into profoundly uncomfortable spaces, perfectly balancing laugh-out-loud humor with pure, unadulterated terror.
Poetic License
Maude Apatow steps into the director’s chair for what could be a sharp, witty narrative about the fragile nature of friendship. Poetic License follows Sam and Ari (played by Andrew Barth Feldman and Cooper Hoffman, respectively), two inseparable best friends whose bond begins to fray and snap when they both vie for the affection of Liz (Leslie Mann), a middle-aged mother auditing their college poetry workshop. Every festival tends to have a warm, coming-of-age comedy, and Apatow’s work looks to fit the bill.
Power Ballad
Music and melancholy collide in this remarkably sweet and funny feature, carrying over from its SXSW premiere in March, where it drew plenty of laughs. The effortlessly charming Paul Rudd and Dallas’ own Nick Jonas respectively star as Rick, a washed-up wedding singer desperately clinging to past glory, and Danny, a fading boy-band star trying to find his footing. After a late-night jam session bonds the two men, Danny takes one of Rick’s original songs and turns it into a massive, career-reviving hit. What follows is Rick’s hilarious and poignant quest to finally claim the recognition he deserves.
Tomorrow’s Too Late
Director Terry Loane is out to give us unprecedented access to the deeply personal changes a transgender person experiences during a medical transition. Dylan Holloway, who previously built a successful music career under the alias ‘Lots,” faces the terrifying and beautiful reality of stepping into his true self. The film asks a delicate question: will the fans who fell in love with his past embrace the man he has finally become?
Thank You for Listening
Based on the teaser trailer, Dallas filmmaker Gene Gallerano and Austin filmmaker Bob Ray are set to drop a profound, visually stunning documentary short right from the heart of East Dallas. The film intimately chronicles the journey of country musician Joshua Ray Walker as he battles third-generation cancer while plotting a triumphant return to the Grand Ole Opry. Descriptions say it’s sprinkled with a bit of Dolly Parton flair and a touch of Southern surrealism. We’re all for something that weaves creative passion and cellular biology into a deeply moving exploration of hope and healing.
Others to Keep on Your Radar
- $10 Cowboy: A raw, soulful concert film and documentary capturing Charley Crockett’s electric performances around Texas, including the historic Longhorn Ballroom.
- American Baby: Ellen Rodnianski directs a narrative exploring the complex realities of a teen mother navigating life in a small Texas town.
- Blood Behind Us: Michael Madsen delivers his final, unforgettable on-screen performance in this intense drama about a man finding redemption through a misunderstood pit bull.
- Cookie Queens: Step into the surprisingly cutthroat and fiercely ambitious coming-of-age world of the annual Girl Scout Cookie season.
- If I Go Will They Miss Me: Danielle Brooks stars in what appears to be a powerful narrative exploring identity, memory and the spaces we leave behind.
Full festival details, including the lineup, screening schedules and passes available, can be found on DIFF’s website. Pass options include the Film Pass for $100, which gives students or senior citizens (with a valid ID) access to all film screenings, while the Standard Festival Pass costs $250 and grants general admission to every festival screening.
