While in the middle of dealing with some South by Southwest film fest logistics, this announcement arrived from the Dallas International Film Festival: It's ready to debut its first dozen titles. Not that you need to queue up at this very moment: Passes to the fest are on sale, running from $50 for 10-ticket vouchers to the $750 hoity-toity Star Pass, but individual tickets don't go on sale till March 14. Which makes sense, given that the fest doesn't even pull back its first curtain till March 31 (it runs through April 10).
These aren't the high-profile titles you're looking for; it's still too early for that. Right now, the biggest name on the list you'll find after the jump is ... Good Guy Colin Hanks? No, wait -- Jeffrey Tambor, hey now. Or maybe Jerry Jeff Walker, subject of the doc OK Buckaroos. There's also Calvin Reeder's Sundance-bowing creeptacular The Oregonian, a sneak peek at which is available here. And Blood of Eagles looks fun.
The whole list follows. But perhaps most exciting of all is the news that the downtown Joule Hotel will serve as this year's home base, following last year's move to the Palomar from the W.
The initial 12 selections are:
BLOOD OF EAGLES (Darah garuda - Merah putih II) (Indonesia) - US PREMIERE
Director: Yadi Sugandi, Conor Allyn
The action film BLOOD OF EAGLES follows the exploits of an elite army unit recruited to halt the construction of an enemy's key airfield. The cast includes Doni Alamsyah, Ario Bayu and Atiqah Hasiholan.
COOPER & THE CASTLE HILLS GANG (USA) - WORLD PREMIERE
Director: Sam Ditore
COOPER & THE CASTLE HILLS GANG is an action-packed, family-friendly story that takes lead character "Cooper" on a quest to help Castle Hills' favorite grandpa, "Mr. Wilson," find something he has lost. The film's cast includes rising child star Kyle Kirk as Cooper and JB Edwards as Mr. Wilson.ELEVATE (USA)
Director: Anne Buford
From rural Senegal to American Prep schools, ELEVATE documents the basketball journey of four particularly tall African teenagers with NBA dreams.LUCKY (USA) - WORLD PREMIERE
Director: Gil Cates Jr.
Darkly comic LUCKY follows the journey of $36 million Iowan lottery winner Ben Keller as he follows his life-long crush, Lucy St Martin. But can all the money in the world compensate for the fact that Ben is a fledgling serial killer? Starring Colin Hanks, Ari Graynor, Jeffrey Tambor and Ann-Margret.MUMBAI DIARIES (Dhobi Ghat) (India)
Director: Kiran Rao
MUMBAI DIARIES is a drama following the intersecting lives of a collage of people, emotions and situations in the diverse city of Mumbai. The film stars Aamir Khan, Prateik Babbar and Monica Dogra.OK BUCKAROOS (USA) - WORLD PREMIERE
Directed by: Patrick Tourville
Patrick Tourville's documentary OK BUCKAROOS is the story of Jerry Jeff Walker, whose music has led him from the nation's biggest arenas to hundred-year old honky-tonks. Walker is an artist who has been a cog in the wheel of the recording industry's star-making machinery and an involuntary pioneer on the frontier of artistic independence. Among those appearing in the documentary are Jerry Jeff Walker and Willie Nelson.THE OREGONIAN (USA)
Director: Calvin Lee Reeder
THE OREGONIAN follows the experiences of an Oregon woman who enters a nightmarish unknown after suffering a brutal car accident. The film stars Lindsay Pulsipher, Robert Longstreet, Matt Olen and Lynne Compton.THE PERFECT GAME (2009) (USA)
Director: William Dear
THE PERFECT GAME is based on a true story about a group of boys from Monterrey, Mexico who become the first non-U.S. team to win the Little League World Series. The film stars Clifton Collins, Jr., Cheech Marin and Moises Arias.
RAINBOW'S END (USA)
Director: Eric Hueber
RAINBOWS END is a comedy that follows a band of native East Texas misfits West as they make a run at California gold. The cast includes William Neal Edwards III, Brian Birdwell and Legendary Stardust Cowboy.SURROGATE VALENTINE (USA)
Director: Dave Boyle
Directed by Dave Boyle, SURROGATE VALENTINE is about a San Francisco indie musician who lives a life on the road, navigating friendships and relationships. The film stars Goh Nakamura, Chadd Stoops and Lynn Chen.TRAVELING (USA) - WORLD PREMIERE
Director: Rachel Shepherd
Traveling is a drama which follows the story of three people who have never really had a family that find that connection on a road trip to Austin. With one passenger just looking for a ride, another greatly needing a distraction, and the third looking for any kind of connection, they may or may not find what they need along the way. The cast includes Reece Rios, Melissa Odom and McKaley Miller.WILD HORSE, WILD RIDE (USA)
Director: Alex Dawson, Greg Gricus
WILD HORSE, WILD RIDE follows a handful of unforgettable characters who set out on a 100-day quest to tame a totally wild mustang for a Texas competition. This stunning documentary highlights the profound bond between people and animals.
