The Dallas Film Society Announces the Complete Lineup of the
2015 Dallas International Film Festival Presented by AutoNation
Blythe Danner to receive Dallas Star Award; Phil Lord and Christopher Miller to receive Texas Avery Animation Award
The Dallas Film Society announces the complete lineup of films chosen to screen at the 9th annual Dallas International Film Festival presented by AutoNation, taking place April 9-19. The 11 day Festival will screen 165 films representing 32 countries. A total of 17 premieres will be featured, including 10 World Premieres, three North American Premieres and four US Premieres.
The Festival’s Opening Night Film, presented by U.S. Risk /Kara & Randall Goss, will be I’LL SEE YOU IN MY DREAMS, starring Emmy and Tony Award-winner Blythe Danner. Well-known for her respected roles in films such as ALICE and THE GREAT SANTINI, Danner will attend the screening to accept the Dallas Star Award, presented by the Dallas Film Society to honor individuals who have made significant contributions to modern cinema and the advancement of the art of film. In addition to her work in film, the actress has won two Emmy Awards for her role in Showtime’s Huff and was nominated twice for roles in Will and Grace and WE WERE THE MULVANEYS. Her list of career accomplishments continues with a Tony Award for her Broadway debut in Butterflies Are Free and nominations for roles in Betrayal, A Streetcar Named Desire and Follies. Danner’s other notable film roles include the MEET THE PARENTS TRILOGY, WHAT’S YOUR NUMBER?, and SYLVIA.
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Also receiving a Dallas Star Award is director John Landis, who is traveling to Dallas to celebrate the 35th anniversary of THE BLUES BROTHERS. Landis will receive his award during Dallas Film Society Honors, co-presented by the Arthur E. Benjamin Foundation, Sheri Deterling, Geoff Hawkes and the Highland Dallas. The ceremony will take place at the Highland Dallas. Landis has left a lasting impression on the film world as director of many iconic comedies such as NATIONAL LAMPOON’S ANIMAL HOUSE, ¡3 AMIGOS!, COMING TO AMERICA, TRADING PLACES, and INTO THE NIGHT. John Landis also wrote and directed AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON and the groundbreaking theatrical short MICHAEL JACKSON’S THRILLER.
The Festival will also celebrate the incredible life and career of Texas writer, actor and producer L.M. Kit Carson by featuring his 1983 film BREATHLESS. Carson is recognized for writing the Palme d’Or winning PARIS, TEXAS, and also for inventing the first ‘mockumentary’ with his film DAVID HOLZMAN’S DIARY. Carson will receive a posthumous Dallas Star Award, which will be presented to his son, Hunter Carson, during DFS Honors.
“Completing the lineup for our 9th festival is such a major accomplishment,” said James Faust, artistic director of the Dallas Film Society. “We are proud to have another amazing group of films, filmmakers, and award recipients to present to the DFW community.”
This year, BAFTA winners and Golden Globe nominees and Phil Lord and Christopher Miller will receive the Texas Avery Animation Award presented by Reel FX during DFS Honors. The Texas Avery Animation Award honors a lifetime achievement in animation filmmaking. Lord and Miller wrote and directed the award winning film THE LEGO MOVIE, for which they earned the BAFTA and BFCA Critics Choice Awards for Best Animated Feature, the National Board of Review for Best Original Screenplay and the Annie Award for Outstanding Achievement in Writing. The film has earned $468 million at the worldwide box office and to-date, is the 4th highest grossing domestic feature of 2014. Additionally, the pair also wrote and directed 2009’s hit animated feature CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS, which earned a Golden Globe and Critics Choice nomination for Best Animated Feature along with four Annie Award nominations for excellence in animation, including Best Direction and Best Screenplay. This will be the 9th year of the award and the second time that there will be two recipients of the award. Fellow Golden Globe Nominees Jorge R. Gutierrez and Brad Booker, director and producer of Reel FX’s THE BOOK OF LIFE, will present the award to Lord and Miller.
“For the past eight years, Reel FX has sponsored the Texas Avery Animation Award, which honors achievement in the animation industry,” said Steve O’Brien, CEO of Reel FX. “This year, we give the award to two awesome recipients – Phil Lord and Christopher Miller. With films like this year’s blockbuster hit THE LEGO MOVIE and 2009’s CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS, they have cemented their place in animation history with unique visuals and stories as well as some pretty catchy lyrics. We feel their creativity and versatility embody the spirit of the award and its namesake, Tex Avery.”
DIFF will also be presenting Audience Awards to filmmakers in three categories. Audience Awards, sponsored by the Arthur E. Benjamin Foundation, Sheri Deterling and Geoff Hawkes, will be given for Best Narrative Feature, Best Documentary Feature, and Best Short Film. The winner for Best Narrative Feature and Best Documentary Feature will each receive a cash prize of $3,500. The winner for Best Short Film will receive a cash prize of $3,000.
The Embrey Family Foundation will present The Silver Heart Award and a $10,000 cash prize to one inspirational filmmaker or film to honor their dedication for fighting injustices and/or creating social change for the improvement of humanity. The films below marked with ♥ are eligible for the Silver Heart Award.
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