The Dallas Film Society has announced the first 12 films for its 12th annual film festival, taking place May 3-10 at The Magnolia at West Village in Uptown Dallas. The May dates are a shift for the annual festival, which previously had always taken place in April.
Among the notable first films are Won't You Be My Neighbor, a documentary focused on the legacy of Mister Rogers by Academy Award-winning filmmaker Morgan Neville (Twenty Feet from Stardom); First Reformed, a film directed by Paul Schrader that follows Reverend Ernst Toller (Ethan Hawke), a solitary, middle-aged parish pastor at a small Dutch Reform church in upstate New York on the cusp of celebrating its 250th anniversary; and Eighth Grade, a feature written and directed by comedian Bo Burnham about 13-year-old Kayla, who endures the tidal wave of contemporary suburban adolescence as she makes her way through the last week of middle school.
The other initial films include:
- McQueen, a film about fashion designer Alexander McQueen
- Sammy Davis Jr.: I’ve Gotta Be Me, first feature documentary to examine Davis’ life
- 1985, which follows a young man during the wave of the AIDS crisis
- Loud Crazy Love, a documentary focused on Korn co-founder Brian Welch’s battle with crystal meth and redemption in church
- The world premiere of The Iron Orchard, about Jim McNeely, a young man thrust into the vibrant and brutal West Texas oil fields circa 1939
- Puppet Master: The Littlest Reich, a reimagining of the Charles Band comedy horror that will headline DIFF’s “Almost Midnight” category
- Sons of St. Clair, a music documentary following Krayzie and Bizzy of Bone Thugs N Harmony as the duo sets out to prove that they can still create relevant music
- The world premiere of Tejano, about a young man who resorts to smuggling drugs across the Texas-Mexico border to pay his grandfather's medical bills
There will also be a series of special events, including a 25th anniversary celebration of Steven Spielberg's Jurassic Park at Studio Movie Grill — Spring Valley and a multifilm screening Opening Night Celebration followed by a celebration in the streets of West Village. In all, the festival will screen over 110 films from 25 countries.
Passes for the festival are now on sale. All-Access Star Passes can be purchased in advance for $500 and include access to Screenings, Galas, Special Events, and the Filmmakers Lounge for all eight days. Discounted passes for students and senior citizens can be purchased for $80. Individual tickets, which start at $12, will go on sale at a later date.
Won't You Be My Neighbor is one of the first 12 films announced for the 12th annual Dallas International Film Festival.
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