The 2015 USA Film Festival kicked off on Wednesday, April 22, but aside from a tribute to former Ghostbuster Ernie Hudson, the majority of the big movies take place during the last four days of the five-day festival.
These are your best bets at the 45th annual festival, taking place at the Angelika Film Center in Dallas. But there is plenty more to see.
Dior and I
Fashionistas will love this documentary, which takes viewers inside the storied world of the Christian Dior fashion house. It screens on Thursday, April 23, but don’t forget to stick around after the film, because Dallas’ Jan Strimple will host an onstage conversation with director Frederic Tcheng.
Iris
Speaking of fashion, this documentary from the recently deceased Albert Maysles, screening on Friday, April 24, follows the alive-and-kicking 93-year-old Iris Apfel, who has been a New York City fashion icon for decades. You can witness Apfel’s brassiness for yourself during an in-person post-screening conversation with Strimple.
Sweethearts of the Gridiron
The Kilgore Rangerettes from Kilgore, Texas, have inspired countless young girls with their dance skills, which they show off during halftimes of local high school football games. It’s a tradition that dates back more than 75 years, and this documentary — screening on Saturday, April 25 — attempts to show the dedication and passion the group inspires among participants and viewers alike.
Tab Hunter Confidential
Tab Hunter was an all-American teen heartthrob in the 1950s. He starred in a string of movies and was romantically linked to the likes of Natalie Woods and Debbie Reynolds. As this documentary shows, though, Hunter was a gay man who had to hide in plain sight in order to further his career. The 83-year-old will be on hand for the screening on Saturday.
Mr. Holmes
The story of Sherlock Holmes has been told almost every way you can think of in films and on TV, but this new movie from director Bill Condon attempts to trod new ground by focusing on an elderly Holmes. Played Ian McKellen, this Holmes is still haunted by an unsolved case that happened 50 years ago. The film, which opens wide in July, will screen on Sunday, April 26.
Welcome to Me
Although she came to fame on Saturday Night Live and with Bridesmaids, Kristen Wiig is quickly proving that she’s more than just a comedian. This film, screening on Sunday, is a dark comedy in which Wiig stars as a woman with borderline personality disorder who wins the lottery and proceeds to make a series of questionable decisions. The film will open wide in May.
Welcome to Me screens on Sunday, April 26.
