Movie lineup

USA Film Festival returns to Dallas for 2026 with free films and big stars

Molly Belle Wright and Aaron Eckhart in Deep Water

Renny Harlin's Deep Water will be among the films screened at the 2026 USA Film Festival, taking place April 22-26 at Angelika Film Center in Dallas.

Photo by Jen Raoult

The Dallas-based USA Film Festival returns for its 56th edition April 22-26, presenting 22 narrative features, documentaries, and short films.

All screenings and events will be held at the Angelika Film Center Dallas, with most of the programming offered for free as part of the Festival's community outreach programming.

Among the notable programs will be a salute to celebrated fashion photographer Arthur Elgort, who will be in attendance for a screening of Warren Elgort's new documentary, Arthur Elgort: Models & Muses.

In the film, Warren Elgort as he turns the camera on his father, whose candid, movement-driven style transformed the pages of Vogue and redefined the look of modern fashion photography.

The Centerpiece Selection of the festival will be Renny Harlin’s new disaster thriller, Deep Water, which will be presented as part of a salute to the filmmaker’s career. Both Harlin and executive producer - and music legend - Gene Simmons will be in attendance.

The film, starring Aaron Eckhart and Ben Kingsley, is about a flight that goes down in the middle of the Pacific, where survivors soon discover they’re not alone and must survive the shark infested waters.

The Spotlight Screening will be Guy Jacobson’s madcap legal comedy, Out Of Order. Brandon Routh stars as a young New York lawyer who ends up working for two opposing law firms, inexplicably representing both sides of the same case.

Jacobson will be in attendance to present the film - which also stars Brooke Shields, Sam Huntington, Sandra Bernhard, Luis Guzman, and Krysta Rodriguez - and participate in a post-screening Q&A.

The Closing Night lineup will be led by Matthew Thayer’s No Limbs No Limits, with the film’s inspirational subject, Nick Vujicic, presenting the film.

Born without arms or legs, Vujicic defied every expectation the world placed on him - surviving childhood depression and a suicide attempt at age eight to eventually reaching millions of people with his message of faith and perseverance.

Other notable programs will include a salute to Oscar nominee Lesley Ann Warren, a special 75th Anniversary screening of Alfred Hitchcock’s Strangers on a Train (1951); and Jay Duplass’ See You When I See You, starring Cooper Raiff, David Duchovny, Kaitlyn Dever, and Hope Davis.

“We are pleased to once again celebrate Dallas Arts Month with our annual Spring Festival,” USAFF Managing Director Ann Alexander said in a statement. “This year's program celebrates some very independent and inspirational artists, and includes programs ranging from important documentary topics and classic films, to pure entertainment fare."

Advance tickets are now available online at eventbrite.com/cc/56th-annual-usa-film-festival-4827625.

Any unsold/unreserved tickets will be made available at the Angelika Film Center upstairs Sales Desk beginning one hour prior to each showtime.

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RELIVE THE ALAMO

Taylor Sheridan takes on epic event in Texas history for next project

Yellowstone Season 5 premiere, Taylor Sheridan

Photo by Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images for Paramount

Taylor Sheridan is taking on one of the most epic events in Texas history.

North Texas producer, director, and screenwriter Taylor Sheridan — whose growing catalog of entertainment projects includes Yellowstone, Landman, Tulsa King, and the soon-to-be-released Frisco King — wants everyone to remember the Alamo.

At the invitation of Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, Sheridan will tell the story of the Battle of the Alamo for an immersive 4D movie to be shown at the Alamo Visitor Center and Museum, which is set to open in 2028.

“The Alamo is the very bedrock Texas was founded upon. To chronicle the sacrifice made by the brave men and women who sacrificed their lives defending the Alamo is an honor I eagerly accept,” Sheridan says in a news release issued by Patrick’s office.

Sheridan’s Battle of the Alamo project promises to be epic simply because the battle itself was epic.

The 13-day conflict in 1836 was a pivotal event in the Texas Revolution. In a one-sided defeat, the Mexican army prevailed, killing the roughly 200 Alamo defenders and one-third of the roughly 1,800 Mexican soldiers. Much of the mission was destroyed as well.

The sacrifice of Alamo defenders like James Bowie, Davy Crockett, and William Travis helped fuel the Texas resistance, leading to the “Remember the Alamo!” rallying cry and helping to pave the way for Texas independence.

Sheridan, who grew up in North Texas, lives at the 600-acre Bosque Ranch in Weatherford. Sheridan has shot many of his TV shows in the Fort Worth area, such as Landman; Special Ops: Lioness; 1883; and The Madison. A new series, Frisco King, is filming in Fort Worth this spring.

Sheridan founded SGS Studios, which recently partnered on a new 450,000-square foot production campus at Fort Worth’s 27,000-acre AllianceTexas development.

"Over the last decade, Taylor has told the story of the American West — the people, the land, the depth, and the history — in a way no other filmmaker has,” Patrick said. “In addition to his amazing film portfolio, Taylor is a native Texan who knows and loves our state and its history.”

Sheridan’s re-creation of the Battle of the Alamo will be a key attraction for visitors to the $185 million Alamo Visitor Center and Museum. Nearly 160,000 square feet will be taken up by the 4D theater and more than 5,000 artifacts, including over 400 from the Phil Collins Texana Collection.

Today, the Alamo draws more than 1.6 million visitors a year, making it the state’s No. 1 tourist attraction.

Over the years, the Alamo has been the star of several films and TV shows. Most notably, John Wayne portrayed Davy Crockett in the 1960 movie The Alamo. A 2004 reboot of the same name featured Billy Bob Thornton as Crockett and Dennis Quaid as Sam Houston.

Other projects paying tribute to the Alamo include The Alamo: 13 Days to Glory, a 1987 TV movie, and Alamo: The Price of Freedom, a 1988 documentary-style IMAX film.

history movies taylor sheridan texas history alamo