Your guide to a week’s worth of movie premieres, events, and parties at the Dallas International Film Festival.
The seventeenth annualDallas International Film Festival(DIFF ) kicks off April 28 and runs through May 5 . It ’s the city ’s marquee film event , and it absorb manufacture members from across the nation and the world fora week ’s worth of movie and good times . Naturally , it also draws pile of attendees — perhaps even you — who gather to see those pic , meet the movie maker , and see the actors . Before DIFF get afoot , here ’s what you need to bed about the Dallas film fete , from the buzzworthy premieres to the can’t - miss parties and the passes you ’ll need to get inside .
What exactly is the Dallas International Film Festival?
The yearly Dallas International Film Festival is the touch event of the Dallas Film Society . It was established in 2006 and aims to curate and champion films from diverse , emerging , and underrepresented voices . Since its founding , DIFF has screened more than 2,500 new films from 50 countries , hosted more than 100,000 filmgoers and film maker , and issued more than $ 1.1 million in awards .
This year , DIFF will feature screenings of more than 100 films from nearly 30 countries , as well as Q&A sessions with filmmakers and actors . There will be every night red carpets , particular case throughout the workweek , and a fete waiting room where guest can eat , pledge , and hobnob with film industry extremity and other attendee .
Where’s everything happening for the film festival?
Due to the pandemic , last year DIFF presented its first full , in - somebody festival since 2019 , with screening take topographic point at six venues across Dallas . This year , the festival is consolidate its presence in West Village and making theViolet Crowntheater its menage base . Violet Crown open its doorway deep last twelvemonth after taking over from the Magnolia Theater , which has hosted DIFF events in anterior days .
Violet Crown has lounger - fashion seats , plus a restaurant and bar , so you’re able to sip wine and bite on pizza , hot dogs , and Avocado Spring Rolls during movies . It will show the majority of the festival ’s 100 - plus films , and will also be home to movie maker appearance and Q&As throughout the week . The only other venue host viewing is the Texas Theater in Oak Cliff , which is currently on the schedule for April 29 and May 5 .
How do DIFF tickets work?
What movies are showing at this Dallas film fest this year?
More than 100 film will test at DIFF this yr , and they cover a wide scope of formatting and topics , from comedies and dramas to documentaries and animated shorts . A Disturbance In The Force : How The Star Wars Holiday Special Happened , a infotainment directed by Richardson ’s own Jeremy Coon and Steve Kozak , will be screened on May 4 , naturally . It tells the tale of the badly - fated “ Star Wars Holiday Special ” that air out on CBS in 1978 and features behind - the - scenes archival footage from Mark Hamill , Carrie Fisher , and Harrison Ford . It also incorporates the phonation of “ Weird Al ” Yankovic , Kevin Smith , Seth Green , and the late Gilbert Gottfried .
The documentarySk8 Girlzwill have its world premiere at DIFF . The film portrays an underdog story that report the ascent of an all - distaff skateboard team from Orange County , California . Meanwhile another female person - take flick , It ’s Only Life After All , looks at the lives of the folk - rock band , Indigo Girls .
DIFF will also host the world premier ofChocolate Lizards , a comedy that takes place in Buffalo Gap , Texas , and follows a duo as they face off against the bank , the sheriff , and a corrupt oil company . It stars Rudy Pankow , Thomas Hayden Church , Carrie - Anne Moss , and Bruce Dern and is base on the 1999 novel of the same name . That ’s just a small sample distribution of the picture worth tot to your calendar .
Photo courtesy of Violet Crown Dallas
What else is there to do at the film festival?
DIFF attender will stay on plenty busy if all they do is watch films , but there ’s more going on throughout the week , include movie maker events , post - show Q&As , and parties . So , keep your head on a swivel , and be certain to check the internet site as more items hit the schedule . If you purchase a Star Pass or Star Plus Pass , you ’ll have nightly admittance to the Festival Lounge , which is located in the West Village next to the Violet Crown house . It ’s stocked with gratis food and drinkable , so it ’s a smart spot to start or end your evening . And you wo n’t desire to miss the initiative night and end Nox parties ; they ’re your luck to gather actor and directors and amply immerse yourself in the world of Dallas photographic film .
