Normally I approach the notion of Dallas and film culture with pretty lowered expectations. We may be the second largest city in Texas, but when it comes to art we’re pretty close to dead last. Austin is usually where it’s at. This year though, it looks like Dallas is going to attempt to make its mark on the film world. The lineup for this year’s AFI Film Festival has just been announced, and while it still can’t compete with SXSW it’s by far the best lineup for any Dallas film festival I’ve seen in the seven years I’ve lived here.
Beginning on March 27 and ending on April 9, the eleve-day festival will feature 210 movies and shorts in over 290 screenings all around the city of Dallas. Winners of the Target Ten Narrative and Documentary Competitions will be awarded a cool $25,000 in cash. And for Dallas, this year’s AFI is rather star-studded. Helen Hunt, Charlize Theron, and even Mickey Rooney will at some point, probably be in town. In fact Hunt’s directorial debut, a movie called Then She Found Me will be AFI’s opening night presentation.
Other high-profile movies being screened include Battle in Seattle, Snow Angels, and What Just Happened. Making their world premieres at AFI Dallas will be the movies Bowling for Soup – Live and Very Attractive, Fat Man Walking, Fissure, Frag, The Last Lullaby, Split: A Divided America, Stop the Presses: the American Newspaper in Peril, and Tracing Cowboys. Making their U.S. premiere are the films Battle for Haditha, Glass: A Portrait of Philip in Twelve Parts, Iron Ladies of Liberia, and Sonic Youth: Sleeping Nights Awake.
Below is the full list of movies being screened at this year’s AFI Dallas:
TARGET TEN NARRATIVE FEATURE COMPETITION
BAD HABITS (MALOS HÁBITOS) – DIR: Simón Bross (Mexico)
Starring: Ximena Ayala, Elena de Haro, Marco Antonio Treviño
THE BEST OF ME (LO MEJOR DE MI’) – DIR: Roser Aguilar (Spain)
Starring: Marián Álvarez, Juan Sanz, Lluís Homar
CAPTAIN ABU RAED – DIR: Amin Matalqa (Jordan)
Starring: Nadim Sawalha, Hussine Al-Souse, Udey Al-Qadise
DISFIGURED – DIR: Glenn Gers (USA)
Starring: Deidra Edwards, Staci Lawrence, Ryan C. Benson
THE GUITAR – DIR: Amy Redford (USA)
Starring: Janeane Garofalo, Saffron Burrows, Isaach De Bankole, Paz de la Huerta, Ashlie Atkinson
THE CLASS (KLASS) – DIR: Ilmar Raag (Estonia)
Starring: Vallo Kirs, Pärt Uusberg, Lauri Pedaja
THE LAST LULLABY – DIR: Jeffrey Goodman (USA)
Starring: Tom Sizemore, Sasha Alexander
THE LITTLE TRAITOR – DIR: Lynn Roth (Israel)
Starring: Alfred Molina, Ido Port, Theodore Bikel
MERMAID – DIR: Anna Melikyan (Russia)
Starring: Mariya Shalayeva, Yevgeni Tsyganov, Mariya Sokova
TRACING COWBOYS – DIR: Jason Wulfsohn (USA)
Starring: Eileen Dietz, Megan Edwads, Sacha Grunpeter
TARGET TEN DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION
CIRCUS ROSAIRE – DIR: Robyn Bliley (USA)
CRAWFORD – DIR: David Modigliani (USA)
DINNER WITH THE PRESIDENT: A NATION’S JOURNEY – DIR: Sabiha Sumar & Sachithanandam Sathananthan (Pakistan)
I.O.U.S.A. – DIR: Patrick Creadon (USA)
INTIMIDAD – DIR: David Redmon, Ashley Sabin (Mexico)
IRON LADIES OF LIBERIA – DIR: Daniel Junge (USA)
MORE SHOES – DIR: Lee Kazimir (USA)
SPLIT: A DIVIDED AMERICA – DIR: Kelly Nykes (USA)
STOP THE PRESSES: THE AMERICAN NEWSPAPER IN PERIL – DIR: Manny Mendoza & Mark Birnbaum (USA)
STRANDED: I COME FROM A PLANE THAT CRASHED ON THE MOUNTAINS – DIR: Gonzalo Arijon (France)
DOCUMENTARY SHOWCASE
THE BLACK LIST – DIR: Timothy Greenfield-Sanders (USA)
Featuring: Chris Rock, Lou Gossett Jr., Vernon Jordan, Thelma Golden
DEREK – DIR: Isaac Julien (UK)
Narrated by Tilda Swinton
FRAG – DIR: Mike Pasley (USA)
HECKLER – DIR: Michael Addis (USA)
Featuring: Jamie Kennedy, Patton Oswalt, Rob Zombie
THE LINGUIST – DIR: Seth Kramer, Daniel Miller, Jeremy Newberger (USA)
PAGEANT – DIR: Ron Davis & Stewart Halpern (USA)
RESOLVED – DIR: Greg Whiteley (USA)
DEEP ELLUM SOUNDS
BOWLING FOR SOUP: LIVE AND VERY ATTRACTIVE – DIR: King Hollis (USA)
Featuring: Bowling for Soup
DIXIE HUMMINGBIRDS: 80 YEARS YOUNG – DIR: Jeff Scheftel (USA)
Featuring: The Dixie Hummingbirds
FROM THE MOUTHPIECE ON BACK – DIR: Jason DaSilva, Colleen O'Halloran (USA)
GLASS: A PORTRAIT OF PHILIP IN TWELVE PARTS – DIR: Scott Hicks (Australia)
Featuring: Philip Glass
JOY DIVISION – DIR: Grant Gee (UK/USA)
Featuring: Joy Division
LOU REED’S BERLIN – DIR: Julian Schnabel (USA)
NERDCORE RISING – DIR: Negin Farsad (USA)
PUBLIC ENEMY’S WELCOME TO THE TERRORDOME – DIR: Robert Patton-Spruill (USA)
Featuring: Chuck D, Flavor Flav, Beastie Boys, Tom Morello, Henry Rawlins, Talib Kweli, Jonathan Davis (Korn)
SLINGSHOT HIP HOP – DIR: Jackie Reem Salloum (USA)
SONIC YOUTH: SLEEPING NIGHTS AWAKE – DIR: Michael Albright (USA)
Featuring: Sonic Youth
SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS
AKEELAH AND THE BEE (2006) – DIR: Doug Atchison
AUNTIE MAME (1958) – DIR: Morton DaCosta
BOYS TOWN (1938) – DIR: Norman Taurog
CERTIFIABLY JONATHAN – DIR: Jim Pasternak (USA)
Starring: Jonathan Winters, Robin Williams, Howie Mandel, Sarah Silverman, Nora Dunn, Tim Conway, Jefferey Tambor, Jimmy Kimmel, Rob Reiner, David Arquette
FAT MAN WALKING – DIR: PJ Bagley (Documentary)
ICE AGE (2002) – DIR: Chris Wedge, Carlos Saldanha
MISSIONARY MAN – DIR: Dolph Lundgren (USA)
Starring: Dolph Lundgren, Kateri Walker, Chelsea Ricketts
THE SEARCHERS (1956) – DIR: John Ford
SOME LIKE IT HOT (1959) – DIR: Billy Wilder
DALLAS PREMIERE SERIES
ASSASSINATION OF A HIGH SCHOOL PRESIDENT – DIR: Brett Simon (USA)
Starring: Mischa Barton, Zachary Booth, Gabrielle Brennan
AT THE DEATH HOUSE DOOR – DIR: Steve James & Peter Gilbert (USA)
(Documentary)
BAGHEAD – DIR: Mark Duplass & Jay Duplass (USA)
Starring: Ross Partridge, Steve Zissis, Greta Gerwig, Elise Muller
BEFORE THE RAINS – DIR: Santosh Sivan (USA)
Starring: Leopold Benedict, Rahul Bose, Nandita Das, Jennifer Ehle, Linus Roache
BIGGER, STRONGER, FASTER* – DIR: Christopher Bell (USA)
(Documentary)
CALIFORNIA DREAMIN’ (ENDLESS) – DIR: Cristian Nemescu (Romania)
Starring: Armand Assante, Jamie Elman, Maria Dinulescu
THE FORBIDDEN KINGDOM – DIR: Rob Minkoff (USA)
Starring: Jet Li, Jackie Chan, Michael Angarano
FORGETTING SARAH MARSHALL – DIR: Nicholas Stoller (USA)
Starring: Jason Segel, Kristen Bell, Mila Kunis, Jonah Hill, Bill Hader
GONZO: THE LIFE AND WORK OF HUNTER S. THOMPSON – DIR: Alex Gibney (USA) (Documentary)
THE LIFE BEFORE HER EYES – DIR: Vadim Perelman (USA)
Starring: Uma Thurman, Evan Rachel Wood, and Eva Amurri
MONGOL – DIR: Sergei Bodrov (Germany/Kazakhstan/Russia)
Starring: Aliya, Tegen Ao, Tadanobu Asano
NOISE – DIR: Henry Bean (USA)
Starring: Tim Robbins, William Hurt, William Baldwin, Bridgette Moynahan, Gabrielle Brennan
PRICELESS – DIR: Pierre Salvadori (France)
Starring: Audrey Tatou, Gad Elmaleh
SAVAGE GRACE – DIR: Tom Kalin (USA)
Starring: Julianne Moore, Hugh Dancy, Stephen Dillane, Elena Anaya
THE VISITOR – DIR: Tom McCarthy (USA)
Starring: Richard Jenkins, Haaz Sleiman, Danai Jekesai Gurira
WHEN DID YOU LAST SEE YOUR FATHER? – DIR: Anand Tucker
Starring: Colin Firth, Jim Broadbent (UK/Ireland)
TEXAS COMPETITION sponsored by MPS Studios
CIAO – DIR: Yen Tan (USA)
Starring: Adam Neal Smith, Alessandro Calza, Ethel Lung
COOK COUNTY – DIR: David Pomes
Starring: Anson Mount, Xander Berkeley, Ryan Donowho, Polly Cole
FISSURE – DIR: Russ Pond
Starring: James MacDonald, Scarlett McAlister, Jim Blumetti
GOLIATH – DIR: David Zellner & Nathan Zellner
Starring: David Zellner, Nathan Zellner, Caroline O'Connor
NORTH STARR – DIR: Matthew Stanton
Starring: Jerome Hawkins, Matthew Stanton, Chris Sullivan
SIX MAN, TEXAS – DIR: Alan Barber
(Documentary)
TULIA, TX – DIR: Kelly Whalen & Cassandra Herman
(Documentary)
ENVIRONMENTAL VISIONS COMPETITION sponsored by Current Energy
BURNING THE FUTURE: COAL IN AMERICA – DIR: David Novack
FIELDS OF FUEL – DIR: Josh Tickell
FLOW: FOR THE LOVE OF WATER – DIR: Irena Salina
UP THE YANGTZE – DIR: Yung Chang
WORLD CINEMA
AFTER THE NIGHT… DAWN (NISHIJAPON) – DIR: Sandip Ray (India)
Starring: Rituparna Sengupta
AMAL – DIR: Richie Mehta (Canada)
Starring: Rupinder Nagra, Naseeruddin Shah, Seema Biswas, Koel Purie
BATTLE FOR HADITHA – DIR: Nick Broomfield (UK)
Starring: Elliot Ruiz, Yasmine Hanani, Andrew McLaren
BLIND – DIR: Tamar van den Dop (The Netherlands/Belgium/Bulgaria)
Starring: Joren Seldeslachts, Halina Reijn, Katelijne Verbeke
BLOOD BROTHERS (TIAN TANG KOU) – DIR: Alexi Tan (Taiwan/Hong Kong)
Starring: Daniel Wu, Ye Liu, Qi Shu
FARO, GODDESS OF WATER (FARO – LA REINE DES EAUX) – DIR: Salif Traore (France/Canada/Mali)
Starring: Sotigui Kouyaté, Balla Habib Dembélé, Maimouna Hélène Diarra
FUGITIVE PIECES – DIR: Jeremy Podeswa (Canada)
Starring: Rachelle Lefevre, Larissa Laskin, Devon Bostick, Rosamund Pike
THE HOME SONG STORIES – DIR: Tony Ayres (Australia)
Starring: Joan Chen, Yuwu Qi, Joel Lok
JC CHAVEZ – DIR: Diego Luna (Mexico)
(Documentary) Featuring: Julio Cesar Chavez, Oscar De La Hoya, Don King, Diego Luna, Mike Tyson
THE MONSTER AMONG US – Cynthia Mondell & Alan Mondell (USA)
(Documentary)
MY BROTHER IS AN ONLY CHILD – DIR: Daniele Luchetti (Italy)
Starring: Elio Germano, Riccardo Scamarcio, Angela Finocchiaro
NOT BY CHANCE – DIR: Philippe Barcinski (Brazil)
Starring: Rodrigo Santoro, Leonardo Medeiros, Letícia Sabatella
THE REST IS SILENCE (RESTUL E TACERE) – DIR: Nae Caranfil (Romania)
Starring: Marius Florea Vizante
SILENT RESIDENT (WEISSE LILIEN) – DIR: Christian Frosch (Austra/Germany/Luxembourg/Hungary)
Starring: Brigitte Hobmeier, Johanna Wokalek, Martin Wuttke
SUMMERHOOD – DIR: Jacob Medjuck (Canada)
Starring: John Cusack, Christopher McDonald, Raquel Alessi, Lucian Maisel
TRIANGLE – DIR: Ringo Lam, Johnny To, Hark Tsui (Germany/Hong Kong)
Starring: Louis Koo, Simon Yam, Kelly Lin
AFI FEST/SILVERDOCS SHOWCASE
AFGHAN MUSCLES – DIR: Andreas Dalsgaard (Denmark)
(Documentary)
MUNYRANGABO – DIR: Lee Isaac Chung (Rwanda/USA)
Starring: Jeff Rutagengwa, Eric Ndorunkundiye, Jean Pierre Harerimana
OPERATION FILMMAKER – DIR: Nina Davenport (USA)
(Documentary) Featuring: Liev Schreiber, Dwayne Johnson
PLEASE VOTE FOR ME – DIR: Weijun Chen (China)
(Documentary)
SPINE TINGLER: THE WILLIAM CASTLE STORY – DIR: Jeffrey Schwarz (USA)
(Documentary) Featuring: John Waters, John Landis
MAVERICKS
CHRYSALIS – DIR: Julien Leclercq (France)
Starring: Albert Dupontel, Marie Guillard, Patrick Bauchau
FLASHPOINT (DAO HUO XIAN) – DIR: Wilson Yip (Hong Kong/China)
Starring: Donnie Yen, Louis Koo, Collin Chou
STUCK – DIR: Stuart Gordon
Starring: Mena Suvari, Stephen Rea
TIME CRIMES (LOS CRONOCRIMENES) – DIR: Nacho Vigalondo (Spain)
Starring: Karra Elejalde, Candela Fernández
THE TRACEY FRAGMENTS – DIR: Bruce McDonald (Canada)
Starring: Ellen Page, Ryan Cooley
VEXILLE – DIR: Fumihiko Sori (Japan)
(Animated)
FAMILY FRIENDLY
DIAMOND DOG CAPER – DIR: Mark Stouffer (USA)
Starring: French Stewart, Luke Benward, Kevin Farley, John Farley
JUMP! – DIR: Helen Hood Scheer (USA)
(Documentary)
NIM’S ISLAND – DIR: Jennifer Flackett & Mark Levin (USA)
Starring: Abigail Breslin, Jodie Foster, Gerard Butler
SON OF RAMBOW – DIR: Garth Jennings (UK/France)
Starring: Zofia Brooks, Neil Dudgeon, Tallulah Evans
FAMILY FRIENDLY SHORTS BLOCK, including:
ASTON’S STONES (ASTONS STENAR) – DIR: Lotta Geffenblad & Uzi Geffenblad (Sweden)
(Animated)
OBARA & THE MERCHANTS – DIR: Manauvaskar Kublall (USA)
Narrated by: Alonzo Boden
RACCOON AND CRAWFISH – DIR: Calvert J. Waller III, Heather Carpini, Karabo Legwaila, Mark Edwards, Peter Hale, Shaun Foster (USA)
(Animated)
PAUL’S GRANDPA (PAUL’S OPA) – DIR: Ove Sander (Germany)
Starring: Julius Hillebrand, Rolf Nagel, Claudia Schmutzler
A SUNNY DAY – DIR: Gil Alkabetz (Germany)
(Animated)
ANIMATION COMPETITION
A-Z – DIR: Sally Arthur (UK)
BARE – DIR: Andy Lyon (USA)
GLITCH – DIR: Peter Ricq (Canada)
JEU – DIR: Georges Schwizgebel (Canada)
KEY LIME PIE – DIR: Trevor Jimenez (Canada)
KID SHOW – DIR: Tom DesLongchamp (USA)
LIL’ ITALY – DIR: Justin Harder (USA) **not in competition
MADAM TUTLI-PUTLI – DIR: Chris Lavis & Maciek Szczerbowski (Canada)
MY BIODEGRADABLE HEART – DIR: Dana Adam Shapiro (USA)
NAKED BRANCHES – DIR: Will Kim (USA)
SHUT EYE HOTEL – DIR: Bill Plympton (USA)
SIMULCRA – DIR: Tatchapon Lertwirojkul (USA)
VOODOO BAYOU – DIR: Javier Gutierrez (Mexico)
COMMUNITY SHOWCASE
DEBAKEY – DIR: Ken Mandel (USA)
FOOD FIGHT! – DIR: Chris Taylor (USA)
KARMA POLICE – DIR: John Venable (USA)
THE LIFE AND TRAGIC DEATH OF JAMES BYRD – DIR: Ricky Jason (USA)
LIFTED – DIR: Randall Dottin (USA)
MIDNIGHT SPECIALS
BLOOD ON THE HIGHWAY – DIR: Barak Epstein & Blair Rowan (USA)
Starring: Tom Towles, Nicholas Brendon
BIG MAN JAPAN – DIR: Hitoshi Matsumoto (Japan)
Starring: Hitoshi Matsumoto, Riki Takeuchi, Ua
MIDNIGHT SHORTS BLOCK, including (and in competition):
DACH – DIR: Robert Glassford & Timo Langer (UK)
FAR OUT – DIR: Phil Mucci (USA)
FILTHY FOOD – DIR: T. Arthur Cottam (USA)
HIRSUTE – DIR: A.J. Bond (Canada)
THE OBJECT – DIR: Leslie Ali (UK)
ONE DAY ACROSS THE VALLEY – DIR: Andrea Giacomini (USA)
RABBIT TROUBLES – DIR: Dimitar Mitovski & Kamen Kalev (Bulgaria)
THE RAMBLER – DIR: Calvin Reeder (USA)
SHARP TEETH – VII – DIR: Limbert Fabian (USA)
VICTORY PLAZA SCREENINGS (ADDITIONAL)
THE GOONIES (1985) – DIR: Richard Donner
GREASE (1978) – DIR: Randal Kleiser
WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT (1988) – DIR: Robert Zemeckis
THE WIZ (1978) – DIR: Sidney Lumet
STUDENT COMPETITION
CAPTURE CLAUS – DIR: Chris McInroy (USA)
A DAY’S WORK – DIR: Rajeev Dassani (USA)
DOXOLOGY – DIR: Michael Langan (USA)
THE EXECUTION OF SOLOMON HARRIS – DIR: Wyatt Garfield & Ed Yonaitis (USA)
FINAL JOURNEY – DIR: Lars Zimmermann (USA)
FREE AT LAST – DIR: Wyndll Robertson (USA)
HIGH MAINTENANCE – DIR: Phillip Van (USA/Germany)
KATIE’S JOURNEY – DIR: Samuel Jørgensen (USA)
THE VULNERABLE ONES (LES VULNERABLES) – DIR: Bent-Jorgen Perlmutt (Congo/USA)
THE LINE – DIR: Kent Bassett (USA)
THE LUTHERAN – DIR: Brad Bosley (USA)
NEST OF SPIDERS – DIR: Jesse Pilkes (USA)
SONG OF DAVID – DIR: Oded Turgeman (USA)
WHAT DO WE WANT, WHEN DO WE WANT IT – DIR: Alex Jablonski (USA)
SHORTS COMPETITION
THE BABYSITTER – DIR: David H. Steinberg
Starring: Molly Hagan, Brie Larson, Josh Cooke
BITTER SWEET (Горько ) – DIR: Yurat Safarov (Russia)
BLOOM – DIR: Lance Larson (USA)
BONGO BONG – DIR: Ken Wardrop (Ireland)
A CATALOG OF ANTICIPATIONS – DIR: David Lowery (USA)
COLLECTIBLES – DIR: Miranda Yousef (USA)
CURSING HANLEY – DIR: Kelly Harms (Canada)
DIVA – DIR: Josephine Mackerras (France)
FANTASIE IN BUBBLEWRAP – DIR: Arthur Metcalf (USA)
FAREWELL PACKETS OF TEN – DIR: Ken Wardrop (Ireland)
FOUND – DIR: Bill Sebastian (USA)
FRINGE – DIR: Tate Lown (USA)
THE FROZEN CITY – DIR: Alex Perez (USA)
GALLERIA – DIR: Vivieno Caldinelli (Canada)
HEARTBEATS (HARTSLAGEN) – DIR: Vincent Coen (Belgium)
INTERVENTION – DIR: Casey Gooden (USA)
KIDS + MONEY – DIR: Laura Greenfield (USA)
THE KNIFE GRINDERS TALE – DIR: R.L. Hooker (USA)
L.H.O. – DIR: Jan Zabeil & Kristof Kannegießer (Germany)
LOVE STORY – DIR: Amit (UK)
LUCK OF THE DRAW – DIR: S.J. Main (USA)
Starring: James Duvall
MOVEMENT – DIR: Alex O’Flinn (USA)
MY CARNIVAL – DIR: Michele Nocchi (Italy)
ON THE ASSASSINATION OF THE PRESIDENT – DIR: Adam Keker (USA)
PARTS – DIR: Scott Hanson (USA)
ROCK POCKETS – DIR: Trevor Anderson (Canada)
SAFARI – DIR: Catherine Chalmers (USA)
THE SCHOOLYARD – DIR: Chloé Leriche (Canada)
THE SECOND LINE – DIR: John Magary (USA)
SOFT – DIR: Simon Ellis (UK)
SONG OF SLOMON – DIR: Emmanuel Shirinian (Canada)
SPIDER – DIR: Nash Edgerton (Australia)
STOLEN YOUTH – DIR: Leon Chambers (UK)
SUNLIT SHADOWS – DIR: Benjamin M. Piety (USA)
TOKYO JIM – DIR: Jamie Rafn (UK)
TONY ZOREIL – DIR: Valentin Potier (France)
WAVES – DIR: Adrian Sitaru (Romania)
X – DIR: Josh Brolin (USA)
Starring: Eden Brolin
LOCAL STUDENT SHORTS
NORTH TEXAS COLLEGE SHOWCASE
LOCAL HIGH SCHOOLS’ BLOCK
BOOKER T. WASHINGTON BLOCK, including:
BENNY THE COCKROACH – DIR: Edgar Benevetes
BLANK TAPE – DIR: Peter Green
BREAD OF LIFE – DIR: Balkin Tanihu
BUSY BEES AT THE BEACH – DIR: Marcie Maute
CONSECUTIVE DREAMS – DIR: Kayla Escobedo
THE LAST FAREWELL – DIR: Chaz Wallace
L’ELEPHANT ROSE – DIR: Ryan Bock
LONGTIME WANTING – DIR: Daniel J. Gross
MIDNIGHT FIGHT – DIR: Marc Edwards
MORNING RITUAL – DIR: Annie Such
PARANOIA – DIR: Alex Halbert
WAKE UP – DIR: Dean Harbour
