Dallas International Film Festival announces winners for its 23rd run

The curtain came down on the Dallas Intercontinental Movie Festival, or DIFF 23, on Friday, and one particular reviewer known as it a success.

“It went truly, truly, seriously properly. It went superior than expected,” said James Faust, DIFF 23 creative director. “It was 1 of individuals factors of where you strategy a pageant and you hope ‘This will be interesting if this took place.’

“Ninety per cent of what we desired to materialize, occurred.”

Extra than 100 movies had been submitted from far more than 60 international locations.

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Faust hadn’t included up the ultimate totals on the eight-working day pageant. But he reflected on the festival’s revival, which returned to a familiar place — the West Village Uptown.

DIFF set up its headquarters at Violet Crown Cinema, the previous Magnolia Theatre, which was its base 4 decades in the past. The Texas Theatre also was a venue and confirmed Into the Spotlight, directed by Dallas resident Thaddeus D. Matula, and the comedy-journey Chocolate Lizards.

The competition experienced a bittersweet get started. Breaking the Code, a documentary about Fort Worth artist Vernon Fisher, took on added significance when Fisher died times just before the pageant premiere.

Faust responded by introducing screenings. He also included a different screening of Karen Carpenter: Starving for Perfection, which was generated by Dallas-centered AMS Photos.

“People required to see those people,” Faust claimed.

Breaking the Code received Greatest Historical Movie, an award presented by the Dallas County Historical Commission.

Fort Well worth artist Vernon Fisher is the matter of “Breaking the Code,” a documentary by Michael Flanagan that gained Very best Historic Attribute at the Dallas Global Film Pageant.(Breaking the Code)

Into The Highlight gained Most effective Texas Function. Rosy McEwen received the specific jury prize for remarkable overall performance for her role in Blue Jean.

In The Spotlight followed the Spotlight Academy of Arts throughout its 2021-22 season. Spotlight is a system sponsored by Highland Park United Methodist Church that provides jointly grownups with mental and developmental disabilities to write, design and style and execute an authentic musical.

The competition was also in reset manner right after working with the COVID-19 pandemic for the earlier three decades. The 2020 pageant was canceled simply because of the pandemic. In 2021, it returned as an abbreviated in-man or woman three-day event at the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema in the Cedars. Past year, DIFF took position in excess of seven days in Oct at many Dallas venues.

“Talking to some of the people today who arrived in, they had been expressing ‘It feels like you’re back,’ ” Faust explained.

Grand jury prizes

  • Best Texas ElementInto The Highlight
  • Unique Jury Prize for Variety in Casting and Fantastic CinematographyMatch Me If You Can
  • Ideal Documentary AspectUndesirable Push
  • Unique Jury Prize for StorytellingThe Everlasting Memory
  • Most effective Narrative FunctionTale Ave
  • Specific Jury Prize for Excellent General performance – Rosy McEwen, Blue Jean
  • Dallas County Historic Fee Prize for Ideal Historical FilmBreaking The Code
  • Ideal Texas Limited MovieEnvironmentally friendly H2o
  • Greatest Documentary Limited FilmTruly Superior Close friends
  • Greatest SmallI Have No Tears, And I Must Cry
  • Best Animated Limited FilmToday, I Will Be The Bread
  • Best Pupil Film within the Shorts CompetitionPhotograph Working day
  • Specific Jury Prize for ShortOur Males And Females

Jurors: Ashton Campbell, Liz Cardenas, Giovannie Cruz, Chris Dowling, Anne Fleitas, Chris Gardner, David Gil, Josh Hurtado, Korey Miller, Christian Vasquez and Justina Walford.

Study more about the Dallas Intercontinental Movie Pageant