The Dallas Film Society today announced Dallas Star Award and Shining Star honorees for the 11th edition of the Dallas International Film Festival. The Opening Night Gala 50th anniversary screening of BONNIE AND CLYDE at the Dallas City Performance Hall (2520 Flora Street) on Thursday, April 30, will gain some added luster with the presentation of the Dallas Star Award to iconic Academy Award-winner Faye Dunaway. Then, at the conclusion of DIFF, Fort Worth native and widely-admired actor and filmmaker Bill Paxton will be remembered and honored with a posthumous presentation of the Dallas Star Award, and Zoey Deutch, the talented star of the recent hit indie film, BEFORE I FALL, will receive the Dallas Shining Star Award during the DFS Honors event presented by the Arthur E. Benjamin Foundation at The Highland Dallas (5300 E. Mockingbird Lane).
Dunaway’s Dallas Star Award presentation at the Opening Night Gala celebration will follow her making a special guest appearance supporting Academy Award winner Robert Benton’s Art of Film event the prior evening.
Additions to DIFF’s schedule include Zoe Lister Jones’s BAND AID, Robin Swicord’s WAKEFIELD, the world premiere of Shane Carruth’s Breakthrough: Predicting the Future, and JUDGE REINHOLD PRESENTS: DADDY’S DYIN’… WHO’S GOT THE WILL.
James Faust, Artistic Director of the Dallas Film Society, said, “Our two Dallas Star Award honorees hail back to something this festival has done from its inception – honor cinema legends, icons, and the film artists that made a difference in our film viewing lives. Faye Dunaway has been at the center of a number of certifiably classic films, and we joined so many in being devastated by the recent loss of Bill Paxton, on so many levels. To have Dunaway here on Opening Night will be a spectacular moment for Dallas, and to have Paxton here in spirit, was a must to anyone that knows anything about this film festival’s history and the people that are a part of it.” Faust added, “Zoey Deutch is the quintessential choice for a Dallas Shining Star Award honoree. She has had a very impressive start to her career, and is now poised to take it to an entirely different level with wonderful performances in three different films this year.”
Faye Dunaway’s film career received a meteoric launch in 1967 with her “introduction” to the world as Bonnie Parker in BONNIE AND CLYDE. Roles in THE THOMAS CROWN AFFAIR (1968), LITTLE BIG MAN (1970), THE THREE MUSKETEERS (1973), and THE TOWERING INFERNO (1974) further established her in Hollywood, before three more films would cement her place as a cinema icon. Dunaway’s trio of performances in CHINATOWN, THREE DAYS OF THE CONDOR (1975), and her Academy Award-winning role in NETWORK (1976) secured her spot as a dynamic actress that both reflected the style, enigmatic nature, and determination of the 70s, as well as being altogether timeless.
Notable films that followed included EYES OF LAURA MARS (1978), and her indelible performance as Joan Crawford in MOMMIE DEAREST (1981). In 1987, Dunaway was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for BARFLY. The 1990s saw Dunaway perform in several films, including THE HANDMAID’S TALE (1991), ARIZONA DREAMS (1993), THE MESSENGER: THE STORY OF JOAN OF ARC (1998), THE YARDS (1998), and THE RULES OF ATTRACTION (2001). Dunaway also had key performances on television including “Evita Peron” (1981), and an Emmy-winning turn on “Columbo” (1994), as well as appearances in a number of series, like “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” (2006), “Grey's Anatomy” (2009). She was just seen in THE BYE BYE MAN, and upcoming films include THE AMERICAN CONNECTION, INCONCEIVABLE, and THE CASE FOR CHRIST.
Bill Paxton first gained attention with his short film, FISH HEADS (1980), became a cult hit following its debut on “Saturday Night Live.” Supporting appearances in films like THE LORDS OF DISCIPLINE (1983), STREETS OF FIRE (1984), and THE TERMINATOR (1984) followed until his roles in WEIRD SCIENCE (1985), ALIENS (1985), and NEAR DARK (1987), made a lasting impression on film audiences. His lead role in the independent classic ONE FALSE MOVE (1992) took Paxton’s career to another level, with star turns in TOMBSTONE (1993), TRUE LIES (1994), APOLLO 13 (1995), TWISTER (1996), TITANIC (1997), and A SIMPLE PLAN (1998) establishing his undeniable onscreen charisma and impact. Somewhat underrated as a filmmaker himself, Paxton produced TRAVELLER (1997), and made a stunning feature film directorial debut with FRAILTY (2001). On television, Paxton brought comllex dimensions to his polygamist character in “Big Love,” which ran from 2006-2011, earning three Golden Globe nominations for his work on the series. He followed that success with his Emmy nominated role in the miniseries “Hatfields & McCoys” in 2012. A scene-stealing guest role in “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” (2014), and the lead in “Training Day,” (2016) followed.
Paxton, a long-time noted friend of the film festival will be honored during a special screening of Carl Franklin’s ONE FALSE MOVE on Saturday, April 8 at 5:00PM at the Angelika Theater (5321 E Mockingbird Lane).
Quickly establishing herself as a vibrant and charming presence onscreen, Zoey Deutch is currently starring in Ry Russo Young’s BEFORE I FALL, an adaptation of the popular YA novel. She will also be seen in Max Winkler’s FLOWER, which will make its world premiere at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival, as well as Danny Strong’s REBEL IN THE RYE, portraying ‘Oona O’Neill,’ the daughter of legendary playwright Eugene O’Neill, set for release later in the year.
Last year, Deutch co-starred in John Hamburg’s WHY HIM? opposite James Franco and Bryan Cranston, Richard Linklater’s EVERYBODY WANTS SOME!!, Dan Mazur’s notorious comedy DIRTY GRANDPA opposite Robert De Niro and Zac Efron, and Gary Michael Schultz’s indie VINCENT N ROXXY opposite Emile Hirsch, Zoe Kravitz and Emory Cohen.
Deutch recently wrapped production on THE YEAR OF SPECTACULAR MEN starring opposite her sister Madelyn Deutch, who wrote the script. The film also marks the directorial debut of their mother, Lea Thompson. Deutch will be presented with the Dallas Shining Star Award during the DFS Honors event presented by the Arthur E. Benjamin Foundation at The Highland Dallas (5300 E. Mockingbird Lane) on Friday, April 7. A special free screening of BEFORE I FALL, followed by a “Conversation with Zoey Deutch” will take place on Saturday, April 8 at 12:30PM at the Angelika Theater.
Screenings added to the DIFF slate include Robin Swicord’s drama, WAKEFIELD, which stars Bryan Cranston as a New York City lawyer, who hides out in the attic of his home for weeks, coming out in the daytime when his family is gone to shower and eat. His withdrawal leads him to examine his life, and he rationalizes that he has not abandoned his family because he is still in the house. When a former boyfriend re-enters his wife's life, he realizes that he may not be able to return to life he has abandoned. The film also stars Jennifer Garner.
Zoe Lister Jones’s comedy BAND AID, stars Lister and Adam Pally as a married couple that attempt to work through their marital issues and strife by pulling out some old musical instruments and making up songs about the subject of their arguments. The film also stars Fred Armisen, Brooklyn Decker, Jamie Chung, and Colin Hanks.
Other special presentations include the world premiere presentation of Breakthrough: Predicting the Future at the Dallas City Performance Hall on Sunday, April 2. An anthology series that sheds light on the world’s leading scientists and how their cutting-edge innovations and advancements will change our lives in the immediate future and beyond, Breakthrough brings to life the stories, people and technology behind these breakthroughs, and shows how they are changing our world. Directed by Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury Prize winner Shane Carruth, Predicting the Future takes on advancements in big data and artificial intelligence. By finding hidden patterns in data, a new form of Artificial Intelligence predicts the future with incredible accuracy. But if we peer into the crystal ball, will we see a world where machines shape the future, leaving their creators far behind?
JUDGE REINHOLD PRESENTS: DADDY’S DYIN’… WHO’S GOT THE WILL screens on Saturday, April 8 at the Angelika Theater. The presentation will take a look at Texas native Jack Fisk’s 1990 hilarious ensemble comedy written by fellow Texan Del Shores. The film centers around bickering siblings reunited at their Texas home as their father lies on his deathbed, and features a great cast, including Reinhold, Beau Bridges, Keith Carradine, Beverly D’Angelo, and Tess Harper. Reinhold, an Emmy nominee, and veteran of 75 films and television appearances, will be on hand for a special “Conversation” and Q&A following the screening.
Filmmaker panels include:
1967: A Look Back at the Greatest Year in Cinema History
Panelists: Joe Leydon (Variety, Cowboys & Indians Magazine) and Chris Vognar (Dallas Morning News)
Saturday, April 1 at 12:00PM at The Highland Ballroom
Austin Film Society Film Grant Seminar
Moderator: Lliana Sosa (Artist Services Manager, Austin Film Society)
Saturday, April 1 at 2:00PM at The Highland Ballroom
Can A Film Change the World? With EARTHxFilm
Moderator: Michael Cain (Co-Founder EARTHxFilm), Panelist: Cullen Hoback (WHAT LIES UPSTREAM)
Sunday, April 2 2:00PM at The Highland Ballroom
Redefining the Docuseries with ATX Television Festival
Panelists: Kurt Sayenga (“Breakthrough: Predicting the Future”), Deidre A. Fenton (“O.J.: Made in America”), and Katie Dunn (“Murder Made Me Famous”)
Sunday, April 2 at 12:00PM at The Highland Ballroom
Screenwriting: Writing and Adapting for the Screen
Panelist: Evan Daugherty (SNOW WHITE AND THE HUNTSMAN, DIVERGENT)
Saturday, April 1 at 4:00PM at The Highland Ballroom
VR For Social Good with Reel FX
Panelists:
Sunday, April 2 at 4:00PM at The Highland Ballroom
Once again, the Dallas Film Society has teamed up with DART for their successful partnership DART to DIFF. Many DIFF activities and events take place in the heart of Dallas and the partnership with DART will provide quick and convenient transportation for all festival attendees. In addition, DFS has teamed with Uber for UBER to DIFF this year, as Uber has come onboard as the Exclusive Rideshare Partner for the 2017 Dallas International Film Festival. Download the Uber app and sign up with the promo code DIFF2017 to get $15 off your first ride! Sign up here: https://get.uber.com/go/DIFF2017.
Online ticket sales are available at DallasFilm.org, and the Prekindle Box Office.
