Dallas International Film Festival (DIFF) today announced its return to West Village Uptown with Violet Crown Cinema as the host theater for DIFF 2023, April 28 – May 5, 2023. The venue is familiar territory for the Festival, said DIFF officials in making the announcement.
“We are excited to announce the all-new Violet Crown Cinema as our host theater for DIFF 2023,” said James Faust, DIFF Artistic Director, “and the return of the Festival to West Village in Uptown feels like a homecoming after a four-year absence. We know that fans of DIFF who enjoyed seeing films as DIFF festivalgoers at the former Magnolia Theater will be thrilled to experience Violet Crown Dallas. Our vision is to activate all of West Village and Uptown to create a Film Festival Village for the eight days of DIFF.”
DIFF 2023 will feature screenings of more than 100 films from nearly 30 countries, as well as Q&A sessions with filmmakers and actors, nightly DIFF Red Carpets, a Festival Lounge, and special events throughout the film festival.
“We returned to West Village in Uptown last December to the same location where I built my first movie theater 20 years ago,” said Bill Banowsky, founder of Violet Crown and Magnolia Pictures, the original owner of The Magnolia Theater. “It’s an honor to also return to a tradition of hosting DIFF in the heart of Uptown, bringing a range of programming for everyone, especially those seeking the thrill of the premiere, the chance to meet filmmakers, and to celebrate the joy that is modern cinema.”
Grand Jury Prizes for DIFF 2023 will be awarded for Best Texas Short Film, Best Texas Feature, Best Documentary Short Film, Best Documentary Feature, Best Narrative Feature, Best Animated Short Film, and Best Student Film within the Shorts Competition. Additionally, Audience Awards will be given for Best Documentary Feature, Best Narrative Feature, and Best Short Film. There will also be a Dallas County Historical Commission Prize for Best Historical Film. Other film categories and tracks will include: World Films, Environment/Sustainability, Latino Films, Family Films, Indigenous Films, LGBTQIA+, Music, Persons with Disabilities, Sports, and Midnight Films, among others.
Last fall, DIFF presented its first full, in-person festival since 2019, with screenings at six diverse venues across Dallas. “Bringing DIFF back to West Village – and back to its traditional spring timeframe – is major for us,” added Beth Wilbins, DIFF CEO. “It’s a perfect showcase for over a week packed with inclusive, immersive, accessible, educational, and entertaining film experiences. DIFF attendees are in for a treat with richly diverse voices in the films our programming team is curating from hundreds of submissions.”
Located in the center of the dynamic neighborhood known as Uptown, West Village is a walkable shopping, dining, residential and entertainment district with direct access to the DART Rail, the Historic McKinney Avenue Trolley and the Katy Trail.
“We are thrilled to welcome DIFF back to West Village this spring at the new Violet Crown Cinema,” said Caroline Maestri, Marketing Director for McLemmon Group, management company for West Village. “We look forward to partnering with DIFF to create a Film Festival Village that engages our community and sparks inspiring conversations through the art of film.”
DIFF 2023 will be held April 28-May 5, 2023. The 2023 Dallas International Film Festival was cited by Travel + Leisure magazine in naming Dallas among the “12 Best Places to Travel in April 2023”. The festival was also cited by MovieMaker magazine in naming Dallas among the “Best Places to Live and Work as a MovieMaker 2023”.
Sponsors as of February 20 include: Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP, BestofGuide.com, Canopy by Hilton, Capital One, Commerce House, Dallas County Historical Commission, Dallas Film & Creative Industries Office, Favorite Brands, Four Corners Brewing Co., Mercury One, Nowadays Orange Productions LLC, Oliver Wyman, Panavision, Selig Polyscope Company, The Event Nerd, The Preston of the Park Cities, Violet Crown Cinema, Virgin Hotels Dallas, and West Village.
Through curation of the broadest range of expression through film, the Dallas International Film Festival (DIFF) is the region’s most powerfully inclusive and equitable platform for diverse, emerging and underrepresented voices. Since its founding, DIFF has screened more than 2,000 widely diverse new films from 50 countries, provided more than $1.1 million in awards and hosted more than 100,000 filmgoers and filmmakers. DIFF is the signature program of Dallas Film, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization established as Dallas Film Society, Inc. in 2006 by people who believe passionately in the magic of film.
Dallas Film exists to celebrate films and their impact on society, honor filmmakers and recognize their contribution enhancing both the creative community and the city of Dallas, provide leadership in film education, and celebrate excellence in the art of film. Through a variety of screenings, educational programs, and festivals, Dallas Film raises awareness of the world’s most approachable and inclusive art form. More information is available at www.dallasfilm.org.
