February 4, 2023
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Dallas International Film Festival

Dallas International Film Festival, powered by Capital One, and Dallas Film is committed to providing leadership in screen education and the recognition and celebration of excellence in the art of film, television, screenwriting and digital media in the Dallas community. Through year round screenings, festivals and a variety of educational programs including The Veterans Institute of Film & Media and the Mercury One High School Film Labs, Dallas Film raises awareness of the world’s most approachable and inclusive art form. Over the years DIFF has contributed more than $1 million in filmmaker awards, hosted more than 1,900 filmmakers, and screened over 2,200 film from more than 50 countries.


Dallas Film  / Film
Dallas International Film Festival Announces Third Annual Screenwriting Competition 
Dallas International Film Festival Posted On December 19, 2022


Dallas International Film Festival (DIFF), Torfoot Studios and Event Horizon Films announced today details for their 2023 screenplay competition to support emerging writers and encourage more Dallas film productions.

Among the competition prizes, award-winning filmmaker Johnathan Brownlee will produce and direct the winning short script in Dallas and screen it across the film festivals circuit. Brownlee is best known for Three Days In August, The Standoff at Sparrow Creek, Decoding Annie Parker, and Johnathan Brownlee’s AtHome. In 2022, he directed the competition’s wining short script, (*)hit Squad, which was an official selection at Dallas Noir Fest, Dallas International Film Festival, ATX Short Film Showcase, Twin Falls Film Festival, Chandler Film Festival and selected for many others.

“I had a wonderful experience with the contest,” said Hairy Hunsicker, a finalists judge and the 2022 short script winner. “Working with Event Horizon Films and Torfoot Studios was amazing, a dream come true.”

Additional producing partners for (*)hit Squad included, Torfoot Studios, Event Horizon Films and IdeaMan Studios with legal partners Litwin Law Group, PLLC, and The Law Office of LaToya L. Blakely.

The DIFF 2023 screenplay competition, presented annually by Event Horizon Films, offers writers the opportunity to submit scripts for feature films, television pilots and short films, which are judged by readers at top talent agencies and management companies in the industry. Winning screenwriters are exposed to high-profile industry experts and receive a variety of prizes, including celebrity shoutouts, networking opportunities and a produced film.

“So much great talent goes unseen for a craft that is incredibly vital to the filmmaking process,” said James Faust, DIFF’s artistic director. “A produced script is the end game for screenwriters and we are thrilled for the opportunity to help bring this vision to screen.”

DIFF and Event Horizon Films are accepting screenplay entries HERE, now through midnight on June 18, 2023. The short script category closes midnight on April 7. Short script submissions must be 10 pages or under and set in a single, indoor location.

DIFF runs April 28, 2023 to May 4, 2023. Short script winners will be revealed at the festival. Additional competition winners will be announced in the summer.

For more information on the Dallas International Film Festival, visit dallasfilm.org or contact info@dallasfilm.org. Information can also be found on: Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Details on the screenplay competition are available at eventhorizonfilms.com


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Dallas International Film Festival Announces Full Lineup for 16th Anniversary Run
Dallas International Film Festival Posted On September 27, 2022


Dallas Film has announced the full lineup for the 16th Dallas International Film Festival (DIFF), running Oct. 14 through 20 at Alamo Drafthouse Cinema Cedars and various other Dallas landmarks.

Nearly 80 short and feature length films curated for local audiences will be shown at Festival headquarters, including four world premieres, as well as special events in partnership with the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center, Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, Texas Theatre, the South Dallas Cultural Center, and 4DWN Skate Park. DIFF 2022 films fall under the categories: DTV, Deep Ellum Sounds, Documentary Competition, Frame of Mind, Galas, Game On, Latino Showcase, Midnight Specials, Narrative Feature Competition, Premiere Series, Shorts Competition, Special Presentation, Texas Competition, Women in Film, and World Cinema.

James Faust, Artistic Director for the Dallas International Film Festival, said, “This year’s lineup has an incredible array of powerful stories that touch on a little bit of everything, from war veterans and dementia to Native American activism, and three, count them, three movies with a trumpet in a starring role. DIFF 2022 will give Dallas cinephiles a first chance to see films that will be on everyone’s list come awards season, and some they might not otherwise have the chance to ever see on the big screen.

“Our local film audiences have a passion for the diverse art that filmmakers produce,” Faust continued, “which is why we ensure our programming includes a spectrum that can appeal to the most discerning cinephile to the casual weekend viewer. We hope to help viewers of any type discover some new treasures debuting here, in Dallas.”

Feature-length films that are premiering or screening during DIFF 2022 (those marked with an asterisk have filmmakers scheduled to attend) are:

A LOT OF NOTHING (Comedy/Drama Thriller) shows an upper middle class married couple find their lives spiraling out of control when they decide to take justice into their own hands and seek retribution against their neighbor.

* A CASE FOR KINDNESS (Documentary), for which director, Steven Sawalich, who had the first film in AFI Dallas 2007, will return to DIFF. This film strives to understand the true nature of kindness. Carefully threading the themes of bullying, hate, mental health, racial injustice, food insecurity, and climate change, it builds the case to inspire us to understand the need for and benefits of adopting kindness. It features Ben Affleck, Garth Brooks, Trisha Yearwood, and Norman Lear.

* A RUN FOR MORE (Documentary) tells of Frankie Gonzales-Wolfe, who goes on a personal journey and questions her relationship to her community as she runs for city council in San Antonio, attempting to become the first elected openly transgender official in Texas.

* ACIDMAN (Drama/Sci-Fi) stars Dianna Agron as Maggie and Thomas Haden Church as her reclusive father. After a decade apart, the two awkwardly try to get to know one another against the backdrop of his obsession with UFOs and communicating with extraterrestrial beings.

AFTER SUN (Drama) shows lead character Sophie reflecting on the shared joy and private melancholy of a holiday she took with her father twenty years earlier. Memories real and imagined fill the gaps between miniDV footage as she tries to reconcile the father she knew with the man she didn’t.

* ALL MAN: THE INTERNATIONAL MALE STORY (Documentary) is a nostalgic and colorful peek behind the pages and personalities of International Male, one of the most ubiquitous and sought-after mail-order catalogs of the 80s and 90s.

ALL THAT BREATHES (Documentary) takes place against the darkening backdrop of New Delhi’s apocalyptic air and escalating violence as two brothers devote their lives to protecting one casualty of the turbulent times: the bird known as the black kite.

ARMAGEDDON TIME (Drama) from acclaimed filmmaker James Gray is a deeply personal tale on the strength of family, the complexity of friendship, and the generational pursuit of the American Dream. The film features an all-star cast, including Anthony Hopkins, Anne Hathaway, and Jeremy Strong.

BEFORE I CHANGE MY MIND (Drama) is set in 1987 as other students wonder if new kid Robin is a boy or a girl, who then forges a complicated bond with the school bully, making increasingly dangerous choices to fit in.

BIRTHDAY BOY (Drama) has Jimmy celebrating his 45th birthday at a beach house, where he has invited his close circle of friends to a weekend full of fun, excess, and concessions. Everything is interrupted by Jimmy’s confession of wanting to end his life before the party is over.

CALL JANE (Drama/Comedy) stars Elizabeth Banks and Sigourney Weaver in this story of a married woman with an unwanted pregnancy who lives at a time in America when she cannot get a legal abortion, and then works with a group of suburban women to find help.

CORSAGE (Historical Drama) is a fictional account of Empress Elizabeth of Austria, idolized for her beauty and renowned for inspiring fashion trends, who celebrates her 40th birthday and must fight to maintain her public image by lacing her corset tighter and tighter.

* FENOM (Documentary) follows rising star and school senior Flau’Jae Johnson, a Georgia native who has become one of the nation’s top basketball recruits and is also a rapper under Jay Z’s label, living out her late father’s dream. FENOM follows her journey through her senior year fulfilling both of her destinies, and was executive produced by WNBA legend Sue Bird in association with TOGETHXR.

FINDING SATOSHI (Documentary) has a group of passionate puzzle players trying without success to answer the question, “Who is this man?” with only a photograph and a name. The playful documentary finally solves the 14-year-old mystery, and features Dallas native Laura E. Hall.

* FRAME OF MIND (Documentary), KERA’s acclaimed television program hosted by Dallas film legend Bart Weiss, will screen its best independent film and video from Texas-based filmmakers, including FLESH AND BONE, THE BARBER OF MAYDELLE, BIRDS, ZAPATERIA, EL FANTASMA, and NUT CRACKER.

* GREENER PASTURES (Documentary) will have its world premiere with an urgent and intimate look at American farming, told through the stories of farmers living at the intersection of climate change, globalization, and a mental health crisis. Capturing the day-to-day lives of four small, multigenerational family farms over three years, it is a story of perseverance, patience, and determination that tackles the future of farming in America.

* Executive produced by local legend herself, Erykah Badu, HARGROVE (Documentary) tells the up-close story of Jazz trumpet legend Roy Hargrove, deemed by his peers as a musical prophet. Following him on an award-winning tour from Los Angeles to Marseille in what would be the last year of his life, the film features interviews and live performances inclusive of musical icons Badu, Herbie Hancock, Mos Def, Robert Glasper, Wynton Marsalis, and Sonny Rollins. Hargrove attended Booker T. Washington High School, which will host the screening on his birthday, Oct. 16.

* IMAGINING THE INDIAN (Documentary) highlights the fight against Native American mascoting, examining the use of Native American slurs, names, logos, images, and gestures that many Native Americans and their allies find offensive. The film investigates caricatures like Chief Wahoo of the Cleveland Indians and gestures like the Atlanta Braves’ “tomahawk chop” with commentary from ESPN commentator Kevin Blackstone.

* JUNETEENTH: FAITH & FREEDOM (Documentary) tells the story of a Black American troubled by the legacy of American slavery and the misuse of Christianity to justify it. He travels throughout Texas discovering how Juneteenth reveals faith and a fight for freedom in an unjust society.

* LA UVA (Documentary) will world premiere with the tale of Rolando Herrera, the Ceja Family and Bulmaro Montes, all Latino winemakers in Napa Valley. The film follows them on the long and winding road from humble beginnings in Mexico, to the most prestigious settings, wine bars and even The White House.

LAST FLIGHT HOME (Documentary) is an intimate portrait of Eli Timoner, a dedicated husband, father, and entrepreneur who founded the airline Air Florida in the 1970s and who ultimately decides to medically terminate his life.

* LET US DIE (Documentary) will world premiere with the incredible story of an antique desk that contained a collection of old German letters from World War II hidden inside a secret compartment. Years later, the owner, Dallas resident Tim Mallad, had the letters translated to discover they explained how, in the final days of the war, thousands of innocent German families took their own lives in fear of what the conquering Soviets would do to them.

LOUIS ARMSTRONG’S BLACK & BLUES (Documentary) is an intimate and revealing look at the world-changing musician, presented through a lens of archival footage and never-before-heard home recordings and personal conversations. This definitive documentary honors Armstrong’s legacy as a founding father of jazz, one of the first internationally known and beloved stars, and a cultural ambassador of the United States.

* MVP (Drama) takes place on the streets of Hollywood where a recently retired NFL player is saved from scandal by a homeless veteran. With their “glory days” behind them, the two men bond in search of purpose and identity. Actor and director Nate Boyer will attend the special screening at the historic Texas Theatre.

PROJECT WOLF HUNTING (Action/Thriller) depicts a floating hell with no escape with a cargo ship transporting the most vicious prisoners overseas, 1630 miles from Manila to Busan.

* In RETROGRADE (Documentary) from Academy Award-winning director Matthew Heineman, he tells the story of the last months of the 20-year war in Afghanistan through the intimate relationship between American Green Berets and the Afghan officers they trained.

RETURN TO SEOUL (Drama) has Freddie returning to her birthplace, South Korea, on an impulse to reconnect with her origins before being adopted and raised in France. The headstrong young woman starts looking for her biological parents in a country she knows little about, taking her life in new and unexpected directions.

* ROLL WITH IT (Comedy) is the story of a small-town Biscuit Barrel waitress forced to enter the Cheatham County Fair Karaoke Showdown as a last resort to save her house from foreclosure. Star of the film Chonda Pierce, the popular comedian known as “The Queen of Clean”, and other members of the cast will attend.

* ROPE (Crime/Drama/Mystery) is the Hitchcock classic where two men attempt to prove they committed the perfect crime by hosting a dinner party after strangling their former classmate to death. The film will show as part of Stodghill Movie Night, a DIFF tradition of celebrating the classics.

RUBY’S CHOICE (Comedy) stars two-time Golden Globe Winner Jane Seymour as Ruby in a poignant tale that follows three generations of strong women. Secrets from the past are revealed as the family must make a big decision while Ruby’s illness threatens to push them apart.

* RUN LOLA RUN (Action/Thriller) is the cult classic depicting Lola receiving a call from her boyfriend Manni. After losing money in a subway train, she has 20 minutes to raise the amount and meet Manni. Three different alternatives may happen depending on some minor event along Lola’s run. The screening is in celebration of the 30th anniversary of Sony Pictures Classics’ excellence in filmmaking.

* SHOUTING DOWN MIDNIGHT (Documentary) is both a cautionary tale and rallying cry, recounting how the Wendy Davis filibuster of 2013 galvanized a new generation of activists, revealing what is at stake in the struggle for reproductive freedom.

* SIGN THE SHOW: DEAF CULTURE, ACCESS AND ENTERTAINMENT (Documentary) provides insight into Deaf culture and the quest for access to entertainment, bringing together entertainers, the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (HOH) community. American Sign Language interpreters discuss accessibility at live performances in a humorous, heartfelt, and insightful way.

SKATE DREAMS (Documentary) follows the rise of women’s skateboarding, profiling a group of women whose pursuit of self-expression, equality, and freedom have created an international movement. Directed by Peabody Award-winning filmmaker Jessica Edwards, the story spans the trailblazing pioneers of the 1980s and the next generation of Olympic contenders. A special screening of the film will be hosted at the 4DWN Skate Park.

* SONG FOR HOPE (Documentary) will debut at a special screening in collaboration with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra and CancerBlows at the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center on Oct. 19 at 7:30 pm. Directed by Chris Haigh, the film portrays the incredible story of trumpet virtuoso Ryan Anthony after he was diagnosed with multiple myeloma at the age of 42 and given just months to live. For many, this would be a crushing blow, but for Ryan, it motivated him to start CancerBlows and show the world that music can save lives. Following the screening, there will be a Q&A moderated by James Faust featuring the filmmakers and members of the Anthony family – Niki, Jackson, and Rowan.

SUBJECT (Documentary) focuses on the ethics and responsibility inherent in documentary filmmaking by examining well-known documentaries of the past decade and revealing the impact their commercial success has had on the lives of the onscreen subjects.

* TAKE PAINS, BE PERFECT (Documentary) explores the profound transformational impact of Shakespeare at Winedale, a program created in 1970 by University of Texas professor James “Doc” Ayres. Through multiple generations of program alumni interviewed in the film, audiences will discover the powerful connection between creative learning and the development of social and emotional skills.

THE BANSHEES OF INISHERIN (Comedy/Drama) stars Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson as two lifelong friends who find themselves at an impasse when one abruptly ends their relationship with alarming consequences for both.

THE INSPECTION (Drama) tells the story of Ellis French, a young, gay Black man, rejected by his mother and with few options for his future, who decides to join the Marines and do whatever it takes to succeed in a system that would cast him aside.

THE LOST KING (Drama), co-written by and starring Steve Coogan, relates how an amateur historian defies the academic establishment to find King Richard III’s remains, which were lost for over 500 years.

* THE SMELL OF MONEY (Documentary) asks what price we pay for the world’s pork. Directed by Dallas film director, Shawn Bannon, and executive produced by Kate Mara and David Lowery, it offers a look at North Carolina residents who take on one of the world’s most powerful companies in a fight for their rights to clean air, pure water, and a life free from the stench of pig feces.

THE RETURN OF TANYA TUCKER (Documentary) celebrates the trailblazing, hell-raising country music legend Tanya Tucker, who defied the standards of how a woman in country music was supposed to behave. Decades after Tanya slipped from the spotlight, rising Americana music star Brandi Carlile takes it upon herself to write an entire album for her hero based on Tanya’s extraordinary life, spurring the greatest comeback in country music history.

* THE UNKNOWN COUNTRY (Drama) launches a grieving young woman on a solitary road trip through the American Midwest after an unexpected invitation. Tana, played by Lily Gladstone, struggles to reconcile the losses of her past with the dreams of her future on her journey, with a portion filmed in Dallas.

UNTIL THE END OF TIME (Drama) finds Patricio breaking up with his wife, unable to see his daughter, financially broke. The possibility of rebuilding his life, a new love, recovering his family, and a nuclear threat are intertwined in an unexpected ending.

Shorts being featured at DIFF 2022 include:

#BLACKATSMU

ALWAYS TOGETHER

BARTER

A BRIEF AND PASSING THING

DALLAS LOWRIDERS – A FAMILY LEGACY

A DIRE STRAIT

DOLLAR GENERALS

DON’T YOU GO NOWHERE

DOWN HOME

THE EVENT

EXIT

FOUL

HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS

LAST DAYS OF AUGUST

MOTHER FUCKER

MY SUMMER VACATION

MY YEAR OF DICKS

NINETY-FIVE SENSES

THE SIGHT OF BLUE

(S)HIT SQUAD

SILT

SPINNER

THE STRANGER

TOUCH THE EARTH

WALKER

Tickets for the 2022 Dallas International Film Festival are available along with sponsorship information at dallasfilm.org. Festival sponsors as of Sept. 26 include: (LEADERSHIP Sponsors) Capital One, Mercury One; (PROGRAMMING Sponsor) EarthX Film; (SCREENING Sponsors) Fort Worth Film Commission, Presbyterian Village North; (SUPPORTING Sponsors) BakerHostetler, Visit Dallas; and (SPONSORS) Consulate General of Canada in Dallas, SAG-AFTRA. Dallas Film SUSTAINING Sponsors include ABCO, Alamo Drafthouse Cinema Cedars, Commerce House, Four Corners Brewing Company, and The Preston of the Park Cities.


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Dallas Film  / Film
DIFF 2022 Announces the First 16 Films Its 16th Anniversary | October 14-20th
Dallas International Film Festival Posted On September 16, 2022


Dallas Film has announced the first 16 films for the 16th Dallas International Film Festival (DIFF), Oct. 14 through 20 at Alamo Drafthouse Cinema Cedars and various other Dallas landmarks. Special screenings and events will also be held at the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center, Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, Texas Theatre, the South Dallas Cultural Center, and 4DWN Skate Park.

“This is a proper return to our full festival with more than 80 films from every genre for North Texas moviegoers,” said Scott Eustace, Chairman of the Board of Dallas Film. “As he has since the inception of DIFF, our amazing artistic director James Faust has curated a powerful line-up of films and screenings that not only celebrate the artform and artists, but also the Metroplex and Texas.”

James Faust, Artistic Director for the Dallas International Film Festival, added, “Our local film audiences have a passion for the diverse art that filmmakers produce, which is why we ensure our programming includes a spectrum that can appeal to the most discerning cinephile to the casual weekend viewer. We hope to help viewers of any type discover some new treasures debuting here, in Dallas.”

The first 16 special screenings and premieres at this year’s festival in alphabetical order include:

A CASE FOR KINDNESS (Documentary), for which director, Steven Sawalich, who had the first film in AFI Dallas 2007, will return to DIFF. This film strives to understand the true nature of kindness. Carefully threading the themes of bullying, hate, mental health, racial injustice, food insecurity, and climate change, it builds the case to inspire us to understand the need for and benefits of adopting kindness. It features Ben Affleck, Garth Brooks, Trisha Yearwood, and Norman Lear.

ACIDMAN (Drama/Sci-Fi) stars Dianna Agron as Maggie and Thomas Haden Church as her reclusive father. After a decade apart, the two awkwardly try to get to know one another against the backdrop of his obsession with UFOs and communicating with extraterrestrial beings.

ALL MAN: THE INTERNATIONAL MALE STORY (Documentary) is a nostalgic and colorful peek behind the pages and personalities of International Male, one of the most ubiquitous and sought-after mail-order catalogs of the 80s and 90s.

ARMAGEDDON TIME (Drama) from acclaimed filmmaker James Gray is a deeply personal tale on the strength of family, the complexity of friendship, and the generational pursuit of the American Dream. The film features an all-star cast, including Anthony Hopkins, Anne Hathaway, and Jeremy Strong.

CALL JANE (Drama/Comedy) stars Elizabeth Banks and Sigourney Weaver in this story of a married woman with an unwanted pregnancy who lives at a time in America when she cannot get a legal abortion, and then works with a group of suburban women to find help.

FENOM (Documentary) follows rising star and school senior Flau’Jae Johnson, a Georgia native who has become one of the nation’s top basketball recruits and is also a rapper under Jay Z’s label, living out her late father’s dream. FENOM follows her journey through her senior year fulfilling both of her destinies, and was executive produced by WNBA legend Sue Bird in association with TOGETHXR.

GREENER PASTURES (Documentary) will have its world premiere with an urgent and intimate look at American farming, told through the stories of farmers living at the intersection of climate change, globalization, and a mental health crisis. Capturing the day-to-day lives of four small, multigenerational family farms over three years, it is a story of perseverance, patience, and determination that tackles the future of farming in America.

Executive produced by local legend herself, Erykah Badu, HARGROVE (Documentary) tells the up-close story of Jazz trumpet legend Roy Hargrove, deemed by his peers as a musical prophet. Following him on an award-winning tour from Los Angeles to Marseille in what would be the last year of his life, the film features interviews and live performances inclusive of musical icons Badu, Herbie Hancock, Mos Def, Robert Glasper, Wynton Marsalis, and Sonny Rollins. Hargrove attended Booker T. Washington High School, which will host the screening on his birthday, Oct. 16.

IMAGINING THE INDIAN (Documentary) highlights the fight against Native American mascoting, examining the use of Native American slurs, names, logos, images, and gestures that many Native

Americans and their allies find offensive. The film investigates caricatures like Chief Wahoo of the Cleveland Indians and gestures like the Atlanta Braves’ “tomahawk chop” with commentary from ESPN commentator Kevin Blackstone.

MVP (Drama) takes place on the streets of Hollywood where a recently retired NFL player is saved from scandal by a homeless veteran. With their “glory days” behind them, the two men bond in search of purpose and identity. Actor and director Nate Boyer will attend the special screening at the historic Texas Theatre.

In RETROGRADE (Documentary) from Academy Award-winning director Matthew Heineman, he tells the story of the last months of the 20-year war in Afghanistan through the intimate relationship between American Green Berets and the Afghan officers they trained.

ROLL WITH IT (Comedy) is the story of a small town Biscuit Barrel waitress forced to enter the Cheatham County Fair Karaoke Showdown as a last resort to save her house from foreclosure. Star of the film Chonda Pierce, the popular comedian known as “The Queen of Clean”, will attend the world premiere.

SKATE DREAMS (Documentary) follows the rise of women’s skateboarding, profiling a group of women whose pursuit of self-expression, equality, and freedom have created an international movement. Directed by Peabody Award-winning filmmaker Jessica Edwards, the story spans the trailblazing pioneers of the 1980s and the next generation of Olympic contenders. A special screening of the film will be hosted at the 4DWN Skatepark.

SONG FOR HOPE (Documentary) will debut at a special screening in collaboration with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra and CancerBows at the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center on Oct. 19 at 7:30 pm. Directed by Chris Haigh, the film portrays the incredible story of trumpet virtuoso Ryan Anthony after he was diagnosed with multiple myeloma at the age of 42 and given just months to live. For many, this would be a crushing blow, but for Ryan, it motivated him to start CancerBlows and show the world that music can save lives. Following the screening, there will be a Q&A moderated by Faust featuring the filmmakers and members of the Anthony family – Niki, Jackson, and Rowan.

THE SMELL OF MONEY (Documentary) asks what price we pay for the world’s pork. Directed by Dallas’ most successful film director, Shawn Bannon, and executive produced by Kate Mara and David Lowery, it offers a look at North Carolina residents who take on one of the world’s most powerful companies in a fight for their rights to clean air, pure water, and a life free from the stench of pig feces.

THE UNKNOWN COUNTRY (Drama) launches a grieving young woman on a solitary road trip through the American Midwest after an unexpected invitation. Tana, played by Lily Gladstone, struggles to reconcile the losses of her past with the dreams of her future on her journey, with a portion filmed in Dallas.

“As we celebrate 16 years of bringing film to our community at a profound level, we are honored to have a role in sharing the art of these powerful real and imagined stories,” said Beth Wilbins, the recently appointed Chief Executive Officer of Dallas Film. “We are grateful to the sponsors who are furthering our mission of celebrating films and their impact on society, recognizing the impact of filmmakers on enhancing both the creative community as well as the city of Dallas and beyond.”

Tickets for the 2022 Dallas International Film Festival go on sale Sept. 21, and are available along with sponsorship information at dallasfilm.org. Festival sponsors as of Sept. 14 include: (LEADERSHIP Sponsors) Capital One, Mercury One; (PROGRAMMING Sponsor) EarthX Film; (SCREENING Sponsors) Fort Worth Film Commission, Presbyterian Village North; (SUPPORTING Sponsors) Baker Hostetler, Visit Dallas; and (SPONSORS) Consulate General of Canada in Dallas, SAG-AFTRA. Dallas Film SUSTAINING Sponsors include ABCO, Commerce House, Four Corners Brewing Company, and The Preston of the Park Cities.

Instagram – @WeAreDallasFilm

Facebook – @WeAreDallasFilm


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The Dallas International Film Festival Introduces Spring Preview Weekend April 29 to May 1
Dallas International Film Festival Posted On April 21, 2022


Dallas Film has announced dates for its first Dallas International Film Festival (DIFF) Spring Preview Weekend, April 29 to May 1, featuring both film premieres and film festival favorites at Alamo Drafthouse Cinema – Cedars. The DIFF Spring Preview sets the stage for the full Dallas International Film Festival this fall, giving fans a first feel for programming at the broader festival.

“We’re excited to give movie lovers a reason to get out to the theater, especially with how we’ve all changed our viewing habits over the last three years,” said Scott Eustace, Chairman of the Dallas Film Board of Directors. “This is a precursor to our full celebration of film this fall when we’ll get to share art North Texans might not otherwise be exposed to, and to do so with illuminating context and participation from the filmmakers themselves. It’s the popcorn, it’s the people, and it’s the perfect complement – great programming.”

The Spring Preview Opening Night Film will be Apple Original Films’ CHA CHA REAL SMOOTH (Dramatic Comedy), written and directed by Dallas native Cooper Raiff, on April 29 at 7:30 p.m. The audience winner at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival, it was produced by and stars Dakota Johnson alongside Raiff, Leslie Mann, and Brad Garrett. It tells the story of a young man fresh out of college who begins working as a party starter on the local bar/bat mitzvah circuit, where he strikes up a unique friendship with a young mother and her teenage daughter. Raiff’s first film was scheduled to debut at DIFF 2020. Other films that will be featured for the DIFF Spring Preview include:

HAPPENING (Drama), an IFC film that won the grand jury prize at the 2021 Venice Film Festival and releases in early May. An adaptation of Annie Ernaux’s eponymous novel directed by Audrey Diwan, it looks back on her experience with abortion when it was still illegal in France in the 1960s.

JAZZ FEST: A NEW ORLEANS STORY (Documentary), a Sony Pictures Classics release directed by Frank Marshall and Ryan Suffern, was a hit at SXSW. The film captures the signature annual music and cultural event called America’s greatest festival in all of its beauty and glory, delving into the deep and rich culture of The Big Easy with Jimmy Buffett, Gary Clark Jr., Al Green, Tom Jones, Katy Perry, Pitbull, Aaron Neville, and Bruce Springsteen, among others.

CORSICANA (Western), a Texas shot and produced film directed by Isaiah Washington and set in Corsicana, an hour south of Dallas in Navarro County. The film tells the story of Deputy United States Marshal Bass Reeves reuniting with a former partner turned fugitive, and an ex-Union sharpshooter. The trio are in a race against time as they track a vicious outlaw gang of killers to the oil-rich Texas town. It stars Washington alongside Noel Gugliemi, Stacey Dash, Kevin Gage, and Major Dodge Lew Temple.

BAD AXE (Documentary), an IFC film directed by David Siev, is a real-time portrait of 2020 as it unfolded for an Asian-American family in Trump’s rural America. It shows the family’s fight to keep their restaurant and American dream alive in the face of a pandemic, Neo-Nazis, and generational scars from the Killing Fields.

“The Spring Preview films run the gamut of genres from independent filmmakers, some of them Dallas’ own,” added James Faust, Artistic Director of the Dallas International Film Festival. “The artistic process involved in creating a compelling film event is rewarding as we go beyond the box office to understand and explore the artistic process poured into each film. It’s going to be a moving movie weekend.”

Tickets for individual film screenings for the 2022 DIFF Spring Preview Weekend are available at dallasfilm.org/spring-preview or the box office at Alamo Drafthouse Cinema – Cedars. Additionally, film fans can purchase early bird DIFF Star Passes at a special price during the Spring Preview. Information about sponsoring or submitting films for the Dallas International Film Festival this fall is also available at dallasfilm.org.

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About Dallas Film
Dallas Film (www.dallasfilm.org), established as Dallas Film Society in 2006, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that exists to celebrate the past, present and future of film in our community. The organization provides leadership in screen education and the recognition and celebration of excellence in the art of film, television, and digital media. Through a variety of screenings, educational programs, and festivals, Dallas Film raises awareness of the world’s most approachable and inclusive art form.


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Dallas Film  / Film
Dallas Film Sponsors Screening of Everything Everywhere All at Once
Dallas International Film Festival Posted On April 4, 2022


April 6th 7:30pm
Alamo Drafthouse – Lake Highlands
6770 Abrams Rd, Dallas, TX 75231

This free screening, sponsored by Dallas Film, requires an RSVP

Directed by: Daniel Kwan & Daniel Scheinert

Written by: Daniel Kwan & Daniel Scheinert

Producers: Joe Russo, Anthony Russo, Mike Larocca, Daniel Kwan, Daniel Scheinert, and Jonathan Wang

Starring: Michelle Yeoh, Stephanie Hsu, Ke Huy Quan, Jenny Slate, Harry Shum Jr., with James Hong and Jamie Lee Curtis

Synopsis: Directed by Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, collectively known as Daniels, the film is a hilarious and big-hearted sci-fi action adventure about an exhausted Chinese American woman (Michelle Yeoh) who can’t seem to finish her taxes.

Run Time: 139 minutes

Rated R
RSVP Here


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Best of Fests is Back | Free | Register
Dallas International Film Festival Posted On March 21, 2022


SHORT FILM SCREENINGS FROM OAK CLIFF FILM FESTIVAL, EARTHX FILM FESTIVAL, AND DALLAS INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL.

ATTENDANCE IS FREE – WE’RE JUST EXCITED TO SEE YOUR FACES

BUT YOU CAN STILL REGISTER HERE TO JOIN OUR GUEST LIST FOR THE EVENING. WE CAN’T WAIT TO BRING YOU, THE BEST OF FESTS!


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Dallas Film  / Film
Dallas Film Invites You to Speciall Screening of No Man’s Land
Dallas International Film Festival Posted On December 6, 2021


We are excited to invite you to a very special screening of NO MAN’s LAND on 12/9 at the Alamo Drafthouse Cedars. Talent will be present for a Q&A following the screening.

In attendance for post film Q&A:

Connor Allyn-Director/Producer

Jake Allyn-Lead Actor/writer/Producer

Rob Allyn-Producer

SYNOPSIS:

A modern Western inspired by the real-life “no man’s land” areas along the Texas-Mexico border. While out on a father-son border patrol, Jackson accidentally kills a Mexican immigrant boy. When Jackson’s father tries taking the blame, Jackson flees south on horseback, becoming a gringo “illegal alien” in Mexico. Chased by Texas Rangers and Mexican federales, Jackson journeys across Mexico to seek forgiveness from the dead boy’s father only to fall in love with the land he was taught to hate.

You can purchase tickets at the button below.

TICKETS

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Film
Dallas Screenplay Competition Announces Winners | (S)hit Squad Will Premier at DIFF 2022
Dallas International Film Festival Posted On November 22, 2021


Dallas Screenwriting Competition, presented by Torfoot Films and Event Horizon Films, revealed today that (S)hit Squad by Harry Hunsicker has been selected as the winning short script to be produced and premiered at the 2022 Dallas International Film Festival.

Hunsicker is a creative writing teacher, the author of eight crime thrillers and creator of numerous short stories. His crime comedy, (S)hit Squad, will be produced by Torfoot Films’ Carrie Sternberg, Event Horizon Films’ Jodi Frizzell and IdeaMan Studios with legal partners, Litwin Law Group, PLLC, and The Law Office of LaToya L. Blakely. Award-winning filmmaker Johnathan Brownlee will produce, direct and develop the short film.

“Our team is dedicated to helping writers get their works developed and produced,” said Johnathan Brownlee, CEO & President of Torfoot Films.  “It’s great to write these short and feature scripts, but you must get them made and seen by an audience and that is our ultimate goal.”

Dallas Screenwriting Competition is dedicated to helping emerging writers break into the industry. Alongside Hunsicker’s (S)hit Squad, the competition also recognized the award-winning work of K. Jennifer Llagan for the feature script, BFF’s Never Die; Haley Dercher for the TV pilot, The Ties that Bind; and Kristy Budding for the short script, Happy Ending Retirement Home.

The competition also honored several top-quality finalists, including: 

 

Feature Scripts

Van 59 by Brian Trotter

Scuppernongs by Lynne Ashe

Don’t You Know who I am? by Izzy Mariano 

The Gates by John Burr

 

TV Pilots

Half-Assed by Tracie Laymon

Betsy and the Emperor by Staton Rabin

Invincible by Andreas Nelander

A Family by Cid Weinberg

 

Shorts

Identification by Larry Collins 

The Last Prophet by Christopher Celestin

Green Love by Penny Jackson

Milo & Milly by Douglas Spaltro 

Each script that entered the competition was vetted by readers from the industry’s top talent agencies and management companies based on strength of characterization, dialogue, theme, concept and marketability. The winning scripts were selected by three time Oscar-winner Jana Memel; Billy Kelly, veteran screenwriter of Disney’s Enchanted; Disney Channel-writer Jonathan Hurwitz; and award-winning director Johnathan Brownlee. 

The winning screenwriters receive a writer’s enrichment cruise, professional feedback, access to industry networking platforms and festival passes. For more information on the Dallas Screenplay Competition, visit eventhorizonfilms.com. Information can also be found on: Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

About Torfoot Films

Torfoot Films is an award-winning film, television and digital content production company founded in 2010 with offices in Toronto, Canada and Dallas, Texas. Veteran filmmaker Johnathan Brownlee serves as President and CEO. Brownlee is a Canadian/American director, producer, writer and actor, known for THREE DAYS IN AUGUST, THE STANDOFF AT SPARROW CREEK, DECODING ANNIE PARKER and JOHNATHAN BROWNLEE’S ATHOME. A highly respected producer who has worked with Academy Award, Golden Globe and Emmy award-winning talent. Torfoot’s work has been viewed in more than 100 countries in multiple languages and was honored in 2021 with 14 Telly Awards. Torfoot has a variety of content in development, including the feature films; MONTSERRAT, EYES OF JEFFERSON, BREW MASTER, GOOD ENOUGH and Hallmark Channel’s AN ISLAND LIGHT.  For information, visit torfoot.com. 

About Event Horizon Films

Event Horizon Films is an online network of experienced film professionals established to help screenwriters improve stories, increase exposure and understand the business of Hollywood. From screenplay competitions to analysis services to professional consultations, Event Horizon Films is committed to encouraging writers to keep writing. For more information, visit eventhorizonfilms.com.

 


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Dallas Film  / Film
Dallas International Film Festival is Back This Weekend! | Get Tickets Now!
Dallas International Film Festival Posted On October 4, 2021


 

Known for being one of the most filmmaker-friendly film festivals in the world, the Dallas International Film Festival is back in-person for the first time since 2019. The three-day festival will take place October 8 – 10 at Alamo Drafthouse Cinema Cedars (1005 Botham Jean Blvd., Dallas, TX 75215).

“This version of the festival will be a little different,” said James Faust, DIFF Artistic Director, “but DIFF 2021 is still focused on sharing great stories, creating conversations, and building community through empathy that can only be delivered by the theatrical experience. Although DIFF 2021 is shorter than in the past, the selected films make this one of DIFF’s strongest in history.”

“It’s been a tough year-and-a-half for arts organizations across the globe, and DIFF is no exception,” said Scott Eustace, Chairman of the Board for Dallas Film. “We were disappointed to cancel the 2020 festival and are excited to be screening some amazing films this year, many of which are by Texas filmmakers. We are implementing a process in an effort to keep everyone safe and healthy and are looking forward to next April when we will resume a full week of programming and events.”

Opening Night Headliner

Wes Anderson’s THE FRENCH DISPATCH (Searchlight Pictures) with an all-star cast including Timothée Chalamet, Owen Wilson, Léa Seydoux, Adrien Brody, Toheeb Jimoh, Willem Dafoe, Elisabeth Moss, Tilda Swinton, Edward Norton, Jeffrey Wright, Christoph Waltz, Benicio Del Toro, Bill Murray, Frances McDormand and more.

Saturday Night Headliners

PUPPY LOVE – Michael Maxxis (Director) and stars Hopper Penn and Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone are scheduled to attend for the film’s first in-person screening. PUPPY LOVE is a wild film about a brain-damaged dishwasher and homeless prostitute brought together through obscene circumstances.

BELFAST (Focus Features) – TIFF People’s Choice Winner, directed by Kenneth Branagh and starring Caitriona Balfe, Jamie Dornan, Ciarán Hinds and Judi Dench.

Curation of this year’s program from more than 1,500 submissions was once again led by Faust and his team, who focused on films with Dallas ties and stories that lean into social justice and empowerment narratives. Many of the filmmakers are scheduled to attend.

SING A BIT OF HARMONY (FUNimation) will close the 2021 festival with its U.S. Premiere on Sunday, October 10.

 

MARK, MARY & SOME OTHER PEOPLE – Producers Kelly Williams and Jonathan Duffy are scheduled to attend for this comedy about newlyweds who reluctantly decide to give ethical non-monogamy a try as their lives get increasingly complicated.

NO FUTURE – Produced by Kelly Williams and Jonathan Duffy (scheduled to attend, along with producer Lisa Normand), filmed in Fort Worth and starring Rosa Salazar and Catherine Keener. Andrew Irvine and Mark Smoot write and direct this drama about a recovering addict who returns home and starts a secret and volatile affair with his friend’s grieving mother.

THE BLAZING WORLD – Carlson Young (Writer and Director) stars alongside Vinessa Shaw and Dermot Mulroney in this fantasy/comedy. Carlson Young and composer Isom Innis (Foster the People) are scheduled to attend.

KUFI KREW – A documentary about founding the first Muslim fraternity in the U.S. filmed in Dallas and at UTD. Directors Wheeler Sparks and Dylan Hollingsworth are scheduled to attend.

CAGED BIRDS – Filmed in Dallas by SMU Film School graduate Fredrick Leach (scheduled to attend). Jordan Lucas is an affluent high school student counting down the days until he can escape and attend the college of his dreams, Princeton. Jordan’s cousin, EJ, is humiliated by a white bully. Jordan, EJ and Kevonte plot revenge by pulling a robbery prank on the bully, when the prank goes bad.

CAT DADDIES – A heartwarming, family documentary by Mye Hoang, an SMU graduate, who is scheduled to attend.

HIVE – Winner of Sundance Audience and Directing Award and Grand Jury Prize for World Cinema – A beautiful film about Fahrije, whose husband has been missing since the war in Kosovo and who must find a way to support her family against a society that does not support her.

THE FIRST STEP – Van Jones attempts to pass a landmark criminal justice bill.

JOCKEY – An aging jockey aims for a final championship, when a rookie rider arrives claiming to be his son.

The full DIFF 2021 program can be found at dallasfilm.org.

 The red carpet will be held daily at Alamo Drafthouse Cinema – Cedars. Times and talent will be released shortly.

To purchase passes and tickets, please visit www.dallasfilm.org. Passholders can reserve tickets starting Friday, September 24, at 9am CST with general public tickets launching the following Monday, September 27, at 9am CST.

The DIFF 2021 high school film selections will be chosen and presented at a future DIFF event to accommodate multiple public and private school event attendance policies. Details will be posted on dallasfilm.org when available.

“Dallas Film is excited to welcome audiences back to the movie theatre,” Faust added. “We are following local and CDC public health recommendations and guidelines. Guests will be asked to wear a mask upon arrival at the venue and while watching movies unless enjoying food and beverages. Dallas Film staff and volunteers and Alamo Drafthouse Cinema employees will wear masks at all times.

“I spent months away from movie theatres, but never lost my passion for watching great films. I’ve anticipated this moment for more than 18 months. It’s an honor to develop a program for an in-person film festival in Dallas.”

About Dallas Film

Dallas Film (www.dallasfilm.org), established as Dallas Film Society in 2006, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that exists to celebrate the past, present and future of film in our community. The organization provides leadership in screen education and the recognition and celebration of excellence in the art of film, television, and digital media. Through a variety of screenings, educational programs, and festivals, Dallas Film raises awareness of the world’s most approachable and inclusive art form.

INSTAGRAM – @WeAreDallasFilm

FACEBOOK – @WeAreDallasFilm


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Dallas Film  / Film
Dallas Screenplay Competition Announces Award-Winning Judges Lineup | Enter Your Screenplay
Dallas International Film Festival Posted On August 5, 2021


Clockwise: Jonathan Hurwitz, Jana Memel, Johnathan Brownlee, Bill Kelley, Aaron Thomas

The Dallas Screenplay Competition, presented by Torfoot Films and Event Horizon Films, revealed today the award-winning filmmakers who will select the top writers to be recognized during the Dallas International Film Festival.

Three time Oscar-winner Jana Memel, Aaron Rahsaan Thomas, who most recently worked as showrunner for S.W.A.T. on CBS, Billy Kelly, screenwriter of Disney’s Enchanted, Disney Channel-writer Jonathan Hurwitz and award-winning director Johnathan Brownlee with Torfoot Films, will judge each submitted screenplay, teleplay and short script that advances to the finals to determine which writers are among this year’s hottest emerging talent.

Johnathan Brownlee is an award-winning director, producer, writer and actor, best known for Three Days In August, The Standoff at Sparrow Creek, Decoding Annie Parker, and Johnathan Brownlee’s AtHome. He is a highly respected producer who has worked in more than 20 countries with Academy Award-winning, Golden Globe-winning and Emmy-winning talent. Brownlee’s feature films, documentaries, television programs and digital content collectively have been viewed in more than 100 countries in 14 languages and honored with 14 Telly Awards. After more than two decades overseeing directors and writers, along with every other aspect of film and television production, Brownlee founded Torfoot Films to personally direct and write films. He is signed on to direct/write several upcoming feature-length films, including Montserrat, Eyes of Jefferson, Brew Master, Good Enough, and Hallmark’s An Island Light. Brownlee recently served as chief executive officer and president of the nonprofit Dallas Film, where he produced the internationally recognized Dallas International Film Festival and was responsible for creating the Veterans Institute for Film & Media (VIFM), a training program for military veterans. Brownlee earned a Master of Fine Arts at Brandeis University. He received his bachelor’s from Hofstra University and studied film at New York University.

Jonathan Hurwitz is an Emmy and WGA Award-nominated writer based in Los Angeles. He most recently wrote Disney Channel’s first short-form series, Shook, which was nominated for a 2020 Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Young Adult Program. Previously, he was a staff writer on Lizzie McGuire for Disney+ and for Marvel on Spidey & His Amazing Friends. Before that, Hurwitz was a writer’s assistant/freelance writer on all three seasons of Andi Mack on the Disney Channel. His Season 2 episode was nominated for a 2019 WGA Award, and his Season 3 episode featured a main character coming out as gay, a first in Disney Channel history.

Bill Kelly is a veteran screenwriter with more than two decades experience from Chicago. His Disney film, Enchanted, starring Amy Adams, was nominated for a Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation – Long Form in 2008. Prior to that, he wrote Premonition starring Sandra Bullock, and Blast From The Past, starring Brendan Fraser. He started his career working as an assistant for various studios where he read tons of film scripts and began writing his first feature.

Jana Memel is a multiple Oscar winning producer, writer and director, best known for the shorts, Ray’s Male Heterosexual Dance Hall and Lieberman in Love, as well as the feature, So I married an Axe Murder. She has 30 years of experience shepherding more than 90 features, cable movies, shorts, documentaries and other videos. Films she produced have won the Writers Guild and Director Guild Awards, several Emmys, three Oscars and 8 other Academy Award nominations. She has written or co-written features for numerous studios, production companies and cable networks. Currently, Memel is Executive Director of the Schools of Entertainment at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, and the founder of The HollywoodWay in Los Angeles. Earlier in her career, she was a literary agent working at the Gersh Agency, and at ICM. Memel graduated from the University of Southern California Gould School of Law in Los Angeles. She earned a bachelor’s of sociology and history from Pitzer College in Claremont, Calif.

Aaron Rahsaan Thomas is a producer, director and award-winning television and film screenwriter from Kansas City, Kan. Most recently, he was the co-creator and executive producer on the CBS procedural series reboot of S.W.A.T. Before that, he served as a co-executive producer on TNT’s SouthLand, FOX’s Sleepy Hollow and Netflix’s The Get Down. Thomas has also written two produced screenplays: Cover, directed by Bill Duke, and Assassination Games, starring Jean Claude Van Damme. He made his professional debut as a director in 2015 on an ESPN 30 for 30 film, Trojan War, about a university football team. Additional staff writer credits include, Numb3rs and CSI:NY on CBS, as well as NBC’s Friday Night Lights, for which he received a Peabody Award and several WGA-Award nominations. Thomas began his professional career as a writer’s assistant on Soul Food: The Series after he was selected for the prestigious CBS Writers Mentoring Program. He received his master’s from University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts and his bachelor’s from University of Kansas.

The annual screenplay competition, managed by Event Horizon Films, is dedicated to helping emerging writers break into the industry. Like its other competitions, each script is judged by readers from the industry’s top talent agencies and management companies, giving screenwriters the added value of high-profile industry experts reviewing and critiquing their work.

The Dallas Screenplay Competition is accepting screenplay entries HERE, now through midnight on Aug. 27, 2021. Winning screenwriters receive a writer’s enrichment cruise, professional feedback, access to industry networking platforms and festival passes; while the winner of the “Script to Screen” category will see their fully-funded short film script come to life on the big screen at Dallas International Film Festival.

For more information on the Dallas Screenplay Competition, visit eventhorizonfilms.com. Information can also be found on: Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

About Torfoot Films

Torfoot Films is an award-winning film, television and digital content production company founded in 2010 with offices in Toronto, Canada and Dallas, Texas. Veteran filmmaker Johnathan Brownlee serves as President and CEO. Brownlee is Canadian/American director, producer, writer and actor, known for THREE DAYS IN AUGUST, THE STANDOFF AT SPARROW CREEK, DECODING ANNIE PARKER and JOHNATHAN BROWNLEE’S ATHOME. A highly respected producer who has worked with Academy Award, Golden Globe and Emmy award-winning talent. Torfoot’s work has been viewed in more than 100 countries in multiple languages and was honored in 2021 with 14 Telly Awards. Torfoot has a variety of content in development, including the feature films; MONTSERRAT, EYES OF JEFFERSON, BREW MASTER, GOOD ENOUGH and Hallmark Channel’s AN ISLAND LIGHT.  For information, visit torfoot.com. 

About Event Horizon Films

Event Horizon Films is an online network of experienced film professionals established to help screenwriters improve stories, increase exposure and understand the business of Hollywood. From screenplay competitions to analysis services to professional consultations, Event Horizon Films is committed to encouraging writers to keep writing. For more information, visit eventhorizonfilms.com.


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