DIFF | Dallas International Film Festival

NEWSREEL | December 2023

From the DIFF 2023 Sizzle Reel + our new Podcast

to our Monthly Mixer + Inside Film High School Program + More . . .

Welcome to December with DIFF!

DIFF DECEMBER MIXER

Four Corners Brewing Co.

5:30 - 7:30 pm | Wednesday, December 6, 2023

Join us for the second DIFF Monthly Mixer at the home of our longtime beer sponsor, Four Corners Brewing Company. No program, no agenda -- just a time to mingle with fellow film enthusiasts and the DIFF community for networking and fun!


DIFF Monthly Mixers are BYOB (Buy-Your-Own-Beverage)

Registered guests are entered for giveaways

from DIFF sponsors and friends.

MIXER RSVP

DIFF INSIDE FILM with

ACTORS JULIO CESAR CEDILLO + GIOVANNIE CRUZ

Education Series for High School Students

Tuesday, December 12, 2023 | 7 pm

Join us at 7:00 pm on Tuesday, December 12, 2023, for DIFF INSIDE FILM with Actors Julio César Cedillo and Giovannie Cruz, part of the DIFF educational screening and talk series for high school students.


Moderated by Dallas International Film Festival Artistic Director James Faust, the program includes reels of work by Cedillo and Cruz, followed by a Q&A with students.


Admission is complimentary for students, parents and instructors. Reservations are required.


JULIO CESAR CEDILLO is a Mexican actor, best known for the title role in the 2005 film, The "Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada". Raised between Texas and Mexico, Julio has been an actor for the past 34 years. He prides himself on bringing authentic nuances to his work based on real life cultural experiences. His intense commitment and hard work is showcased in over 70 television and film productions, including "Cowboys & Aliens", "Sicario", "Narcos: Mexico", "Chocolate Lizards", "The Black Demon", and "A Million Miles Away".


GIOVANNIE CRUZ is an actress and filmmaker with 10+ years of experience, who has a passion for working with artful and authentic individuals on film and television projects, including “The Suicide Squad” for Warner Brothers Films, and Marvel's "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.3". She has appeared in national TV commercials and on popular series like “Queen of the South”, “NCIS: New Orleans” and OWN’s “Queen Sugar”. It is Gio's life’s ambition to work on and execute female, BIPOC, and LGBTQ+ led stories for mainstream audiences.


Special thanks to MERCURY ONE, OM FILMS/THE NIRAJ BHATIA FOUNDATION and VIOLET CROWN CINEMA DALLAS, sponsors of tonight's presentation of DIFF INSIDE FILM.

STUDENT + TEACHER RSVP

MOVIES AT THE MEADOWS

Spain and the Oscars: "ALL ABOUT MY MOTHER"

7 pm | Thursday, December 14, 2023

This fall, as the Meadows Museum celebrates American enthusiasm for Spain in the exhibition Spanish Light: Sorolla in American Collections, DIFF is proud to collaborate on a selection of Spanish films that were considered for an Academy Award.


One of Pedro Almodóvar’s most beloved films, "All About My Mother" is a moving exploration of the meaning of motherhood. In an instant, nurse Manuela loses the teenage son she raised on her own. Grief-stricken, she sets out to search for the boy’s long-lost father in Barcelona, where she takes on a new maternal role as the head of a surrogate family of people on the fringes of society. "All About My Mother" is a tribute to female fortitude, a one-of-a-kind family portrait, and a work of boundless compassion. The film was Spain’s official entry for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar for 1999, which it won.


Spanish with English subtitles | 104 minutes

Rated R for sexuality, including strong sexual dialogue, language, and some drug content

Tickets | Free - $5

BUY TICKETS

DIFF "TALKING PICTURES" PODCAST

If you love movies as much as we do—and we know you do—tune in every month to the new DIFF TALKING PICTURES podcast as host James Faust, Artistic Director of the Dallas International Film Festival, takes deep dives into movies with the people making them. And the people watching them. It’s your chance to get unique perspectives and insights into the world of films.

Episode 4: THE SHER THING

Award-winning cinematographer Hutch sits in for regular host James Faust for a conversation with Lawrence Sher during the 2023 Dallas International Film Festival. If you don’t know his name, you surely know his work. From "Garden State" to the three "Hangover" movies to "Joker", Sher’s distinctive eye and instinct make him one of the top cinematographers out there.

Episode 3: DEEP IN THE ART OF ANIMATION

James talks with award-winning filmmakers Brandon Oldenburg and Limbert Fabian on everything from how they met in art school in Sarasota, Fla. to the lunacy of starting an animation studio in Texas to sharing a kindred spirit with Robert Rodriguez—who gave them their first big film break with "Spy Kids 2".

Episode 2: FROM SOAP TO NUTS.

Writer-Director-Producer Chris Dowling

James sits down with writer-director-producer Chris Dowling in front of a live audience following a screening of Dowling’s "Where Hope Grows". The conversation kicks off with Chris’ start in the business – including a stint acting on soaps. And veers into how he balances his filmmaking career with family life and what it’s like making a deal with Netflix.

Episode 1: TALKING PICTURES WITH PIXAR'S MIKE JONES

James talks pictures with Mike Jones, award-winning screenwriter and Senior Story and Creative Artist at Pixar Animation. His writing credits include the animated features "Soul" and "Luca". James digs deep on Mike’s life, his writing process and what it’s like working for Pixar. He also probes Mike on what’s next from Pixar.

SPOTIFY
APPLE PODCASTS

The Dallas International Film Festival is coming April 26 - May 2, 2024! Take a look at what film buffs and filmmakers had to say in the DIFF 2023 Sizzle Reel, and get ready to join us for the action in 2024.

BUY A PASS
BE A SPONSOR

DIFF 2024 FILM + SCREENPLAY SUBMISSIONS ARE OPEN

Regular Deadline is January 29, 2024

Filmmakers and Screenwriters! Submit your film or screenplay today to be a part of the Dallas International Film Festival in 2024.

We extend SPECIAL THANKS to our 2023 SPONSORS

and invite you to join them in 2024!

DIFF is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization established in 2006 as Dallas Film Society, Inc. DIFF hosts year-round programs including an educational screening and talk series for area high school students with industry professionals; free advance screenings of new films for subscribers, volunteers, sponsors and supporters; film series in collaboration with community partners; and other unique events ranging from film premieres to classic film anniversary celebrations. The signature program of DIFF is the Dallas International Film Festival, held annually in the spring.

Facebook  Instagram