2008 AFI DALLAS INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
DALLAS, TX, March 5, 2008 – AFI DALLAS International Film Festival Presented by Target, Founding Sponsor Victory Park announces Helen Hunt’s directorial debut, THEN SHE FOUND ME, as the festival’s Opening Night Gala presentation and Stuart Townsend’s BATTLE IN SEATTLE as its Closing Night Gala presentation.
The eleven-day festival (March 27 – April 6), will feature 210 feature films and shorts with 290 screenings. Once again, the Target Ten Narrative and Target Ten Documentary Competition winners will receive two unrestricted cash prizes of $25,000.
This year, the AFI DALLAS Star Award, which is presented annually by the AFI DALLAS International Film Festival to a select group of film artists in recognition of their unique contributions to cinema, will be given to Helen Hunt, Jack Lemmon, Mickey Rooney, Todd Wagner and Charlize Theron.
Mickey Rooney will be on hand at a special presentation of the 70th anniversary of his classic, BOYS TOWN. Jack Lemmon’s AFI DALLAS Star Award will be presented to his widow, actress Felicia Farr on behalf of her late husband’s remarkable body of work, prior to a screening of SOME LIKE IT HOT. Todd Wagner will also be in attendance at the Festival, as his peers and special guests pay tribute to his achievements in film. After an afternoon screening of AKEELAH AND THE BEE, Wagner will be presented with the AFI DALLAS Star Award followed by a preview of 2929 Entertainment’s latest films and a special presentation of Barry Levinson’s WHAT JUST HAPPENED?. Director Chris Wedge will be the recipient of the Tex Avery Animation Award, which honors lifetime achievement in animation filmmaking. The award will be presented to Wedge prior to a special presentation of his film ICE AGE.
AFI DALLAS Artistic Director and CEO Michael Cain, said, “This group of honorees represent the best in film – from the award winning and critically acclaimed performances of Helen Hunt and Charlize Theron to film giants like Mickey Rooney and Jack Lemmon and creative and industry visionaries like Chris Wedge and Todd Wagner. It’s especially gratifying to honor Todd Wagner, who beyond his work with his own company and philanthropic efforts, has been such a cherished friend of this festival and one of the keys to highlighting Dallas as a major film city.”
THEN SHE FOUND ME will screen as the AFI DALLAS Black Tie Opening Night Gala presentation on Thursday, March 27, 2008 at The Majestic Theatre in Dallas. The writing and directorial debut by Helen Hunt stars Hunt, Colin Firth, Bette Midler and Matthew Broderick. Adapted from Elinor Lipman's novel of the same name, the film is a touching story of a school teacher and her very unlikely path towards personal fulfillment following the separation from her husband immediately followed by the death of her adopted mother. The evening’s festivities will also include the first presentations of the Festival’s AFI DALLAS Star Awards (the award is designed from Steuben Crystal, courtesy of Neiman Marcus) to Helen Hunt and Mickey Rooney.
BATTLE IN SEATTLE will screen as the AFI DALLAS Closing Night Gala presentation on Saturday, April 5 at the AMC NorthPark 15 in Dallas. Starring Charlize Theron, Woody Harrelson, Ray Liotta, Andre Benjamin and Michelle Rodriguez, the film features actor Stuart Townsend’s directorial debut with an in depth look at the five days that rocked the world in 1999 as tens of thousands of demonstrators took to the streets in protest of the World Trade Organization. Townsend, Theron and Harrelson will be in attendance for the Gala screening with Theron receiving her AFI DALLAS Star Award as part of the evening’s events.
In addition to the Opening and Closing Night Galas, AFI DALLAS will feature two Centerpiece Screenings including SNOW ANGELS and WHAT JUST HAPPENED?. Featuring highly anticipated films and attended by top filmmakers and stars, these screenings are held in the festival’s largest houses and will be the highlight of that evening’s red carpet event.
SNOW ANGELS will screen on Tuesday, April 1 at AMC NorthPark 15. Starring Kate Beckinsale, Sam Rockwell, Amy Sedaris, Michael Angarano, director David Gordon Green explores the space between youth and adulthood, offering a glimpse into the lives of his characters at that key moment in which they recognize what growing up might mean. Attending the screening will be Green and Rockwell.
WHAT JUST HAPPENED? will screen on Thursday, April 3 at the Landmark Inwood Theater. Starring an exceptional cast including Robert DeNiro, Bruce Willis, Sean Penn, Catherine Keener, Stanley Tucci, John Turturro, the film adaptation of Art Linson's account of his day-to-day existence as a studio producer resonates with truth, insight, and the absurdity that often fills our lives. Scheduled to attend the screening are DeNiro, Levinson, Linson and Todd Wagner (producer).
Following an auspicious debut in 2007 that saw AFI DALLAS entertain over 30,000 people with 194 films representing 22 countries, Festival founder Liener Temerlin and Cain have announced a program and slate of events that, in one year, has grown significantly in size and scope, as the festival projects an attendance of 40,000 to 45,000.
In its second year, AFI DALLAS has increased its international reach by a third with 34 countries represented. In addition, the programming team has placed more emphasis on pursuing and sharing exceptional works from festivals such as Cannes, Toronto, Sundance and Berlin with Dallas audiences. This is highlighted by the new AFI Fest/Silverdocs Showcase, which features the winners from the most recent AFI FEST presented by Audi and Silverdocs presented by AFI and Discovery film festivals. Commenting on the 2008 lineup, Senior Programmer James Faust said, “This year’s films truly represent a diverse group of international and local filmmakers with films that cover a wide spectrum of world views and cinematic vision. It’s an exciting group of films that we’re thrilled to bring to Dallas audiences.”
Following the format introduced last year, the festival will feature screenings with red carpet entrances at theaters throughout the city, award presentations, filmmaker panels, parties, and other special events celebrating film, culminating in an awards ceremony held at W Dallas-Victory Park Hotel on Sunday, April 6. In addition to the Target Filmmaker Awards, filmmakers will vie for $20,000 in cash, goods and services from MPS Studios for the winner of the Texas Competition, a $10,000 prize from HD Net for the Best HD Feature, and a $10,000 prize from Current Energy for the winner of the new Environmental Visions Competition. Additional awards will be presented to the jury winners of the Animation, Student Film and Shorts categories, as well as audience awards for Narrative Feature, Documentary and Shorts.
Once again, Victory Park will serve as the festival epicenter by hosting the Dallas Morning News Box Office, the Target Festival Lounge, AFI DALLAS Press Center and additional events. Screenings and special events will emanate outwards in a hub and spoke style at Dallas venues such as the Landmark Magnolia Theatre, Angelika Film Center, Landmark Inwood Theater, Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center, Nasher Sculpture Center and neighboring schools like Southern Methodist University, Texas Christian University and University of North Texas, as well as the previously mentioned Majestic Theatre and AMC NorthPark 15. Following last year’s precedent-setting event, Victory Plaza will host film screenings on its high definition superscreens, as well as a myriad of events including a kick-off party in Victory Plaza on March 28 and a Family Celebration over the weekend of April 5 and 6.
Many of the festival’s noteworthy events take place away from the city’s cinema screens. “This is a festival in more than name,” Cain said. “It really makes a festive splash all over the city.” Among the several galas scheduled around the festival are the opening-night fête at Neiman Marcus downtown and another major event bringing the film and fashion communities together — the Fashion at the Park Gala on March 29. Fashion at the Park, a biannual runway extravaganza held in elaborate tents outside NorthPark Center, has made its closing event a benefit for AFI Dallas. The gala is sponsored by Neiman Marcus, Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek and NorthPark Center.
Temerlin also announced that the 2008 festival will be dedicated to Dallas philanthropist and AFI Dallas board member Nancy Hamon, who recently made a $1 million gift to the festival organization, while pointing out that AFI DALLAS will enjoy the benefit of an exhibit from the Harry Ransom Center at Dallas’ flagship Neiman Marcus store. Over 200 items, including film memorabilia, costumes, and correspondence will be displayed throughout the store, celebrating the history of film.
“We are delighted and honored to dedicate the 2008 festival to Nancy Hamon and to the memory of her late husband, Jake,” said AFI Dallas co-founder and chairman Liener Temerlin. “Her gift of one million dollars and the gifts from our Founding Circle have helped put this festival on an extraordinarily sound footing,” he said.
“Nancy’s generosity is indicative of the enthusiasm this festival has generated in Dallas and beyond,” added Ruth Altshuler, president of AFI DALLAS’ Board of Directors. “From the sponsors to our individual benefactors to the national and international media who cover the festival, the commitment and interest have been remarkable,” she said.
“I don’t know of another festival anywhere that has as many blue-chip sponsors in only its second year,” Mr. Temerlin said. “And our board, as well, reads like a Who’s Who of business and civic leaders. The value of the time and expertise and material resources we receive from our sponsors and board is incalculable,” he said.
“The Ransom Center has one of the most remarkable and priceless film and television collections in the world,” Mr. Temerlin said. “It includes the archives of greats such as David O. Selznick, Gloria Swanson and Robert DeNiro. We’re extremely grateful to the center and its director, Tom Staley, for working with us on this one-of-a-kind exhibition.”
Cain also praised the support offered by the Festival’s presenting and founding sponsors saying, “From day one we have been fortunate to have sponsors like Target and Victory Park who are truly dedicated supporters to making this an exceptional film festival.” Regarding the efforts AFI DALLAS has made to become a committed partner within the Dallas-area film community, he added, “In the preparations for our second year we have seen the benefit of our ongoing effort to strengthen our relationships within the Dallas (and Texas) filmmaking community and our partnerships with other local film festivals. We were delighted with the national and international recognition for last year’s debut, but if anything, we have worked twice as hard to live up to that beginning and build upon it for Dallas film fans.”
"Target is excited and honored to be the presenting sponsor of AFI DALLAS International Film Festival in a community where we have so many guests and team members," said Karen Gershman, senior vice-president, marketing, Target. "Our support of AFI Dallas gives us an excellent opportunity to create exposure to the arts, and bring communities together."
Ross Perot, Jr., chairman of Hillwood, also expressed pride with the partnership between AFI DALLAS and it’s founding sponsor, “Victory Park was created to host special events like the AFI DALLAS International Film Festival,” said Perot, Jr., “We are proud to be sponsors of the event and build on the accomplishments of the film festival. Last year¹s inaugural AFI DALLAS season was a tremendous success due to the partnership of all groups involved that brought the movie industry to Dallas and exposed Dallas to the world.”
Eight feature films will be making their world premieres at AFI DALLAS 2008. Those films include BOWLING FOR SOUP – LIVE AND VERY ATTRACTIVE, FAT MAN WALKING, FISSURE, FRAG, THE LAST LULLABY, SPLIT: A DIVIDED AMERICA, STOP THE PRESSES: THE AMERICAN NEWSPAPER IN PERIL, and TRACING COWBOYS.
Four feature films will be making their U.S. premieres. That group includes BATTLE FOR HADITHA, GLASS: A PORTRAIT OF PHILIP IN TWELVE PARTS, IRON LADIES OF LIBERIA (the full feature version of the film), and SONIC YOUTH: SLEEPING NIGHTS AWAKE.
For the full AFI DALLAS film schedule, go to www.AFIDALLAS.com