AFI Dallas announces closing night gala events

... and adds more films to its already-burgeoning agenda. (There goes another night's sleep!)

by PegNews wire

A pair of documentaries - James Toback's Tyson and Louis Psihoyo's The Cove - will share the spotlight on the closing night of the 2009 AFI Dallas International Film Festival.

Both films will screen on Thursday, April 2 at the AMC Northpark; the directors of both films will be in attendance and will participate in Q&As after the screenings.

Says AFI Dallas director of programming James Faust: “We have always made the programming and presentation of documentaries at AFI DALLAS a huge priority and by highlighting two of the most powerful and intensely emotional films in that category released this year, we are simply underlining that effort for both the filmmaking community and local film fans alike. We are also thrilled to be turning the spotlight toward the upcoming edition of our sister festival, SILVERDOCS.”

Before the theater lights dim, there'll be a cocktail reception and awards ceremony (also at AMC Northpark), where the best-of-fest will be announced and $80,000 in prizes distributed to the winners ($25,000 to the winners of the Target Filmmaker Awards in both narrative and documentary categories; $20,000 in cash, goods and services to the winner of the MPS Studios Texas Filmmaker Award; and $10,000 to the recipient of the Current Energy Filmmaker Award).

On April 3, after all the film-watching is done, Texas governor Rick Perry will show up at Victory Plaza to present this year's last-announced Star Award to recipient Peter Bogdanovich. Perry will designate April 3 as "Texas Film Day," and following the red carpet and award presentation celebrants will adjourn to nearby Neiman Marcus for continued star-studded festivities.

All these "Texas Day" events - including the screening of "Great Texas Moments in Film" on the superscreens in Victory Park - are free and open to the public.

BUT WAIT! There's more, in the form of several just-announced additions to the film lineup. (There goes another night's sleep!) Here's a list of the newly-added films:

From the Dark

DIR: Cliff McClelland and Tom Zembrod (USA)

The mysterious re-appearance of a girl that survived a massacre at the hands of supernatural forces spells doom for a group of vacationing teens in a cabin.

Suddenly Last Winter

DIR: Gustav Hofer and Luca Ragazzi (Italy)

Documentary profiles the struggle two gay men undertook on behalf of same sex civil unions in Italy.

Torey's Distraction (WORLD PREMIERE)

DIR: Tisha Blood (USA)

Documentary focus on a girl born with Apert Syndrome, a rare genetic condition that causes skeletal mutation and her subsequent journey through childhood.

Truth in 24

DIR: Keith Cossrow and Bennett Viseltear (USA)

Documentary profiles the Audi Sport race team as they attempt to win a fifth straight “24 Hours of LeMans” against Team Peugeot.

The following short films were also added to the schedule:

Fire

DIR: Lou Frederick (USA)

Juror Number Six

DIR: Rachel Lyon (USA)

Moongirl

DIR: Henry Selick (USA)

posted by JM