Dallas International Film Festival

The Opening Night Gala film was Steven Sawalich’s “Music Within” and Sarah Polley’s directorial debut, “Away From Her,” closed the fest.

The newly inaugurated AFI Dallas Star was presented to Lauren Bacall, Jack Valenti, David Lynch, Sidney Pollack, Marvin Hamlisch, Alan and Marilyn Bergman, Sarah Polley and posthumously to Gregory Peck, who served as the first chairman of the AFI’s board.

Helen Hunt, Mickey Rooney, Charlize Theron and Todd Wagner each received the AFI DALLAS Star Award.

Special guests included Robert DeNiro, Barry Levinson, Art Linson, Keke Palmer, Michelle Rodriguez, Stuart Townsend amongst others.

Kathryn Bigelow was presented with the AFI DALLAS Star Award before a screening of her film, The Hurt Locker.

Adrien Brody was presented with the AFI DALLAS Star Award prior to the screening of the Opening Night Gala film, The Brothers Bloom.

Robert Towne received the AFI DALLAS Star Award at a presentation of the 35th anniversary of the film, Chinatown.

[8][9] The 11-day 2010 Dallas International Film Festival, ran April 8-18th, its full schedule encompassing 153 features and shorts making up a total of 170 screenings.

Dallas Star Award Recipients were cinematographer Wally Pfister, Pixar animation wizard Brad Bird, writer/director John Lee Hancock and writer/director Frank Darabont.

Director John Landis (An American Werewolf in London, Coming to America, National Lampoon's Animal House, Blues Brothers) was also present to accept the Dallas Star Award.

Kit Carson (Paris, Texas and David Holzman's Diary) was presented with a posthumous Dallas Star Award.

[19] In 2018, the festival screened more than 130 films from 22 countries, including several movies that were released nationwide later in the year: Eighth Grade, Won’t You Be My Neighbor, Dead Pigs, and Blindspotting.

[27] In its 16th year, DIFF presented screenings at Alamo Drafthouse Cinema - Cedars, the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center, Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, Texas Theatre, South Dallas Cultural Center, and 4DWN Skate Park.