EarthxFilm’s Co-Founder and President, Michael Cain, said,” For EarthxFilm and the Dallas International Film Festival, two organizations I helped found to collaborate for the joint 2020 festival is incredibly satisfying. People in North Texas who appreciate film and compelling storytelling will be the beneficiaries.”
Best of Fests Festival Producer Erin Nicole Parisi said, “It was remarkable that this special film event was accomplished last year and the fact that we have been able to bring everyone together once again speaks to something truly wonderful and unique about the film festival and film loving community in Dallas, Fort Worth and North Texas. These films represent the wide range of styles, interests, storytelling, and entertainment that the amazing array of film festivals throughout this area bring to audiences all year long.”
EarthxFilm will give away a total of $20,000 in prize money to award winners selected by juried competition as well as audience determination. Those awards also include the film festival’s unique Earth Catalyst Award and Impact Award, which is given to the subjects and causes that the winning films highlight or introduce audiences to via their screenings at the film festival. It’s another example of how EarthxFilm, extends itself beyond film exhibition to actively support the environmentally-focused causes those films shine a light on.
In the meantime, now that I have probably exhausted everyone’s patience by blathering on and ranting like an old man carrying a crumpled paper bag and out of date newspaper outside a deli, here is a quick list of ten people that I work with and for that I would suggest filmmakers, film industry types, and people reading the movie industry tea leaves SHOULD be paying attention to:
EarthxFilm’s Artistic Director, David Holbrooke, said, “Our festival grew in so many exciting ways this year and we are excited about its potential as we look towards 2020 and the 50th celebration of Earth Day. What was striking to me about the awards as a programmer was how both our shorts and feature juries rewarded films about environmental justice. It’s a relatively new subject for filmmakers and these can be particularly difficult stories to tell or to hear because they are so all around challenging so it’s gratifying to see that these stellar documentaries so resonated with the judges.”
EarthxFilm Artistic Director David Holbrooke, said, “This year’s EarthxFilm slate clearly shows the urgency of the many crucial battles going on all over the world on the environmental landscape. However, these documentaries aren’t simply earnest attempts to advocate for a just cause but are serious, well-crafted stories that bear witness to what is happening out there on the front lines. Audiences will be motivated and inspired by the real life heroes in these movies and will come out of the theaters ready to make their own impact.”
EarthxFilm’s Artistic Director, David Holbrooke, added, “The proposed wall between the U.S. and Mexico is already such a complicated issue but Ben Masters’ film manages to examine and attempt to understand a critical aspect that’s easy to forget – the abundant wildlife that know no borders.”
Dallas’ film festival community did something never before seen anywhere else in the country when 22 film festivals joined forces last weekend to offer up films from each film festival that either were award-winners, major hits from a previous edition of their fest, or simply demonstrated the programming style and taste of the film festival.
Anyone that knows me at all, or my history, knows about one of the primary things I do for a living, etc. would likely think it was fightin’ words if someone legitimately asked me, “What’s the point of having a red carpet at a film festival?”
The heads of prominent Dallas and North Texas Film Festivals announced their selections for the Top Ten Films of 2018 during WFAA’s Midday at 8 news broadcast today with Ryan Coogler’s BLACK PANTHER, Alfonso Cuarón’s ROMA, and John Krasinski’s A QUIET PLACE taking the top three spots.
