DIFF 2014 – Films to see at this year’s Dallas International Film Festival – Friday, April 4

DIFF 2014 – Films to see at this year’s Dallas International Film Festival – Friday, April 4

diff2014-april4

FLUTTER and JOE take center stage for Friday (April 4) films you should make an effort to see at this year’s Dallas International Film Festival. We’ll be posting daily suggestions on what you should make time for at DIFF, and our two starters are pretty great.

Up first is FLUTTER from writer/Director Eric Hueber, who returns to DIFF with this epic southern fable. Johnathan (Johnathan Huth Jr.) has nystagmus and severe narrow angle glaucoma. His eyes flutter. Aside from going blind, he is like any regular boy; he loves sea monsters and has a 300 lb. pet pig named Wee Wee. JoLynn (Lindsay Pulsipher) cares for Johnathan alone while her husband (played by Jesse Plemons) travels as a musician. To treat her son’s eye condition, she’s come up with a creative secret: when Johnathan suffered side effects using expensive pharmaceuticals, JoLynn instead grew medicinal marijuana that she cooks into brownies for his medicine. Realizing that her entire life has become dependent on two men, her husband and his father, JoLynn must decide how much she will sacrifice to save her son’s eyes and open her own. FLUTTER is a story about the only true unconditional love between heaven and earth—that of a mother and child. Produced by the great Glenn Morshower, this is a wonderful Texas film you simply must see.

DIRECTOR Eric Hueber
SCREENWRITER Eric Hueber
PRODUCER Glenn Morshower, Jason Konopisos, Remy Carter
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER Glenn Morshower, Carolyn Morshower, John Holt Hall
CINEMATOGRAPHER Philip Roy
EDITOR Eric Hueber, Jeremi Mattern
MUSIC Brandon A. Brown
PRODUCTION DESIGN Lindsay Lipscomb
CAST Lindsay Pulsipher, Glenn Morshower, Jesse Plemons, Johnathan Huth Jr.

DIRECTOR BIO
Eric Hueber is a filmmaker from Nacogdoches who studied film at Stephen F. Austin State University. During his first year, he met his future business partner and producer, Andy Cope, and together they started Alonestar Films. While working on projects for local businesses in Austin, he also worked as an editing assistant for director Terrence Malick. His first feature film, a surreal documentary titled RAINBOWS END, previously played at the 2011 Dallas International Film Festival.

Angelika 6 – Friday 4/4 at 10:15pm
Angelika 7 – Saturday 4/5 at 8:30pm

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Up next is JOE. David Gordon Green has proven himself quite capable as a director, both with independent films and mainstream fare. His latest effort is Joe, based on the novel by Larry Brown, which is a powerful showcase piece for both Nicolas Cage (easily one of his best performances in years) and the young and talented Tye Sheridan (from MUD). It’s a sort of Western noir character piece, following a man with a troubled past who just can’t seem to stay out of trouble. Green noted “I really wanted it to have a raw ‘Southern’ authenticity and not necessarily a Hollywood polish… wanted to make sure these characters felt like they were of the real world.” The production was also done purposely in Texas, as Green added, “Outside of Nic, it was all Texans, people that were living here and had the voice of here. It was all shot in and around the Austin area.” Green spent many of his Junior High and High School years in Texas (Richardson specifically), and now resides in Austin. One of the standout performances in the film is the role of Wade (played by real-life homeless man Gary Poulter), the father of young Gary played by Tye Sheridan. Poulter sadly passed away just two months after filming ended, a tragedy that almost mirrors the story of his on-screen persona. His presence in the film is strong and haunting, easily matching the gravitas of many notable Silver Screen veterans. “I just knew I needed a movie star with the magnitude of Cage, and I needed a fresh-faced young voice, super energy, for the Gary character. I didn’t want the cynical Hollywood villain. I wanted a somebody that felt sad in a way, and had a depth and darkness behind his eyes, rather than just a guy who was gonna roll up his sleeves and chew on a bad guy role.” Green actually auditioned a lot of well-known actors for the part, but it ultimately went to Poulter, and the final product shines as a result. Tye Sheridan also added some thoughts “I think Gary is one of those guys who when you’re watching, your eyes are always drawn to him, no matter how much dialogue he has, he has a certain energy about him. He really set a tone and stayed that way through the whole shoot.” They have a big scene together involving a fight, which looks and feels realistically rough, and Sheridan noted, “Everything you see up there was actually happening… except for some punches.” A few of the other characters are locals that Green knew well, like the town Sheriff, who is played by David’s next-door neighbor. This is a smaller and more serious production for the diverse director. It may also be one of his very best.

DIRECTOR David Gordon Green
SCREENWRITER based on a novel by Larry Brown, Gary Hawkins
PRODUCER David Gordon Green, Lisa Muskat, Derrick Tseng, Christopher Woodrow
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER Maria Cestone, Molly Conners, Brad Coolidge, Melissa Coolidge, Jody Hill, Sarah E. Johnson, Todd J. Labarowski, Danny McBride, Hoyt David Morgan
CINEMATOGRAPHER Tim Orr
EDITOR Colin Patton
MUSIC Jeff McIlwain
PRODUCTION DESIGN Chris L. Spellman
CAST Nicolas Cage, Tye Sheridan, Ronnie Gene Blevins

Angelika 4 – Friday 4/4 at 7:00pm (only showing)

For details on all films playing at DIFF visit their official website.

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About the Author

Born and raised in Dallas, Mark has been a movie critic since 1994, with reviews featured in print, radio and National TV. In 2001 he started the Entertainment section of the Herorealm website, where he contributed film reviews and celebrity interviews until 2004. After three years of service there, he started Bigfanboy.com, which has become one of the Dallas film community's leading information websites. Bigfanboy hosts several movie screenings in the Texas area, and works closely with film and TV studios and promotional partners to host exciting events and contests. The site also features a variety of rare celebrity and filmmaker interviews, and Bigfanboy.com regularly covers the film festival circuit as well. In addition to Hollywood reporting, Mark has worked for many years as an advertising and sci-fi/comic book artist. Clients have included Lucasfilm Ltd., Topps Trading Cards, The Dallas Mavericks and The Dallas Stars. From 2002 until 2015 he managed the Dallas Comic Con, Sci-Fi Expo and Fan Days events in the DFW area. He currently catalogs rare comic books and movie memorabilia for Heritage Auctions, and runs the Dallas Comic Show conventions, but remains an avid moviegoer and cinema buff.