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2010 DALLAS INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES FIVE ADDITIONAL DOCS ADDED TO SLATE

TITLES INCLUDE SUNDANCE FAVORITE “CANE TOADS IN 3-D” AND SXSW HITS “BEAR NATION” AND “LEMMY”

FESTIVAL ALSO ANNOUNCES AN INCREASED CASH AWARD FOR THE MPS STUDIOS TEXAS COMPETITION WINNER

TXU ENERGY FAST FORWARD VIDEO CONTEST INTRODUCED

AWARDS TO BE PRESENTED AT FIRST DALLAS FILM SOCIETY HONORS EVENT PRESENTED BY THE GAIL L. & ARTHUR E. BENJAMIN FOUNDATION

DALLAS, TX, March 30, 2010 – DALLAS International Film Festival (April 8 – 18) announced it has added five documentary titles to its schedule of films for 2010. The titles include a crowd pleaser at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, CANE TOADS in 3-D, two popular documentaries from the just concluded South by Southwest Film Festival; BEAR NATION and LEMMY: THE MOVIE, the documentary profile LEARNING FROM LIGHT: THE VISION OF I.M. PEI, and a portrait of opera figure Barbara Smith Conrad, WHEN I RISE.

DALLAS IFF also announced an impressive lineup of awards and awards packages that will be presented at “The Dallas Film Society Honors” presented by the Gail L. & Arthur E. Benjamin Foundation event on Friday, April 16 at Hotel Palomar.

As announced previously, Target will once again present a $25,000 unrestricted cash prize to the winners of the Target Narrative and Target Documentary Feature Competition. The event will also feature the (previously announced) presentations of the DALLAS Star Awards to John Lee Hancock and Wally Pfister.

MPS Studios has also continued their partnership with DALLAS IFF sponsoring the Texas Competition. While the total prize worth remains at $20,000 for that category, the cash prize has been upped to $10,000, equaling the goods and services grant of $10,000.

DALLAS IFF Senior Programmer Sarah Harris said, “While it is an honor and a great moment for a filmmaker to just be singled out by a jury for their work, the prizes that go along with these awards often go a long way toward recouping some of their investment in that film or lend great assistance toward making their next one. Target and MPS Studios have been stalwarts in support of those filmmakers from the very beginning of this film festival.”

For the first time, REEL FX ENTERTAINMENT will give the winner of the Grand Jury Prize for Animation an NFR copy of 2010 Autodesk MAYA animation software.

DALLAS International Film Festival’s commitment to advancing awareness of environmental concerns, as well as the promotion of education through film takes another step forward as DALLAS IFF has teamed with TXU Energy on its TXU Energy Fast Forward Video Contest. The statewide contest enlisted Texas students to create films focused on the future of energy efficiency and energy conservation. The student filmmakers are competing for technology grants of up to $7,500 (and totaling $11,500) to be used to purchase and upgrade the film equipment for their schools. The winners will also be invited to DALLAS IFF for a special event and screening of their films.

“The TXU Energy Fast Forward Contest is providing a unique way for the next generation of influential Texans to make a difference by promoting energy efficiency and conservation in a way that is important to them,” said Michael Grasso, chief marketing officer for TXU Energy. “This event has an excellent reputation for promoting both education and the environment and we are excited to be a part of it.”

The winners of all the competitions in the 2010 DALLAS International Film Festival will receive MOVIE MAGIC software from Entertainment Partners.

The films added to the 2010 DALLAS IFF slate include:

BEAR NATION
Produced by Kevin Smith & Nhaelan McMilan and directed by Malcolm Ingram, the documentary examines the gay men known as “bears.” Focusing on the large and hairy men that comprise this group, the film explores the sometimes controversial co-existence within the gay community as well as offering a fresh perspective on what it means to be a gay man.

CANE TOADS: THE CONQUEST
Directed by Mark Lewis and marking the first time a DALLAS IFF film has been presented in 3-D, the documentary plays as an equal parts comedy and horror film as it illustrates the environmental devastation left in the wake of the toad march across the continent of Australia.

LEARNING FROM LIGHT: THE VISION OF I.M. PEI
Directed by Bo Landin and Sterling Van Wagenen, the documentary follows IM Pei, now in his 90s, as he works to complete the Museum of Islamic Art in Qatar. The film tells the story of a man who has transformed architecture around the world through his work. The Louvre in Paris, and the introduction of the glass pyramid are just a couple examples of his insightful bravery to cross cultural divides and bridge worlds.

LEMMY
Directed by Wes Orshoski and Greg Oliver, LEMMY is a documentary portrait of heavy metal icon and Motorhead frontman Lemmy Kilmister. Featuring appearances by the members of Metallica, Dave Grohl, Billy Bob Thornton and pro wrestler Triple H, the film takes an entertaining and detailed look at Lemmy’s personal and public life.

WHEN I RISE
Directed by Mat Hames, WHEN I RISE tells the story of Barbara Smith Conrad, a gifted University of Texas music student who found herself at the epicenter of a racial controversy and struggled against the odds to ultimately ascend to the heights of the international opera community.

Commenting on the additions to the 2010 lineup, Artistic Director James Faust said, “These five documentaries are exciting additions to an already great lineup of films. Fascinating, to enlightening to out and out crowd pleasers – they run the gamut and we couldn’t be happier to add them to the mix.”

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