If you don't know where to start with DIFF's massive screening schedule, make sure these five films are on your list.
You can find all the information and screening schedule for this year’s Dallas International Film Festival at diff2024. Skip the superhero blockbusters this weekend (they will still be there after DIFF) and get out there to support our local indie-cinemas this weekend.
Bastards of Soul
Dallas’ Paul Levatino, former longtime general manager of Erykah Badu’s Control FreaQ Records, released his debut feature film this year, a documentary about the city’s beloved R&B/soul band Bastards of Soul. The movie was filmed during an exciting time in Bastards of Soul’s journey, during the recording of their LP Give it Right Back. No one could have expected it would be their last album: lead singer Chadwick Murray died suddenly in 2021 at age 45. Levatino’s documentary serves as a fitting tribute and farewell to one of the most memorable Dallas musicians and performers to ever grace our stages. Saturday, April 27, 7:30 p.m., Texas Theatre.Dark Sanctuary: The Story of The Church
If you haven’t checked out our more detailed coverage of this documentary feature about a treasured piece of Dallas nightlife history, you really should. The Church was a longstanding institution in the city, but locals may not realize that it was actually the longest-operating goth club in the whole country (1991–2020) and was widely revered as one of the subculture’s destination landmarks. Dallas doesn’t get enough credit as one of the more notable cities in U.S. nightlife culture, which makes a project like Dark Sanctuary such an important representation of our city. This screening will be the film’s world premiere. Sunday, April 28, 10 p.m., Violet Crown, Auditorium 5.Solo
After a Toronto International Film Festival world premiere last fall, feature narrative Solo won’t be widely released in theaters for another month. Luckily, you can catch a screening before then at this year’s Dallas International Film Festival. The French language film follows protagonist Simon, a drag queen who’s just returned to her home performance circuit in Montreal after 15 years away. Once home, Simon navigates strained personal relationships through the simultaneous grit and glamour delivered through director Sophie Dupuis’ storytelling lens. Sunday, April 28, 7:30 p.m., Violet Crown, Auditorium 4.Unlikely Allies
Unlikely Allies is a justice-focused documentary about one of the most infamous cannabis cases in recent history, "Weldon Angelos vs. the United States." Angelos was a rising-star music producer when he was arrested for selling weed. For the possession and sale of 8 ounces of cannabis (a half-pound), a federal judge sentenced Angelos to a shocking 55 years in prison. The hip-hop community rallied around Angelos, pushing public figures to call for his release from incarceration. After being implored by the remorseful judge who sentenced Angelos, former President Donald Trump granted him a federal pardon at the end of his term.Unlikely Allies includes interviews with Snoop Dogg, Sen. Cory Booker, Van Jones and Ivanka Trump. The film’s screening at DIFF 2024 will be the world premiere. Saturday, April 27, 2 p.m., Violet Crown, Auditorium 5.
Daughters of Evil
Don’t have time for a feature-length screening? Check out this short horror film that depicts a music-vlogger who accidentally summons a demonic 1960s girl group from the depths of hell to wreak havoc on the world with their deadly siren songs. This retro-romp, laced with narrative elements of modern day internet culture, will be hard to forget next time you go crate-digging at a local record shop to hunt for obscure vintage LPs.With Daughters Of Evil, directors Adam Taylor and Natasha Malone establish their own unique stylistic signature for the silver screen. Sunday, April 28, 9:30 p.m., Violet Crown, Auditorium 1.
