12 January 9 - 15, 2025 dallasobserver.com DALLAS OBSERVER Classified | MusiC | dish | Culture | unfair Park | Contents Gold Mine Dallas International Film Festival is now an Oscar-qualifying event. What does that mean? BY LIAM GAUGHAN I t’s no secret that Dallas has become a more critical marketplace for cine- matic activity than ever before, and it is quickly rising to become the third- largest “film city” in the United States after New York and Los Angeles. Although much of this attention is due to the growing presence of premium theaters in the DFW area, a major expansion to the Dallas Inter- national Film Festival will certainly add a new level of “prestige” to the yearly celebra- tion of independent cinema. DIFF will once again offer a late spring series of dates; the 2025 festivities are set for April 25 – May 1. However, the festival now has the distinction of being an Oscar Qualifying Festival for the short-film cate- gories. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences bestows this honor on only a select few festivals; there are 181 events that qualify, including 59 in the U.S. The process of gaining this distinction was not an easy one, but DIFF’s qualification in- dicates that it’s being taken seriously by pundits beyond the region. Short films that debut as part of the Grand Jury Prize competitions for Best Ani- mated Short Film, Best Documentary Short Film or Best Narrative Short Film at the spring festival will officially be in the run- ning for the 98th Academy Awards in 2026. Campaigning for an Oscar is a rather rigor- ous process, generally requiring the backing of sponsors that can generate marketing ma- terials aimed at appealing to voters. That said, the ability to debut a short in an event that may be closely monitored by the indus- try at large is an opportunity that few Texas filmmakers would want to pass up. Submis- sions for the festival are open now. Although they are easily overshadowed when compared to the other awards handed out on the night of the Oscars, the short-film prizes do have a fair amount of significance for those looking for a career boost. Many former winners have gone on to do bigger and better things; after taking the Best Live Action short prize for Six Shooter at the 78th Academy Awards, writer/di- rector Martin Mc- Donaugh went on to direct future Oscar- nominated films In Bruges and The Ban- shees of Inisherin. Any Dallas-based artists who managed to make their way into the category would be in good company, as the award was most recently handed to one of the most be- loved Texas filmmakers of all time. Despite not being present at the ceremony itself, Wes Anderson won the Academy Award for Best Live Action Short for the Roald Dahl adaptation The Wonderful Life of Henry Sugar. It debuted on Netflix in the fall of 2023 after screening at a few select festivals in the preceding months. It was certainly a “career prize” for An- derson. He had somehow never won an Os- car before, despite receiving nominations for The Royal Tenenbaums, Fantastic Mr. Fox, Moonrise Kingdom, The Grand Budapest Hotel and Isle of Dogs. Anderson’s victory was an anomaly when compared to the last few decades of winners; in general, the awards tend to go to up-and-coming artists who don’t already have legions of fans. Winning an Oscar is certainly a lifelong goal for many, but the opportunity to be seen is also an intriguing prospect for emerging artists looking to break into a challenging industry. In the weeks leading up the Oscar ceremony, the nominated short films tend to screen in bulk in the- aters across the country. It is certainly helpful for those trying to win an Oscar pool with their friends, but it also inspires a greater level of participation with the audi- ence. Although it is often perceived to be a means of advertising one’s abilities, short filmmaking is an art form in itself. A Major Expansion For DIFF DIFF has certainly not steered away from big titles, as the festival has consistently of- fered a great selection of indie, international and classic cinema since its first event in 2007. However, the upcoming festival is set to be the largest in its history; over 125 films will screen, with additional red carpets, pan- els with talent, audience Q&As and live readings of screenplays. Local talent will be well represented, but the 2025 festival is also taking submissions from more than 60 countries. It helps that DIFF is taking advantage of some of North Texas’ most impressive the- aters and sites. Most screenings will be held at the Cinépolis Luxury Cinemas Victory Park near the American Airlines Center, but subsequent events will also be held at the AT&T Discovery District, the Harwood Dis- trict, the historic Texas Theatre in Oak Cliff and the Dallas Design District’s Virgin Hotel Dallas. This expansion isn’t just good news for Texas film fans; it also allows theater own- ers the opportunity to breathe a sigh of re- lief. The theatrical market has been struggling lately, as many independent the- aters in the DFW area shut down last sum- mer due to low turnout. Many factors were involved in this decision; delays related to the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes left many weekends without any new releases, several expected blockbusters underper- formed and the rise of streaming has made it less likely for audiences to go out in bulk to see new releases. Theatrical windowing has also damp- ened the desire to go out on opening week- end. When major titles like Conclave or The Bikeriders are made available to rent on VOD services only weeks after they’re released in theaters, audiences have learned to priori- tize where they spend their money. How- ever, Dallas has proven to be one market that still prefers the traditional “see it in cinema first” approach, as a report by Indiewire in- dicated it was one of the nation’s fastest- growing markets. The first half of 2024 looked rather bleak when it came to blockbuster titles, but the success of Inside Out 2, Deadpool & Wolver- ine, Wicked, Moana 2 and Beetlejuice Beetle- juice was enough to end the year on a high note. The pressure is on 2025 to deliver films that generate significant enthusiasm, and the pending lineup is fairly strong. Films slated to debut in the next few months in- clude Avatar: Fire and Ash, Zootopia 2, Mis- sion: Impossible –The Final Reckoning, Wicked: For Good, Captain America: Brave New World and the highly anticipated re- boot of Superman. Ismael Belkoura The Dallas International Film Festival is now a major path to the Oscars. ▼ Culture THE FESTIVAL NOW HAS THE DISTINCTION OF BEING AN OSCAR QUALIFYING FESTIVAL FOR THE SHORT-FILM CATEGORIES. www.dallasobserver.com/signup go to WEEKLY EMAIL D SIGN UP FOR OUR WEEKLY EMAIL LIST for feature stories, movie reviews, calendar picks and more!
