What’s the DIFF?

By Dylan Schmidt

On Thursday, Revival House will host The Kings of Summer, 2013’s winner of the Dallas International Film Festival’s (DIFF) Audience Award. Run by the Dallas Film Society, the DIFF has been the largest film festival in the southwest since it’s inaugural event in 2007. In honor of the upcoming screening, I’d like to take a look at a few of the other winners of the DIFF’s Audience Award.

Skin (Narrative Feature, 2009)

Also the winner of local Rehoboth Beach Film Festival’s Audience Award, Skin, directed by Anthony Fabian, is the true story of a black woman born to white parents in Apartheid-era South Africa. A hard look at the hardships of racism, inequality, and the struggle of both identity and belonging, Skin is a powerful film.

The Crash Reel (Documentary Feature, 2013)

The Crash Reel follows snowboarder Kevin Pearce, whose rivalry with Shaun White propelled them both into the upper echelon of their sport. However, the need to prove themselves became too risky, with Kevin suffering a near-fatal accident just before the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics, where Shaun would win a gold medal. The rest of the documentary covers Kevin’s recovery and his hopes to get back into the sport that is his passion.

Noble (Narrative Feature, 2014)

Noble is the true story of Christina Noble, an Irish children’s rights activist and founder of the Christina Noble Children’s Foundation. The film begins with the account of her early life, orphaned by age 10. She would grow up and use her own experiences as a child to care for children on the streets of Saigon, which she traveled to in 1989. A moving film experience.

Transpecos (Narrative Feature, 2016)

This year's DIFF, brings us Transpecos, a thriller set at a near-deserted border checkpoint, where a strange car’s contents turn three patrol agents’ routine day into a scramble to uncover an insidious plot that may have origins in their own ranks. With seven nominations and six wins at several film festivals, including an Audience Award from SXSW and the Grand Jury Prize from the Nashville Film Festival, this is a film worth seeking out.

A Day’s Work (Narrative Short, 2008)

Last, but certainly not least, a special treat to close this look at the DIFF; A Day’s Work in it’s entirety. In director Rajeev Dassani’s own words, A Day’s Work “examines the hopes and fears inherent to the immigrant story, both on the part of those crossing the border and those willing to take advantage of the influx of cheap labor.”

If you think I left out any important films, documentaries, or shorts off this look at the DIFF’s Audience Award winners, leave a comment. Hopefully, I’ll see you all at the Milton Theatre on Thursday!