Four independent filmmakers will take part in the continuing growth of Dallas’ film scene when they host the first annual Oak Cliff Film Festival, June 14-17.
Barak Epstein, Eric Steele, Adam Donaghey, and Jason Reimer began collaborating when they purchased and began managing operations at the historic Texas Theatre in 2010. The Texas Theatre is best known as the location where police found and apprehended Lee Harvey Oswald after he assassinated President John F. Kennedy in 1963.
With the history of the Texas Theatre and the nostalgia of the Kessler and Bishop Arts Theaters, there will be no shortage of charm surrounding the featured films and events. Among the other locations hosting events and screening films are the Belmont Hotel, the Dallas Zoo, Oil and Cotton, the Turner House, and El Sibil.
To explain the type of response the festival is hoping to garner within the community, Reimer said, “We’re hoping people come experience [films] in a new way and see some films that they might not otherwise see in very interesting venues.”
Opening night, June 14, will be kicked off with the premiere of the eclectic, sci-fi melodrama “The Ghastly Love of Johnny X” at the Texas Theatre at 7:30 p.m. preceding the opening night party at 9:30 p.m., which runs until 1:00 a.m.
Eighty films will be screened throughout the festival, and if that's not enough for your viewing pleasure, there will be various events as well. Among these events is a tour to Clyde Barrow’s grave, a bicycle tour tracking Oswald’s route to the Texas Theatre, and a myriad of other activities.
If you want to take in as much of the festival’s atmosphere as possible, including all of the parties and events without waiting in line, VIP Producer’s Badges are on sale for $175. Only interested in the films? Not to worry, you can purchase a Film Pass Badge for $95, which grants access only to the screenings. Individual tickets are $10 per film. Badges are available for purchase online or at the Texas Theatre starting June 13, and individual tickets can be purchased online or at the door of each venue.
A donation of $5 will be donated to the North Texas Food Bank for every badge that is sold.
When asked how the idea to donate developed, Steele said, “Our dream is to help support organizations that strive to end suffering in our city. We want to be good neighbors, and good neighbors help each other.”
Get there early, stay late and enjoy being a part of something new and different that Dallas has to offer.
