“One of the great legends of costume design,” Mr. Bernie Pollack and “rising star,” Ms. Gabourey Sidibe will be honored with the Dallas Shining Star Award at the 2012 Dallas International Film Festival.  The two honorees will also participate in Conversations with Gabourey Sidibe and Bernie Pollack on April 21, 2012.

Additionally, the festival announced the full line-up for the South Korean International Spotlight and the titles of additional films which will play in the Premiere Series, World Cinema and Deep Ellum Sounds categories.

Joining MY WAY and world premiere LET ME OUT, the line-up for the International Spotlight on South Korea is completed by titles PUNCH, QUICK and SECRETS, OBJECTS.  In working to complete the full schedule line-up, DIFF announced that DRAGON AGE: DAWN OF THE SEEKER joins the Premieres Series.  Two new titles are added to the musical Deep Ellum Sounds category: TONIGHT YOU’RE MINE and QUEENS OF COUNTRY starring Lizzy Caplan and DIFF alum, Ron Livingston.  World Cinema gains two extra titles POLICEMAN and STILL LIFE. Finally, PRECIOUS and the 60th anniversary of SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN will be featured as Special Presentations with ALADDIN being added in conjunction with the conversation with Texas Avery Animation Award recipient, Glen Keane.   The additional films are as follows:

Premiere Series
DRAGON AGE: DAWN OF THE SEEKER (USA)
Director: Fumihiko Sori
In the land of Orlais, where battles are fought with swords and magic, a young heroine rises as templars, mages, and dragons clash.
Stars Luci Christian, Pam Dougherty, Mike McFarland, Christopher Sabat and John Swasey.

South Korean Spotlight

PUNCH (South Korea) – Texas Premiere
Director: Han Lee
Poor and meek but rebellious 18-year-old Wan-deuk has a hunchback father, a strange uncle, and a Filipino mother who just re-appeared after being missing most of his life. But when his radical and confrontational schoolteacher, Dong-joo—who is every bit the troublemaker Wan-deuk is—corrals the fight-prone youngster into channeling his rage as a kickboxer, Wan-deuk learns what family truly means. Based on the novel by Kim Yeo-ryung and adapted screenplay by Kim Dong-soo, PUNCH was one of Korea’s biggest box office draws in 2011.
Stars Yun-seok Kim, Ah In Yoo, Su-young Park, Yeong-jae Kim and Sang-ho Kim.

QUICK (South Korea) – Texas Premiere
Director: Beom-gu Cho
Motorcycle messenger Ki-soo witnesses a building blow up just after he delivers a package to it. He moves onto his next job—escorting a girl group singer, Ah-rom, to a TV station. As she puts a proffered helmet on her head, he gets a call saying that her helmet is a booby trap, and that he has more deliveries. Made in the spirit of the American action movies SPEED and CRANK, this 2011 Korean box office success by Jo Beom-goo is definitely a ride.
Starring Min-ki Lee, Ye-won Kang, In-kwon Kim, Chang-Seok Ko and Jin-mo Ju.

SECRETS, OBJECTS (South Korea) – Texas Premiere
Director: Young-Mi Lee
40-year-old Sociology professor Hye-jung falls for a 21-year-old Usang, a male student who helps her project research on women’s extramarital affairs. Stars Seo-hee Jang, Suk Won Jeong, Pil-mo Lee and I-Young Shim.

Deep Ellum Sounds

QUEENS OF COUNTRY (USA) – Texas Premiere
Directors: Ryan Page, Christopher Pomerenke
Living in a fantasy era long gone and obsessed with old time country stars, the prettiest girl in a small Arizona town finds a lost iPod filled with songs that speak to her sensitive heart. Stars Lizzy Caplan, Ron Livingston, Joe Lo Truglio, Maynard James Keenan, Matt Walsh and Anthony Zanlungo.

TONIGHT YOU’RE MINE (UK) – Texas Premiere
Director: David Mackenzie
Two feuding rock stars get handcuffed together for 24 hours at a music festival where they are both due to perform. Starring Luke Treadaway, Natalia Tena, Mathew Baynton and Alastair Mackenzie.

World Cinema

POLICEMAN (Israel) – Texas Premiere
Director: Nadav Lapid
A member of an Israeli anti-terrorist unit clashes with a group of young radicals. Stars Ben Adam, Michael Aloni, Meital Barda, Gal Hoyberger and Yiftach Klein.

STILL LIFE (Austria) – Texas Premiere
Director: Sebastian Meise
An unexpected letter forces siblings Bernhard and Lydia to confront each other and to deal with their family history.
Starring Anja Plaschg, Daniela Golpashin, Christoph Luser, Roswitha Soukup and Fritz Hörtenhuber.

Special Presentation

ALADDIN (1992, USA)
Director: Ron Clements
The animated classic follows Aladdin, a street-urchin who accidentally meets Princess Jasmine who is in the city undercover. They love each other, but she can only marry a prince. Voices include Scott Weinger, Robin Williams, Linda Larkin and Jonathan Freeman.

PRECIOUS (2009, USA)
Director: Lee Daniels
In Harlem, an overweight, illiterate teen who is pregnant with her second child is invited to enroll in an alternative school in hopes that her life can head in a new direction. Starring Gabourey Sidibe, Mo’Nique, Paula Patton, Mariah Carey, Sherri Shepherd and Lenny Kravitz.

SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN (1952, USA)
Directors: Stanley Donen, Gene Kelly
A silent film production company and cast make a difficult transition to sound.
Stars Gene Kelly, Donald O’Connor, Debbie Reynolds, Jean Hagen and Millard Mitchell.