
The DALLAS International Film Festival presented by Cadillac announced that award-winning actress Ann-Margret will be honored with the DALLAS Star Award at the upcoming festival (March 31 – April 10, 2011).

The DALLAS International Film Festival presented by Cadillac announced that award-winning actress Ann-Margret will be honored with the DALLAS Star Award at the upcoming festival (March 31 – April 10, 2011).

The 11th Annual Phoenix Film Festival, presented by Cox and Starz, takes place from March 31, 2011 through April 7, 2011 at Harkins Scottsdale 101. Ten films are set to compete for multiple honors, including Best Picture, in the festival’s Competition Feature Films Awards.

The 61st Berlin International Film Festival came to a close with the award ceremony on February 19, 2011, and the numbers are in, revealing roughly 300,000 tickets were sold during the eleven-day festival.

The Gasparilla International Film Festival (GIFF) will once again collaborate with Global Film Initiative and the Tampa Museum of Art to bring the best independent foreign films to the Tampa Bay area. Global Lens 2011 is a prestigious series of films, which supports unique and critically acclaimed cinematic works of independent filmmakers from all over the globe.

Gasparilla International Film Festival (GIFF) will recognize M. Emmet Walsh and Tom Berenger for their commitment, talent and outstanding achievements. Both Walsh and Berenger will be in attendance to accept their awards during the 5th annual GIFF being held March 24 – 27 in Tampa.

The 54th San Francisco International Film Festival (April 21 – May 5) today announced its Documentaries in Competition for the esteemed Golden Gate Awards. The International will award close to $100,000 in total prizes this year. Sixty thousand dollars will be awarded to winners in three categories: investigative documentary feature ($25,000), documentary feature ($20,000) and Bay Area documentary feature ($15,000). Winners will be announced at the Golden Gate Awards, Wednesday, May 4.

The 54th San Francisco International Film Festival (April 21 – May 5) will award close to $100,000 in total prizes this year. The New Directors Prize of $15,000 is given to a narrative first feature that exhibits a unique artistic sensibility and deserves to be seen by as wide an audience as possible. Seventeen countries contributed to the production of the 11 films in this year’s competition. An independent jury will select the New Directors Prize winner, to be announced at the Golden Gate Awards Wednesday, May 4.
Sherry Hormann’s film Desert Flower is the true story of the life of supermodel Waris Dirie, and a very important one to be told. The film is based on her autobiography and brings us through the amazing journey from her life in Somalia as a child to her shift into modeling stardom in London and eventual women’s rights activism. The execution of this story, however, is less than impressive. It follows pretty conventional modes of narrative, with some obvious and sentimental scenes and plot devices. But it is saved from being a predictable made-for-TV type of film by a very strong cast and moments of poignancy.

Major award winners from both the 2010 Cannes and 2011 Sundance Film Festivals will headline the World Cinema and competition lineups for the 2011 Nashville Film Festival (NaFF) presented by Nissan when it takes place April 14-21 at the Regal Green Hills Cinemas in Nashville, Tennessee.

Indie Memphis will hold its 14th annual Indie Memphis Film Festival this year from November 3 to November 6, 2011. Screenings and events will once again take place in the heart of Midtown Memphis at the new Playhouse on the Square, Malco Theatre’s Studio on the Square, and the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art.

The Fargo Film Festival named David Filipi as the recipient of the Ted M. Larson Award. Filipi will accept the award on Saturday, March 5 during the closing session of the Fargo Film Festival. The 2011 Fargo Film Festival also announced the best-in-show awards.

Billy Bob Thornton’s The King of Luck, a documentary about Willie Nelson, was announced as the Closing Night Film of the South by Southwest (SXSW) Film Conference and Festival, scheduled to be screened on Saturday, March 19,. SXSW also announced additional features and shorts for the 2011 event, including a work-in-progress screening of Paul Feig’s Bridesmaids, starring (and co-written by) Kristen Wiig and produced by Judd Apatow, Umshini Wam, a short film from Harmony Korine featuring South African act Die Antwoord, and Hit So Hard, P. David Ebersole’s documentary on HOLE drummer Patty Schemel, among others. SXSW runs March 11 – 19, 2011 in Austin, Texas.