The 2026 Dallas International Film Festival celebrates twenty years of global film excellence and begins Thursday April 23rd and runs through April 30th.
Returning to the comfy and gracious downtown Cinepolis Luxury Cinemas in Victory Park as well as featuring satellite screenings at the Texas Theater and some events at Virgin Hotels, this special edition of the festival promises a schedule busting with talent both known and unknown.
In-between a packed schedule of Texas narratives, international buzzies, and thought-provoking documentaries, the festival will host several panels with industry insiders such as studio honcho Mike De Luca. And for a third year now, the event maintains Oscar qualifying run status which certainly bolsters its wide-ranging appeal for stellar entries. With over 120 entries both full length and short, the 2026 Dallas International Film Festival will be a must-see event.
Some features that deserve some advance buzz include:
Tuner – opening later this spring, Daniel Roher’s film stars Leo Woodall, Havana Rose Lui, and Dustin Hoffman in a film about a piano tuner who uses his distinct hearing ability for something sinister.
Blood Behind Us – the last film featuring Michael Madsen about a man returning home and having to confront violence.
Round Pegs Square Holes – one of those regional films that the festival excels at programming, this one is about the history of Deep Ellum.
The Furious – another genre the festival has always loved to book (that being the hyper stylized and crazy international thriller), Kenji Tanigaki’s film has been garnering wows on the festival circuit since last year’s Toronto Film Festival.
Misper – One of the Texas narrative features whose premise rings of Antonioni or Farhardi: “The employees of a dying seaside hotel have their lives upended when their colleague, Elle, vanishes. Instead of focusing on the police investigation or Elle’s close family, the story delves into the psychological impact on…. coworkers.” Count me intrigued.
Keep Quiet – Starring Lou Diamond Phillips as a tribal cop struggling to find a criminal on the run with a fresh partner.
Kenny Loggins: Conviction of the Heart – The closing night film promises to wrap up the festival in rocking style.
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid – It’ll be heartwarming to see Redford on the big screen again, as this classic film is one of the few repertory screenings during the festival.
Passes, film schedules, and all information about the 2026 Dallas International Film Festival can be located at https://diffdallas.org/diff
Stay tuned to Dallas Film Now for coverage of the event as well.
Dallas Film Now. 
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