T.D. Jakes’ film festival returns to Dallas with inviting lineup
The International Faith and Family Festival, part of T.D. Jakes’ MegaFest, returns to Dallas Aug. 20-22, bringing with it a roster of movies that might appeal to those who aren’t already part of the Jakes faithful. Among those screening are: Captive, the latest film starring David Oyelowo from Selma; The Jones Family Will Make a Way, the acclaimed documentary about the Texas gospel group; and 3 1/2 Minutes, Ten Bullets, the talked-about documentary about the confrontation at a Florida gas station in 2012 between black teen Jordan Davis and white adult Michael Dunn that ended in Davis’ death.
Oyelowo will be making an appearance for his film while a panel for 3 1/2 minutes will include Sybrina Fulton (the mother of Trayvon Martin) and Benjamin Crump (the lawyer who represented Martin’s family). Other guests during the festival include TV producers Mark Burnett and Roma Downey who will be leading a morning-inspiration session.
Here are descriptions of some of the films at the festival:
Captive: Based on true events, Oyelowo plays Brian Nichols, man who escaped prison in Atlanta in 2005 and held a woman (played by Kate Mara, Fantastic Four) hostage.
3 1/2 Minutes, Ten Bullets: The Davis-Dunn confrontation became a flashpoint on both sides of the racial divide three years ago. This film goes into detail about what led up to the tragedy and what has happened since.
The Jones Family Will Make a Way: The Jones Family of southeast Texas has been making gospel music for a long time but this documentary from director Alan Berg has been gaining the group new fans. The film has been a festival favorite including at last year’s South by Southwest.
The End of Malice: The life of Gene Thornton -- the brother of rapper Pusha-T and a friend of Pharrell Williams, who decided to leave the hip-hop life behind -- is the focus of this doc.
Hillsong: Let Hope Rise: Within the Christian entertainment community, the Sydney, Australia-based band Hillsong United is a certified phenomenon. This documentary chronicles their success.
War Room: The latest drama, about a family in crisis, from the Kendrick brothers whose previous films (Fireproof, Facing the Giants) have been huge hits in the Christian community.
Covered: Alive in Asia: Grammy-winning Christian musician Israel Houghton and his tour through Asia is the focus of this behind-the-scenes chronicle.
The festival is also screening the Diversity in Cannes Short Film Showcase, presented originally as part of the French festival’s “Beyond Borders” event, which includes films from North America, Australia, the Caribbean, and Africa.
The festival takes place at the Dallas Omni Hotel, 555 S. Lamar. A day pass for the festival is $39. Registered MegaFest attendeed get automatic entry into the film festival. For more information, go to mega-fest.org/filmfestival.
This story was originally published August 5, 2015 at 11:35 AM with the headline "T.D. Jakes’ film festival returns to Dallas with inviting lineup."