Lone Star Film Festival announces features lineup

The Lone Star Film Festival, Fort Worth’s largest film fest, has announced 37 features for the lineup at its ninth edition Nov. 5-8. The list includes Carol, starring Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara and based on a novel by Fort Worth-born Patricia Highsmith, and Children of Giant, Hector Galan’s acclaimed documentary about the making of the classic Texas film, Giant.

The names of the short films being shown will be announced Oct. 8. All screenings will be at the AMC Palace Theater and Four Day Weekend Theater. All-access badges are currently available for $150. Individual screening tickets will go on sale in mid-October.

Here’s a thumbnail look at some of the notable films:

The Adderall Diaries: James Franco and Amber Heard star in this thriller, based on Stephen Elliott’s memoir, about a troubled writer covering a murder trial.

An Eye for Beauty: French-Canadian director Denys Arcand (Jesus of Montreal) returns with a story about a man having an extramarital affair.

Anomalisa: The first stop-motion animation film from director/writer Charlie Kaufman (Being John Malkovich, Synedoche New York). Jennifer Jason Leigh and David Thewlis star.

Back in Time: Back to the Future fandom knows no bounds and that’s chronicled in this documentary featuring Steven Spielberg, Lea Thompson, and Michael J. Fox about the film’s cultural impact.

Carol: Todd Haynes (Velvet Goldmine, Far from Heaven) brings Highsmith’s novel about a department-store clerk in ‘50s New York who falls for another woman.

Children of Giant: Giant, the 1956 film starring Elizabeth Taylor, James Dean, and Rock Hudson, remains one of the best films about Texas and this documentary looks at how the town of Marfa was affected by the film being shot there.

The Dark Horse: This New Zealand film stars Cliff Curtis (Fear the Walking Dead) and swept the top awards at the 2014 New Zealand Film Awards. It’s based on the life of Genesis Potini, a chess player with severe bipolar disorder.

Meadowland: Olivia Wilde, Luke Wilson, Elisabeth Moss, and Juno Temple star in this tale of a couple becoming unglued after their son’s disappearance.

Tumbledown: Joe Manganiello and Rebecca Hall are featured in this romantic comedy about a woman dealing with the death of her folk-singer husband.

Windsor: Fort Worth director Porter Farrell paints a picture of small-town Texas life on the brink of change. Barry Corbin stars.

Already announced last month were:

Mojave: Writer William Monahan (The Departed, Body of Lies, The Gambler) turns director for this thriller with Mark Wahlberg, Oscar Isaac, Walton Goggins and Garrett Hedlund about an artist who finds out his doppelganger is a murderous drifter.

Sir Doug and the Genuine Texas Cosmic Groove: The late San Antonio singer-songwriter Doug Sahm is one of the most intriguing musicians Texas has ever produced. Mixing rock, blues, country and Tejano, he crafted a unique style with the Sir Douglas Quintet in the 1960s through the Texas Tornados in the '90s. Now, Texas historian/writer Joe Nick Patoski documents Sahm's colorful life in a documentary that was well appreciated at this year's South by Southwest.

The Benefactor: Nominated for Best Narrative Feature at the Tribeca Film Festival, this drama starring Richard Gere, Dakota Fanning, and Theo James, about a philanthropist with a not-so-good side, is the feature debut from Andrew Renzi. His documentary (Fishtail) and shorts (The Fort, Karaoke!) have earned some notice on the festival circuit.

When I Live My Life Over Again: This story of a crooner attempting a comeback has an intriguing cast that includes Christopher Walken, Amber Heard, Oliver Platt, Ann Magnuson, and Kelli Garner.

Bright Shadow: This will be the world premiere for this music documentary about cult favorite folk singer-songwriter Ana Egge, who is trying to balance career with family issues. (Unrelated to the festival, Egge makes a North Texas appearance at the Granada Theater with Ani DiFranco on Oct. 13).

David Edelstein, the film critic for New York Magazine, NPR's Fresh Air and CBS-TV's Sunday Morning, will deliver the keynote speech.

Fort Worth singer/actress Betty Buckley was named as the recipient of the festival's Stephen Bruton Award. The honor, being handed to her by singer/composer T Bone Burnett, is given to a Texan musician who has contributed to both music and film. Also being honored is Sundance Square for the festival's Visionary Award. Edward P. Bass and Johnny K. Campbell will be accepting the award.

For more information, go to www.lonestarfilmfestival.com.

This story was originally published October 1, 2015 at 6:09 PM with the headline "Lone Star Film Festival announces features lineup."