Dallas FilmDallas FilmDIFF has announced plans for the 2026 Dallas International Film Festival as the Oscar® Qualifying Festival celebrates its 20th edition. The announcement was made by DIFF CEO Beth Wilbins and DIFF Artistic Director James Faust.
The eight-day Festival is set for Thursday, April 23 – Thursday, April 30, 2026.
Community leaders Tanya Foster and Lynn McBee, both of whom held previous leadership roles with the Festival’s parent organization, Dallas Film Society, Inc., will serve as co-chairs for the 20th Anniversary Dallas International Film Festival. Foster, who served as the Executive Director, and McBee, who served as the Board Chair, will preside over the 20th anniversary events and a new host committee comprised of individuals who have been involved with the Festival over the past 20 years.
Michael Cain – who was the co-founder, along with the late Liener Temerlin, of Dallas Film Society, Inc. in 2006 and the original Festival in 2007 – will host a new Founders Night Screening event.
Cinépolis Luxury Cinemas Victory Park, located steps away from American Airlines Center at 2365 Victory Park Lane, returns as the host venue. Additional screenings and events will be held at the historic Texas Theatre and the artful Virgin Hotels Dallas – which returns for the fourth year as the Premier Sponsor of the Festival – among other world-class Dallas destinations to be announced.
New to this year’s offerings at the Festival will be the first-time DIFF Industry Conference, presented in collaboration with Dallas Film Commission. The conference will feature panels focusing on filmmaking, television production, and how to thrive in an ever-changing industry, according to Katie Schuck, the Dallas Film Commissioner, and Austin Flores, who is the Location Specialist for Dallas Film Commission and will serve as Conference Director.
The Dallas International Film Festival is a global adventure featuring more than 125 film screenings, panels, Q&As with filmmakers and actors, nightly Red Carpets, live screenplay table reads, awards, and other events and activations where filmmakers, screenwriters, film industry leaders, celebrities, sponsors, and audiences come together to experience and discuss film. Films are curated from submissions received by filmmakers from 100+ countries worldwide, across Texas, and the United States, and include narrative features, documentaries, and short films of all genres from studios and independent filmmakers.
The Dallas International Film Festival is one of only 59 film festivals in the United States and only 181 film festivals worldwide to earn the designation of Oscar® Qualifying Festival by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Oscar® Qualifying short film awards at the Dallas International Film Festival are: Grand Jury Prize – Best Animated Short Film; Grand Jury Prize – Best Documentary Short Film; and Grand Jury Prize – Best Narrative Short Film.
Films that win qualified awards may be qualified to enter the 99th Academy Awards®, provided that the films meet all the requirements set forth in the official rules for that season. See https://www.oscars.org/oscars/rules-eligibility for details.
Submissions for the 2026 Dallas International Film Festival are open. Additional information on film and screenplay categories, programming strands, awards and prizes, rules, and deadlines is available at https://filmfreeway.com/DallasInternationalFilmFestival.
About DIFF | Dallas International Film Festival
DIFF is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts and culture organization established as Dallas Film Society, Inc. in 2006. Through year-round screenings and events, film series, educational programs, community partnerships, and film festivals, DIFF builds community and raises awareness of the world’s most approachable and inclusive art form.
Named by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences as an Oscar® Qualifying Festival, The Dallas International Film Festival is the signature presentation of the organization. Through curation of the broadest range of expression through film, the Dallas International Film Festival serves as the region’s most powerfully inclusive and equitable platform for diverse, emerging and underrepresented voices. Since its founding, the Festival has screened more than 2,500 widely diverse new films from 60 countries, provided more than $1.1 million in awards and hosted more than 100,000 filmgoers and filmmakers.
DIFF is committed to celebrating films and their impact on society, honoring filmmakers and recognizing their contribution enhancing both the creative community and the city of Dallas, providing leadership in film education, and celebrating excellence in the art of film. More information is available at https://diffdallas.org/.
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Get your passes today, and come “See the World from Here” with DIFF Dallas this spring: https://diffdallas.org/diff/passes
Press Releases:
DIFF Dallas Announces Dates and New Additions for Dallas International Film Festival 2026, DIFF 20th Anniversary Press Release_January 2026
Get ready to enjoy red carpet treatment at the home of our Premier Sponsor, Virgin Hotels Dallas, located in the heart of the Dallas Design District. Explore hotel happenings or level up your stay with a reservation to Commons Club.
Our festival attendees and our mission would not be possible without our amazing sponsors. Their generosity and support in our shared vision are crucial in bringing both the festival and our year-round initiatives to life.