{"id":34021,"date":"2026-04-08T11:50:08","date_gmt":"2026-04-08T15:50:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cinemadailyus.com\/?p=34021"},"modified":"2026-04-08T11:50:08","modified_gmt":"2026-04-08T15:50:08","slug":"2026-usa-film-festival-annpunces-official-selections-and-special-guest-for-usaff56-april-22-26","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cinemadailyus.com\/?p=34021","title":{"rendered":"2026 USA Film Festival Announces\u00a0 Official Selections and Special Guests for USAFF56 (April 22-26)"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>\n
2026 USA Film Festival Announces\u00a0<\/b>
\nOfficial Selections and Special Guests for USAFF56<\/b>
\n(April 22-26)<\/b><\/p>\n

Opening Night will feature Warren\u00a0Elgort’s<\/b>
\nArthur Elgort: Models & Muses\u00a0<\/i>with Arthur Elgort in attendance,<\/b>
\nCenterpiece screening will be Renny Harlin\u2019s\u00a0Deep Water<\/i><\/b>
\nwith the filmmaker joined by executive producer
\nand music legend Gene Simmons<\/b><\/p>\n

USAFF will host a special salute to<\/b>
\nAcademy Award\u00ae nominee Lesley Ann Warren<\/b><\/p>\n

Guy Jacobson\u2019s\u00a0Out Of Order<\/i>\u00a0nabs the Spotlight slot,<\/b>
\nClosing night features Matthew Thayer\u2019s documentary<\/b>
\nNo Limbs No Limits<\/i>\u00a0with subject Nick Vijicic in attendance<\/b><\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
\"ARTHUR\u00a0\"DEEP<\/b>
\nArthur Elgort: Models & Muses, Deep Water<\/i><\/div>\n
\nDallas, TX (April 8, 2026) \u2013\u00a0<\/b>The Dallas-based\u00a0USA Film Festival<\/b>\u00a0announces this year\u2019s official selections and special guests for the festival\u2019s 56th edition taking place on\u00a0April\u00a022-26, 2026<\/b>.\u00a0\u00a0Known for its celebration of new and classic films from the U.S. and abroad, the Festival once again brings master artists and emerging talents to Dallas to present their works in a “live cinema” setting designed to bring artists and audiences together.\n<\/div>\n
\"OUTOut of Order<\/i><\/div>\n
\nUSAFF opens with a salute to celebrated fashion photographer\u00a0Arthur Elgort\u00a0<\/b>(in attendance) featuring Warren\u00a0Elgort’s new documentary\u00a0Arthur Elgort: Models & Muses.\u00a0<\/i><\/b>The Centerpiece Selection is\u00a0Renny Harlin\u2019s\u00a0<\/b>new disaster thriller\u00a0Deep Water<\/i><\/b>\u00a0as part of a salute to the filmmaker\u2019s career, including executive producer – and\u00a0\u00a0music legend –\u00a0Gene Simmons<\/b>\u00a0in attendance. The Spotlight Screening will be Guy Jacobson\u2019s madcap legal comedy\u00a0Out Of Order<\/i><\/b>. Closing Night\u2019s lineup will be led by Matthew Thayer\u2019s\u00a0No Limbs No Limits<\/i><\/b>, with the film\u2019s inspirational subject, Nick Vujicic, presenting the film.<\/p>\n

Highlights also include a salute to\u00a0Academy Award\u00aenominee\u00a0Lesley Ann Warren<\/b>, with a film-clip compilation covering her on-screen career in conjunction with a presentation of Tom Koch\u2019s short film\u00a0Olive<\/i><\/b>, Jon Keeyes\u2019\u00a0Speed Demon<\/i><\/b>, starring\u00a0Katie Cassidy<\/b>, with Keeyes and Cassidy on hand,\u00a0\u00a0and a special 75th\u00a0Anniversary screening of Alfred Hitchcock\u2019s\u00a0Strangers on a Train<\/i><\/b>\u00a0(1951) with author and film historian\u00a0Stephen Rebello<\/b>\u00a0in attendance with his new book about the film “Criss-Cross: The Making of Hitchcock’s Dazzling, Subversive Masterpiece Strangers on a Train.”<\/p>\n

All screenings and events will be held at the\u00a0Angelika Film Center Dallas<\/b>\u00a0(5321 E. Mockingbird Lane), with the majority of the programming offered as free-admission as part of the Festival’s community outreach programming.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are pleased to once again celebrate Dallas Arts Month with our annual Spring Festival,\u201d USAFF Managing Director Ann Alexander said.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cThis year’s program celebrates some very independent and inspirational artists, and includes programs ranging from important documentary topics and classic films, to pure entertainment fare.\u00a0\u00a0We are honored to bring these master artists, midcareer filmmakers and emerging talents to our stage in Dallas to present their works and speak with our audiences.\u00a0\u00a0And, with the support of our wonderful Sponsors, we are once again able to present the majority of this year’s programs as free admission.\u201d<\/p>\n

Opening Night, Wednesday, April 22, will kick off the festival with “A Salute to Arthur Elgort” featuring a screening of Warren Elgort\u2019s\u00a0Arthur Elgort: Models & Muses<\/i><\/b>.\u00a0\u00a0The intimate and visually rich documentary follows filmmaker Warren Elgort as he turns the camera on his father, legendary fashion photographer Arthur Elgort, whose candid, movement-driven style transformed the pages of Vogue and redefined the look of modern fashion photography. Utilizing archival footage, iconic Vogue shoots, and heartfelt interviews with collaborators including Anna Wintour, Andr\u00e9 Leon Talley and Linda Evangelista.\u00a0\u00a0Director\/producer\u00a0Warren Elgort<\/b>, film subject\u00a0Arthur Elgort<\/b>\u00a0and producer\u00a0Emma Elgort<\/b>\u00a0will be in attendance to present the film and participate in a post-screening Q&A.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\"STRANGERS\u00a0\"THE
\nStrangers on a Train, The Dummy Detective<\/i><\/div>\n
\nThursday, April 23 will feature a\u00a075th Anniversary screening<\/b>\u00a0of Alfred Hitchcock\u2019s suspenseful classic\u00a0Strangers on a Train<\/i><\/b>\u00a0(1951) with\u00a0Stephen Rebello<\/b>, film historian and the author of \u201cCriss-Cross: The Making of Hitchcock’s Dazzling, Subversive Masterpiece Strangers on a Train<\/b>\u201d in attendance.\u00a0\u00a0Mr. Rebello will be hosted on-stage by fellow author and film historian\u00a0Foster Hirsch.\u00a0<\/b>\u00a0Following the screening, Mr. Rebello will sign copies of his new book.<\/p>\n

Also screening on Thursday is Rob Margolies\u2019\u00a0The Dummy Detective<\/i><\/b>, a neo-noir homage and whodunit written by, produced, and starring Jonathan Geffner.\u00a0\u00a0The film follows detective Van Trillo\u00a0(Geffner),\u00a0a ventriloquist who solves investigations with the help of his wooden partner. They find themselves stranded at a remote inn where guests are turning up dead, one by one. The film also stars\u00a0Sean Young\u00a0<\/b>and\u00a0Deborah Twiss<\/b>.\u00a0\u00a0Jonathan Geffner<\/b>, a ventriloquist in real-life, will be in attendance to present the film.<\/p>\n

On Friday, April 24, the festival will feature its Centerpiece film presentation —\u00a0Renny Harlin<\/b>\u2019s new disaster thriller\u00a0Deep Water<\/i><\/b>.<\/i>\u00a0\u00a0When a flight from Los Angeles to Shanghai goes down in the middle of the Pacific, survivors soon discover they\u2019re not alone and must survive the shark infested waters. Directed by Harlin, written by Pete Bridges and John Kim, the action thriller stars\u00a0Aaron Eckhart, Sir Ben Kingsley, Molly Belle Wright, Angus Sampson, Kelly Gale, and Li Wenhan<\/b>.\u00a0\u00a0Produced by\u00a0Gene Simmons<\/b>, the film will be released in theaters by Magenta Light Studios on May 1st.\u00a0\u00a0Renny\u00a0 Harlin and Gene Simmons will be in attendance to present the film and participate in a post-screening Q&A.\n<\/div>\n

\"DO
\nDo Us Part<\/i>\n<\/div>\n
Also in attendance on Friday is Oklahoma native\u00a0Reed Arnold<\/b>\u00a0with his award-winning feature debut\u00a0Do Us Part<\/i><\/b>.\u00a0\u00a0A throwback to classic screwball comedies, the film follows the near chaos that occurs when a groom’s unrequited love from college shows up before his wedding to confess her love for him. It\u2019s up to their best friend and the notoriously non-monogamous best man to keep them apart and navigate a minefield of secrets to get his friend to the altar. The film won Best First Feature at the Naples International Film Festival, and Best Feature Comedy at Sedona FF.<\/p>\n

Saturday, April 25 will feature a wealth of riches for film fans. The Spotlight Screening of Guy Jacobson\u2019s madcap legal comedy\u00a0Out Of Order\u00a0<\/i><\/b>will lead off that evening. The stars\u00a0Brandon Routh<\/b>\u00a0as a young New York lawyer who ends up working for two opposing law firms, inexplicably representing both sides of the same case.\u00a0\u00a0The film also stars Brooke Shields, Sam Huntington, Sandra Bernhard, Luis Guzman and Krysta Rodriguez. Writer\/director\u00a0Guy Jacobson<\/b>\u00a0will be in attendance to present the film and participate in a post-screening Q&A.<\/p>\n

Saturday will also feature USAFF\u2019s Salute to\u00a0Lesley Ann Warren<\/b>\u00a0in conjunction with a screening of Tom Koch\u2019s short film\u00a0Olive<\/i><\/b>,\u00a0followed by a film clip compilation program and on-stage conversation with\u00a0Warren<\/b>\u00a0about her life and career, hosted by author and film historian\u00a0Foster Hirsch<\/b>.\u00a0\u00a0Warren\u2019s distinguished film and television credits include numerous fan favorites such as\u00a0Cinderella<\/i>,\u00a0Victor\/Victoria<\/i>,\u00a0Clue<\/i>,\u00a0Songwriter<\/i>,\u00a0Choose Me<\/i>,\u00a0Pure Country<\/i>,\u00a0The Limey, Life Stinks<\/i>,\u00a010th and Wolf<\/i>, “79 Park Avenue,” “Mission: Impossible,” “Family of Spies,” “Desperate Housewives,” “Baja Oklahoma,” “In Plain Sight,” and “Will & Grace,” to name just a few. Director Koch and Lesley Ann Warren will be in attendance to present the film.\n<\/div>\n

\"SPEED
\nSpeed Demon<\/i><\/div>\n
\nCapping Saturday evening\u2019s stunning lineup will be a screening of genre master Jon Keeyes\u2019\u00a0Speed Demon<\/i><\/b>, written by Domenico Salvaggio, starring\u00a0Katie Cassidy\u00a0<\/b>and\u00a0William H. Macy<\/b>.\u00a0\u00a0Aboard a high-speed train, a Nun who lost her faith must perform her first exorcism on a possessed passenger hellbent on crashing the runaway train. Both\u00a0\u00a0Keeyes<\/b>and\u00a0Cassidy<\/b>\u00a0will be in attendance and will participate in a post-screening Q&A.<\/p>\n

Also screening on Saturday is\u00a0Adam Meeks\u2019<\/b>\u00a0debut feature\u00a0Union County<\/i><\/b>, starring Will Poulter and Noah Centineo.\u00a0\u00a0The film follows a man\u2019s tenuous journey toward recovery amid the opioid epidemic in rural Ohio. Writer\/director\u00a0Adam Meeks<\/b>\u00a0will be in attendance to present the film. Rounding out Saturday is Pulitzer Prize-finalist Rosanna Xia\u2019s\u00a0Out of Plain Sight<\/i><\/b>, a cinematic expos\u00e9 of an environmental disaster lurking just off the coast of Southern California. This program will be presented in partnership with the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) \u2013 Dallas Chapter. In attendance for a post-film discussion will be filmmaker\u00a0Rosanna Xia<\/b>\u00a0and WHOI Senior Scientist and researcher in marine robotics,\u00a0Dana Yoerger<\/b>.\n<\/div>\n

\"NO
\nNo Limbs No Limits<\/i><\/div>\n
\nOn Sunday, April 26, the Festival\u2019s Closing Night line-up will include a screening of Matthew Thayer\u2019s\u00a0No Limbs No Limits\u00a0<\/i><\/b>starring Nick Vujicic.\u00a0\u00a0Born in Melbourne without arms or legs, Nick Vujicic defied every expectation the world placed on him — surviving childhood depression and a suicide attempt at age eight to eventually reaching nearly one billion people with his message of faith and perseverance.\u00a0Nick Vujicic<\/b>\u00a0will be in attendance for this special screening.<\/p>\n

Additional documentaries to be featured on Sunday include filmmaker Sandra Luckow\u2019s\u00a0Vanishing: A Love Story<\/i><\/b>, a documentary about award-winning novelist Cai Emmons, who was diagnosed with ALS in 2021, and her loving, open-hearted journey towards death.\u00a0Sandra Luckow<\/b>\u00a0and Cai Emmons\u2019 husband,\u00a0Paul Calandrino<\/b>, will be in attendance for a post-film discussion. Also screening is\u00a0Sascha Just<\/b>\u2019s music documentary\u00a0What We Can Know About Edmond and Basile<\/i><\/b>\u00a0about 19th century composers Basile Bar\u00e8s and Edmond D\u00e9d\u00e9. The film uses the performances and\u00a0rehearsals of New Orleans musicians and the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra as they resurrect these composers long lost compositions.\u00a0\u00a0Sascha Just<\/b>\u00a0will be in attendance to present the film.\u00a0This program will be presented in partnership with Sammons Jazz and the Sammons Center for the Arts in celebration of Dallas Jazz Appreciation Month (D’JAM).<\/i><\/p>\n

In addition, the festival will host a screening of\u00a0The\u00a0Trip\u00a0to\u00a0Bountiful<\/i>\/Remembering Horton Foote<\/b>.\u00a0\u00a0The 1985 film stars Geraldine Page,\u00a0John Heard and Rebecca De Mornay and was shot in Texas.\u00a0\u00a0The Oscar-nominated screenplay is from\u00a0legendary writer Horton Foote, based on his play.\u00a0\u00a0The film will be presented in partnership with the DeGolyer Library, Hamon Arts Library, and the G. William Jones Film & Video Collection at SMU which houses a number of the Horton Foote archives.<\/p>\n

More highlights among the film selections include:\u00a0Jay Duplass\u2019\u00a0See You When I See You<\/i><\/b>, written by Adam Cayton-Holland, a truthful and bitingly funny tale of surviving PTSD with a little help from family, loved ones and therapy starring Cooper Raiff, David Duchovny, Kaitlyn Dever, Hope Davis, Lucy Boynton, and Ariela Barer; Zoe Pepper\u2019s\u00a0Birthright<\/i><\/b>, a darkly twisted tale about a disillusioned generation and their chase for the success of their baby boomer parents; David DuBos\u2019\u00a0In a Good Place Now: The Life and Music of Bobby Charles\u00a0<\/i><\/b>is\u00a0an engrossing documentary about the life and career of the unconventional Louisiana artist Bobby Charles; and Edwin Mullane & Adam O\u2019Keefe\u2019s\u00a0Horseshoe<\/i><\/b>, a drama comedy with a twist set in the wild West of Ireland that follows four estranged adults who return to the family home after the passing of their father.<\/p>\n

Short film programs include Texas shorts and filmmakers, narrative shorts, student shorts and documentary short films, as well as films from students at Garland High School\u2019s four-year International Baccalaureate Diploma Program (IBDP).<\/p>\n

The Festival’s\u00a02026 Short Film Jury\u00a0<\/b>includes actor\u00a0Jim Beaver<\/b>, actress\u00a0Dale Dickey<\/b>, actress\/producer\/documentarian\/educator\u00a0Diane Baker<\/b>, animator\/director\u00a0Bill\u00a0Haller<\/b>, film historian\/author\/professor\u00a0Foster Hirsch<\/b>, manager\/writer\/producer\/director\u00a0Chris Roe<\/b>, and artist\/director\/writer\u00a0Rosson Crow<\/b>. Award winners are selected from hundreds of submissions in a variety of categories including Fiction, Nonfiction, Animated and Experimental with additional awards for Student and Texas films also awarded.<\/p>\n

This year’s program is dedicated<\/b>\u00a0to USAFF alumni guest filmmakers and friends that we lost during the past year including: Rob Reiner, Robert Redford, Robert Duvall, Robert Benton, Tom Noonan, Chuck Norris and Frederick Wiseman.<\/p>\n

For more details and to view the full schedule of programs, visit\u00a0https:\/\/www.usafilmfestival.com\/<\/a><\/p>\n

Tickets range from Free – $20<\/b>\u00a0(quantities are limited).<\/p>\n

ADVANCE TICKETS<\/b>\u00a0will be available online beginning April 3rd at\u00a0https:\/\/www.eventbrite.com\/cc\/56th-annual-usa-film-festival-4827625<\/a><\/p>\n

DAY-OF-SHOW TICKETS<\/b>\u00a0— (Based on availability) Any unsold\/unreserved tickets will be made available at the Angelika Film Center upstairs Sales Desk beginning ONE HOUR prior to EACH showtime.\n<\/div>\n

<\/ins><\/p>\n<\/div>\n
The 2026 USA Film Festival Official Selections<\/b><\/p>\n

SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS<\/b><\/div>\n

\nOPENING NIGHT PRESENTATION<\/b>
\nArthur Elgort: Models & Muses<\/i><\/b>
\nDirector:\u00a0Warren Elgort<\/b>
\nCountry:\u00a0USA<\/b>
\nRunning Time:\u00a083min<\/b>
\nIn this intimate and visually rich documentary, filmmaker Warren Elgort turns the camera on his father, legendary fashion photographer Arthur Elgort, whose candid, movement-driven style transformed the pages of Vogue and redefined the look of modern fashion photography. Told through unprecedented archival footage, iconic Vogue shoots, and heartfelt interviews with collaborators like\u2014Anna Wintour, Andr\u00e9 Leon Talley and Linda Evangelista\u2014 the film captures the spontaneity, humor, and genius behind Arthur’s work. As Warren uncovers the man behind the camera, the film becomes both a celebration of a creative legacy and a tender portrait of a father through the eyes of his son.<\/p>\n

CENTERPIECE PRESENTATION<\/b>
\nDeep Water<\/i><\/b>
\nDirector:\u00a0Renny Harlin<\/b>
\nCountry:\u00a0USA<\/b>
\nRunning Time: 110min
\nA flight from Los Angeles to Shanghai goes down in the middle of the Pacific.\u00a0\u00a0After surviving the crash, the survivors soon discover they\u2019re not alone and they must survive the shark infested waters.\u00a0\u00a0Directed by Renny Harlin, written by Pete Bridges and John Kim, the thrilling film stars Aaron Eckhart, Ben Kingsley, Molly Belle Wright, Angus Sampson, Kelly Gale, and Li Wenhan.\u00a0\u00a0Produced by Gene Simmons, Ying Ye, Neal Kingston, Grant Bradley, Dale Bradley, Adri\u00e1n Guerra, Xavier Parache, Bob Yari.<\/p>\n

SPOTLIGHT PRESENTATION<\/b>
\nOut Of Order<\/i><\/b>
\nDirector:\u00a0Guy Jacobson<\/b>
\nCountry:\u00a0USA<\/b>
\nRunning Time:\u00a095min<\/b>
\nIn an attempt to win back his supermodel ex-girlfriend, a young NY lawyer ends up working at two opposing law firms, representing both sides of the same case.\u00a0\u00a0Written and directed by Guy Jacobson, the madcap comedy stars Brandon Routh, Brooke Shields, Sam Huntington, Sandra Bernhard, Luis Guzman and Krysta Rodriguez.<\/p>\n

SPECIAL 75<\/b>TH<\/b><\/sup>\u00a0ANNIVERSARY PRESENTATION<\/b>
\nStrangers on a Train<\/i><\/b>\u00a0(1951)\u00a075th Anniversary Screening<\/i>
\nDirector:\u00a0Alfred Hitchock<\/b>
\nCountry:\u00a0USA<\/b>
\nRunning Time:\u00a0101min<\/b>
\nAlfred Hitchcock directed this classic suspense tale – widely considered one of the master’s best works – tapping into the evil that lies hidden just beneath the surface of each of us.\u00a0\u00a0When two strangers – tennis star Guy Haines (Farley Granger), whose wife will not grant him a divorce, and wealthy but deranged young Bruno Anthony (Robert Walker), who wants to be rid of his father – happen to meet on a train from Washington to New York, the conversation casually turns to a possibly perfect crime: what if each committed murder for the other?\u00a0\u00a0There is nothing to connect the two men.\u00a0\u00a0No apparent motive for either killing.\u00a0\u00a0When the trip ends, Guy believes the conversation was hypothetical, and that he will never see Bruno again.\u00a0\u00a0Then his wife is murdered… and Bruno returns for payback.\u00a0\u00a0Hard-boiled crime novelist Raymond Chandler co-wrote the screenplay of this film adaptation of the novel by Patricia Highsmith.<\/p>\n

Olive (Salute to Lesley Ann Warren)<\/i><\/b>
\nDirector:\u00a0Tom Koch<\/b>
\nCountry:\u00a0USA<\/b>
\nRunning Time:\u00a013min<\/b>
\nWhile caring for his grandmother, Sam begins to question the nature of their relationship.<\/p>\n

FEATURED CLOSING NIGHT PRESENTATION<\/b>
\nNo Limbs No Limits<\/i><\/b>
\nDirector:\u00a0Matthew Thayer<\/b>
\nCountry:\u00a0USA<\/b>
\nRunning Time:\u00a091min<\/b>
\nWhen an Australian family is handed a newborn son with no arms and no legs, they face a choice that will either limit them forever — or change the world.\u00a0\u00a0No Limbs No Limits<\/i>\u00a0is the story of how they chose the world.\u00a0\u00a0Born in Melbourne without arms or legs, Nick Vujicic defied every expectation the world placed on him — surviving childhood depression and a suicide attempt at age eight to eventually reach nearly one billion people with a message of radical hope.\u00a0\u00a0But the deeper story belongs to his family, who fought Australia’s education system into rethinking disability integration nationwide and chose, daily and imperfectly, to believe their son’s life was limitless.\u00a0\u00a0Drawing on extraordinary personal access and rare archival home footage,\u00a0No Limbs No Limits<\/i>\u00a0is the story of what becomes possible when love refuses to accept the verdict.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

ADDITIONAL NARRATIVE FEATURES<\/b><\/div>\n
\nBirthright<\/i><\/b>
\nDirector:\u00a0Zoe Pepper<\/b>
\nCountry:\u00a0Australia<\/b>
\nRunning Time:\u00a093min<\/b>
\nEvicted and jobless, Cory and his pregnant wife are forced to stay with his parents. As the younger couple\u2019s stay extends the parents\u2019 become worried that their disappointing son will never leave the house. Desperate to prove himself, the edges of Cory\u2019s reality slip away and he finds an unexpected path to success that detonates the family in Zoe Pepper\u2019s darkly twisted tale about a disillusioned generation and their chase for the success of their baby boomer parents.<\/p>\n

Do Us Part<\/i><\/b>
\nDirector:\u00a0Reed Arnold<\/b>
\nCountry:\u00a0USA<\/b>
\nRunning Time:\u00a093min<\/b>
\nRose, Ryan, and Mark were best friends in college, though Rose and Ryan were always almost something more and Mark was always\u00a0something of a cad.\u00a0\u00a0Now, years later, Rose shows up in the hours before Ryan’s wedding to rectify what she considers a mistake of her youth forcing the best man, Mark, still happily non-monogamous himself, to navigate a minefield of secrets both old and new to get his friend to ‘I Do’ before the past blows up the future and the bonds of the trio’s once unshakeable friendship are fully severed.<\/p>\n

The Dummy Detective<\/i><\/b>
\nDirector:\u00a0Rob Margolies<\/b>
\nCountry:\u00a0USA<\/b>
\nRunning Time:\u00a090min<\/b>
\nA ventriloquist\/detective and his wooden partner are trapped in a creepy inn with eccentric guests, one of whom is a serial killer.\u00a0\u00a0An alluring actress, Chloe Lake (Deborah Twiss), is being stalked by a serial killer. She escapes to a creepy, remote inn in upstate New York where the innkeeper is an eccentric British part-time mystery writer (Sean Young).\u00a0\u00a0Chloe is joined by detective Van Trillo (Jonathan Geffner), who uses his ventriloquist skills to aid in his investigations.\u00a0\u00a0Together with his wooden partner, Sam Suede, Trillo soon finds himself stranded with Chloe in the inn as a torrential storm rages outside and all communication with the outside world is cut off.\u00a0\u00a0And one of the odd guests at the inn is apparently the serial killer.\u00a0\u00a0As the night progresses, guests at the inn are murdered one by one as Trillo struggles to identify and apprehend the suspect.\u00a0\u00a0Will Trillo & Suede catch the elusive culprit before all is lost?<\/p>\n

Horseshoe<\/i><\/b>
\nDirectors:\u00a0Edwin Mullane and Adam O\u2019Keefe<\/b>
\nCountry:\u00a0Ireland<\/b>
\nRunning Time:\u00a088min<\/b>
\nAll families are mad\u2026 not least the Canavans.\u00a0\u00a0When Colm, the head of the family, dies there are few who mourn his passing — not even his four estranged adult children.\u00a0\u00a0But the legalities of his will must be observed, and more than one Canavan sibling is harboring secrets.\u00a0\u00a0As the Canavans return to the family home, the fate of the family unit, their sanity and the Canavan estate all hang in the balance.\u00a0\u00a0Blending razor-sharp dialogue with raw emotional depth, the cast delivers powerful performances from Carolyn Bracken, Lalor Roddy, John Connors, Mary Murray, Jed Murray, Neill Fleming, Eric O\u2019Brien and Caroline Harvey.
\nSpeed Demon<\/i><\/b>
\nDirector:\u00a0Jon Keeyes<\/b>
\nCountry:\u00a0USA<\/b>
\nRunning Time:\u00a093min<\/b>
\nWhen Father Novak (William H. Macy) and Sister Lu (Katie Cassidy) board a train from Montreal to New York City, they aren\u2019t prepared for the danger and evil that would pursue them.\u00a0\u00a0After the train is taken over by the demon Asmodeus, Father Novak and Sister Lu must battle possessed passengers on a runaway train with Sister Lu forced to overcome her faltering faith and perform the first exorcism done by a nun.<\/p>\n

See You When I See You<\/i><\/b>
\nDirector:\u00a0Jay Duplass<\/b>
\nCountry:\u00a0USA<\/b>
\nRunning Time:\u00a0102min<\/b>
\nA truthful and bitingly funny tale of surviving PTSD with a little help from family, loved ones and therapy.\u00a0\u00a0Through a compassionate and inventive journey into the human psyche, director Jay Duplass and first-time feature writer Adam Cayton-Holland portray a sense of lived-in authenticity with wisdom, heightened by fantastical renderings of a collection of memories in their intricate adaptation of Cayton-Holland\u2019s 2018 memoir,\u00a0Tragedy Plus Time<\/i>. Fiercely original and astutely universal,\u00a0See You When I See You<\/i>\u00a0charts the uneven path of emotional healing from grief and trauma with refreshing honesty, through turns that are dark, humorous, and unexpected.<\/p>\n

The Trip to Bountiful\u00a0<\/i><\/b>(1985)
\nDirectors:\u00a0Peter Masterson<\/b>
\nCountry:\u00a0USA<\/b>
\nRunning Time:\u00a0108min<\/b>
\nA richly textured and triumphant tale of an elderly woman’s journey home,\u00a0The Trip to Bountiful<\/i>\u00a0stars Geraldine Page in the performance of a lifetime and a role that won her an Academy Award\u00ae for Best Actress in a Leading Role.\u00a0\u00a0Funny, adventurous and suspenseful, the film is perfect on just about every level and is a demonstration of the human spirit.\u00a0Carrie Watts (Page) is an elderly woman with a weak heart, but of strong determination.\u00a0\u00a0Trapped in a tiny apartment under the care of her cowardly son and his shrewish wife, Carrie is determined to escape and return to her girlhood home.\u00a0\u00a0Seizing her chance and her meager Social Security check, Carrie sets out on an unforgettable quest to make peace with her past — and the secrets of her heart that draw her ever homeward.\u00a0\u00a0Peter Masterson directed this endearing and uplifting drama co-starring John Heard and Rebecca De Mornay.\u00a0\u00a0Legendary writer Horton Foote wrote the Oscar\u00ae-nominated screenplay based on his own play.<\/p>\n

Union County<\/i><\/b>
\nDirector:\u00a0Adam Meeks<\/b>
\nCountry:\u00a0USA<\/b>
\nRunning Time:\u00a097min<\/b>
\nAssigned to a county-mandated drug court program, Cody Parsons (Will Poulter) embarks on the tenuous journey toward recovery amid the opioid epidemic in rural Ohio.\u00a0\u00a0Also starring Noah Centineo, Emily Meade and Elise Kibler.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTARY FEATURES<\/b><\/div>\n
\nOut of Plain Sight<\/i><\/b>
\nDirector:\u00a0Rosanna Xia<\/b>
\nCountry:\u00a0USA<\/b>
\nRunning Time:\u00a094min<\/b>
\nFrom the Los Angeles Times and Pulitzer Prize-finalist Rosanna Xia, the film is a cinematic expos\u00e9 of an environmental disaster lurking just off the coast of Southern California.\u00a0\u00a0Not far from Catalina Island, aboard one of the most-advanced research ships in the world, David Valentine discovered a corroded barrel on the seafloor that gave him chills.\u00a0\u00a0The full environmental horror sharpens into greater clarity once he calls Xia, who pieces together a shocking revelation: In the years after World War II, as many as half a million barrels of toxic waste had been quietly dumped into the ocean \u2013 and the consequences continue to haunt the world today.<\/p>\n

In a Good Place Now: The Life and Music of Bobby Charles<\/i><\/b>
\nDirector:\u00a0David DuBos<\/b>
\nCountry:\u00a0USA<\/b>
\nRunning Time:\u00a074min<\/b>
\nFeature-length documentary about the life and career of Robert Charles Guidry, better known to the. music world as Bobby Charles.\u00a0\u00a0Bobby was an enigma in the music world, a brilliant singer\/songwriter who never learned to play an instrument and could not read or write music.\u00a0\u00a0He went from being a teen pop sensation in the 1950’s to a hippie-on-the-run in Woodstock in the early 70’s, to a performer in the legendary Last Waltz concert to a recluse living out his life in his. hometown of Abbeville, Lousiana.\u00a0\u00a0Along the way, he met and befriended legendary music icons such as Willie Nelson, Neil Young, Bob Dylan, Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry, Fats Domino, Ray Charles and many, many others as well as writing a long list of now-classic tunes such as “See You Later, Alligator,” “Walking to New Orleans,” “The Jealous Kind,” and “I Don’t Know Why I Love You (But I Do).”<\/p>\n

Vanishing: A Love Story<\/i><\/b>
\nDirector:\u00a0Sandra Luckow<\/b>
\nCountry:\u00a0USA<\/b>
\nRunning Time:\u00a0107min<\/b>
\nVanishing: A Love Story<\/i>\u00a0is a documentary about award-winning novelist Cai Emmons and her loving, open-hearted journey towards death.\u00a0\u00a0In 2021, at the age of 70, Cai was diagnosed with ALS.\u00a0\u00a0Taking place in 2022, during the last six-months Cai\u2019s life, the film is, first and foremost, a story about the agency of expression — having a voice to create a legacy in the world.<\/p>\n

What We Can Know About Edmond and Basile<\/i><\/b>
\nDirector:\u00a0Sascha Just<\/b>
\nCountry:\u00a0USA<\/b>
\nRunning Time:\u00a085min<\/b>
\nThe stars of this documentary are 19th century New Orleans composers Basile Bar\u00e8s and Edmond D\u00e9d\u00e9.\u00a0\u00a0Basile Bar\u00e8s and Edmond D\u00e9d\u00e9 were Creoles of Color in 19th century New Orleans — D\u00e9d\u00e9 a free man, Bar\u00e8s born into enslavement.\u00a0\u00a0From the tail end of slavery to racial segregation Bar\u00e8s and D\u00e9d\u00e9 wrote and performed operas and concert popular with black and white audiences.\u00a0\u00a0Yet, since their lifetime their compositions have not been performed, and some have never been presented to the public.\u00a0\u00a0New Orleans musicians and the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra are now resurrecting their long lost compositions — and exploring their connections to jazz.\u00a0\u00a0From rehearsals to costume fittings\u00a0Edmond and Basile\u00a0<\/i>documents the path to these premieres and uses the performances as a springboard to a journey into a hidden history.<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
<\/ins><\/p>\n<\/div>\n
SHORT FILMS<\/b><\/div>\n
\nNarrative Short Films \u2013 The Darker Side<\/u><\/b>
\nTRT: 98min<\/p>\n

Jasmine. Home. Mother<\/i><\/b>
\nDirector: Ugn\u0117 Skonsmanait\u0117
\nCountries: Lithuania\/UK\/USA
\nRunning Time: 15min<\/p>\n

Query<\/i><\/b>
\nDirector: Stewart Hendler
\nCountry: USA
\nRunning Time: 12min
\nStarring: Anthony Hill<\/p>\n

The Pearl Comb<\/i><\/b>
\nDirector: Ali Cook
\nCountry: UK
\nRunning Time: 21min<\/p>\n

The Ride<\/i><\/b>
\nDirector: Slava Denisov
\nCountries: USA
\nRunning Time: 15min
\nStarring: Ron Perlman<\/p>\n

The Seventh Turn<\/i><\/b>
\nDirector: Eric D. Howell
\nCountry: USA
\nRunning Time: 20min<\/p>\n

The Spectacle<\/i><\/b>
\nDirector: B\u00e1lint Kenyeres
\nCountry: Hungary
\nRunning Time: 17min<\/p>\n

Narrative Short Films \u2013 The Lighter Side<\/u><\/b>
\nTRT: 80min<\/p>\n

Drop Off<\/i><\/b>
\nDirector: Ric Serena
\nCountry: USA
\nRunning Time: 3min<\/p>\n

Fireflies in the Dusk<\/i><\/b>
\nDirector: Jonathan Hammond
\nCountry: USA
\nRunning Time 17min<\/p>\n

Rent-a-Fr13nd<\/i><\/b>
\nDirector: Avery Daman
\nCountry: USA
\nRunning Time: 12min<\/p>\n

Something Pointless<\/i><\/b>
\nDirector: Asa Bailey
\nCountries: UK
\nRunning Time: 14min
\nStarring: Owen Teale, Sophie Thompson and Sule Rimi<\/p>\n

The Application<\/i><\/b>
\nDirector: Joey Brooks
\nCountries: USA
\nRunning Time: 11min<\/p>\n

The Carnal Soul<\/i><\/b>
\nDirector: Alexandra Essoe
\nCountry: USA
\nRunning Time: 12min
\nStarring: Bob Gunton<\/p>\n

The Lingering<\/i><\/b>
\nDirector: Gabe Reiss
\nCountry: USA
\nRunning Time: 11min<\/p>\n

Texas Short Films (In Competition)<\/u><\/b>
\nTRT: 99min<\/p>\n

A Very Crowded Room<\/i><\/b>
\nDirector: Nate Wilburn
\nCity: San Marcos
\nRunning Time: 5min<\/p>\n

El Lloron<\/i><\/b>
\nDirector: Rodrigo Moreno-Fernandez
\nCity: Brownsville
\nRunning Time: 17min<\/p>\n

Should We Do It?<\/i><\/b>
\nDirector: Yuqi Sun
\nCity: Austin
\nRunning Time: 11min<\/p>\n

Ten West<\/i><\/b>
\nDirector: Shannon Chance
\nCity: Dallas
\nRunning Time: 11min<\/p>\n

Tito Ritmo<\/i><\/b>
\nDirector: Ulises C\u00f3rdova
\nCity: El Paso
\nRunning Time: 15min<\/p>\n

Dawn at Dominion<\/i><\/b>
\nDirector: Carl Bailey
\nCity: Celina
\nRunning Time: 40min<\/p>\n

Student Short Films (In Competition)<\/u><\/b>
\nTRT: 111min<\/p>\n

91 Times Smash<\/i><\/b>
\nDirector: Yuxin Yang
\nCountry: USA
\nRunning Time: 14min<\/p>\n

Ankara 1979<\/i><\/b>
\nDirector: Can Karayal\u00e7\u0131n
\nCountry: Turkey
\nRunning Time: 20min<\/p>\n

Betrayal<\/i><\/b>
\nDirector: Carolyn (Xiange) Liu
\nCountry: China
\nRunning Time: 16min<\/p>\n

Old Man’s Child<\/i><\/b>
\nDirector: Gery Riba
\nCountry: Hungary
\nRunning Time: 28min<\/p>\n

Nothing but the End<\/i><\/b>
\nDirector: Tanguy Pichon
\nCountries: Switzerland
\nRunning Time: 15min<\/p>\n

VITA 2.0<\/i><\/b>
\nDirector: Vita Stoikova
\nCountry: Ukraine
\nRunning Time: 18min<\/p>\n

Reel Owl Cinema Shorts Program\u00a0<\/u><\/b>
\nTRT: 60min
\n(Film Lineup TBA)<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
<\/ins><\/p>\n

ABOUT THE USA FILM FESTIVAL<\/b>
\nA\u00a0year-round\u00a0film festival featuring 50 days of programs, the USA Film Festival is a 56-year-old Dallas-based 501c3 non-profit organization dedicated to the recognition and promotion of excellence in the film and video arts.\u00a0\u00a0Year-round events include the annual KidFilm\u00ae Festival; monthly screenings; special programs and premieres; and the USA Film Festival, held each Spring.\u00a0\u00a0Throughout the year, the festival presents a variety of membership, exhibition, educational, and cultural programs designed to promote equity and equality, and to bring together audiences and artists for a \u201clive cinema\u201d experience.<\/p>\n

OFFICIAL SPONSORS<\/b>
\nUSAFF56 is supported in part by the City of Dallas Office of Arts and Culture, the Texas Commission on the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts.\u00a0\u00a0Presenting Sponsors include Sidley Austin LLP, Dave Perry-Miller Real Estate, Gaedeke Group, Carol and Alan J. Bernon Family Charitable Foundation, Moody Fund for the Arts, Headington Companies, Dallas Tourism Public Improvement District, Mary Fox and Laura Fox, Dallas Film Commission, Warwick Melrose-Dallas, Dallas Producers Association, MPS Studios, SAG-AFTRA, SMU – Hamon Arts Library and the G. William Jones Film & Video Collection, Spracklen Film & Video, Wildworks PR and the Angelika Film Center.<\/p>\n

DALLAS ARTS MONTH<\/b>
\nUSAFF56 is pleased to be a part of Dallas Arts Month! The annual spotlight event was first launched in 2013 as Dallas Arts Week. Today it is a city-wide celebration of Dallas arts and culture designed to build awareness and appreciation for the work of Dallas artists and organizations, and foster creative learning and activity throughout the city. Residents and visitors are encouraged to participate in events and programming offered by art and cultural institutions from all disciplines. For more information, please visit\u00a0www.dallasartsmonth.com<\/a><\/p>\n

DALLAS JAZZ APPRECIATION MONTH<\/b>
\nUSAFF56 is proud to once again partner with the Sammons Center for the Arts and Sammons Jazz to present screenings celebrating the rich history of jazz.\u00a0\u00a0Dallas Jazz Appreciation Month (D\u2019JAM) is a special month-long celebration of all things jazz, including the amazing jazz artists, past and present, legends and rising stars, who call North Texas home.\u00a0\u00a0Held each April as part of the national program Jazz Appreciation Month (JAM), D\u2019JAM presents a variety of events highlighting and showcasing jazz in the greater Dallas area.\u00a0\u00a0The local initiative is coordinated by a volunteer collective of jazz presenters, jazz educators, and jazz supporters that includes nonprofit arts groups, universities, festivals, high schools, cultural centers, jazz clubs, and museums.<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
<\/ins><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

2026 USA Film Festival Announces\u00a0 Official Selections and Special Guests for USAFF56 (April 22-26) Opening Night will feature Warren\u00a0Elgort’s Arthur Elgort: Models & Muses\u00a0with Arthur Elgort in attendance, Centerpiece screening will be Renny Harlin\u2019s\u00a0Deep Water with the filmmaker joined by executive producer and music legend Gene Simmons USAFF will host a special salute to Academy…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":34023,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[34,20471],"tags":[8471,22246,30353,30351,30352,25838,30354,30350,30349],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n2026 USA Film Festival Announces\u00a0 Official Selections and Special Guests for USAFF56 (April 22-26)<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"2026 USA Film Festival Announces\u00a0Official Selections and Special Guests for USAFF56(April 22-26)\u00a0Opening Night will 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he decided to go to the United States thanks to seeing the artistry of Stanley Kubrick's \"A Clockwork Orange.\u201d After graduating from film school, he worked as an assistant director on TV Tokyo\u2019s program called \"Morning Satellite\" at the New York branch office but he didn\u2019t give up on his interest in cinema. He became a film reporter for via Yahoo Japan News. In that role, he writes news articles, picks out headliners for Yahoo News, as well as interviewing Hollywood film directors, actors, and producers working in the domestic circuit in the USA. He also does production interviews for Japanese distributors of American films and for in-theater on-sale programs. He is now the editor-in-chief of Cinemadailyus.com while continuing his work for Japan.","sameAs":["https:\/\/www.cinemadailyus.com"],"url":"https:\/\/cinemadailyus.com\/?author=2"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cinemadailyus.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34021"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cinemadailyus.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cinemadailyus.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cinemadailyus.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cinemadailyus.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=34021"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/cinemadailyus.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34021\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cinemadailyus.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/34023"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cinemadailyus.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=34021"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cinemadailyus.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=34021"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cinemadailyus.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=34021"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}