The Lone Star Film Society has appointed Dennis Bishop as festival director of the 2008 Lone Star International Film Festival, which is scheduled for November 12-16, 2008, in Fort Worth, Texas.
A Dallas native, who began his career in Texas, Bishop is an independent filmmaker and producer based in Los Angeles whose career in the film and entertainment industry has spanned three decades. He has served in various capacities for major film festivals, workshops and seminars across the nation, including the AFI Dallas International Film Festival, the Sundance Institute Producers Conference and June Labs, the Austin Heart of Film Festival and the SXSW Film Conference.
“We are extremely fortunate to have someone of Dennis’s experience and stature in the film industry as director of this year’s Lone Star International Film Festival,” said Johnny Langdon, chairman of the Lone Star Film Society. “He is widely known and highly regarded throughout the film community, not only as a strong advocate for independent film, but also as a world-class producer in film studio and television venues.”
Sponsored by the Lone Star Film Society, the Lone Star International Film Festival promotes the work of emerging international filmmakers through competition and showcases, providing resources for distribution and cutting edge technology. The goal of the festival is to cultivate global cultural awareness through the art of the moving image, while featuring Fort Worth, Texas, as an international destination for both artistic and professional resources.
To obtain more information about this year’s film festival or volunteer, visit www.lonestarfilmsociety.com or call the Lone Star Film Society office at 817-735-1117.
“It is important to me as a filmmaker and producer to work with filmmakers who have something to say,” said Bishop. “The Lone Star International Film Festival will provide an excellent venue for me to realize that goal while allowing me to continue to give back to the community that has provided me with so many opportunities.”
Taking the helm of the Lone Star International Film Festival is a natural step in Bishop’s career. Having produced feature films, movies for television, documentaries, commercials, corporate films, and multi-image presentations, his extensive experience includes his tenure as a vice president of HBO Pictures where he oversaw the production of 27 movies that won 51 major awards, including “And The Band Played On,” “Barbarians at the Gate,” “Against the Wall” and “Positively True Adventures of the Alleged Texas Cheerleader Murdering Mom.”
His feature film productions range from high-profile independent films such as David Putnam’s “Local Hero” to Horton Foote’s “1918” and Foote’s Academy Award-winning “The Trip to Bountiful” as well as Universal Pictures’ immensely popular “The Fast and the Furious.”
His award-winning films for television include Golden Globe winner “Inherit the Wind” for MGM/Showtime and “Two for Texas” for Turner Network Television. He has also produced pilots for both network television and cable networks including “Cane” with Jimmy Smits for CBS/Paramount and ABC Studios, and “Dexter” for Showtime Pictures.
Bishop participates on industry committees and panels including the Directors Guild of America (DGA), the Producers Guild of America (PGA) and the American Film Market. He serves as co-chair of the FilmUSA Committee at the PGA and as a member of the Runaway Production Committee at the DGA and the Runaway Advisory Committee of the California Film Commission to draft tax-incentive legislation for California
Bishop attended both University of North Texas and The University of Texas at Arlington. He has served as an adjunct professor and visiting professional at universities such as University of Southern California and Southern Methodist University and has spoken on the subject of filmmaking at other universities, trade schools, high schools and grade schools.
A resident of Santa Monica, California, for the past 18 years, he is married and has three daughters.