🌱 Oak Cliff Film Fest Returns + Dallas Awarded For Community Efforts

Good morning, neighbors. It's me, Nicole Fallon-Peek, your host of the Dallas Patch newsletter — here to explain all the most important things happening in the community.

But first, today's weather:

Intervals of clouds and sun. High: 86 Low: 67.

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Here are the top three stories in Dallas today:

1. The Oak Cliff Film Festival is headed to Dallas from Thursday, Jun. 22, to Sunday, Jun. 25, featuring a variety of cinemas at some of the most iconic venues in the area. The festival will bring 26 feature films, 13 premieres, 35 new shorts, and a handful of concerts that all align with the theme of "Soup's On!: Cinema Like You've Never Tasted." All screenings and concerts will be held at different venues, including the Texas Theatre, The Wild Detectives, the Kessler Theater, and more. (D Magazine)
2. The City of Dallas has been named an awardee of the 2023 Smart 50 Awards by Smart Cities Connect, a global organization recognizing innovative work related to smart city projects. The award is a recognition of the city's Red Cloud Neighborhood Smart Cities Pilot Project, the first of its kind in Dallas. Red Cloud is located in Southeast Dallas and is equipped with community Wi-Fi, Air Quality Environmental Monitors (AQMs), and AI-enabled situational awareness cameras by using LED streetlights integrated with wireless access points. (KRLD)
3. On Sunday, May 21, four individuals were hospitalized in a major crash that happened just before midnight on North Beckley Avenue near Interstate 30. According to the Dallas County Sheriff's Office, a pickup truck went speeding down the road when the driver lost control, veered off the road, and ended up crashing into a bridge pillar. There were numerous victims trapped in the vehicle, all of which had to be rescued by law enforcement crews. (Fox 4 News)

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Today in Dallas:

• Beethoven's Symphony at Moody Performance Hall (7:30 PM)

From my notebook:

• Get ready! The Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden will be celebrating love, diversity, and inclusion on Saturday, Jun. 10, and Sunday, Jun. 11. The Pride in Bloom event is an amazing showcase of the garden's beauty, as well as those within the LGBTQ+ community. If you're interested in learning more about attending the event, visit here. (CultureMap Dallas)
• Late Sunday night, a person who was accused of stealing a DART paratransit van has been arrested. The suspect allegedly hit several parked cars and a bicyclist before being arrested by law enforcement. Luckily, no one was severely injured throughout the ordeal. (NBCDFW)
• On Saturday, Jun. 24, Laura Rathe Fine Art is presenting the group exhibition "Art of Paper," which features new works from 15 national and international artists. Some of the artists included in the exhibition are Carley Allen Martin, Miriam Fitzgerald Juskova, Karen Hawkins, and so many more. To learn more about the exhibition and how to purchase tickets, visit here. (CultureMap Dallas)

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You're officially in the loop for today! I'll catch up with you bright and early tomorrow morning with your next update.

— Nicole Fallon-Peek

About me: Nicole Fallon-Peek is a journalist and copywriter with a degree in Media, Culture and Communication from New York University. She has served as a freelance reporter, managing editor, copy editor, and editorial director for a variety of B2B news outlets. She currently co-owns and operates content creation agency Lightning Media Partners.