Women in Film.Dallas Honors Four at Annual Topaz Gala

Women in Film.Dallas will host its 22^nd Annual Topaz Gala on Sunday, November 5^th at the Dallas Museum of Art.  This special event will celebrate the achievement of women in the Dallas Film Industry.  In addition, four Dallas women who have made significant contributions will receive special honors, as detailed below.

Popular actress Morgan Fairchild will receive the Topaz Spirit Award.  A native of Dallas, Miss Fairchild first began acting as a child to overcome her shyness.  She has done extensive work on TV, including stints on "Dallas," "Falcon Crest," "Friends," "Murphy Brown" and "Roseanne."  Her feature films include Pee-wee's Big Adventure and Campus Man.  On stage, Miss Fairchild toured as 'Mrs. Robinson' in the national tour of The Graduate.  Morgan Fairchild is also an outspoken and dedicated supporter of AIDS research efforts and the pro-choice movement.

Actress Ada Lynn will be honored with the Topaz Legacy Award.  She began her career at age three as one of Hal Roach's famous "Our Gang."  Miss Lynn was also prominently featured in the film Our Gang Follies of 1938 which co-starred the comedy team of Laurel and Hardy.  Miss Lynn enjoyed a long and varied career as an actress—she was on an episode of "Walker, Texas Ranger" when she was nearly seventy.  She has toured major theatres throughout the country in countless productions from The Taming of the Shrew to Guys and Dolls.  Miss Lynn currently resides in the Dallas area and is still professionally active.

Linda McAlister is the recipient of the Topaz Lifetime Achievement Award.  Miss McAlister started her own talent agency in 1994 because her actress daughter needed representation.  She views herself as a proactive Manager because she gets involved in all facets of the film industry.  Miss McAlister has found that being active in professional associations gives her an "inside track" so she hears about potential jobs for her talent faster.  She also embraced technology early—she has had an E-Mail Address for twenty years and used her website as a means to communicate with her talent and clientele.  Miss AcAlister is a member of Women in Film.Dallas, the USA Film Festival, Dallas Producers Association, Cinema for Cancer, Austin Film Society and the Texas Motion Picture Alliance.

Dr. Elba Garcia is being honored with the Dallas Film Commission Advocacy Award.  Dr. Garcia was instrumental in having the Spanish soap opera La Ley Bel Silencio (the Law of the Silence) produced in Dallas.  She helped to ensure that the series, which ran for about six months on the Telemundo Network, used as much local talent as possible.  Dr. Garcia is a strong advocate for the Dallas Film Industry.  She has worked with Janis Burkland, the Director of the Dallas Film Commission, to bring as many film projects to Dallas as possible.  Dr. Garcia is very active in the Dallas City Council.  She is working within the Council and the State Legislature of Texas to approve funding of incentives of increased film production in Dallas and Texas.

At the Topaz Gala, the Women in Film.Dallas 2006 Scholarship Winners will be announced.  Tania Khalaf is the recipient of a $3500 project completion grant for her documentary-in-progress Born in Beruit.  Mary Benedicto is the recipient of a $1500 project completion grant for her series of Video Paintings.

The 22^nd Annual Topaz Gala will begin at 6:30 PM with a Cocktail reception.  The awards presentation will begin at 8:00 PM in the Horchow Theater.  Dessert and Champagne will be served following the awards in the Atrium.

For more information on The 2006 Topaz Gala and Women in Film.Dallas, please visit their website.  

Photo 1:  Morgan Fairchild

Photo 2:  Ada Lynn

Photo 3:  Linda McAlister

Photo 4:  Dr. Elba Garcia