Alan Peppard

The folks at the AFI Dallas International Film Festival are ramping up for the March 22-April 1 showcase with some pre-festival programming. Last week, Welsh actor Ioan Gruffudd (pronounced yo-an griffith), star of Amazing Grace, attended a screening of the film at the Magnolia in West Village and participated in a post-show Q&A with AFI Dallas senior programmer James Faust.

Ioan's bona fides include a historically semi-accurate role in Titanic as 5th Officer Harold Lowe, who commanded the only lifeboat that returned to pick up survivors. (In reality, he picked up four men, not Kate Winslet.)

For those wanting the total fashion week experience next month at NorthPark's "Fashion at the Park," the $1,500 Uber Fashion Pass is the way to go. Only 20 will be sold, and they provide front-row seats at all runway shows, $250 in NorthPark Gold, a VIP swag bag and VIP in-and-out valet parking at all events.

NorthPark is erecting a 15,000-square-foot tent with a 180-foot H-shaped runway. March 7-10, there will be 16 fashion shows from the likes of Barneys, Carolina Herrera, Neiman Marcus, Lilly Pulitzer, Oscar de la Renta and Salvatore Ferragamo.

Following the Ferragamo show on March 7, there will be a $500-per-person dinner for 75 people at the Highland Park home of Kenny Goss and George Michael. (Proceeds from that dinner will benefit the Dallas Contemporary.)

Last month, when Marine 1st Lt. Elliott Ackerman was awarded the Silver Star, it was of particular interest to some people in Dallas. The third-highest military award for valor, the Silver Star has been given to just 69 Marines since the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan began.

Lt. Ackerman is the 26-year-old grandson of former state senator and former Dallas City Council member John Leedom. His mother is native Dallasite Joanne Leedom Ackerman.

Brig. Gen. Charles M. Gurganus honored Lt. Ackerman for courage under fire while serving as a platoon commander during a November 2004 battle in Fallujah, Iraq.

Former Gov. Bill Clements, his wife, Rita, and Southwest Airlines chairman Herb Kelleher will be playing to a sold-out house March 1 in Austin. The Texas State History Museum Foundation has selected the three Dallasites to receive the History-Making Texan Award at a gala at the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum.

Former Dallasite Julie Jones Oles is chairing the sold-out event.

Much to Kinky Friedman's chagrin, the sun rose the morning after Election Day and Rick Perry was still governor. But the songwriter-novelist-political insurgent still gets around.

Last weekend, Kinky was in town for Saturday night's Aetheria arts scholarship benefit at Nokia Theatre starring his friend Willie Nelson . Appearances by Jessica Simpson, Larry Hagman and Morgan Fairchild completed the Lone Star soufflé.

Friday, Kinky caught up with his old friend Ruth Buzzi over dinner in the backroom at Dunston's steakhouse on Lovers Lane.

Apropos of nothing, in the March issue of Blender magazine, fashion plate Sean "Diddy" Combs offers tips on what color suit to wear for court appearances: "You want to look handsome. A light gray is nice. You want to show some power, but you don't want people to feel intimidated by you."