Alan Peppard

Watching people line up for Friday's sold-out screening of What Just Happened? at the Inwood Theater begged the question: Doesn't anybody have a job?

Not when De Niro's in town, baby.

Robert De Niro flew into Dallas, as did director Barry Levinson , to kick off the closing weekend of the AFI Dallas International Film Festival with a screening of their new film, in which Mr. De Niro plays a fading Hollywood producer trying to get a film made.

As soon as Mr. De Niro landed, he was picked up by AFI Dallas Founding Circle member Stephanie Hunt, who chauffeured him to Fireside Pies on Henderson.

Owner Tristan Simon had opened the high-end pizza joint for an invitation-only lunch where the actor was the star attraction.

Mr. De Niro's Dallas pal, filmmaker Todd Wagner, was on hand with his wife, Kari, as was Mr. Levinson, What Just Happened? producer Art Linson, American Film Institute president Bob Gazzale, Mayor Tom Leppert, AFI Dallas founder Liener Temerlin, AFI Dallas artistic director Michael Cain and his wife, Melina, and AFI Dallas' $1 million benefactor Nancy Hamon .

As the founder of the Tribeca Film Festival, Mr. De Niro got a chance to talk over the complexities of film festivals with Michael Cain, and the two discussed ways that Tribeca and AFI Dallas could cooperate in the future.

The honor for the wittiest quip of the festival goes to actor Ron Livingston (Carrie's beau, Jack Berger, on Sex and the City).

During the Filmmakers Awards Brunch on Sunday at the W Hotel, Martin Henderson, star of Battle in Seattle, was handing a Steuben crystal award (the Current Energy Earth Friendly Award) to Josh Tickell, writer/director of Fields of Fuel.

Before he could hand it over, Mr. Henderson dropped the Steuben award – hard. But when he picked it up off the floor, it didn't have a scratch.

This caused Mr. Livingston to crack, "The awards may bounce here, but the checks sure don't."

British director Leon Chambers is now a big fan of Dallas'. He was strolling through Victory Park to the Target Festival Lounge when a passing car screeched to a stop next to him.

Mr. Chambers was still reeling when the driver jumped out and ran up to tell him how much he loved his short film Stolen Youth, which the driver had seen earlier in the day.

"I really like this place," exclaimed the Brit director.

Dallas literary agent Jim Donovan's favorite new client is himself.

He has penned the book A Terrible Glory: Custer and the Little Big Horn, which has just been released by Little, Brown.

At 7 p.m. Tuesday night, Jim will be autographing copies at Borders at Preston and Royal.