Oxford Film Fest 2018 Program by Oxford Film Festival

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Welcome to the 15th annual Oxford Film Festival. The staff, volunteers and I look forward to celebrating this landmark anniversary with you. When this festival began in 2003, Oxford was a different place, a smaller town with only a 4-screen cinema: no YouTube, Vimeo, Netflix, Hulu, Prime, or VOD. It was the dream of a small committee of people to provide a way to celebrate independent films and filmmakers and to find ways to champion them. We are happy to celebrate with them this year at our Founders Reception at the University Museum on Friday, February 9. We have continued to follow in their footsteps and expanded the mission to year-round screenings and events, and to providing deeply discounted rentals of film equipment to help filmmakers. We have also taken steps to provide grants to fund filmmakers and to focus on diversity in filmmaking. Today in 2018, there are so many ways for you to watch great independent cinema, but the magic of seeing it on the big screen, often at its world or regional premiere in Oxford with the opportunity to interact with the filmmaker, is something that cannot be replaced. That is the magic of a film festival. Just like going to a book signing or an art reception, going to a film festival is about supporting the arts. From first time filmmakers and DIY go-getters to veterans in their field, film festivals showcase a wide variety of talents. Sure, we can all watch movies on our couch at home, but the smell of popcorn, and the mingling with filmmakers, neighbors and visitors from out of town or out of state (or even international) only happens in Oxford once a year. I encourage you to come celebrate with us! We are especially excited to host the filmmakers and special guests in Oxford. I love how our town rolls out the red carpet for visitors, and we know they will feel right at home because of you. But there are more than just movies this weekend! We have workshops and panels that focus on a variety of topics in the film industry. From working on sound design in post production to crowdfunding a film to conversations with industry experts, our panels will surely inspire you. We have also added a new Kid Film Fest on Saturday and Sunday for young ones to watch movies and learn the art of filmmaking with a series of panels. Plus there is also the BASEketball tournament if you want to get some exercise while celebrating our anniversary screening of the 1998 film! There is also the most important element of every festival: the Q&A with the filmmaker. This is your opportunity to learn more about how the movie was made, why the filmmaker made certain artistic choices and more. Interaction with the filmmaker at a festival is what makes these events so special. Don’t be nervous, ask a question! And don’t miss out on the opportunity to speak one-on-one with a filmmaker in our lobby. But of course, there are also the parties. Anyone with a VIP pass gets to hang out with us in the evenings and mingle with actors, filmmakers, producers and our supportive sponsors. The staff, the volunteers, and I look forward to meeting each and every one of you this weekend. As the executive director my job is made easier because of the support of our sponsors, our hard working volunteers and you, our guests. If I don’t get the opportunity to thank you in person, please know that your support means the world to me and to the Oxford Film Festival. But if you see me, come up and introduce yourself! We’ll see you at the movies. Melanie Addington

Fifteenth Annual Oxford Film Festival (2018) Executive Director: Melanie Addington Assistant Director: Kayleigh Graham Oxford Film Festival Board: Wayne Andrews, Meaghin Burke, Mary Allyn Hedges, Hudson Hickman, Hollie Hilliard, Shannon Cohn, Lucas Singh, Jack Garner, Sparky Reardon, Donna Ruth Roberts, Steve Sahlein, and Dr. Ralph Vance. Narrative Feature and Mississippi Feature Programmer: Mark Bell Documentary Feature Programmer: Mark Rabinowitz Mississippi Shorts Programmers: Mary Margaret Andrews and Courtney Hall Fest Forward Programmer: Valerie Guinn Polgar Music Video and Documentary Programmer: Newt Rayburn Narrative Shorts Programmer: Jennifer Murchison LGBTQ Programmer: Brian Whisenant ScreenPlay Contest Coordinator: Blake Hemphill Screeners: Melanie Addington, Angella Baker, John Bernstein, Susan Boles, Michelle Bright, Dawn Bullion, Steven Case, Bill Dabney, Laura Darby, Jacquelyn Elder-Meredith, Marilyn Frey, Carolyn Gawlik, Emily Gawlik, Sue Gobert, Amye Gousset, Juli Jackson, Arta James, Kelly Johnson, Chris Koban, Jack Koban, Tracy Koslowski, Marianna Lee, Trichelle Lee, Ariella Mayo, Susan McPhail, Hannah Miller, Rebecca Pugh, Amanda Reed, John Reyer, Adam Schartoff, Barry Scott, Marcus Simmons, Ray Sizemore, Kerry Snyder, Natascha Techen Scott, and Kathleen Wilson. Production Services provided by SparkLab Projectionist: Greg Gray DCP Services provided by Selig Polyscope DCP Support: Dev Shapiro Volunteer Coordinators: Sarah Wadford, Tyler Nelson and Patrick Hudson Publicist: John Wildman Publications Manager: Michelle Emanuel Publications Assistant: Tom Speed Panels Coordinator: Alex Thiel Transportation Coordinator: Virginia Brick Assistant Transportation Coordinator: Hannah Glass Box Office Coordinator: Withrow Newell Assistant Box Office Coordinator: Angel Baker Print Traffic Coordinator: Maverick Kohlohf Jury Wrangler: Arik Sokol Venue Manager: Toby Douglas Assistant Venue Manager: Morgan Tucker Malco Managers: Montana Byrd, Dylan Kerr Conference Center Manager: Mindy Van Kuren Screen Manager Coordinator: Whitney Friday Q&A Coordinator: Rory Ledbetter Merchandise Coordinator: Jacquelyn Meredith Hotel Coordinator/Filmmaker Lounge Coordinator: Kristin Rogers Gift Bag Coordinator/Filmmaker Lounge Coordinator: Wendy McMain Green Room Coordinator: Kim Chrestman Documentary Coordinators: Derek Brown and Matt Wymer Kid Film Fest Coordinator: Yasmeen Abdo Interns: Charissma Crump, Tony King, Amanda Haley, Brandon Hancock, Jace McArthur, Kharisma Morris, Cayla Rosenberg, Ally Spicer Trailer Editor: Mary Knight Staff Photographer: Bill Dabney Poster Design: J-Man Printed Program Design: Susan Bauer Lee Ad and All Other Design: Stephen Rogers, Blue Clock Designs, Josh Williams Ambassadors: Johnny and Susan McPhail Advisory Board: Don Lewis, Ron Shapiro, Erik Jambor Special Thanks to: Aidan Addington, Harry and Lynda Addington, Josh Williams, James Willis and Karen Scott, Johnny and Susan McPhail, John Norris and Tate Taylor, Jon Maynard and Tim Burkhead and the people of Oxford. The Oxford Film Festival is an independent non-profit organization with a 501(c)(3) status. Donations may be tax deductible. Contact us at info@oxfordfilmfest.com or 877-560-3456 or visit us online at oxfordfilmfest.com

February 7-11, 2018

Welcome to Mississippi and the Fifteenth Annual Oxford Film Festival! The Mississippi Film Office has been a proud supporter of this vibrant and innovative celebration of cinema since its inception, and we’re especially glad you’ve joined us in Oxford this year. In addition to providing a venue for our Mississippi filmmakers and storytellers, OFF presents bold and engaging independent films from all over the South while showcasing Mississippi to the visiting filmmakers from around the world. Oxford, Lafayette County, and communities across the state have supported film productions shot on location for over 100 years, and we look forward to supporting the industry long into the future, wherever and however filmmaking may advance in the state. Our Mississippi Motion Picture Incentive Program continues to build that path into the future. As a cash rebate program, the incentive returns 25-35% on Mississippi production expenditures and resident cast and crew payroll within 90 business days after submission. Our $50,000 minimum spend is one of the lowest in the country, and video game production, national commercials, webisodes, shorts, documentaries, television, and features are all eligible. There are also tax reductions on the rental and purchase of specific production equipment. We’re committed to the continued development and support of the film industry in Mississippi and look forward to assisting with your next production. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us at 601-359-3297, or visit our website, www.filmMississippi.org. Have a great time in Oxford and in Mississippi. The Mississippi Film Office Nina Parikh Betty Black Bill Webb Thabi Moyo

Welcome.............................................................................. 2 Sponsors.............................................................................. 6 New Era, New Hoka............................................................ 8 OFF Screen Arts................................................................. 10 2018 Films.......................................................................... 12 Special Screenings.............................................................. 12 Features: Narrative & Mississippi • Narrative....................................................................... 14 • Mississippi.................................................................... 16 • Features: Documentary................................................ 18 • Features: Music Documentary...................................... 20 Shorts: Documentary, Mississippi, Narrative • Documentary................................................................ 22 • Mississippi.................................................................... 25 • Narrative....................................................................... 28 LGBTQ: Features and Shorts............................................ 38 Fest Forward & Music Videos • Animation...................................................................... 42 • Fest Forward................................................................ 43 • Music Videos................................................................ 46 Schedule Grid.................................................................... 30 Tickets & FAQ: How to Fest............................................... 49 Panels and Events............................................................. 50 Kid Film Festival................................................................. 53 A to Z Film List (and venue addresses).............................. 58 How to be a sponsor......................................................... 60

Dear Film Enthusiasts, On behalf of the Board of Aldermen and the citizens of Oxford, welcome to the 2018 Oxford Film Festival. We are delighted to have our own film festival and are proud to celebrate its 15th anniversary this year. We know this year’s films are sure to entertain, educate and generate creative thinking. The Oxford Film Festival is an asset to this already vibrant and beautiful community. We hope that while you are enjoying the films and festival activities, you will engage with all our town has to offer: good food, great shopping, historical landmarks, and so much more. I recommend your first stop be Visit Oxford, located on the Square, to get information on where to go and what to do. We sincerely hope you enjoy your time in Oxford and that you visit again. With warm wishes, ROBYN M. TANNEHILL MAYOR

oxfordfilmfest.com

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The 2018 Oxford Film Festival would not be possible without the support of our generous sponsors. Please support those who have supported us. SCREEN PRESENTER

CONTRIBUTOR LEVEL

SUPPORTER

Matthew Morrison

Charter Road Hospitality

Amelia’s

Anderson Communications

Nella

MaxxSouth

Harry and Lynda Addington

Kaye Bryant

Newk’s

Mississippi Arts Commission

Jo Ann and Jere Allen

Cathead Vodka

Oxford Citizen

Oxford Magazine

Mary Margaret and Wayne Andrews

Domino’s Pizza

Panera Bread

Panavision

Janice Antonow

Jack Garner

Rene Pulliam Rainy Day Pictures

Donna Ruth Roberts

Anonymous

Hudson and Susan Hickman

Selig Polyscope

Bullseye 95.5

Ink Spot

Kevin and Jennifer Sluder

Ink Tip

Dr. Eric Springman and Kat Phillips of Kat Scratch Films LLC

Yoknapatawpha Arts Council

Steven and Gay Case Center for Manufacturing Excellence

Dorothy and John Laurenzo

Henry Clarke of Art World

William and Pamela Lawhead

Cups: An Espresso Café

Louisiana Film Prize

GT Media Group

Deep Fried Tees

Bill Luckett

Malco

John and Marty Dunbar

Lulu’s

Mississippi Humanities Council

Gertrude Castellow Ford Center for the Performing Arts

Magnolia Rental

Stash Visit Oxford

The Growler

Old Venice Pizza Company

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER Artist Vodka

Square Pizza Stout’s Carpet Tallahatchie Gourmet Tannehill, Carmean and McKenzie PLLC Dr. Todd Threadgill

Christi McCoy

Alena Tikhova

Gus’s Fried Chicken

DIRECTOR

Helen and Mike Overstreet

William Haynes and Jon Massey

SLATE LEVEL

Nautilus Publishing

J-Man

Oxford Center for Cosmetic and General Dentistry

Skizz Cyzyk

Shannon Lovejoy

Lagunitas Brewery

Oxford Jewish Federation

Wilson Roberts

Larson’s Cash Saver

Hardy Reed

Life Long Productions

Rowan Oak

Living Blues

Tom Speed

Locals

Sugaree’s Bakery

Louis M. Rabinowitz Foundation

Kathy Sukanek

Magnifying Glass Fellowship Magnolia Productions

SuperTalk Mississippi 93.7 and Q105

Mugg Cakes

Twisted Twig

Oxford-Lafayette Chamber of Commerce

University Sporting Goods

Mississippi Film Office North Mississippi Enterprise Initiative

Oxford Commons

PATRON LEVEL Bill Dabney Photography Blue Clock Designs Bud and Julie Fanton HTC Vive The Indoor Advantage ipitch.tv

Oxford Conference Center Oxford University Club R&B Feder Charitable Foundation for the Beaux Arts Smile Y’all Photo Booth Co. Joe Shapiro, Editor The ‘Sip Taproot Audio Design Toth International LLC

Jeff Dennis First National Bank Jane Gardner Adam Hohenberg Nutrishop RedFin John Reyer and Michelle Pillow Ronald Vaughan Visit Mississippi

DONOR

Woodson Ridge Farms

Linda Arrington Dawn Bullion

ProMatura Group, LLC

FRIEND OF THE FEST

Rebel Realty

Joe Atkins

Nate Robbins

Julia Aubrey

Square Books

Damon Burks

Hubert and Rose Spears

Michelle Emanuel

Starbucks

Marilyn and Richard Frey

University Museum and Historic Houses

Mary Hartwell and Beckett Howorth

University of Mississippi

LOFT-Lafayette Oxford Foundation for Tomorrow

Dr. Ralph Vance and Mary Douglas Vance

Cat Daddy’s Wally Chung Robert and Rosie Cooper Jon Gann Diana Hinton

Insomnia Cookies

Marquis and Rachel Sledge Super Kuts

Kevin and Camille Mitchell

February 7-11, 2018

by Tom Speed As the Oxford Film Festival celebrates its 15th year, the prestigious Hoka award will have a new feel, if not look. Local sculptor Bill Beckwith created the award and its statuette, drawing inspiration from the Choctaw Princess Hoka. For the past 14 years, Beckwith has supplied the festival with the statuettes that are awarded each year. But when Beckwith could no longer supply them, Executive Director Melanie Addington sought out one of Oxford’s best resources— students at the University of Mississippi. Addington went to the Center for Manufacturing Excellence (CME) on the Ole Miss campus to speak with Associate Director of External Operations Ryan Miller. The CME is an interdisciplinary program comprising engineering and business students to prepare them for a real world working environment in the manufacturing industry. “One of the things we do here at the CME is try to give our students opportunities to manage projects,” Miller says. “A big part of their education is to be given opportunities to take on responsibility and interact with customers or clients. We thought this would be a cool project for them to work on it.” Addington handed the project off with a blank slate, the intention simply being to create

a new statue. Miller sent out an email to all CME students to gauge interest in the project. Junior Lauren Kiel answered the call. Kiel, a junior from Metro Chicago with a double major in Mechanical Engineering and Business Administration, had just returned from a 15-month internship in Wisconsin, and was looking to take on a project. “It seemed like a good fit for me and a chance to use my business degree and my engineering degree in one,” Kiel says. When Addington provided Kiel with one of the Hoka statuettes designed by Beckwith, she took it to her fellow student Blake Horner. After considering new designs and ways to replicate the statuette, they arrived at 3D printing. “We got a statuette and gave it to the students, and they came back and said that 3D printing would really work,” Miller says. “More specifically, the 3D scanning coupled with printing would work.” Kiel lobbied for the CME to purchase a new 3D scanner to achieve the amount of detail they wanted. “We wanted to make the trophy look the same and replicate them fast enough and costeffectively and keep it as close to the original design as possible,” Kiel says. “We scanned the old trophies with the 3D scanner so it has the same grooves and textures as the other ones that were hand crafted.” The new statue is made of plastic, but Kiel and her team used paint and coating to give it a more “trophy-esque” appearance. But the new trophy is just the beginning. Kiel says the technology is moving so fast, metal-based 3D printers are on the horizon. “It’s the old one, but with a modern take,” she says. “They look the same when you look at it. But using metal like bronze or copper in 3D printing isn’t out of the realm of possibility in the future.” The Hoka Awards are handed out to filmmakers in juried competition on Saturday, February 10 at 10:00 pm during the awards ceremony. The 3D Hoka awards in process in the two images on this page. The final look will be more “trophy-esque” in appearance. Photos by Lauren Kiel.

February 7-11, 2018

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As part of the Oxford Film Festival, we are looking for new ways to explore and celebrate art in its many forms. We have created an art tour around Oxford for you to enjoy from late January through February. January’s Art Crawl on Tuesday, January 23 from 6:00 to 8:00 pm will visit each of these locations and more around town. Additional hours are listed below for each venue.

ning the length of Capitol Street in Jackson, as well as a book project. As a collection, the stories are available to libraries, museums, schools and community leaders, to host screenings, public conversations and events to model pathways to revitalization, and inspire the next chapter of Mississippi history. For more information visit www.bluemagnoliafilms.com. The show is available from January 23 to February 11.

The Parker “Spy” Collection

Dinner and a Movie

Burns Belfry Museum and Multicultural Center, 710 E. Jackson Avenue Hours: Wednesday, Thursday, Friday 12:00 to 3:00 pm; Sunday 1:00 to 4:00 pm

Frame Up/Basement Gallery, 125 Courthouse Square Hours: Monday-Friday 9:00 am to 6:00 pm

Forty spy movie posters and other memorabilia from the Parker Collection will be exhibited at Burns Belfry Museum from January 23 to February 11. The local family is opening their collection to Oxford for the first time. Win Parker is retired from the Intelligence Community. Tamara Parker is a retired Army Lt. Col. Their son, Harrison Parker, is an Air and Space Attorney and an Ole Miss Law School graduate. Win, Tamara and Harrison are Oxford residents and look forward to meeting other spy-film fans from 6:00 to 8:00 pm on January 23 as part of the Oxford Art Crawl.

This 75-year-old 1-sheet of Counter-Espionage is from the Parker Collection of Espionage Film Posters, the largest known private collection, with more than 500 posters from the spy genre.

Celebrating Storytellers: Bicentennial Photo Documentaries L.Q.C. Lamar House Museum, 616 North 14th Street Hours: Friday-Sunday 1:00-4:00 pm Blue Magnolia Films and Corner To Corner Productions commemorate 100 Mississippi Bicentennial voices from across the state linking the historic memory of people and places to themes of creativity, resilience and the magic of place. This historic “time capsule” of narrated photo essays, produced by Mississippians from ages 14 to 91, celebrates stories of revitalization, reconciliation and hope from within the state. Featured cities include: Clarksdale, Greenville, Ocean Springs, Port Gibson, Laurel, Tupelo, Natchez, Mound Bayou, Water Valley, Mississippi Band of Choctaw, Hattiesburg, Oxford and Jackson. More than 200 Mississippians participated in the project, including people who are moving their communities forward in areas of health, education, race and reconciliation, economic development, historic preservation and arts and culture. “Celebrating Storytellers” is the first statewide storytelling project that also incorporates the art into public spaces, and has resulted in a mile-long “interactive” gallery run-

The Frame Up/Basement Gallery will be hosting a solo exhibition by Oxford, Mississippi artist J-MAN, from January 22 to February 26. An opening reception will be held on February 6 from 6:30 to 9:00 pm The show, titled “Dinner and a Movie,” will be a tribute to the effect of Andy Warhol’s artwork on that of J-MAN, with works ranging from pop art portraits of popular actors and actresses, to depictions of materialism and consumerist culture in the food industry, to interactive pieces combining art and technology. For more information, please visit www.jmanworld.com A raffle of the original art for this year’s Oxford Film Festival poster (see program cover) will be held with the Frame Up/Basement Gallery show. Proceeds from the raffle will go to support the 2019 Oxford Film Festival.

The Spirit Seam: Sets and Clips Misbits Gallery, 1415 University Avenue, Suite L Open MWF from 9:00 am-12:00 pm or by appointment: email Valerie Guinn Polgar at valerie@misbitsnma.com or call 662-612-4730 The show by artist Ashley Gerst will feature sets and clips from her recent animated film The Spirit Seam, which combines stop motion, 2D and 3D animation. The set design involves 3D printed and painted sets as well as crocheted and knitted materials. Gerst has spent years painstakingly researching the lives of Appalachian people in mid-century mining country: the houses they lived in, the furniture they used and the cars they drove to the mines are all recreated in the magical yet realistic world where the Spirit Seam takes place. As a proud descendant of a Pennsylvania mining family, Gerst feels it’s important to keep the detail in the film as accurate as possible to transport the audience to this lost era. Practical sets alongside the digital 3D character models have been created and all elements will be combined into a unique film that tells the story of Polliwog and Pap-Paw, their world, and the occasional magical creature they encounter here and there. The show opens January 23 and closes February 20.

February 7-11, 2018

SPECIAL SCREENINGS OPEN I N G N I G H T

The Last Movie Star

An aging, former movie star is forced to face the reality that his glory days are behind him. On its surface The Last Movie Star is a tale about faded fame, but at its core, it’s a universal story about growing old.

C EN TER PI ECE

Allure TRT: 1 hr. 45 min.

Plagued by the abuse of her past and the turmoil of failed intimate encounters, Laura struggles to find a lover and a sense of normalcy. Her beacon of hope comes in sixteen year-old Eva, a talented pianist disillusioned by the life her mother imposes upon her. An unlikely relationship is formed between the two and Eva becomes Laura’s obsession. In light of Eva’s unhappiness, Laura convinces her to run away and they soon find themselves caught within an intense entanglement. • Regional Premiere. • Saturday, 8:45 pm, Malco Screen 1

@oxfordfilmfest

• Oxford Conference Center (102 Ed Perry Blvd.) • Powerhouse (413 South 14th St.) • Gertrude C. Ford Center (351 University Ave.)

C LOSING NIGHT

• Mississippi Premiere, Q&A scheduled. • Thursday, 7:30 pm (Following Thacker Mountain Radio), Gertrude C. Ford Center

#oxff

• Malco Commons (204 Commonwealth Blvd.)

NOTE: Family Friendly ratings have been provided by the filmmakers and, though not MPAA official, are a general guideline for families with children. Very few films are suitable for children under 8 years old outside of the Kid Film Festival (see pages 53-57). As many films often deal with a variety of topics that could be difficult for some adults, please read the descriptions carefully before watching.

Rating: R TRT: 1 hr. 34 min. Director: Adam Rifkin Country: United States

Rating: R, may include sensitive content Director: Carlos Sanchez, Jason Sanchez Country: United States

Venues

Mad to be Normal Rating: R, may include sensitive content Director: Robert Mullan Country: United Kingdom

TRT: 1 hr. 45 min.

During the 1960s, a renegade Scottish psychiatrist courts controversy within his profession for his approach to the field, and for the unique community he creates for his patients to inhabit. Starring David Tennant and Elisabeth Moss. • Regional Premiere. • Sunday, 6:00 pm, Malco Screen 1

ANNIV ERSARY

BASEketball Rating: R TRT: 1 hr. 43 min. Director: David Zucker Country: United States SPECIAL SCREENING Two childhood friends are pro athletes of a national sport called BASEketball, a hybrid of baseball and basketball, and must deal with a greedy businessman scheming against their team. • Q&A scheduled with a BASEketball tournament outside Malco (for rules on how to participate, visit oxfordfilmfest.com). • Saturday, 2:00 pm, Malco Screen 1

February 7-11, 2018

SPO TL I G H T

Living on Soul Rating: Unrated TRT: 1 hr. 35 min. Director: Jeff Broadway, Cory Bailey Country: United States Living On Soul documents a three-night residency at the legendary Apollo Theater in Harlem by Daptone Records artists Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, Charles Bradley, Antibalas and more. • Mississippi Premiere, Q&A scheduled. • Friday, 3:15 pm Malco Screen 4

Urania Descending Rating: R TRT: 1 hr. 9 min. Director: Tav Falco Country: United States, Tennessee An American girl, Gina Lee is an alienated and disaffected female who has become disenchanted with hometown strip malls, sleaze bars, and rides along the river in her BMW. Impulsively she buys a discount airline ticket in a shopping mall travel agency. Destination: Vienna, the merry/sinister imperial city on the Danube. • Mississippi Premiere. Q&A scheduled. • Saturday, 5:30 pm, Malco Screen 3

W O R K I N PRO G RES S

Circles Rating: PG-13 TRT: 1 hr. 22 min. Director: Cassidy Friedman Country: United States, California DOCUMENTARY FEATURE A Hurricane Katrina survivor who works to keep Black teenagers in school in Oakland, California, finds his personal and professional lives colliding when his 15-year-old-son goes to jail for a crime he didn’t commit. • Presented by the Mississippi Humanities Council with a Q&A scheduled and hosted by the William Winter Institute For Racial Reconciliation. • Saturday, 4:15 pm. Malco Screen 1. Plays with Robert.

BEST OF THE LOUISIANA FILM PRIZE BLOCK Saturday, 12:00 pm, Malco Screen 1. Q&A scheduled.

Bark “These are songs fueled equally by restlessness and compassion for life.” –PopMatters

“… it’s no less visceral in feel, a garagey—at times, surf-toned—set that’s all killer, no filler.” –Blurt

Candyland SideYouOne Me Gonna Miss How n #None Revolutio e Blues Interstat Lazarus BallPark

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ta, adding Percussionis Weasel. She part of the and Garden Blues.” played the , claves, Mary Podio tambourines with Susan on “Interstate various shakers,backing vocals #None.” some also sang Moog on “Revolution Cure.” Horn played on “The Only Christina lap steel around, so played baritone were hanging together Josh Wright Abernathy their hands and Kevin into putting Phil Fuson conscripted on “Lazarus.” they were Tim and Mary alongside

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• Mississippi Premiere.

Bark

Living Elbmur Cure The Only Breath Waste Your Regret World of Driving One-Eyed

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Just another day, another dollar at Grimley Grocery until two men from a candy company make their rounds and stop in for a chat with the management to discuss a lot more than available shelf space.

Side Two Under Water

Bark

Rating: R TRT: 15 min. Director: Taylor Bracewell

“...two instruments rattling off of one another with as syncopated orneriness that’s the sound of a snarl set to rock ‘n’ roll...” –DailyTimes

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StripedLight.com Bark-Loud.com

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oxfordfilmfest.com

Exit Strategy

Seeing is Believing: Women Direct

Rating: PG-13 TRT: 15 min. Director: Travis Bible NARRATIVE SHORT

Rating: Unrated TRT: 58 min. Director: Cady McClain Country: United Kingdom, United States

A man living the same day over and over again must team up with his brother to prevent a fire.

Through interviews with both experienced and new directors, producers, and “on-the-street” observations from students and teachers, audiences get an indepth investigation into the process of creativity and leadership for women in the field of directing.

• Mississippi Premiere.

My Father’s Son Rating: PG-13 TRT: 15 min. Director: Kyle Clements

• Friday, 10:30 am, Malco Screen 4, followed by a panel discussion with female directors.

On the verge of his biggest show to date, successful photographer, and soon to be father, Asher Van Zandt, must return to his roots when he learns of his estranged father’s death.

FEATURES: NARRATIVE & MISSISSIPPI

• Mississippi Premiere.

NARRATIVE FEATURES

Scoundrels

Programmer: Mark Bell

Rating: PG-13 TRT: 15 min. Director: Mark Blitch Emma, an inexperienced grifter, seems happy sticking with her smaller cons of robbing grocery stores and making a quick buck. But when Sam, a jaded con man, sees her potential, he recruits her to help pull off the biggest scam of their careers. The mismatched duo only have a few hurdles to overcome: cops, the mafia, a ruthless diamond dealer, each other, and...alligators. What could possibly go wrong? • Mississippi Premiere.

Stag

Bernard and Huey

Rating: Unrated TRT: 15 min. Director: Jonnie Stapleton After getting dumped by his fiancée, a lonely, middle-aged man proceeds to take the couple’s swing dance class he signed them both up for. • Mississippi Premiere.

F ILM S W I T H PA N EL D I S CU S S I ONS

I Am Evidence Rating: Unrated, may include sensitive content Director: Trish Adlesic, Geeta Gandbhir An investigation into the way sexual assault cases are handled by police departments across the United States.

To call our Narrative Features Competition lineup “eclectic” might be underselling the variety of experiences contained within. It’s an arguably insane mix of flavors, tones, genres and styles, offering a little something for everyone. We’ve got city-set, countrythemed, international, horror, sentimental, funny, mysterious, familiar faces, quality performances, gibberish... it’s unlikely that you’re going to see a film that you’ll easily forget; each film will leave a unique and lasting impression. That may or may not be a good thing...

TRT: 1 hr. 31 min.

Rating: R TRT: 1 hr. 31 min. Director: Dan Mirvish Country: United States, California Based on characters from Jules Feiffer’s Village Voice comic strip dating back to 1957, roguish Huey and nebbishy Bernard are unlikely friends in late 1980s New York. Now 25 years later, Bernard is a successful bachelor, and Huey arrives on his doorstep looking old and washed up. As the two reconnect, Bernard starts a relationship with Huey’s estranged daughter Zelda. Huey slowly gets his mojo back and tries to seduce various women in Bernard’s life, while reconnecting with his family. At least one of them is in danger of marrying a woman old enough to be his wife. • Mississippi Premiere, Q&A scheduled, plays with Surrogate • Friday, 7:15 pm, Malco Screen 1; Sunday, 10:00 am, Malco Screen 3

• Mississippi Premiere. • Saturday, 10:00 am Malco Screen 1, followed by a discussion in the Malco panel tent.

February 7-11, 2018

Cop Chronicles: Loose Cannons: Legend of the Haj-Mirage Rating: R TRT: 1 hr. 23 min. Director: Mark Potts (OFF Alum) Country: United States, California Action. Suspense. Death. Love. Hot men, etc. Cop Chronicles: Loose Cannons: The Legend of the HajMirage tells the story of two wild police officers, Higgs and McGraw, and their chase to take down Samir, an evil mastermind hellbent on making the world bow down to him. • World Premiere, Q&A scheduled, plays with Tond • Friday, 9:00 pm, Malco Screen 2; Saturday, 10:00 am, Malco Screen 3

Door in the Woods Rating: PG-13, may include sensitive content Director: Billy Chase Goforth (OFF Alum) Country: United States, Arkansas

TRT: 1 hr. 30 min.

A young family encounters paranormal forces and faces a devastating choice after they install a mysterious vintage door in their home. • Mississippi Premiere, Q&A scheduled. • Friday, 2:15 pm, Malco Screen 1 and Saturday, 6:30 pm, Malco Screen 1

The Drawer Boy Rating: PG-13 TRT: 1 hr. 38 min. Director: Arturo Perez Torres & Aviva Armour-Ostroff Country: Canada Miles, a naive actor from Toronto collecting stories about rural life in order to make a play, turns up at a remote farm run by two men: the ruggedly practical Morgan and the simple-minded Angus. • Q&A scheduled, plays with The Perfect Fit. • Friday, 5:00 pm, Malco Screen 3; Sunday, 12:15 pm, Malco Screen 3

Eriko Pretended Rating: PG TRT: 1 hr. 33 min. Director: Akiyo Fujimura Country: Japan Ten years have gone by since Eriko moved to Tokyo to pursue her dream of becoming an actress. However, things haven’t gone like she expected, and for Eriko, there is no hope in sight. She receives the news about her older sister’s sudden death, returns home to attend her sister’s funeral, and barely manages to deliver a eulogy. Her relatives question Eriko’s life as a successful actress. On a whim, Eriko declares that she will take care

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of Kazuma, her sister’s 10-year-old son, then discovers that her sister worked as a mourner-for-hire at funerals. • Regional Premiere, Q&A scheduled, plays with The Melancholy Man • Friday, 12:00 pm, Malco Screen 3; Sunday, 5:30 pm, Malco Screen 3

The Sounding Rating: PG-13 TRT: 1 hr. 33 min. Director: Catherine Eaton Country: United States, Maine and New York On a remote island off the coast of Maine, Liv, after years of silence, begins to weave a language out of Shakespeare’s words. A driven neurologist, brought to the island to protect Liv, commits her to a psychiatric hospital. She becomes a full-blown rebel in the hospital. Her increasing violence threatens to keep her locked up for life as she fights for her voice and her freedom. • Mississippi Premiere, Q&A scheduled, plays with Timbre • Saturday, 12:30 pm, Malco Screen 2; Sunday, 2:45 pm, Malco Screen 4

M I SS I S S I PPI F EATURES Programmer: Mark Bell While the Mississippi Features Competition slate is all about celebrating homegrown Southern filmmakers and stories, this year’s group also complements each other beyond their Mississippi commonality. There’s a study of artistry and an exuberant example of that creativity and artistry. There’s a serious reckoning with a tragic, enduring history, and a triumphant tale of how one person subverted that history. Any one of the films should be enough to satisfy, but the full Mississippi experience happens, in all its contradictions, pluses, and minuses, when you take the group altogether.

The Long Shadow Rating: G, may include some sensitive images Director: Frances Causey

TRT: 1 hr. 28 min.

Of all the divisions in America, none is as insidious and tenacious as racism. In this powerful documentary, journalist Frances Causey and producer Sally Holst investigate the roots of our current racial conflicts. As privileged daughters of the South, raised with a romanticized vision of America’s past, Causey and Holst are haunted by slavery’s legacy. By telling individual stories—of free blacks in Canada, of a modern, racially motivated shooting—these filmmakers movingly personalize the costs and the stakes of continued inaction. “The past is never dead,” William Faulkner once said, and this echoes one scholar’s warning: “We’re still fighting the Civil War, and the South is winning.” • Regional Premiere, Q&A scheduled. Plays with Here I’ll Stay. • Saturday, 5:00 pm, Oxford Conference Center; Sunday, 2:30 pm, Malco Screen 1

Love Soliloquy: A Visual Album Rating: PG-13 TRT: 31 min. Director: Astin Rocks Distorting the perception of true events, Love Soliloquy uses avant-garde storytelling to reveal the psyche behind young women navigating their relationships. • Q&A scheduled. Plays with The Process. • Friday, 12:00 pm, Malco Screen 1; Sunday, 12:15 pm, Malco Screen 1

Mississippi Madam : The Life of Nellie Jackson Rating: R, may include sensitive content Director: Timothy Givens & Mark K. Brockway

TRT: 1 hr. 21 min.

In 1902, Nellie Jackson, an African-American woman born into poverty in Possum Corner, Mississippi, travels north to Natchez and opens “Nellie’s,” a brothel she ran for more than 60 years, with full knowledge of police and Natchez officials until a fiery end one hot July night in 1990. • World Premiere, Q&A scheduled. Plays with Colette. • Saturday, 2:30 pm Oxford Conference Center; Sunday, 10:00 am, Malco Screen 1

The Process: The Way of Pablo Sierra Rating: G TRT: 1 hr. 2 min. Director: Jeff Dennis A film about a potter named Pablo Sierra, who lived in Yocona, Mississippi. Born in Spain, he came to Ole Miss on track scholarship, and developed into a world class runner. He is now an amazing potter, baker, and horseman. For Pablo, the process is everything. • World Premiere, Q&A scheduled. Plays with Love Soliloquy • Friday, 12:00 pm, Malco Screen 1; Sunday, 12:15 pm, Malco Screen 1

NARRATIV E AND MISSISSIPP I FE ATURE S JURY BRIAN TALLERICO Brian Tallerico has covered television, film, video games, Blu-ray/DVD, interviews, and entertainment news for almost two decades online, on radio, and in print. Tallerico is the Editor of RogerEbert.com. In addition, he is the Editor of Magill’s Cinema Annual, a regular guest on radio stations throughout the Midwest, a TV writer for Vulture.com, a contributor at Rolling Stone, and freelancer for multiple outlets. He also serves as Vice President of the Chicago Film

February 7-11, 2018

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Critics Association and co-produces the Chicago Critics Film Festival every May. Everything is possible because of his wife Lauren and three boys: Lucas, Miles, and Noah. You can follow him on Twitter: @Brian_Tallerico. WARD EMLING Ward Emling was born in New Orleans and raised in Jackson, Mississippi. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Millsaps College in Jackson, and spent two years at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, England. He was the Director of the Mississippi Film Office from 1981-83, before moving to Los Angeles where he worked as a location manager on television and feature projects, and as an actor in television, features, and national and regional commercials. Emling returned to the Mississippi Film Office in 1990 and, before his retirement in 2017, guided the in-state productions of more than 300 television, feature and documentary productions, his favorites being My Dog Skip and Robert Altman’s Cookie’s Fortune. He created the Mississippi Motion Picture Incentive Program in 2004, and guided it through several enhancements and incarnations. He retired as the longest ever serving state or international film commissioner. KRISTY PUCHKO Kristy Puchko is a New York-based film critic and entertainment journalist whose work has appeared in Vanity Fair, Pajiba, Nerdist, IndieWire, and Riot Material. She is also teaches Film Criticism at the NYC’s Fashion Institute of Technology. You can keep up with her on Twitter: @KristyPuchko

FEATURES: DOCUMENTARY Programmer: Mark Rabinowitz More than any other genre, documentaries can inspire, educate, amuse and confuse while at the same time, they have the added virtue of being true. They can move you to tears or laughter, sometimes both at the same time, and on occasion change lives. Documentaries have freed the unjustly incarcerated, shamed corporations into changing harmful practices, and saved the lives of countless people and animals, alike. A truly well crafted doc not only shines a light on its subject but also gives us all a little bit of an insight into ourselves. It is my fervent hope that this year’s OFF short and feature-length docs will move, delight, empower, excite, occasionally confound and above all, inspire.

Smile Y’all Photo Booth 18

Forever “B” Rating: PG-13 TRT: 1 hr. 31 min. Director: Skye Borgman Country: United States, California Forever “B” is a twisting, turning, strangerthan-fiction story of the Brobergs, a naïve, church-going Idaho family whose daughter, Jan, was kidnapped by the family’s best friend and neighbor. Twice. • Mississippi Premiere, Q&A scheduled. • Friday, 8:00 pm, Malco Screen 4; Saturday, 2:45 pm, Malco Screen 2

Liyana Rating: PG TRT: 1 hr. 17 min. Director: Aaron Kopp & Amanda Kopp Country: Swaziland, United States, Qatar A Swazi girl embarks on a dangerous quest to rescue her young twin brothers. This animated African tale is born in the imaginations of five orphaned children in Swaziland who collaborate to tell a story of perseverance drawn from their darkest memories and brightest dreams. Their fictional character’s journey is interwoven with poetic and observational documentary scenes to create a genre-defying celebration of the transformative power of storytelling. • Mississippi Premiere. Plays with An Accidental Drowning. • Friday, 3:00 pm, Oxford Conference Center; Sunday, 10:00 am, Malco Screen 4

The Organizer Rating: PG-13 TRT: 1 hr. 40 min. Director: Nick Taylor Country: United States, Louisiana, New York / Canada, Toronto The Organizer is a portrait of Wade Rathke, the controversial founder of ACORN, as well as an exploration of that much maligned and misunderstood occupation – community organizing. • Mississippi Premiere, Q&A scheduled. Plays with short film The Nature of Mass Demonstrations. • Friday at 5:30 pm, Malco Screen 4; Sunday at 12:15 pm, Malco Screen 4

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February 7-11, 2018

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Rodents of Unusual Size

Cassette: A Documentary Mixtape

Rating: PG TRT: 1 hr. 11 min. Director: Quinn Costello, Chris Metzler & Jeff Springer (OFF Alum) Country: United States, Louisiana

Rating: PG-13 TRT: 1 hr. 28 min. Director: Zack Taylor Country: United States, New York

Hard headed Louisiana fisherman Thomas Gonzales doesn’t know what will hit him next. After decades of hurricanes and oil spills he faces a new threat: hordes of monstrous 20-pound swamp rats. Known as “nutria,” these invasive South American rodents breed faster than the roving squads of hunters can control them. • Mississippi Premiere, Q&A scheduled. Plays with One Hundred Thousand Beating Hearts and You See ‘Em. • Friday, 2:00 pm, Malco Screen 2; Saturday, 12:30 pm, Malco Screen 3

Serenade for Haiti Rating: PG-13 TRT: 1 hr. 10 min. Director: Owsley Brown Country: Haiti and United States A classical music school in the heart of troubled Port-au-Prince, Haiti, thrives despite decades of entrenched poverty and political strife. When a catastrophic earthquake completely destroys the school in 2010, a stunned and devastated faculty and student body must pick up the pieces and find a way to adapt. Devotion to each other and to the possibilities that the future still holds for them are expressed in the footage of children rehearsing in the rubble and in the rich musical heritage they have inherited. A testimony to the power of music and human resilience. • Mississippi Premiere, Q&A scheduled. Plays with Jesszilla and Monster in the Bayou. • Friday, 12:30 pm, Oxford Conference Center; Saturday, 10:15 am, Malco Screen 4

FEATURES: MUSIC DOCUMENTARY Programmer: Newt Rayburn Do you like music? Do you want to enjoy good music? Do you wonder from where the music comes? We all do, and everybody loves a good music documentary. We made some tough decisions to curate the 2018 lineup, and we hope you enjoy.

Cassette is a documentary mixtape about a musical format that refuses to die. As modern music moves to the Cloud, a strange romance now surrounds the cassette, with rising sales to prove it. Far outside of this renewed interest is the cassette’s inventor Lou Ottens, 89, living out a quiet retirement in Holland, happy to leave the audiocassette in the past. A stubborn progressive, Ottens struggles to accept that a new generation is using tapes to spread their music. Through a series of one-on-one interviews, he confronts 50 years of mixed emotions about his creation. Featuring Henry Rollins, Thurston Moore, Ian MacKaye, Rob Sheffield, Burger Records, and many more. • Mississippi Premiere, Q&A scheduled. • Saturday, 8:00 pm, Malco Screen 3; Sunday, 10:15 am, Malco Screen 2

Do U Want It? Rating: PG-13 TRT: 1 hr. 36 min. Director: Sam Radutzky and Josh Freund Country: United States, Louisiana Do U Want It? is an exploration and celebration of the musical culture of New Orleans. The film chronicles the rise of beloved New Orleans band Papa Grows Funk and uses their illustrious thirteen-year career, from formation up to the band’s emotional final shows, as a vehicle to explore the nuances of success and struggle in the greatest musical city in the world. • Q&A scheduled. • Friday, 11:30 am, Malco Screen 2; Saturday, 12:00 pm, Oxford Conference Center

How They Got Over Rating: G TRT: 1 hr. 27 min. Director: Robert Clem (OFF Alum) Country: United States, Alabama How They Got Over explores the evolution of black gospel quartet music and its contributions to the emergence of Rock & Roll, starting with ensemble harmony singing in the 1930s and leading to the harder gospel sound of the 1940s, when virtuoso performers developed a lively and entertaining performance style attracting huge crowds. With performances by the Blind Boys of Mississippi and Alabama, the Soul Stirrers, Dixie Hummingbirds, Davis Sisters, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Sensational Nightingales and many more. • Mississippi Premiere, Q&A scheduled. • Saturday, 9:45 am, Oxford Conference Center; Sunday, 3:15 pm, Malco Screen 3

SAVE THE DATE! 20

16th Annual Film Festival February 6-10, 2019 February 7-11, 2018

Word is Bond Rating: Unrated, may contain sensitive images. Director: Sacha Jenkins Country: United States

TRT: 1 hr 25 min.

Word Is Bond examines the transformative power of lyrics in the world of hip-hop music. What was born on the streets of the South Bronx has now taken root globally, and the young poets of New York have helped to spawn regional dialects everywhere. Through dynamic archival footage, in-depth interviews and verite excursions with artists like Nas, Tech9, J Cole, Rapsody and Anderson .Paak (and many more), Word explores the many dimensions that hip hop poetics occupy.

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• Regional Premiere, Q&A scheduled. • Friday, 5:15 pm, Oxford Conference Center; Saturday, 3:00 pm, Malco Screen 3

D OC U ME NTA RY F EATU R E & M U SI C DO C J URY JOE YORK Joe York is a freelance video and documentary film producer and director. Prior to striking out on his own, Joe worked as the Senior Producer of Documentary Projects at the University of Mississippi’s Southern Documentary Project. There he created over 40 short documentaries, many in partnership with the Southern Foodways Alliance. His most recent feature-length documentary Shake ‘Em On Down, chronicling the life and music of blues legend Mississippi Fred McDowell, aired nationally on PBS as part of the “Reel South Documentary Series.” York lives in Water Valley, Mississippi, with wife Kathryn, their daughter Emma and son Herschel. DIANE BECKER Diane Becker is an LA-based documentary and feature film producer and a graduate of the American Film Institute. She has worked with the award-winning Passion Pictures and Motto Pictures on films including Sergio, Manhunt (2013 Emmy Award Winner), Homegrown: The Counter Terror Dilemma, Chicken People, Legion of Brothers, and The Final Year. She and producer Melanie Miller founded Fishbowl Films in 2009 and their latest film, Alaska is a Drag, a grand prize winner of Poland’s US in Progress, is currently screening in festivals around the globe. Diane recently produced We Are X, about Japan’s biggest rock band in history (Best Editing award, World Cinema Documentary, 2016 Sundance Film Festival). She is the co-producer of the Netflix series “Five Came Back,” about Hollywood and World War II, executive produced by Steven Spielberg and Scott Rudin. Diane was selected as one of five of this year’s 2017 Sundance Documentary Creative Producing Fellows. She is a member of the Producers Guild of America (PGA) and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS).

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THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI SENSE AND SENSIBILITY

AQUILA THEATRE

Feb. 13,Dance 2018Alive • 7:30 PM Ballet National Dec. 15 at 7 p.m.

CONSIDERING MATTHEW SHEPARD CONSPIRARE, A COMPANY OF VOICES

Feb. 27, 2018 • 7:30 PM

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Gertrude C. Ford Center for the Performing Arts Tickets: BoxUniversity Office 662.915.7411 or www.fordcenter.org 351 University Ave., P.O. Box UM 1848, MS 38677

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BRIAN OWENS

Johnny’s Greek and Three

Brian Owens has served as Artistic Director for Nashville Film Festival since 2008. He came to Nashville after founding and managing the Indianapolis International Film Festival. He has been named one of Nashville’s People in Charge by the Nashville Post and one of the 50 Most Influential People of the 2000’s by the Indianapolis Star. Owens developed his knowledge of film early in life and honed his skills at Indiana University, where he studied Film. He has served on festival juries around the globe, most recently in Slemani in the Kurdish Autonomous Region of Iraq. He has been published in several online and print publications.

Rating: PG TRT: 8 min. Director: Ava Lowrey (OFF Alum) Country: United States, Alabama

SHORTS: DOCUMENTARY, MISSISSIPPI, NARRATIVE D O C U MEN TA R Y S H O RTS Programmer: Mark Rabinowitz (see programmer’s note under Documentary Features, page 18)

DOCUMENTARY SHORTS BLOCK Friday, 7:30 pm, Malco Screen 3. Q&A scheduled.

There is no denying the tremendous influence of Greek southerners on the Birmingham restaurant scene. One of those Birminghamians is Timothy Hontzas, a Homewood chef and restaurant owner of Johnny’s. With a recent James Beard Award nomination, his restaurant is one of the top meat and three lunch spots in Birmingham, and he proudly incorporates his Greek heritage and influences into his menu. • Mississippi Premiere.

A Life’s Work Rating: Unrated TRT: 17 min. Director: Ben Spilling Country: United States, Maine This is a spiritual discovery which explores how creativity can contribute to forging who we are, through the eyes of Peter Korn, fine furniture maker and author of Why We Make Things and Why It Matters: The Education of a Craftsman. We explore Peter’s life and ideas formed from years at the workbench. We contemplate his theory that craft or creative expression contributes to self-transformation with other established craftsmen. Are we ever the same person after a creative journey?

All The Leaves Are Brown

• United States Premiere.

Rating: PG TRT: 12 min. Director: Daniel Robin (OFF Alum) Country: United States, Georgia and California

Newport Gun Girls

A short film about memory, loss, family, and a sugar maple tree. • Mississippi Premiere.

Altimir Rating PG TRT: 17 min. Director: Kay Hannahan Country: Bulgaria and United States Since the collapse of the communist regime in 1989, Bulgaria has experienced the most extreme population decline in the world. Low birth rates, high death rates, and two large waves of emigration have pushed many villages to the verge of extinction. Altimir explores life in one of Bulgaria’s disappearing villages, haunted by the promises of communism and capitalism. • Mississippi Premiere.

Rating: PG TRT: 11 min. Director: Lauren Orme Country: United Kingdom Newport Gun Girls is an animated documentary that shines a light on a forgotten group of women who worked at Newport Royal Ordnance Factory 11 during the second world war. • World Premiere.

Our Ghosts Rating: G TRT: 4 min. Director: Hannah Ruddle Country: United Kingdom A garden, a couple and the memories they have planted within it. Jim and Susan are pensioners who have known each other since childhood. All their life, they’ve recycled into their garden. Pots and pans, their first bed and even childhood bikes all are filled with flowers. Using animation and documentary footage, Our Ghosts explores the differences between the tangible garden and the one grown from memories and experiences. What happens when they have to leave it behind? • Regional Premiere.

February 7-11, 2018

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$30 To Antarctica

Monster in the Bayou

Rating: Unrated TRT: 18 min. Director: Joey Chu Country: United States and China

Rating: Unrated TRT: 14 min. Director: Victoria Greene Country: United States, Louisiana

Ka Foon Chau grew up an impoverished child and retired a renowned doctor. Raised in 1960s Hong Kong, Chau faced the bias of her elders who attempted to discourage her interest in the academics. Through a small gesture of support she received from a teacher, Chau built a life and career that moved beyond the restrictive boundaries set by her parents’ generation. She is now ready to fulfill a childhood dream – to see Antarctica.

Irresponsible brine mining in a Louisiana underground salt dome propels a community into chaos as they struggle to cope in the aftermath of an environmental disaster. • Plays with Jesszilla and Serenade for Haiti • Friday, 12:30 pm, Oxford Conference Center; Saturday, 10:15 am, Malco Screen 4

• Mississippi Premiere.

Washed Away Rating: PG-13 TRT: 13 min. Director: Dana Nachman Country: United States, California There are many days that Brandon Anderton cannot get out of bed. But on the days he can, he creates sand mosaic masterpieces only to see them enveloped by the tides hours later. Washed Away chronicles the transformation of a person who goes from one of the darkest places a human can go to a place of hope and inspiration. The driving force behind his change is art. • Mississippi Premiere

PLAYING WITH OTHER FILMS

An Accidental Drowning Rating: PG TRT: 7 min. Director: Matteo Servente Country: United States, Tennessee On April 28, 1939 Jesse Lee Bond was brutally lynched in Arlington, Tennessee. His official death certificate read: accidentally drowned. • Mississippi Premiere, Q&A scheduled. Plays with Liyana. • Friday, 3:00 pm Oxford Conference Center; Sunday, 10:00 am Malco Screen 4

Jesszilla Rating: G TRT: 7 min. Director: Emily Sheskin Country: United States Jesselyn “JessZilla” Silva is serious about boxing, and at 10 years old, trains seriously with dreams of becoming a professional fighter. Her father, Pedro, finds himself caught in between supporting her dream and worrying about her future in boxing. • Mississippi Premiere, Plays with Monster in the Bayou and Serenade for Haiti • Friday, 12:30 pm, Oxford Conference Center; Saturday, 10:15 am, Malco Screen 4

The Nature of Mass Demonstrations Rating: Unrated TRT: 7 min. Director: Nate Lavey Country: United States, New York A visual treatment of John Berger’s classic essay, “The Nature of Mass Demonstrations,” this film explores how demonstrations are always rehearsals for political revolution. At a time when millions are in the streets, this re-interrogation of the notion of protest, political violence, and rebellion is a necessary addition to our political imaginary. • World Premiere, Q&A scheduled. Plays with The Organizer. • Friday, 5:30 pm, Malco Screen 4; Sunday, 12:15 pm, Malco Screen 4

One Hundred Thousand Beating Hearts Rating: Unrated TRT: 15 min. Director: Peter Byck Country: United States The story of fourth generation cattleman Will Harris’s evolution from industrial, commodity cowboy to sustainable, humane food producer. A growing group of consumers look at the consumption of beef as a terrible environmental and moral consumption choice. Harris’s work in southwest Georgia shows how he has adopted agricultural practices that produce healthy beef (and poultry) that regenerate his soils and allow all the animals to express their natural instincts. • Mississippi Premiere. Plays with You See “Em and Rodents of Unusual Size. • Friday, 2:00 pm, Malco Screen 2; Saturday 12:30 pm, Malco Screen 3

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Robert Rating: PG-13 TRT: 8 min. Director: Sarah Fleming & Joann Self Selvidge (OFF Alum) Country: United States, Tennessee This short film shares the story of a young man who is incarcerated at the Shelby County Division of Corrections. Robert was transferred to criminal court at the age of 15, and he has spent the past four years in adult detention centers as a youthful offender. His involvement with the Incarcerated Youth Leadership Program has allowed him to give presentations out in the community, under special supervision by SCDC officers, and with permission from the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office. • Free screening. Q&A scheduled. Plays with Circles. • Saturday, 4:15 pm, Malco Screen 1

You See ‘Em Rating: PG TRT: 7 min. Director: Emma Landeche Country: United States, Louisiana The Abita Mystery House is just that: a mystery. The museum is home to eccentric exhibits, a lot of junk, and an irreverent creator. • Mississippi Premiere. Plays with One Hundred Thousand Beating Hearts and Rodents of Unusual Size • Friday, 2:00 pm, Malco Screen 2; Saturday, 12:30 pm, Malco Screen 3

M I SS I S S I PPI S H O R TS Programmers: Courtney Hall & Mary Margaret Andrews Mississippi shorts provides us the opportunity to encourage, inspire and promote writers, director and filmmakers in Mississippi to create works that reflect the rich and diverse stories from our state. Mixing documentaries, narratives and other shorts in one block shows the perspective of our film community in addressing topics of wider scope.

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COMMUNITY FILM BLOCK Wednesday, 7:00 pm, Powerhouse. Q&A Scheduled. Films will follow Table Read of ScreenPlay winners. See page 50 for more information.

Birthing Video Rating: G TRT: 4 min. Director: Christina Huff (OFF Alum) A short experimental film that explores the use of color and texture to evoke an emotional curiosity.

Fifteen Rating: PG TRT: 10 min. Director: Julia Mitchell Five years ago, a documentary-style film was created by Joe York asking 10-year-olds questions about being 10. Now, five years later, the now 15-year-olds meet again in front of a camera to answer questions about the ups and downs of being 15. • World Premiere. Not in competition.

The Pizza Magazine Rating: PG TRT: 16 min. Director: Daniel Lee Perea (OFF Alum)

Closed Rating: Unrated TRT: 3 min. Director: Sam Cox A typical closing shift for a barista turns as he is preparing to leave for the night.

The behind-the-scenes story of how a newsletter written on a coffee table grew to become a multinational publication read by tens of thousands all over the globe. • World Premiere.

Thacker Mountain Radio Hour: 20th Anniversary DayFall Rating: PG TRT: 1 min. Director: Tony King This is the story of a man stranded on a cliff with only one tool, a gun. How he uses the gun to interact with the birds around him could save him or end him.

Dear Mr. Bryant

Rating: G TRT: 15 min. Director: Christina Huff (OFF Alum) Oxonians reflect on their experiences at Thacker Mountain Radio which celebrated its 20th anniversary in October of 2017. • Not in competition. See Panels Page # for script reading that will also be part of Wednesday block.

MISSISSIPPI SHORTS BLOCK Friday, 4:45 pm Malco Screen 1. Q&A Scheduled.

Rating: PG TRT: 10 min. Director: Robbie Fisher (OFF Alum)

Caution

Mississippi religious leaders share their informed and heartfelt thoughts in telling Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant why he was wrong to fight for and sign into law the controversial and extreme piece of anti-LGBTQ legislation known simply as H.B. 1523. (Magnifying Glass Fellowship Recipient)

Rating: G TRT: 1 min Director: Thomas Haffey

• World Premiere. Not in competition.

Cowgirl Up

#fifteen

Rating: G TRT: 5 min. Director: Nathan Willis (OFF Alum)

Rated: PG TRT: 15 min. Director: Melanie Addington Country: United States, Mississippi In the latest installment of the Oxford Film Festival community film, Maggie finds herself fed up with being super famous and wants a way out. Will a new app be the answer to her problems?

A concerned young citizen shares her thoughts on the orange invaders that have enveloped her town.

A cowgirl from Mississippi pursues her lifelong dream to be the first African-American woman in the National Finals Rodeo. • Mississippi Premiere.

• World Premiere. Not in competition.

February 7-11, 2018

Cubicle City Rating: PG TRT: 17 min. Director: Glenn Payne (OFF Alum) Missing lunches, maniacal villains, monster detectives, and mechanical men: When office life gets boring you can always escape to the streets of Cubicle City.

Flag Flap Over Mississippi Rating PG TRT: 27 min. Director: Rex Jones (OFF Alum) Does Mississippiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s state flag, adopted in 1894 and the last in the United States to still incorporate Confederate imagery into its design, represent hospitality or hostility?

Hand Made Rating: G TRT: 5 min Director: David Ross Greg Harkins has lived in Vaughan, Mississippi, for all of his life. At an early age he began studying the craft of woodworking and since that time he has never worked for anybody else. Using techniques passed down from the mid-1800s, he is preserving a virtually lost craft.

Mombie Rating: PG-13 TRT: 10 min. Director: N.T. Bullock Little Kevin watches his dad try to keep the family together after mom comes home... changed.

Part of It Rating: PG TRT: 7 min. Director: Victoria De Leone More than just a film about foraging, Part of It follows Jones County native Joseph Hosey as he collects tastes of Mississippi. His memories, knowledge and love of wild plants form a meditation on finding home where you are, and the nature of wilderness in a changing world. â&#x20AC;˘ World Premiere.

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LOBAKI VR CAMP The VR Academy has been designed to provide students an immersive introduction to Virtual Reality and the tools and techniques used to create VR experiences. The exciting aspect of creating VR experiences is that not everyone has to have a computer science interest or be a coder. Festival participants will learn about the immersive effects of VR and learn more about the work that Lobaki is doing in Clarksdale to focus on economic development through Virtual Reality opportunities.

Pay the Piper

Winston County Miracle Man

Rating: G TRT: 6 min Director: Maggie Bushway & Glenn Payne (OFF Alum, Payne)

Rating: G TRT: 6 min. Director: Rick Guy (OFF Alum)

The piper takes revenge on a town who owes him for his services, but soon realizes he has made a grave mistake.

Jimmy Gregory survived being struck in the head by an ax as a child.

PLAYING WITH OTHER FILMS

Colette River Made Rating: G TRT: 7 min. Director: David Ross John Ruskey came to Mississippi to discover the blues. After repeatedly seeing the town of Clarksdale on most of his blues records, he packed his bags and went south, guitar in hand. After years of living in Clarksdale as a blues historian, he suddenly had another calling. This time, it was the Mississippi River (or the “gut of America” as he likes to say). John and his lead guide, former college All-American and NFL linebacker, Mark “River” Peoples paddle down the Mississippi River on exploratory adventures year round. Their goal is to change the misconceptions of the river while leaving their fellow explorers with lifelong lessons. • World Premiere.

Truth Rises Rating: PG TRT: 3 min. Director: E.J. Carter A brother and sister talk about getting in trouble after mistakes are made in the family business. • World Premiere.

We Believed We Were Immortal Rating: G TRT: 9 min. Director: Kathleen Wickham & Larry Wells At the University of Mississippi, Dr. Kathleen Wickham and fellow journalists Jerry Mitchell, Hank Klibanoff, and Dan Rather address the unsolved murder of French reporter Paul Guihard, shot in the back during the 1962 Ole Miss riot, and dedicate a historical marker erected in Guihard’s memory.

Rating: G TRT: 9 min. Director: Royce Swayze A French bureaucrat obsesses over a birdwatcher whom he meets in a park. • Plays with Mississippi Madam. Q&A scheduled. • Saturday, 2:30 pm, Oxford Conference Center; Sunday, 10:00 am, Malco Screen 1

Here I’ll Stay Rating: G TRT: 11 min. Director: Marlene McCurtis & Lorena Maniquez In Jackson, Mississippi, a coalition of Latino, black, and white activists known as MIRA (Mississippi Immigrants Rights Alliance) confronts local lawmakers who introduced 12 anti-immigrant bills into the state legislature in 2017. Among those protesting in the state’s capital: 13-year-old Yizel, whose parents are undocumented immigrants from Mexico. • Mississippi Premiere, Q&A scheduled. Plays with The Long Shadow. • Saturday, 5:00 pm, Oxford Conference Center; Sunday, 2:30 pm, Malco Screen 1

NARRATIV E SHORTS  Programmer: Jennifer Murchison With almost 700 submissions for Narrative Shorts, this first-time programmer was overwhelmed, exhausted, and thoroughly impressed with the filmmakers this year! I have been screening for Oxford Film Fest and Indie Memphis for a few years now, but taking on the role of decision making for OFF was daunting. So much responsibility! Mercifully, Melanie Addington provided a lot of guidance and support as I tackled the yeoman’s task. This year, OFF saw record numbers of submissions in this category, almost doubling our numbers from last year. We saw an up-tick in female filmmakers, with room to grow in that area. And I was surprised to see so many international submissions for our tiny hamlet’s festival. What an amazing opportunity for Oxford and Mississippi! I am so proud of the talent OFF attracts across the world, and am overjoyed to share my hometown with so many filmmakers and film lovers. Enjoy our Narrative Shorts blocks, and pace yourself with the popcorn.

February 7-11, 2018

SUPPORT INSPIRE ENRICH

The Mississippi Arts Commission is a catalyst for the arts and creativity The Mississippi Arts Commission (MAC) is a in Mississippi.

state agency serving more than two million people through grants and special initiatives that More than two million people benefit from enhance communities, assist artists and arts MAC’s grants and special initiatives, which organizations, promote arts education and arts enhance communities, assist artists and celebrate Mississippi’s cultural heritage. and organizations, promote arts education, celebrate Mississippi’s cultural heritage.

arts.ms.gov

Mississippi Arts Commission 501 N.359-6030 West Street (601) Woolfolk Building – Suite 1101A Jackson, MS 39201

Established in 1968 by the state legislature, the MAC is the in ofﬁcial service Established 1968grants-making by the state and legislature, agency for the in Mississippi. Fundingand for MAC is the thearts official grants-making the MAC and its for programs provided by the service agency the artsis in Mississippi. State of for Mississippi, the its National Endowment Funding MAC and programs is for the Arts, provided by and the private state ofsources. Mississippi, the National Endowment for the Arts, and private sources. Learn more about supporting MAC at

www.arts.ms.gov or (601) 359-6030.

Visit arts.ms.gov to learn more.

KEY SPECIAL SCREEN NARRATIVE

DOCUMENTAR SHORTS EVENTS

FEST FORWAR

MISSISSIPPI FIL LGBT

** = FREE (NO TICKET

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2018 930 945

10 1015 1030 1045 11 1115 1130 1145 noon 1215 1230 1245

Malco 1

115 130 145

215 230 245

Love Soliloquy/The Process

Malco 2

415

Rodents of Unusual Size

Eriko Pretended

International Shorts

Seeing is Believing Screening and Female Filmmaker Panel

Malco 4

315 330 345

Door in the Woods

Do You Want It?

Malco 3

LIVING ON S

Boys for Sale

Malco Tent

VR Workshop and Demos **

OCC

Serenade for Haiti

UM Museum

Liyana

Founderâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Reception

VIP

Green Room Open At Malco

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2018 930 945 Malco 1

10 1015 1030 1045 11 1115 1130 1145 noon 1215 1230 1245 I Am Evidence

Malco 2

How They Got Over

PH Theater

Kid Short Films (5+)

PH Gallery

I Can Make A Movie Workshop (Teens)

315 330 345

415

Mi Forever B

Rodents of Unusual Size

Word is Bond

Boys for Sale

I Am Evidence Panel Discussion **

OCC

BASEketball

Serenade for Haiti

Malco Tent

215 230 245

The Sounding

The Cop Chronicles: Loose Cannons

Malco 4

Best of LA Film Prize

Animation Block

Malco 3

115 130 145

Fest Forward

Visua

Audio Panel ** Do You Want It?

Mississippi Madam Meerkat Moonship (Teens) Lobaki Virtual Reality Workshop (5+)

VIP

Green Room Open At Malco

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2018 930 945 1145 Malco 2

10 1015 1030 1045 11 1115 1130 1145 noon 1215 1230 1245 Mississippi Madam Cassette

Malco 3

Bernard and Huey

Malco 4

Liyana

Malco Tent PH Theater PH Gallery VIP

115 130 145

215 230 245

Love Soliloquy/The Process

Easy Magic Movie Costume Workshop (Teens)

315 330 345

415

The Long Shadow

Award Winning Films The Drawer Boy

How They Got

The Organizer

The Sounding

Crowdfunding Panel ** The Amazing Wizard of Paws (5+)

Queer Filmmaking

Teen Shorts I Can Make A Movie Workshop (5+) Green Room Open At Malco

Whale Rider (Al

WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 7 2018

NING

615 630 645

Powerhouse

715 730 745

815 830 845

915 930 945

10 1015 1030 1045 11 1115 1130 1145

Community Film Night **

VIP

VIP Party

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2018

Thacker Mountain Radio**

Ford Center

715 730 745

815 830 845

915 930 945

10 1015 1030 1045 11 1115 1130 1145

Opening Night: The Last Movie Star

VIP

T NEEDED)

5 430 445

615 630 645

VIP Party

515 530 545

615 630 645

715 730 745

MS Shorts

815 830 845

915 930 945

Bernard and Huey

Alaska is a Drag

Late Night Shorts Block

LGBTQ Shorts Block The Drawer Boy

The Cop Chronicles: Loose Cannons

Doc Shorts Block

The Organizer

SOUL

10 1015 1030 1045 11 1115 1130 1145

Music Video Block

Forever B

How to get Publicity Panel ** Word is Bond

VIP Party

5 430 445

515 530 545

615 630 645

ississippi Humanities Council Presents Circles**

715 730 745

The Door in the Woods

Drama Shorts Block

915 930 945

10 1015 1030 1045 11 1115 1130 1145

Centerpiece: Allure

Comedy Shorts Block

Urania Descending Block

815 830 845

Cassette

Alaska is a Drag

Between the Shades

al Effects Panel **

5 430 445

t Over

The Long Shadow Awards Ceremony (VIP Badgeholders only) Awards Party (VIP Badgeholders only) Awards Party (VIP Badgeholders only)

515 530 545

615 630 645

715 730 745

815 830 845

915 930 945

10 1015 1030 1045 11 1115 1130 1145

Closing Night: Mad to Be Normal

Eriko Pretended Between the Shades

g Panel **

ll Ages) Goodbye dinner for filmmakers

COMEDY SHORTS BLOCK Saturday, 7:30 pm, Malco Screen 2. Q&A Scheduled.

Bitches Love Brunch Rating: PG-13 TRT: 11 min. Director: Sasha Leigh Henry Country: Canada Chantelle is meeting her three friends who she has promised to buy brunch... except she’s broke. Understandably unimpressed with the makeshift meal that becomes breakfast, her besties turn their let down into a catch-up on life’s highs and lows. While swapping stories of dating trials and triumphs, they take a look at Chantelle’s most recent attempt at finding love: an online dating app. • Regional Premiere.

The Final Show Rating: PG TRT: 10 min. Director: Dana Nachman Country: United States, California We meet Betty Schwartz in the last 2 minutes of her life. She now must make a choice. • World Premiere.

Gloria Talks Funny Rating: PG-13 TRT: 19 min. Director: Kendall Goldberg Country: United States, California When struggling voice actress, Gloria, discovers her agent failed to tell her that her claim-to-fame cartoon is being remade, she sets her sights on reprising her role as the famous BioBoy. • World Premiere.

Last Words Rating: PG-13 TRT: 9 min. Director: Andre LeBlanc Country: United States, California A recent widower listens to a final audio message from his late wife. Unfortunately for him, some things can never be unheard.

sans réponse Rating: G TRT: 4 min. Director: William Papadin Country: United States, California A young man moves back home to Sonoma after failing to “make it” in the Los Angeles film scene. • Mississippi Premiere.

Temporary Rating: PG-13 TRT: 12 min. Director: Milena Govich Country: United States, Oklahoma A compassionate veterinarian works as an inhome euthanasia specialist for dying pets, but when he’s called to the house of an eccentric pet owner, she challenges the ideals of his chosen profession. • Mississippi Premiere.

That Smell Rating: PG TRT: 11 min. Director: Kyle Lavore Country: United States, Pennsylvania This unusual comedy follows Nate, an awkward man who is pulled into the secret and persecuted world of book sniffing by Trisha, the underground movement’s leader. • Mississippi Premiere.

DRAMA SHORTS BLOCK Saturday, 5:00 pm, Malco Screen 2. Q&A Scheduled.

An Act of Terror Rating: PG-13 TRT: 16 min. Director: Ashley Paige Brim Country: United States, North Carolina The true story of Virginia Christian, a 16-year-old African American girl accused of murder in the Jim Crow South. • Mississippi Premiere.

Black Canaries

M.A.M.O.N. (MONITOR AGAINST MEXICANS OVER NATIONWIDE)

Rating: PG-13 TRT: 15 min. Director: Jesse Kreitzer Country: United States, Iowa

Rating: PG-13 TRT: 5 min. Director: Alejandro Damiani Country: Mexico

Isolated, desperate, and haunted by his coal-stained birthright, Father continues his daily descent into the accursed Maple mine—even after it has crippled his ancestors and blinded his youngest son. Set in 1907 and based on director Jesse Kreitzer’s own coalmining heritage, Black Canaries is a powerful meditation on patrimony, loyalty, and love.

While Donald Trump is undergoing heart surgery, a portal to another reality opens. Latinos start falling from the sky to the desert, on the MexicoU.S. border, divided by an enormous wall. A hilarious war breaks between a Trump-like mecha robot and several stereotypical Mexican Latinos.

oxfordfilmfest.com

• Mississippi Premiere.

Blood Wolf

The Weight

Rating: Unrated, may contain some sensitive content Director: Diana Cignoni Country: United States, California

TRT: 9 min.

Blood Wolf is a female driven thriller which exposes the danger of when passion gets out of control and when toxic relationships separate us further and further from reality. Recipient of the Panavision New Filmmaker Program Grant for the feature version of Blood Wolf in development. • World Premiere.

The Blue Car

Rating: PG-13 TRT: 11 min. Director: Garrett Detrixhe Country: United States, Georgia Emma attempts to hide the details of a painful past when it comes to light that her boyfriend misremembers how they first met.

INTERNATIONAL SHORTS BLOCK Friday, 2:30 pm, Malco Screen 3, Q&A Scheduled

Alzhaïmour

Rating: PG-13 TRT: 11 min. Director: Henrik A. Meyer Country: United States, New York A young, poor East African boy faces the reality of running out of food and water while caring for his dying mother. But in his imagination, he travels the world in his favorite blue toy car to save her. • Regional Premiere.

Rating: G TRT: 14 min. Director: Pierre Van de Kerckhove Country: Belgium Louise, aged 68, is suffering from Alzheimer’s disease and lives in a nursing home. Her daily life is riddled with sadness because her son Daniel is no longer visiting her, discouraged by his mother’s memory lapses. The arrival of a new patient in the home (Leo, 82), who is also suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, will upset Louise’s life ... but also Daniel’s.

Home

• Mississippi Premiere.

Rating: PG-13 TRT: 13 min. Director: Clark Duke Country: United States, Arkansas

Fliegen Rating: R TRT: 18 min. Director: Marcus Hanisch Country: Germany

A young man goes home to reconnect with his ailing grandfather and his former best friend.

It’s Nadia’s 15th birthday. Instead of celebrating with her friends she takes care of her drug addicted mother. To earn their living Nadia is working in a Chinese restaurant. Due to the clash of hope, fights and reconciliation the life with her mother become an intoxication for Nadia herself. Trapped between responsibility and the thoughts to escape, Nadia’s loving care is put to the test.

• World Premiere.

Lawman Rating: PG-13 TRT: 13 min. Director: Matthew Gentile Country: United States, California Based on True Events. 1875, Indian Territory: Bass Reeves, the first African-American deputy U.S. Marshal arrests an outlaw, Glen Huddleston, and brings him toward encampment. A battle of wills arises between them as the outlaw tries to psych out the deputy to escape. • Mississippi Premiere.

A Blackfeet girl escapes from sex traffickers in the oil fields of North Dakota and hitchhikes through unforgiving Plains winter back to her reservation in Montana. • Regional Premiere.

Rating: PG TRT: 10 min. Director: Mohsen Nabavi Country: Iran & Malaysia Mother and her little girl in chased by a hunter in the forest.

Running Eagle: Pitamakan Rating: R, may include sensitive content. Director: Konrad Tho. Fiedler Country: United States, Montana

Save Me!

• Regional Premiere. TRT: 13 min.

Say No Rating: PG TRT: 9 min. Director: Samuel Clemens Country: United Kingdom Schoolgirl Rossella is traveling to school with a bag full of guns. Her ex has met a new girl and passions are running high. What does she intend to do? • World Premiere.

February 7-11, 2018

Space Girls Rating: G TRT: 10 min. Director: Carys Watford Country: United Kingdom During a sleepover, four spaceobsessed 9-year-old girls embark on a secret mission in their cardboard rocket. When Dad returns home, what will become of their mission? • World Premiere.

Spinosaurus Rating: G TRT: 15 min. Director: Tessa Hoffe Country: United Kingdom A girl cares for her brother as she waits for her mother’s return. • Regional Premiere.

The Vest Rating: PG TRT: 7 min. Director: Lesley Manning Country: United Kingdom An anonymous man in a mac walks through rush hour of a city. Unbeknownst to anyone he is wearing a suicide vest. Can he complete his mission?

A Whole World for a Little World Rating: G TRT: 15 min. Director: Fabrice Bracq (OFF Alum) Country: France A woman tells a great story to her baby. In the manner of a tale with princes and princesses, she remains into his memories to pass on his daughter. • Regional Premiere.

LATE NIGHT SHORTS BLOCK Friday, 9:30 pm, Malco Screen 1. Q&A Scheduled.

Alfred J. Hemlock Rating: PG-13 TRT: 15 min. Director: Edward Lyons Country: Australia When Emily’s boyfriend abandons her in the night, her only way home is through an alleyway where she is terrorised by the mysterious entity Alfred J. Hemlock. • Mississippi Premiere.

oxfordfilmfest.com

SALES.LISTING.PROPERTY MANAGEMENT.RENTALS

The Apocalypse will be Automated

Pessim

Rating: PG TRT: 8 min. Director: Melanie Killingsworth Country: Australia

Rating: Unrated TRT: 11 min. Director: Takcom Country: Japan

As a virus spreads through Melbourne in the summer of 2021, a group of friends follow their emergency plan to flee the city. But the plan relied on technology, which, as they discover, may not be as helpful as they had hoped. In the fight between humans and zombies, who will the machines side with?

A short film depicting city cultures that grew in suburbs of Japan, seen through the eyes of a lonely man struggled with his past. It’s a dead-end, between Japanese tradition and western culture. Inspired by the debut album Pessim from Ramza, a Hip-Hop/Beat artist based in Nagoya, Japan.

• World Premiere.

• United States Premiere. • Competing in the Fest Forward category.

Einstein-Rosen Rating: G TRT: 9 min. Director: Olga Osorio Country: Spain Summer of 1982. Teo claims he has found a wormhole. His brother Óscar does not believe him, at least not for now.

Heartless Rating: R TRT: 12 min. Director: Kevin Sluder (OFF Alum) Country: United States, California Based on Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Tell-Tale Heart.” An overlooked associate struggles to complete a corporate presentation as a horrific secret gnaws at her conscience.

Real Artists Rating: PG TRT: 12 min. Director: Cameo Wood Country: United States, California Against all odds, Sophia Baker just scored her dream interview at the world-famous Semaphore Animation Studios. Who’d have thought a fan edit of one of their hit films could land her a shot at a job? But when she meets the arch, mysterious executive Anne Palladon, she soon learns all is not as she expects behind the curtain. Every instinct Sophia has ever had about art in filmmaking is about to be challenged. • Regional Premiere.

Transmission

• World Premiere.

Rating: PG-13 TRT: 17 min. Director: Varun Raman & Tom Hancock Country: United Kingdom

It Began Without Warning

Welcome To Britannia. Together We Stand Alone.

Rating: R TRT: 6 min. Director: Santiago C. Tapia & Jessica Curtright Country: United States, California

• Mississippi Premiere. • Competing in the Fest Forward category.

The time has come, the Walrus said. And all the little Oysters stood and waited in a row. From Couper Samuelson, Executive Producer of Get Out. Co-Producer Efren Ramirez. • Mississippi Premiere.

Laboratory Conditions Rating: PG 13 TRT: 17 min. Director: Jocelyn Stamat Country: United States, California A physician investigating a missing patient uncovers an unlawful experiment.

PLAYING WITH OTHER FILMS

Favorites Rated: PG-13 TRT: 17 min. Director: Tracy S. Facelli Country: United States ARTIST VODKA RUNNER UP Steve and Natalie are pretty happy together, until it all comes crashing down when Natalie dies unexpectedly. After the funeral, Steve is having some trouble processing until he finds that the last thing Natalie did before she died was to make his favorite dessert. With this last push from Natalie, Steve starts the grieving process. • Mississippi Premiere. Not in competition • Sunday, 12:30 pm Malco Screen 2. Plays with Award Winning Films

• Mississippi Premiere.

February 7-11, 2018

The Melancholy Man Rating: G TRT: 6 min. Director: Samantha Smith Country: United States, Louisiana The world’s saddest man meets the world’s saddest woman. • Mississippi Premiere, Q&A scheduled. Plays with Eriko Pretending. • Friday, 12:00 pm, Malco Screen 3; Sunday, 5:30 pm, Malco Screen 3

Nation Down Rating: PG-13 TRT: 15 min. Director: Liam Hendrix Heath Country: United Kingdom ARTIST VODKA WINNER On a strange world locked in a dystopian nightmare, an oppressive regime is met with riots and rebellion. Desperate to suppress chaos, the king triggers a perverse manipulative scheme before risking his dominance in a warped bid for companionship. • Mississippi Premiere. Not in competition. • Sunday, 12:30 pm, Malco Screen 2. Plays with Award Winning films.

The Perfect Fit

R&B Feder Charitable Foundation for the Beaux Arts P.O. Box 1943 Ocean Springs, MS 39566 rnbfeder@outlook.com

Inspiring Diversity and Exploration

Rating: PG-13 TRT: 17 min. Director: Emory Parker Country: United States A determined young actress gets the opportunity to audition for the role that her mother originated on Broadway. When tensions arise between the two, the girl must decide whether to play by her mother’s rules or her own. • World Premiere. Plays with The Drawer Boy. • Friday, 5:00 pm, Malco Screen 3; Sunday, 12:15 pm, Malco Screen 3

Surrogate Rating: R TRT: 13 min. Director: Olivia Hamilton (OFF Alum: Lovell Holder, Producer) Country: United States Perky and peppy Krissie could not be happier to be the pregnancy surrogate for Liz, her best friend from high school. However, on the day of the baby shower, Krissie learns that Liz no longer views their relationship the same way, prompting Krissie to respond in a way that neither of them would ever have expected. A dark and funny portrait of female friendship and power dynamics, this short film explores whether anyone really can be ‘best friends forever.’ • Mississippi Premiere. Plays with Bernard & Huey. • Friday, 7:15 pm, Malco Screen 1; Sunday, 10:00 am, Malco Screen 3

oxfordfilmfest.com

Timbre

JOHN BEIFUSS

Rating: PG-13 TRT: 4 min. Director: Gareth Peevers Country: United Kingdom, Scotland

John Beifuss has been a reporter in Memphis since 1981, and the film critic for the daily newspaper, The Commercial Appeal, since 1996. His work has appeared in such publications as The New York Times, TV Guide, USA Today, American Film, and – most important – Famous Monsters of Filmland magazine. He has contributed entries on film to The New Encyclopedia of Southern Culture, and has served as a film festival juror from sea (Oregon) to shining sea (North Carolina). He is the author the children’s book, Armadillo Ray (Chronicle Books).

A man struggles to comprehend as the world descends into silence. • United States Premiere. Plays with The Sounding. • Saturday, 12:30 pm, Malco Screen 2 and Sunday, 2:45 pm, Malco Screen 4.

Tond Rating: PG TRT: 21 min. Director: Josh Ruben & Vince Peone Country: United States, Texas When Tond, an elderly retiree, wakes up from a minor stroke, he realizes that he doesn’t really have any friends anymore. After several unsuccessful attempts to reconnect with his mean old wife, Janice, Tond turns to song for solace and consolation. • Mississippi Premiere, Q&A scheduled. Plays with Cop Chronicles. • Friday, 9:00 pm, Malco Screen 2 and Saturday, 10:00 am, Malco Screen 3

DO C U ME NTA RY, M I S S I S S I PPI, N A R R AT I VE S H O R TS J URY RITCHIE MONTGOMERY Fayette, Mississippi, native Ritchie Montgomery is known for his roles in The Magnificent Seven, Heart Baby, and “True Detective” as well as recurring guest roles on Tig Notaro’s “One Mississippi” and Zack Galifianakis’s “Baskets.” After living in Los Angeles for 30 years, he now resides in Natchez, Mississippi. SKIZZ CZYZK Skizz Cyzyk is a filmmaker, writer, musician, artist, and film festival careerist. He has held positions at MicroCineFest, Maryland Film Festival, Slamdance, and Atlanta Film Festival, as well as serving on juries and advisory boards at many other festivals. His films include Alfred Jarry & Pataphysics (OFF 2014), Hit & Stay, Freaks In Love, Little Castles, Managers Corner, multiple music videos (Beach House, Young Fresh Fellows), and the recently completed documentary feature, Icepick To The Moon. He writes for music and film magazines, is on the Board of Directors for Maryland Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts, and performs music with The Stents, Go Pills, The Jennifers, Garage Sale, Half Japanese and Mink Stole & Her Wonderful Band.

LGBTQ: FEATURES & SHORTS Programmer: Brian Whisenant In its second year, the LGBTQ category at the Oxford Film Festival is our way of not only celebrating queer cinema and artists, but also a continued response to our state’s anti-LGBTQ legislation. The films this year represent our entire community, with beautiful documentaries such as Between the Shades, small town stories like Alaska is a Drag and envelope pushing revelations such as Boys For Sale. We are beyond thrilled to showcase returning filmmakers as well as local artists in this diverse and exciting category. While our legislation is not OUR Mississippi, this set of films is!

LGBTQ FE ATURE S IN COMP E TITION

Alaska is A Drag Rating: Unrated, may include sensitive content Director: Shaz Bennett Country: United States, Michigan, Alaska

TRT: 1 hr. 29 min.

A fish out of water story – literally. Our hero Leo is an aspiring superstar stuck working in a fish cannery in Alaska. Most of the time, Leo and his twin sister Tristen are left to fend for themselves. To escape the monotony of fist fights and fish guts, they create their own magic, and the Northern Lights follow them. They hang out at the one gay bar in a hundred miles, owned by their surly surrogate mom Jan (Margaret Cho). After years of getting beat up by his former best friend, Leo has learned to fight back, catching the eye of his cannery boss, an amateur boxer who offers to train him to be a fighter. • Mississippi Premiere, Q&A scheduled. • Friday, 4:15 pm, Malco Screen 2; Saturday, 5:45 pm, Malco Screen 4

February 7-11, 2018

Between the Shades Rating: Unrated TRT: 1 hr. 22 min. Director: Jill Salvino Country: United States, New York Between the Shades seeks to put faces to the letters that make up LGBTQI and how those letters have evolved. The film examines the immense power of labels and the transcendence of love. Featuring Beth Malone (Broadway’s “Fun Home”), actress Kathy Najimy and Democratic National Committee Treasurer Andrew Tobias. • Regional Premiere, Q&A scheduled. • Saturday, 8:00 pm, Malco Screen 4; Sunday, 5:00 pm, Malco Screen 4

Boys for Sale Rating: R, may include sensitive content Director: Itako Country: Japan

TRT: 1 hr. 16 min.

Boys are selling sex in Japan. Who is buying? In the Tokyo district of Shinjuku 2-chome there are bars that specialize in “Urisen,” young guys who have sex with men. Featuring candid interviews interspersed with animation detailing the awkward, sweet, and sometimes horrific situations these young sex workers experience, the boys for sale boldly tell their stories of life in the Tokyo underground. This documentary is an illuminating look into a rarely seen world that tantalizingly shows the humanity of sex work. • Mississippi Premiere. Plays with Sununú: The Revolution of Love. • Friday, 1:00 pm, Malco Screen 4; Saturday, 12:45 pm, Malco Screen 4

LGBTQ SHORTS IN COMPETITION BLOCK Friday, 6:45 pm, Malco Screen 2, Q&A Scheduled

The Cleanse Rating: PG-13 TRT: 13 min. Director: Lucas Omar (OFF Alum) Country: United States The Queer Clique loves fresh meat. Newbie Kayden must complete the sacred initiation: The Cleanse. No food. No sex. Just juice. Let the cravings begin. • Regional Premiere.

Dusk Rating: R, may include sensitive content Director: Jake Graf (OFF Alum) Country: United Kingdom

TRT: 15 min.

Growing up in 1950s England in an intolerant and uninformed world, young Chris Winters struggles to fit into the gender roles dictated by wider society. • Mississippi Premiere.

oxfordfilmfest.com

Haygood Eats!

3 Friends

Rating: R TRT: 5 min. Director: Hazart Country: United States, California

Rating: Unrated TRT: 22 min. Director: Michael Moody Culpepper Country: Ireland and United States, Washington

Tim and Joy Haygood are the reigning almost “celebrities” of their small southern town. In a series of leaked outtakes from Magic City Productions, the curtain is lifted on the disastrous attempt at a commercial from Joy and Tim Haygood’s catering company. • Mississippi Premiere.

Based on a Colm Tóibín short story, Fergus, a pensive, young Irishman, is propelled on a powerful journey. At his mother’s funeral and wake, Fergus confronts how his family shapes and defines him. He continues this journey at a beach rave, becoming aware of ways his friends define him. Ultimately, through death, grief, joy, and sex, Fergus defines himself. • Regional Premiere.

How to Make a Pearl Rating: PG-13 TRT: 22 min. Director: Jason Hanasik Country: United States, California For the last ten years, John Kapellas has lived in complete darkness. Allergic to the entire spectrum of light, Kapellas’ doctors have tried a myriad of drugs to give him more time in the light. When one of the drugs’ side effects made him “go nuts,” Kapellas found a creative way to calm his mind. • Regional Premiere.

Waffles Rating: R TRT: 4 min. Director: Foster Wilson Country: United States, California A young, gay millennial discovers she’s slept with the enemy and has to choose between swallowing her pride and standing by her principles. • Mississippi Premiere.

Spark

PLAYING WITH OTHER FILMS

Rating: PG TRT: 6 min. Director: Aharonit Elior Country: United States, California A girl finds someone to spark her flame. • World Premiere.

The Third Movement Rating: PG TRT: 11 min. Director: Josephine Anderson Country: Canada World-renowned transgender classical pianist, Sara Davis Buechner lost a flourishing New York career after transitioning from male to female. The Third Movement is an intimate documentary portrait that explores Sara’s yearning to earn back her spot on the world stage. As Sara dreams about a comeback, she helps guide the next generation of piano greats on their rise to the top. The film is a creative and nuanced depiction of an artist who demonstrates unrelenting determination in the face of trans-targeted discrimination. • United States Premiere.

@oxfordfilmfest

Fishy Rating: PG TRT: 6 min. Director: Joseph Sulsenti Country: United States Fishy is a short animated film about a man stranded in the middle of the ocean who is saved in more ways than one by a mystical sea creature. This animation brings attention to the complicated process a parent goes through while accepting that their child may not fit into the dreams their parents once held for them. • Q&A scheduled. Plays with Lady Eva and Alaska is a Drag. • Friday, 4:15 pm, Malco Screen 2; Saturday, 5:45 pm, Malco Screen 4

Lady Eva Rating: Unrated TRT: 11 min. Director: Dean Hamer, Joe Wilson & Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu Country: Kingdom of Tonga An intrepid young transgender woman in the South Pacific Kingdom of Tonga sets off to become her true self, with a little help from Tina Turner along the way. • Regional Premiere. Plays with Fishy and Alaska is a Drag. • Friday, 4:15 pm, Malco Screen 2; Saturday, 5:45 pm, Malco Screen 4

#oxff February 7-11, 2018

Sununú: The Revolution of Love Rating: Unrated TRT: 24 min. Director: Olivia Crellin Country: United Kingdom Transgender dad, Fernando Machado, became an international news sensation when he announced he was pregnant with his trans girlfriend Diane Rodriguez in Ecuador. This is the love story of that family. • Mississippi Premiere. Plays with Boys for Sale. • Friday, 1:00 pm, Malco Screen 4; Saturday, 12:45 pm, Malco Screen 4

LGBTQ FEATURES & SHORTS JURY BRIGHID WHEELER Brighid Wheeler has been a willing slave to the film festival world for most of her adult life. Having run the gamut from volunteer to Head Lesbian In Charge (AKA Festival Coordinator), she currently serves as Shorts Programmer for the Indie Memphis, a role that embraces her love of the short form and the power it has to transform lives. Brighid has served on countless juries at festivals across the country, but considers being a part of a singular LGBT jury one of the greatest honors in her career. JACK BARBERA

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Jack Barbera is a Professor Emeritus of English at The University of Mississippi. In addition to literature courses, he taught several different film courses at the University, and directed the first two film theses in the Honors College. His only attempt at filmmaking, the nine-minute The Janitor, was accepted for screening and shown at the Silver Images Film Festival (Chicago) in 1997. Barbera has lectured on film at scholarly conferences, and has published essays on the films Tomorrow, The Seventh Seal, and A Streetcar Named Desire, and on the uses of the Vertigo Shot. For many years he has served as a judge for the Oxford Film Festival and the the Magnolia Film Festival. JULIE KECK Julie Keck is a Chicago-based filmmaker who currently services as the Head of Education and Outreach at Seed&Spark. She joined the team with two features, 20+ original series, and a handful of shorts under her belt, as well as $300k in crowdfunding experience. She’s spoken about social media for creatives, sustainable filmmaking, and audience engagement at SXSW, the University of Notre Dame, the Chicago International Film Festival, and more. Julie is co-author of Social Media Charm School, a social media guide for filmmakers, available for free on Seed&Spark. Play with her on Twitter: @KingIsAFink

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Blues

Issue #249 Vol. 48, #3

FEST FORWARD & MUSIC VIDEOS F E ST F O RWA RD Programmer: Valerie Guinn Polgar The Fest Forward category includes Experimental Film/Animation as well as Narrative Animation in two separate blocks. The Experimental Film/Animation block includes what one might come to expect from experimental film(such as the non-narrative visual experience) as well as current trending experiments in filmmaking(such as creating narrative through combined found Youtube videos). The Narrative Animation block includes beautiful visuals and narratives created through traditional animation, stop-motion, and 2D/3D digital animation techniques. The name “Fest Forward” is perfectly fitting in that it looks towards the potential future of filmmaking in both theme and practice.

ANIMATION BLOCK Saturday, 10:15 am, Malco Screen 2. Q&A scheduled.

Catherine Rating: G TRT: 12 min. Director: Britt Raes Country: Belgium Catherine loves pets! But most of all, she loves her cat. As she grows up, she can not connect with other people. Her cat is her life, and little by little she grows up to be a crazy old cat lady. Across the street lives Dwight. He tries everything to be part of her life. Will Catherine ever notice him?

Meeting MacGuffin Rating: PG TRT: 10 min. Director: Catya Plate Country: United States, New York In a post-apocalyptic future where humanity has fallen apart, a group of scientists and an animated sign complete the construction of a new human race and meet a groundhog climatologist who prepares them for their mission to restore balance to the decimated Earth. • Mississippi Premiere.

Negative Space Rating: Unrated TRT: 5 min. Director: Max Porter & Ru Kuwahata Country: France My dad taught me how to pack. • United States Premiere.

The Servant Rating: R TRT: 9 min. Director: Farnoosh Abedi Country: Iran A bug becomes servant, servant becomes master. A writer on the verge of suicide catches an insect in a glass, and instead of following his first impulse to kill it, he lets the crave grow up in his favor.

• Mississippi Premiere.

The Spirit Seam

First Bloom

Rating: PG TRT: 15 min. Director: Ashley Gerst Country: United States

Rating: G TRT: 5 min. Director: Tingting Liu Country: China He is a servant in the royal palace. She is the emperor’s daughter. Growing up together, they become friends and soul mates. Naturally their budding feelings for each other are forbidden in this feudalistic kingdom, but they strive for the freedom to love and to bloom. • Mississippi Premiere.

Jamshid: a lament for a myth Rating: G TRT: 12 min. Director: Moin Samadi Country: Iran Jamshid is chosen by the Creator to rule over his people. While he is granted God’s favor and help, he manages to bring much prosperity to his people. But one day, a long hard winter is menacing to come over the land, delivered by a fierce dragon.

In a small coal mining town in Appalachia in the 1950s a little girl and her Pap-Paw are inseparable until illness threatens to fracture their family. • World Premiere.

Two Balloons Rating: G TRT: 9 min. Director: Mark C. Smith Country: United States, Oregon Two travelers return to a place crossed by stars and clouds where love is at the beginning of everything. • Regional Premiere. • Also in block is A Message for Brazey (see description on page 57)

• United States Premiere.

February 7-11, 2018

Ugly Rating: G Director: Nikita Diakur TRT: 12 min. Country: Germany An ugly cat struggles to coexist in a fragmented and broken world, eventually finding a soulmate in a mystical chief. Inspired by the internet story “Ugly the Cat.” • Regional Premiere.

FEST FORWARD BLOCK Saturday, 3:15 pm, Malco Screen 4

Animal Cinema Rating: G TRT: 12 min. Director: Emilio Vavarella Country: United States, Massachusetts; Australia, Botswana, Canada, Cayman Islands, Costa Rica, Egypt, Germany, Honduras, Malaysia Animal Cinema is a film composed of fragments of videos of animals operating cameras. All cameras were stolen by animals who acted autonomously. These video materials, downloaded from YouTube between 2012 and 2017, have been reorganized in Animal Cinema as a constant unfolding of non-human modes of being.

Helping the LOU Community with Business Startup

OXFORD ENTERPRISE CENTER Office: 662.281.0720 9 Industrial Park Drive • Oxford, MS 38655 holly@northmiss.org • www.northmiss.org Oxford Film Festival Program AD.pdf

11/20/17

11:05 AM

• Regional Premiere.

Anthropocene Rating: PG TRT: 5 min. Director: Bradley Rappa (OFF Alum) Country: United States This experimental animation is a recounting of the tales told by the collective plant based inhabitants of earth as they observe vicious cycles of human evolution and their need to conquer and dominate their surroundings, no matter what the cost. • World Premiere.

Blue But Pale Blue Rating: Unrated TRT: 4 min. Director: Daisy Dickinson Country: United Kingdom Microscope footage and dreamlike imagery take the audience on a journey through the deepest recesses of one man’s mind. After being hit by the branch of a tree and falling into a coma, he tries to grasp hold of his own consciousness and navigate his way back to reality.

In a place where storytelling is a deeply held tradition, opportunities for creating new tales are abundant. Our authentic locations and competetive incentives can help you find your scene in Mississippi.

• United States Premiere.

WWW.FILMMISSISSIPPI.ORG | 601.359.3297

oxfordfilmfest.com

The Bridge over the River

LYING WOMEN

Rating: PG TRT: 6 min. Director: Jadwiga Kowalska Country: Switzerland

Rating: PG TRT: 4 min. Director: Deborah Kelly Country: Australia

A man on a bridge, separated from his love. Longing to be with her one last time, he decides to seek her on the other side.

Reclining nude female figures from western art history escape from centuries of servitude to colonial heteropatriarchy and form a great gathering of queer female energy, a revolution, a collective will to autonomy.

• Mississippi Premiere.

Cargo

• Mississippi Premiere.

Rating: PG-13 TRT: 4 min. Director: Jasmine Ellis Country: Germany

may I? remix#

Uncertainty of reality that permeates daily life. Is what’s happening really happening? Cargo is a short, one shot dance film.

Collapsing Rating: G TRT: 1 min. Director: Brian Ratigan Country: United States, New York An exquisite corpse about the end of the world, made with found 8mm footage.

Rating: G TRT: 4 min. Director: Vasco Diogo Country: Portugal An audio-tactile and synaesthetic experience is created for the viewer, shifting emotional responses through a sense of presence that blurs a video art installation pace with cinematic experimental techniques to examine the fragmentation of the body in its relation to screen space and performance space. • Mississippi Premiere.

Paralysis

• Mississippi Premiere.

Rating G TRT: 2 min. Director: Victoria Negri (OFF Alum) Country: United States, New York

Cooking with Connie

A woman struggles to escape a nightmare.

Rating: R TRT: 20 min. Director: Stavit Allweis Country: United States Situated in 1970’s suburban USA, this experimental film delves into the predicament of Connie, a young, Asian, mail-order-bride. As an escape from her circumstances, Connie stages a cooking show for an imaginary audience. During the course of the show, she begins to unravel. As she crumbles, her only ally is the sign language interpreter who accompanied the cooking show. The interpreter gradually takes on a larger role in the film and in Connie’s ultimate fate.

• World Premiere.

Pittari Rating: G TRT: 4 min. Director: Patrick Smith (OFF Alum) Country: United States Satan’s boulder busting destruction is halted by a stubborn foe, testing his shape shifting abilities. Scored to an old phonographic gospel recording, Pittari uses hand drawn imagery to illustrate the relentless resistance to Satan’s gritty penetration. • Mississippi Premiere.

• Regional Premiere.

disillusionment of 10 point font Rating: PG TRT: 1 min. Director: Greg Condon Country: United States, New York

The Realm of Deepest Knowing Rating NC-17 TRT: 3 min. Director: Seunghee Kim Country: South Korea

Animated on a typewriter, words move playfully to express their meaning.

One digs beneath the surface of the other to reach the deepest place of his heart during struggles to lighten up the darkness.

• Mississippi Premiere.

February 7-11, 2018

Shot Rating: NC-17 TRT: 9 min. Director: Amelia Scott Country: United States Shot is an experimental film that tries to make formal sense out of senseless violence. Footage was found from every police shooting over the last two years for which there is available video. Each piece of footage is taken unedited, and aligned — synchronised to the moment of the first gunshot. The film is a moving composite, modelled after the composite photographs used by criminologists in the 19th century to try to understand the archetypical thief, rapist, murderer. The end result is an uncanny wave of terror, violence, and outrage.

Towards the Experimental Control of Dreaming Rating: G TRT: 2 min. Director: Ryan Betschart (OFF Alum) Country: United States, California A visual prose poem on a missed encounter during a brief period of altered states of consciousness. • World Premiere.

Trumpet Man Rating: PG-13 TRT: 14 min. Director: Emily Wong Country: Hong Kong A turntable springs out a woman named Avocado, out of Avocado’s instinct creates a man called Soul. A sudden passion joins and swings them in a trumpet mood. An uncertainty madness strikes Soul heavily. Seed of passion continue to breed conflict amongst five men without control, which eventually leads Soul to the fact of life.

What’s That in the Ground? Rating: R TRT: 2 min. Director: Wally Chung (OFF Alum) Country: United States, New York

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When you want one thing, sometimes you get the complete opposite or something worse. • World Premiere.

@oxfordfilmfest

#oxff oxfordfilmfest.com

Yellow and Red Make Orange

Glory, Glory

Rating: PG TRT: 5 min. Director: Jay Hollinsworth (OFF Alum) Country: United States, Texas

Rating: G TRT: 5 min. Director: Jeff Dennis (OFF Alum) Musician: Sharde Thomas and The Rising Star Fife and Drum Band

An illegal prairie cockfight is the setting for an autobiographical reminiscence about the struggle to find place and peace in the rural west of the 1970’s. Yellow and Red Make Orange exists as the emotional memory of a childhood spent contending with men created and shaped by the frontier myth.

Sharde Thomas and The Rising Star Fife and Drum Band carry on the rich music tradition of the North Mississippi Hill Country Blues.

• World Premiere.

MI S S I S S I PPI M US I C VI DEO S Programmer: Newt Rayburn Mississippi is the birthplace of American Music and on our hallowed grounds come the sounds of Blues, Jazz, and Rock’n’Roll. The Oxford Film Festival only accepts Mississippi connected music videos and each year our Mississippi Music Videos category just gets better and better.

MISSISSIPPI MUSIC VIDEO BLOCK Friday, 9:45 pm, Malco Screen 3

All I Know Rating: G TRT: 3 min. Director: Rex Harsin (OFF Alum) Musician: Jake Wood The song is catchy and melodic while the video conveys a “season of life” message about making a choice or a decision in a happy, inviting, and uplifting manner.

Damaged Rating: PG TRT: 5 min. Director: Greg Johnson & Jordan Shotts Musician: American Automatic Hard Rock/Metal band American Automatic delves deep into dark context and visuals with their first music video, Damaged.

• World Premiere.

God Bless America Rating: PG-13 TRT: 5 min. Director/Musician: Effie Burt “Music is often used to convey one’s thoughts and emotions. As I and America watched the 2016 presidential election unfold into our current administration, I felt there was plenty to sing about. With the prevalence of injustice that lead to remarkable gatherings like the women’s march, I wanted to express how disappointed I was in the state of our American democracy. America, what are we gonna do?” -- Effie Burt • Mississippi Premiere.

A Hard Rain Rating: G TRT: 6 min. Director: J.B. Lawrence (OFF Alum) Musician: Stace and Cassie Shook This is the second video collaboration between J.B. Lawrence and Stace and Cassie from their debut album The Ruins.

Make Me Want You Rating: G TRT: 4 min. Director: J.B. Lawrence (OFF Alum) Musician: Shayne Weems From Shayne Weems’ latest release. It was filmed in his hometown of Terry, Mississippi, on a very hot June day. “We had so much fun shooting the video and I can’t wait to do another one!”

Manna Rating: Unrated TRT: 6 min. Director: Vincent Jude Chaney A girl arises from the swamp and begins her search.

February 7-11, 2018

Rating: G TRT: 5 min. Director: Philip Scarborough (OFF Alum) Musician: AJC and The Envelope Pushers My City song and music video is simply a celebratory love letter to the hometown of AJC and The Envelope Pushers: Jackson, Mississippi.

Randy Weeks: Mississippi Songwriter

ROBERT JORDAN | UM PHOTOGRAPHY

My City WE PROUDLY SUPPORT

THE ARTS

THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI

Rating: PG TRT: 5 min. Directors: Keerthi Chandrashekar, Je’Monda Roy, Jimmy Thomas Oxford, Mississippi, songwriter Randy Weeks was raised in Madison, Mississippi, “back before there were traffic lights,” as he likes to say, and he’s used his artistic talents to produce a chilling piece of music about the murder of Emmett Till, an event he vividly remembers from his childhood. Also a frequent columnist for Mississippi newspapers, Weeks uses both his pen and his guitar to engage in and provide a discussion about the state’s contemporary social climate. He wrote “Emmett Till, Emmett Till (Does Your Soul Wander Still?)” shortly after the 50th anniversary of Till’s death, and in Randy Weeks: Mississippi Songwriter he uses the song to highlight present-day racial intolerance rooted in Mississippi’s past and the need for Mississippians to collaborate to achieve racial harmony. • World Premiere.

Royal Rating: G Director: Michael Williams Musician: Lost in Constellation Living with his father in a struggling movie theater, Cam plans to break free from his father’s kingdom to create his own. Features the single “Royal” by Lost in Constellation.

MON - FRI: 7am-12am | SAT - SUN: 8am-12am 1501 JACKSON AVE WEST | 662.380.5027

Spinning

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Rating: G TRT: 4 min. Director: Justin Possenti Musician: The Fuzzy Crystals At the same point last year, several of The Fuzzy Crystals band members were having recurring dreams about the underworld, the realm of the dead; Spinning brings those dream images to life. The song takes place in a land of mystery, wonder, and fear. It also has a playful aspect, suggesting that life and death together are a dance, a game, and an unsolvable riddle.

oxfordfilmfest.com

Stomping Ground

Your Mistress

Rating: PG TRT: 6 min. Director: J.B. Lawrence (OFF Alum) Musicians: Robert King & Charlie Smart

Rating: G TRT: 4 min. Director: Michael Williams (OFF Alum) Musician: Mersaidee Soules

Stomping Ground, written by Robert King and Charlie Smart, was inspired by a trip Robert took with his two sons to visit the grave of one of their great grandfathers around Ware, Mississippi.

Your Mistress, performed by Mersaidee Soules, explores the desire to create intimate time for your significant other when life often gets in the way.

Trust and Believe Rating: G TRT: 4 min Director: Andre Hill This is a heart-warming music video that touches that souls of anyone who has lost a loved-one! • World Premiere.

World Gone Crazy Rating: G TRT: 6 min. Director: Coop Cooper (OFF Alum) Musician: 61 Ghosts A spooky music video by 61 Ghosts, filmed in Clarksdale, Mississippi.

FE ST FORWARD & MUSIC VIDEO JURY ERIC FISCHER Eric R. Fischer is a film and TV Re-Recording Mixer based in Los Angeles, and a 25-year veteran of the Los Angeles audio community. He has mixed a wide range of projects, including the Pearl Jam bio Pearl Jam Twenty, a music series for AXS TV, indie features, and concert films. Recent projects include: The Glamour And The Squalor (Seattle DJ Marco Collins), The Cadillac Tramps: Life On The Edge, Living On Soul (concert film/doc about Daptone Records and the late Sharon Jones), and Foreman, a documentary about George Foreman. HSIANG-CHIN MOE Hsiang Chin Moe is an artist and educator living and working in New York City. She is motivated to tell stories, to reveal details of lives, niches of human activity. She uses the best medium to convey the message; sometimes it is video, other times it is photography, sound, and/or programming. She has exhibited her films, interactive performances and photography works around the world. Her recent documentary, Kapital World Movie, was shown in Bangkok, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco, Stockholm, Taipei, and Tokyo. MILES DOLEAC Miles Doleac, a native of Hattiesburg, Mississippi, is an actor, director, writer and producer in television, theatre and film and a professor of Classical Studies at the University of Southern Mississippi. His feature-length directorial debut The Historian, which he also wrote, produced, and starred in, won Best First Feature, Best Actor (William Sadler) and Best Supporting Actor (John Cullum) at the 2014 Long Island International Film Expo and has been distributed by Devolver Digital Films. His latest feature, Demons, a psychological thriller starring Andrew Divoff (The Wishmaster, Lost), Steven Brand (The Scorpion King) and John Schneider (“The Dukes of Hazzard,” “Smallville”), shot in the Hattiesburg area, was released in theaters and VOD by Uncork’d Entertainment in October 2017.

February 7-11, 2018

Become a VIP or just enjoy the free panels. How you fest is your choice! But below are a few questions to help guide you on your way. Stop by our box office at the festival to ask more questions! The OxFilm Society strives to help filmmakers throughout Lafayette County achieve their goals. Joining the OxFilm Society provides filmmakers affordable rental equipment and access to top end post production facilities. OxFilm is a collaborative effort between the Oxford Film Festival and Yoknapatawpha Arts Council to enhance film as a cultural, artistic and economic driver for the Lafayette County, Oxford and University population. OxFilm seeks to promote education and provide tools to support local filmmakers while encouraging films to be made in our community. The inexpensive rental costs and creative aspirations are just a few key benefits members receive. During the festival, OxFilm Society acts as a subsidiary, concentrating on individual requests or issues, ensuring a stress free environment for all participants. Aspiring filmmakers have the opportunity to attend events, taught by professionals and local filmmakers, year-round. To learn more about the OxFilm Society or help support the effort, visit its website at http://oxfordfilmfest.com/oxfilm-society. Memberships start at $40 a year for students to $200 for a lifetime membership with free equipment rentals. Where: All OxFilm Society events take place in Oxford at the Powerhouse Community Arts Center (413 South 14th Street) or at the Oxford Film Festival office (9 Industrial Park Drive, Suite 152). To join as a member, see our monthly workshops, donate or rent film equipment, visit oxfilmsociety.com or contact us at oxfilmsociety@gmail.com

MISSION STATEMENT

Founded in 2003 as a project of the Yoknapatawpha Arts Council, the Oxford Film Festival is an independent non-profit 501(c)3 organization committed to celebrating the art of independent cinema. The Oxford Film Festival entertains and educates its participants, providing residents and visitors with the opportunity to watch independent films as well as to meet the filmmakers and learn from industry professionals. The variety of films and panels attracts filmgoers of all ages and backgrounds.

oxfordfilmfest.com

How tickets work for Oxford Film Festival: • VIP Pass ($175) Priority line access, entrance into all films, parties, and green room. • Weekend Pass ($75) Entrance into all films including (NEW this year) Thursday night’s opening film. • 5 or 10 Pack ($50, $100) - Save by buying single tickets in bulk and use them on any films you want to see or buy 10 friends a ticket to one film and save money! • Kid Film Fest ($20) February 10-11. Entrance into kid workshops and films on Saturday and Sunday, movie screenings, plus lunch and snacks. Two age groups, 5-10 and 11-17. • Single Movie Ticket ($12) Good for one movie. We no longer have general single tickets but only sell tickets to each specific film. Your ticket is a secure seat at the film of your choice.

FREE TO ATTEND: • Community Film Block including #fifteen (February 7, 7:00 pm, Powerhouse) • Virtual Reality Films (Malco, February 9-11) • Circles Screening with William Winter Institute panel discussion, sponsored by Mississippi Humanities Council • Panels/Workshops

Can I buy just one ticket to one screening? Yes, they are $12.

When should I arrive for a screening? We recommend arriving at least 20 minutes early to get in either the VIP priority line or regular ticket holder line to secure your preferred seat.

Do I have to buy tickets online? No, you can buy at the box office the day of if tickets are still available. Can I pay for a ticket in cash? Yes, beginning on February 7 we will have a physical box office where you can pay in cash or with a check or credit card. I bought a pass online. How do I get it? We ask that you pick up your physical pass at our box office during the film festival. Tickets are not printed and only your phone receipt is needed to show the usher. What do I do with my pass? Wear it and get access! I lost my pass. What do I do? Stop by our box office and let us know. How do I reserve a seat at a film? Films are first come-first served. We recommend arriving at least 20 minutes before a film to get in line for your preferred seat. What about passholders? VIP badges get priority seating and do not need tickets in advance but we do still recommend arriving at least 20 minutes before a film to get in the VIP line.

Last Minute/Rush Line Did we announce a film selling out? There may still be opportunities to snag a seat. Pick up a numbered rush ticket at the box office one hour before the film. Once seating is complete (10 minutes before the film) we will release any available seats to the rush line to purchase a single ticket.

Do I have to stand in line? You don’t have to stand in line unless you have a seat preference and/or want to be the first to get into the theater. However, we release any empty seats 10 minutes before the screening begins. We do have a lobby for people to wait until 20 minutes before the screening or VIP badge holders can relax in the green room tent. I still have questions, help? Email us at boxoffice@oxfordfilmfest.com or during the festival visit our information table located at the box office. Where is this box office? • February 7 (5:00-8:00 pm) Powerhouse Community Arts Center (413 South 14th Street) • February 8 (5:00-9:00 pm) Gertrude C. Ford Center for the Performing Arts (351 University Avenue) • February 9-11 (9:00 am-close) Malco Commons (206 Commonwealth Blvd)

Film discussion: »» Seeing is Believing. Women Direct and Female Filmmaker Discussion, Friday, February 9, 10:30 am-12:30 pm, Malco Screen 1

the day after William Faulkner’s funeral, discovering a town steeped in the segregated values of the “Old South.” African-American sharecroppers driving mule pulled carts through town contrasted sharply with the opulence of the National Baton Twirling Institute. With his keen journalistic eye, Southern observed the complacent bigotry of a society on the verge of a civil rights explosion. Southern’s cool deliberate prose poignantly foreshadowed the desegregation riots that occurred only a few months later on the campus of Ole Miss. Twirling at Ole Miss has been cited by Tom Wolfe as one of the defining works of the New Journalism and as such it was included in Wolfe and A.W. Johnson’s anthology The New Journalism. As winner of the ScreenPlay contest, John M. Tyson received a trip to the festival, the table read and a cash prize of $1000 in addition to a mentorship from screenwriter/producer John Norris (profiled below with Saturday’s 4:00 panel).

How to get your film publicized: »» Friday, February 9, 5:30-7:00 pm, @ MPT

RUNNER UP

Panels are at various locations: the Malco Panel Tent (MPT), the Gertrude C. Ford Center for the Performing Arts, and the Powerhouse Community Arts Center. See description for time and location. All are made free as part of the OxFilm Society unless tied to a screening and then is included in price of movie ticket.

QUICK LIST (see descriptions below): Crowdfunding and People Power workshop: »» Sunday, February 11, 1:00-3:00 pm, @ MPT Film discussion: »» I am Evidence: Saturday, February 10, 11:30 am-12:30 pm, @ MPT

Lobaki Virtual Academy: »» Friday, February 9, 11:00 am-5:00 pm, @ MPT

Not Everything Was Burning

Queer filmmaking: »» Sunday, February 11, 3:30-4:30 pm, @ MPT

In the 1960s, a group of English graduate students headed into the Mississippi Delta to teach at a historically black college. The Klan was watching.

The role of audio in visual storytelling: »» Saturday, February 10, 1:15-3:15 pm, @ MPT Table Read of ScreenPlay Contest Winners: »» Wednesday, February 7, 7:00 pm, Powerhouse Thacker Mountain Radio Hour: »» Thursday, February 8, 6:00 pm, Gertrude C. Ford Center Visual Effects Conversation with John Norris: »» Saturday, February 10, 4:00 pm, @ MPT

WEDNESDAY, February 7 7:00 pm Community Film Night Table Read of ScreenPlay Contest Winners Location: Powerhouse Community Arts Center Presented with actors from Theater Oxford GRAND PRIZE WINNER Twirling at Ole Miss Written by John M. Tyson Following the publication of The Magic Christian in 1962, Terry Southern was commissioned by Esquire Magazine to travel to the University of Mississippi and write an article about the Dixie National Baton Twirling Institute. Terry Southern arrived in Oxford, Mississippi

Written by John Bateman

Following the Table Read of ScreenPlay Contest Winners, stay for Community Films (see page 25).

THURSDAY, February 8 6:00 to 7:00 pm Thacker Mountain Radio Hour Location: Gertrude C. Ford Center for the Performing Arts The Thacker Mountain Radio Hour is a weekly live radio show featuring author readings and a wide array of musical performances from the Courthouse Square in Oxford, Mississippi. The free show is taped and broadcast every Thursday at 6:00 pm during the fall and spring and rebroadcast every Saturday at 7 pm on Mississippi Public Broadcasting.

FRIDAY, February 9 10:30 am to 12:30 pm Seeing is Believing: Women Direct and Female Filmmaker Discussion Location: Malco Screen 1, included with film ticket An in-depth panel discussion with female directors following the film’s screening (55 min.). See film description (page 14)

February 7-11, 2018

11:00 am to 5:00 pm Lobaki Inc. VR Academy Location: Malco Panel Tent (No appointment needed, drop in during open hours) The VR Academy has been designed to provide students an immersive introduction to Virtual Reality and the tools and techniques used to create VR experiences. The exciting aspect of creating VR experiences is that not everyone has to have a computer science interest or be a coder. Festival participants will learn about the immersive effects of VR and learn more about the work that Lobaki Inc. is doing in Clarksdale, Mississippi to focus on economic development through Virtual Reality opportunities.

5:30 to 7:00 pm How to get your film publicized Location: Malco Panel Tent Meet with publicists and film critics and learn the secrets of how to get their attention while on the film festival circuit. MODERATOR: Eric D. Snider is a writer and film critic in Portland, Oregon, though he originally hails from the South (Southern California). He is the managing editor of CrookedMarquee. com, co-host of the podcast Movie B.S. with Bayer and Snider (he plays Snider), and an occasional contributor to Vanity Fair, Complex, Thrillist, and various church newsletters. He is honored to be participating in the Oxford Film Festival for the 10th time and getting a free one on his punchcard. Visit him online at EricDSnider.com. GUEST SPEAKERS: John Beifuss is profiled on page 38. Kristy Puchko is profiled on page 18. John Wildman is a filmmaker, film publicist, film journalist and critic. His feature film directorial debut, the grindhouse art-horror thriller The Ladies of the House was released to critical acclaim in 2015. He also runs festworks.com and was formerly a contributor to FilmComment.com, Film Threat and several prior publications including Movie City News and Moving Pictures Magazine.com.

SATURDAY, February 10 11:30 am to 12:30 pm I Am Evidence Panel Location: Malco Panel Tent An in depth discussion following the film I Am Evidence about the subject. MODERATOR: Mark Rabinowitz is the co-founder of

oxfordfilmfest.com

Indiewire.com and has been a critic, journalist, producer, film festival staffer, and media consultant since 1995. He is the Oxford Film Festival’s head programmer for Documentary Features and Shorts.

1:15 pm to 3:15 pm The role of audio in visual storytelling Location: Malco Panel Tent Bad sound can ruin a great film or make a great film a next-level experience. As filmmakers become more independent, quality audio becomes more important than ever. Re-Recording Mixers Jeffrey Reed, Eric R. Fischer and Kevin Houston will offer insight into the process of the oftenoverlooked role of audio in visual storytelling. GUEST SPEAKERS: Eric R. Fischer is profiled on page 48. Kevin Houston is a Grammy-nominated audio professional working in music and film for over 20 years. His selected film credits include Craig Brewer’s Black Snake Moan, The Poor and Hungry, and $5 Cover, independent films such as NSecure, Butterfly Rising, and See The Keepers, television work for companies such as PBS, ABC & MTV, and episodic projects such as “Feral” and “You Look Like,” among many others. Jeffrey Reed is a multi-faceted audio engineer and 25 year sound veteran, who specializes in 5.1 audio post-production/ sound design for film, and mastering for music releases. He is based in Oxford, Mississippi and operates from his studio, Taproot Audio Design. Some of his most recent works include the award-winning PBS music documentary Shake ‘Em On Down, and the Oscar-sanctioned short film, Ya Albi (My Heart), and numerous indie shorts and features, including the “Mississippi Western” feature film, Blood Country. Reed is also known for his work as the broadcast and post-production engineer for Oxford’s own Thacker Mountain Radio Hour.

4:00 to 5:30 pm Visual Effects Conversation with John Norris Location: Malco Panel Tent MODERATOR: Eric D. Snider is profiled previously on this page. GUEST SPEAKER: John Norris is a film producer who splits his time among New York, Los Angeles, and Church Hill, Mississippi, where he has had a residence since 2009. He has produced films such as the Academy Award nominated The Help, Get On Up: The James Brown Story, and the upcoming American Pain, based on John Temple’s book about the American OxyContin epidemic, which Tate Taylor will direct. He is also producing The Battle of Versailles at Fox,

MGM’s In the Heat of the Night, and an adaptation of Coffee Will Make You Black, April Sinclair’s seminal novel about an African-American girl growing up in 1960’s Chicago, adapted and to be directed by Deborah Riley Draper. During his career as a film producer, he also served as a visual effects producer on films like Planet of the Apes, 300, The Amazing Spiderman, Clash of the Titans, The Incredible Hulk, I Am Legend, and The Chronicles of Narnia. Additionally, he founded the management company Artists & Directors Cooperative and managed such auteur writer/director clients as Ti West, Tate Taylor and Robert Krzkowski.

SUNDAY, February 11 1:00 to 3:00 pm Crowdfunding & People Power Workshop Location: Malco Panel Tent We all know crowdfunding is a powerful tool for harnessing your audience and raising the funds needed to make your film... but how do you find and engage that crowd? Seed&Spark’s Head of Education and Outreach Julie Keck will talk about authentic audience building, using social media to engage and activate your crowd, and effective communication techniques to use before, during and after a crowdfunding campaign in order to sustain long-term relationships with your awesome audience. Bonus: Learn how to use social media without annoying the heck out of everyone.

Having a good time this weekend? Join us year round at our monthly events!

MARCH

Best of Oxford Film Festival Tour Coming to a town near you in Mississippi! Dates to be announced soon!

MAY May 4: Pride Week Free screening of Upstairs Inferno, 6:00-8:00 pm Powerhouse

May 5: Pride Parade @ 2:00 pm

JUNE Monday, June 11: MONDAY MOVIE (TBA) Burns Belfry Museum and Multicultural Center

JULY July 9-14: Kid Movie Camp: From script to screen

GUEST SPEAKER: Julie Keck is profiled on page 41.

3:30 to 4:30 pm Queer Filmmaking Location: Malco Panel Tent Attending filmmakers and actors from the LGBTQ juried competition will discuss the challenges, advantages of queer filmmaking as well as the state of LGBTQ cinema in today’s climate. MODERATOR: Eric D. Snider is profiled on page 51.

Students will learn how to start from creating a script to making and editing their own film. Class projects will be presented at the Oxford Film Festival in 2019. Ages 5-10 class from 8:00 am to 12:00 pm Ages 11-17 class from 1:00 to 5:00 pm Sign up at oxfordfilmfest.com beginning May 15

Monday, July 23: MONDAY MOVIES Burns Belfry Museum and Multicultural Center

AUGUST Monday, August 27: MONDAY MOVIES Burns Belfry Museum and Multicultural Center

SEPTEMBER Monday, September 17: MONDAY MOVIES Burns Belfry Museum and Multicultural Center

OCTOBER Monday, October 22: MONDAY MOVIES

Proud Sponsor of The Oxford Film Festival

Burns Belfry Museum and Multicultural Center

Halloween Bash, TBA

NOVEMBER Monday, November 19: MONDAY MOVIES Burns Belfry Museum and Multicultural Center

promatura.com 19 CR 168 Oxford, MS 38655 662.234.0158

Films for the Monday Movie Series will be announced through oxfordfilmfest.com and social media. More events will pop up through the year! Stay informed by subscribing to our online e-news at oxfordfilmfest.com or following our feeds on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

February 7-11, 2018

AG E S 5 -1 0

Sponsored by KidsFirst.org, HTC Vive, Tom Speed-Transworld Business Advisors, and an anonymous donor

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 10

Two-Day Pass: $20 (includes snacks and meals, as well as all activities)

9:30 AM TO 12:30 PM SHORT FILMS (WITH INTERMISSION)

The Adventure of the Afternoon Director: Vance Yang, Stella Huang TRT: 8 min. Country: Taiwan

Location: Powerhouse (413 South 14th Street) The Kid Film Festival will have two days of movies, workshops and Virtual Reality play for two age groups (5-10, 11-17) to participate in the festival and learn more about the moviemaking process. All Kid Films are rated G or PG unless otherwise indicated.

Ami

The tale of a kind and freedomloving boy who meets an unexpected friend on a beautiful afternoon. They start an adventure journey to discover the world.

The Adventures of Catty Wompus Director: Craig Comstock TRT: 25 min. Country: United States

Director: Gonzalo San Vicente TRT: 6 min. Country: Germany Little Ami finds out her mother must leave on a business trip. Mom tells her a white lie to appease her mind while she is away. Find out what happens when the innocent lie turns true in a way neither of them expected.

Brand New Day

Catty Wompus, an adventurous young girl, takes her three best friends on a quest to see a “musical” sandcastle. Once there, they’re magically transported inside with the help of their Super-Thinking-NogginToppers and the powers of positive thinking.

Director: Patricia Beckmann Wells TRT: 4 min. Country: United States A narrative short without voiceover, set to the music of Big D and the Kid’s Table. The song “Brand New Day” is based on the solo by Brad in Rocky Horror Picture Show.

KID FILM FESTIVAL SCHEDULE

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

AGES 5-10

AGES 11-17

9:30 am to 12:30 pm Short films (with intermission)

9:45 am to 12:15 pm I Can Make a Movie! workshop

1:00 to 5:00 Lobaki Inc. Virtual Reality workshop

1:15 to 3:15 pm Short + Feature: Saving Santa, Meerkat Moonship

10:00 am to 12:00 pm Short + Feature: Agrinoui, The Amazing Wizard of Paws

9:45 am to 12:45 pm Easy Movie Magic Costumes workshop

1:30 to 4:30 pm I Can Make a Movie! workshop

1:15 to 3:15 pm Short Films (with intermission)

3:15 to 5:00 pm Closing Film/All Ages: Whale Rider

oxfordfilmfest.com

Dreamscope

Man’s Best Friend

Director: Anna Antonova TRT: 7 min. Country: India/United States/Russia

Director: Rob Sprackling TRT: 8 min. Country: United Kingdom

Have you ever thought about how children come up with such strange ideas and questions?

Emilie

10-year-old Zach loves his football, and his football loves him back. They enjoy playing in the garden, going to the park and spending time together, just like a boy with a faithful dog. But when his ball gets lost, Zach must team up with his neglected Mum to find his best friend.

Director: Olivier Pesch TRT: 17 min. Country: Belgium

Otter of the Underground

Emilie, a curious 7-year-old girl, and her father Marcel, a scientist very busy with his latest invention, live in a small house located at the entrance of a dump. Marcel does not really have time to attend to his daughter Emilie, who fulfills this absence by making sculptures using garbage.

Eyes in the Back of Her Head Director: Madison Durand TRT: 4 min. Country: United States A little monster wonders if his well-meaning mother is hiding an unusual secret.

Ghost Beats Director: Brent Barson TRT: 3 min. Country: United States A ghost story about exclusion and acceptance, and the power of music and dance.

Homegrown Director: Quentin Haberham TRT: 9 min. Country: United Kingdom Francis raises his son like he cultivates his plants, shielded from harm, comfortable inside. However when the boy outgrows his father’s protective confines, Francis must face an uncomfortable truth.

Insta-Tree Director: Isaiah Ferguson TRT: 3 min. Country: United States An animated “commercial” that advertises an all new growing alternative to vegetation.

Director: Christina Jean Benenati TRT: 5 min. Country: United States When their gold mine experiences a mysterious power outage, Otter and Mole’s journey to restore the mine spirals into a wild adventure.

Picnic Perfect Director: Cal Thacher TRT: 5 min. Country: United States A young girl arranges an elaborate picnic for her 92-year-old greatgrandmother but, for one reason or another, things do not go as planned.

Polka Dott Director: Cynthia Pepper TRT: 7 min. Country: United States Dott has a wild and wonderful imagination. She likes to be silly and she enjoys a good homonym. She can “knot” say “know” to ice cream. Sometimes she imagines being a very spoiled princess. Occasionally she plays the flute with a hummingbird. Every so often, she floats like a mermaid up into a tree. Then Dott gets another idea: How about a party?

Stars Director: Han Zhang TRT: 5 min. Country: United States Grandpa and grandson are street sellers selling stars in a town near the shore. One night, they run out of the stars.

The Teacher and the Flower Director: Daniel Irabien TRT: 9 min. Country: Mexico In a selfish and violent world, where everyone is against everyone, a

February 7-11, 2018

teacher finds refuge taking care of a delicate flower, to which he tells his dreams and desires. Nevertheless, one day he stumbles upon a young woman, and falls in love with her. Without money and not much else to offer, he decides to give this young woman his most precious possession in an attempt to win her heart.

The Trumpeter Director: Raul Morales Reyes TRT: 10 min. Country: Mexico A trumpet player is trapped in an army marching band in the epitome of authoritarian control and fear. His nature prevents him from playing the note he is being told to play, and he is punished as a consequence. In his recurring arrest and, after engaging in a musical dialogue, he recognizes his creative power; it is in his confinement where he finds freedom to play his own music.

Water Path for a Fish Director: Mercedes Marro TRT: 8 min. Country: Spain It is a starry night when Oscar sees from his window... a little goldfish jumping in a dirty puddle! Two cats are watching from the shadows.

1:00 TO 5:00 PM LOBAKI INC. VIRTUAL REALITY WORKSHOP The VR Academy has been designed to provide students an immersive introduction to Virtual Reality and the tools and techniques used to create VR experiences. The exciting aspect of creating VR experiences is that not everyone has to have a computer science interest or be a coder. Kid Film Fest participants will learn through a half-day workshop about the beginning tools of VR. Based in Clarksdale, Mississippi, Lobaki Inc. explores Virtual Reality technologies through social entrepreneurship.

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 11 SUNDAY, 10:00 AM TO 12:00 PM SHORT FILM WITH FEATURE FILM

Agrinoui Director: Alexis Chaviaras TRT: 20 min. Country: Cyprus A young mare visits Cyprus to take part in races. Frustrated from failure, she abandons the racetrack after confronting her strict father. The mare will meet new friends who will try to help her find her lost courage.

oxfordfilmfest.com

The Amazing Wizard of Paws Director: Bryan Michael Stoller TRT: 1 hr 36 min. Country: USA What happens when you find out the family dog is actually 600 years old and was once owned by a great and powerful wizard? In this charming and magical adventure, young Bobby Spade and his faithful therapy dog, Ozzy, stumble upon an ancient wizard’s mystical book of spells. The once shy boy and loveable canine are unprepared for what comes next as the two find themselves suddenly graced with extraordinary magical powers.

1:30 TO 4:30 PM I CAN MAKE A MOVIE! WORKSHOP Learn how to tell a story by making it into a movie. We’ll use the simplest of tools and explain how to tell a story in the new digital age. Topics covered include story structure, how to use a phone/tablet or small camera, lights, sound and editing. At the end of the class, participants will get to see the movie they helped make. Bobby Thompson has been a full-time freelance photographer and filmmaker for nineteen years. Based in the Midwest, his work has won awards and screened in festivals across the country. As one of the earliest adopters of both digital still photography and digital filmmaking, he is a frequent panelist, guest lecturer, and workshop leader at festivals, universities, and professional groups on numerous topics.

Smile Y’all Photo Booth ...where to find the photos! Feel like a movie star in the lobby photo booth provided by Smile Y’all. Take a printed photo home but don’t forget to tag yourself on Facebook as well!

AG E S 1 1 - 1 7 9:45 AM TO 12:15 PM I CAN MAKE A MOVIE! WORKSHOP Learn how to tell a story by making it into a movie. We’ll use the simplest of tools and explain how to tell a story in the new digital age. Topics covered include story structure, how to use a phone/tablet or small camera, lights, sound and editing. At the end of the class, participants will get to see the movie they helped make. Bobby Thompson has been a full-time freelance photographer and filmmaker for nineteen years. Based in the Midwest, his work has won awards and screened in festivals across the country. As one of the earliest adopters of both digital still photography and digital filmmaking, he is a frequent panelist, guest lecturer, and workshop leader at festivals, universities, and professional groups on numerous topics.

1:15 TO 3:15 PM SHORT FILM WITH A FEATURE FILM

Saving Santa

Andi Sherrill Bedsworth is a costume designer and mixed media fiber artist originally from South Louisiana. She currently owns her own business, Art To Go LLC, a mobile art teaching business that takes her and her assistants to various locations in North Mississippi to instruct children and adults in art and sewing.

1:15 TO 3:15 PM SHORT FILMS (WITH INTERMISSION)

The Boy by the Sea Director: Vasily Chuprina TRT: 7 min. Country: Latvia/Netherlands The story of an unlikely friendship. A young boy sitting by the sea, watching the stones he throws disappear beneath the surface. An old lighthouse keeper. A different truth beyond the water.

c-5-11

Director: Keith O’Grady TRT: 17 min. Country: United Kingdom

Director: Edward Ramsey-Morin (OFF Alum) TRT: 3 min. Country: United States

Ruby Fair is still dealing with her mother’s death when she comes across a seemingly destitute man in the street: a street drinker who bears a striking resemblance to Santa Claus. Despite his protestations, she takes great comfort in helping him.

Matter and Energy, Mind and Spirit, Science and Magic.

Meerkat Moonship Director: Hanneke Schutte TRT: 1 hr. 37 min. Country: South Africa Timid, wildly imaginative 13-year-old Gideonette de La Rey learns that the name she was given comes with it a horrible curse. After her father dies, Gideonette is paralyzed by fear and is sent to live on a farm with her grandparents where she befriends a young deaf boy who is “training” to become an astronaut and preparing to fly away in a Moonship that Gideonette’s grandfather had built.

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 11 9:45 AM TO 12:45 PM EASY MOVIE MAGIC COSTUMES WORKSHOP Transform bubble wrap, corrugated cardboard, boxes, cast off clothes, and more to create fun costumes with little money but big on personality.

Falling Up Director: RJ Collins TRT: 16 min. Country: United States One ordinary day, 10-year-old Charles Henry is delighted to discover that he has the ability to float. But when society pressures him to conform and fix his ‘problem’, he must find the courage to overcome what others think and embrace who he is.

Freedom of the Press Director: Robe Imbriano TRT: 25 min. Country: United States This documentary examines the First Amendment’s protection of a free press, the historic origins of this right, and the ramifications of the landmark ruling in New York Times v. United States, known as the Pentagon Papers case, in which the Supreme Court ruled that prior restraint is unconstitutional. Justice Hugo Black wrote: “Only a free and unrestrained press can effectively expose deception in government...”

February 7-11, 2018

Bruce Newman

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 10

Participants will get lots of ideas from sample costume ideas and have a chance to create some fun costume accessories to take home.

Good Boy

A Message for Brazey

Director: Rachel Beltran, Nicole Meyers TRT: 7 min. Country: United States

Director: Jared D. Weiss (OFF Alum) TRT: 2 min. Country: United States

A hopeful man goes on a blind date with the woman of his dreams expecting to have the best night of his life. Things seem to be going perfect, until the night takes an unexpected turn.

Brazey gets a phone call.

Not One of Us Director: Bill Jarcho TRT: 9 min. Country: United States

I Am Dyslexic Director: Mads Johan Øgaard & Katie Noel Wyman TRT: 7 min. Country: United Kingdom The animated short film I Am Dyslexic expresses what it feels like to have a learning difference in our current school system.

When a small tribe of green natives are conquered by a ’superior” orange race, things go from bad to worse for everyone involved.

Pieces of War Director: Joey Blackburn TRT: 4 min. Country: United States

I’ve Just Had A Dream

The trials and strategies of war told through a game of chess.

Director: Javier Navarro TRT: 8 min. Country: Spain

Plastic is Forever

Irene is eight and she just woke up from a horrible dream.

Director: Dylan D’Haeze TRT: 20 min. Country: United States

Kukuschka

An in-depth look at plastic pollution from a kid’s perspective. What kids can do to solve the problem?

Director: Dina Velikovskaya TRT: 9 min. Country: Russia

Sneaky

Kukuschka is a bird, who follows the sun. It seems to her as if she already could touch it, but the sun is still far away. Suddenly she is not alone anymore, but for two it is even more difficult to keep going so fast.

Light Sight Director: Seyed M. Tabatabaei TRT: 7 min. Country: Iran M.E., the imprisoned character in a room, is attracted to a hanging light and tries to catch it. But the room itself becomes an obstacle on his way.

Loop Director: Ryan Beard, Stephen Gentry, Eli Hall TRT: 3 min. Country: United States In the future technology of virtual reality, a man breaks the law to experience the thrill of other worlds.

oxfordfilmfest.com

TRT: 6 min. Boy loses cat. Boy meets girl.

F OR ALL AG ES SUNDAY, 3:15 TO 5:00 PM

Whale Rider Rating: PG-13 Director: Niki Caro TRT: 1 hr. 41 min. Country: New Zealand A contemporary story of love, rejection and triumph as a young Maori girl fights to fulfill a destiny her grandfather refuses to recognize.

An Accidental Drowning Documentary Shorts An Act of Terror Narrative Shorts: Drama Alaska is A Drag LGBTQ Features Alfred J. Hemlock Narrative Shorts: Late Night All I Know Mississippi Music Video All The Leaves Are Brown Documentary Shorts Allure Special screening: Centerpiece Film Altimir Documentary Shorts Alzhaïmour Narrative Shorts: International The Amazing Wizard of Paws Kid Film Festival Ami Kid Film Festival Animal Cinema Fest Forward Anthropocene Fest Forward The Apocalypse will be Automated Narrative Shorts : Late Night BASEketball Special Screenings Bernard and Huey Narrative Features Between the Shades LGBTQ Features Birthing Video Mississippi: Community Films Bitches Love Brunch Narrative Shorts: Comedy Black Canaries Narrative Shorts: Drama Blood Wolf Narrative Shorts: Drama Blue But Pale Blue Fest Forward The Blue Car Narrative Shorts: Drama The Boy By The Sea Kid Film Festival Boys for Sale LGBTQ Features Brand New Day Kid Film Festival The Bridge over the River Fest Forward C-5-11 Kid Film Festival Candyland Special Screenings: Best of Louisiana Film Prize Cargo Fest Forward Cassette: A Documentary Mixtape Music Documentary Feature

Venues • Malco Commons (204 Commonwealth Blvd.) • Oxford Conference Center (102 Ed Perry Blvd.) • Powerhouse (413 South 14th St.) • Gertrude Ford Center (351 University Ave.) Note: Family Friendly ratings have been provided by the filmmakers and, though not MPAA official, are a general guideline for families with children 8 and older. Very few films are suitable for children under 8 years old outside of the Kid Film Festival (see page 53). As many films often deal with a variety of topics that could be difficult for some adults, please read the descriptions carefully before watching.

Catherine Fest Forward: Animation Caution Mississippi Shorts Circles Special Screenings The Cleanse LGBTQ Shorts Closed Mississippi: Community films Colette Mississippi Shorts Collapsing Fest Forward Cooking with Connie Fest Forward Cop Chronicles: Loose Cannons: Legend of the Haj-Mirage Narrative Features Cowgirl Up Mississippi Shorts Cubicle City Mississippi Shorts Damaged Mississippi Music Video DayFall Mississippi Shorts: Community films Dear Mr. Bryant Mississippi Shorts: Community films disillusionment of 10 point font Fest Forward Do U Want It? Music Documentary Features Door in the Woods Narrative Features The Drawer Boy Narrative Features Dreamscope Kid Film Festival Dusk LGBTQ Shorts Einstein-Rosen Narrative Shorts : Late Night Emilie Kid Film Festival Eriko Pretended Narrative Features Exit Strategy Special Screenings: Best of Louisiana Film Prize Eyes in the Back of Her Head Kid Film Festival Falling Up Kid Film Festival Favorites Special Screenings: Award winning films #fifteen Mississippi: Community films Fifteen Mississippi Shorts: Community films The Final Show Narrative Shorts: Comedy First Bloom Fest Forward: Animation Fishy LGBTQ Shorts Flag Flap Over Mississippi Mississippi Shorts Fliegen Narrative Shorts: International Forever “B” Documentary Feature Freedom of the Press Kid Film Festival Ghost Beats Kid Film Festival Gloria Talks Funny Narrative Shorts: Comedy Glory, Glory Mississippi Music Video God Bless America Mississippi Music Video Good Boy Kid Film Festival Hand Made Mississippi Shorts A Hard Rain Mississippi Music Video Haygood Eats! LGBTQ Shorts Heartless Narrative Shorts: Late Night Here I’ll Stay Mississippi Shorts Home Narrative Shorts: Drama Homegrown Kid Film Festival How They Got Over Music Documentary Features How to Make a Pearl LGBTQ Shorts I Am Dyslexic Kid Film Festival I Am Evidence Special Screenings I’ve Just Had A Dream Kid Film Festival Insta-Tree Kid Film Festival It Began Without Warning Narrative Shorts: Late Night

GENRE LISTINGS Documentary Features, page 18-20 Documentary Shorts, page 22-25 Fest Forward: Animation, page 42-43 Fest Forward, page 43-46 LGBTQ Features, page 38 LGBTQ Shorts, page 39-41 Mississippi Features, page 16 Mississippi Music Video, page 46-48 Mississippi Shorts, page 25-28 Music Documentary Features, page 20-22 Narrative Features, page 14-16 Narrative Shorts (other), page 36-38 Narrative Shorts: Comedy, page 33 Narrative Shorts: Drama, page 33-34 Narrative Shorts: International, page 34-35 Narrative Shorts: Late Night, page 35-36 Special Screenings, page 12-14

Jamshid; a lament for a myth Fest Forward: Animation Jesszilla Documentary Shorts Johnny’s Greek and Three Documentary Shorts Kukuschka Kid Film Festival Laboratory Conditions Narrative Shorts: Late Night Lady Eva LGBTQ Shorts The Last Movie Star Special Screening: Opening Night film Last Words Narrative Shorts: Comedy Lawman Narrative Shorts : Drama A Life’s Work Documentary Shorts Light Sight Kid Film Festival Living on Soul Music Documentary Features: Special screening Liyana Documentary Features The Long Shadow Mississippi Features Loop. Kid Film Festival Love Soliloquy: A Visual Album Mississippi Features LYING WOMEN Fest Forward M.A.M.O.N. (MONITOR AGAINST MEXICANS OVER NATIONWIDE) Narrative Shorts: Comedy Mad to be Normal Special Screening: Closing Night Film Make Me Want You Mississippi Music Video Man’s Best Friend Kid Film Festival Manna Mississippi Music Video may I? remix# Fest Forward Meerkat Moonship Kid Film Festival Meeting MacGuffin Fest Forward: Animation The Melancholy Man Narrative Shorts A Message For Brazey Kid Film Festival Mississippi Madam Mississippi Features

February 7-11, 2018

Mombie Mississippi Shorts Monster in the Bayou Documentary Shorts My City Mississippi Music Video My Father’s Son Special Screenings: Best of Louisiana Film Prize Nation Down Special Screenings: Award Winning films The Nature of Mass Demonstrations Documentary Shorts Negative Space Fest Forward: Animation Newport Gun Girls Documentary Shorts Not One of Us Kid Film Festival One Hundred Thousand Beating Hearts Documentary Shorts The Organizer Documentary Features Otter of the Underground Kid Film Festival Our Ghosts Documentary Shorts Paralysis Fest Forward Part of It Mississippi Shorts Pay the Piper Mississippi Shorts The Perfect Fit Narrative Shorts Pessim Narrative Shorts: Late Night; Fest Forward Picnic Perfect Kid Film Festival Pieces of War Kid Film Festival Pittari Fest Forward The Pizza Magazine Mississippi Shorts: Community Films Plastic is Forever Kid Film Festival Polka Dott Kid Film Festival The Process: The Way of Pablo Sierra Mississippi Features Randy Weeks: Mississippi Songwriter Mississippi Music Video Real Artists Narrative Shorts: Late Night

The Realm of Deepest Knowing Fest Forward River Made Mississippi Shorts Robert Special Screening Rodents of Unusual Size Documentary Features Royal Mississippi Music Video Running Eagle: Pitamakan Narrative Shorts: Drama sans réponse Narrative Shorts: Comedy Save Me! Narrative Shorts: International Saving Santa Kid Film Festival Say No Narrative Shorts: International Scoundrels Special Screenings: Best of Louisiana Film Prize Seeing is Believing: Women Direct Special Screenings Serenade for Haiti Documentary Features The Servant Fest Forward: Animation Shot Fest Forward Sneaky Kid Film Festival The Sounding Narrative Features Space Girls Narrative Shorts : International Spark LGBTQ Shorts Spinning Mississippi Music Video Spinosaurus Narrative Shorts: International The Spirit Seam Fest Forward: Animation Stag Special Screenings: Best of Louisiana Film Prize Stars Kid Film Festival Stomping Ground Mississippi Music Video Sununú: The Revolution of Love LGBTQ Shorts Surrogate Narrative Shorts The Teacher and The Flower Kid Film Festival Temporary Narrative Shorts: Comedy Thacker Mountain Radio Hour: 20th Anniversary Mississippi Shorts: Community Films That Smell Narrative Shorts: Comedy The Third Movement LGBTQ Shorts

Be sure to check the program to make sure you are at the right venue. All films in the regular schedule contain adult content and are not recommended for children under 18 unless otherwise indicated with a rating in the program listing. The Kids Film Fest program is made for ages 5-17 and all films in this section are rated G or PG. While films are not rated by MPAA, we have asked the filmmakers for their own rating consideration to be included with the film’s description. Views expressed in the screened films are those of the filmmakers, and not necessarily shared by the Oxford Film Festival. Presentation of films does not mean that the festival promotes the behavior contained therein. The filmmaker has agreed that they own the intellectual property within their film. Some films have content that can trigger emotional issues. Please read the description of the film in advance if you have any concerns.

oxfordfilmfest.com

$30 To Antarctica Documentary Shorts 3 Friends LGBTQ Shorts Timbre Narrative Shorts: International Tond Narrative Shorts: Comedy Towards the Experimental Control of Dreaming Fest Forward Transmission Narrative Shorts: Late Night; Fest Forward Trumpet Man Fest Forward The Trumpeter Kid Film Festival Trust and Believe Mississippi Music Video Truth Rises Mississippi Shorts Two Balloons Fest Forward: Animation Ugly Fest Forward: Animation Urania Descending Narrative Features The Vest Narrative Shorts: International Waffles LGBTQ Shorts Washed Away Documentary Shorts Water Path for a Fish Kid Film Festival We Believed We Were Immortal Mississippi Shorts The Weight Narrative Shorts: Drama Whale Rider Kid Film Festival What’s That in the Ground? Fest Forward A Whole World for a Little World Narrative Shorts: International Winston County Miracle Man Mississippi Shorts Word is Bond Music Documentary Features World Gone Crazy Mississippi Music Video Yellow and Red Make Orange Fest Forward You See ‘Em Documentary Shorts Your Mistress Mississippi Music Video

All times are tentative and subject to change due to the nature of film festivals. Refer to our website, www.oxfordfilmfest. com, our social media, and/or our box office for the latest information. Seating is not guaranteed unless you purchase an individual ticket for a specific film. We suggest arriving at least 20 minutes before each film. VIP badges get priority line access. However, any seats unclaimed 10 minutes before film will be given away. If a film is sold out, we have a rush line system that allows people to wait until 10 minutes before the film begins to claim any open seats. Rush tickets can be picked up at the box office. Seating is allotted based on priority access with 50% of seats given to badge holders and 50% of seats open to ticket holders. If you purchased an individual ticket, a seat is secured but you must wait for VIP priority seating to claim a seat in the theater.

I WANT TO HELP PRESENT THE OXFORD FILM FESTIVAL OXFORD FILM FESTIVAL

SPONSOR DETAILS To ensure that we have your current details, please fill in the entire form, even if you are renewing.

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SUPPORTER ($500+) - 2 VIP all access passes to the festival - 1 Festival t-shirt & poster - Acknowledgement in printed festival program & on-screen slide ad

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February 7-11, 2018