Named one of the “20 Coolest Film Festivals in the World” by MovieMaker Magazine, the deadCenter Film Festival returns June 11-15 with five days of screenings, panels and events in downtown Oklahoma City.
This year marks the 25th anniversary of the festival, which will feature more than 200 independent films, including 25 world premieres—the most in the event’s history. A special “Okie Style” program will highlight nearly two dozen filmmakers from Oklahoma.
The full schedule is now available on the deadCenter Film app and at deadcenterfilm.org.
Founded in 2001, deadCenter Film is a nonprofit based in OKC that runs the state’s largest film festival. It’s also the only Oklahoma event recognized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences as Oscar-qualifying in three categories: live action short, animated short and documentary short. Winning films in two of those categories become eligible for Academy Award consideration.
The organization works year-round through three focus areas: festival programming, education and community events under its Continuum series. One of its largest education programs, deadCenter University (dCU), offers free instruction for students and teachers through partnerships with Rose State College, Oklahoma City Community College and Oklahoma City University.
dCU includes two student tracks and one for educators. At Rose State, the program serves rural high school students. The youth camp at OCCC includes four days of hands-on filmmaking. The teacher track at OCU is designed for those working toward a media arts credential.
In addition to film screenings, the festival includes workshops like Camera Workshop, Trends in Nonfiction and Intimacy in Cinema. Panel discussions will cover topics such as teaching film in the classroom, career pathways in production and how young creators are shaping the industry.
The Instruction Trends Panel offers classroom strategies for teaching film, while the Production Techniques Panel features Comanche filmmaker Jhane Myers, Navajo artist and filmmaker Rhiana Yazzie and others sharing insights for early-career filmmakers. The Young Filmmakers Panel will include college and tribal program students in a conversation moderated by Taylor Fitzsimmons, one of the first students to screen a film at deadCenter.
Social events and networking opportunities will be held throughout the week, giving filmmakers and attendees a chance to connect in a more casual setting.
This year’s featured Oklahoma filmmakers include Malu Andrade, Ryan Bellgardt, Lauren Bumgarner, Jacob Burns, Zachary Burns, Laura Campbell, Kara and Jeremy Choate, Amberlee Colson, Clarissa Cozzoni, Kevin Ford, Wendy Garrett, Klein Hale, Kyle Kauwika Harris, Christopher Hunt, Ella Janes, Russ Kirkpatrick, Ty McMahan, Benjamin Tefera, Sayla Thompson, Colleen Thurston and Loren Waters.
Festival passes are $225 and include priority access to all screenings, panels and events. Individual tickets are $10 and can be purchased at the door starting 20 minutes before each screening.
This article was originally published on VeloCityOKC. The original can be accessed here.
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