The Oxford Film Festival and Thacker Mountain Radio -- a live, unrehearsed broadcast out of Oxford that features literary readings and an eclectic mix of musical performances to “cheering, footstomping,
applauding spectators” -- have teamed up to celebrate a weekend of movies with an opening night extravaganza.
Hosted by Jim Dees
Guests to be announced
Performance is not included with Music Festival pass. Admission for Thacker Mountain Radio/Oxford Film Festival opening night fundraiser must be purchased.
Guelel Kumba, Eric Deaton, Justin Showah, Kinney Kimbrough
From desert trance marches to fisherman chanteys, Afrissippi channels ancestral African boogies & today's Mississippi hill country groove through the Delta Recording style to give birth to a brand new sound. Super Chikan Johnson said it best when he declared, "It's like the blues trying to be born!"
The Yalobushwackers are the house band for Thacker Mountain Radio. Performance is not included with Music Festival pass. Admission for Thacker Mountain Radio/Oxford Film Festival opening night fundraiser must be purchased.
Duff Dorough, Mark Yacovone, Slade Lewis, Wallace Lester
Performance is not included with Music Festival pass. Admission for Thacker Mountain Radio/Oxford Film Festival opening night fundraiser must be purchased.
Ben Yarbrough, Jim Barrett
Second Annual Oxford Community Film
During a performance of a community theatre's murder mystery play, an actor is actually killed. With a state arts commissioner in attendance to determine future funding for the theatre, the cast and crew have no choice but to continue with the show.
Jazz, Soul, Adult Contemporary and Gospel
Jimmy Phillips, Ben Johnson, Jamison Hollister, Bub Branton
Ben Yarbrough, Jim Barrett
Documentary films capture a moment in time. They tell a story. They tell someone else’s story. They reveal truths, challenge assumptions, and often compel audiences to take action. They serve as a record for history. Whether their films reflect the news or make the news, documentary filmmakers face many issues and challenges. Can that archival image or recording be used? Is it fair use? What about the rights of publicity? Documentarians and lawyers discuss the challenges and legal pitfalls of making documentary films.
Andy Harper (moderator), Joe York, Will Wilkins, Ryanne Duffie.
When the former frontman of 'Stanley and the Knives' suddenly dies, his old friends and band mates are forced back together after twenty-five years apart. Cracks soon start to appear in their relationships and it becomes clear why they split up in the first place. Frontman is a musical journey of five strangers, becoming friends for the second time. Regional Premiere.
The Churchteam, arguably the largest and most well-funded blackjack team in America, has taken millions from casinos in their short existence. But since every team member is a Christian and some are pastors, there is a constant battle to answer this question: How can you be Christian and play blackjack for a living? Mississippi Premiere.
Frank Gross seems to be a man who has it all: a quiet home in the suburbs, a good job, a daughter who loves him. Then, on a day much like today, there comes a knock at a door and his orderly world slides sideways into the darkness beyond what we know. Ballerina is a provocative, thoughtful drama about love, time, what we can prevent, and what we can't no matter how much we might want to.
17 minutes
Mississippi Premiere
Little seven-year old Petey falls prey to his older brothers' hellion ways. Regional Premiere. (World Premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2012).
Set on the imperiled coast of Louisiana, Terrebonne is the meditative story of a brother and sister who encounter unexpected trouble when they venture deep into the swamp in search of the mythic ivory-billed woodpecker. Filmed partially in Mississippi. Mississippi Premiere.
For her ninth birthday Joey's parents (Sean Bridgers and Joey Lauren Adams) think they've gotten her “what every little girl wants.” But her real birthday wish is about to come true in an unexpected way.
16 minutes
Mississippi Premiere
Naveen left India to chase his dreams in America. Today, three years and a recession later, his wife and son join him.
What does a super heroine do when she's not working? Mississippi Premiere.
The Orderly is a comedy set in the early 1950s about a timid orderly that finds himself late for his first day of work and his first assignment: transporting two psychiatric patients to another facility 8 hours away, with only 6 hours to get them there. With each minute and mile that passes, Norville desperately struggles to keep his own sanity along this tense, bizarre and chaotic ride. Mississippi Premiere.
Access to VIP Tent is restricted to sponsors and invited guests.
A short documentary exploring the unknown world of dragon boating, the world's largest flat water racing canoes, propelled by a crew of 20 plus a drummer and a steers person. The film allows the audience to travel to three areas of the United States to discover the hidden sport to absorb the gripping visuals, sounds, and feelings that come with dragon boat racing.
18 minutes
Regional Premiere
Delusional people build, row, and race boats made solely of cardboard and duct tape in an insane effort to recapture the American dream.
10 minutes
Irma is an intimate musical portrait of Irma Gonzalez, the former world champion of women's professional wrestling. Filmed in Ciudad Nezahualcoyotl, a notorious district of Mexico City, Irma contradicts everything we have come to expect from stories reported from Mexico. Featuring music written and performed by Ms. Gonzalez, Irma's story surges with love and deceit, masculine strength, feminine charms, and an extraordinary sense of humor. Mississippi Premiere.
One man's quest to re-masculate Jesus. World Premiere.
Ms. Pat knows growing up isn't easy. She hopes her class in social etiquette gives kids the skills to make it. World Premiere.
At the age of 6, after a devastating encounter with a pile of garbage, Tommy decided that learning how to ride a bicycle just wasn't worth it. Now, fifteen years later, 21-year-old Tommy Kha is rethinking that decision. Mississippi Premiere.
Leroy Lowe (Tom Sizemore), grand dragon of the Texas Ku Klux Klan, confronts everything he's been taught to hate when he's sentenced to three years of hard labor on a prison work farm, where Warden Merville (Stacy Keach) chooses Emilio, a Hispanic field worker (Héctor Jiménez), to be his cellmate.
1 hour 25 minutes
Regional Premiere
You have a story to tell. You think it could make a great movie or TV show. Now what? Join our panel of working screenwriters tell their stories of bringing their pages to the screen. Alan Arrivée (moderator), Chris Offut, Tanya Wright.
Unfortunately, Joey Lauren Adams (listed in our printed program) is unable to attend this year's festival.
Access to VIP Tent is restricted to sponsors and invited guests.
The identity of the secret screening has been revealed!
1. Bunker (sneak preview screening). Directed by Kim Voynar. 12 minutes. Narrative Short.
A pacifist married couple in their late 20's spends an evening at their Seattle home, where they can't keep a plant alive or a fish tank clean of algae, pondering what it means to be the grown-up. On the eve of their anniversary, they imagine their preparedness for dealing with the aftermath of revolution ... or a real zombie apocalypse. Would their love survive? Would they buy guns? And most importantly, in an apocalyptic situation ... would they eat meat?
2. Holiday Road. Directed by Todd Berger (The Scenesters, OFF 2010), Bill Palmer, Bobby Miller, Daron Nefcy, Benny Grinnell, Ian Eastin, Mary McIlwain, Aaron Arendt, Michael Suter, Dee Robertson, Doug Manley, Helena Wei, Andrew Putschoegl. 72 minutes. Narrative Feature.
The spirit of the holidays is showcased in this feature length anthology of 12 separate comedy short films written and directed by 13 of today's hottest up and coming independent writer/directors. Premiered at the Slamdance Film Festival to a packed audience.
Second Annual Oxford Community Film
During a performance of a community theatre's murder mystery play, an actor is actually killed. With a state arts commissioner in attendance to determine future funding for the theatre, the cast and crew have no choice but to continue with the show.
A man and a woman have an awkward encounter at an indoor playground in this Neil LaBute penned slice-of-life starring Sarah Paulson and Wes Bentley.
10 minutes
Mississippi Premiere
A raw and irreverent comedic look at the unspoken horrors of dating and bathing with younger men.
11 minutes
A day in the life of a busy Los Angeles payphone. World Premiere.
Dean Faulkner Wells (1936-2011) was the daughter of Dean Swift Faulkner, William Faulkner’s youngest brother, and Louise Hale. As her father died in a plane crash months before her birth, her famous uncle raised her as a daughter in Oxford, Mississippi, where she lived most of her life. Dean collected and retold the ghost stories that her uncle “Pappy” used to tell, as well as write her own stories, including stories for children. She and her husband Larry Wells ran Yoknapatawpha Press, a regional publishing house. Several months before her untimely death in July 2011, she gave what would be her last interview to François Busnel, host of the French television show La Grande Librairie (The Great Bookstore) for his monthly literary series, Les Carnets de Route (Road Journals).
30 minutes
Mark's decided to do something bad.
The latest documentary from the Southern Foodways Alliance details a different hog-roasting celebration: the Cochon de Lait Festival. The annual Mother's Day tradition sees some 30-odd hogs hoisted up on metal racks that resemble giant coat hangers and cooked for several hours near a roaring blaze. The results, named for the suckling pigs that often are used in the recipe, are tender white flesh encased in the crispy skin known as “cracklin.”
The L.A. Comedy Shorts Film Festival is currently the largest comedy film festival in the United States, presenting four, funny-packed days of screenings, parties, and panels, plus a star-studded red carpet awards event. Co-founded by Gary Anthony Williams (Boston Legal, Special Agent Oso, Malcolm in the Middle), L.A. Comedy Shorts attracts heavyweights from the world of comedy. Major sponsors include Will Ferrell and Judd Apatow’s website ‘FunnyOrDie.com’, Cartoon Network, Atom.com and “Atom TV” on Comedy Central, and Freemantle’s Atomic Wedgie. Sit back and enjoy some of the best that 2011 has to offer, and we'd love to see you in L.A. this April! lacomedyshorts.com
2011 BEST OF FEST
WROARF: Support a recession-hit American family for just four hundred dollars per day, plus tax.
Karl Mulberry: Set against a world of roller blades, water balloons, and accordions, KARL MULBERRY is a comedy about a conflicted sixteen year old boy who needs a father, but doesn't want to lose his mother.
Dates on Tape: Kevin Spacey, a man of many talents, is single and ready to mingle. Watch as he tells you a little about his best...attributes.
The Interview: The last man on earth tries to get a job from the second-to-last man on earth.
Adoption Agency: Before Kim Jong Il (REX LEE from HBO's Entourage) can adopt an American baby worthy enough to take over his empire, he must first charm the panel of interviewers at the adoption agency.
4 Pounds: Over the course of four life changing weeks, an actor focuses his considerable will on the goal of losing some weight. As the people in his life try to dissuade him from his ruinous path, he ignores them in his headlong rush towards self destruction.
Dik: A concerned father of a six year old takes it the wrong way.
What Up Little Kid: A music video dedicated to all the little kids out there.
Bear Force One: Two eager, naive guys pitch their idea for the movie 'Bear Force One' to a Hollywood executive. While leaving Alaskan bearcountry, bears take over the President's airplane, and now it's up to the Commander in Chief, a secret service guard, and a flight attendant to regain control at 30,000 feet in this satire of airplane/hijacking films.
Happy takes us on a journey from the swamps of Louisiana to the slums of Kolkata in search of what really makes people happy. Combining real life stories of people from around the world and powerful interviews with the leading scientists in happiness research, Happy explores the secrets behind our most valued emotion.
Kristabelle, still living with her mother, cuts herself to feel alive but when she meets Simon, a newly sober British stand-up comic, their unlikely romance proves that love can be more than skin deep. World Premiere.
Red Moon chronicles the life and times of famed submarine commander, Alexei Ovechkin, Russian hero and hapless werewolf. Mississippi Premiere.
Maggie, a street smart 11 year old, is stifled by a shaky home-life and constant torment from the neighborhood bully. With a fair share of moxie and a talent for the hustle, this little spitfire is fighting for more than just stability in her turbulent surroundings. Her life's turned sour and she has no choice but to make a stand. Mississippi Premiere.
Rachel hasn't been out of the house since being left at the altar two months ago, but some rebound sex tonight and she'll be over Mark for good... if she can just deal with the vampires at her door.
1 hour 22 minutes
Mississippi Premiere
Alt Country
Kelley Norris, Tim Burkhead, Jesse Pinion, Ben Yarbrough
When her brother dies, singer Lilah Belle (McGhee Monteith) embarks on a road trip to escape her grief, but not before coaxing Rose Johnson (Tanya Wright), the new-to-town, most scandalous woman in Artesia, to go with her. These two broken souls steal a vintage truck and head out on the open road to a fated encounter with the mythical, magical 'Lazarus of the Butterflies'. What occurs with the strange Butterfly Man transforms their destinies and binds the women together" forever.
1 hour 32 minutes
Mississippi Premiere
Electro/Soul/Jazz/Rock
Silas Reed, IV, Eric Todd Leslie, Joe Messina. Bryan Davis
Rock
Joseph Nettles, Andy Thompson, Zach Thompson, Max Hipp, Beau Bourgeois
A student documentary exploring the underground rap culture in Oxford, Miss. An interesting view of this small town, told through a lens many people are not familiar with.
16 minutes
World Premiere
Punk rock musician Tyler Keith interviews bluesman T-Model Ford about his life and music on a porch before a show in Mississippi. World Premiere.
Proud Larry's is a great window into the Oxford Scene's past and in its future. This short film highlights past memories of Oxford music scene veterans as well as those who are shaping the scene today. The music featured is provided by Oxford's own Balance. World Premiere.
The Beacon is the story of a 52 year old diner, an Oxford, Mississippi institution. It is a place full of colorful characters and stories, fiercely loyal customers and employees, and deep ties to the South's complicated past.
15 minutes
World Premiere
T.R. Pearson speaks about the Year of Our Lord, a book he made with Langdon Clay about Lucas McCarty and the Moorhead Trinity House of Prayer. Lucas and the church choir perform after Pearson's tale of how and why the book was made. World Premiere.
Yokna looks at the sustainable agriculture movement in Oxford, MS by focusing on Yokna Bottoms Farm six miles south of town. Through documenting the farm's second Spring growing season, the film shows how the farm and community have a reciprocating influence on each other. World Premiere.
Kristabelle, still living with her mother, cuts herself to feel alive but when she meets Simon, a newly sober British stand-up comic, their unlikely romance proves that love can be more than skin deep. World Premiere.
You have a great idea for your film. The crew is lined up. You’ve even got a cast in mind. People have offered to help you pay for things. Now what? Do you form a new company? Bring in partners? Sell stock? What states have the best incentives? Join us for a panel discussion on the best way – practically and legally – to finance your film.
Steve Beckman, Shawnessy B. Howell, Jeff Begun.
The historic Mississippi River town of Helena in the Arkansas Delta, is the home of the longest running blues radio show in the world. The King Biscuit Time blues show, which began in 1941 has featured 'Sunshine' Sonny Payne as the DJ since 1951. World Premiere.
Little Dinky starts a new day on her way to school with her beloved father, but a terrible industrial accident is going to change her life forever. Based on the graphic novel PSICONAUTAS by Alberto Vázquez.
13 minutes
Second Annual Oxford Community Film
During a performance of a community theatre's murder mystery play, an actor is actually killed. With a state arts commissioner in attendance to determine future funding for the theatre, the cast and crew have no choice but to continue with the show.
A tale of the hermitic life of artists, who are enclosed in their own world of ideas, striving to create the epochal masterpiece. Even if they succeed, the image they create is the reflection of themselves. And with the same fervor, they repeat the process in endless cycles.
10 minutes
The animation is a simple love story about a man and a woman from the two conflicting communities in the divided island of Cyprus. Obstacles in their environment are making their coming together difficult. However, the couple is determined to reach each other.
4 minutes
A turbulent journey of unrequited love set in the garden of one's subconscious.
An animated documentary that recounts the career of 19th century boxer John L. Sullivan. Using animated characters, the film details Sullivan's rise from barroom brawler to America's first sports celebrity. The film highlights Sullivan's 1889 battle for the Heavyweight Championship of the World, an epic 75-round bout that was covered by the international press despite the fact that it was an illegal bare-knuckle fight. It was the last title bout fought under bare-knuckle rules, marking the turning point in boxing's transition from outlaw entertainment to respectable sport.
Using spray paint on a garage where Aboriginal mother and grandmother Gloria Black Plume was brutally murdered in 1999, Cree artist Jesse Gouchey paints a large scale animation of a bluebird in flight. The beauty and freedom of the bluebird's motion is contrasted with remembrances of Gloria's surviving family members, who give an emotional glimpse of a woman lost to violence and the injustice of the legal system.
A heartwarming story about being an outcast, friendship and owls.
Over time, two houses slowly destroy each other.
William Tyler invites you to explore his music through his own thoughts, words, and images. World Premiere.
The Fifty-Nine Team is a detailed look into the personalities and stories behind one of the greatest college football teams ever assembled. With over 30 interviews, archival footage, and rarely seen film clips and photos, you'll learn first-hand the highs and lows of this heralded national-championship squad.
Frank Gross seems to be a man who has it all: a quiet home in the suburbs, a good job, a daughter who loves him. Then, on a day much like today, there comes a knock at a door and his orderly world slides sideways into the darkness beyond what we know. Ballerina is a provocative, thoughtful drama about love, time, what we can prevent, and what we can't no matter how much we might want to.
17 minutes
Mississippi Premiere
Naveen left India to chase his dreams in America. Today, three years and a recession later, his wife and son join him.
Little seven-year old Petey falls prey to his older brothers' hellion ways. Regional Premiere. (World Premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2012).
What does a super heroine do when she's not working? Mississippi Premiere.
Set on the imperiled coast of Louisiana, Terrebonne is the meditative story of a brother and sister who encounter unexpected trouble when they venture deep into the swamp in search of the mythic ivory-billed woodpecker. Filmed partially in Mississippi. Mississippi Premiere.
For her ninth birthday Joey's parents (Sean Bridgers and Joey Lauren Adams) think they've gotten her “what every little girl wants.” But her real birthday wish is about to come true in an unexpected way.
16 minutes
Mississippi Premiere
“Go to Rhino Records on Westwood Boulevard…” – Wild Man Fischer.
Rhino Resurrected is the iconoclastic story of a ramshackle little record store that became a hub of hardcore music misfits, a launching pad for influential music careers, and a groundbreaking and irreverent record label revered by music lovers worldwide. The inspiration for the film came last spring when the founder of Rhino, Richard Foos, opened a “pop-up” record store that tried to re-create the “Rhino” vibe and quickly turned into a celebration of and elegy for a music culture that’s all but lost. The film features killer live performances from Richard Thompson, Mike Watt, Peter Case, Little Willie G and thee Midnighters, Dr. Demento, Temple City Kazoo Orchestra and so much more – it’s a must see for any music fan!
Regional Premiere.
Second Annual Oxford Community Film
During a performance of a community theatre's murder mystery play, an actor is actually killed. With a state arts commissioner in attendance to determine future funding for the theatre, the cast and crew have no choice but to continue with the show.
Access to VIP Tent is restricted to sponsors and invited guests.
The Fifty-Nine Team is a detailed look into the personalities and stories behind one of the greatest college football teams ever assembled. With over 30 interviews, archival footage, and rarely seen film clips and photos, you'll learn first-hand the high
A young student is forever changed when an expired cup of ramen noodles enters his life.
Three long distance friends are looking to reunite on a camping trip but need a few more supplies. A young woman, a gas station attendant, is looking to close her store for the night but is held up by a would-be thief. Through a winding unfolding of events their worlds collide and will inevitably end in bloodshed.
When a middle class white woman, who has recently separated from her husband and moved to Chicago, goes downstairs to her apartment lobby with a UPS slip in hand, she finds an illegal Mexican laborer at her doorstep, bleeding from a stab wound and begging to be let in. The decision she makes forces her to face the dangers of the city and its seemingly alien inhabitants.
Alex Embers, a despondent young man, experiences recurring dreams about an imaginary lover in the midst of WWII. Alex feels he must help her. When his dreams and reality become intertwined, he is faced with the decision of leaving the meaningless world he has always known for a chance to save the only girl he has ever loved.
The suffering of soldiers and their families is largely invisible to most Americans. But not to the Patriot Guard Riders, a 200,000 strong motorcycle group who attend military funerals to honor the fallen, and to protect grieving families from the Westboro Baptist Church, who descends on the funerals to harass them. Regional Premiere.
Music by Jimbo Mathus and the Tri-State Coalition
Music by the Cooters
Music by Ashley W.
Music by Jake Wood
Access to VIP Tent is restricted to sponsors and invited guests.
When the former frontman of 'Stanley and the Knives' suddenly dies, his old friends and band mates are forced back together after twenty-five years apart. Cracks soon start to appear in their relationships and it becomes clear why they split up in the first place. Frontman is a musical journey of five strangers, becoming friends for the second time. Regional Premiere.
A stranger reveals his alienation from the world and longing for spiritual transcendence in six letters to his loved ones.
12 minutes
The moment before a life changing event for this man. And his honest answer to the person who knows him best in this world.
Landscape of the Mind takes footage from several natural landscapes and combines them into one that elicits a painterly, psychological landscape of the collective experiences.
4th of July celebration in the Texas Hill Country.
Time lapse plates of the Manhattan skyline repurposed from a commissioned Times Square installation.
Over 3,000 images, shot entirely on a flatbed scanner, arranged into an avant-garde stop-motion film that explores the dynamic relationship between sight and sound.
An experimental digital short film exploring concepts of world-view, subjectivity, and relationships between human perception and nature.
16mm footage and Edison Voicewriter recordings introduce the filmmaker to a family he was too young to really know.
Every city hides a sound.
In this dreamy tale of comedic horror, two shadowy outcasts cross paths in an abandoned boxcar. The murderous, vaudevillian Box Car Lady's secret life of baby dolls and meat cleavers is interrupted by a kazoo-playing hobo. Charlie Chaplin meets Quentin Tarantino, Lady in the Boxcar examines life in forgotten places.
In a Los Angeles California location, at the edge of the world, the night watchman stands guard- on the lookout patrolling for monsters. This is about what happens after all the stories are over.
Alex, a flawed family man, is forced to endure a personal journey of enlightenment under extraordinary circumstances.
Set in 1956, Old Oak tells the story of the last meal of a Death Row inmate. He asks for and is granted special permission to be escorted to his favorite diner for the occasion. Honey, the 10-year old daughter of the waitress, observes closely and narrates the story as the evening unfolds. USA Premiere.
A mysterious hitch-hiker gets picked up by a man on a road trip. But what can you ever really know about a stranger? World Premiere.
On the day of her 10th birthday, happy-go-lucky Jenny discovers she and her family are pawns in a cruel experiment that repeats over and over... and Daddy likes things just the way they are.
17 minutes
One bad night, one misstep begins a confrontation between two people with their own perspectives about how and why things went badly. As the encounter goes on, every motive and sense of responsibility comes under scrutiny. When something goes wrong, is there really blame to be assigned? And how far back can it go? Look closely.
The identity of the secret screening has been revealed!
1. Bunker (sneak preview screening). Directed by Kim Voynar. 12 minutes. Narrative Short.
A pacifist married couple in their late 20's spends an evening at their Seattle home, where they can't keep a plant alive or a fish tank clean of algae, pondering what it means to be the grown-up. On the eve of their anniversary, they imagine their preparedness for dealing with the aftermath of revolution ... or a real zombie apocalypse. Would their love survive? Would they buy guns? And most importantly, in an apocalyptic situation ... would they eat meat?
2. Holiday Road. Directed by Todd Berger (The Scenesters, OFF 2010), Bill Palmer, Bobby Miller, Daron Nefcy, Benny Grinnell, Ian Eastin, Mary McIlwain, Aaron Arendt, Michael Suter, Dee Robertson, Doug Manley, Helena Wei, Andrew Putschoegl. 72 minutes. Narrative Feature.
The spirit of the holidays is showcased in this feature length anthology of 12 separate comedy short films written and directed by 13 of today's hottest up and coming independent writer/directors. Premiered at the Slamdance Film Festival to a packed audience.
Where would film be without music? The dramatic crescendo as the unknowing character leaves the house in the dark, the melancholy vocal as the lead character drives off into the future. And where would music be without the art of film, giving images to sounds, bringing the lyrics visually alive, and introducing new audiences to music through videos. Panelists will discuss how to choose the right song for a film, how they find the music, how the music finds them. They will discuss the art of the music video and what direction to go with a particular song? And often the most important part of music in film: licensing. Who owns the songs if made for the film (scoring). How do you go about securing a particular song for a scene, what kind of license do you need? Join filmmakers, musicians, and attorneys as they discuss how music and film work together both creatively and legally.
Ted Speaker (moderator), Jonathan Rej, Rush Hicks, Ryanne Duffie Saucier.
In the summer of 2005, Zach, a 16-year-old boy from Memphis, Tenn. wrote on his MySpace blog that he had told his parents he was gay. Within days, his mother and father would send him to Love In Action, a fundamentalist Christian program that pledged to turn gay teens straight. After sharing his feelings on his blog, Zach’s story quickly spread from his friends to the local community before gaining national attention and sparking protests outside the organization's doors.
Delusional people build, row, and race boats made solely of cardboard and duct tape in an insane effort to recapture the American dream.
10 minutes
A short documentary exploring the unknown world of dragon boating, the world's largest flat water racing canoes, propelled by a crew of 20 plus a drummer and a steers person. The film allows the audience to travel to three areas of the United States to discover the hidden sport to absorb the gripping visuals, sounds, and feelings that come with dragon boat racing.
18 minutes
Regional Premiere
Irma is an intimate musical portrait of Irma Gonzalez, the former world champion of women's professional wrestling. Filmed in Ciudad Nezahualcoyotl, a notorious district of Mexico City, Irma contradicts everything we have come to expect from stories repor
One man's quest to re-masculate Jesus. World Premiere.
Ms. Pat knows growing up isn't easy. She hopes her class in social etiquette gives kids the skills to make it. World Premiere.
At the age of 6, after a devastating encounter with a pile of garbage, Tommy decided that learning how to ride a bicycle just wasn't worth it. Now, fifteen years later, 21-year-old Tommy Kha is rethinking that decision. Mississippi Premiere.
Join us as we present the Spirit of the Hoka award to the best films in each of our categories as determined by our judges.
Mississippi Roots Rock, Juke Joint Gospel, Hill Country Blues, and more....
Jame Posey, Rosamond Posey, Robert Chaffe, Ryan Rogers, Nathan Robbins
Blues/rock
Jay Lang, Nate Robbins, Will Freeman, Harrison Smithl
Tyler Keith, Van Thompson, Cecil Thompson, Max Hipp
A clever mix of lo-fi pop and "checked-free" grunge.
Cole Furlow and James Alexander Warren
Catfish music for the masses.
Jimbo Mathus and the Tri-State Coalition: Matt "Pizzle" Pierce, Justin Showah, Eric Carlton, Alex "Felix" Holeman
Little Dinky starts a new day on her way to school with her beloved father, but a terrible industrial accident is going to change her life forever. Based on the graphic novel PSICONAUTAS by Alberto Vázquez.
13 minutes
A day in the life of a busy Los Angeles payphone. World Premiere.
A man and a woman have an awkward encounter at an indoor playground in this Neil LaBute penned slice-of-life starring Sarah Paulson and Wes Bentley.
10 minutes
Mississippi Premiere
A raw and irreverent comedic look at the unspoken horrors of dating and bathing with younger men.
11 minutes
A tale of the hermitic life of artists, who are enclosed in their own world of ideas, striving to create the epochal masterpiece. Even if they succeed, the image they create is the reflection of themselves. And with the same fervor, they repeat the process in endless cycles.
10 minutes
The animation is a simple love story about a man and a woman from the two conflicting communities in the divided island of Cyprus. Obstacles in their environment are making their coming together difficult. However, the couple is determined to reach each other.
4 minutes
A turbulent journey of unrequited love set in the garden of one's subconscious.
An animated documentary that recounts the career of 19th century boxer John L. Sullivan. Using animated characters, the film details Sullivan's rise from barroom brawler to America's first sports celebrity. The film highlights Sullivan's 1889 battle for the Heavyweight Championship of the World, an epic 75-round bout that was covered by the international press despite the fact that it was an illegal bare-knuckle fight. It was the last title bout fought under bare-knuckle rules, marking the turning point in boxing's transition from outlaw entertainment to respectable sport.
Using spray paint on a garage where Aboriginal mother and grandmother Gloria Black Plume was brutally murdered in 1999, Cree artist Jesse Gouchey paints a large scale animation of a bluebird in flight. The beauty and freedom of the bluebird's motion is contrasted with remembrances of Gloria's surviving family members, who give an emotional glimpse of a woman lost to violence and the injustice of the legal system.
A heartwarming story about being an outcast, friendship and owls.
Over time, two houses slowly destroy each other.
Red Moon chronicles the life and times of famed submarine commander, Alexei Ovechkin, Russian hero and hapless werewolf. Mississippi Premiere.
Rachel hasn't been out of the house since being left at the altar two months ago, but some rebound sex tonight and she'll be over Mark for good... if she can just deal with the vampires at her door.
1 hour 22 minutes
Mississippi Premiere
Mark's decided to do something bad.
The Churchteam, arguably the largest and most well-funded blackjack team in America, has taken millions from casinos in their short existence. But since every team member is a Christian and some are pastors, there is a constant battle to answer this question: How can you be Christian and play blackjack for a living? Mississippi Premiere.
Second Annual Oxford Community Film
During a performance of a community theatre's murder mystery play, an actor is actually killed. With a state arts commissioner in attendance to determine future funding for the theatre, the cast and crew have no choice but to continue with the show.
Access to VIP Tent is restricted to sponsors and invited guests.
Anna Donnell of Chauncey and the Beast, and friends.
Maggie, a street smart 11 year old, is stifled by a shaky home-life and constant torment from the neighborhood bully. With a fair share of moxie and a talent for the hustle, this little spitfire is fighting for more than just stability in her turbulent su
Access to VIP Tent is restricted to sponsors and invited guests.
In the summer of 2005, Zach, a 16-year-old boy from Memphis, Tenn. wrote on his MySpace blog that he had told his parents he was gay. Within days, his mother and father would send him to Love In Action, a fundamentalist Christian program that pledged to turn gay teens straight. After sharing his feelings on his blog, Zach’s story quickly spread from his friends to the local community before gaining national attention and sparking protests outside the organization's doors.
When her brother dies, singer Lilah Belle (McGhee Monteith) embarks on a road trip to escape her grief, but not before coaxing Rose Johnson (Tanya Wright), the new-to-town, most scandalous woman in Artesia, to go with her. These two broken souls steal a vintage truck and head out on the open road to a fated encounter with the mythical, magical 'Lazarus of the Butterflies'. What occurs with the strange Butterfly Man transforms their destinies and binds the women together" forever.
1 hour 32 minutes
Mississippi Premiere
This film follows four high school girlfriends from rural Mississippi on their quest to win a state championship in basketball. Loss. Struggle. Friendship. Love. World Premiere.
The historic Mississippi River town of Helena in the Arkansas Delta, is the home of the longest running blues radio show in the world. The King Biscuit Time blues show, which began in 1941 has featured 'Sunshine' Sonny Payne as the DJ since 1951. World Pr
The Orderly is a comedy set in the early 1950s about a timid orderly that finds himself late for his first day of work and his first assignment: transporting two psychiatric patients to another facility 8 hours away, with only 6 hours to get them there. W
The suffering of soldiers and their families is largely invisible to most Americans. But not to the Patriot Guard Riders, a 200,000 strong motorcycle group who attend military funerals to honor the fallen, and to protect grieving families from the Westbor
Leroy Lowe (Tom Sizemore), grand dragon of the Texas Ku Klux Klan, confronts everything he's been taught to hate when he's sentenced to three years of hard labor on a prison work farm, where Warden Merville (Stacy Keach) chooses Emilio, a Hispanic field worker (Héctor Jiménez), to be his cellmate.
1 hour 25 minutes
Regional Premiere
“Go to Rhino Records on Westwood Boulevard…” – Wild Man Fischer.
Rhino Resurrected is the iconoclastic story of a ramshackle little record store that became a hub of hardcore music misfits, a launching pad for influential music careers, and a groundbreaking and irreverent record label revered by music lovers worldwide. The inspiration for the film came last spring when the founder of Rhino, Richard Foos, opened a “pop-up” record store that tried to re-create the “Rhino” vibe and quickly turned into a celebration of and elegy for a music culture that’s all but lost. The film features killer live performances from Richard Thompson, Mike Watt, Peter Case, Little Willie G and thee Midnighters, Dr. Demento, Temple City Kazoo Orchestra and so much more – it’s a must see for any music fan!
Regional Premiere.