Film Festival News

Reporting on film festivals

FILM FESTIVAL NEWS: THE LAST MOVIE STAR, starring Burt Reynolds Opens The Oxford Film Festival goes big; political, and silly for its 15th Anniversary blow out edition

The 2018 Oxford Film Festival (February 7-11) has announced the full schedule of films for this year’s 15th Anniversary edition. On opening night, writer/director Adam Rifkin will present his latest effort, THE LAST MOVIE STAR, starring Burt Reynolds and Ariel Winter, while Carlos and Jason Sanchez’s intense drama, ALLURE, starring Evan Rachel Wood, will screen at the festival’s Centerpiece Selection and Robert Mullan’s 60s biopic MAD TO BE NORMAL, starring David Tennant Elisabeth Moss and Michael Gambon, serves as the closing night selection.

FILM FESTIVAL NEWS: Brooke and Doug Purdy’s QUALITY PROBLEMS delights and touches hearts during Los Angeles premiere at New Filmmakers L.A. on December 16

Brooke and Doug Purdy’s comedy/drama hybrid about a couple managing her reoccurrence of breast cancer at the same time her father is on the decline with Alzheimer’s and possibly most alarmingly, their daughter has an all-important 8th birthday party coming up, made its Los Angeles premiere at NewFilmmakers L.A. on Saturday, December 16.

FILM FESTIVAL NEWS: Cassidy Friedman’s CIRCLES previews with 2018 Oxford Film Festival Announces Contest winners, a special work-in-progress screening and Mississippi-produced films in preview of 15th Anniversary edition

At a special preview party on Sunday, December 3, the Oxford Film Festival announced initial details of next year’s 15th Anniversary edition, including a special work-in-progress screening of Cassidy Friedman’s CIRCLES, the winners of OFF’s inaugural screenplay competition and Artist Vodka contest, as well as this year’s Magnifying Glass Fellowship recipient. The festival also announced the official selections in the feature film, short film, and music video categories produced in the state of Mississippi.

FILM FESTIVAL NEWS: Rainn Wilson with THOM PAIN Opens 2017 Indie Memphis Red Carpet shots – indie and local filmmakers hit the carpet in Bluff City

This year’s 20th Anniversary Indie Memphis film festival featured a street closure for the first time in their storied history, adding a big festival tent to expand the fest’s presence and footprint on the city. After the Opening Night red carpet featuring THOM PAIN and Rainn Wilson, and Thursday’s photo call with Mark Webber – two of indie films’s best examples of the actor’s actor, the red carpet under the tent on Friday night encouraged the attending filmmakers, as well as the notoriously photo and press-shy Memphis filmmaking regulars to allow themselves to be corralled for their moment in the fake-sun, while others still managed to dodge it (we’re looking right at you, Morgan Jon Fox).

FILM FESTIVAL NEWS: Karl Jacobs ‘s COLD NOVEMBER, FOR AHKEEM lead The 20th Annual Indie Memphis announces award winners taking the top jury prizes

Karl Jacob’s COLD NOVEMBER won the jury award (and a $1000 cash prize) for Best Narrative Feature, Landen Van Soest and Jeremy Levine’s FOR AKHEEM took home the jury award (and $1000 courtesy of Classic American Hardwoods) for Best Documentary Feature, and Laura Jean Hocking and Melissa Sweazy’s GOOD GRIEF received the nod (and a $1000 cash prize) as Best Hometowner Feature.

FILM FESTIVAL NEWS: Justin Chon's GOOK, and Jeremy S. Levine and Landon Van Soest's FOR AHKEEM lead the way as the 2017 Tallgrass Film Festival Announces their Filmmaker Awards

The 14th Annual Tallgrass Film Festival presented by Consolidated Equities Trust (October 12-16) announced their filmmaker awards, led by Golden Strands Outstanding Feature Awards for Justin Chon’s GOOK (Narrative), and Jeremy S. Levine and Landon Van Soest’s FOR AHKEEM (Documentary), prior to their Closing Night Gala screening of Lysa Heslov’s SERVED LIKE A GIRL on Sunday, October 22 at the Orpheum Theater in Wichita, Kansas.