Oxford Film Festival 2021 brings back the in-person experience with photos and interviews

The 2021 Oxford Film Festival was one of the first to dip its toes into doing the in-person screenings this year (March 24-28) which meant a return to doing red carpets and more. Under circus-style tents, in a convention center, in a hotel lobby, and outside a multiplex, filmmakers had their films screened, did Q&As, interviews, red carpet photos and more. The film festival weathered two separate tornado threats, rain, and brought the community of Mississippi film fans and filmmakers (many of whom made the trip from various spots around the country) back together in a warm and friendly return to the film festival world so may of us have missed for a year.

Opening Night was held under a circus tent, to keep everyone in the open air. Filmmakers and film fans wore masks and were advised to only remove them when they were effectively socially distanced unless, of course, they were keeping to their own filmmaker group “bubble.” For photos, we did a “mask on, mask off” thing unless we had people posing together from separate “camps”, then the masks stayed on..

The next day, Oxford Film Festival’s photographer Joey Brent caught some filmmakers at the convention center in between screenings..

This edition of the Oxford Film Festival also marked the return of the speed dating-style press junkets. It was nice to do the in-person interviews instead of the Zoom version for once.