Johnny McPhail

Brian Whisenant’s THE GOLDEN YEARS launches Oxford Film Festival Weekly Virtual Film Festival

By John Wildman 6 years ago

Executive Director Melanie Addington, said, “The Oxford Film Festival has become a vital showcase for independent film and filmmakers for close to two decades now, so rather than reducing the number of the films that routinely receive the benefits of having that platform, we decided to create these weekly presentations in lieu of a one-week online virtual film festival. We’re excited by the idea that we can give each film that much more of a focus. It is important for festival organizers to adapt in this pandemic to do what is best for their filmmakers as they are our partners and the only reason our industry exists.

Bill Paxton Featured: The Oxford Film Festival Adds Local Films, Panels, a Special Guest, and a Gonzo 80s Sci-Fi Film Featuring in His First Role

By John Wildman 7 years ago

The 2019 Oxford Film Festival (February 6-10) announced a special screening of Tom Huckabee and Kent Smith’s TAKING TIGER MOUNTAIN REVISITED, a gonzo futuristic film project co-written by William S. Burroughs and starring Bill Paxton in his first role, and made in the late 70s/early 80s, and recently updated by Huckabee. Steve Young, the subject of Dava Whisenant’s award-winning documentary, BATHTUBS OVER BROADWAY is now slated to attend the screening of that film, and the film lineups for the Oxford Community Film Night, Family Film Festival, UM Film & Theatre Shorts, Louisiana and Memphis Film Prize Shorts program, and Filmmaker Panels were also announced.

FILMS GONE WILD: Matteo Servente ‘s WE GO ON’s: The 2017 Memphis Film Prize delivered the cinematic magic – and a big check for $10,000

By John Wildman 9 years ago

Let’s face it, there is a lottery aspect to all of this, except YOU have quite a bit of influence over who gets that big-ass check. I feel like I am saying the same thing over and over again here, but the fact is that the culmination is a genuinely affecting moment that sweeps every single person involved up into it. And THAT is the magic of Film Prize.