Melanie Addington

Melanie Addington and the Oxford Film Festival: Regional Film Fests killing it (versus being killed) during the year of COVID

By John Wildman 5 years ago

What I learned from the lack of sleep and being available non-stop is that next year I will make sure there is more help. One major shift for us is Donna Kosloskie is now Head of Programming and we have added Greta Hagen-Richardson as our new Narrative Feature programmer and her main focus is on finding diverse voices. Our board is also looking at how to restructure in the future to not just rely on me to handle all things but to actually have some more staff roles and to grow the festival in a healthy way. It has been a great year to open some eyes on what it takes to run a successful festival.

Steven T. Case, Robbie Fisher, Donald R. Cole and Kristina Carlson: Oxford Film Festival spites pandemic and gets bigger, announcing new board members, staff, and promotions

By John Wildman 5 years ago

Regarding the state of the organization, Case, said, “The Oxford Film Festival has grown to not just be a cultural and social focal point and driving force for this community and state, but has truly become a vital and invaluable presence in Oxford and Mississippi for film fans to connect and communicate and find common ground through their shared love of movies. I think we all feel like we’re just getting started with what the organization can accomplish and achieve.”

Dan Wingate’s KAYE BALLARD – THE SHOW GOES ON Launches Oxford Film Fest’s 12th Week of Programming focuses on women and doubles the fun at the drive-in

By John Wildman 6 years ago

Oxford Film Festival Executive Director Melanie Addington said, “We’ve decided to ramp up in our last 6 weeks of the virtual festival with more Q&As and titles each week while also launching a second drive in location in Water Valley. This year’s big experiment has proven that one thing remains true – people love movies and we feel so lucky to be able to provide safe ways to still enjoy them this year.”

Executive Director Melanie Addington of Oxford Film Festival announces 2021 dates and plans, decides to pass on theaters for rest of 2020

By John Wildman 6 years ago

The Oxford Film Festival announced the dates for next year’s edition of the popular and critically-acclaimed film festival, which will take place March 24-28, 2021. The current plans for that upcoming edition of the film festival will feature a hybrid approach including virtual and drive-in presentations, as well as the prospect of returning to theaters. The call for entries on Film Freeway is open with the early bird deadline set for September 30.  

Dawn Porter’s JOHN LEWIS: GOOD TROUBLE leads Oxford Film Festival’s 11th Weekly Fest delivers politics, activism, and big personalities

By John Wildman 6 years ago

Oxford Film Festival Executive Director Melanie Addington said, “John Lewis, Ai Weiwei, and Olympia Dukakis would be the guests at one of those dream dinner parties one might imagine having. Well, we can’t make that happen for obvious reasons, but we can feature films about their amazing and entertaining lives and exploits. They also happen to be important voices, which is something we will also highlight with two new shorts packages which shine a light on Mississippi issues in particular. Finally, it’s a great week for families at OFF to the DRIVE IN with RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK, PICTURE CHARACTER, and, of course, the launch of our new screen in Water Valley with FROZEN. Load up the mini-van!”

Mindy Bledsoe’s THE IN-BETWEEN Opens Oxford Film Festival’s 10th Weekly Virtual Fest ; OFF to the DRIVE IN delivers the scares with NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD

By John Wildman 6 years ago

Executive Director Melanie Addington said. “ARMY OF LOVERS IN THE HOLY LAND and ELLA FITZGERALD: JUST ONE OF THOSE THINGS are inspiring documentaries that are a vivid reminder of why art can change the world. Between that and NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD, which is one of the all-time drive-in classics, to the weekly virtual festival continuing with award winning films such as THE IN-BETWEEN, last year’s winners and top finishers from the Memphis and Louisiana Film Prize competitions, and THE EVENING HOUR, which played at Sundance, this is an action-packed week.”

David Midell’s THE KILLING OF KENNETH CHAMBERLAIN Opens Oxford Film Festival; music, Juneteenth, and Pride month with their 9th Weekly Virtual Fest and adds some GREASE to the Drive In

By John Wildman 6 years ago

Executive Director Melanie Addington said. “This week’s lineup includes some of the most powerful political commentary from THE KILLING OF KENNETH CHAMBERLAIN at the virtual fest to WIN, LOSE OR DRAW STRAWS at the drive in, but we also intermixed with some fun and nostalgia because great movies don’t just move you emotionally but sometimes just in song and dance like GREASE. But also, we wanted to make sure that our community is supported as they have supported us so we also launched Pet Fest, Music Fest and partnered with the Juneteenth Committee for the Miss Juneteenth showing on June 21 to make sure that Oxford is supported.”

Julio Vincent Gambuto’s TEAM MARCO at Oxford Film Festival emphasizes family with OFF to the DRIVE IN and the 8th Weekly Virtual Film Fest heads back to Mississippi with NOTHIN’ NO BETTER

By John Wildman 6 years ago

Executive Director Melanie Addington said. “From alumni films like PLIMPTON! STARRING GEORGE PLIMPTON AS HIMSELF that we can support with our Virtual Art House model, to one of my favorite films, LABYRINTH, from Mississippian’s own Jim Henson, at OFF to the DRIVE-IN and hosting MISS JUNETEENTH as well as providing free pizza from Dodo Pizza to create some sort of Juneteenth celebration for Oxford, to our Weekly Virtual Film Festival supporting artists from around the world, we are busy over at Oxford Film Festival shining a light on what makes our town truly special: the love of the arts.”