The 2019 Oxford Film Festival (February 6-10), the first major stop on the year’s regional film festival circuit has announced John Stimpson’s GHOST LIGHT as the Opening Night Gala selection, with Jacqueline Olive’s ALWAYS IN SEASON tabbed as the fest’s Closing Night Gala selection immediately following its debut at Sundance. Another choice hot off of Sundance will be Jon Strong’s documentary, LONG TIME COMING, presented as a Special Screening. Oxford Film Festival favorite Malcolm Ingram will present his latest documentary, SOUTHERN PRIDE as a Special Screening as well. Also announced were the competition lineups for this year.
GHOST LIGHT
Recognized as one of the most prominent (as well as popular) cultural sign posts in the state, in addition to taking a leadership role in terms of the representation of female filmmakers and LGBTQ+ artists, OFF became a signatory of the 5050×2020 Pledge this year joining film festivals around the country pledging to reach a 50/50 parity between male and female filmmakers by the year 2020.
OFF also received a grant from the Motion Picture Academy of Arts and Sciences recently to assist in the effort to expand the film festival’s LGBTQ+ programming. Those efforts have seen gains in the representation on both fronts during this year’s edition. 43% of the 2019 films are female directed or co-directed, which has continued a pronounced upward trend over the past three years (23% in 2017, 37% in 2018). Similarly, the LGBTQ+ features and shorts competitions have both nearly doubled in size following the introduction of those dedicated competitive categories last year.
Oxford Film Festival’s Executive Director, Melanie Addington, said, “Each year, it seems as though our film festival becomes more entrenched not simply as a way for people to see films here in Oxford and Mississippi, but also as a key place where Mississippians look forward to meeting filmmakers from different parts of the country and world, different cultures, and different lifestyles. As always, we seek to entertain, but beyond that we embrace our cultural and social responsibility and the mission of being one place and one event that Oxford film fans and Oxford Film Festival filmmakers can count on to help build those bridges between different people in the best and most enjoyable way.”
ALWAYS IN SEASON
That dedication to provide that forum for film artists in the land of William Faulkner and put forward the best of Mississippi to outsiders seems to be working as the Oxford Film Festival had a record year of submissions (1595) from 62 different countries, representing an increase of 10% over the prior year. Those submissions resulted in a lineup that will include 27 world premieres (including John Reyer Afamasaga’s DOOR AJAR – THE M.B. MAYFIELD STORY and Jeffrey Dennis’s SHARDE THOMAS: LEGACY OF THE FIFE), and 13 U.S. premieres.
DOOR AJAR – THE M.B. MAYFIELD STORY
SHARDE THOMAS: LEGACY OF THE FIFE
Stimpson’s GHOST LIGHT combines laughs and scares as an understudy, aiming for the lead role and the leading lady during a traveling production of Shakespeare’s Macbeth, unleashes mayhem by disregarding the time-honored superstitions that go along with staging “The Scottish Tragedy.” The film stars an impressive cast including Cary Elwes, Roger Bart, Carol Kane, Shannyn Sossamon, Danielle Campbell, and Tom Riley. The film screens Thursday, February 7 at 7:00PM at the Gertrude C. Ford Center (351 University Ave.).
Mississippi native Olive’s film, ALWAYS IN SEASON takes a look at how the terrorism of lynching in our country’s history still bleeds into the present via the case of Lennon Lacy, a teenage boy found hanging from a swing set in rural North Carolina in 2014. The film traces his mother’s pursuit of justice for her son as well as intersecting with stories from other communities looking seeking justice and reconciliation. The film screens Sunday, February 10 at 6:00PM at the Malco Commons (204 Commonwealth Blvd.).
LONG TIME COMING
SOUTHERN PRIDE
The two documentaries receiving Special Screening presentations include Strong’s LONG TIME COMING, which looks at how a simple little league game was anything but when it took place in the racially segregated South in 1955, and the two teams in question were a team of white boys and a team of black boys. Ingram’s SOUTHERN PRIDE brings us up to date via his film juxtaposing a bar owner who struggles to organize a Pride march in her hometown in Mississippi, while in another part of the state organizers of a Black Pride celebration are working to overcome numerous obstacles facing them.
ANTIQUITIES
POOR JANE
THIS WORLD ALONE
Narrative feature films in competition this year include: Daniel Campbell’s ANTIQUITIES; Stimpson’s GHOST LIGHT; Rob Heydon’s ISABELLE; Alex Eaton’s MOUNTAIN REST; Katie Orr’s POOR JANE; Jillian Armenante’s STUCK; and Jordan Noel’s THIS WORLD ALONE.
THE FEELING OF BEING WATCHED
WHILE I BREATHE I HOPE
WRESTLE
Documentary features in competition include; Dava Whisenant’s BATHTUBS OVER BROADWAY; Nicholas Laviola’s HOLY GHOST FIRE: THE ECSTASY OF RANDY WOLFORD; Assia Boundaoui’s THE FEELING OF BEING WATCHED; Jon Strong’s LONG TIME COMING; Jamal Sims’s WHEN THE BEAT DROPS; Emily Harrold’s WHILE I BREATHE, I HOPE; and Suzannah Herbert and Lauren Belfer’s WRESTLE.
AT THE END OF THE DAY
GIANT LITTLE ONES
The LGBTQ Juried Feature Competition will include; Kevin O’Brien’s AT THE END OF THE DAY; PJ Raval’s CALL HER GANDA; Keith Behrman’s GIANT LITTLE ONES; Michael Palmieri and Donal Mosher’s GOSPEL OF EUREKA; and Daniel Laabs’s JULES OF LIGHT AND DARK.
2019 OXFORD FILM FESTIVAL FILMS AND DESCRIPTIONS
OPENING NIGHT SELECTION
GHOST LIGHT
Director: John Stimpson
Country: USA, Running Time: 103 min.
GHOST LIGHT is a haunted comedy about the absurd, but very seriously regarded, superstitions of the theatre, specifically those surrounding Shakespeare’s Macbeth. When a disgruntled and arrogant understudy tempts fate by uttering the forbidden name of the “Scottish King” on stage, the sorcery of the Bard’s witches overwhelms the production leading to chaos, misfortune and death. All’s well that ends well… but not for everyone.
CLOSING NIGHT SELECTION
ALWAYS IN SEASON
Director: Jacqueline Olive
Country: USA, Running Time:
When 17-year-old Lennon Lacy is found hanging from a swing set in rural North Carolina in 2014, his mother’s search for justice and reconciliation begins as the trauma of more than a century of lynching African Americans bleeds into the present.
SPECIAL SCREENINGS
LONG TIME COMING
Director: Jon Strong
Country: USA, Running Time: 87 min.
In 1955, when racial segregation defined America, two groups of twelve-year-old boys stepped onto a baseball field in a non-violent act of cultural defiance that would change the course of history and challenge their own perceptions sixty years later.
SOUTHERN PRIDE
Director: Malcolm Ingram
Country: USA, Running Time: 91 min.
A documentary about people from two towns in Mississippi organizing gay and black pride events in Trump’s backwater America.
NARRATIVE FEATURES JURIED COMPETITION
ANTIQUITIES
Director: Daniel Campbell
Country: USA, Running Time: 93 min.
After his father’s death, Walt (Andrew J. West) moves to his dad’s hometown to learn more about who his father was. He accepts a job at a local antique mall where he’s introduced to the quirky world in which his dad grew up. There, Walt learns not only about his father, but a good bit about himself. The ensemble comedy feature stars Andrew J. West, Michaela Watkins, Michael Gladis, with Ashley Greene, and Mary Steenburgen.
ISABELLE
Director: Rob Heydon
Country: Canada, Running Time: 80 min.
A young couple’s dream of starting a family shatters as they descend into the depths of paranoia and must struggle to survive an evil presence that wants nothing more than their very own lives.
MOUNTAIN REST
Director Alex Eaton
Country: USA, Running Time: 93 min.
After sequestering herself to a small mountain town, an aging actress calls her estranged daughter and granddaughter home for reconciliation and one final celebration.
POOR JANE
Director: Katie Orr
Country: USA, Running Time: 129 min.
A housewife’s comfortable life unravels when she suddenly stops loving her husband. A raw portrait of a woman experiencing midlife malaise.
STUCK
Director: Jillian Armenante
Country: USA, Running Time: 101 min.
After getting into trouble with the law, Darby is sentenced to 30-days house arrest. Now she is ‘stuck’ in the same house as her ex-boyfriend and his new fiancée.
THIS WORLD ALONE
Director: Jordan Noel
Country: USA, Running Time: 90 min.
Following a cataclysmic event which left the Earth without technology or power, Sam (Belle Adams)—a book-obsessed girl in her late teens—lives in seclusion with her two mother-figures (Carrie Walrond Hood & Sophie Edwards). But after an accident, she’s pushed out of her protective world and forced to put her makeshift parents’ opposing world-views to the test as she faces the physical and emotional challenges of a world reclaimed by nature.
DOCUMENTARY FEATURES JURIED COMPETITION
BATHTUBS OVER BROADWAY
Director Dava Whisenant
County: USA, Running Time: 87 min.
A Late Night comedy writer stumbles on a hilarious, hidden world of entertainment and finds an unexpected connection to his fellow man. With David Letterman, Martin Short, Chita Rivera, Jello Biafra, and more.
HOLY GHOST FIRE: THE ECSTASY OF RANDY WOLFORD
Director: Nicholas Laviola
Country: USA, Running Time: 60 min.
The Holiness Serpent Handlers, a group of born-again Pentecostal Christians deep in Appalachia, have taken this verse to be the base of their Apostolic movement. HOLY GHOST FIRE: THE ECSTASY OF RANDY WOLFORD is an unflinching look into their tragic service on Sunday, May 27, 2012, and a vital artifact of one of the darkest corners of American Religion.
THE FEELING OF BEING WATCHED
Director: Assia Boundaoui
Country: USA, Running Time: 87 min.
When journalist Assia Boundaoui investigates rumors of surveillance in her Arab-American neighborhood in Chicago, she uncovers one of the largest FBI terrorism probes conducted before 9/11 and reveals its enduring impact on the community.
WHEN THE BEAT DROPS
Director Jamal Sims
Country: USA, Running Time: 87 min.
Featuring footage and stories from the men of Atlanta’s bucking scene, director Jamal Sims gives a glimpse into the world of J-Setting as it grows into a national movement.
WHILE I BREATHE, I HOPE
Director: Emily Harrold
Country: USA, Running Time: 72 min.
What does it mean to be young, black, and a Democrat in the American South? WHILE I BREATHE, I HOPE follows South Carolina politician Bakari Sellers as he runs to become the first African American candidate elected statewide in over a century. The film begins by following Sellers as he makes his 2014 bid for Lieutenant Governor, through the Charleston Shootings, and during the removal of the Confederate flag in 2015. Through his experiences, the film offers audiences a window into the legacy of race in politics in the United States today.
WRESTLE
Directors: Suzannah Herbert, Lauren Belfer
Country: USA, Running Time: 89 min.
HOOP DREAMS goes to the mat in this coming-of-age-documentary about four members of a high-school wrestling team in Huntsville, Alabama. Jailen, Jamario, Teague, and Jaquan are the core of the team at J.O. Johnson High School, which has been on Alabama’s list of failing schools for years. Coached—and occasionally harangued—by teacher Chris Scribner, each of these young men faces challenges far beyond a shot at the State Championship: drug use, splintered family lives, pregnant girlfriends, and run-ins with the law threaten to derail their success on the mat and lock any doors that could otherwise open.
MISSISSIPPI FEATURES JURIED COMPETITION
ATTACHE
Director: Melissa Pace Overholt
Country: USA, Running Time: 73 min.
As one of the poorest states in the country, Mississippi lands at the bottom of many lists. There’s at least one exception, the Clinton, Mississippi High School Attache Show Choir is considered to be among the most successful in history. In a region where arts and music funding have been virtually demolished, Clinton public school’s music program manages to thrive. Composed of students from different backgrounds, ATTACHE unites its members and, together, they rise above, consistently beating the odds.
Preceded by
COACH WADE
Directors: Elisabetta Zengaro, Matteo Zengaro
Country: USA, Running Time: 33 min.
COACH WADE is the story of how a woman from a small, impoverished town in the Mississippi Delta rose to success coaching collegiate basketball. Coach Wade and her team overcame obstacles and brought distinction to their school, while also fighting against sexist media coverage of women’s sports, changing the nature of the sport for years to come.
DOOR AJAR – THE M.B. MAYFIELD STORY WORLD PREMIERE
Director: John Reyer Afamasaga
Country: USA, Running Time: 91 min.
From inside a broom closet with the door cracked, an African American janitor listens and learns art in segregated Mississippi.
DRIVEN
Director: Glenn Payne
Country: USA, Running Time: 89 min.
Emerson Graham’s nights as a rideshare driver are filled with annoyances and inconveniences, but until she picks up Roger they have never included attacks, disappearances, and curse breaking. After picking up a mysterious passenger her night goes from working a job to performing a quest as they race the clock to defeat a force of evil and right a long-time wrong. The meter is running.
SHARDE THOMAS: LEGACY OF THE FIFE WORLD PREMIERE
Director: Jeffrey Dennis
Country: USA, Running Time: 41 min.
Sharde Thomas, granddaughter of Blues legend Othar Turner, carries on the rich tradition of fife and drum music in North Mississippi. She and her family continue their G.O.A.T. picnic, which was started in the 1950’s to pay for school supplies. This film celebrates the amazing past, present, and future of the North Mississippi Hill Country Blues.
Preceded by
RESPECT OUR BLACK DOLLARS
Director: Christopher Windfield
Country: USA, Running Time: 44 min.
RESPECT OUR BLACK DOLLARS is an organization created to help black owned businesses succeed. The founder Stanley Wesley soon finds himself under attack from racial intimidation within the state of Mississippi.
THRASHER ROAD
Director: Samantha Davidson Green
Country: USA, Running Time: 86 min.
When an accident strands pregnant Chloe and her dog, Thrasher, on the highway home from broken dreams in L.A., unwelcome rescue comes from her estranged dad, Mac, who takes them on a disastrous detour toward a second chance.
MUSIC DOCUMENTARIES JURIED COMPETITION
DON’T GET TROUBLE IN YOUR MIND
Director: John Whitehead
County: USA, Running Time: 83 min.
Ranging from the historical to the deeply personal, this documentary tells the story of three African-American musicians from the hip-hop generation who embraced a traditional 19th-century folk genre and took it to Grammy-winning heights. Filmmaker John Whitehead followed the band from their meteoric rise through their breakup, making for an emotionally satisfying journey as well as a spectacular musical one.
ICEPICK TO THE MOON
Director: Skizz Cyzyk
Country: USA, Running Time: 99 min.
Obscure stripmine crooner, Rev. Fred Lane, is described by his obsessed fans as “subversive,” “completely satirical,” “the Dada Duke Ellington,” and “Demon Frank Sinatra.” His fans have spent years examining every detail of Fred Lane’s albums, and yet whatever information they have found out about their hero has only led them deeper into blissful confusion. ICEPICK TO THE MOON not only examines the cult of Fred Lane fans, but also pulls the curtain back on the mysterious artist who is Fred Lane, from his early involvement with the Raudelunas arts collective in Alabama in the Seventies, to his current occupation making whirligigs to sell on the arts and crafts show circuit.
NEGRO TERROR
Director: John Rash
Country: USA, Running Time: 53 min.
A cinematic and musical portrait of a punk band’s role in the vibrant and eclectic underground music community of Memphis, TN. Championing the history, music, and various politics of their beloved hometown, Negro Terror are far more than just another hardcore punk band with a provocative name.
SATAN & ADAM
Director: V. Scott Balcerek
Country: USA, Running Time: 95 min.
Sterling Magee experienced firsthand the music industry’s exploitation of black musicians. So he walked away to play on the Harlem streets for “his people.” Reborn as Mr. Satan, he spread his gospel of joy. One of those he converted was a white kid named Adam (Oxford resident Adam Gussow), who gave up the ivory tower life to play alongside this streetwise guru. Their improbable bond made them a sensation, and their journey a tale of tragedy, survival and miraculous rebirth.
UP TO SNUFF
Director: Mark Maxey
Country: USA, Running Time: 80 min.
Millions of people have been touched by his music, yet few know the journey, hardships and triumphs of American musician and composer W.G. Snuffy Walden. Friends and collaborators share personal stories, laughs and insights about this generous soul who overcame the excesses of rock and roll to become one of the most beloved composers in television history. Featuring Snuffy’s music throughout, UP TO SNUFF includes scenes from The West Wing, Wonder Years, Sports Night and thirtysomething, with insights from Aaron Sorkin, Martin Sheen, Tom Arnold, Timothy Busfield, Lawrence O’Donnell, Steve Lukather, Eric Burdon and Snuffy Walden.
LGBTQ FEATURES JURIED COMPETITION
AT THE END OF THE DAY
Director: Kevin O’Brien
Country: USA, Running Time: 108 min.
After his wife leaves him and he is tossed out of his counseling job, Dave finds himself as a conservative professor at a Christian college. When the Dean gets word that a group is trying to buy a building he wants for expansion, he asks Dave to join the group and find out about their progress. Dave is in for the shock of his life when he finds himself in a gay support group. His job is to stop their launch of an LGBT homeless youth shelter in their small town. But things don’t always go as planned and love wins out in ways we may not expect.
CALL HER GANDA
Director: PJ Raval
Countries: Philippines/USA, Running Time: 97 min.
When Jennifer Laude, a Filipina transwoman, is brutally murdered by a U.S. Marine, three women intimately invested in the case — an activist attorney (Virgie Suarez), a transgender journalist (Meredith Talusan) and Jennifer’s mother (Julita “Nanay” Laude) — galvanize a political uprising, pursuing justice and taking on hardened histories of U.S. imperialism.
GIANT LITTLE ONES
Director: Keith Behrman
Country: Canada, Running Time: 94 min.
Franky Winter (Josh Wiggins) and Ballas Kohl (Darren Mann) have been best friends since childhood. They are high school royalty: handsome, stars of the swim team and popular with girls. They live a perfect teenage life –until the night of Franky’s epic 17th birthday party, when Franky and Ballas are involved in an unexpected incident that changes their lives forever. GIANT LITTLE ONES is a heartfelt and intimate coming-of-age story about friendship, self-discovery and the power of love without labels.
GOSPEL OF EUREKA
Director: Michael Palmieri, Donal Mosher
Country: USA, Running Time: 75 min.
Love, faith, and civil rights collide in the south as evangelical Christians and drag queens step into the spotlight to explore the meaning of belief. Gospel drag shows and passion plays set the stage for one hell of a show.
JULES OF LIGHT AND DARK
Director: Daniel Laabs
Country: USA, Running Time: 85 min.
In present-day Texas, Maya (Tallie Medel) and her on again, off again girlfriend Jules (Betsy Holt) total their car after a night of backwoods raving and teen mischief. They’re rescued from the wreckage by Freddy (Robert Longstreet), a divorced oil worker whose stoic facade crumbles as he comes to see himself, and his repressed desires, in Maya. As Jules recovers, Maya and Freddy develop a rapport that dulls the debilitating silence of their small-town lives. Together, they subtly encourage one another to chase after what they want the most (or at least figure out what that might be).
Oxford Film Festival Short Films
(For full film descriptions, please visit oxfordfilmfest.com)
NARRATIVE SHORT FILMS
A CRAFTSMAN
Director: Sanford Jenkins Jr.
Country: USA, Running Time: 13 min.
A SARI FOR PALLAVI WORLD PREMIERE
Director: Kate Chamuris
Country: USA, Running Time: 10 min.
AGE OF BRYCE WORLD PREMIERE
Directors: David Feagan, Brian Elliott
Country: USA, Running Time: 10 min.
APPROVAL NEEDED U.S. PREMIERE
Director: Karen Anstee
Country: UK, Running Time: 11 min.
BEHIND CLOSED DOORS
Director: Bianca Armbruster
Country: USA, Running Time: 5 min.
BREASTS
Director: Eva Contis
Country: USA, Running Time: 18 min.
CARONTE
Director: Luis Tinoco Pineda
Country: Spain, Running Time: 15 min.
DEAD GIRL WORLD PREMIERE
Director: Rachel Sweeney
Country: USA, Running Time: 28 min.
DEBRIS
Director: Julio Ramos
Country: Peru, Running Time: 14 min.
DIFFERENT THIS YEAR
Director: Meghann Artes
Country: USA, Running Time: 2 min.
THE DRINK WORLD PREMIERE
Director: Cosima Spender
Country: UK, Running Time: 12 min.
FAIR SHAKE TRANSFER
Director: Joshua Morris
Country: USA, Running Time: 16 min.
THE FISHERMAN U.S. PREMIERE
Director: Zoey Martinson
Country: Ghana, Running Time: 15 min.
THE FLOOD
Directors: Adam Dietrich, Seraphina Nova Glass
Country: USA, Running Time: 20 min.
FUNERAL
Director: Leah Shore
Country: USA, Running Time: 8 min.
THE GREAT BRITISH RACE OFF
Director: Natasha Jatania
Country: UK, Running Time: 8 min.
THE GREAT UNKNOWN
Directors: Anna Jones, Desirée Matthews
Country: USA, Running Time: 15 min.
I’D NEVER BOTHER ANOTHER CHICKEN AGAIN
Director: Helen Cho Anthos
Country: USA, Running Time: 4 min.
THE INVENTION
Director: Leo McGuigan
Country: Northern Ireland, Running Time: 19 min.
IVAN U.S. PREMIERE
Director: Panagiotis Kountouras
Country: Greece, Running Time: 9 min.
THE LAST LINE
Director: Renee Mao
Country: USA, Running Time: 5 min.
THE LOST ONES
Directors: Maria Castillejo Carmen, Maëlle Grand Bossi, Elisabeth Silveiro
Country: France, Running Time:14m.
MEETING MOMMY
Director: Tricia Lee
Country: Canada, Running Time: 12 min.
MRS. MURPHY’S CONFESSION
Director: Ryan Turri
Country: USA, Running Time: 26 min.
NOBODY’S DARLING
Director: Robyn Hicks
Country: USA, Running Time: 14 min.
OF MINE WORLD PREMIERE
Director: Cate Carson
Country: USA, Running Time: 17 min.
POZOLE WORLD PREMIERE
Director: Jessica Mendez Siqueiros
Country: USA, Running Time: 11 min.
SAC DE MERDE
Director: Greg Chwerchak
Country: USA, Running Time: 13 min.
SNOW CHILD
Director: Diana Cignoni
Country: USA, Running Time: 12 min.
TAKE ME TO THE WAVES
Directors: Jake Taylor Kipping, Tom Stoker
Country: UK, Running Time: 20 min.
TO THE SEA U.S. PREMIERE
Director: Emily Dynes
Country: Australia, Running Time: 14 min.
WILLOW CREEK ROAD
Director: Francesca Mirabella
Country: USA, Running Time: 16 min.
NARRATIVE SHORT FILMS SCREENING WITH FEATURES
FRONTIER
Director: Chuck Kleven
Country: USA, Running Time: 16 min.
(screens with MOUNTAIN REST)
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
Directors: Alex A. Ginzburg, Tim Harms
Country: Puerto Rico, Running Time: 8 min.
(screens with THIS WORLD ALONE)
HYPNOTIC INDUCTION
Director: Donald Meyers
Country: USA, Running Time: 15 min.
(screens with ISABELLE)
THE PARABLE OF THE DISAPPEARING RECLINER
Director: Elisabeth Gray
Country: USA, Running Time: 9 min.
(screens with ANTIQUITIES)
TOURIST
Director: Paavo Hanninen
Country: USA, Running Time: 13 min.
(screens with POOR JANE)
TRYING TO FIND ME
Director: Dominique Tipper
Country: UK, Running Time: 4 min.
(screens with ISABELLE)
TWO PUDDLES
Director: Timothy Keeling
Country: UK, Running Time: 6 m.
(screens with ISABELLE)
DOCUMENTARY SHORT FILMS
605 ADULTS 304 CHILDREN
Director: Michael Mahaffie
Countries: Guyana/USA, Running Time: 13 min.
BABY BROTHER
Director: Kamau Bilal
Country: USA, Running Time: 14 min.
CARE
Director: Jeremy Xido
Country: USA, Running Time: 11 min
CHILDREN OF THE DUST
Director: Dan Sadgrove
Country: Vietnam, Running Time: 7 min
THE CONQUEROR
Director: Timothy Blackwood
Country: USA, Running Time: 12 min.
HULA GIRL
Directors: Amy Hill, Chris Riess
Country: USA, Running Time: 10 min.
I AM ABLE
Directors: Morgane Bigault, Ed Thomas
Country: UK, Running Time: 9 min
LITTLE FIEL
Director: Irina Patkanian
Country: Mozambique, Running Time: 16 min.
MAC’S GARDEN GIRL WORLD PREMIERE
Director: Julia Bell
Country: USA, Running Time: 17 min.
MEET UNCLE PAUL
Director: Jessica Bursi
Country: USA, Running Time: 14 min
MIGRANT WORLD PREMIERE
Director: Abbey Hoekzema
Country: USA, Running Time: 6 min.
NOMAD CHAPTER WORLD PREMIERE
Director: John Rash
Country: USA, Running Time: 8m.
PHANTASIAMAN
Director: Mariel Sosa
Country: Germany, Running Time: 12 min.
QUIET HOURS
Director: Paul Szynol
Country: USA, Running Time: 13 min.
SHOTO
Directors: Stories Found Nairobi Team
Country: Kenya, Running Time: 5 min.
THOU SHALL NOT TAILGATE
Director: Greg Hamilton
Country: USA, Running Time: 26 min.
THE TRAFFIC SEPARATING DEVICE U.S. PREMIERE
Director: Johan Palmgren
Country: Sweden, Running Time: 15 min.
WAITING FOR FUKUSHIMA WORLD PREMIERE
Director: Alana Hutton-Shaw
Countries: USA/Japan, Running Time: 16 min.
ZUMARI
Directors: Stories Found Nairobi Team
Country: Kenya, Running Time: 6 min.
DOCUMENTARY SHORT FILMS SCREENING WITH FEATURES
A STABLE MYSTIC
Director: Randal Crow
Country: USA, Running Time: 10 min
(screens with SATAN AND ADAM)
BIRTH OF AFROBEAT
Director: Opiyo Okeyo
Country: USA, Running Time:
(screens with DON’T GET TROUBLE IN YOUR MIND)
CONFEDERATE PRIDE, WHITE SUPREMACY, AND MY STATE FLAG
Director: Adam Grannick
Country: USA, Running Time: 20 min.
(screens with WHEN I BREATHE, I HOPE)
IT’S NOW OR NEVER: A RACE TO SAVE COLONEL PARKER’S COMPLEX
Director: Austin Daniel Blasingame
Country: USA, Running Time: 8 m
(screens with UP TO SNUFF)
THE JUKE JOINT SHOW: BECOMING BUKKA
Director: Matt Wymer
Country: USA, Running Time: 16m.
(screens with DON’T GET TROUBLE IN YOUR MIND)
MISSISSIPPI SHORT FILMS (NARRATIVE)
BETTING THE OVERLAY
Director: Robert Jordan
Country: USA, Running Time: 14 min.
CRESCENT
Director: Edward Worthy
Country: USA, Running Time: 14 min.
DELTA CROSSING
Director: James Puckett
Country: USA, Running Time: 18 min.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, PAPA
Director: Bennett Krishock
Country: USA, Running Time: 15 min.
PASSWORDS WORLD PREMIERE
Director: Chris Floyd
Country: USA, Running Time: 2 min.
SYNTHETIC PHOENIX
Director: Ryan Perich
Country: USA, Running Time: 23 min.
THE FALL LEAVES U.S. PREMIERE
Director: Maya McCullough
Country: USA, Running Time: 26 min.
MISSISSIPPI SHORT FILMS (DOCUMENTARIES)
BROKEN, STAINED & BEAUTIFUL
Director: Matt McCoy
Country: USA, Running Time: 11 min.
HOLT COLLIER
Director: James Mathews
Country: USA, Running Time: 16 min.
NICOLE
Director: Tori Gene McCarthy
Country: USA, Running Time: 17 min.
ROOTS AND WINGS
Director: Hanna Miller
Country: USA, Running Time: 21 min.
SIGNS
Directors: Matthew Cipollone, Mikey D’Amico
Country: USA, Running Time: 4 min.
THE FLY IN THE BUTTERMILK
Director: Ashley Norwood
Country: USA, Running Time: 18 min.
THE HIDDEN VOTE
Director: Hanna Miller
Country: USA, Running Time: 10 min.
MISSISSIPPI SHORT FILMS SCREENING WITH FEATURES
ALONELINESS: A SCREENDANCE
Director: Rachel Searcey
Country: USA, Running Time: 8 min.
(screens with THRASHER ROAD)
JESUS & JIMMY RAY
Director: McGee Monteith
Country: USA, Running Time: 19 min.
(screens with DRIVEN)
LGBTQ SHORT FILMS
ALL WE ARE
Director: Will Stewart
Country: USA, Running Time: 16 min.
THE BOY WHO WANTED TO FLY
Director: Jorge Muriel
Country: Spain, Running Time: 20 min.
THE DRESS YOU HAVE ON
Director: Courtney Hope Therond
Country: USA, Running Time: 13 min.
HIDING IN DAYLIGHT WORLD PREMIERE
Director: Cheryl Allison
Country: USA, Running Time: 15 min.
HIPPOPOTAMUS
Director: Jody Wheeler
Country: USA, Running Time: 15 min.
HOME ALONE, BABY BLUE
Director: John e. Kilberg
Country: USA, Running Time: 11 min.
HOW I CAME OUT!
Director: Mark Goshorn Jones
Country: USA, Running Time: 6 min.
IF THIS IS WRONG
Director: Chelsea Woods
Country: USA, Running Time: 14 min.
LIGHT IN DARK PLACES
Director: Lagueria Davis
Country: USA, Running Time: 11 min.
THE ONE YOU NEVER FORGET WORLD PREMIERE
Director: Morgan Jon Fox
Country: USA, Running Time: 9 min.
PEPPER
Director: Jayil Pak
Country: South Korea, Running Time: 15 min.
QUEEN FOR A DAY WORLD PREMIERE
Director: Savannah Rodgers
Country: USA, Running Time: 4 min.
RIVER
Director: Sam Crainich
Country: USA, Running Time: 18 min.
SELL YOUR BODY
Director: Jaanelle Yee
Country: USA, Running Time: 11 min.
YOU SAY HELLO
Director: Lovell Holder
Country: USA, Running Time: 22 min.
LGBTQ SHORT FILMS SCREENING WITH FEATURES
A SON INHERIT
Director: Michael Williams
Country: USA, Running Time: 14 min.
(screens with GOSPEL OF EUREKA)
LEIA’S ARMY
Director: Oriana Oppice
Country: USA, Running Time: 14 min.
(screens with CALL HER GANDA)
FEST FORWARD SHORT FILMS (ANIMATION BLOCK)
01
Directors: Julian Treemaker, Katharina Potratz
Country: Germany, Running Time: 7 min.
THE BIRD & THE WHALE
Director: Carol Freeman
Country: Ireland, Running Time: 7 min.
EXPEND
Director: Bismark Fernandes
Country: USA, Running Time: 4 min.
FLYTRAP
Director: Connor Radding
Country: USA, Running Time: 7 min.
FROG DOG LOG
Director: Jared D. Weiss
Country: USA, Running Time: 3 min.
FUSE
Director: Shadi Adib
Country: Germany, Running Time: 5 min.
IDOL-L U.S. PREMIERE
Director: JAEHYEONG KIM •
Country: USA, Running Time: 3 min.
MR. DEER
Director: Mojtaba Mousavi
Country: Iran, Running Time: 9 min.
MY MOON
Director: Eusong Lee
Country: USA, Running Time: 9 min.
NEKO NO HI – CAT DAYS
Director: Jon Frickey
Countries: Germany/Japan, Running Time: 11 min.
TRUMP BITES
Director: Bill Plympton
Country: USA, Running Time: 5 min.
ON THE DAY YOU WERE BORN
Director: Duke Doyle
Country: USA, Running Time: 10 min.
POUR 585
Director: Patrick Smith
Country: USA, Running Time: 5 min.
RED DRESS, NO STRAPS
Director: Maryam Mohajer
Country: UK, Running Time: 8 min.
SAD HOUR WORLD PREMIERE
Director: Sean Pettis
Country: USA, Running Time: 7 min.
SATELLITE STRANGERS
Director: James Bascara
Country: USA, Running Time: 6 min.
WATCH ME! U.S. PREMIERE
Director: Reza Mehranfar
Country: Iran, Running Time: 3 min.
FEST FORWARD SHORT FILMS (EXPERIMENTAL)
ASTRONAUTS WITH WHEAT U.S. PREMIERE
Director: Jon Bryant Crawford
Country: USA, Running Time: 5 min.
THE BORDER U.S. PREMIERE
Director: Antonio Celotto
Country: Italy, Running Time: 4 min.
THE CAGE OF SAND WORLD PREMIERE
Director: Edward Rankus
Country: USA, Running Time: 11 min.
CURRENTS
Director: Xinyi Zhu
Country: USA, Running Time: 6 min.
DATA DECAY
Director: Tynan Humphrey
Country: USA, Running Time: 3 min.
DIARY 2013-2018
Director: Soyeon Kim
Countries: USA/South Korea, Running Time: 3 min.
DULL HOPE
Director: Brian Ratigan
Country: USA, Running Time: 3 min.
EAST448
Director: Katharina Nesterowa
Country: Germany, Running Time: 6 min.
EVERYTHING CHANGES
Director: Geoff Marslett
Country: USA, Running Time: 6 min.
FEAW
Director: Robin Tremblay
Country: Canada, Running Time: 7 min.
FUCKED UP POINT BLANK WORLD PREMIERE
Director: Shayna Connelly
Country: USA, Running Time: 5 min.
FUN MORE WORLD PREMIERE
Director: Wally Chung
Country: USA, Running Time: 1 min.
FUN TO COOK “WORLD’S BEST FOOD”
Director: Dongjun Kim
Country: USA, Running Time: 4 min.
GONE SALE
Director: Matt Meindl
Country: USA, Running Time: 5 min.
HORROR VACUI
Director: Matteo Zamagni
Country: UK, Running Time: 3 min.
I TASTE BLOOD
Directors: Lauren Sotolongo, Samantha Sobash, Russell Sheaffer, Aaron Michael Smith Country: USA, Running Time: 3 min.
IN MEDIAS RES
Director: Gloria Chung
Country: USA, Running Time: 1 min.
THE ONLY THING THAT EXISTS IS THE DOT WORLD PREMIERE
Director: Philip Clyde-Smith
Country: UK, Running Time: 6 min.
PART I & II U.S. PREMIERE
Director: Nadia Dermatopoulou
Country: Scotland, Running Time: 5 min.
REMISSION
Directors: John Charter, Paul Kaiser
Country: USA, Running Time: 7 min.
THERE MUST BE A SAFE SPACE TO LOAD U.S. PREMIERE
THE BUILDING MATERIALS
Director: Ryan Betschart
Country: USA, Running Time: 3 min.
MISSISSIPPI MUSIC VIDEOS
“Ain’t No Place” by Lightnin Malcolm
Director: Lightnin Malcolm
Country: USA, Running Time: 5 min.
“Cellar Below” by The Great Dying
Director: Alex Thiel
Country: USA, Running Time: 3 min.
“Coast Ghost” by Spacewolf
Director: Drew McKercher
Country: USA, Running Time: 2 min.
“Crosstie Town” by Chance Stanley
Directors: Clark Richey, Amye Gousset
Country: USA, Running Time: 5 min.
“Fit In”
Director: J.B. Lawrence
Country: USA, Running Time: 5 min.
“Going to Mississippi to See my Sweet Southern Bell” by Sam Moseley
Director: Roslynn Clark Copeland
Country: USA, Running Time: 7 min.
THE GREAT DEPRESSION
Director: Jeff Gordon
Country: USA, Running Time: 6 min.
“Life Is” WORLD PREMIERE
Director: Irene Waites
Country: USA, Running Time: 4 min.
“Mississippi (Why you got to be so mean?)”
Director: Libby Brawley
Country: USA, Running Time: 4 min.
“Moss Point Mississippi”
Director: Don Smith
Country: USA, Running Time: 2 min.
“The Price Was Right” by Andrew Bryant
Director: Alex Thiel
Country: USA, Runnig Time: 4 min.
“Right Now” by Swear Tapes
Director: Alex Thiel
Country: USA, Running Time: 3 min.
“Till I Cross Your Mind” by Young Valley U.S. PREMIERE
Director: Drew McKercher
Country: USA, Running Time: 3 min.
“Trina’s Story”
Director: Andre Hill
Country: USA, Running Time: 4 min.
“Wash My Hands” by Cedric Burnside
Director: Christian Walker
Country: USA, Running Time: 6 min.
“When It Rains” by Encantos WORLD PREMIERE
Director: Daniel Lee Perea
Country: USA, Running Time: 4m.
“Whiskey World”
Director: Chaz Singleton
Country: USA, Running Time: 4 min.
“Why Can’t You” by Truck Patch Revival
Director: Montana Byrd
Country: USA, Running Time: 5 min.
“Wolf 3”
Director: Drew McKercher
Country: USA, Running Time: 3 min.
STUDENT SHORT FILMS
BAD THINGS
Director: Mira K. Lippold-Johnson
Country: USA, Running Time: 22 min.
FRENCHIES
Director: Kuan-Fu Lin
Countries: Taiwan/USA, Running Time: 8 min.
THE MOON AND THE NIGHT
Director: Erin Lau
Country: USA, Running Time: 19 min.
NO WAY IN HELL
Director: Raul Toledo
Country: USA, Running Time: 12 min.
THE SUNDAY NIGHT DRINKERS CLUB
Director: Ollie Gardner
Country: UK, Running Time: 20 min.
THIS ONE’S FOR YOU, ALICE WORLD PREMIERE
Director: Patrick Hanser
Country: Brazil, Running Time: 11 min.
WHERE I WAS BORN
Director: Jungmin Cha
Country: USA, Running Time: 4 min.
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