People wait in line to attend the Community Film Night on Wednesday at the Powerhouse. The event kicked off the Oxford Film Festival with script readings and films to discuss. Photo by Christian Johnson
Last night, the Powerhouse served as the stage for the first event of the film festival, a community film night. Featuring several performances and short films, community film night gave its audience an enticing look into the weekend ahead.
This year’s film categories include Fest Forward: Animated and Experimental and New Media, Documentary and Narrative Features and Shorts, Mississippi Narrative and Documentary, Music Video and Documentary, LGBTQ and Kid Film Festival.
With at least 20 local filmmakers in attendance and many more from elsewhere, the evening included a wide array of personalities and perspectives.
Astin Rocks, one of the creative minds behind “Love Soliloquy,” which screens Friday and Sunday, said her first time in Oxford was a thrill.
“I’ve been interested in the festival for a while now,” she said. “To finally be a part of it all is fantastic. Everyone has told me how tightly knit the local arts community is here, and that’s really something special.”
Terry Southern read the script for his movie “Twirling At Ole Miss,” and the combination of written script, spoken word and visual cues brought the story to life. The reading allowed the audience to focus on the story itself and interpret the narrative.
A variety of shorts were screened throughout the evening, ranging from the gently absurd – and entirely loveable – history of the Pizza Marketing newsletter in Tony King’s Pizza Magazine, to a tribute to Oxford’s own Thacker Mountain Radio on its 20th anniversary.
One of the most memorable aspects of the night, however, was “Birthing Video” by Christina Huff. The short experimental film uses visual cues to toy with its viewers’ sense of curiosity. This first event for the film festival brought the creative community of Oxford together to honor the art of filmmaking as well as showcase its diverse local talent, capturing the spirit of the event itself.
People wait in line to attend the Community Film Night on Wednesday at the Powerhouse. The event kicked off the Oxford Film Festival with script readings and films to discuss. Photo by Christian Johnson
