The Oklahoma Film + Music Office (OF+MO) is proud to be a returning sponsor of the 2018 deadCenter Film Festival taking place Thursday, June 7, through Sunday, June 10, at multiple locations in downtown Oklahoma City.
Named one of MovieMaker Magazine’s “Top 50 Film Festivals Worth the Entry Fee” in 2017, deadCenter promotes, encourages and celebrates independent films with both the organization’s annual film festival, as well as their year-round educational outreach via the deadCenter Institute. Last year’s festival attracted over 30,000 attendees resulting in an economic impact of approximately $4.5 million for Oklahoma City.
The 2018 festival received a record-breaking 1,300 submissions from filmmakers across the globe. Of the 135 selections for the festival, 28 films were made in Oklahoma or by Oklahoma filmmakers, including the feature films “Hal”, a documentary from OU alum Amy Scott about Oscar-winning filmmaker Hal Ashby; “You People”, a comedic drama written and directed by former OF+MO intern Laron Chapman; and “The Jurassic Games”, an action thriller directed by Oklahoman Ryan Bellgardt, which utilized the Oklahoma Film Enhancement Rebate Program administered by OF+MO.
OF+MO, in conjunction with deadCenter, will host the OF+MO Panel Series featuring intimate conversations with special guests, including this year’s featured festival filmmakers and ICON award recipients. The panels will provide attendees networking and educational opportunities on a variety of topics, such as directing, writing, producing, casting, acting, lighting, sound, photography, wardrobe, costume, hair and makeup. Confirmed panelists thus far include Ryan Bellgardt and Josh McKamie (“Jurassic Games”), Ryan Merriman (“Pretty Little Liars”, “Jurassic Games”), Daryl Lefever (“I Can Only Imagine”), Amy Scott (“Hal”), Megan Hickey (“Grey Matter”), Amanda Presmyk (“Puppetmaster: The Littlest Reich”) and Jeannie Barbour (“Te Ata”, “The Chickasaw Rancher”). These panels will take place on Saturday, June 9, at the Academy of Contemporary Music at the University of Central Oklahoma (ACM@UCO), located on the Bricktown Canal at 25 S. Oklahoma Ave. These panels are free and open to both the public and festival goers.
A schedule of the panels is as follows:
- 10:00 a.m. – Short Films/Big Ideas
- 11:00 a.m. – Documentary Storytelling
- 12:00 p.m. – Make Up, Wardrobe, Art and Casting
- 1:00 p.m. – Acting Discussion with Ryan Merriman
- 2:00 p.m. – Producing Films in Oklahoma
- 3:00 p.m. – Lights, Camera and Sound
- 4:00 p.m. – Feature Film Panel
“The deadCenter Film Festival is a staple of Oklahoma’s thriving film industry, and we are honored to participate in a year that will see record-setting festival growth and visibility for our local filmmakers,” said OF+MO Director Tava Maloy Sofsky. “We look forward to this year’s programming and engaging audiences with the continued educational and networking platforms afforded by our panel series.”
OF+MO wishes to thank deadCenter as well as hosting venue ACM@UCO and audio/video provider Diffinity for their contributions to the festival’s panel series.
For a complete schedule of screenings and events as well as information on purchasing all-access passes and tickets, please visit deadcenterfilm.org.
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About the Oklahoma Film + Music Office:
Created in 1979, The Oklahoma Film + Music Office strives to share all that Oklahoma has to offer by welcoming filmmakers and music professionals to the state and by creating a network of support to develop Oklahoma’s film and music industries. For more information about the Oklahoma Film Enhancement Rebate Program or the Oklahoma Film + Music Office please visit okfilmmusic.org.