That’s a wrap
DeadCenter wraps its 17th year, and we share our highlights
The Oklahoman’s recap of the 17th annual deadCenter Film Festival details the movies, parties and panels that make up the state’s biggest cinematic celebration.
Filmmakers and festivalgoers ran wild last weekend at the deadCenter Film Festival.
They scurriedfrom venue to venue throughout downtown Oklahoma Cityas they participated in screenings, interviews and panels. The festival highlightedcreativity, new moviemaking tools and encouraged expression through films that don’t normally landin Oklahoma theaters. Movie enthusiastssat shoulderto-shoulder with creators in crowded theaters and parties as both shared their love of cinema.
Longtime festival organizer Lance McDaniel said the weekend of events culminated from months of work. His team, consisting mostly of volunteers,received roughly 1,200 film submissionsfor the festival. Judges rated each film on a scale of 1-10, and the top 102 made it tothe screen. “It’s really fun for me that we’ve got the winners of Sundance (and) the winners of South by Southwest playing right alongside the best films from Oklahoma,” McDaniel told The Oklahoman.“That’s really what our festival is about.”
Check out our favorite films and observations from the 17th rendition of deadCenter.
1. It’s hard not to smile after hearing trumpets blare the“Star Wars” theme. “Score: A Film Music Documentary” hit viewers in the sweet spot with a mix of nostalgia and musical grandeur. After
the credits rolled, audience members were eager to ask the film’s producers questions during a Q&Aopportunity. I was grateful the movie illustrated thehighs of the soaring “Lord of the Rings” theme and “E.T.’s” touching goodbye.
“Score” illuminatedfilm’s musical masters at work, whether at a keyboard, conductor’s stand or behind a computer screen. Hearing from the composers was as fulfilling as listening to
their familiar melodies. — Nuria Martinez-Keel
2. Not all of the films at deadCenter were quite as heartwarming. “The Scent of Rain &Lightning” portrayed a young woman’s search for answers concerning her parents’ death. The complex web of characters unfolded as the plot quickly moved toward a finale that leftbehind a few lingering questions.
Members of the production, including screenwriter Jeff Robison and actor Brad Carter, fielded questions from the audience after the screening. Carter enthusiastically shared stories from the film’s set, revealinga bright side opposite his villainous performance.— NMK
3. Good luck finding a film that better evoked more powerful emotions than “The Hero.” This dramedydrew laughs and waterworks at its soldout Friday showing in the Oklahoma City Museum of Art. On itssurface, the film depicts an aging,oldtime Western star played by Sam Elliott. At itscore, “The Hero” isa man’s deep struggle with the likelihood of death and the life he’d leave behind. I looked around as the theater emptied after the screening, and I saw several smiles. One man wiped away tears. A woman exclaimed, as she walked out the door, “I laughed! I cried!” — NMK
4. Okie filmmaker Ryan Bellgardt (“Gremlin”)hosted a discussion with prominent deadCenter directors, including Bob Byington (“Infinity Baby”), Neil Berkeley (“Gilbert”) and Mickey Reece (“Mickey Reece’s Alien”). Bellgardt, Berkeley and Reece are all from Oklahoma.
Bellgardt said he wanted to emphasize his intention to not have his films taken seriously, but instead allow viewers to havea good time watching them. Bellgardt’s “Gremlin” was an over-the-top horror film in which the protagonist loses his loved ones thanks to amonster in a box. “Every negative review goes away through others that care about your films,” Bellgardt said. “When the films personally affect someone in ways you would never imagine it could hit them with, that is what filmmaking is all about.”
Reece of “Mickey Reece’s Alien” discussed his admiration of filmmaking, as well as the growth of deadCenter. “It is one of the biggest festivals in Oklahoma to be a part of,” Reece said. “The other great thing is being with fellow filmmakers that share the same idea for storytelling.”
Berkeley’s latest work at deadCenter was “Gilbert,” a documentary about the life of famed comedian Gilbert Gottfried and his approach to acting, as well as his personal struggles.
“DeadCenter’s definitely one of the most enjoyable festivals to be a part of because they take care of you,” Berkeley said. — Victor Quezada
5. A fresh styleof filmmaking also was introduced at deadCenter. The 21c Museum Hotel, 900 W Main St., offered stories told in a 360-video format. Moderator Kim Voynar held a panel alongside Stina Hamlin (“Say Our Name”), Lacey Leavitt (“Eagle Bone” and “Potato Dreams”) and Jess Kantor (“La Sorcellerie”).
“We are currently in the third wave of virtual reality,”Voynar told The
Oklahoman.
The panelists wanted patronsto know the importance of seeing a new type of filmmaking. SeveralVR headsets were available for testing at 21c.
“We are currently trying to discover the proper 360 vision for film because of what we were supposed to learn watching movies is straight ahead and not all around,” Voynar said.
The panel wanted to address the importance of watching virtual reality in not only films but also in art. “Watching dance from a seat is entertaining, but actually seeing it up close and all around you brings a new type of feeling to the art,” Hamlin said. — VQ
6. DeadCenter was wise to have its annual fundraiser a couple weeks before the festival. Normally, it lands on the same week as the film celebration, but this year it occurred in May. Gary Busey was the guest of honor and the event built a lot of extra attention.I think a lot of festival organizers got more sleep during the week of deadCenter than they’re used to. — Nathan Poppe 7. Every night of the festival was bookended with food and libations for badgeholders, and Saturday evening’s shindig was the most lively. Former Chainsaw Kitten Tyson Meade played tunes on a laptop before Balthazar Hensley and a soul band performed the groovy hits of yesteryear. Meade shared his insight on a few of the acts that were featured in the free outdoor screening of “Hype!” He had toured with Seattlebased act Flop back in the 1990s. — NP
8. Speaking of the free outdoor screening, it sported one of thesmaller crowds I’ve noticed over the past few years. Seattle grunge acts might not have as big of a draw as they did in the past, but “Hype!” held up surprisingly well as it documented the growth of the west coast-born music genre. I hope to see attendance grow outdoors because those screenings first attracted me to the film festival and are a great way to enjoy the deadCenter on a budget. — NP
9. If you have a fidget cube, then please leave it at home. A festivalgoer clicked and popped the gadget during an afternoon screening, and I was very close to finding a new seat. However, it’s still better than the guy who vaped next to me in a theater a few years back. — NP
10. I loved the deadCenter music documentaries this year. “G-Funk” was like a living rap history book. My festival highlight though was “Far Western,” which highlightedJapanese bluegrass and country talents who loveHank Williams, Woody Guthrie and Bob Wills as much as we do. Be on the lookout in October for another Oklahoma screening and a chance to catch some of the film’s talent that’ll make your ears do a double take. — NP
11. I got choked up seeing “Butch: Legend of Langston,” a touching local short about Langston University’s unofficial living mascot and the best-dressed jazz enthusiast I’ve ever seen. Butch was even in attendance. He sat behind me in a striking pink suit, and the crowd was full of loving Langston fans. I spotted them whenthey held up their hands in an L-shape after directorsDavid Tester and Christopher Hunt gathered an award forBest Okie Short. That “L” was for Langston and for the love this short deserved.
— NP