WHAT: 23rd Annual deadCenter Film Festival
WHEN: Thursday, June 8, through Sunday, June 11
WHERE: Oklahoma City, OK
WHO: deadCenter Film Executive Director Cacky Poarch
deadCenter Film Director of Programming Sara Thompson
Cherokee Film Senior Director Jennifer Loren
Cherokee Nation Film Office Virtual Production Manager Michael Lister
OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. — Oklahoma’s deadCenter Film will partner, again in part, with the Cherokee Nation Film Office to present the 23rd Annual deadCenter Film Festival.
The state's largest film festival runs June 8-11 and is expected to bring more than 20,000 film enthusiasts and industry professionals to downtown Oklahoma City. The annual festival, which received nearly 2,000 entries, will host screenings and events at the First Americans Museum, Harkins Theatre in Bricktown and the Oklahoma City Museum of Art.
Designated as an OSCAR®-Qualifying Festival for animated and live action shorts, the deadCenter Film Festival boasts an impressive slate of over 150 films, including 16 Indigenous projects, during this month’s four-day event. The annual Oklahoma City event highlights diversity among filmmakers through specific categories, including Afro Cinema, Female Directors, 2SLGBTQ+ Filmmaker, First Time Director, Spanish Language and Oklahoma films, as well as a specific block dedicated to Indigenous films.
On Friday, June 9, deadCenter Film will host the world premiere of “The Origin of Strawberries,” designed, animated and produced at Cherokee Film Studios.The ancient story, told in the Cherokee language, about strawberries as a symbol of reconciliation is drawn into the future using the latest motion capture animation.
The tribe’s groundbreaking production will be featured during deadCenter’s Future of Film, a free event featuring a collection of immersive films and experiences created using innovative technology, such as motion capture, drones, digital animation, augmented reality and fully immersive 360 virtual reality. Michael Lister, CNFO’s virtual production manager, will be in attendance to create an interactive demonstration of the real time virtual production techniques used to create the short film.
On Sunday, June 11, the Cherokee Nation Film Office will host deadCenter Film Festival’s Celebrating Indigenous Cinema reception, highlighting Indigenous films and filmmakers at the First Americans Museum.
For more information about deadCenter Film Festival, visit deadcenterfilm.org. Press passes are available upon request.
About deadCenter Film
Created in 2001, the deadCenter Film Festival taps into the thriving global film community by providing a competitive platform for independent filmmakers, as well as a dynamic educational forum. deadCenter Film is a year-round nonprofit, entering the 23rd season of production on Oklahoma’s largest film festival. deadCenter has been recognized as one of the “Top 20 Coolest Film Festivals in the World” and “Top 50 Festivals Worth the Entry Fee” by MovieMaker magazine and is now nationally recognized after landing on the pages of several major publications.
To learn more about deadCenter Film and to support year-round programming, please visit deadcenterfilm.org.
About Cherokee Nation Film Office
The mission of the Cherokee Nation Film Office is to increase the presence of Native Americans in every level of the film and television industries while creating opportunities for economic development and jobs in the Cherokee Nation. With access to more than 66,000 acres throughout northeastern Oklahoma, the Cherokee Nation Film Office is your connection to a diverse range of eco-scapes and the first-ever Native talent, crew and business/support services databases.
Experience all the 66,000 acres that the Cherokee Nation has to offer and learn more at www.Cherokee.Film.
