Oxford film festival increases repertoire

By: Scott Lippert

Posted: 2/26/08

The Oxford International Film Festival (OIFF) reprises its role this year as the only major film festival in the region. After the first OIFF in April 2007, the Miami Association of Filmmakers and Independent Actors (M.A.F.I.A) continues to produce the festival in what it hopes will become an annual event.

This year's festival will include live bands, guest celebrities and over 45 international films.

The festival will run from April 10-14 and premier movies, host filmmaker panels as well as many other activities at Miami University's Marcum Conference Center, the Oxford Arts Center and Uptown Park.

In an effort to build on last year's success, the OIFF is expanding according to Miami senior Shannon Berner, the festival's public relations director.

"We're hoping to at least double the attendance," Berner said. "We want to make the festival more of an event so that something is constantly going on."

She said there were 1,200 people in attendance last year and she hopes approximately 3,000 people attend this year.

In order to build on last year's success, the festival will now include several local bands performing in Uptown Park, according to Berner. New art galleries and workshops will also allow for guests to have personal interactions with local and international filmmakers.

This year, OIFF has a revamped its Web site as well. Visitors of the festival will be able to go online and create their own account at oxfordfilms.com. By doing so, guests can create their own screening schedule, track movie debuts and write their own reviews of the movies they've seen.

Over 500 films from more than 35 countries were submitted to OIFF for the 2008 festival. As a result, guests to the event will be able to enjoy hundreds of local and international films including The Tracey Fragments, featuring Academy Award nominated actress Ellen Page from Juno; Swing State, a film highlighting the importance of Ohio in the 2008 presidential race; and Eastern College, a locally filmed and produced movie making its world debut.

M.A.F.I.A helped to create the film festival in April 2007 through collaboration with the independent production house Star Com Productions.

M.A.F.I.A. member, sophomore Olivia Otten, said that this year's festival will allow people to explore different viewpoints through film.

"It offers a way to broaden everyone's perspective through a medium that everyone loves," Otten said. "Indie films can present material that would never be seen on the big screen."

In order for a film to be shown at the festival, it must be critiqued by a panel of three judges, and then screened by executive director J.C. Schroder. The process ensures that only qualified films are shown at the festival.

"The bad ones are weeded out," Otten said.

According to Berner, many renowned individuals from the Hollywood film industry will be in attendance at the festival, including Scrubs director John Putch, Dodgeball actress Missi Pyle and X-Files actor Kevin McClatchy. These guests, along with several other writers, directors, and actors, will be holding filmmaker panels in order to better inform the public about the moviemaking industry.

Tickets are on sale now. Prices are $8 for one showing, $35 for a one-day pass and $70 for an all-event pass. Student prices are $8, $15 and $40 respectively. Tickets can be purchased online at oxfordfilms.com or by calling 1-800-838-3006.