Last Updated on June 10, 2023, 8:23 AM | Published: June 10, 2023
OKLAHOMA CITY — Saturday is when deadCenter really kicks into overdrive, with a full day of films and attractions starting well before noon, and something for everyone and every age.
But with a multi-day slate packed possibly fuller than ever before, you might be struggling to know where to be among the screenings and events, and that’s where Free Press has you covered.
Be sure to catch these happenings at Day 3 of deadCenter Film Festival 2023, and check out our featured selection for the day at the end:
FamilyFest Shorts – Harkins Bricktown Auditorium 14 – 10:30 am
If you’re hoping to introduce your children to the wonders of cinema, the unique experience of a film festival, or the bite-sized bliss of the best short-form filmmaking, then consider this the best alternative to Saturday morning cartoons.
Spotlight on Black Cinema – Oklahoma City Museum of Art – 12:00 pm
Possibly the most vital and anticipated panel discussion at this year’s festival. Filmmakers behind “Black Barbie: A Documentary,” “Riding Legacy,” and “Juneteenth: Faith and Freedom” (all screening today) will join Afro Cinema Nights founder Quintin Hughs to discuss and examine the state of Black filmmaking voices within the greater film community.
Iranian Shorts – Oklahoma City Museum of Art – 1:30 pm
A welcome spotlight on some of the best short-form filmmaking coming from one of the most unexpectedly prolific and transcendentally creative world film communities.
Included here is the acclaimed, heart-poundingly suspenseful Oscar contender “The Red Suitcase.”
“A Disturbance in the Force” – Harkins Bricktown Auditorium 11 – 3:00 pm
The story of how one of the single worst, most lamentable pieces of pop-cultural history, “The Star Wars Holiday Special,” came to be. Featuring interviews with some of the biggest names in “Star Wars” fandom – including Seth Green, Kevin Smith, Bonnie Burton, and even Weird Al – this one is a must-see for diehard geeks and pop-culture historians alike.
“Dadiwonisi (We Will Speak)” – First Americans Museum – 4:00 pm
Presented as part of deadCenter’s partnership with FAM to showcase a number of powerful, unique Indigenous films. Here, documentarians Schon Duncan and Michael McDermit chronicle the race against time to preserve and protect the rapidly disappearing Cherokee language.
Saturday Sningle – Social Capital – 6:00 pm
Pass holders can take a little evening break for drinks and food at Social Capital before popping next door to Scissortail Park.
“It’s Only Life After All” – Scissortail Park – 8:00 pm – FREE EVENT
deadCenter’s annual free public film event takes the form of this documentary covering the life of indie-folk trailblazers Indigo Girls. It’s outdoors, for all ages, totally free, and the perfect opportunity for anyone to jump into the festivities for an evening.
“Body Electric” – Oklahoma City Museum of Art – 8:00 pm
One of the most talked-about and unfortunately timely documentaries on this year’s schedule, filmmaker Nick Demos attempts to break down the intertwined complexities of body dysmorphia, race, religion, and psychology in the queer and transgender communities.
FREE PRESS FEATURED PICK: Future of Film Showcase – JDM Place Bricktown – 11:00 am to 6:00 pm
In between feature-length favorites and shorts showcases on Saturday, make sure that you swing by JDM Place in Bricktown (above Mickey Mantle’s) to check out this phenomenal, all-day exhibition of groundbreaking technology and forward-thinking filmmaking minds.
Featuring short film works, presentations, demonstrations, and loads of palpable enthusiasm, deadCenter’s “Future of Film” is showing off motion capture, drone filmmaking, remarkable VR experiences, and the cutting edge of cinematic sound design.
And it’s all showcased in a surprisingly comfortable, open environment.
“It’s actually less dense, but it’s all much more effective,” said deadCenter Director of Technology Stephen Tyler. “We have as many films and experiences as we’ve ever had before, but in the past, there was so much more equipment, with big computers and hardware. Now it’s mostly just a bunch of Quest 2 headsets.”
Though a majority of the attractions in “Future of Film” are presented on VR headsets – including last night’s Best VR Film winner, director Cameron Kostopoulos’s staggering gender exploration “Body of Mine” – there are also demonstrations aimed at your ears.
The team from OKC’s OK Sounds Good, the state’s only commercially available Dolby ATMOS sound design studio, are on hand to let you hear exactly what the near-infinite capabilities of ATMOS sound can mean for film immersion.
“Any filmmaker would agree that sound is 50% of the overall experience, but if I’m doing my job right, the audience will never even think about it,” said OK Sounds Good founder, and two-time Emmy winner, Rob Derrick.
“With ATMOS, we can actually see exactly where we’ve placed sounds within a full 3D space,” Derrick said. “Your brain knows where sounds are coming from relative to your head, right? So we have to actually trick your brain into thinking that these sounds are existing in a full space all around you.”
OK Sounds Good actually did the full sound design for “Resurrection VR,” also available to view at Future of Film, scratching the surface of what ATMOS mixing can bring to the fully immersive VR experience.
The Cherokee Nation Original Content team is also on hand to demonstrate the capabilities of real-time motion capture with their Cherokee-language animated short “The Origin of Strawberries,” rendered entirely in the Unreal gaming engine with motion capture input.
“I think people are really starting to recognize technologies like Unreal as more than just gaming engines,” said “The Origin of Strawberries” director Michael Lister, who will be hosting live real-time motion capture demonstrations throughout the day. “Could this eventually be used by young filmmakers to make a full animated feature for $100,000? Potentially, yes.”
deadCenter Film Festival runs June 8th through June 11th.
Check back each day for our can’t-miss selections and our daily Free Press Featured Pick!
Brett Fieldcamp has been covering arts, entertainment, news, housing, and culture in Oklahoma for nearly 15 years, writing for several local and state publications. He’s also a musician and songwriter and holds a certification as Specialist of Spirits from The Society of Wine Educators.
