Last Updated on June 11, 2023, 8:55 AM | Published: June 11, 2023
OKLAHOMA CITY — The awards have been announced, the winners have been crowned, and we’ve arrived at the final day of deadCenter 2023.
The last day of festivities is all about revisiting a few fest favorites, giving a victory lap to the big winners, and closing out the weekend with all the love, respect, and enthusiasm you could imagine for the filmmaking community.
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 4 of deadCenter Film Festival 2023, and check out our featured selection for the day at the end:
“Bad Press” – Harkins Bricktown Auditorium 13 – 2:00 pm
Crowned “Best Documentary” at deadCenter 2023, filmmakers Joe Peeler and Rebecca Landsberry-Baker chronicle the story of a reporter in the Muscogee Nation pushing back against censorship and corruption.
“Quantum Cowboys” – Harkins Bricktown Auditorium 12 – 5:00 pm
Winner of this year’s Special Jury Prize for Narrative Feature, this wildly creative and unprecedented feature showcases 12 unique animation styles in a tale that unravels time, art, and the nature of history itself.
“Bottoms” – Harkins Bricktown Auditorium 14 – 6:00 pm
One of deadCenter 2023’s official Pride Features, as well as an official Closing Night Feature.
An LGBTQ+ slant on the classic outsider teen comedies of the 80s and 90s, “Bottoms” follows a couple of high school girls that launch an underground fight club in a novel attempt to woo cheerleaders.
“Fancy Dance” – First Americans Museum – 6:00 pm
Tale of a Native girl swept up by her aunt, searching for her lost mother, and prepping to dance for an upcoming powwow, all in the name of understanding herself and her often ignored and marginalized heritage.
Seneca-Cayuga writer/director Erica Tremblay was named as this year’s deadCenter ICON.
All the Feels Shorts – Harkins Bricktown Auditorium 11 – 8:30 pm
Round out deadCenter 2023 with this eclectic collection showcasing exactly what the annual festival has become best known for: powerful, unique short-form filmmaking.
This short film grab bag features live-action, animation, drama, comedy, documentary, Indigenous film, 2SLGBTQ+ film, and more, making it a perfect way to close out the festival with all the diverse voices and creative elements that have made deadCenter a beacon for any cinematic storyteller.
FREE PRESS FEATURED PICK: “Body Electric” – Harkins Bricktown Auditorium 14 – 4:00 pm
Documentarian Nick Demos brought the world premiere of his newest film “Body Electric” to deadCenter last night, striking at the heart of a deeply complex and just-as-deeply misunderstood topic: body dysmorphia in the queer community.
If you weren’t lucky enough to be in the premiere screening audience for this integral, sharp, and undeniably timely piece of filmmaking, you’ll do well to catch the repeat screening at Harkins for deadCenter 2023’s closing day.
“I do believe that this is going to be a word-of-mouth film,” Demos said in a panel discussion following the premiere hosted by OKC Ward 2 City Councilperson James Cooper. “This is a truly independent documentary that’s going to be person-to-person and that’s hopefully going to spread like wildfire.”
An “Okie ex-pat,” as the deadCenter program describes him, writer/director Nick Demos served nine years as the artistic director of OKC’s Lyric Theatre before heading for Broadway, and eventually, for a full career restructuring toward filmmaking and creative consultation.
During the post-screening discussion, he acknowledged how much Oklahoma has changed since his time here.
“I left 15 years ago,” he said, “and this is now a completely different queer city than it was when I left. And now to see the people that don’t have to leave – like how many people used to feel like they had to leave Oklahoma – is really incredible.”
In a film addressing and confidently confronting a myriad of challenging, often uncomfortably vulnerable issues such as religious guilt, generational trauma, body images, and eating disorders, one element that was perhaps unexpected, but wholly welcome, was a remarkable sense of humor throughout.
“It was vital,” Demos told Free Press following the panel discussion when asked about the humor and comedy retained in the film. “Because it was such a heavy topic, but I know that life is both, right? And I needed to reflect that. And also, the audience deserves a break, you know? Because it is so tense.”
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.
