Last Updated on May 31, 2023, 9:43 AM | Published: May 31, 2023
Oklahoma’s premier, Academy-recognized film festival, deadCenter, kicks off Thursday, June 8th with renewed purpose, rejuvenated focus, and a back-to-basics approach meant to streamline showtimes and inter-venue travel for festival goers.
But even as leadership shakeups and educational initiatives have made waves and headlines recently, it’s still the films themselves that are the main attraction, and with a packed slate this year bursting with creative shorts and decidedly diverse features, there’s bound to be something for every cinematic taste.
Here’s your guide to the can’t-miss screenings at deadCenter Film Festival 2023.
“What Rhymes with Reason” – Thursday, June 8th – Harkins Bricktown – 6:30 pm
The first feature screening out of the gate is bound to be an important one as OKC-based director Kyle William Roberts presents this look at teenage depression and the search for meaning – both mental and material – made in partnership with Oklahoma’s 988 mental health helpline.
“Black Barbie: A Documentary” – Thursday, June 8th – Oklahoma City Museum of Art – 7:00 pm
Following the Opening Night Party on the rooftop terrace at OKCMOA comes the official Opening Night Feature in this documentary exploring the complicated intersections of race, commerce, childhood, and modern American history.
Filmmaker Lagueria Davis looks back at the history of the world’s most popular doll and its unexpected place in the country’s lingering racial struggles.
“Hell Hath No Fury” – Thursday, June 8th – Harkins Bricktown – 9:00 pm
From two-time “Best Oklahoma Film”-winning deadCenter veterans Zachary and Jacob Burns comes this pitch-black dark comedy following a husband and wife on the one night that they’re both secretly planning to murder one another.
Future of Film Showcase – Friday, June 9th & Saturday, June 10th – JDM Place – 11:00am to 6:00pm
Friday and Saturday see this all-day showcase of cutting-edge filmmakers and the groundbreaking technology they’re utilizing to tell stories in daring ways.
You’ll want to stop by JDM Place on Mickey Mantle Drive downtown throughout the days to catch everything from drone-shot shorts to creative, digitally animated works, to fully immersive VR experiences, all in service of new types of storytelling.
Music Video Showcase – Friday, June 9th – Harkins Bricktown – 5:00 pm
deadCenter has become renowned for its selection and cultivation of short films, and the music video is still one of the best ways for shorts-makers to cut their teeth. So of course the music video showcase is an important draw each year.
This year’s slate features clips from Austin rap duo Magna Carda, Free Press favorites Sisteria, and the powerful, timely video accompaniment to local cross-genre songstress Lincka’s “Chinga La Migra.”
“Plan C” – Friday, June 9th – Harkins Bricktown – 6:15 pm
deadCenter has long held a policy of spotlighting important activist voices and vital causes, and this year is no different.
Sundance buzz maker “Plan C,” from documentarian Tracy Droz Tragos, tracks the growing struggle of the Plan C organization, a largely underground group dedicated to ensuring safe access to abortion pills across America. In the face of FDA challenges and Supreme Court considerations of abortion pill access, this one is sadly more timely than ever.
“Onyx the Fortuitous and the Talisman of Souls” – Friday, June 9th – Harkins Bricktown – 10:00 pm
deadCenter programmers love to find and highlight the most creative, unexpected cinematic offerings, and this is surely to be one of them this year.
Spun out from writer/director Andrew Bowser’s breakout YouTube/TikTok character Onyx, this feature-length fever dream expands on the comic-horror wackiness of the web series with dark occult mysticism, broad comedy, throwback monster makeup, and even puppets in the tone of 80s horror/comedy classics like “Ghostbusters” and “Gremlins.”
FamilyFest Shorts Showcase – Saturday, June 10th – Harkins Bricktown – 10:30 pm
Saturday is when deadCenter really kicks off, and there’s no better way to get it started than with a full program perfectly picked for families.
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.
Iranian Shorts Showcase – Saturday, June 10th – Oklahoma City Museum of Art – 1:30 pm
Some of the most arresting, sublime cinema is currently coming out of Iran, continuing a long tradition in that nation led by moviemaking master Abbas Kiarostami, whose career was beautifully reflected in the recent retrospective “Kiarostami: Beyond the Frame” at OKCMOA.
The museum will continue holding the spotlight tightly on Iranian film with this Saturday shorts showcase, featuring the heart-poundingly suspenseful 2023 Oscar contender “The Red Suitcase.”
“A Disturbance in the Force” – Saturday, June 10th – Harkins Bricktown – 3:00 pm
A welcome bit of real-life levity and once-in-a-generation insanity with 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)” – Saturday, June 10th – First Americans Museum – 4:00 pm
Throughout the weekend, deadCenter will be presenting a selection of Native-made films at the First Americans Museum, spotlighting the remarkable stories of the modern Indigenous experience and the unique voices telling them.
In “Dadiwonisi (We Will Speak)”, documentarians Schon Duncan and Michael McDermit chronicle the race against time to preserve and protect the rapidly disappearing Cherokee language.
“Steps” – Saturday, June 10th – Scissortail Park – 7:30 pm – FREE
Presented as a free community screening in Scissortail Park, this lean 15-minute short documentary recounts the story of OKC’s own Derek Loccident, former defensive back for Westmoore High School and UCO.
After losing his left foot in a horrifying train accident, Loccident has focused his spirit and resolve on training to represent the USA in the 2024 Paralympic Games.
“BLACK AS U R” – Sunday, June 11th – Harkins Bricktown – 1:30 pm
Hosted by Afro Cinema Nights, director Michael Rice’s documentary tackles one of the most complicated and infinitely nuanced issues in American discourse today: homophobia and transphobia in the Black community.
In exploring this complex intersectionality, Rice recalls stories of some of the most important LGBTQ+ figures in Black American history and their contributions to the ongoing fight for societal respect and equality.
“Bottoms” – Sunday, June 11th – Harkins Bricktown – 6:00 pm
With deadCenter running annually during June, the festival partners with Pride Month organizers each year to present a selection of “Pride Features” throughout the weekend that spotlights some of the best 2SLGBTQ+ stories and filmmakers. Indie comedy “Bottoms” actually serves as both a Pride Feature and one of the official Closing Night Features.
Styled as 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” – Sunday, June 11th – First Americans Museum – 6:00 pm
One of the most anticipated films of the festival, even among deadCenter organizers themselves, is this feature debut from Seneca-Cayuga writer/director Erica Tremblay.
As a writer and producer for locally produced “Reservation Dogs,” Tremblay has already scored some serious Oklahoman success, but this tale of a Native girl swept up by her aunt, searching for her lost mother, and prepping to dance for an upcoming powwow has critics and awards voters watching closely.
“All the Feels” Shorts Showcase – Sunday, June 11th – Harkins Bricktown – 8:30 pm
On the final night of the festival, after the official “Closing Night Features, awards ceremonies, and closing parties, you can 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.
For a full schedule, festival passes, and more information, visit deadcenterfilm.org.
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.
