The 2023 Oxford Film Festival announced the award-winning films and filmmakers at the conclusion of this year’s edition of the film festival. G.B. Shannon Show Business Is My Life (But I Can’t Prove It) won Best Documentary Feature which included a $250 Cash Prize and 3 Days Post-Production Audio 7.1 Atmos from Taproot Audio. Jasmín Mara López’s Silent Beauty received an Honorable Mention in the category. Mike Cheslik’s Hundreds of Beavers was named Best Narrative Feature and received a $10,000 camera rental package from Panavision, 3 Days Post-Production Audio 7.1 Atmos from Taproot Audio and editing consultation from Joe Shapaerio. Johanna Putnam’s Shudderbugs was cited for a Special Jury Mention for Microbudget Savvy.
Michael Stevantoni and Strack Azar’s The Banality, and Kelly Duane de la Vega and Zandashé Brown’s In the Bones tied for Best Mississippi Feature, with both films receiving a $250 Cash Prize and 3 Days Post-Production Audio 7.1 Atmos from Taproot Audio. Honorable Mentions in the category went to Roderick Red’s The Defenders: How Lawyers Protected the Movement, and Mark Williams’ The Journey of Tiak Hikiya Ohoyo.
Oxford Film Festival Executive Director Matt Wymer, said, “The awards ceremony was a wonderful culmination of our 20th Anniversary edition. The party started on Wednesday and continued to the end of Sunday as we celebrated the spirit of going to the movies all weekend long.” Regarding the film festival’s prize packages, Wymer added, “We are proud of the prize packages we include with our awards. They are designed to help our filmmakers make their next project and will continue to grow toward that goal.”
Awards for short films, student films and music videos included Zaire Love’s Slice, which was made in part via a grant from the Southern Documentary Fund, and Alex Megaro’s Krush The Wrestler, which tied for Best Documentary Short. Amanda Fallon Smith and Colin Babcock’s Coup de Grace got the nod for Best Narrative Short, as well as receiving a $10,000 camera rental package from Panavision, 3 Days Post-Production Audio 7.1 Atmos from Taproot Audio and editing consultation from Joe Shapaerio. Jack Evans’ Dateleap received an Honorable Mention in the category. Edward Worthy’s Rear won Best Mississippi Narrative Short, as well as receiving a $10,000 camera rental package from Panavision, 3 Days Post-Production Audio 7.1 Atmos from Taproot Audio and editing consultation from Joe Shapaerio. Christina Huff won for the third year in a row, taking the Best Mississippi Documentary Short prize for her film, The Hollidays in Mississippi.
Kira Cummings’ Ray Kincaid: Scatter Brain Freestyle won the prize for Best Missssippi Music Video, and Rory Ledbetter and Danny Klimetz received an Honorable Mention in the category for Heart in a Notebook. Best LGBTQIA Film went to Michelle Ehlen’s Maybe Someday, with Matt Nadel and Megan Plotka’s CANS Can’t Stand getting a Special Jury Mention for Social Advocacy. The Best Fest Forwrad Film was Wing Yan Lilian Fu’s My Dear Son. Carrie Hawks’ Inner Wound Real was Runner Up in the category. Steve Collins’ I still haven’t found what I’m looking for. Took the prize fr Best Comedy Short, with Russell Leigh Sharman’s Angle of Attack receiving an Honorable Mention.
Parties were a primary focus of this year’s edition, with highlights including creatively themed and musically-infused parties and special events starting with a 20th Birthday Party with Kid Party Games, Balloon Animals and a Birthday Cake Contest which also included a free screening of Bradford Thomason and Brett Whitcomb’s festival hit, Butterfly in the Sky. A Music Video Block Party featuring some of Oxford’s best night spots included live music performances from bands whose music videos screened at the film festival. Faulking Around Friday”, included books and whiskey at the Historic Ceder Oaks. The BIOXbuster Video Party celebrated the days of enjoying films on VHS along with Laser Tag, music and more.
The Oxford Film Festival also offered free Science on Screen events which are an initiative of the Coolidge Corner Theatre, with major support from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, as well as free sensory screenings sponsored by the Mississippi Commission of Developmental Disability. The Oxford Film Festival would not be possible without the generous support from the following grants: Mississippi Arts Commission (MAC), the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), South Arts, Visit Mississippi, and Visit Oxford.
2023 OXFORD FF AWARD-WINNING FILMS AND FILMMAKERS
Feature Film Awards
Show Business Is My Life (But I Can’t Prove It) – BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
A Film about Gary Mule Deer
Director: G.B. Shannon
$250 Cash Prize
3 Days Post-Production Audio 7.1 Atmos (Taproot Audio)
Silent Beauty – HONORABLE MENTION
Director: Jasmín Mara López
Hundreds of Beavers – BEST NARRATIVE FEATURE
Director: Mike Cheslik
$10,000 camera rental package from Panavision
3 Days Post-Production Audio 7.1 Atmos (Taproot Audio)
Editing Consultation (Joe Shapaerio)
Shudderbugs – SPECIAL JURY MENTION (Microbudget Savvy)
Director: Johanna Putnam
The Banality – BEST MISSISSIPPI FEATURE (TIE)
Directors: Michael Stevantoni, Strack Azar
$250 Cash Prize
3 Days Post-Production Audio 7.1 Atmos (Taproot Audio)
In the Bones – BEST MISSISSIPPI FEATURE (TIE)
Directors: Kelly Duane de la Vega, Zandashé Brown
$250 Cash Prize
3 Days Post-Production Audio 7.1 Atmos (Taproot Audio)
The Defenders: How Lawyers Protected the Movement – HONORABLE MENTION
Director: Roderick Red
The Journey of Tiak Hikiya Ohoyo – HONORABLE MENTION
Director: Mark Williams
Short Film & Music Video Awards
Krush The Wrestler – BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT (TIE)
Director: Alex Megaro
$250 Cash Prize
3 Days Post-Production Audio 7.1 Atmos (Taproot Audio)
Slice – BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT (TIE)
Director: Zaire Love
$250 Cash Prize
3 Days Post-Production Audio 7.1 Atmos (Taproot Audio)
Coup de Grace – BEST NARRATIVE SHORT
Directors: Amanda Fallon Smith, Colin Babcock
$10,000 camera rental package from Panavision
3 Days Post-Production Audio 7.1 Atmos (Taproot Audio)
Editing Consultation (Joe Shapaerio)
Dateleap – HONORABLE MENTION
Director: Jack Evans
Rear – BEST MISSISSIPPI NARRATIVE SHORT
Director: Edward Worthy
$10,000 camera rental package from Panavision
3 Days Post-Production Audio 7.1 Atmos (Taproot Audio)
Editing Consultation (Joe Shapaerio)
The Hollidays in Mississippi – BEST MISSISSIPPI DOCUMENTARY SHORT
Director: Christina Huff
Ray Kincaid: Scatter Brain Freestyle – BEST MISSISSIPPI MUSIC VIDEO
Director: Kira Cummings
Record Deal (Little Elephant Custom Vinyl)
3 Days Post-Production Audio 7.1 Atmos (Taproot Audio)
Heart in a Notebook – HONORABLE MENTION
Directors: Rory Ledbetter, Danny Klimetz
Maybe Someday BEST LGBTQIA FILM
Director: Michelle Ehlen
$250 Cash Prize
3 Days Post-Production Audio 7.1 Atmos (Taproot Audio)
CANS Can’t Stand – SPECIAL JURY MENTION (Social Advocacy)
Directors: Matt Nadel, Megan Plotka
My Dear Son – BEST FEST FORWARD FILM
Director: Wing Yan Lilian Fu
$250 Cash Prize
3 Days Post-Production Audio 7.1 Atmos (Taproot Audio)
Inner Wound Real – RUNNER UP
Director: Carrie Hawks
I still haven’t found what I’m looking for. – BEST COMEDY SHORT
Director: Steve Collins
$250 Cash Prize
3 Days Post-Production Audio 7.1 Atmos (Taproot Audio)
Angle of Attack – HONORABLE MENTION
Director: Russell Leigh Sharman
