A record-breaking 1,500 films were submitted to the deadCenter Film Festival for consideration at this year’s event of which 140 were chosen as official selections. Among them, three productions that utilized the Oklahoma Film Enhancement Rebate Program were announced: “The Bygone”, “Hosea” and “Trolls: Stop Motion”.
Written and directed by Oklahomans Graham and Parker Phillips, “The Bygone” tells the story of a young rancher who falls in love with a Lakota Sioux girl from a nearby reservation whose sudden disappearance sparks a search that uncovers a harrowing past that hints at a dire future. Graham Phillips (“The Good Girl”, “Riverdale”) also stars in the film, which features a robust cast, including Shawn Hatosy (“Animal Kingdom”, “Southland”), Jamie McShane (“Bloodline”, “Fear the Walking Dead”) and Irene Bedard (“Into the West”, “Pocahantas”). The film, which celebrates its world-premiere at deadCenter, was produced in Oklahoma in November 2017 and filmed throughout the state at a number of locations, including Alabaster Caverns State Park.
A graduate of Southern Nazarene University, Ryan Daniel Dobson’s debut feature film “Hosea” is a modern re-imaging of the ancient Hebrew tale in a dramatic story of love that follows one woman’s journey toward self-acceptance. Starring Camille Rowe (“Our Day Will Come”) and Avi Nash (“The Walking Dead”), this film was produced in Oklahoma City earlier last year.
“We’re excited to bring ‘Hosea’ back to Oklahoma, and we were so thankful to have been able to shoot there,” said Writer/Director Dobson. “Oklahoma has a raw beauty you can’t find shooting elsewhere. There’s no visual double for the big blue sky where it meets the red clay dirt. It became a character in our film.”
Local filmmaker Kyle Roberts of Reckless Abandonment Pictures will present a virtual reality experience based on DreamWorks “Trolls: Stop Motion” animated series. Roberts produced the streaming series for DreamWorks in Oklahoma City and secured the job for his company after successfully achieving a spec test for the first ever commercially-made 360 degree stop motion production. This virtual experience of the series will leap interactive participants into a kid’s playroom and the world of the Trolls.
“We are continually impressed by the growth and quality programming of the deadCenter Film Festival,” said OF+MO Director Tava Maloy Sofsky. “We’re proud to have three projects which have utilized the Oklahoma Film Enhancement Rebate Program in this year’s festival, and we look forward to recognizing the accomplishments of those filmmakers alongside our additional local cast, crew and industry members who will be featured at deadCenter.”
For a complete schedule of deadCenter events, ticketing information and more, please visit deadcenterfilm.org.
