OFF Summer Series: Movie Mondays
The Oxford Film Festival is working with the Lyric Theater to create a new summer film series, “Movie Mondays.” Films will screen on Mondays, one time only, as a way to bring independent films to the community outside of the festival experience. Tickets will be $5 at the door.
June 1 = We Fun
WE FUN is an insider’s look at a small group of bands that have come to international prominence in the last year. Atlanta area bands like the Black Lips, Mastodon and Deerhunter that started playing at house parties and offbeat local venues are now playing festivals around the world. It is the story of the Peter Pan syndrome reaching critical mass and the creativity that follows. It is also a portrait of how a scene develops, in this case the Atlanta indie rock scene. Directed by Matthew Robison (producer, Silver Jew; OFF 2008).
June 8 = Adventures of Power
A poor, misfit mineworker named Power sets out to change the world through his love of drums. The only problem is, he’s never learned to play – so has instead become an expert air-drummer, a skill which has yet to earn him the respect of his union-leader father or working-class town. Power soon discovers an underground network of people who play air drums competitively and his life changes forever. Directed by Ari Gold, who stars along with Jane Lynch, Michael McKean, and Adrian Grenier.
June 15 = Motherland
Six diverse and remarkable women, each grieving the loss of a child, travel to rural South Africa to work as volunteers in an effort to find some positive meaning in the wake of their tragedies. The group, strangers to each other before the trip began but bound by the painful experience they share, contribute to and learn from a culture that deals with mourning in a way very different from what they’re accustomed to in America. Directed by Jennifer Steinman.
June 22 = Splinterheads
For Justin Frost, a typical day is rolling out of bed at one, practicing improvised karate, and mowing grass for his best friend’s landscaping business. But when a traveling carnival lands in his small town, Justin falls for a sexy con-artist and wakes up to the life he has yet to begin living. Directed by Brant Sersen (Blackballed: the Bobby Dukes Story; Best Narrative Feature, OFF 2004), and featuring several familiar faces, including Lea Thompson and Frankie Faison.
June 29 = R.I.P.: a Remix Manifesto
Web activist and filmmaker Brett Gaylor explores issues of copyright in the information age, mashing up the media landscape of the 20th century and shattering the wall between users and producers. The film’s central protagonist is Girl Talk, a mash-up musician topping the charts with his sample-based songs. Is Girl Talk a paragon of people power or the Pied Piper of piracy? You decide. Creative Commons founder, Lawrence Lessig, Brazil’s Minister of Culture Gilberto Gil and pop culture critic Cory Doctorow are also along for the ride.
July 6 = Lightbulb
LIGHTBULB is a story of hope and persistence in the face of hard times. Matt is a small-time inventor looking for his big break. He and his slick-talking salesman partner Sam keep plugging away after that one idea that will become a phenomenon and bring them riches. It doesn’t help that Matt, with Sam’s prodding, has a tendency to gamble away the money she has invested in the business. Based on a true story (written by Mike Cram, based on his life); directed by Jeffrey Balsmeyer.
July 13 = Mine
MINE is a feature-length, independent documentary about the essential bond between humans and animals, set against the backdrop of one of the worst natural disasters in modern U.S. history: Hurricane Katrina. This gripping, character-driven story follows New Orleans residents as they attempt the daunting task of trying to reunite with their pets who have been adopted by families all over the country, and chronicles the custody battles that arise when two families love the same pet. Directed by Geralyn Pezanoski. Proceeds from the ticket sales will be donated to the Oxford-Lafayette Humane Society.
July 20 = HottieBoombaLottie
Trapped in Utah with an overbearing mother and an older brother bent on sabotaging his entire life, teenage Ethan channels all his ambitions into a deluded obsession with uber-hottie Madison Sweet. Commanding the screen with his Flock-of-Seagulls-meets-Wolverine hairdo, Ethan is an irresistable bundle of peculiar energy, both cheerfully clueless and unexpectedly charming. Directed by and starring Seth Packard, with Lauren McKnight, Matthew Webb, Shay Williamson, Pam Eichner, and Trace Williamson.
July 27 = Documentaries by local filmmakers Joe York (Best Mississippi Film, Whole Hog; OFF 2008) and Mary Warner, including a NEW documentary about Thacker Mountain Radio, Saving Willie Mae’s Scotch House, and other short films.
August 3 = The Night of the Loup Garou
The long-awaited “werewolf movie” shot in Taylor, Miss., starring Oxonians Thad Lee, Rhes Low, and Johnny McPhail, among a cast of many. Directed by Micah Ginn and Matthew Nothelfer (Undefeated: The Chucky Mullins Story).
