Now in its seventh year, the deadCENTER Film Festival has something 'reel' big planned this weekend: more than 100 movies!

 

When filmmaker Justan Floyd started the deadCENTER Film Festival seven years ago, his only help was from his brother, Jason, and his mom, who made T-shirts and helped sell Snickers candy bars, nachos and hot dogs.

 

Nowadays, the festival has a life of its own " with full-time staff members, corporate sponsors and thousands of audience members who show up to see independent features and shorts, as well as attend hip, lavish parties throughout downtown Oklahoma City.

 

Although the 2007 deadCENTER festival " which starts today and runs through Sunday " features more than 100 films, Floyd remembers the early, leaner days of the event.

 

"I just got tired of having to go out of state to see my own films, and films of other local and smaller filmmakers," he said. "We started trying to raise money, and pretty much got laughed out the door everywhere we went, which is awesome."

 

Floyd paid for the first festival out of his own pocket, and just barely recouped costs by selling the 235 tickets it took to break even. Forty-two short films were screened that year, he said, and ran back-to-back with no breaks.

 

Movies will be shown through Sunday at:

Harkins Bricktown Cinemas, 150 E. Reno Individual Artists of Oklahoma Gallery, 811 N. Broadway; KerrPark, N. Robinson and N. Broadway avenues Makers Cigar Bar, 25 S. Oklahoma; Ronald J. Norick Downtown Library, 300 Park Ave. Oklahoma Museum of Art, 415 Couch the CrystalRoom at the Skirvin Hotel, 1 Park Ave. The Purple Bar at Nonna's Euro-American Ristorante, 1 Mickey Mantle XO Lounge, 15 N. Robinson outside at N.E. Third Street and E.K. Gaylord Boulevard

 Screening times

 

- Joe Wertz

  • or