deadCENTER Film

Google Wave is Dead. Long Live Google Wave.

Over at The Candler Blog, friend of the festival Jonathan Poritsky is lamenting the recent demise of Google Wave, which is something a lot of people have been doing. What he’s thinking about, though, is the impact on filmmakers – what does this mean for the future of filmmaker collaboration on the web? Why did no one use Google Wave to actually make a movie?

The whole article is worth your time, but the way he ends it is especially poignant:

“For now, creators will keep on creating. Like anything else, these are just tools. Google Wave was a bold move in the right direction towards central collaboration. There is no way to look at this as a failure for Google, or for any of us. The conversation has shifted. Now we need to take the momentum that Google Wave kicked off and the tools it will leave behind to keep the conversation up so that when the technology falls in line, we will be there to adopt filmmaking methodologies that move us forward.”

The future of filmmaking on the web is definitely an exciting one, and I hope Jonathan is correct in thinking we’re closer than anyone thinks to being able to create films solely online.

For now, though, hop over to his post and join the discussion.

Letting people know how much you like deadCENTER – now in handy voting form!

If you are one of literally several people who regularly wish there was a way to let people know you think deadCENTER is “The Best Annual Event” in Oklahoma City, you’re in luck. Head over to the Oklahoma Gazette’s website to fill out their Best of OKC ballot, or if you prefer putting pen to paper, you can pick up one of their free papers just about anywhere around the metro.

Important note: you must vote in at least half the categories (there are 109) for your ballot to count, so don’t just skip down to #65 to vote for us!

Two great panel discussions today

Make sure you’re at the Oklahoma City Museum of Art at 12:30 and 2 pm today for the last two panel discussions of the festival.

At 1230, Julie Porter of the OK Film and Music Office will be talking with some of Oklahoma’s most talented independent filmmakers for the “How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Make My Movie” panel. We’ll be hearing about how these filmmakers got that first film done; it’s a must-see for any aspiring filmmakers out there.

At 2 pm, the museum will screen “For the Love of Movies: The Story of American Film Criticism,” and a panel discussion moderated by OKMOA film curator Brian Hearn will follow immediately afterwards. The panel will feature Elvis Mitchel, Pete VonderHaar and the director of the film, Gerald Peary. We expect a big turnout for this screening, so make sure you secure a seat early.

4 Questions: RACHEL IS

Academy Award Nominee Spike Jonze Confirmed to Attend deadCENTER Kick-off Event ‘redCENTER Lounge’

Academy Award nominee Spike Jonze will join legendary BMX pioneer and Oklahoma native Mat Hoffman to kickoff the 10th annual deadCENTER Film Festival, Wednesday, June 9 in downtown Oklahoma City’s Automobile Alley.

Jonze, Hoffman and the most hip and happening filmmakers and enthusiasts in Oklahoma City will celebrate the festival’s landmark year at the exclusive “redCENTER Lounge” fundraiser at Red Prime Steak from 7-9 p.m.

Jonze was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Director in 2000 for “Being John Malkovich” and directed another Academy Award nominated film, 2002’s “Adaptation.” Most recently, he directed and wrote the screenplay for 2009’s “Where the Wild Things Are.”

A $100 ticket to the “redCENTER Lounge” includes not only the opportunity to brush shoulders with the likes of Jonze and Hoffman, but also signature cocktails, Stella Artois, heavy hors d’oevres, the opportunity to bid on unique, exclusive auction items and prime, reserved seating for the outdoor screening of the Hoffman documentary “The Birth of Big Air,” produced by Jonze and extreme sport fanatic Johnny Knoxville.

“Spike Jonze is, hands down, one of the biggest, most respected names in filmmaking today. ‘redCENTER Lounge’ just went from one hot ticket to an absolute must-attend event,” said Cacky Poarch, deadCENTER executive director.

Admission to the “redCENTER Lounge” is not included with any deadCENTER pass, including the All-Access Pass. Tickets can be purchased online at the link below. Seating is limited.

“redCENTER Lounge” is a part of a host of kick-off activities for the opening of the deadCENTER film festival. The 500 block of Broadway Ave. in Automobile Alley will be closed to traffic for a free, public block party starting at 7 p.m., which includes the Oklahoma premiere of “The Birth of Big Air” under the stars at 9:30 p.m., preceded by live music, “rolling” entertainment, and a VIP party for All-Access pass holders.

Directed by Jeff Tremaine, the documentary showcases the inner workings and exploits of the man who gave birth to “Big Air,” Mat Hoffman. Partially shot in Oklahoma, the film was created for ESPN’s 30 for 30 series.

Zombies! Porn! Hot Brando! Awesome radio!

If you care about pop culture at all and you live in OKC, chances are you’ve heard about the Spy coming back to the airwaves after a much-too-long absence. And if you’ve been listening to the Spy, you know that besides having the best music on the dial, the Spy features some of the best commercials as well. Naturally, we wanted in on the party, so we teamed up with the man you know and love as the Pop Culture Junkie to come up with the spots below.

Enjoy:

Hot Brando:

Zombies!:

Porn! (not really):

Only 30 seconds:

This is awesome – you can see it Friday or Saturday night. You’re Welcome.

Countdown: 2 Days to the 10th Annual Fest

Today’s Featured Film:

The Four-Faced Liar

The Pitch: A girl and a guy walk into a bar. They meet a girl and a guy. The guys talk about the girls. The girl falls for the girl. The guys don’t know…until they do..
Why you should see it: Charming, lovely, engaging. Beautiful camera work, swift and delicious story and surefooted performances from the actors. Director Jacob Chase and Writer/Actress Marja-Lewis Ryan will be in town for the screenings. Well here – see what a tiny publication called Variety says about it.
When it’s playing: Friday June 11th @ 7:30pm @ [ArtSpace] @ Untitled and Saturday June 12th @7:30pm @ the IAO Gallery.

Watch the Trailer For The Four Faced Liar

More About The Four-Faced Liar Here

4 Questions: EN TUS MANOS

We thought it would be a good idea to help you get to know some of our fantastic filmmakers. So, borrowing an idea from LA Weekly’s Karina Longworth (the Bernard Pivot to our James Lipton), we submitted four questions to each filmmaker about and themselves and their films.

En Tus Manos is a unique hybrid of indie film: Produced by Oklahomans, filmed in Bogota, Columbia, featuring Actors from Columbia and Mexico, and exploring themes that are universal. It screens as part of the Worldview Shorts Program Thursday, June 10th at 7:30pm.

Here’s Producer Brent Green and Director Ron Jacobs:

Tracey Zeeck explains the redCENTER Lounge Fundraiser – in detail.

Well, here we are, just four days from the kickoff of the tenth annual deadCENTER Film Festival. Think about it – that means just ten short years ago, we didn’t even have a film festival in Oklahoma City. For those of you too young to remember, there used to be a lot of Pictionary and charades played to fill the second week in June. And lots of drinking. Fortunately that is no longer the case. Except for the drinking. There’s still lots of drinking. And the occasional game of Pictionary, if only for old times’ sake. But I digress.

As a member of the board of directors, a faithful fan of the festival, and a self-proclaimed “creativity junkie”, I can promise you that deadCENTER does not disappoint. In my opinion, it’s one of the best things about OKC, and it only gets better year after year.

Take this year for example. It’s our tenth anniversary. An occasion to celebrate. So we are piggybacking our first-ever VIP fundraiser on the already-outstanding, annual kickoff party and outdoor screening. Pretty smart, eh? (Thanks again, Anthony McDermid!)

Read more about The redCENTER Lounge

4 Questions: DOWN IN NUMBER 5

We thought it would be a good idea to help you get to know some of our fantastic filmmakers. So, borrowing an idea from LA Weekly’s Karina Longworth (the Bernard Pivot to our James Lipton), we submitted four questions to each filmmaker about and themselves and their films.

Meet Kim Spurlock, director of Down in Number 5, a haunting short film (based on a true story) about a retired coal miner struggling to care for his 40-year old developmentally disabled son.  Down in Number 5 screens with the documentary feature Rachel Is on Thursday, June 10th at 5:30pm.

1. Tell us about your movie. Give us the reductive, 25-word or less, “It’s like [pop culture reference a] meets [pop culture reference b]!” pitch, then explain what the quick and dirty sell leaves out.

“Down in Number 5″ is a Southern Gothic fact-based fiction.  I can’t think of a pop culture reference for it!  I don’t feel entirely comfortable comparing myself to authors of such stature, but if I had to pick, I would say it is like Harper Lee meets Flannery O’Connor? Read More »