Oak Cliff Film Festival Explained

Oak Cliff Film Festival (OCFF)
Location:Dallas, Texas, United States
Founded:2012
Language:English

Oak Cliff Film Festival is a film festival held annually in the Oak Cliff neighborhood of Dallas, Texas. It showcases films made by or featuring individuals from Texas and the surrounding region. Its programming spans every genre, focused on independent, non-mainstream films both narrative and documentary.[1]

About

Oak Cliff Film Festival (OCFF) emphasizes programming experimental, nontraditional, and low-budget independent films otherwise overlooked by more mainstream festivals.[2] Events at the festival include drive-in movies, live orchestrations of silent films, screenings of newly remastered older films, and Texas/Dallas premieres.[3]

OCFF, partnered with the Austin Film Society, filmmaker David Lowery, and Tim Headington’s Ley Line Entertainment to offer grant funds for emerging North Texas filmmakers. This initiative included the North Texas Pioneer Film Grant of $30,000, specifically aimed at promoting filmmakers from the Dallas-Fort Worth area with underrepresented perspectives.[4]

OCFF also hosts student workshops covering fundamentals of filmmaking including writing, producing, directing and post-production.[5] [6]

History

First occurring from June 14–17 in 2012, the Oak Cliff Film Festival (OCFF) was founded by four independent filmmakers, Barak Epstein, Eric Steele, Adam Donaghey, and Jason Reimer, interested in fostering the film community in Dallas and the surrounding region.[7] [8] The four initial founders had purchased the historic Texas Theatre cinema in 2010 and continue to use this venue as the primary venue for the festival.[9]

Some years of the festival have included screenings held in different locations across Dallas, including Kessler Theater and Bishop Arts Theatre Center, Belmont Hotel, the Dallas Zoo, Oil and Cotton, Turner House, and El Sibil.[10] [11]

The 3–4-day festival continues to be organized by and receive financial support from the Oak Cliff Film Society.

Awards

The Oak Cliff Film Festival announces jury awards each year.

2012

The narrative features jury included Bryan Poysner and Dennis Bishop. The documentary features jury included Bradley Beesley and David Hartstein. The shorts juries included Daniel Laabs, Steve Norwood, Eric Jewel, Cynthia Mulcahy, Mike Mazurek, Frank Mosley, and Ya’Ke Smith. The music video jury included Audra Schroeder and Pete Freedman.

2012 Oak Cliff Film Festival Awards
Category Film Title Director(s)
Best Narrative Feature The Comedy Rich Alverson
Best Documentary Feature Jeff Chris James Thompson
Best Narrative Short What Happens When Robert Leaves the Room Zack Godshall
Best Student Short My Lymphoma Year Tony Wynn
Best Community Short Odds or Evens Jay Gormley
Best Music VideoMindspider's Wait for Us
Best Cinema 16 Short Brute Force Ben Steinbauer

2013

The OCFF 2013 narrative features jury were Kim Yutani, A.A. Dowd, and Steve Dollar. The documentary features jury David Hartstein, Sam Douglas, and Peter Simek. The shorts juries included Clay Liford, Dennis Bishop, Cynthia Mulcahy, Bart Weiss, and Carolyn Macartney.

2013 Oak Cliff Film Festival Awards
Category Film Title Director(s)
Best Narrative Feature Congratulations! Mike Brune
Special Jury Prize for Acting in a Narrative Feature Anna Margaret Hollyman in White Reindeer Zach Clark
Best Documentary Feature Medora Davy Rothbart
Andrew Cohn
Best Narrative Short Social Butterfly Lauren Wolkstein
Honorable Mention for Narrative Short The Chair Grainger David
Best Documentary Short You Can't Always Get What You Want Scott Calonico
Honorable Mention for Documentary Short Slomo Joshua Izenberg
Special Jury Prize for Animated Short Feral Daniel Sousa
Special Jury Prize for Experimental Short Irish Folk Furniture Tony Donaghue
Best Student Short Undocumented Dreams Sara Masetti
Honorable Mention for Student Short GBFF Atheena Frizzell

2014

Jury members in 2014 were Chase Whale, Zach Clark, James M. Johnston, Matt Grady, Peter Simek, Melina McKinnon Cain, Tom Aberg, Mike Morris, Clay Liford, Tom Anderson, Barton Weiss, Eugene Martin.

2014 Oak Cliff Film Festival Awards
Category Film Title Director(s)
Special Jury Award Narrative Feature Limo Ride Gideon Kennedy
Marcus Rosentrater
Grand Jury Award Narrative Feature Wild Canaries Lawrence Levine
Special Jury Award Documentary Feature Fight Church Daniel Junge
Bryan Storkel
Grand Jury Award Documentary Feature Yakona Anlo Sepulveda
Paul Collins
Special Jury Award Narrative Short Rat Pack Rat Todd Rohal
Grand Jury Award Narrative Short SEND Peter Vack
Special Jury Award Documentary Short The Silly Bastard Next to the Bed Scott Calonico
Grand Jury Award Documentary Short The Man Without Words Zach Godshall
Special Jury Award Student Short camchat Blake Pruitt
Grand Jury Award Student Short Housekeeping Catherine Licata

2015

2015 jury members were Augustine Frizzell, Christine Gaines, Norry Nivens, Liz Franke, Laure Neitzel, Joe Dishner, Casey Gooden, Cameron Bruce Nelson, Blair Rowan, and Barton Weiss.

2015 Oak Cliff Film Festival Awards
Category Film Title Director(s)
Best Narrative Feature Christmas, Again Charles Poekel
Special Jury Prize Mention Narrative Feature Funny Bunny Alison Bagnall
Best Documentary Feature 20 Years of Madness Jerry White, Jr.
Special Jury Mention Documentary Feature Danny Says Brendan Toller
Best Narrative Short Blissful Banquet Harrison Atkins
Honorable Mention Narrative Short Son Judd Myers
Best Documentary Short Unmappable Diane Hodson
Jasmine Luoma
Honorable Mention Documentary Short Pattern for Survival Kelly Sears
Best Student Short Leaves on Trees Nathan Duncan

2016

Jurors in 2016 were Aaron Hillis, David Lowery, Michael Tully, Holly Herrick, Richard Matson, Matt Grady, James Johnston, Joe Dishner, Geoff Marslet, Bart Weiss, Derek Kompare, Chase Whale, Jerry White, and Kerry Navarro.

2016 Oak Cliff Film Festival Awards
Category Film Title Director(s)
Grand Jury Prize Narrative Feature Little Sister Zach Clark
Special Jury Prize for Best Performance Tomas Pais for Hunky Dory Michael Curtis Johnson
Grand Jury Prize Documentary Feature Contemporary Color Ross Brothers
Grand Jury Prize Narrative Short Worldwide Woven Bodies Truls Krane Meby
Special Jury Prize for Outstanding Performance in a Narrative Short Lindsey Pulcipher for 1985 Yen Tan
Honorable Mention Midnight Narrative Short Paranormal Idiot Tom Bardnt
Honorable Mention for Most Totally Effed Up and Impossible to Forget Narrative Short Gwilliam Brian Lanano
Grand Jury Prize Documentary Short The Dog Drea Cooper
Zackary Canepari
Honorable Mention Documentary Short The Boatman Zack Godshall
Grand Jury Prize Student Short Middle Witch Amanda Gotera
Special Jury Prize for Cinematic Excellence in Student Shorts Florence Caleb Kuntz

2017

Jurors for the 2017 Oak Cliff Film Festival awards were Eric Allen Hatch, Michael Tully, Kyle Greenberg, Sai Selvarajan, Don Lewis, David Sedman, Zach Clark, Aaron Hillis, Joe Dishner, Joe Butler, Jeff Walker, Bart Weiss, and Glenys Quick.

2017 Oak Cliff Film Festival Awards
Category Film Title Director(s)
Grand Jury Prize Narrative Feature Barracuda Julia Halperin
Jason Cortlund
Grand Jury Prize Documentary Feature True Conviction Jamie Meltzer
Special Jury Prize for Visual Portraiture World Without End Jem Cohen
Grand Jury Prize Narrative Short Pregnant Joseph Sackett
Grand Jury Prize Documentary Short Polaroid Job Mike Plante
Special Jury Prize Documentary Short Richard Twice Matthew Salton
Grand Jury Prize Student Short South Texas Cow Punk Carlo Nasisse

2018

Aaron Hillis, Dan Brawley, and Gabe Klinger juried the Narrative Feature nominees. Betsey Holt, Judd Myers, and Andrew Logan juried the Narrative Short nominees. Jennifer Samani, Joshua Butler, and Neil Creque Williams juried the Documentary Feature nominees. Linda Eddy, Andy Streitfeld, and Ardis Campbell juried the Documentary Shorts nominees. Bart Weiss, Lizette Barrera, and Eric Jewell juried the Student Short nominees.

2018 Oak Cliff Film Festival Awards
Category Film Title Director(s)
Best Narrative Feature I Am Not a Witch Rungano Nyoni
Best Documentary Feature Milford Graves Full Mantis Jake Meginsky
Neil Young
Best Narrative Short Nevada Emily Ann Hoffman
Best Documentary Short Still Processing Sophy Romvari
Best Student Short Pentecost Katherine Propper
Special Jury Prize for Narrative Feature Birds Without Feathers Wendy McColm

2021

2021 Oak Cliff Film Festival Awards
Category Film Title Director(s)
Best Narrative Feature El Planeta Amalia Ulman
Best Documentary Feature Off the Road José Permar
Best Narrative Short Doretha's Blues Channing Godfrey Peoples
Best Documentary Short Still Processing Sophy Romvari
Best Student Short Michelle Kenya Gillespie
Special Jury Award for Breakthrough Performance We're All Going to the World's Fair Jane Schoenbrun
Special Jury Mention Documentary Short Trade Center Adam Baran
Special Jury Mention Documentary Feature Celeste Bell
Paul Sng
Special Jury Mention Student Short El Fantasma Arturo R. Jiménez

2022

2022 Oak Cliff Film Festival Awards[12]
Category Film Title Director(s)
Best Narrative Feature Linoleum[13] Colin West
Narrative Feature Special Jury Mention Three Tidy Tigers Tied a Tie Tighter Gustavo Vinagre
Best Documentary Feature Meet Me in the Bathroom Special Will Lovelace
Dylan Southern
Documentary Feature Jury Mention Sirens Rita Baghdadi
Best Narrative Short Peacocking Zeke Goodman
Narrative Short Special Jury Mention Executrix Kati Skelton
Best Documentary Short Stranger Than Rotterdam With Sarah Driver Lewie Kloster
Noah Kloster
Documentary Short Special Jury Mention Deerwoods Deathtrap James P. Gannon
Best Student Short Anthony Gomez
Student Short Special Jury Mention
  1. BlackatSMU
Aysia Lane
Crazy Water Awards Craziest Practical Effects Guts Chris McInroy
Crazy Water Awards Craziest Sequence Linoleum Colin West
Crazy Water Awards Craziest Decision 2nd Chance Ramin Bahrani

2023

Festival jurors in 2023 were Neal Creque Williams, Bradford Thomason, Merced Eliondo, Kelly Williams, Leigh Steglitz, Linda Eaddy, Amber Ekleberry, Bart Weiss, Claire Dejarnett, Gina Cuomo, Ardis Campbell, Rebekah Louisa Smith, Craig Miller, Marielena Resendiz, and Randall Kramen.[14]

Oak Cliff Film Festival 2023 Awards
Category Film Title Director(s)
Best Narrative Feature Molli and Max in the Future Michael Lukk Litwak
Best Documentary Feature Long Live My Happy Head Austen McCowan
Documentary Feature Special Jury Mention Don't Fall in Love With Yourself Jon Nix
Best Narrative Short The Sidewalk Artist Brandon Rivera
David Velez
Narrative Short Special Jury Mention Dream Carriers Esmeralda Hernandez
Best Documentary Short Breaking Silence Amy Bench
Annie Silverstein
Documentary Short Special Jury Mention 4DWN Danny Schmidt
Best Student Short Comadre Nicole Chi
Student Short Special Jury Mention Cats Don't Sleep at Night Beibei Xu Champagne

2024

Oak Cliff Film Festival 2024 Awards
Category Film Title Director(s)
Best Narrative Feature Vulcanizadora Joel Potrykus
Best Documentary Feature Swamp Dogg Gets His Pool Painted Isaac Gale; Ryan Olson
Documentary Feature Special Jury Mention Ultimate Citizens Francine Strickwerda
Best Narrative Short Jedo's Dead Sara Nimeh
Best Documentary Short We Clap for Airballs Sai Selvarajan
Documentary Short Special Jury Mention Queen vs. Texas Emil Lozada; Raemonn James
Best Student Short Hair Care Fatima Warby
Student Short Special Jury Mention Recyclos Jordan Gros

Notes and References

  1. News: 2023 Oak Cliff Film Festival begins Thursday, featuring North Texas connections . José Sánchez . Córdova . June 20, 2023 . . May 6, 2024 . https://archive.today/20240519053349/https://www.dallasnews.com/arts-entertainment/movies/2023/06/20/2023-oak-cliff-film-festival-begins-thursday-featuring-north-texas-connections/ . May 19, 2024.
  2. News: Cult, Underground and Independent in Flux: The Oak Cliff Film Festival . Mallett . Whitney . June 23, 2015 . . May 6, 2024 . https://archive.today/20240519053349/https://www.dallasnews.com/arts-entertainment/movies/2023/06/20/2023-oak-cliff-film-festival-begins-thursday-featuring-north-texas-connections/ . May 19, 2024 .
  3. News: 2019 Oak Cliff Film Fest To Feature Texas Premieres Of Danny Boyle’s Latest, Awkwafina’s Starring Turn And Area Production Team Sailor Bear’s Newest Work . Freedman . Pete . May 16, 2019 . Central Track . May 6, 2024 . https://archive.today/20240519060351/https://www.centraltrack.com/here-are-the-28-movies-playing-oak-cliff-film-fest-19/ . May 19, 2024.
  4. News: Oak Cliff Film Festival reels out 15 Texas premieres for 2021 edition . Alex . Bentley . May 24, 2021 . CultureMap Dallas . May 6, 2024 . https://archive.today/20240519225908/https://dallas.culturemap.com/news/entertainment/05-24-21-oak-cliff-film-festival-lineup-questlove-riz-ahmed-montopolis/ . May 19, 2024.
  5. News: Get in tune at the Oak Cliff Film Festival . Maiya . Turner . November 27, 2023 . CW33 News . May 18, 2024 . https://archive.today/20240519060426/https://cw33.com/news/local/get-in-tune-at-the-oak-cliff-film-festival-submissions-now-open/ . May 19, 2024.
  6. News: Filmmaking workshop teaches North Texas teens how to make their own movies . Pablo . Peña . June 22, 2023 . KERA . May 6, 2024 . https://archive.today/20240519230417/https://www.keranews.org/arts-culture/2023-06-22/filmmaking-workshop-teaches-north-texas-teens-how-to-make-their-own-movies . May 19, 2024.
  7. News: Dallas Has Its Own Indie Film Scene, and a Festival . Christopher . Kelly . June 2, 2012 . . May 6, 2024 . https://archive.today/20140811000951/http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/03/us/dallas-has-its-own-indie-film-scene-and-now-a-festival.html?_r=0#selection-361.0-375.24 . August 11, 2014.
  8. News: Filmmakers Host Inaugural Oak Cliff Film Festival Beginning June 17 . Sarah . Swinney . June 13, 2012 . NBCDFW . May 6, 2024 . https://archive.today/20240519060813/https://www.nbcdfw.com/local/filmmakers-host-inaugural-oak-cliff-film-festival-beginning-june-17/1920079/ . May 19, 2024.
  9. News: The Oak Cliff Film Fest is Back; Here's How to Do It Like a Pro . Jamie . Laughlin . June 17, 2014 . . May 6, 2024 . https://archive.today/20240519060831/https://www.dallasobserver.com/arts/the-oak-cliff-film-fest-is-back-heres-how-to-do-it-like-a-pro-7087643 . May 19, 2024.
  10. News: 5+ reasons to get pumped about the 2022 Oak Cliff Film Festival this month . Christina Hughes . Babb . June 9, 2022 . Oak Cliff Advocate . May 6, 2024 . https://archive.today/20240519230557/https://oakcliff.advocatemag.com/2022/06/5-reasons-to-get-pumped-about-the-2022-oak-cliff-film-festival-this-month/ . May 19, 2024.
  11. News: Oak Cliff Film Festival Showcases 26 Feature Films, 12 Texas Premieres . Jo Ann . Holt . June 7, 2022 . Focus Daily News . May 6, 2024 . https://archive.today/20240519231901/https://www.focusdailynews.com/oak-cliff-film-festival-showcases-26-feature-films-12-texas-premieres/ . May 19, 2024.
  12. News: Here’s a look at the winners from 2022’s Oak Cliff Film Festival . Tyler Manning . Manning . June 28, 2022 . CW33 . May 6, 2024 . https://archive.today/20240519231955/https://cw33.com/news/local/heres-a-look-at-the-winners-from-2022s-oak-cliff-film-festival/ . May 19, 2024.
  13. News: 5 Must-See Films at the 11th Annual Oak Cliff Film Festival . Megan . Ziots . May 25, 2022 . PaperCity Magazine . May 6, 2024 . https://archive.today/20240519231145/https://www.papercitymag.com/culture/5-must-see-films-at-the-11th-annual-oak-cliff-film-festival/ . May 19, 2024.
  14. News: The Oak Cliff Film Festival wrap up: ‘most successful’ . Christina Hughes . Babb . July 3, 2023 . Advocate Oak Cliff . May 6, 2024 . https://archive.today/20240519232532/https://oakcliff.advocatemag.com/2023/07/oak-cliff-film-festival-2023/ . May 19, 2024.