Spring Break
Oxford film festival increases repertoire
Scott Lippert
Issue date: 2/26/08 Section: Community
The Oxford International Film Festival (OIFF) reprises its role this year as the only major film festival in the region. After the first OIFF in April 2007, the Miami Association of Filmmakers and Independent Actors (M.A.F.I.A) continues to produce the festival in what it hopes will become an annual event.
This year's festival will include live bands, guest celebrities and over 45 international films.
The festival will run from April 10-14 and premier movies, host filmmaker panels as well as many other activities at Miami University's Marcum Conference Center, the Oxford Arts Center and Uptown Park.
In an effort to build on last year's success, the OIFF is expanding according to Miami senior Shannon Berner, the festival's public relations director.
"We're hoping to at least double the attendance," Berner said. "We want to make the festival more of an event so that something is constantly going on."
She said there were 1,200 people in attendance last year and she hopes approximately 3,000 people attend this year.
In order to build on last year's success, the festival will now include several local bands performing in Uptown Park, according to Berner. New art galleries and workshops will also allow for guests to have personal interactions with local and international filmmakers.
This year, OIFF has a revamped its Web site as well. Visitors of the festival will be able to go online and create their own account at oxfordfilms.com. By doing so, guests can create their own screening schedule, track movie debuts and write their own reviews of the movies they've seen.
Over 500 films from more than 35 countries were submitted to OIFF for the 2008 festival. As a result, guests to the event will be able to enjoy hundreds of local and international films including The Tracey Fragments, featuring Academy Award nominated actress Ellen Page from Juno; Swing State, a film highlighting the importance of Ohio in the 2008 presidential race; and Eastern College, a locally filmed and produced movie making its world debut.
This year's festival will include live bands, guest celebrities and over 45 international films.
The festival will run from April 10-14 and premier movies, host filmmaker panels as well as many other activities at Miami University's Marcum Conference Center, the Oxford Arts Center and Uptown Park.
In an effort to build on last year's success, the OIFF is expanding according to Miami senior Shannon Berner, the festival's public relations director.
"We're hoping to at least double the attendance," Berner said. "We want to make the festival more of an event so that something is constantly going on."
She said there were 1,200 people in attendance last year and she hopes approximately 3,000 people attend this year.
In order to build on last year's success, the festival will now include several local bands performing in Uptown Park, according to Berner. New art galleries and workshops will also allow for guests to have personal interactions with local and international filmmakers.
This year, OIFF has a revamped its Web site as well. Visitors of the festival will be able to go online and create their own account at oxfordfilms.com. By doing so, guests can create their own screening schedule, track movie debuts and write their own reviews of the movies they've seen.
Over 500 films from more than 35 countries were submitted to OIFF for the 2008 festival. As a result, guests to the event will be able to enjoy hundreds of local and international films including The Tracey Fragments, featuring Academy Award nominated actress Ellen Page from Juno; Swing State, a film highlighting the importance of Ohio in the 2008 presidential race; and Eastern College, a locally filmed and produced movie making its world debut.
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