Off to the Movies

2022 Film Festival Playlist

2021 Film Festival Playlist

2019 Film Festival Playlist

Interview with 2020 Programming Team

Matt Wymer:

Hello, ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to the Oxford Film Festival's official podcast Off to the Movies. I'm your host, Matt Wymer, and today we'll be talking about programming a film festival. What is a programmer? How do you get the job? I'll be joined with my cohost, Melanie Addington. We'll be speaking with the programmers of the Oxford Film Festival and answering these questions and more.

Today's episode is brought to you by the Mississippi Arts Commission, funding the arts in Mississippi. Today's episode is brought to you, in part, by the Yoknapatawpha Arts Council, supporting artists throughout North Mississippi.

Thank you film friends for joining us here on Off to the Movies. To get us started today, we're going to be speaking with our cohost and the executive director of the Oxford Film Festival, Melanie Addington.

Melanie Addington:

Yeah. First off, thanks for everyone being on this podcast, as we're trying to figure out new interesting ways to reach out to our filmmakers. But I have been doing a lot of research and a steep learning curve on what we can do, while also tracking the science and health of all of us. We're looking at building a hybrid model, so that the films don't just sit shelved for the rest of the year. We're looking at some virtual options, plus trying to figure out when we could reschedule, hopefully, in the fall, but I guess it really comes down to what happens with flattening the curve, or not, in America.

Melanie Addington:

We're definitely doing what we can on our end to keep people entertained during this time.

Matt Wymer:

Thanks, Melanie. And now, without further ado, the programmers of the Oxford Film Festival. Our first guest is Don R. Lewis the narrative features programmer at the Oxford Film Festival. He's also the editor-in-chief of Hammer to Nail. Welcome, Don.

Don Lewis:

Hey, Matt.

Matt Wymer:

You've programmed a lot of great films for us over the years. What is it that you look for in a film that you're going to be programming for?

Don Lewis:

The qualities for films that I look for in programming? It's hard for me to program, because I have trouble focusing on one thing at a time, and I'm always thinking about the big picture, like in life. I guess, one important thing is to make sure it's a diverse collection. That's important to me. Diverse filmmakers of different races and genders, sure, but also mostly I'm a story guy, even my daughter's name is Story. I like a story well told. That's the main thing. It's not a genre festival, Oxford, so I can't book all horror films. Even though I like to throw one in there, because I'm a fan of the genre.

Don Lewis:

I try to have a weird one. I like ones that have a southern feel to them, and that's challenging too, because we had some really great ones this year, and we couldn't have them all. That's the case too. In general, there's a lot of films that get submitted, and you got to make some difficult cuts. So, that was a challenge trying to get one that I... I mean, I don't live in the South, and I love the South. I love Mississippi, and Tennessee, and I want to have that represented at Oxford, but I can't. I don't want three southern films, per se.

Matt Wymer:

Filmmakers out there, just because your film wasn't selected doesn't mean it's no good.

Don Lewis:

Absolutely not. I mean, the more you do the festival, I mean, we had a film... I produced a film called Holy Ghost People, and it didn't get in the stuff, because they had something else that was similar, and they liked that better. They had a better relationship with the filmmaker. Really, you can't take it personally. I know that's cliché and it's not news to anybody out there, but just because you're hoping to get selected, it could be... I mean, honestly, maybe I liked something else, or Melanie liked something else, or behind the scenes we're like, "Look, we've got a lot of white male filmmakers here. We really need to mix them in."

Don Lewis:

It's a lot of little things, and some of them suck. I'm a middle aged white dude. I would be on the receiving end of that, as well. But it's important to have balance. That's what I look for, balance, in everything. The stories being told and who's telling them.

Matt Wymer:

Thanks, Don. Joining us now is Victoria Negri, she is the programmer for the Mississippi features and shorts. Welcome, Victoria.

Victoria Negri:

Hello.

Matt Wymer:

Victoria, could you tell us a little bit about how you became a programmer for the Oxford Film Festival?

Victoria Negri:

Yeah. My relationship with the film festival first started as a filmmaker. My first time around, I came to Oxford with my feature called Gold Star. It was an awesome experience. It immediately felt like a community and a family, like no other festival experience that I had. And I kept in touch with Melanie afterwards, and was really honored that she asked if I wanted to be involved in programming the festival. I've done some programming at other places. I've been a judge with the Memphis Film Prize and other things. Yeah, it's been a really great experience. The South has really adopted me and I love coming back every year. Yeah, I started as a filmmaker, now helping out programming. It's been awesome.

Matt Wymer:

Now that you're an official southerner, what are the equalities that you look for in the films that you program for the Oxford Film Festival?

Victoria Negri:

Yeah. I think most of the other programmers are probably going to say the same thing. I think, for me, what's actually so exciting about watching the Mississippi films are that, when I first started programming, I thought I would see a lot of the same things. But, actually, it's a huge wide variety of films by many different voices. And I think the thing that I'm really looking for that I really want to jump out is just that, a different voice. Somebody who has a really distinct perspective on whatever they're making a film about, whether it's a doc about people in their community, or the cultural legacy of a historical figure. Just that there's a really unique perspective and an interesting way of telling that story.

Matt Wymer:

Thanks, Victoria. Joining us now is Donna Kosloskie. She is the documentary programmer for the Oxford Film Festival. She does both our features and our shorts. Welcome, Donna.

Donna Kosloskie:

Hi.

Matt Wymer:

We're happy to have you here today. Could you tell us a little bit about how you became part of the Oxford Film Fest family?

Donna Kosloskie:

Yeah. I got super lucky that the person who used to be the documentary programmer had to drop out and Don Lewis, who's currently the narrative features programmer at Oxford, he recommended me. I know him through Hammers and Nail, the website that he runs, and I used to write for them a ton. He knew that I had a background documentary film, that I worked for True/False Film Fest out here in Missouri. He told Melanie and Melanie wrote me, and the rest is history. I love it. It's great.

Melanie Addington:

Full disclosure, I totally pay her. Let's just say that. Well, it's true. I texted Don because I've known him forever and said, "I really need somebody smart to program documentaries." And he said, "I know this woman, Donna, she might be good." And that was, literally, the whole conversation.

Matt Wymer:

Documentaries have such a wide variety of subject matter and style. What are some of the criteria that you use to choose a film that you're programming for?

Donna Kosloskie:

I think the thing I try to do is balance artfulness and audience. I don't want to just program for myself, but I also don't want to be bored. Since I watch dozens, maybe hundreds of films, every year, it takes a lot for me to not be bored. I'm trying to find something interesting. That's new. That I haven't seen before. But I also don't want to bore my audience with something, because they probably haven't seen nearly as many movies as I have, so I try to think about them too. I think about whether an audience would like this movie and whether I see something new in it. Yeah, that's how I do it.

Matt Wymer:

Thanks, Donna. Joining us now is Brian Whisenant. He is the LGBTQ programmer for the Oxford Film Festival. Welcome, Brian.

Brian Whisenant:

Hello. Good day.

Matt Wymer:

Brian, I know that you've been with the festival quite a few years. Could you tell us a little bit about how you became a programmer for the fest?

Brian Whisenant:

Melanie asked me, I guess, four years ago if I would be a screener for the LGBTQ films, or maybe just in general. And then the programmer dropped out, and I stepped up. I was second fiddle.

Matt Wymer:

That sounds like a field commission to me.

Brian Whisenant:

I know.

Melanie Addington:

Let's clarify, Brian's an amazing programmer. It was meant to be the perfect fit.

Brian Whisenant:

Hey, it worked out. I love it. I'm very grateful to whoever that was.

Matt Wymer:

The LGBTQ category is related to all genres. What is the criteria that you use whenever deciding which films to program?

Brian Whisenant:

I've been thinking about what I would say to this, and, in the beginning, I was really going with what really appealed to me. And then I had a conversation with Bridgett, who's a programmer for Memphis, and we were talking about the audience, like was said earlier. It's really important to think about the audience, as well, not just be selfish and pick what I like. But the past couple of years, I've noticed that the films I'm programming start to tell a story, an overall arch, which is why last year we did Queer Edge, because I noticed that the films were speaking to me and telling a story. And those were edgy queer stories. And this year, for this year's festival, it was really about everyday life, relationships between people that just happen to be LGBTQ.

Brian Whisenant:

It's shifted over the years and, of course, I always like to throw in something that's totally wild, off the wall, completely my aesthetic that, hopefully, people will like.

Matt Wymer:

Well thanks, Brian. And now, last but not least, we're going to have Meaghin Burke, who is our screenplay coordinator. Welcome, Meaghin.

Meaghin Burke:

Hi. How's it going?

Matt Wymer:

Amazing. Would you tell us a little bit about how you became involved with the Oxford Film Festival?

Meaghin Burke:

I had been fortunate enough to participate in the Oxford Film Fest in a variety of ways. And so, I started as a participant, as an audience member, and loved it. And then I became active in the community films, both as an actor, and then later as a director. Then I got on the board of the film festival. All while also working with the theater group in our small little town. And so, it was a perfect storm of skillsets for me to step in and help with the screenplays. And I was lucky enough to have Melanie ask me to do that.

Matt Wymer:

It sounds like you've done it all. As we all know, a screenplay is the first step to making a movie. What are the qualities that you look for in the screenplays that you select?

Meaghin Burke:

Well, first and foremost, I look for proper formatting. I think it makes it really challenging for us to appreciate the material, if it isn't in the standard format, so I encourage all submitters to double-check those rules. There's lots of information on the internet about how to make that happen. But as far as the substance of the material, I look for cohesion. I look for a screenplay that has a big idea and every small component of it serves that big idea. You never want to be seven pages into a screenplay wishing you didn't have seven more to go. Not every moment has to be thrilling and exciting, but every moment needs to serve the bigger picture and have a cohesive outlook.

Matt Wymer:

Okay programmers, out of the thousands of submissions that we get, not everyone is going to make the cut. Do you guys have any advice for filmmakers who are about to start submitting their films to festivals on how to get selected? Don?

Don Lewis:

Again, this is probably not news to them, but make sure it's the best cut you have. I mean, I'm willing to forgive, sometimes, sound and color correction, sound less so. If I can't hear your film, or if it sounds muddled, there's nothing I can do. And that's been an issue. Color correction I can get around, so it doesn't really affect me, but sound is a big, big deal. Make sure your sound is tight. Don't pester Melanie, or me, or anybody, just let it be. I think it's okay to check in, do your due diligence, "Did you get it?" But don't come out on social media and all that stuff.

Melanie Addington:

Oh no, it does. I have a great example. I have somebody who would really tag us on Instagram every single day from the day they sent the film up until then. Don't do that.

Don Lewis:

Yeah. That's not a... I mean, I have a full-time job. Melanie is running a festival. It's good to check in, "Hey, did you get my film," and just leave it at that, if you get a, "Yes."

Matt Wymer:

So don't wear out your welcome before the festival starts.

Don Lewis:

Yeah.

Matt Wymer:

Donna, do you have anything to add?

Donna Kosloskie:

I don't know. Actually, I do have one thing that I think a lot of filmmakers don't think enough about. Do research on the festivals that you're submitting to. I used to work for a woman's film festival. We only showed movies that were directed by women. I can't tell you how many men applied to be in our festival, and we couldn't have them. Really, do research on the festivals that you're applying to. If you made a horror movie, look for horror film festivals. If you notice that this particular film festival doesn't program animation, don't send your animation to them. So I think doing a lot of research will save you time and money and rejection too. I think that is something not enough people do, at all.

Matt Wymer:

Such good advice, Donna. Victoria, do you have anything to add?

Victoria Negri:

I think the first thing I would say is don't submit the film until it's 100% ready, and that you feel great about it. That also goes hand-in-hand with just make sure that technically your film is solid. That you have really good sound. That the cinematography is as good as it can be. But I would say the thing that's most distracting about any film is bad sound. That can be really rough and taking out of the story, so spend your money on sound people folks.

Matt Wymer:

That is great advice, especially hearing it through the ears of a sound guy. Definitely spend the time on making the visual and audio parts equally as good. Brian, you got any advice for us?

Brian Whisenant:

You know, I think before this year I would have said real basic, like lighting and sound issues. But I will tell you, having now directed my own film, and realizing I might be a little more lenient on that going forward. Because it truly shuts me down, when I see the slightest lighting issue. I think I'm going to be a little more open-minded going forward. But too long, something I've noticed, and it's not even that a film is... It's really hard to program a 45-minute film. You know what I mean? And I'm not telling an artist to change what they're doing, but in terms of submitting to a film festival, I've not programmed movies of that length, because I just didn't know what to do with them.

Brian Whisenant:

This year, I was able to figure it out for one, but we'll see what happens there. But with originality, like The Coming Out Story, I mean, I've been watching queer movies since I was... They were everything I had growing up in Mississippi as an older teen and college student. And I love a coming out story. I know that's not an original tale, but if it is told well, I'm pretty open-minded, I think. I went on a tangent, Matt.

Matt Wymer:

We love your tangents, Brian. Thanks for the great advice. Meaghin, do you got any advice for those screenwriters out there?

Meaghin Burke:

To edit your work cruelly and harshly. And if you're not at a point where you can emotionally separate yourself from your work, find a trusted friend, or editor, or someone who can tell you the harsh truth about your screenplay. Because every screenplay I've ever read has moments of beauty in it. It has something gorgeous and wonderful within it. But sometimes we have trouble pulling out all that we can from it, so let other people help you. If you can't be harsh to yourself, find someone you love that will be harsh to you, and then find forgiveness in your heart when they destroy your brainchild.

Matt Wymer:

Tough love is always the best love, especially when you're trying to create a work of art. Thank you so much for your advice. With all the extra screen time we've been getting lately, do you have any advice of what we should be watching? And tell us a little bit about what you've been watching lately.

Brian Whisenant:

I do. I have watched, first of all, Elite on Netflix. It's an incredible Spanish soapy, Gossip Girl meets I don't know. It's just amazing, so if you haven't watched Elite, watch Elite. I watched all three Lord of the Rings movies, extended additions, and that was when we first went on quarantine here, so I was all over the place. I think it took me all day to watch one. And then, I've been watching the X-Files. I mean, that's my go-to. It's my favorite show of all time. And, right now, I need a little... That's comfort for me, the X-Files. It takes me back. It warms my heart. It's worth a re-watch.

Meaghin Burke:

Well, honestly, my viewing time has decreased, because I'm in self-isolation with a five year old who keeps me really busy. So I haven't been able to stream very much, but a couple highlights. I got to revisit Atlantics, which every time I watch it, it gets more and more interesting. I got to pick up some of the rest of the top 10s from last year, like Midsummer and et cetera. But last night, I was having a bad night, and I just put Clue on, and I watched Clue for the 736th time, and it was awesome.

Matt Wymer:

Clue is a great movie. It is tied with every other Tim Curry movie as my favorite Tim Curry movie. Great advice.

Victoria Negri:

I think something really uplifting to watch, I watched Cheer last week on Netflix. It's a docu-series about a cheerleading team at a community college in Texas, the best one in the whole country. I just found it really inspiring and about a lot of things that we're all looking for: community, and being a part of something, and fighting through a difficult situation over and over again. I would recommend that. I knew nothing about cheerleading and was fully invested in sobbing by the last episode in a really positive way. Yeah, I'd say check that out.

Matt Wymer:

To cheer yourself up, watch Cheer. Thanks, Victoria.

Donna Kosloskie:

I don't want to say what you should be watching, because I don't think anybody should really be watching Tiger King, but it is a Netflix series, documentary series, that's out now. I don't even know how to describe it. I think you might have said it best, Matt. What did you call it? You called it a golden trashcan fire, I think, is how you referred to it. I think that's the most appropriate description. Yeah, that's probably the best. Other than that, I mean, I'm still watching stuff for work, and I think submissions are going to open up relatively soon for Oxford again, so I'm just going to be back to that.

Matt Wymer:

That's is right, submissions are now open for the 2020 Oxford Film Festival. Filmmakers, if you have a film that you want to submit, please take the advice of our programmers and submit immediately. Okay Melanie, let us know what you're going to be watching for the next couple of weeks.

Melanie Addington:

Yeah. I am about to definitely dive into Tiger King, but I also did my annual subscription to Criterion Collection. I'm literally watching movies from the 1920s right now, just to catch up on things I've never seen. I always treat myself once a year, around my birthday, to buy a Criterion film. And now I have access to hundreds of them at the same time for pretty much the price of one. They are not a sponsor. I'm literally just pitching this because I'm obsessed. But I am watching some amazing films that I'm finally giving myself the opportunity to watch for the next week until submissions open.

Matt Wymer:

Thanks, Melanie. Whether you're watching a blast from the past, or a current film, be sure to fill your time with good movies. I have been spending my time catching up on the current season of Better Call Saul. Vince Gilligan and his team use the powerful subtleties of filmmaking to tell this amazing story. It's available on AMC. I recommend you watch it. Thank you for listening to Off to the Movies, and thank you to all of our guests for joining us here today, talking about programming a film festival. You can find us on any social media at Oxford Film Fest.

Matt Wymer:

I'm your host, Matt Wymer, and somehow, somewhere, someday I'll see you at the movies.