2010 Spotlight Screenings Announced

The Oxford Film Festival is proud to announce their spotlight screenings. The seventh annual film festival will be held February 4-7, 2010 and will include over 75 films and numerous panels and seminars. The full competition listing will be announced at the end of December.

"We are thrilled to be showcasing these interesting films that have played at prestigious festivals across the country, and might not have come to Oxford otherwise," Michelle Emanuel, festival co-director, said.

The opening night film for the Oxford Film Festival, "Wonderful World," stars Matthew Broderick as Ben Singer, a failed children's folk singer and a newly unemployed proofreader. Singer is an every-other-weekend dad to his young daughter (Jodelle Ferland), who prefers pretty much anything to listening to her dad's pessimistic ramblings. Struggling in all aspects of his life, Ben's only comforts come from smoking marijuana alone and playing regular chess games with his smart and opinionated Senegalese roommate Ibou (Michael Kenneth Williams). When Ibou is suddenly struck ill and an insensitive municipal employee exacerbates the emergency situation, Ben pours his energy into a lawsuit against the city for depraved indifference. Bens life begins to turn around with the arrival of Ibous beautiful and sexy sister Khadi (Sanaa Lathan) from Senegal, who moves into Ibous room in Bens apartment. As Ben suspects that it is his own cynicism corroding the beauty around him, he realizes that its all a matter of perspective. "Wonderful World" is written and directed by Josh Goldin and stars Matthew Broderick (The Producers, Election, Ferris Bueller's Day Off), Michael Kenneth Williams (The Wire, The Road), Sanaa Lathan (The Family That Preys, The Cleveland Show), Jodelle Ferland (to be seen as Bree in Twilight: Eclipse), Jesse Tyler Ferguson (Modern Family), Ally Walker (Sons of Anarchy, Profiler), and Philip Baker Hall (The Loop). It features original music with a cameo performance by acclaimed musician Dan Zanes, the noted father of the modern independent kids' music movement.

The Friday night spotlight feature is "The Vicious Kind," a dramatic comedy set in small town Rhode Island, brings together elements of depression, romance and self exploration among a dysfunctional family of men. Lonely and frustrated after a bitter break up, Caleb (Adam Scott) warns his younger brother Peter (Alex Frost) against women, especially the pretty young thing (Brittany Snow) he's bringing home for the holidays. His indifferent opinion and steely resolve is put to the test as his attraction to Peter's girlfriend begins to grow. Adam Scott (Tell Me You Love Me, Party Down) has been nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for this role. Alex Frost previously appeared in Gus Van Sant's Elephant. Brittany Snow had roles in Hairspray and Prom Night. J.K. Simmons, who plays the father of Caleb and Peter, is in this year's Up in the Air, as well as Juno and the three Spiderman movies.

The closing night spotlight film, "The Scenesters," follows crime scene videographers as they set out to catch a serial killer who is picking off beautiful young hipsters on the east side of Los Angeles. "The Scenesters" is an innovative and quirky murder mystery that both honors and deconstructs the conventions of the classic "who-done-it?" film genre. Features Sherilyn Fenn (Twin Peaks) and the LA-based comedy group The Vacationeers. "The Scenesters" is also in competition in the narrative feature category.

Oxford Film Fest - After Dark

The three late night films for the 2010 festival were selected due to their quirky, yet innovative storytelling. Despite their late hours on the program, "these films always bring out the most enthusiastic crowds," Emanuel explained.

In "The Night of The Loup Garou," Dr. Dax Wingo (Rhes Low) is a down-on-his-luck anthrozooologist who has long been discounted by the scientific community as a myth-chaser. But when six college students are found viciously murdered in the tiny town of Taylor, Miss., the clues left behind point to the mysterious Cajun werewolf lore known as the "Loup Garou". Together with his savvy graduate assistant Shad (Thad Lee) and a sassy undergraduate student (Haven Nutt), Dax joins forces with Government Operative Richard English (Scott Morris) to face off with whoever, or whatever, lurks in the dark woods of Taylor. But before the investigation can begin, Dax realizes he is being teamed with anthrozooological arch-rival, Dr. Doug-Clark Paulson (Nathan Buttrey), Russian big-game hunter Ernie Sokolov (Ace Atkins), and Dax's estranged wife, Claudia (Tiffany Kilpatrick). The "team" is a powder-keg of emotions and criss-crossed interests as they set out to solve the mystery before the body count rises. Micah Ginn and Matthew Nothelfer previously directed the documentary film Undefeated: The Chucky Mullins Story, which appeared in the 2005 Festival.

"Stingray Sam," is Cory McAbee's inventive six-part series that follows Stingray Sam who reunites with his long lost accomplice, The Quasar Kid, for a dangerous mission. Follow these two space convicts as they earn their freedom in exchange for the rescue of a young girl who is being held captive by the genetically designed figurehead of a very wealthy planet.

The film "Cigarette Girl" is set in the year 2035, when cigarettes sell for $63.49 a pack and the "minority habit" of tobacco is restricted to ghettoized 'smoking sections' of cities. In it, the titular character "Cigarette Girl" quits smoking and starts killing three days later.

The Oxford Film Festival program will soon be available on the oxfordfilmfest.com

Web site.

2010 Oxford Film Festival Sponsors

The 2010 Oxford Film Festival Sponsors help sustain not only the Festival but also the year-round programs of the non-profit festival. Their support is crucial to the mission of celebrating independent film. This year's Festival Sponsors include: Partner University of Mississippi Media Productions; Presenting Sponsors Yoknapataphwa Arts Council, Malco and Oak Hill Stables; Panel Level Rock River Foundation; Sponsor Level - R&B Charitable Foundation for the Beaux Arts, Wilson Roberts and Captured Photography as well as numerous sponsors at varying other levels.

Oxford Film Festival

Founded in 2003 as a project of the Yoknapatawpha Arts Council, the Oxford Film Festival is an independent non-profit 501c3 organization committed to celebrating the art of independent cinema. The Oxford Film Festival entertains and educates its participants, providing residents and visitors with the opportunity to watch independent films as well as to meet the filmmakers and learn from industry professionals. The variety of films and panels attracts filmgoers of all ages and backgrounds.

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For images, filmmaker contact or additional information, please contact:

Melanie Addington

(662) 801-6007

melanie@oxfordfilmfest.com