The 14th annual Oxford Film Festival begins today, so here are HottyToddy.com‘s five most anticipated films for the upcoming weekend. With 150 films to choose from, don’t take our word for it; go out and see as many films as possible this weekend!
“I Am Not Your Negro” Director: Raoul Peck – Malco Theatre 7 p.m. & 7:45 p.m. – Fri.
This documentary has been nominated for an Oscar for it’s telling of James Baldwin’s “Remember This House,” an unfinished manuscript written by Baldwin attempting to explore racism in the 1950s and ’60s. Baldwin began writing the manuscript after he met Civil Rights leaders Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X and Medgar Evers. The film currently holds a 98 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and executive director of the Oxford Film Fest, Melanie Addington, had high praise for the film as well.
“Being the director of a film festival in Mississippi, I’ve seen a lot Civil Rights films, but this is beyond anything I’ve ever seen,” Addington said.
Virtual Reality Films – Powerhouse 10 a.m.- 5 p.m. Thurs. – Sun.
Virtual reality is quickly becoming one of the biggest trends in the film industry, and the Film Festival will highlight that. Everyone will have a chance to experience virtual reality first hand, as the films will be available to film fest goers all day long. There will be plenty of variety with 10 different VR films to be chosen from. All of the VR experiences will be free to the public, and can be seen at the Powerhouse.
“The Atoning” Director: Michael Williams – Oxford Conference Center – 1:45 p.m. & 5 p.m. – Sat.
I may not be a horror movie fan since I enjoy going to sleep peacefully at night, but you might be. If you are, The Atoning has everything you want in a horror flick.
Vera, Ray and Sam, a seemingly normal family, are haunted by more than mere ghosts. The lingering horror of their past threatens their ability to function as a loving family until they become enlightened by a mystical encounter. From that moment on, they’re thrust into a horror worse than anything they’ve ever experienced. Personal demons manifest and tear the family apart from the inside out as they come to terms with their past.
“Kudzu Zombies” Director: Mark Newton – Malco Theatre – 10:30 p.m. Fri, 10:45 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Sun.
The zombie genre lives on, as this film pins a mismatched group to fight they’re way through an infested horde of zombies in Charleston, Mississippi. When a plan to control the kudzu goes awry, Lonnie must lead his group to safety.
Lonnie, a crop duster pilot, must lead a mismatched group of survivors to the local air strip to escape the deadly zombie horde after the experimental chemical, intended to control the invasive kudzu vine, enters the food chain transforming the citizens of Charleston, Mississippi.
“Gold Star” Director: Victoria Negri – Malco Theatre – 6 p.m. Friday
Inspired by the director’s own experience, Negri wrote “Gold Star” as a tribute to her father. The main character returns home after her father suffered a stroke and reconnects with her family. The film stars the late Robert Vaughn and Orange Is the New Black’s Catherine Curtin.
“When I wrote Gold Star, I was by my father’s side in the hospital, or sitting in my apartment, mourning the loss of the man I knew, or thought I knew,” Negri said. “I hope and know that many people can relate to loss, to not being able to say goodbye, not wanting to, to being in denial, to the lack of a clean ending, and the sense of loss and fear in accepting that you’ll never really know your parents.”
The Oxford Film Festival begins today and will continue through Sunday, Feb. 19 at locations all across Oxford. For a complete schedule of films and locations, click here.
Steven Gagliano is a writer for HottyToddy.com. He can be reached at steven.gagliano@hottytoddy.com.
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