Disfluency by director Anna Baumgarten and The First Step by Brandon Kramer won the top jury prizes at the 19th annual Oxford Film Festival.
The narrative feature jury, which consisted of NPR film critic Tim Gordon, Indie Memphis programmer Kayla Myers, and SAGindie development manager Eliza Hajkova, said of Best Narrative Feature winner Disfluency, “With subtlety and a distinct sense of place, this film thoughtfully explores the nuances of reeling from and beginning the ongoing process of healing from trauma. This deeply empathetic film also manages to assert the possibilities of language outside of the spoken word through showcasing how forms of communication like ASL allow us to be open and embody our truth in ways that our voice may not.”
The documentary feature jury of Jean Anne Lauer, Fantastic Fest programmer; Nat Dykeman, Lake County Film Festival founder; and Rachel Morgan, creative director of the Sidewalk Film Festival, said, “As they advocate at the highest levels of government for the First Step Act, Van Jones and team remind us that everyone has the responsibility to recognize humanity and dignity in each other across the perceived differences and backgrounds that presently serve to divide us. The First Step documents the tenuous nature of coalition building around social justice issues, offering no easy solutions to complex problems, and at the same time refusing to accept inaction as a path forward.”
Winners of the feature film and documentary competitions are awarded $15,000 camera rental packages from Panavision.
The Audience Award for best feature went to Krimes by director Alysa Nahmias. Ashley E. Gibson won the Best Mississippi Feature for The Fearless 11.
In the short film categories, “Bainne” by Jack Reynor won for the best national short, and Nolan Dean’s “Nighthawks” won for Best Mississippi short. The music video award went to “Every Breath You Take” by Emily White, directed by Hunter Heath.
The $1,000 screenplay competition was won by Nando by Luis Agusto Figueroa.
The in-person portion of the Oxford Film Festival was held last weekend. You can access the full schedule of films, including the winners, in the virtual portion of the festival, which runs through this weekend. You can sign up for the virtual festival on the Oxford Film Festival website.
