5 minute read
deadCenter Announces 2023 Films
by okcfriday
Farmers Market
May 31 • Farmers Market
Scissortail Park will add a monthly, midweek Farmers Market to the Lower Park near the Hill Pavilion. Taking place from 58 pm on the last Wednesday of each month from May through September, the new market will feature more local Oklahoma vendors to complement the weekly Saturday market. Free street parking is available along South Robinson Ave. and South Harvey Ave., as well as a small free parking lot at South Harvey and SW 15th St.
This Weekend
May 1113 • Big 12 Softball USA Softball Hall of Fame Complex will serve as the host facility for the 2023 Phillips 66 Big 12 Softball Championship. Contact the Big 12 ticket office for more ticket information, Tickets@ big12sports.com. For more information, visit: go.teamusa.org/ 3IEu7tF
May 12 •
KATTFest 2023
Rock 100.5 The Katt Presents KATTFEST 2023 at the Zoo Amphitheatre with Godsmack, I Prevail, Bad Omens, Zero 9:36 and Catch Your Breath. Gates Open at 3:30 pm. No Lawn Chairs.
May 13 •
May 2729 • Paseo Arts Festival
May is finally here, and that means the 46th Annual Paseo Arts Festival is May 2729. Visitors will enjoy almost 100 nationally acclaimed visual artists, more than 50 musicians and live performers on two stages and a food court is sure to please and will feature 20 food and drink vendors with traditional and notsotraditional Festival treats, both savory and sweet.
If you are available throughout Memorial Day weekend on May 27, 28 & 29, please consider signing up as a volunteer. This festival isn't possible without the help of 400 volunteers every year. Go to thepaseo.org/festival for sign ups and event details.
Garden Festival Gardeners, cooking enthusiast, home decorators and other plant lovers are invited to the Myriad Botanical Gardens’ annual free Oklahoma City Flower & Garden Festival, Saturday, May 13, from 9 am 4 pm.
May 13 • ‘90s Tribrute Get ready to MMMBop along with your favorite ‘90s and early 2000s anthems with My So Called Band, returning to the Tower Theatre stage at 8 pm. Snap in your butterfly clips, break out your capris and secure your tickets now at towertheatreokc.com.
May 14 • Mother’s Day Brunch
Treat your Mom, family and friends to a Special Mother's Day Brunch at Omni Oklahoma City Hotel. Enjoy and experience culinary delights from an exclusive menu as well as delectable pastries and desserts. Additionally, listen to live tunes performed from local artists to keep you entertained throughout your experience. Menu includes a Chilled Seafood Station, Breakfast Offerings, Omelet Station, Carving Station and a Dessert Display. Make your reservations by calling (405) 4386480 or going to OpenTable.
May 14 • Dessert Cruise
Bring mom on a river cruise along the 7mile stretch of the Oklahoma River at Regatta Park Plaza Landing. Enjoy bite sized desserts and mimosas at the cash bar. Each vessel can accommodate up to 35 guests and has an airconditioned cabin. In addition to comfortable seating, cocktail tables and viewing decks, each vessel has onboard restrooms and bar/concessions area. There are two departure times for this cruise, 1 and 4 pm, and boarding time is 15 minutes prior. Tickets are $30 per person and must be purchased in advance.
Send calendar events to jennifer@okcfriday.com
Paycom Center Events/Shows:
Thomas Rhett Aug. 17
PBR Freedom Fest Sept. 810
Jelly Roll Sept. 19
Koe Wetzel Sept. 30
ODESZA Oct. 12
Jason Aldean Oct. 13
Nate Bargatze Oct. 22
Hot Wheels Monster Trucks Nov. 1819
Zoo Amphitheatre: Kattfest May 12
Weezer June 10
Matchbox Twenty 2023 June 21 Young the Giant June 30 Sam Hunt Aug. 5 Incubus Aug. 20
Oklahoma City’s deadCenter Film Festival has released the slate of movies that will screen at their 23rd annual celebration of film, June 811. Black Barbie, a poignant and hilarious documentary from University of Oklahoma graduate Lagueria Davis, leads the robust and gorgeously diverse collection that also includes films about the Oklahoma City Dolls women’s tackle football team, folk-rock icons the Indigo Girls, black rodeo cowboys, and the making of the 1977 Star Wars Holiday Special deadCenter is Oklahoma’s largest and only Oscar-qualifying film festival. As such, the winners of best live action short and best animated short at deadCenter automatically join the small group of winners from Sundance, Cannes, Toronto, and a few others as finalists for the Academy Awards. The Oscar nominees for those two categories are chosen directly from that select pool.
Now that deadCenter is an Oscar-qualifying festival, the number of filmmakers submitting films from around the world has jumped significantly. Nearly 2,000 films applied to screen at the festival. From those entries, deadCenter selected 12 narrative features, 14 documentary features, and 130 short films.
The narrative feature program includes four outstanding movies that were filmed in Oklahoma.
Best Oklahoma Film
2016 and 2020 winner
Zach Burns premieres his first feature film as a director, the dark comedy Hell Hath No
Fury. Best Oklahoma
Film 2014 winner Kyle William Roberts returns with the world premiere of his second feature, the inspiring teen drama What Rhymes with Reason
Tenkiller director Kara Choate presents her second feature, an inventive teen romance called The Awkward Stage. And, Reservation Dogs Executive Story Editor Erica Tremblay makes her deadCenter debut with Fancy Dance, the story of a Native American hustler and her kidnapped niece that was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance and the Audience Award at SXSW.
Documentary selections include Riding Legacy, a look at Oklahoma’s thriving black cowboy community from director Kian Taylor; We Will Speak, an investigation into the effort to preserve the Cherokee language from Schon Duncan and Michael McDermit; Join or Die, a wake-up call about the need for more civic engagement from
Rick Springfield Aug. 23
All American Rejects Oct. 14
Civic Center Music Hall:
Clara Luper Centennial May 13
Tim Allen May 19
Hamilton May 24 June 4
Madagascar The Musical June 67
La Boheme June 2324
Rebecca Davis and Pete Davis; and It’s Only Life After All, a joyous, sing-along review of the music and activism of the Indigo Girls from Alexandria Bombach Oklahoma City favorite Nick Demos, the former artistic director of Lyric Theatre, returns to deadCenter for the world premiere his new documentary about body image called Body Electric.
The 130 short films vying for Oscar consideration will be screened in 18 shorts programs at Harkins Bricktown Cinema and the Oklahoma City Museum of Art. The shorts programs are very diverse and well labeled, so you can pick exactly the types of films you want to see, from Comedy Shorts to Family Fest to Awesome Animation. The very popular Okie Shorts program is offered in two volumes and highlights the wonderful range of storytelling from Oklahoma filmmakers. Classen SAS senior and deadCenter alum Ella Janes has two short films in the festival and serves as programmer for the high school shorts program. Make your plans now to attend the 23rd annual deadCenter Film Festival, June 811. The full list of films and programming schedule are available at deadcenterfilm.org, along with information about sponsoring and buying passes. Happy Mother’s Day!
The Sound of Music June 27July 2
The Prom July 1116
Ain’t Misbehavin’ July 2530
Other Events/Shows/Awards:
Walk to Cure Arthritis May 20
Paseo Arts Festival May 2729
