G.B. Shannon’s Show Business Is My Life (But I Can’t Prove It) won Best Documentary Feature and Mike Cheslik’s Hundreds of Beavers was named Best Narrative Feature at the 2023 Oxford Film Festival.
Michael Stevantoni and Strack Azar’s The Banality, and Kelly Duane de la Vega and Zandashé Brown’s In the Bones tied for Best Mississippi Feature.
Oxford Film Festival Executive Director Matt Wymer, said, “The awards ceremony was a wonderful culmination of our 20th Anniversary edition. The party started on Wednesday and continued to the end of Sunday as we celebrated the spirit of going to the movies all weekend long.” Regarding the film festival’s prize packages, Wymer added, “We are proud of the prize packages we include with our awards. They are designed to help our filmmakers make their next project and will continue to grow toward that goal.”
Awards for short films, student films and music videos included Zaire Love’s Slice, which was made in part via a grant from the Southern Documentary Fund, and Alex Megaro’s Krush The Wrestler, which tied for Best Documentary Short. Amanda Fallon Smith and Colin Babcock’s Coup de Grace got the nod for Best Narrative Short, Edward Worthy’s Rear won Best Mississippi Narrative Short, and Christina Huff won for the third year in a row, taking the Best Mississippi Documentary Short prize for her film, The Hollidays in Mississippi.
Kira Cummings’ Ray Kincaid: Scatter Brain Freestyle won the prize for Best Missssippi Music Video, Best LGBTQIA Film went to Michelle Ehlen’s Maybe Someday, the Best Fest Forwrad Film was Wing Yan Lilian Fu’s My Dear Son, and Steve Collins’ I still haven’t found what I’m looking for. took the prize for Best Comedy Short.
Complete list of 2023 Oxford Film Festival award-winning films and filmmakers.
Feature Film Awards
Show Business Is My Life (But I Can’t Prove It) – BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
A Film about Gary Mule Deer
Director: G.B. Shannon
Silent Beauty – HONORABLE MENTION
Director: Jasmín Mara López
Hundreds of Beavers – BEST NARRATIVE FEATURE
Director: Mike Cheslik
Shudderbugs – SPECIAL JURY MENTION (Microbudget Savvy)
Director: Johanna Putnam
The Banality – BEST MISSISSIPPI FEATURE (TIE)
Directors: Michael Stevantoni, Strack Azar
In the Bones – BEST MISSISSIPPI FEATURE (TIE)
Directors: Kelly Duane de la Vega, Zandashé Brown
The Defenders: How Lawyers Protected the Movement – HONORABLE MENTION
Director: Roderick Red
The Journey of Tiak Hikiya Ohoyo – HONORABLE MENTION
Director: Mark Williams
Short Film & Music Video Awards
Krush The Wrestler – BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT (TIE)
Director: Alex Megaro
Slice – BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT (TIE)
Director: Zaire Love
Coup de Grace – BEST NARRATIVE SHORT
Directors: Amanda Fallon Smith, Colin Babcock
Dateleap – HONORABLE MENTION
Director: Jack Evans
Rear – BEST MISSISSIPPI NARRATIVE SHORT
Director: Edward Worthy
The Hollidays in Mississippi – BEST MISSISSIPPI DOCUMENTARY SHORT
Director: Christina Huff
Ray Kincaid: Scatter Brain Freestyle – BEST MISSISSIPPI MUSIC VIDEO
Director: Kira Cummings
Heart in a Notebook – HONORABLE MENTION
Directors: Rory Ledbetter, Danny Klimetz
Maybe Someday BEST LGBTQIA FILM
Director: Michelle Ehlen
CANS Can’t Stand – SPECIAL JURY MENTION (Social Advocacy)
Directors: Matt Nadel, Megan Plotka
My Dear Son – BEST FEST FORWARD FILM
Director: Wing Yan Lilian Fu
Inner Wound Real – RUNNER UP
Director: Carrie Hawks
I still haven’t found what I’m looking for. – BEST COMEDY SHORT
Director: Steve Collins
Angle of Attack – HONORABLE MENTION
Director: Russell Leigh Sharman