In its 24th year, the deadCENTER film festival is Oklahoma's largest and most celebrated film festival. The festival has been named one of the "20 Coolest Film Festivals" and “Top 50 Festivals Worth the Entry Fee” by MovieMaker Magazine. In 2020, deadCENTER was celebrated by Smithsonian Magazine as “One of Eight Festivals Worth Attending (Virtually).”
Designated as an Academy Award®-Qualifying Festival for animated and live action shorts, the deadCenter Film Festival boasts an impressive slate of over 150 films during the 4-day event in June. Founded by independent filmmakers, the festival focuses on providing engaging experiences for filmmakers, distributors, industry professionals, and film audiences.
Pre-pandemic, we hosted sold-out screenings and were notorious for legendary special events. In 2020, we pivoted from creating the biggest and rowdiest film festival to planning an 11-day, completely virtual festival that was experienced in 42 states, 24 countries, and home to over 140 films securely protected on our platform. In 2021, we took that experience further to create a hybrid festival that focused on bringing audiences back to the theater by highlighting our Oklahoma films.
In 2022, we returned in full force to theaters and expanded our footprint into neighboring communities to highlight a more inclusive and diverse slate of films. We brought filmmakers and audiences together with vibrant special events, connected filmmakers to industry professionals at our Annual Distribution Forum, and highlighted visiting filmmakers in the Oklahoma Film + Music Office Panel Series.
As we move toward the 24th Annual deadCenter Film Festival, we are excited to plan our best fest to date and serve our mission of inspiring, promoting, and celebrating creativity and community through film.
Best Narrative Feature
Awarded to a single narrative fiction film from the eligible submissions of the Narrative Feature, Oklahoma Feature and Indigenous Feature categories
Best Documentary Feature
Awarded to a single documentary film from the eligible submissions of the Narrative Feature, Oklahoma Feature and Indigenous Feature categories
Best Live Action Short
Within this Academy Award®-qualified category*, the award recognizes the best live action short film with a running time of 40 minutes or less.
Best Animated Short
Within this Academy Award®-qualified category*, the award recognizes the best animated short film with a running time of 40 minutes or less and have a significant number of the major characters animated. Documentary short films that are animated may be submitted in either the Animated Short or Documentary Short category, but not both.
Best Documentary Short
The award recognizes the best live documentary short film with a running time of 40 minutes or less.
Best Episodic or Series
Awarded to a single episode from the eligible Episodic or Series submissions.
Best Music Video
Awarded to a single music video from the eligible submissions
Best Indigenous Feature
Awarded to a single film from the eligible submissions of the Indigenous Feature category
Best Indigenous Short
Awarded to a single film from the eligible submissions of the Indigenous Short category
Best Oklahoma Feature
Awarded to a single film from the eligible submissions of the Oklahoma Feature category
Best Oklahoma Short
Awarded to a single film from the eligible submissions of the Oklahoma Short category
Pride Awards
The Pride Jury selects the following awards that recognize a distinction in LGBTQ+ filmmaking. These awards are chosen by their respective jury members as they deem appropriate.
Best Pride Feature
Awarded to a single LGBTQ+ film from the eligible submissions of the Narrative Feature, Oklahoma Feature and Indigenous Feature categories
Best Pride Short
Awarded to a single LGBTQ+ short film from the eligible submissions of the Live Action Short, Animated Short, Documentary Short, Indigenous Short and High School Short categories
Best High School Short
Selected by the deadCenter Teen Board, this award is given to a single film from the eligible submissions of the High School Short category
Special Jury Awards
The Jury selects the following awards that recognize a distinction and excellence in filmmaking. These awards are chosen by their respective jury members as they deem appropriate.
Special Jury Narrative Feature
Awarded to a single film from the eligible submissions of the Narrative Feature, Oklahoma Feature and Indigenous Feature categories
Special Jury Documentary
Awarded to a single documentary film from the eligible submissions of the Documentary Feature, Indigenous Feature, Documentary Short, Oklahoma Short, Indigenous Short categories
Special Jury Short
Awarded to a single short film from the eligible submissions of the Live Action Short, Animated Short, Documentary Short, Indigenous Short and Music Video categories
Audience Awards
The following Audience Awards are chosen by festival attendees through ballots cast during the festival.
Audience Award Best Feature
Awarded to a single film from the eligible submissions of the Narrative Feature, Oklahoma Feature and Indigenous Feature categories
Audience Award Best Short
Awarded to a single film from the eligible submissions of the Narrative Short, Documentary Short, Oklahoma Short, Indigenous Short and Music Video categories.
Virtual Reality
VR works are currently selected and are not currently available for open submission.