Magnolia Independent Film Festival

The Magnolia Independent Film Festival, the 1st film festival in the state of Mississippi, is a filmmaker-friendly festival encouraging both amateur and professional filmmakers.

The Magnolia Independent Film Festival, or "The Mag", was founded by Ron Tibbett in 1997 in West Point, Mississippi, and later moved to Starkville, MS. It was the first film festival to take place in Mississippi paving the way for the independent film community and other festivals within the state. It is a festival that is focused on creating a memorable experience for both filmmakers and audiences.

Now in its 29th year, The Mag continues to bring inspiring independent cinema from around the world to small-town Mississippi. In keeping with The Mag's rich tradition of southern hospitality, attending filmmakers are treated as family and given a very personal experience of networking with fellow filmmakers and screening their films to an eager and engaged audience.

Hotel Accommodations! The late Ron Tibbett's priority was not only to bring captivating films to Mississippi but also to take care of the filmmakers while they were here. Hotel accommodations are covered for short and feature filmmakers who attend from out of town in keeping with that tradition. Additionally, select meals are covered during your stay as part of parties and other events held in honor of the attending filmmakers. We provide a memorable VIP experience to our attending filmmakers so that you make the most out of your experience at The Mag. This includes our annual luncheon and retreat on the Friday of our festival provided to our filmmakers and special guests.

Technical Presentation! As a film festival, we love to create an experience that is enjoyable and memorable for our filmmakers and audiences. That means the technical presentation of your film is a priority. With experienced filmmakers managing the tech side of the festival, we know how important it is that your film looks and sounds great. We take this seriously and make it a top priority.

Promotion and Marketing! We not only like to take care of our filmmakers, but we like to promote them and their films. Each year, we provide PR opportunities for filmmakers whether they are able to attend or not. These include regional radio, TV, and print outlets, online reviews and interviews, podcast interviews, and red-carpet photos and interviews.