ENID, Okla. — The FLY Film Festival will return for its seventh year to Gaslight Theatre on Aug. 6-7.
The festival will begin with a “morning mingle” at 8:30 a.m. on Friday, Aug. 6, followed by screenings until 7 p.m. with breaks for meals. Saturday’s festivities will begin at 9 a.m. with another “morning mingle” before continuing with screenings and a Q&A panel with local filmmakers. The awards ceremony will begin around 5 p.m.
Among the dozens of films part of the festival, the 2020 film “Black Wall Street Burning” will be shown Saturday morning. A historical piece, the movie depicts the Tulsa Race Massacre in the Greenwood District. Some creators of the film will host a Q&A panel after the screening.
The FLY Film Festival was hosted online in 2020 due to the pandemic, but is returning to an in-person setting based on several months of discussion, said Lane Gavitt, the festival board president. Masks will be encouraged and all sanitation precautions will be taken.
“People have been cooped up for a year,” Gavitt said. “It’s time we get out.”
Gavitt, a professional actor, described the event as both a fun festival and a chance for networking. Filmmakers of many different levels attend the event and are available for questions between screenings, he said. People looking to be involved in the film industry have the chance to make connections.
“The film industry is alive and well in Oklahoma,” Gavitt said.
The pieces shown at the festival were all filmed in the last three years and submitted to the board for approval. Most films that were submitted were approved and will be judged by a separate group of industry members for the awards.
In addition to the seven main awards, the Lord of the FLY award will be granted to the best overall piece in the festival, excluding student films. For the second year in a row, the award comes with a $1,000 cash prize. FLY stands for “Films Like Yours,” the motto of the festival.
Between screenings, an open bar will be available in the Gaslight lounge. The board also is planning to have food trucks near the theatre on Friday. At the end of both days, an “after-party” will be hosted at Settlers Brewing Co. on Friday and Enid Brewing Co. on Saturday, both at 9 p.m.
The festival is primarily family friendly, Gavitt said, though films with gore or language will have warnings posted before screening. Tickets can be purchased through filmfreeway.com, a website dedicated to film festivals.
“I can’t wait for people to see the films that are being created … in their backyard,” Gavitt said.
Article by: Jazz Wolfe – Enid News & Eagle 7.28.21