Scudding clouds cross the sky, casting changeling shadows on a lone windmill and a shirtless man lying inert in scrubgrass at its base. The disquieting tableau pulses with unanswered questions.
Then, at a signal from a distance, the remote silence of the scene is broken. Movement and chatter erupt as the actor lying so still rises from the ground. Review, critique and, sometimes, reshooting commences — and the magic of filmmaking goes on.
This scenario from the making of “Lukos,” a 13-minute short film by 23-year-old West Point native Michael Williams, replays in similar ways over and over again in the Golden Triangle — and thousands of times worldwide — as independent filmmakers prepare entries for film fests, including the 14th annual Magnolia Independent Film Festival Feb. 17-19 in Starkville, sponsored by the Starkville Area Arts Council.
Roll cameras
Williams is just one of a growing community of young filmmakers who call the Golden Triangle home and produce a surprising number of independent films. Several have had entries accepted for The Mag, as Mississippi”s oldest film festival, founded in 1997 by Rob Tibbett of West Point, is affectionately known.
This will be Williams” fifth year to participate. The owner of Shendopen Productions in West Point also works in the larger film industry as a film assistant, a job that has taken him from Canton to Washington, D.C.
“Film is a small world, and you get to meet and work with a lot of the same people on different projects,” he said. “One of the best things is working with a great group who share your passion. You make a lot of lasting friendships.”
One of those is April Wren of Columbus, a graduate student at Mississippi University for Women. She and Williams co-wrote and co-directed a previous award-winning film, and Williams served as editor for her “Treat or Eat,” her entry in the 2011 Magnolia Festival.
“I enjoy making films because I love to be creative,” Wren shared. “I love being able to see my ideas expressed visually; it”s very rewarding when I get to see an audience enjoy a story I had a part in creating and telling.”
While filmmakers often submit their work to festivals nationwide and beyond, having The Mag so “close to home” is an inspiration.
The festival brings indie film focus to Mississippi, said Mag participant Brock Hanson, who co-founded the Starkville High School Film Club several years ago. Now a sophomore at Auburn University, Hanson continues developing characters and storylines that take us “beyond our everyday life.” His “Lack of Will” screens Feb. 19 during the 2 p.m. session.
“I”d say The Mag definitely brings attention to an area where some people may not have thought there were resources and interest level,” he said. “This area offers a whole lot, and this gives people an opportunity to see what”s going on here.”
The festival
“We have a fantastic lineup of films from not just the United States, but from Austria, Canada, India, Spain and Germany,” said festival director Glen Bryant, who described the final 32 films selected from more than 70 submitted as “the cream of the crop.” In addition to Golden Triangle filmmakers, William Simmons of Pontotoc (and Mississippi State University) and Glenn Payne of Blue Springs will also represent their home state in The Mag.
To date, at least 39 filmmakers and representatives of the nominated films have pledged to attend. “They”re coming from Michigan, Illinois, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, India and Spain,” said Bryant.
Through four viewing sessions in three days at Hollywood Premier Cinema in Starkville, audiences can view an eclectic mix of drama, documentaries, horror and comedy, ranging from shorts (anything two to 40 minutes long) to feature-length films.
Screenings are at 7 p.m. each evening. as well as at 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 19. Tickets are $10 per session. The lineup for each session is available at www.magfilmfest.com.
Sam Haskell
A highlight of the festival is an appearance by Sam Haskell. The Amory native is a living testament to “making it big” from unlikely beginnings. He worked his way up from mailroom to executive vice president and Worldwide Head of Television at the William Morris Agency. He”ll share insight about the entertainment industry in a free session and book signing at 10 a.m. Feb. 19 at Hollywood Premier. The public is invited; seating will be first-come, first-served.
“We”re also really excited that a two-time former Mag winner, Canadian filmmaker Patricia Chica, will return this year as a judge and will offer a free workshop on making the most of your festival experience Feb. 18 at 10 a.m.,” said The Mag”s assistant director Connor Guyton.”
Location, location
Most area filmmakers find no shortage of locales in Northeast Mississippi to help create their story”s all-important atmosphere.
Williams shot two previous films in Tupelo and Starkville. For “Lukos,” there was no second-guessing.
“When I was writing ”Lukos,” I knew I wanted to shoot in West Point,” he stated. A “hometown” audience will recognize sites like First Christian Church, the downtown Cadence Bank and the iconic Jameson windmill on Highway 50 between West Point and Columbus.
“One of the benefits of shooting a film in a small town, especially the one you grew up in, is it”s easy to get permission from people because the community is so supportive and generous,” Williams said.
Johnson Thomasson, 23, of Starkville had to do some traveling for his latest, “Blood Feud.” All the way to Texas.
“North Mississippi has lots of great locations to shoot,” he said, “but because this particular film called for such specific locales, I only used a handful of exterior Mississippi locations. … Mississippi can”t fake for El Paso or New Orleans, but it can provide a lot of scenic beauty of its own.”
Editing
Indie filmmakers usually wear hats of every kind — fundraiser, screenwriter, director, producer, cinematographer and, of course, editor. Molding the final product is an enormous responsibility.
“Editing can be technically and emotionally difficult at times, achieving a difficult effect or having to take a beautiful shot out of the edit, but more often it”s taxing because it”s tedious,” admitted Thomasson. “Having to sit through hours and hours of footage to find the cinematic gold is mentally draining.”
In addition to editing his own Mag entry, Williams also edited Wren”s. In the collaboration, they chose scenes based on actors” performances and the overall look and feel of the shot and its significance in telling the story.
“It can be challenging and does require patience and great attention to detail, to maintain continuity,” Wren said. “It”s really a lot of fun though; I love seeing a project come together.”
They all seem to agree the Golden Triangle film community is expanding.
“With vibrant film festivals like The Magnolia and Oxford, and active film commissions in Tupelo and Jackson, Mississippi filmmakers have plenty of chances to showcase their work, network with other filmmakers and get involved with new projects,” Thomasson stressed.
And besides, Wren adds, “It”s crazy fun and crazy addictive!”
Jan Swoope is the Lifestyles Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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