A three-day experimental film festival in April will give audiences a look into some of the most creative and innovative styles of filmmaking in the industry.
Oklahoma City University’s Film Department, in partnership with the Oklahoma City Museum of Art, will present the Wide Open Experimental Film Festival (WOEFF) April 26-28 in the art museum’s Noble Theater at 415 Couch Dr. The festival is free to the public.
The third-annual festival is organized by OCU film students and faculty. As a festival focused on the celebration of a variety of experimental film practices, organizers hope to open peoples’ eyes to alternative forms, structures and styles of film.
“Experimental film is such an expansive mode of filmmaking, and no two films in the festival are alike,” said Billy Palumbo, the festival director and visiting associate professor of film at OCU. “It’s inspiring to see these films that take such fresh and exhilarating approaches to the moving image.”
WOEFF offers five programs presenting 58 short films from around the world. The programs are at 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. April 26, 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. April 27, and 1 p.m. April 28.
Selected films represent a variety of nontraditional filmmaking forms, including abstract animation, digital and chemical manipulation, visual lyricism, surreal narratives and essay films.
Some highlighted films and filmmakers include:
• “A Meditation on Nature in the Absence of an Eclipse” by Crystal Z Campbell
• “Light, Noise, and Smoke, and Light, Noise, and Smoke” by Tomonari Nishikawa
• “Patient” by Lori Felker
• “Ashes of Roses” by Sasha Waters
• “Quartet for the End” by Gregg Biermann
• “Clear Ice Fern” by Mark Street
OCU film production student Lily Tucker credits the festival for opening her eyes to new styles of filmmaking.
“Having the experience of watching and judging the experimental film submissions for WOEFF gave me a totally new perspective on filmmaking,” Tucker said. “I have a new, profound appreciation for the artistry, intimacy, and care the individual filmmakers brought to the works.”
For more information about the Wide Open Experimental Film Festival, visit wideopeneff.com.
