Staff Edits: Steffie Corcoran

There’s a great quote by Walt Disney: “We don’t make movies to make money; we make money to make more movies.”

There’s no denying the art of cinema. Just conjure up the most beautiful, heartbreaking scene you’ve ever seen. Mine is when every member of the challenged-and-challenging family in Little Miss Sunshine thumbs their nose to the kiddie beauty pageant peeps and joins Olive onstage to boogie to “Super Freak.” And there’s also no doubt that creating a series of sounds and images to be projected on a screen and enjoyed by an audience is an expensive undertaking of time, talent, and treasure on the part of many in front of, and even more so, behind, the camera. At deadCenter Film, our dedication to inspiring, promoting, and celebrating creativity and community through film is more than a mission – it’s the north star for every one of our programs. Fundraising is what transforms our mission into real-world impact.

Every dollar we raise gives us the opportunity to:

• Put on one of the only Oscar®-qualifying film festivals in the country every June right here in the “dead center” of America.

• Bring people together to foster meaningful connection and conversation at free community events centered on film.

• Visit schools in every corner of the state to introduce students to the magic of movie-making and to real-world career opportunities in the biz – at no cost to schools or kids.

• Work with professional filmmaker mentors who coach Oklahoma high school kids on how to write a screenplay, set up a lighting rig, use a camera, direct a crew, and more. It’s all totally free to the young filmmakers who may one day make their own mark on Oklahoma’s storied cultural legacy.

• Watch movies in actual theaters, often with the filmmakers present for post-screening discussions. Is there anything better than making meaning together?

It’s easy to feel like if we can’t throw down four figures, we can’t support the organizations we care about. Yes, it is absolutely critical for us to secure grants from foundations and donations from corporations. A nonprofit like deadCenter Film could not exist without them, and they are deeply appreciated. We are always interested in engaging with new businesses and foundations whose funding priorities include arts and culture, education, and community. 

But we also value every type of support at any level, which is part of the reason why we’re offering more affordable options to engage with the Festival this year. And during the Fest, individual tickets to features and short film blocks are only $10! Smaller donations are welcome, any time of year, through our Zeffy link. Every T-shirt or trucker hat purchased, every volunteer shift covered, every Fest pass and donation helps ensure the uniquely fabulous movie magic deadCenter Film has been bringing for more than 25 years keeps on keeping on.

Many of you will be joining us at our annual GlitterBall fundraiser this Saturday, Jan. 10, at Oklahoma Contemporary. An extremely limited number of individual tickets are still available for what is always one of the most uh-maz-ing soirees of the winter season. This year’s theme is “The Road to Oz,” and party planner extraordinaire Kindt Myers and his fabulous team of scarecrows, lions, tin people, and witches are hard at work making sure it’s a Technicolor fantasy full o’ fun. We can’t wait to see you there!

With GlitterBall 2026 nearly sold out, if you’re already thinking “We should do this next year,” now’s the perfect time to secure your 2027 sponsorship!

At deadCenter Film, we’re in the business of changing lives. We see it on the face of a young filmmaker whose struggle to learn a new camera technique pays off in a great shot. We hear it in the tear-filled voice of an indie filmmaker whose short film was recognized with a Festival award. We feel it collectively when audience members and organizers learn the subject of a short film they saw together days earlier was granted clemency. 

To those of you whose support has brought us here, thank you for the bottom of our movie-loving hearts. To those we haven’t engaged with yet, please join us in whatever way makes most sense for you. There’s a place for you here, with us, as we roll the curtain back on the next 25 years of deadCenter Film.

Chair Chats: Josh Porter

This fall, Cliff Crull and I launched the first Nitty Gritty Film Festival in Ponca City, Oklahoma. We hosted it at the iconic Poncan Theatre—a perfect home for our scrappy, heart-first festival.

Every step along the way, especially the tough ones (and there were plenty), shaped both the festival and us.

All that grit became something real on festival day. Watching filmmakers take over the theatre and seeing the audience come alive felt like the true culmination of our efforts.

It wasn’t flawless, but it was ours—and it was alive.

What’s Next: Reflecting on Launch

Now that the dust has settled, we’re not slowing down. On December 26th, we’re hosting NGFF: Rewind to Launch at OFX to celebrate our first-year highlights and set the stage for what comes next.

Why Share This?

Being part of a festival community means knowing the work it takes to create spaces where filmmakers can thrive. Sharing our story here reconnects our spark to a larger fire—and reminds us that every festival began with a simple “What if?”

We asked it. And we’re still answering it.

If you’re thinking about starting your own festival or building something meaningful, know this: it won’t be easy, but it will be worth it.

Staff Edits

From Oklahoma to Times Square: deadCenter University & OCCC’s Lost and Found Shines at the All American High School Film Festival

The next generation of Oklahoma filmmakers made their mark in New York City as Lost and Found, a short film created through deadCenter University and Oklahoma City Community College’s Youth Camp, was officially selected to screen at the All American High School Film Festival, one of the largest showcases for emerging student filmmakers in the country.

For many of the students, the experience was not only a milestone in their creative journeys but also their first opportunity to see their work play on the big screen, at none other than AMC Times Square.

Writer and director Makinley Paige Montez reflected on the experience:

“Being at the film festival, it’s just been incredible and exciting because I’m just around many talented writers, directors, producers, kids around my age that are as passionate as myself. It’s just wonderful that it’s my first time visiting New York and I have a film playing in New York City.”

Camera operator Lucas Jackson shared similar feelings of gratitude and surprise about how far the project had come:

“I did not expect 16 months ago to be making lifelong friends and meeting so many people that I would be talking to months later. Let alone going to a different state with them. It’s been a blast and such an honor and a dream come true.”

Makeup artist and 2nd AC Natalia Hernandez Gonzalez expressed pride in representing Oklahoma’s young filmmakers on a national stage:

“I never thought that the Youth Camp would have brought us here. The short film in general I never thought it would have gotten this far, but I’m glad it did. It’s been a blessing. People can’t believe there's filmmaking in Oklahoma. You get to educate each other on the different filmmaking styles with other creatives from around the world. It’s pretty cool.”

Victor Caballero, Director of Education + Outreach, joined the students in New York and celebrated what this achievement means for Oklahoma’s youth filmmaking programs

“The festival was amazing and New York City was incredible. Extra special seeing these kids walk the red carpet and watch their film in AMC Times Square. I’m thankful for the partnership with OCCC and grateful to sponsors such as Oklahoma Film & Music Office, Oklahoma Arts Council, National Endowment of the Arts, and our partner Allied Arts. This wouldn’t be possible without them. And I'm beyond blessed to be working for deadCenter Film and this team, which believe that the future of film is youth.”

From concept to completion, Lost and Found exemplifies what deadCenter University strives to do: provide hands-on, real-world opportunities that empower students to tell their stories and find their creative voices.

Board Voices

Life Made Richer by deadCenter

Since 2009, I’ve had the honor of volunteering with deadCenter Film Festival - an experience that has grown alongside me, shaping not only my career and business but, more importantly, my world.

As a 38-year-old Oklahoma City native, for the past two decades I’ve worked in the hospitality industry building teams, restaurants, and business groups rooted in the simple but powerful idea of serving others first. My career has taken me from event planning for weddings, conferences, and political and private clients, to leadership with brands like W Hotels and Hilton. The past ten years I've been building independent restaurants across Oklahoma with others who have a passion for hospitality. No matter the title or task, my work has always centered on people, or rather, on connection.

Connection is what drew me to deadCenter, and what’s kept me here. What began as a volunteer role evolved into service on the advisory board, then as a contractor, and now as a board member. Each step deepened my sense of belonging to something greater than myself.

Through this festival, I’ve met countless friends, many now like family, and built a life far more rich and interesting than I ever imagined. Each summer, we gather not just to celebrate film, but to engage in something deeper: the exchange of kindness, the bridging of differences, the quiet power of showing up together.

In a time of deep political and social division, spaces like deadCenter are more essential than ever. Community events - especially those fueled by volunteerism, offer something that feels increasingly rare: authentic human connection. These exchanges, however small, are powerful. Personal, human exchanges regulate our emotional well-being, they bring balance, and they remind us of our shared humanity.

Volunteering has given me more than I could ever give back. It’s shown me that when we come together, not for profit or politics, but simply to serve and connect, we create something profoundly healing. We need more of this. More hands offered, more stories shared, more spaces where kindness is the currency.

deadCenter is exactly that kind of space, and I am forever grateful to belong!

Programmer’s Corner

For as long as I can remember, I have wanted to do one thing and one thing only: make movies. Most people spend their whole lives in search of what they want to, but I have been blessed from a very early age to know exactly what my career ambitions were. Cinema is the one constant in my life and it has given me a sense of joy and purpose. Instead of excavating my passions, I’ve spent the early part of my life harnessing them, exploring them, and letting it them take me to new and exciting places. 

Growing up, you’d seldom find me playing outside, playing sports, or getting my hands dirty. Despite my parents’ best efforts to encourage me to do more physically demanding activities, I spent my free time frequenting my local Blockbuster Video. I made friends with the cashiers, turned my rentals in on time (most of the time), and traded them in for more hidden gems. For Christmas my parents always received a long list of my desired film titles. The only thing that changed over the years were my choice in titles. Like the wisdom we obtain as we grow older, so too did my cinema palette. To this day, one of the greatest pleasures in my life is exposing my friends and family to obscure, strange, artistic, and thought-provoking films and awaiting their bewildered responses. More often than not, they would come away with new perspectives and appreciation for cultures outside of their own.

I’ve often been asked what film or what director served as the definitive catalyst for my love of cinema. While I certainly had favorite films (American Beauty, Monster) and directors (Paul Thomas Anderson, Stanley Kubrick), the impetus for my adoration of cinema did not derive from a film or a director at all. It came from a little-known film critic named Roger Ebert. Ebert didn’t just write film reviews, he gave poignant, soul-bearing life lessons. Even when I vehemently disagreed with him, he made me view film in a thoughtful, measured manner and supplied me with the language and knowledge I needed to examine all creative works.

I watched his televised Siskel and Ebert show like it was live theatre. It fascinated me to see two brilliant, articulate minds defending the merit of something most just viewed as “entertainment” like they were standing up for their own integrity. You would have thought they were political opponents in a consequential presidential election, but they were simply debating the value (or lack thereof) of Speed 2. They cared about the medium deeply and I found through their guidance that I did too. I credit Mr. Ebert as the biggest inspiration for my love of film, but also my writing in general.

When the time came to choose a major for college, I vividly remember my mother declaring: “If you don’t pursue a life in the film industry, you will have wasted your entire childhood.” She was right. I was a student of film before I even became fluent with the language. I caught on quickly, though. I crammed in every bit of film theory, film history, and genre-focused elective courses I could squeeze out of a four-year Bachelor of Arts Degree. Then came the crushing, sobering reality of a post-college film graduate: I had become a struggling artist.

I had a degree I worked hard for and a wealth of high-brow knowledge that in no way assured me that I’d ever make a living off of. It was a humbling experience that lit a fire under my derriere. I refused to believe I’d wasted four years of my life just to say I was pretentious film enthusiast. Unlike receiving a Bachelor of Science in Engineering degree or becoming a Doctor of Medicine, there was no definitive blueprint for how to become a successful filmmaker. So much of the film industry is reliant on who you know, a propensity for failure, and a drive to persevere under the harshest of conditions. In short, it is anything but glamorous. It is grueling, challenging, and all-consuming. However, it is also rewarding, joyous, and life-affirming. 

I secured my first job on a major film set in 2012 with the film adaptation of August: Osage County (starring Julia Roberts, Meryl Streep, among many others). I remember getting the acceptance call. I had one of those giddy, out-of-body movie experiences where you are grinning ear-to-ear while dancing around your bedroom and trying not to tip off your excitement to the employer on the other end of the line. Working on that set was an intense culture shock. The 12+ hour work days, the tightly wound tension between department heads, and the constant threat of being on the receiving end of a verbal lashing for the tiniest of infractions.

This is the part of filmmaking they don’t teach you in class. In many ways, film sets are run like boot camps. Not just in regards to their specific time codes, but also the intensive nature of the environment you inhabit. I always assumed making movies would be reminiscent of the “blooper reel” at the end my favorite comedy. It is the intersection of many different creative trades working together to make a unified piece of work.

For every trying day on set, I was reminded that I got to eat lunch with Meryl Streep, which made the sleep deprivation and sustained anxiety fade away. Even more rewarding than that, though, was the realization that people who were experts in their respective fields came together to create something tangible that would live on beyond them. In a small, but not insignificant way, I had done the same. My experience on the set of August: Osage County opened the door for many more exciting projects over the years including more films, television, commercials, and everything in between.

After 6 years of working in various capacities on film sets, I decided it was time to apply my experience to one of my own projects. I knew firsthand how challenging independent filmmaking was, but I also reminded myself that I did not go to film school just to work on “other” people’s movies. I got to work on what would become my directorial feature film debut, You People. A semi-autobiographical comedy exploring issues of identity and racial politics. Both of which were issues I dealt with personally growing up as a double minority in conservative Oklahoma.

It was not enough to have good story. It would take a village to pull off this ambitious first project. It occurred to me that in my six years of working on local sets, I had acquired friends and colleagues from every major film department (sound, hair and makeup, camera, etc.). It simply took a series of calls to assemble an entire film crew all eager to support me on this crazy endeavor.

In 2017, after a few years of development, I remember standing on set, looking around at an excited, hardworking, and talented cast and crew looking to me for “direction.” I had to sit with that moment for a while. I had busied myself with getting all the pieces together, I forgot to savor the pride and feeling of accomplishment I felt having brought a life-long dream of mine to fruition. Every day on set brought me an immeasurable amount of joy. The film went on to make its world premiere at the DeadCenter Film Festival where it took home the “Best Oklahoma Film” Award. Seeing the film during two sold out screenings amongst friends, family, and curious strangers was one of the most heartening and emotional experiences of my life. After 2 years on the festival circuit, the film secured distribution and is currently available on streaming.

The success of You People put a small spotlight on me in the state of Oklahoma. One that brought me to new and exciting creative pursuits including being a tenured film programmer for the DeadCenter Film Festival (5 years), a co-host on the film podcast The Cinematropolis (6 years), and the author of a soon-to-be-released memoir (Unconditional). I never dreamed I’d do any of these things, but my fervent pursuit to continue telling stories, building creative relationships, and expressing myself in authentic ways has opened up so many doors and possibilities for my burgeoning film career. All these experiences have made me a better artist, a better storyteller, a better communicator, and, frankly, a better, more empathetic human. 

That said, I always tell people “I’m just getting started.” It has been seven years since You People, which is seven years too long for my liking. I’ve had the creative urge get back in the director’s seat and I’ve finally found a project worthy of the cause. My sophomore feature film will be a psychological thriller titled To Make The World Quiet. The film tells the story of a black youth who wakes up in the dead of night, trapped in a deserted apartment complex. Now he must search for clues to his endless night and how echoes of his traumatic past might help him escape. This a story that was birthed out of a need to pay tribute to the many victims lost to police brutality and institutionalized racism while simultaneously channeling my own traumas.

Like all the stories I tell, it is deeply personal. It is also the most ambitious project I’ve ever set out to tackle, both visually and narratively. Drawing inspiration from filmmakers like Jordan Peele (Get Out), Ryan Coogler (Fruitvale Station), and Barry Jenkins (Moonlight), To Make The World Quiet is a genre film that blends elements of horror, mystery, sci-fi, and drama in equal measure. It is my objective to continue to grow and elevate with each project. In many ways, this project feels like the culmination of my life experiences and all the varied creative roles I’ve been fortunate to be a part of. I can’t help but wonder: “I just hope I’ve conducted my film career in a manner that would be the late Roger Ebert proud.”

To celebrate this new chapter in my life, I will be hosting “Film Launch Party” on Sunday, Sept. 14 at Rodeo Cinema Stockyards. Open to the Public. Doors open at 5:30PM; Showtime at 6PM. Join us for an exclusive trailer premiere, a conversation with the director, and exciting raffles and giveaways.