The mission of deadCenter Film is to inspire, promote, and celebrate creativity and community through film.

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Cacky Poarch is the founding executive director of the deadCenter Film Festival and established deadCenter as a nonprofit corporation in 2004. She helped grow the festival into being named “Top 20 Coolest Film Festivals in the World” by MovieMaker Magazine and “Top 100 Rated Film Festivals” by FilmFreeway. Cacky has produced and directed multiple films in Oklahoma, many of which premiered at deadCenter, including the award-winning documentary “Faces of the 47th: The Art of Activism.” Her other credits include the Short Documentary The Reawakening of Meade which toured the film festival circuit in 2013. She co-directed and produced the Documentary Feature ART 365 with Melissa Scaramucci which was presented across the US, England, Wales, India, and Egypt. Cacky has worked as First Assistant Director on numerous Oklahoma projects, including Okie Noodling II, UFOs at the Zoo: The Flaming Lips Live, and Sweethearts of The Prison Rodeo, which received HBO distribution in 2009. Additionally, Cacky was awarded the deadCenter Festival ICON Award at the 2018 GlitterBall. Cacky completed her Leadership MBA at Oklahoma City University and will strive to enrich Oklahoma’s diverse culture and economy with film experiences for everyone.

DIRECTOR OF PROGRAMMING

Sunrise Tippeconnie has worked in film and television production for over twenty years, working for directors such as Martin Scorsese, David Lowery, Sterlin Harjo, Erica Tremblay, Peshawn Bread, Paul Harrill, Michael Winterbottom, Nick Cassavetes, David Slade, and Yen Tan.

Tippeconnie also develops, produces and directs fictional work with filmmaker David Burkhart. Tippeconnie’s Indigenous focused works have shown world wide, including the Heard Museum, imagineNATIVE Film & Media Arts Festival, and the National Museum of the American Indian.

Tippeconnie has programmed shorts and features for film festivals, including NextFrame Film Festival, Native Crossroads Film Festival. Tippeconnie is currently the Director of Programming at deadCenter Film and is a co-host on the Reel Indigenous Podcast.

DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION + OUTREACH

In his 20 years in the industry, Victor Caballero has modeled in various print campaigns & acted in multiple commercials & films such as McDonalds, Stillwater, God’s Not Dead: We The People, & Malicious Motives. He's an independent award-winning producer and director. His latest film “Seeker” won Best Thriller at Venice Shorts, Arrow Festival, and Best Directing at the Athens International Monthly Art Film Festival.

In addition to his filmmaking, one of Victor’s greatest passions is teaching students the art of cinema and journalism. In 2022, he worked as a coach for the Oklahoma Institute for Diversity in Journalism at the University of Oklahoma and previously served on the Education Advisory Committee for deadCenter University. Since 2017, he has provided hands-on filmmaking experience through the OKCine Latino Film Institute. From pre-production to post-production each student is presented with the opportunity to acquire the knowledge and tools needed to start them down the path of movie-making.

MANAGER OF FESTIVAL + OPERATIONS

Sierra grew up and continues to reside in Norman with her family. She is an enrolled member of the Cheyenne-Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma but is also of Kiowa and European descent. Sierra has volunteered at various events across the state such as Norman Film Fest, Opening Night, and Festival of the Arts but has always considered deadCenter her family. She has been a loyal volunteer since 2014 and was invited to serve as a Box Office Chair for the Festival Committee Board in 2018. In 2023, Sierra was awarded the Volunteer Festival Icon Award by her deadCenter family. After 20 years in customer service and her experience with the festival, Sierra was offered the position of Festival Manager + Operations. She spends her free time relaxing with her family and friends or having game nights.

DIRECTOR OF FESTIVAL PR

Krystal Yoseph owns Konjo Concepts, created in January 2018 as a media/public relations, marketing and events agency: focused on celebrating community-based and lifestyle-oriented partners in Oklahoma City and beyond. Born and raised in OKC, Krystal moved to Washington D.C. after graduating from The University of Oklahoma with a bachelor’s degree in Journalism/Public Relations. The transient nature of a typical spell in D.C. eluded Krystal for a while, keeping her busy, happy and involved in the fabric of downtown life in the Nation’s Capitol for eight years.

After moving back to OKC and spending three years with a local PR firm, falling in love with her hometown and learning “How to deadCenter,” Krystal very happily accepted an opportunity to work directly with the festival and has been managing PR/marketing for dCF since 2018.

Krystal is an avid connector and supporter of community, culture and progress throughout Oklahoma... and does not like to sit still for too long.

GRANTS COORDINATOR

Steffie has had a multifaceted professional life woven together by a liberal arts degree and a love of words. A former teacher, editor, and communications director who is now semi-retired, she works part-time as a development coordinator for deadCenter and writes and copyedits for a handful of freelance clients. She lives in Yukon.

DIRECTOR OF TECHNOLOGY

Oklahoma born and 100% Oklahoma bred, Stephen Tyler (No, not that one...) has turned his love of music and film into both a career and a mission. In 2013 Stephen, inspired by Sherlock Holmes, began to think of himself of a “Consulting Technologist” and founded Mostly Harmless Media. Since its formation MHM has produced podcast, video streams, virtual reality experiences, dynamic lighting installations, and supported all sorts of creative and efficient use of technology.

Stephen serves the deadCenter Film Festival as Director of Technology, overseeing the organization's various technical needs, from website and communications to festival production and virtual reality screenings. Working with the festival is yet another way Stephen has the opportunity to indulge his love of art and technology while serving his community.

DIGITAL STRATEGIST

Josh is a Communications professional with over a decade of experience managing the marketing efforts of independent concert venues, festivals and live events. Past adventures include Moontower Comedy Festival, Tower Theatre OKC, Universal Music Group, and The Austin Theatre Alliance, home of the historic Paramount and State Theatres. Along with dC alumna Ashley Rose, Josh is the co-owner of White Rose Productions, an Oklahoma City based communications and events firm. He lives in Norman with his partner and their son, and enjoys gardening, camping, and songwriting.

SENIOR FEATURES PROGRAMMER

Kevin has served as a features programmer for the past several years, helping deadCenter curate a slate of films that represent the best of independent film. Kevin directed the film Rainbow Around the Sun. Kevin edits the opening bumpers for our festival and selects the local band whose song is featured each year.

During the day, Kevin works as the Creative Director at LifeChurch.tv and comes home to his daughters and his wife, Holly.

FEATURES PROGRAMMER

Camila Chaves Rojas is a film programmer with five years experience at the deadCenter Film Festival. Born in Colombia, and raised in Oklahoma she earned a BA in Film and Media Studies from the University of Oklahoma. Her international experience, including a film distribution internship at a Berlin Film Festival and European Film Market, has shaped her global perspective on cinema.

Dedicated to championing diverse voices in independent filmmaking, Camila is committed to fostering a vibrant film community in Oklahoma. Beyond her work at deadCenter, she actively contributes to the arts and culture scene as a board member of the Garde at Oklahoma Contemporary and a real estate marketer and photographer.

SHORTS PROGRAMMER

Paris Burris is a Chickasaw and Choctaw filmmaker and programmer in Oklahoma City. After obtaining a bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Oklahoma in 2016, she spent some years in the field telling stories of harsh realities. But she soon realized her true passion as a storyteller was in telling stories of fictional realities. Now, she makes independent films with her friends, and is an unabashed cinephile who loves discovering and sharing underseen films. She also runs Femme Film, a monthly series that screens movies made by femmes for free to the Oklahoma community.

HEAD OF PRIDE PROGRAMMING

Laron M. Chapman is an actor, screenwriter, director, and producer from Oklahoma with a BA in Film and Media Studies and a background in journalism and film production.

A passionate screenwriter/filmmaker, his work spans from reality TV featured on the Food Network, FOX, and Discovery Channel, to the Oklahoma-filmed Academy Award-nominated film August: Osage County starring Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts, and other stars in the Hollywood film scene.

As a queer, African-American filmmaker, his films explore issues relating to race, identity, and sexuality in a topical and entertaining fashion. Chapman made his directorial debut in 2017 with his now multi-award nominated feature film, “You People.”

ASSISTANT PROGRAMMER

Julia received her BA in Film Studies from Oklahoma City University and her MA in Preservation & Presentation of the Moving Image from the University of Amsterdam. This education put her in many kinds of classrooms: film sets, cinemas, archives, labs, and more. She has written and presented on topics from Soviet-era children’s cinema to the works of Maya Deren to restorations of science fiction media. In 2018, she curated a selection of classroom films from the Oklahoma City Museum of Art 16mm collection, showcasing hidden gems in various states of decay.

Beyond assisting the deadCenter team, Julia is Grants Manager at the Kirkpatrick Family Fund and serves as Board President for Rodeo Cinema. She loves to travel, having visited more than 20 countries, and spends her free time going to pub trivia and playing saxophone.