An assortment of independent films returns to Starkville as Hollywood Premier Cinema hosts the Eighth Annual Magnolia Independent Film Festival. Kicking off Thursday night, the festival comes a little later than normal this year.
Arma de la Cruz, Vice President of tourism in Starkville, said this year the festival was moved to a later date in order to plan the event more efficiently.
Despite the changes in venue and date, as well as the death last year of the festival’s founder, Ron Tibbett, de la Cruz said she expects a bigger crowd than last year, partly because of the larger location.
“Last year over 1,000 people attended over the 3-day period,” de la Cruz said.
Starkville receives business from the visitors who are in town for the festival, de la Cruz said. Moviegoers from Jackson to Tupelo travel to town to view the films, she added.
Started in 1997, the festival, also known as The Mag, has grown under the guidance of the late Tibbett. A Web site created in tribute to Tibbett acknowledges his work and the influence he had over the entertainment industry in the state.
The Web site, magfilmfest.com/mtribute.html, said the success of The Mag spawned the establishment of other state festivals, including The Crossroads and The Oxford and Tupelo film festivals.
“The festival makes us more marketable as a destination,” de la Cruz said. “It brings a different level of culture and diversity in the area because of the independent films.”
Doug Dedsaul, the general manager at Hollywood Premier Cinema, said the festival will only be using one of the theater’s screens. The auditorium where the independent films will be viewed has 212 seats, he added.
“Last year there were about 200 people each night, and more on Saturday,” Dedsaul said. “But we sold more tickets than that. There were about 75 people at a time. People would come, watch one or two movies, then leave.”
De la Cruz said she worked with Tibett’s widow, Charlotte Magnussen, to coordinate the festival this year. However, Magnussen hopes to release the festival to Starkville’s Convention for Visitors Bureau, she added.
“This is something that is not widely done,” de la Cruz said about the independent films. “Every year filmmakers from all over the nation come to experience Starkville.”
Showings are Thursday and Friday nights and all day on Saturday. Tickets are $6.50 for each night. For more information, visit www.magfilmfest.com.