The Magnolia Independent Film Festival is set to return Feb. 24-26 at Malco Theater in Columbus Thursday night and Hollywood Premier Cinemas in Starkville Friday and Saturday.
The festival, commonly referred to as “The Mag,” is celebrating 25 years of being Mississippi’s first and longest-running film festival. The Mag has given small-town storytellers a chance to showcase their talents since its founding in 1997. Both amateur and professional filmmakers are invited to participate.
Chris Misun, a broadcast and digital journalism professor at Mississippi State University, is serving as The Mag’s festival director. He described the commitments of his role and the many hands it takes to put the festival together.
“This job requires me to oversee the different committees that serve to make the festival possible,” Misun said. “I work with our programming director to select films, I screen films, I organize meetings and prepare our marketing materials and work with advertisers.”
Before taking on the role of festival director, Misun served as a film-screener and judge in past years. Alongside these responsibilities, he makes sure the screenings run smoothly with the help of eight other board members.
Ania Debicka-Dyer previously served on the Board of Directors for three years. This year, she looks forward to returning to The Mag as an audience member. She spoke highly of the filmmakers and the sense of duty they feel towards the state.
“I enjoy watching films made by people from Mississippi because they are always able to show the things that make this state unique,” Debicka-Dyer said. “These filmmakers know the state well and can always present it in a new and thought-provoking way, rather than the commercialized view we often get in movies.”
As far as film genres represented at The Mag, there is something for everyone to enjoy. A variety of documentaries, short films, animated films, music videos, international films and feature-length films will be shown.
Most films are made entirely in Mississippi. Both music videos included were produced by MSU students and one documentary is from the newly-opened MSU Speaking Center.
There are 13 award categories for the films, including one to commemorate The Mag’s creator, Ron Tibbett. He gave a voice and creative outlet to local artists from the festival’s birth in 1997 until his death in 2004.
The Mag is continuously working to encourage young people to attend the festival. For the Friday night screening, it will be a drive-in-style show. To make it more affordable for college kids, student tickets are 50% off the standard ticket price. This allows students to get a glimpse of local filmmaking without breaking the bank.
The Mag has sparked the creation of other film festivals in Mississippi, including the Oxford Film Festival, Crossroads Film Festival and most notably, the Tupelo Film Festival.
Canaan May is a local film-lover from McComb looking forward to attending The Mag for his second time. He is coming from Flowood to experience films of all types at the festival.
“I’m not aware of what’s being shown, but I’m excited to see what’s in store,” May said.
May is an advocate of bringing exposure to Mississippi artists and ideas, and enjoys conversations with the filmmakers after the curtains close.
“I think local filmmaking is very important and I try to support independent films whenever I can,” May said. “The more exposure, especially in a place like Mississippi, the better.”
Festival Director Misun realizes the importance of local artistry in Mississippi, much like May. He expressed the board’s enthusiasm for The Mag’s 25th birthday and the future of the festival.
“We are so excited to continue this tradition of bringing local, national and international film to Mississippi and plan to do so for many more years to come,” Misun said.
The Mag has served as a step in the right direction when it comes to encouraging creativity in the state. The people behind The Mag hope to inspire many Mississippians to explore their artistic side in the years to come.
The festival runs Thursday, Friday and Saturday at the two theaters. Start and end times vary depending on the day. Tickets can be purchased on The Magnolia Independent Film Festival’s website. Individual night and festival-wide passes are available.