The third annual JXN Film Festival is set to kick off in less than one week, with the six-day event expected to feature classes and panel discussions for aspiring filmmakers to attend.
Each day will center around teaching attendees about different aspects of filmmaking in Mississippi, as well as showing movie screenings from local and national artists.
At the end of the week, movie lovers are invited to attend the Black Tie Awards Gala to honor the winners of this year’s JXN Film Festival.
Maximus Wright, the festival’s founder, explained that he created the event to inspire young Mississippians to pursue filmmaking within the state.
“People have been filming here for years but now, because of social media, it’s almost like instant advertising,” Wright said. “It is more advantageous now because it helps promote and in marketing and sales marketing, that’s really what distribution is about.”
Here’s the full schedule for this year’s JXN Film Festival:
Sunday, July 23
- Screening of THE WIZ – The festival begins with a free public screening of THE WIZ at 4:00 p.m. and a costume competition. Registration to attend the event is required.
Monday, July 24
- Wiz Panel Discussion – Festival officials will host a free informative trip down a yellow brick road of reflection, critique, and celebration of THE WIZ from a variety of perspectives at 6:00 p.m. Register to attend here.
- Monday to Wednesday – Submission Screenings – The event will promote independent artists from across the globe who have submitted their projects for this year’s festival each day from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Capri Theatre. Food and beverages may be ordered during the dine-in experience. Click here to register for free.
Tuesday, July 25
- Screenwriting Masterclass – Maximus Wright returns to the JXN Film Festival at 5:30 p.m. to address scriptwriting questions as well as provide meaningful insight into character development, unpredictable storylines, and more. Registration for the event is now open.
- Tuesday to Thursday – BEE Pitch Camp – This 3-day event will prepare attendees to pitch their ideas to industry professionals from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Each individual must present ticket registration to enter.
Wednesday, July 26
- Draft Day Casting Call – Game Changing Films will cast real athletes as background actors on projects such as Swagger, Bel-Air, and All American. This year’s draft day casting call will be for football (male roles) and basketball (male and female roles). The age range for all roles is 18 to 33. Athletes can register for the event here.
Friday, July 27
- Acting Masterclass – A student of Frank Silvera’s American Theatre of Being, Dr. Tonea Stewart will discuss her life lessons in the art and skill of acting at 10:00 a.m. Click here to register.
- Black Tie Awards Gala – Celebrate the 45th anniversary of THE WIZ while honoring the 2023 winners of the JXN Film Festival. The evening will feature a silent auction, food, live entertainment, dancing, and more. Attendees must reserve seats beforehand.
