The Oxford International Film Festival or OIFF (not to be confused with the Oxford International Film Festival, OXIFF, based in

Oxford Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...

, England) was established in

Oxford, Ohio Oxford is a city in Butler County, Ohio, United States. The population was 23,035 at the 2020 census. A college town, Oxford was founded as a home for Miami University and lies in the southwestern portion of the state approximately northwest ...

in 2007 by founder and event director J.C. Schroder.

Festival History

The Oxford International Film Festival was created by independent film and event

director Director may refer to: Literature * ''Director'' (magazine), a British magazine * ''The Director'' (novel), a 1971 novel by Henry Denker * ''The Director'' (play), a 2000 play by Nancy Hasty Music * Director (band), an Irish rock band * ''D ...

/ producer J.C. Schroder in the spring of 2006. Schroder is the owner and producer of

Star Com Productions Star Com Productions LLC is an American independent film and live event production company founded in January 2000 by American Director/Producer J.C. Schroder. Star Com Productions is associated with thMiami Valley Film Association Live Even ...

, a film and live-events production company. He decided to create an outlet for filmmakers and audiences in the Southern Ohio, an area with no major film festival. The first festival partnered with the Miami Association of Filmmakers and Independent Actors ( M.A.F.I.A.), a filmmaking collaborative of the students at

Miami University Miami University (informally Miami of Ohio or simply Miami) is a public research university in Oxford, Ohio. The university was founded in 1809, making it the second-oldest university in Ohio (behind Ohio University, founded in 1804) and the ...

. The festival also included regional, national, and international support. It has become the largest major film festival in the region. It was located near the campus of the university 40 miles north of

Cincinnati Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line wit ...

. The first Oxford International Film Festival took place April 5–8, 2007 at the Marcum Conference Center. It garnered public interest and media attention across the globe. The festival received 530 entries from 41 countries globally in its first year. The festival helped inspire the creation of the

Miami Film Association Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a coastal metropolis and the county seat of Miami-Dade County in South Florida, United States. With a population of 442,241 at the ...

(the name stemming from the Miami-Ohio River, which runs through the region) as a non-profit organization to manage the festival. The Miami Film Association is also dedicated to supporting a variety of year-round community and student film programs in the region.

Film events

The opening night film in its first year was the US Premiere of Wrath of Gods by Jon Gustafsson, which featured

Gerard Butler Gerard James Butler (born 13 November 1969) is a Scottish actor and film producer. After studying law, he turned to acting in the mid-1990s with small roles in productions such as '' Mrs Brown'' (1997), the James Bond film '' Tomorrow Never ...

Stellan Skarsgård Stellan Skarsgård (, ; born 13 June 1951) is a Swedish actor. He is known for his collaborations with director Lars von Trier appearing in ''Breaking the Waves'' (1996), ''Dancer in the Dark'' (2000), '' Dogville'' (2007), ''Melancholia'' (201 ...

, and

Sarah Polley Sarah Ellen Polley (born January 8, 1979) is a Canadian actress,Howell, Peter (September 24, 1999)"Nobody's Starlet: Toronto's Sarah Polley is Only 20 but already a veteran actor so secure in her craft she can thumb her nose at Hollywood" ''Tor ...

, which also won the Audience Award for Best Documentary Feature.

Festival news

The Oxford International Film Festival was the largest international film event in the Ohio Valley region as of 2008. The festival started out in Oxford but was scheduled to be held at the Savannah Center in West Chester, Ohio starting in 2009. The festival was considered one of the fastest growing festivals in the Midwest in 2008. In 2009,

MovieMaker Magazine ''MovieMaker'' is a magazine, website and podcast network focused on the art and business of filmmaking with a special emphasis on independent film. The magazine is published on a quarterly basis. See also * List of film periodicals Film period ...

listed the OIFF as one of its top 25 Film Festivals worth the fee.

Annual Dates

* April 5–8, 2007 * April 10–13, 2008 * July 23–26, 2009 * October 8–16, 2010

References

{{reflist

External links

Oxford International Film Festival Official Website

Star Com Productions Official Website

M.A.F.I.A. Official Website

Miami Valley Film Association Official Website
Film festivals in Ohio Tourist attractions in Butler County, Ohio