Independent filmmakers are invited to submit their work for the 22nd annual Oxford Film Festival.

The event, which celebrates independent cinema, is deeply rooted in the art of storytelling and seeks to provide festival attendees with the transformative experiences films can create for an audience.

Film submissions will be accepted through Dec. 9. Winners will be notified on Dec. 31. Films must have been completed on or after June 1, 2022. Films in theatrical/virtual cinema release in Mississippi prior to, or at the time of the festival are not eligible.

Winners will be announced in the following categories:

• Best Documentary Feature
• Best Narrative Feature
• Best Documentary Short
• Best Narrative Short
• Best Mississippi Feature
• Best Mississippi Short

For complete submission rules and to submit an independent film,  visit https://filmfreeway.com/OxfordFilmFestival.

“We’re so thrilled about this year’s festival,” said Oxford Film Festival Board President Mike Mitchell. “We are committed to showcasing each film in ways we think even a filmmaker would be surprised – their vision coming to life and sharing it with our audiences is our primary focus.”

Winning films will be shown throughout the festival slated for Feb. 27 to March 2, at the Malco Oxford Commons Cinema in Oxford. The four-day festival also includes interactive events and panel discussions with filmmakers. Pre-festival Oxfilm Alumni Film events are planned for later this year and January.

“The word that one hears over and over again at the Oxford Film Festival is “community,” said Brian Tallerico, a film critic and managing editor for rogerebert.com. “This is a festival that seeks to reflect the community from which it arises, both the local one and the international one connected by filmmaking. It is a homegrown, intimate festival that nonetheless features voices from around the world, harmoniously united through the community of film.”

While highlighting Mississippi filmmakers is a key component, the Oxford Film Festival exhibits more than 100 films from across the globe that seek to provide the audience with a transformative viewing experience.