The Oxford Film Festival (OFF) has been awarded a $575 grant from the Mississippi Arts Commission (MAC). This grant is a portion of the $1.3 million in grants the Commission will award in 2017–2018 and will be used to pay the registration fee for the Film Festival Alliance annual conference which will allow OFF Executive Director Melanie Addington to provide a presentation on OFF at the ArtHouse Convergence before Sundance Film Festival in Utah this January. The grants are made possible by continued funding from the Mississippi State Legislature and the National Endowment for the Arts.
“Arts organizations throughout the state of Mississippi play a pivotal role in sharing the power of the arts with people from all walks of life,” said Malcolm White, executive director of MAC. “The arts are for everyone, and the Mississippi Arts Commission is pleased to support arts organizations committed to growing the
presence of the arts in their communities.”
The Oxford Film Festival will be one of ten organizations highlighted at the ArtHouse Convergence annual conference. The Art House Convergence began in 2006 when the Sundance Institute invited 14 Art House theaters to the 2006 Sundance Film Festival. Now with hundreds of attendees including festival directors from across the globe, the 2018 Annual Conference will take place January 15–18, 2018 in Midway, Utah. Melanie Addington will be presenting at The ArtHouse Tales seminar on he history of Oxford Film Festival.
The Mississippi Arts Commission, a state agency, serves the residents of the state by providing grants that support programs to enhance communities; assist artists and arts organizations; promote the arts in education and celebrate Mississippi’s cultural heritage. Established in 1968, the Mississippi Arts Commission is funded by the
Mississippi Legislature, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Mississippi Endowment for the Arts at the Community Foundation of Greater Jackson and other private sources. The agency serves as an active supporter and promoter of arts in community life and in arts education.
For information from the Mississippi Arts Commission, contact Anna Ehrgott, Communications Director, 601-359- 6546 or aehrgott@arts.ms.gov.
