TULSA — See Sooners on the silver screen as the Oklahoma Centennial Film Festival in Tulsa showcases Oklahoma films. The festival will show films by Oklahomans, about Oklahomans, written by Oklahomans or filmed in Oklahoma.
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The opening reception will be at 5:30 p.m. Thursday at Circle Cinema, 10 S Lewis. The festivities continue through the weekend at Circle Cinema and Riverwalk Theater, 300 RiverWalk Terrace in Jenks.
The festival will hold 16 film events, including the Tulsa premiere of the documentary "The Creek Runs Red."
"The Creek Runs Red," by Oklahoma filmmakers Brad Beasley and James Payne, follows the toxic legacy of Picher's lead mining industry.
Following the opening reception, a history of Tulsa theaters will be presented by Nancy Schallner of the Tulsa Historical Society.
A screening of the historical drama "Tulsa," a 1949 Hollywood film starring Susan Hayward and Robert Preston, follows at 6:30 p.m. "The Outsiders" will be screened at 8:30 p.m., followed by "Rumblefish" at 10:15. Both of those films were shot in Tulsa in the early 1980s by director Francis Ford Coppola and are based on books by Oklahoma writer S.E. Hinton.
Author and Route 66 expert Michael Wallis will host a screening of the animated film "Cars" (2006), in which Wallis provides the voice of the sheriff, at the Riverwalk at 6 p.m. Nov. 10. At 8 p.m., Wallis will talk about Route 66 in a program titled "InCARnations of the Mother Road." Wallis also will host a special screening of "The Grapes of Wrath" at 9 p.m.
At the Circle Cinema, Bill Moore kicks off the evening with a 6 p.m. screening of early Oklahoma filmmaking. Following at 7:30 p.m. will be a screening of "Steamboat Around the Bend" (1935), Will Rogers' last film, directed by John Ford. "The Creek Runs Red" will follow at 9:15.
"Fearless Freaks" (2005), filmmaker Bradley Beasley's documentary about Oklahoma band The Flaming Lips, will wrap up the evening with an 11:30 p.m. screening Nov. 10 at the Circle Cinema. Director Beasley is scheduled to attend.
At the Riverwalk on Nov. 11, the day begins at 11:30 a.m. with an address on the state of filmmaking in Oklahoma from Jill Simpson of the Oklahoma Film Commission. A filmmaker's panel including Sterlin Harjo, Payne, Jeff VanHanken and others follows at 12:30 p.m.
A screening of "The Firm" (1993), starring Tom Cruise and Tulsa-bred actress Jeanne Tripplehorn, follows at 2 p.m. at the Riverwalk, with a screening of the Oklahoma-filmed "Twister" (1993) closing out the Riverwalk events at 5 p.m.
At the Circle Cinema, "Where the Heart Is" (2000), based on a novel by Oklahoma author Billie Letts, will screen at 11 a.m. Nov. 11.
Harjo will be available for a question and answer session about his short film, "Good Night Irene," showing at 2 p.m. Nov. 11. A James Payne question-answer session will follow the 2:30 p.m. screening of "The Creek Runs Red."
"Rainmaker" (1997), featuring Tulsa-born actress Mary Kay Place, will screen at 4:30 p.m.
Director and native Tulsan Tim Blake Nelson will appear at the screening of his drama "Eye of God" (1997), showing at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 11 at the Circle Cinema.
At 10 p.m., OU student films and Tulsa University student films will be shown, as well as a trailer for the upcoming Oklahoma-filmed work "Billy Fail."
"I am very pleased to be able to show the beginning of film in Oklahoma from silent film days to the present film works and on to the future with student film works from OU and TU," festival director Barbara VanHanken said via e-mail. "These are the Spielbergs and Coppolas of the future. Now is the chance to experience their early works, and who knows who will be there in years to come."
Peggy Dow Helmerich, who starred in the film "Harvey" with James Stewart, will appear at the 1 p.m. Nov. 12 screening of that film at the Circle Cinema.
"I am very excited to have Tulsa's own civic leader and former actress Peggy Dow Helmerich speak about her experiences in Hollywood," Barbara VanHanken said. "She made three movies there and played opposite some fine actors like Van Heflin, Dana Andrews and James Stewart. Mrs. Helmerich is a very delightful person to visit with about her former life and will share this with us following the screening."
A second screening of "Harvey" follows at 3:30 p.m.
The musical "Oklahoma!" (1955) will finish out the festival, screening at 5:30 p.m. Nov.12 at the Circle Cinema.
VIP passes are available in advance from the Circle Cinema. Passes are $50 and provide admission to each event. Each screening is $5 individually.
