The 17th annual Magnolia Independent Film Festival Feb. 19-21 at Hollywood Premier Cinemas in Starkville will feature a workshop by filmmakers Michael Williams of West Point and Rob Underhill of Raleigh, North Carolina.

Set for Saturday, Feb. 21 at 4:30 p.m., the workshop — titled “Make it Happen” — is free and open to the public. It will focus on indie filmmaking, from concept to filming, from post-production to presentation.

“I’m looking forward to attending the Magnolia Film Festival for the eighth time,” Williams said. “I’m even more excited to be leading a workshop. It’s important to me that people realize that you can do a lot in the world of independent filmmaking. You don’t have to have large crews, large budgets and fancy equipment. You can tell stories with creativity and ingenuity and make films that are compelling, impressive and worthwhile.”

Williams began creating short films in 2004 while in high school and during college, where he studied film at the University of Southern Mississippi. His work has since been seen at film festivals and screenings across North America. His professional career in film began in 2007, and his credits range from assistant camera to director of photography on many independent short and feature length films.

Williams, who owns Shendopen Productions in West Point, continues to write and direct his own independent films, as well as produce films by other regional filmmakers. He also works regionally in the film industry, primarily as a first assistant camera, camera operator and director of photography.

After writing, directing and producing more than 20 short films, Williams broke into feature length film territory with his 2014 “OzLand.” His desire to tell complex stories visually draws him to pursuing a career as a cinematographer. However, as an artist and storyteller, Williams writes and directs films like “OzLand” so that he can share his stories with the public.

His recent short films “Kane,” “Illumination” and “Lukos” screened at The Magnolia Film Festival in recent years, with “Lukos” receiving Best Cinematography in 2011 and “Illumination” earning Williams the 2012 Best Director Award.

About Underhill

Underhill is a Magnolia Independent Film Festival alumnus with two films having been selected, “Wolf Call” in 2012 and “Money 1955: The Emmett Till Murder Trial” in 2014.

Underhill is a film and TV director, producer, writer and editor. His films have been in competition at more than 200 film festivals worldwide, including St. Louis (Academy Award-qualifying), Oaxaca (Mexico), Sunscreen (Academy-sponsored) and Cannes (France). He has received more than 70 awards including for Best Film, Best Director and Best Screenplay.

In 2013, Carolina Style magazine recognized Underhill as one of the 25 Most Stylish People influencing positive change in the Carolinas. He is a 2013 RAWards Indie Art Award recipient for Best Regional Filmmaker. His work has aired on the ASPiRE network and other national U.Ss and European TV outlets.

For more information about the film festival, visit magnoliafilmfest.com or contact Angella Baker at [email protected]. Festival organization efforts are provided by the Starkville Area Arts Council. For more about SAAC, visit starkvillearts.org or call 662-324-3080.

Jan Swoope is the Lifestyles Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.