Mississippi State University senior communication major Chase Lee has always appreciated the art of filmmaking.
From the time he was a kid, he watched various kinds of films and saw them as a means of escape and a way to tell stories.
As Lee entered college, he saw there was more tangibility in filmmaking than he previously realized. Any time there was a new film class or opportunity to execute his creativity, he found a way to participate in that project, including a music video that will be shown at the Magnolia Independent Film Festival this weekend.
“I’m always trying to get involved in new film projects,” Lee said. “I took a music video class at MSU, and to me, music videos are very close-knit to films themselves, and I think they are a unique form of art in themselves.”
Lee, alongside a group, won a contest to direct and produce a music video for Mississippi-artist Brandon Green’s song, “Float.” To truly illustrate the essence of floating, Lee’s group shot the video at a nearby lake, capturing Green driving down the road and enjoying the countryside.
“We had the opportunity to make a music video for him, which was an amazing opportunity for anyone,” Lee said. “(Everyone in my class) took his song and all came up with our own ideas, and we all presented our ideas to Brandon Green. Brandon Green was the one who ended up picking which group got picked for the music video.”
The Magnolia Independent Film Festival will be Thursday through Sunday in the Golden Triangle showing around 40 films, including Lee’s. While the festival has been typically held solely in Starkville, to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the longest-running Mississippi film festival, the festival board decided to have the Thursday night showing of films in Columbus at the Malco Columbus Cinema, Festival Director Chris Misun said.
This year’s lineup includes films from all over the world, ranging from France to China. Misun said he believes the Mag is a way for Mississippians to see different types of film they might not have been exposed to before.
“I believe it’s important for filmmakers to have an outlet to create this artform,” Misun said. “In Mississippi, I think people have been extremely receptive to all the different types of films that we bring here.”
Filmmaker Ron Tibbett started The Mag in 1997 in West Point as the first film festival in the state. The festival quickly moved to Starkville to accommodate a bigger venue, Misun said. This year, Starkville’s events will be held at the UEC Hollywood Premier Cinema.
The festival was completely virtual last year due to COVID-19, but because case numbers are dropping, Misun said the festival board decided to bring back the in-person setup. He said the festival was supposed to have a drive-in option Friday night for those who might not feel comfortable being indoors around several people, but due to potential inclement weather, this event has been moved indoors.
“We’re super pumped to be back and offer it in an in-person format,” Misun said. “… I think we’ve seen the spike somewhat go down, so I think people feel pretty confident about having the event in person.”
The full schedule of events can be found on the festival’s website at magnoliafilmfest.com. Tickets will also be sold fully online.
Misun said his team has been working hard to produce this event and hopes attendees will not only enjoy the festival, but gain a new sense of appreciation for the artform of filmmaking.
“We’re just excited to continue Ron’s legacy and bring international film to Mississippi,” Misun said. “Having been the ones that have been doing it the longest in Mississippi is just a testament to the people who helped put this on.”
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Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 45 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
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