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The deadCenter Film Festival returns to downtown Oklahoma City June 10–14 for its 26th edition, bringing nearly 200 films, expanded programming and a new award honoring actor Lou Diamond Phillips. This year’s lineup — culled from roughly 1,800 submissions — underscores the festival’s growing national profile and its continued role as an important launchpad for shorts seeking awards recognition.
What to expect this year
Organizers say the 2026 program blends feature films, shorts and episodic work from local, national and international filmmakers. The schedule includes restored and archival presentations alongside contemporary premieres, a mix that festival directors say reflects both artistic range and rising production quality from emerging creators.
- Dates: June 10–14, 2026
- Program size: just under 200 films
- Submissions: about 1,800 entries reviewed
- Oscar-qualifying: festival holds qualifying status in several short-film categories
- New honor: inaugural Legacy Icon Award presented to Lou Diamond Phillips
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New Legacy Icon Award spotlights a longtime performer
This year deadCenter introduces the Legacy Icon Award to recognize a sustained body of work and contributions to the industry. The festival will present the first award to Lou Diamond Phillips during opening-night activities, honoring his decades-long career in film and television.
Phillips rose to prominence in the late 1980s and remains an active presence in both mainstream and independent projects. Festival programming will include films with local ties, giving Oklahoma-based productions a prominent place in the schedule.
Programming highlights and rare screenings
Alongside contemporary work, deadCenter will screen Buster Keaton’s 1926 silent classic “The General” using a film print — a highlight for cinephiles and a rare opportunity to see the movie in a traditional screening format.
The roster also includes “Keep Quiet,” a crime-thriller produced in Oklahoma that features a local cast and crew, and multiple showcases that focus on the state’s filmmaking community. Festival leaders have pointed to a visible increase in production values among regional entrants in recent years.
Where screenings and events will be held
Most activity will be centered in downtown Oklahoma City. The primary screening venue is Harkins Theatre, while Oklahoma Contemporary will operate as the festival’s information hub. Additional screenings and special events are scheduled at the Oklahoma City Museum of Art and other nearby cultural sites, with the closing celebration set for the Oklahoma National Stockyards area.
For filmmakers, the festival’s Oscar-qualifying status can provide a rare pathway for short films seeking Academy consideration; for audiences, the mix of premieres, restored classics and local productions offers a compact snapshot of current independent cinema.
Organizers have published the full schedule and submission highlights on the festival’s official channels for those planning attendance.
