The nonprofit Mississippi Film Society will host a new film festival at the Capri Theatre in Jackson from Thursday, April 10 to Sunday, April 13. The Stranger Than Fiction Film Festival will showcase eight feature-length films and include an Introduction to the Film Industry Workshop and two afterparties. The selected films have been curated by Film Society Executive Director Ryan Parker.
Weekend passes for the event and tickets for individual screenings are now on sale at strangerthanfiction.eventive.org. Attendees who purchase weekend passes will receive priority entry and seating for each of the screenings. Visit the Mississippi Film Society site for more information: msfilmsociety.org.
“Since founding the Film Society in 2023, it has been a dream of mine to host a festival like this. I am beyond excited to share seven amazing films with the community. These films have premiered at prestigious festivals with sold out screenings across the country, so it’s such a thrill to be able to screen them here, where they wouldn’t have released theatrically. It is my hope that this event will be the foundation for a larger festival that will span more days and locations and feature more films and programming for the community in the years to come,” said Film Society Executive Director Ryan Parker. “There’s something here for viewers off all ages, including a breakfast cereal buffet for our family-friendly screening on Saturday morning and afterparties with live music and movie trivia.”
The Stranger Than Fiction Film Festival will kick off on April 10, at 7 p.m., with the opening night screening of Secret Mall Apartment.
“I can’t express how much I love this film. It might be one of my favorites of 2025. Come for the secret apartment shenanigans and stay for one of the most uplifting movie-going experiences you’ll have all year,” said Parker.
Read on for an overview of the Festival screenings and events, all of which will take place at the Capri Theatre and Fondren Yard:
Secret Mall Apartment
April 10, 7 p.m. Sponsored, in part, by The City With Soul
This screening will be followed by a pre-recorded conversation with director Jeremy Workman and film subject and artist Michael Townsend. This film tells the unbelievable, true story of eight Rhode Islanders, who, in 2003, built a secret apartment inside a busy mall and lived there for four years, filming everything along the way. Far more than a prank, the secret apartment became a deeply meaningful place for all involved.
Swamp Dogg Gets His Pool Painted
April 11, 7 p.m. Sponsored, in part, by OffBeat
This film profiles Jerry “Swamp Dogg” Williams, a musician who has been an influential cult figure in American music despite never achieving mainstream fame. Swamp Dogg lives with his friends and colleagues Larry “Moogstar” Clemons and David “Guitar Shorty” Kearney in a modest home in the San Fernando Valley, which the three men have maintained as an artistic haven. This will be preceded by the short film, Country Punk Black, directed by Christopher C. Fisher, which profiles Mississippi musician Twurt Chamberlain. The night will conclude with an after party during which local artist, DJ Young Venom, live scoring a black-and-white classic film.
DJ Young Venom at Fondren Yard
April 11, 9 p.m.
Join us at Fondren Yard after Friday night’s screenings for an afterparty where DJ Young Venom will live score a silent black-and-white classic film.
The Legend of Ochi
April 12, 10 a.m.
In this family-friendly film (rated PG), a young girl learns to never go outside after dark because of reclusive forest creatures known as the ochi. However, when a baby ochi is left behind by its pack, she embarks on the adventure of a lifetime to reunite it with its family. This screening will include a breakfast cereal buffet.
Introduction to the Film Industry Workshop
April 12, 1 p.m. Co-sponsored by the Mississippi Film Office and conducted by Sarah Hennigan, Assistant Professor of Film Production at the University of Mississippi
Interested in learning more about or pursuing a part-time or full-time job in the film industry, but unsure of where (or how) to start? Wondering if your professional skills translate to the film industry? Then this event is for you!
In this two-hour workshop, we will explore key roles in the industry (and there are so many!) that don’t have anything to do with directing or operating a camera. We’ll talk about roles like hair and makeup; grip (what does that word even mean?) and electric; various art department positions like props and construction; catering and crafty (and what’s the difference between them); transportation; security; administrative skills; accounting; project management; and many more. The goal is to introduce participants to the basic tasks in each of these roles and the skills necessary to undertake them and to hopefully show that you aren’t as far away from working in the industry as you might think.
We will conclude the workshop with a brief tutorial on Reel Scout, the database that producers use to find local vendors, crew, and cast when filming in Mississippi.
This workshop is free and open to the public, but registration is appreciated.
23 Mile
April 12, 3 p.m.
Part verité essay film, part political diary, 23 Mile is an experimental nonfiction film following Americans during cataclysmic events in the Midwestern swing state of Michigan throughout 2020–including the plot to kidnap governor Whitmer—painting a portrait of a populace that defies media stereotypes. A document of complex discourse, the film forces viewers to question their own assumptions about race, class, social status and geographical demographics, drawing a surprisingly hopeful human portrait against the foreboding backdrop of societal instability. The screening will be followed by a pre-recorded conversation with director Mitch McCabe and a panel discussion of the film convened by the Mississippi Humanities Council.
Kim’s Video
April 12, 6 p.m. Screening is part of South Arts Southern Circuit Tour of Independent Filmmakers
This film pays tribute to the iconic video store in New York City that inspired a generation of cinephiles before it mysteriously closed its doors and sent its legendary film archive to a small Sicilian village for safekeeping. This screening will be followed by an in-person conversation and Q&A with director Ashley Sabin.
Movie Trivia After Party at Fondren Yard
April 12, 8 p.m.
Join us at Fondren Yard after Saturday night’s screening for a night of movie trivia and pizza, sponsored by Aaron Bond Counseling.
Eudora
April 13, 1:30 p.m.
Renowned short story writer Eudora Welty is explored through intimate and charming interviews, both with Eudora herself and with family and friends. Seen through the backdrop of Jackson, Mississippi, Eudora is a revealing portrait of adventure, daring, humor and love as we meet a writer we only thought we knew. This film is directed by Anthony Thaxton and produced by Robert St. John. The Eudora screening will be preceded by the documentary short, Jason Bouldin: Corporeal Nature, directed by University of Mississippi filmmaking students Tanner Goodeill and Madeleine Perkins. This screening will be co-hosted by the Two Mississippi Museums, the Mississippi Humanities Council, and the Mississippi Film Office and will be followed by a conversation with director Anthony Thaxton and other subject matter experts.
Cajita
April 13, 4 p.m.
Based on a true story, this intimate tale follows Tomás an immigrant laborer who fled his country by shipping himself in a crate years before the story starts. Tomás now lives off the grid, performing odd jobs for an upper-middle-class family, and saving money to eventually buy a home for the family he left behind. A series of events forces Tomás out of his solitary life to engage with people of his community in search of something lost. However, this journey reflects Tomás own social and emotional turmoil: even though he emigrated to the US, he has psychologically never left his crate. This screening will be followed by an in-person conversation and Q&A with writer Rick Negron, Chair and Professor of Film Production at Belhaven University.
Lady Parts
April 13, 6:15 p.m.
This screening will be followed by a post screening conversation and Q&A with writer Bonnie Ross, whose experiences inspired the film and Dr. Kimberly Zachow (OB/GYN). Based on writer and producer Bonnie Gross’s true story, Lady Parts is a dramedy feature film where a young woman’s sex life becomes a family affair when she has to undergo a vulvar vestibulectomy. Her loving, but overbearing parents help her through recovery (despite her cringing) and learn that saying “vagina” loud and proud is the first step to advocating for herself in all aspects of her life.
The Stranger Than Fiction Film Festival is funded by grants through Visit Mississippi, Volunteer Mississippi, the Mississippi Humanities Council and in partnership with the Mississippi Film Office and The City With Soul.
Founded in 2023, the Mississippi Film Society is a nonprofit that entertains, educates, and inspires Mississippians through community screenings, lectures, workshops, and festivals.
