One-hundred and fifteen independent films from across the world will grace the big screens of the Simmons Center and the Chisholm Trail Heritage Center in Duncan at the forth annual Trail Dance Film Festival Jan. 22-24.

The event includes vendor presentations, live entertainment, seminars with experts from the film industry and three days of film screening including several Oklahoma and worldwide premiers.

The festival introduces promising filmmakers from around the globe to Oklahoma's emergent film industry and provides a supportive forum to showcase films.

The festival includes a “Kids Fest” featuring kid-friendly films intended for students in grades 3-8 on Jan. 22.
New to the festival this year will be “Hispanic Fest”, a showcase of eight Spanish language films. The films will be screened from 3:00-5:00 p.m. on Jan. 22.

“Pearl,” a true story based in Marlow, Okla. and the Chickasaw Nation’s first feature film, will screen at 8:00 p.m. on Jan. 22 at the Simmons Center.  This film tells the story of Pearl Carter Scott, a Chickasaw girl born in 1915, who became well-known as the youngest licensed pilot in American history.

The high school film category was opened up for submissions worldwide this year and several of the nation’s best art schools submitted entries.  A $2000.00 scholarship will be awarded to the best Oklahoma-based high school film.
 
Trail Dance will be the first film festival in the nation to offer a phone audio tour to help festival-goers select which films to see. By calling the tour number on a cell phone, participants can key in the number associated with any film and get a quick audio synopsis.
 
In 2007, Trail Dance was honored with a prestigious Redbud Award for “Outstanding New Event” at the Oklahoma Governors Conference on Tourism. The festival has also received nationwide praise, including being named among one of the “Top 25 Coolest Festivals of 2009” by Movie Maker Magazine.
 
Tickets are available at the Simmons Center, 800 Chisholm Trail Parkway in Duncan, on the festival’s website at www.traildancefilmfestival.com or by calling (580) 470-9330.