Oklahoma is for everyone. And so is its largest film festival.
For 25 years, deadCenter has exposed attendees to thousands of organic, touching stories that the average filmgoer may rarely — if ever — encounter. These movies often have the power to shape us, widen our lens and meaningfully consider the people who surround us.
But finding content that captures an audience’s attention and appropriately represents a demographic isn’t without hurdles, especially when it comes to the depth and vibrancy of the 2SLGBTQ+ community. For Laron Chapman, deadCenter’s head of PRIDE programming, the challenge is one he’s passionate to return to year after year.
In 2018, Chapman’s film You People was named deadCenter’s Best Oklahoma Feature. This came just two years after he attended his first deadCenter, which ultimately gave him the confidence to bring his character-driven script to life.
“It once felt so daunting and unattainable,” Chapman said, “but when I left the festival, I felt inspired. And after winning for You People, which I was completely taken aback by, I started volunteering and programming in an unofficial capacity in 2021.”
Chapman officially joined deadCenter’s committee as a PRIDE programmer in 2022. His immediate impact on the festival’s offerings saw him eventually named head of PRIDE programming in 2024. He’s the first person to hold the position.
Purposeful perspective
While deadCenter wasn’t devoid of queer representation before Chapman started as programmer, no one was dedicated to curating this cinema, either. Being gay and a prominent, supportive voice in Oklahoma’s film community made Chapman ideal for filtering and identifying festival submissions that came from a sincere and thoughtful place.
“Everything happens the way it’s supposed to at the time it’s supposed to happen,” Chapman said. “I’ve created a local presence in the state and am open and candid about the experiences I had. I wasn’t hiding my identity. I was proud.”
Putting a spotlight on films that reflected his experience was important, but Chapman found it just as vital to amplify the voices of those with a similar background.
“I had to be front and center of the conversation because visibility and representation are important,” he said. “I didn’t want to be a filmmaker who was a closeted queer person making movies that were broadly appealing to people. I want to be known for what I stand up for and the people I stand for.”
Deliberate depth
Chapman knows that his perspective doesn’t necessarily reflect the 2SLGBTQ+ community as a whole. What his position does alleviate, however, is the unintentional biases that can emerge in curation, even when festival programmers have the best intentions.
“We’re not a monolith; there are so many demographics within the community,” Chapman said. “People don’t always acknowledge the hierarchy of the community, in that the gay, white male is the most represented. As you get a little darker in skin tone and less clear about gender, however, you realize those people don’t have as much of a platform. So the challenge isn’t about picking a movie because it has representation. It also has to be a good representation of its subject.”
It isn’t about hyper-fixating on trends or emulating something that’s in vogue for Chapman. Effective PRIDE programming is diving beyond designations and showcasing films that aren’t just queer, but undeniably human.
“Every person has their own unique, lived experience no matter what you identify yourself as,” Chapman said. “I search for content that makes those stories relatable.”
Perpetual PRIDE
To Chapman, the impact of his contributions to deadCenter are bigger than just watching movies. He hopes the festival continues to shine brightly as a safe place to present, discuss and, ultimately, celebrate queer film.
“There’s a lot of hesitancy from people who have never been to Oklahoma, and a lot of anxiety comes with that,” Chapman said. “It’s sobering, but I also love telling people that we have a vibrant, buzzing culture here, even in one of the bloodiest, reddest of states.”
In coordination with Oklahoma Pride Alliance, Chapman and the rest of deadCenter’s committee strives to ensure the festival remains a safe, inclusive, supportive place for everyone who attends and participates in it.
“It’s important for everyone to sit in a dark room with strangers and see their lives reflected on-screen,” Chapman said. “That’s the power of art. If you see a movie with two queer leads, that doesn’t mean you can’t see it. And we’re better knowing and engaging with those kinds of films because it makes us better at engaging life.”
The 25th annual deadCenter film festival is June 11-15. For PRIDE-specific films, filter deadCenter’s virtual schedule for films and blocks with the tags “2SLGBTQ+ Subject Matter” and “2SLGBTQ+ Filmmaker.”
Visit deadcenterfilm.org.
This article appears in deadCenter Film Festival 2025.