Overview
The Crossroads Film Festival is an independent film festival held annually in April in the Jackson, Mississippi metropolitan area. Founded in 1999 by the Crossroads Film Society, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, it is the second oldest film festival in Mississippi. The festival screens more than 100 films over three to four days, with categories spanning narrative features and shorts, documentary features and shorts, animation, experimental film, music videos, and student work.
The Crossroads Film Society organizes the festival with a stated mission to promote independent film in the Deep South, with particular emphasis on supporting female filmmakers, young filmmakers, filmmakers of color, LGBTQ+ filmmakers, and indigenous filmmakers. The society also runs year-round programming including special events, lectures, and workshops.
For filmmakers: Crossroads offers open submissions via FilmFreeway with no premiere requirement, 10 to 15 award categories (many with cash prizes), and a specific award for Mississippi filmmakers (the Ruma Award). The festival receives 300 to 600 submissions annually and programs approximately 100 to 136 films. The trade-off is that this is a regional festival without significant distributor or market presence. It is best suited for filmmakers seeking exhibition in the South, Mississippi-connected projects, or filmmakers building festival track records.
Submission Details
Crossroads accepts submissions through FilmFreeway.
Key submission facts:
- No premiere requirement
- Films submitted via FilmFreeway online streaming video
- Multiple categories require separate submissions and transactions for each category
- Submission fees are non-refundable
- Mississippi filmmakers have a separate submission opening date
Submission timeline (typical):
- Opening date: Mississippi filmmakers only (early access)
- Regular deadline: open to all filmmakers
- Late deadline: higher fee
- Southern Music Videos: separate category with its own deadline
- Notification date: typically several weeks before the festival
Submission categories:
- Best Feature Narrative
- Best Short Narrative
- Best Feature Documentary
- Best Short Documentary
- Best Animated Film
- Best Experimental Film
- Best Music Video
- Best Student Film
- Southern Music Videos
The festival coordinator is Michele Baker. Contact: P.O. Box 22604, Jackson, MS 39225. Phone: 601-345-5674.
Key Sections
- Feature Narrative - fiction features, typically 60 minutes and up
- Short Narrative - fiction shorts
- Feature Documentary - nonfiction features
- Short Documentary - nonfiction shorts
- Animation - animated films
- Experimental Film - formally innovative and avant-garde work
- Music Video - including a Southern Music Videos category
- Student Film - films by student filmmakers
- Mississippi Film Showcase - films by Mississippi filmmakers
- Workshops and Master Classes - educational programming
- Live Local Music - nightly music performances
- After-Parties - nightly networking events for badge holders
What Filmmakers Should Know
For Mississippi and Southern Filmmakers
Crossroads is the most significant film festival platform in Mississippi. The Ruma Award for Most Promising Mississippi Filmmaker is a specific recognition given annually to a hometown filmmaker. The festival's programming intentionally highlights films related to Mississippi and the American South, and the Crossroads Film Society prioritizes diversity in its selections.
Mississippi filmmakers get early access to submissions (a separate opening date before general submissions open). If you are a Mississippi resident or your film has Mississippi connections, submit during the Mississippi-only window.
For Documentary Filmmakers
Jackson's position as the capital of the state that was central to the civil rights movement gives the festival particular relevance for documentary films addressing American race relations, social justice, and historical memory. The festival audience includes engaged local viewers who bring historical context to documentary screenings.
For Music Video Filmmakers
The Southern Music Videos category is a distinctive offering. The festival has a separate deadline for this category and programs music videos alongside its live local music events. Filmmakers working with Southern musicians should consider this category.
Festival Experience
The festival takes place primarily at Malco Grandview Cinema in Madison, Mississippi (a suburb of Jackson), with special events at venues including Hal & Mal's (downtown Jackson) and the Mississippi Museum of Art. Workshops, panels, and master classes are held at locations including Millsaps College. An awards brunch on the Sunday of the festival culminates in awards and prizes for winning films.
Pass and ticket prices (recent editions):
- All-access passes: $35 and up
- Industry and student passes: $20
- Day passes: $15 and up
- Individual film blocks: $5 and up
What Crossroads Does Not Offer
Crossroads is not a market festival. Distributors do not attend with acquisition budgets. The festival does not host an industry market, pitch forum, or co-production platform. Filmmakers should not expect distribution deals or agent representation to emerge from a Crossroads selection. The value is in exhibition, audience engagement, regional networking, and building a festival track record.
Awards
Crossroads awards between 10 and 15 pieces of handmade local glass artwork each year. Many categories also include cash prizes.
Award categories:
- Best Feature Narrative
- Best Short Narrative
- Best Feature Documentary
- Best Short Documentary
- Best Animated Film
- Best Experimental Film
- Best Music Video
- Best Student Film
- Programmer's Choice
- The Adam Ford Youth Filmmaking Award
- Transformative Film Award
- Audience Choice - Film
- Audience Choice - Music Video
- The Ruma Award - for Most Promising Mississippi Filmmaker
The Ruma Award is the festival's signature prize. Previous winners include Herman Snell for "Rudy's Olde Hat" (2015). The award recognizes a Mississippi filmmaker whose work shows particular promise.
Festival History
The Crossroads Film Festival was founded in 1999 by the Crossroads Film Society, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit membership organization. The festival celebrated its 20th edition in April 2019. As of 2025, the festival has been running for 27 years (since 2000, with the founding in 1999).
The festival has been held at various venues across the Jackson metropolitan area over its history, including Parkway Place Regal Cinema in Flowood, Malco Grandview Cinema in Madison, Millsaps College, the Mississippi Museum of Art, and local clubs and restaurants.
The 2020 edition was held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic, running from November 12 to December 15 on Eventive, a streaming platform. The virtual edition included a profit-share initiative to support filmmakers, a departure from the standard festival model. The festival returned to in-person programming in subsequent years.
Recent editions have screened at Malco Grandview Cinema in Madison, with 108 to 136 films programmed from 400 to 600 submissions. The 2018 edition ran April 12 to 14 with 136 films in 21 film blocks.
Past Winners
The Crossroads Film Festival awards 10 to 15 prizes each year, including handmade local glass artwork and cash prizes. The top juried prize is Best Feature Narrative:
- 2019: Best Feature Narrative - Driven (dir. Glenn Payne, starring Richard Speight Jr.). A ride-share horror-comedy filmed in Tupelo, Mississippi. The film was selected from 350 submissions, with 100 accepted. Distributed by Uncork'd Entertainment on VOD and DVD in June 2020.
- 2017: Best Feature Narrative - You Are Everything (dir. Lena Geller, Germany). The festival programs international features alongside domestic work.
- 2015: Best Feature Narrative - Wildlike (dir. Frank Hall Green). A coming-of-age thriller set in Alaska starring Ella Purnell and Bruce Greenwood. Distributed by Amplify Releasing. The film screened at over 30 festivals including Hamptons and Woodstock.
- 2015: Best Feature Documentary - Barge (dir. Ben Powell). A documentary about American river barge workers.
- 2015: Ruma Award - Rudy's Olde Hat (dir. Herman Snell). The Ruma Award recognizes the most promising Mississippi filmmaker each year.
- 2010: Best Feature Narrative - The Last Confession of Alexander Pearce (dir. Michael James Rowland). An Australian historical drama.
The Ruma Award for Most Promising Mississippi Filmmaker is the festival's signature prize. Previous winners include Herman Snell (2015) and Joe York (2017, for Shake 'Em On Down).
Notable Alumni Films
- *Driven (2019 Best Feature Narrative winner, dir. Glenn Payne) starred Richard Speight Jr. from Supernatural*. The film was picked up by Uncork'd Entertainment for VOD and DVD distribution in June 2020. It screened at Dances With Films Festival, Frightfest, and the Nashville Film Festival before its Crossroads win.
- *Wildlike (2015 Best Feature Narrative winner, dir. Frank Hall Green) was distributed by Amplify Releasing. The film starred Ella Purnell (Fallout, Maleficent) and Bruce Greenwood (Star Trek, Gerald's Game*). It screened at over 30 festivals and received a theatrical release in 15 US cities.
- *A Village Called Versailles* (2010 Best Feature Documentary winner, dir. S. Leo Chiang) aired on PBS. The documentary about a Vietnamese American community in New Orleans post-Hurricane Katrina was distributed by Center for Asian American Media.
- *Yazoo Revisited* (2015 Most Transformative Film winner, dir. David Rae Morris) screened with support from the Mississippi Humanities Council. The documentary examined integration and segregation in a Deep Southern town.
Submission Tips
- Submit during the Mississippi-only early access window if you qualify. Mississippi filmmakers get a separate submission opening date before general submissions open. The Ruma Award specifically recognizes Mississippi filmmakers, and the festival prioritizes regional work.
- Target the Southern Music Videos category if you work with Southern musicians. This category has its own deadline and screens alongside live local music events. The festival pairs music videos with nightly performances, giving filmmakers direct audience engagement.
- Documentary films about civil rights, race relations, and Southern history align with the festival's audience. Jackson's position as the capital of the state central to the civil rights movement gives the festival particular relevance for social justice documentaries. The 2015 Most Transformative Film winner addressed segregation in Mississippi.
- No premiere requirement means you can submit even if your film has screened elsewhere. This makes Crossroads a good late-circuit stop for films that have already played larger festivals.
- Submit via FilmFreeway with separate entries for each category. Multiple categories require separate submissions and transactions. Fees are non-refundable.
Industry Reputation Notes
Crossroads is not a market festival. Distributors do not attend with acquisition budgets. The festival does not host an industry market, pitch forum, or co-production platform. Filmmakers should not expect distribution deals or agent representation from a Crossroads selection.
Compared to peer festivals in the South, Crossroads occupies a specific position. The Oxford Film Festival in Mississippi has a similar regional focus but draws a more literary crowd due to its proximity to the University of Mississippi. Crossroads draws a more community-oriented audience in Jackson. The New Orleans Film Festival has stronger industry infrastructure and distributor presence, making it a better destination for filmmakers seeking acquisition attention.
Crossroads is best suited for filmmakers seeking exhibition in the South, Mississippi-connected projects, or filmmakers building festival track records. The festival's 100 to 136 film program from 400 to 600 submissions gives it a moderate acceptance rate. The Ruma Award provides specific recognition for Mississippi filmmakers that no other festival in the state offers.
The festival's commitment to diversity is structural, not just rhetorical. The Crossroads Film Society explicitly prioritizes female filmmakers, filmmakers of color, LGBTQ+ filmmakers, and indigenous filmmakers in its programming decisions. This makes Crossroads a relevant destination for underrepresented filmmakers seeking regional exhibition.
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See Also
Use the Festival ROI Calculator to compare submission costs against potential prize money and attendance returns. Use the Festival Acceptance Estimator to gauge your odds before submitting. For southern US independent filmmaking, see Independent Filmmaking Strategies. For festival circuit planning, see Film Festival Strategy.
