Lt. Governor Pinnell to Receive deadCenter Film Festival's Visionary Leadership Award
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact: kaitlyn.rivas@ltgov.ok.gov
OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA (June 4, 2026) — Oklahoma Lieutenant Governor Matt Pinnell will be honored with the deadCenter Film Festival's Visionary Leadership Award during the 26th annual deadCenter Film Festival, recognizing his leadership and commitment to growing Oklahoma's film and television industry.
The award celebrates individuals whose leadership has helped advance Oklahoma's creative economy and strengthen the state's position as a destination for film, television and digital media production.
Under Pinnell's leadership, Oklahoma's film industry has experienced unprecedented growth, generating hundreds of millions of dollars in economic activity, creating jobs across the state and attracting major productions to Oklahoma communities. As Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Tourism, Pinnell has championed strategic investments in the state's film incentive programs while helping elevate Oklahoma's profile as a premier filming destination.
"Oklahoma's film industry is one of our state's greatest economic development success stories," said Lt. Governor Matt Pinnell. "From major motion pictures and television productions to independent filmmakers telling uniquely Oklahoma stories, we've built an industry that is creating jobs, driving tourism and showcasing our state to audiences around the world. I'm honored to receive this recognition from deadCenter, an organization that has played a vital role in developing Oklahoma's film community for more than two decades."
The recognition comes as Oklahoma continues to experience record growth in film production activity. Since the launch and expansion of the state's film incentive programs, productions have brought significant investment to local businesses, supported thousands of jobs and generated long-term economic benefits for communities across Oklahoma.
Founded in 2001, deadCenter Film Festival is Oklahoma's largest film festival and one of the region's premier showcases for independent filmmakers. The festival annually attracts filmmakers, industry professionals and film enthusiasts from across the country while highlighting Oklahoma's growing role in the entertainment industry.
The 2026 deadCenter Film Festival will take place June 10-14 in downtown Oklahoma City and will feature screenings, panels, educational programming and special events celebrating the art of filmmaking. This year's festival will also honor actor Lou Diamond Phillips as the inaugural recipient of the festival's Legacy Icon Award.
To purchase tickets and see a full schedule: https://dcff.eventive.org/welcome.
