Dozens of volunteers have trained and are ready to assume their roles today as the Oxford Film Festival kicks off.

Almost 300 volunteers are involved in making sure everything runs smoothly, which is a large step up from the 100 volunteers in past years. Film festival director Melanie Addington definitely will put them to good use this week — the list of films and the talent involved is long. A record-breaking 144 films will show, ranging from larger budgets from zero budgets.

If you are looking for some entertainment this week after work or this weekend with family or friends, look no further than the festival. Show it support and go see something — there is every genre represented. And for film buffs, the curious or the just plain talkative folks out there, you can meet and talk to the filmmaker. You might meet the next Steven Spielberg.

Tickets are reasonable, starting out at $10.

This is the first year for the film festival to have a full-time paid director. We look for great things out of the event and even greater things to come. We encourage residents to not head out of town this weekend and give this event some support.