Miss Dixie High

When the local high school beauty pageant offers a college scholarship to the winning contestant, Shelly imagines a future beyond her abusive home life and does whatever it takes to break free. Filmed on location at a junkyard/trailer compound, chain-linked fences frame key story moments to portray characters as trapped, abandoned cars and deteriorating machines symbolize social decay often associated with the southern United States. A coming of age story that digs deep into the complex nature of familial, mother-daughter, and male-female relations, remarking thoughtfully on stereotypes without perpetuating them.

Directed by Jenna Cavelle, Miss Dixie High leans on a strong ensemble — Alex Cohen, Suzanne Dean, Annie Hamilton — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about drama titles of 2014.