WELCOME to the website of the NOW COMPLETED 2009 FilmFest

Welcome to the 8th annual (NOW COMPLETED!) Ozark Foothills FilmFest. This year’s festival brings together films from around the state, around the country, and around the world as we celebrate the variety, creativity, and artistry of the independent cinema.

We are extremely proud to be hosting the world premiere of THE RIVER WITHIN, a thoughtful and deeply moving drama shot for the most part along the beautiful Spring River with a largely Arkansas cast and crew. The film explores the idea that each of our lives has a purpose, whether we know it or not. Director Zac Heath, an Arkansas native, made THE RIVER WITHIN for about $40,000, a real testament to the passion and resourcefulness that defines the independent cinema. Heath, who now resides in Malibu, will be returning home to join members of the cast and crew for the screening.

A number of other Arkansas filmmakers will be attending to screen and discuss their work. Margaret LeJeune, a Lyon College art teacher, will present BOTTLE OF WINE, a whimsical short comedy about a dinner invitation that leads to a wine shopping nightmare, also made on a micro-budget. Other Arkansas filmmakers who will be attending include University of Central Arkansas film teacher Mike Gunter (MEMORIES OF VIOLA) and Jacksonville filmmaker Levi Agee (WHAT HAPPENED TO MY BROTHER). Producer Mark Wilcken and videographer Michad Holliday will present their timely documentary, TROUBLED WATER, a disturbing look at the current strains on Arkansas’ water sources and what needs to be done to protect this irreplaceable resource.

The second annual Screenwriting Competition also recognizes home-grown talent. Of the twelve entries in this year’s competition, nine were submitted by Arkansans. This year’s competition was judged by UALR screenwriting teacher Ben Fry and award-winning screenwriter and director Paul Schattel (SINKHOLE). The winners will be announced at an Awards Ceremony at Lyon College on Thursday, March 26.

JOHNNY CASH’S AMERICA, by distinguished music historian Robert Gordon and filmmaker Morgan Neville, headlines an impressive line-up of music documentaries. THROW DOWN YOUR HEART follows banjo virtuoso Béla Fleck on a boundary-breaking musical odyssey to Africa in search of the little known African roots of the banjo. FAUBOURG TREMÉ: THE UNTOLD STORY OF BLACK NEW ORLEANS takes viewers on a tour of the neighborhood where jazz was born and asserts the enduring importance of the Crescent City to our national identity. The film’s narrator and co-director, Lolis Eric Elie, will attend the screening. Elie, a columnist for the Times Picayune, will be joined by singer/songwriter John Boutté, whose “Tremé Song” closes the film. A seventh-generation Creole and a New Orleans musical icon, Boutté will also perform in concert at Independence Hall on Saturday evening, March 28. He was recently honored as offBEAT Magazine’s 2009 Best Male Vocalist, as well as receiving Best Traditional Jazz Album honors for Good Neighbor.

Ozark Foothills has previously welcomed guest filmmakers from Canada and Mexico, but we are especially honored that this year Pola Zen, a filmmaker from Israel, will be attending to screen and discuss her short drama, DOLLS AND HOUSES. The film has played to much acclaim at festivals in Hamburg, Seoul, Haifa, New York, and Nashville. Zen will be travelling half-way around the world to attend our festival and we hope she will return to Israel with wonderful memories of her visit to the Ozark Foothills.

One way to further enhance your festival experience is to become a member of the Foothills Film Society. Film Society members receive discounts on admission to all Ozark Foothills FilmFest and T Tauri Film Festival programs and events for the 2009 calendar year. They also receive the official festival poster and invitations to two Members-Only FilmFest special events, a reception honoring the screenplay judges and entrants at Bradley Manor on the campus of Lyon College and a post-screening, “meet the filmmakers” gathering at Elizabeth's Restaurant. A Basic Membership in the Foothills Film Society is available for a $25 tax-deductible contribution. Find out more HERE.

For the sixth consecutive year, Arkansas visual artists were invited to submit images of original artworks depicting some aspect of the landscape, lore, or lifestyles of the Ozark Foothills for consideration as the image for the festival poster, program cover, and website home page. “Ozark Barn” by Hot Springs watercolorist Richard Stephens, was selected from an impressive group of entries. We thank him and all of the artists who participated. An exhibit of watercolors by Richard Stephens is on display at the Batesville Area Arts Council Gallery throughout the festival.

To purchase the Official Poster for $10, call 870-251-1189.

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