Little Rock Screenings & Events

March 29-April 1

Ozark Foothills FilmFest & UALR Public Radio present

AN EVENING WITH TISH HINOJOSA

Event Sponsors:

Thursday, March 29, 7:30 PM

Stella Boyle Smith Concert Hall, University of Arkansas-Little Rock

$10 Regular Admission

$8 Adults Age 55+ & Students All Ages

$6 KUAR and Foothills Film Society Members

From the White House to el barrio, Tish Hinojosa has enchanted, enlightened and entertained countless listeners with her distinctive cross-cultural music. In the process, she has become one of the most acclaimed and beloved artists in the contemporary Latin and folk scene. With a purity of voice and a vision that also embraces pop, rock, tejano and international styles, she reflects modern America's multicultural richness with sincerity, heart and a winning musicality.

Tish Hinojosa's greatest gift may be her ability to bridge the gap between cultures. Many of her most celebrated recordings are bilingual - often within the same song. The Boston Globe declared, "With a voice that goes straight to the heart, it very nearly doesn't matter what language (she) chooses." Her seminal 1992 album Culture Swing received a NAIRD Indie Award for Folk Album of the Year. Hinojosa has released over a dozen albums over the course of her career and has recorded with Lucinda Williams, Joan Baez, Dwight Yoakum, Kris Kristofferson, and Nancy Griffith. She also served as narrator for the award-winning PBS documentary film ACCORDION DREAMS.

"Subsumed herself in the thematic substance and graceful flow of her music - an act of great purity made possible by her rare purity of voice. Here is an artist- singing in English and Spanish - who trusts that her songs are meaningful and graceful, that her voice is lovely and that nothing more is needed to reach her audience." --Mike Boehm, Los Angeles Times

Tish Hinojosa's participation in the Ozark Foothills FilmFest is part of the Creative Connections program of Meet the Composer, Inc. and Mid-America Arts Alliance, which is made possible with generous support from the National Endowment for the Arts.

FAIRY GODMOTHERS OF THE OZARKS: THE COMMITTEE OF ONE HUNDRED FOR THE OZARK FOLK CENTER

By Lenore Shoults, Mountain View AR. (2006, 30 min.)

FAIRY GODMOTHER OF THE OZARKS tells the story of an amazing statewide volunteer group that came together to support the Ozark Folk Center and has grown into an incredible model of what can be accomplished with dedication, enthusiasm, and shared purpose. In the words of filmmaker Lenore Shoults, herself a member of the Committee of 100, "The glue that holds the group together is the heritage that is preserved at the Folk Center and the way of life grounded in family and friendship. Lifelong friendships have been established within the Committee among women who would never have otherwise crossed paths."

FILMMAKER LENORE SHOULTS IN ATTENDANCE

ACCORDION DREAMS

Directed by Hector Galán, Austin TX. Narrated by Tish Hinojosa. (2000, 57 min.)

The arrival of the European button accordion to Texas and the merging of German polka music with traditional Mexican songs gave birth to Conjunto, a unique American music genre native to the state. From lively polkas to smooth waltzes, Hector Galán’s spirited ACCORDION DREAMS looks at the contemporary evolution of the music and a new generation of musicians who are taking traditional sounds to the fringes of rock, blues and pop. Featuring squeezebox trailblazers such as Flaco Jimenez, Valerio Longoria, Ruben Vela, Eva Ybarra, Albert Zamora, Jesse Turner and teen sensation Victoria Galavan, Galán celebrates an underappreciated instrument and rich musical culture.

"...both a Tejano cultural history and a heartfelt love ballad to the most maligned of instruments…” -–Marrit Ingman, The Austin Chronicle

YOU DID WHAT?

Written and directed by Jeff Morris, Redondo Beach CA. (2006, 85 min.)

A heartfelt comedy based on the true-life experiences of first time writer and director Jeff Morris. When his brother proposes to a girl after knowing her less than 24 hours, marriage phobic Charlie Porter finds himself stuck between a two-carat rock and a hard place with his long-term girlfriend, Ashley.

"Charlie's life is thrown into chaos when his flighty younger brother announces his impending marriage to a woman he's known for about a day. This leads Charlie's girlfriend of two years, the insanely patient Ashley, to wonder why she and Charlie aren't headed down the aisle themselves...Will he or won't he give in to pressure and his feelings? That's the central plot behind this sweet, funny, sometimes predictable but always enjoyable new film." --Megg Mueller, tahoe.com

Orson Welles Award for Outstanding Achievement in a Debut Film, 2006 Tiburon International Film Festival; Best Professional Feature, 2006 Real to Reel Film and Video Festival

GO FAST, TURN LEFT: VOICES FROM ORANGE COUNTY SPEEDWAY

By Kenny Dalsheimer, Durham, NC. (1997, 48 min.)

Journey to the grassroots of stock car racing as drivers, their family members, and track officials share insights into the challenges and rewards of competing in the minor leagues of the fastest growing sport in the U.S. Like many independent race tracks across the county, Orange County serves as a meeting place for a southern racing community both connected to and far removed from the multi-million dollar, image-driven world of NASCAR's big leagues.

DIRT

Produced and directed by Jeff Bowden, Dallas TX. Co-directed by Greg Biggerstaff, Leah Marino, Arbor Watt. (2005, 81 min.)

"We find ourselves in the midst of the most competitive season ever at the World Class Street Stocks, Devil’s Bowl, Mesquite Texas, and very quickly, we realize, there’s nowhere else we would rather be. If big screen racing pictures have always maintained a distance from the viewer, a glimpse into an expensive world of pit crews and glamour that never really engages, Bowden’s documentary reminds us that with a little technical know-how and a couple of hundred bucks we could soup up that old bomb in your Uncle Pete’s back yard and spend the weekends careening around a dirt track crashing into and bad-mouthing anyone who gets in the way."

--Chris Flynn, www.stylusmagazine.com

Best Documentary Feature, 2006 Austin Film Festival; Best Cinematography, 2006 Rhode Island Film Festival

COLE BENOIT OF RABBIT MAN FILMS WILL DISCUSS DIRT; 'DIRT'Y MERCHANDISE AVAILABLE

SWEDISH AUTO

Written and directed by Derek Sieg, Los Angeles CA. Produced by Tyler Davidson; starring Lukas Haas and January Jones. (2006, 97 min.)

Two small-town loners connect in this dramatic study of voyeurism, unexpected love, and the possibilities of escape in a restored Volvo coupe.
"Fully loaded, with spot-on performances and remarkable direction, SWEDISH AUTO weaves the kind of spell that can only come from a sure-handed storyteller. Like the '67 Volvo referenced in the title, this naturalistic character piece isn't built for speed--or comfort, either. But it takes you places before you even know you're moving. Indie audiences and festival crowds will want to hitch a ride." --John Anderson, Variety

Opening Night Film, 2007 Cleveland International Film Festival; Audience Award, 2006 Athens (Greece) International Film Festival; Honorable Mention Best Feature Film, 2006 Woodstock Film Festival

COMPOSER JOSH ROBERTSON IN ATTENDANCE

INDIE SHOWCASE:

EXPERIMENTAL

Event Sponsor:

BIG RED BALL

By Chuck Moore, Marietta GA. (2006, 9 min.)

Live-action fantasy about a giant red playground ball who finds true love and real danger in the big city. Filmmaker Chuck Moore wrote, directed, shot, edited and scored this playful homage to the classic French children's film THE RED BALLOON.

LE MIS POPOTE (THE ERRONEOUS EARTH KITCHEN)

and SIX VIDEO POEMS

By Anders Bramsen, New York NY. (2006, 35 min.)

Juxtaposing beautiful images with an undercurrent of rage and uncontrolled excitement, LE MIS POPOTE explores situations, events and feelings that suggest the conflicts inherent in mankind's chaotic relationship to life. Mental images, childhood memories and emotions are revealed as dreams or nightmares. LE MIS POPOTE is frantic, plotless and extraordinary.

ANCIENT RHYTHM

By Lane Last, Union City TN. (2005, 3 min.)

ANCIENT RHYTHM represents a synthesis of the filmmaker's interest in the exploration of our human desire to create experience. This hybrid work is developed around both video and audio material simultaneously as it plays with the spectre of a human form and the fluid space of cognition.

BATTLE BRIGADES

By Tyrone Davis, Rolla MO. (2006, 6 min.)

A music video featuring midwestern indie rockers The Foundry Field Recordings. Culled from pop-culture remnants, sports Americana, and a twisted love of all things warlike, BATTLE BRIGADES reflects America's love-hate relationship with war via an absurd cloning premise.

THUNDER ON THE FARM

By Carleton Averill II, Delta OH. (2006, 34 min.)

For 150 years the old brick farmhouse spent the days watching the changing of the seasons, and the passing of the years. After 150 years, the summers pass now as if in just one day. The baby birds grow and leave the nest, the fruit ripens, and the leaves change and eventually fall from the tree. All the while, new houses are being built on the old farmland. They are large, fancy, and expensive. But will these new homes be standing in 150 years?

FILMMAKER CARLETON AVERILL II IN ATTENDANCE

CABIN FIELD

Produced, directed and edited by Laura Kissel, Columbia SC. Sound design by Joe Milutis. (2005, 40 min.)

The landscapes that we build and the landscapes that we remember are evocative locations, and never static. They are sites of struggle and change. This experimental, non-fiction film explores the site of Cabin Field, a mile-long stretch of agricultural land in Crisp County, Georgia. Through the memories of land owners, farmers, residents and agricultural laborers past and present, CABIN FIELD examines evidence both visible and submerged, material and ephemeral.

"Kissel has an eye for arresting visuals--the movie opens with a rain of peanuts and a gyrating satellite shot of the area that look like abstract images before you realize what they are--and her elliptical approach unearths bits of the land's history from Creek Indian territory through the days when it was farmed by African-American sharecroppers and into the modern-day South." --Lee Gardner, Baltimore City paper

Jury Citation Award, 2006 Black Maria Film and Video Festival; Best Documentary, 2006 Delta International Film and Video Festival

DIRECTOR LAURA KISSEL WILL INTRODUCE THE FILM AND LEAD A POST-SCREENING DISCUSSION

The screening and discussion with filmmaker Laura Kissel are supported in part by a grant from the Arkansas Humanities Council and the National Endowment for the Humanities.

JUST THE TWO OF US

Produced, written and directed by Keenon Nikita, Memphis TN. Starring Keenon Nikita and Selina Nell Haley. (2006, 110 min.)

An autobiographical drama about a single father struggling to raise a young daughter. Nic, a writer-hopeful finds that he is the father of a two month old infant, Ashley. Never having a close family life of his own, Nic is left to raise the child alone. Eight years later, Nic and Ashley have built a life together but somehow they begin to lose sight of what's important - each other. Keenon Nikita's labor of love is about the importance of finding yourself through your family.

Hometowner Award Best Narrative Feature, 2006 Indie Memphis Film Festival; Grand Prize Winner, 2006 American Artist Film Festival

FILMMAKER KEENON NIKITA IN ATTENDANCE

THE GARAGE

Directed by Carl Thibault, Burbank CA. (2006, 94 min.)

Matt, a mechanic at his father's garage, dreams about leaving his small town existence and pursuing grander ambitions. But strong feelings about a new girlfriend and a deep bond with his parents and brother prevent Matt's escape, despite pressure from his best friend Schultz to take off with him immediately. A powerful and vivid coming-of-age story.

Best Picture and Best Director, 2006 California Independent Film Festival; Best Narrative Feature, 2006 Rome International Film Festival; Best Narrative Feature and Best Screenplay, 2006 Idaho Panhandle International Film Festival; Best Narrative Feature, Best Director, and Best Screenplay, 2006 Fargo Film Festival

FACTOR 8: THE ARKANSAS PRISON BLOOD SCANDAL

Produced, written and directed by Kelly Duda, Little Rock AR. Music by Nick Devlin. (2006, 94 min.)

A shocking exposé of a prison blood donor program during the Clinton governorship in Arkansas. Infected prisoners slipped through the cracks and tainted blood made it into pharmaceuticals sold to patients.

"A sturdy, concise, no-nonsense documentary that should hit screens as soon as possible, "Factor 8: The Arkansas Prison Blood Scandal" has limited theatrical options, but would probably win Peabodys if shown on "Frontline," HBO or any of the several other outlets with social agendas and nerve enough to air the appalling story related in this unconventional movie." --John Anderson, Variety

Special Mention Award-International Documentary Jury, 2005 American Film Institute Film Festival; Best Documentary Content Award, 2006 Boston International Film Festival

A PANEL DISCUSSION, MODERATED BY ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE FILM CRITIC PHILIP MARTIN, WILL TAKE PLACE FOLLOWING THE SCREENING. PANEL PARTICIPANTS INCLUDE FILMMAKER KELLY DUDA, JOURNALIST MARA LEVERITT, AND FORMER INMATE AND BLOOD DONOR JOHN SCHOCK.

THE TEMPLE

By Wesley Martin, Little Rock AR. Music by 1000 Points of Pain. (2006, 7 min.)

A music video about a multi-form spirit sent to evaluate planet Earth.

NOT A PHOTOGRAPH: THE MISSION OF BURMA STORY

Co-directed by David Kleiler, Jr. and Jeff Iwanicki, Boston MA. (2006, 74 min.)

Mission of Burma epitomizes the age-old, artistic quandary of being influential but not famous; to have critical but not commercial success. Though relatively few saw them during their short but burning career (1979-1983), Mission of Burma inspired countless artists over the years, including 80's college-rockers R.E.M., Sonic Youth & The Pixies, 90's alternative artists Moby, Nirvana & Blur, and bands from the post-Nirvana/indie rock explosion such as Yo La Tengo and Spoon. After nearly twenty years and inexplicable circumstances, Mission of Burma's reunion - beginning as a handful of performances in 2002 and since catapulting into an international tour and their first studio album since 1982 - has left many begging the question: was the band truly ahead of their time, and are they still ahead of their time today?

"We experience the electrifying atmosphere of Burma's first, invitation-only reunion show and an historical jam session with Moby, Thurston Moore (Sonic Youth), Ira Kaplan (Yo La Tango), Hugo Burnham (Gang of Four), and other musicians influenced by Burma. This quintessential Boston-rock fairytale will satisfy loyal fans and inspire new listeners alike." --Kristina Aikens, website of the Independent Film Festival of Boston

FILMMAKER WESLEY MARTIN IN ATTENDANCE

INDIE SHOWCASE:

NARRATIVE

Event Sponsor:

BILLY

Written and directed by Lisa Rhoden Boyd, Alhambra CA. Starring Evan Sanders, Emma Brand, Donna Clevenger, Austin Sanders, Glen A. Braden. (2006, 30 min.)

BILLY is the poetic story of a young boy's search for God within the chaotic confines of his dysfunctional family. Filmed in Springfield MO, this acclaimed short film was completed in one week.

REMI Winner for Outstanding Creativity, 2006 WorldFest Independent Film Festival

BEER HUNTER

By Wesley Martin, Little Rock AR. Cinematography by J.R. & A. Prieur; intro music by DJ JIMM. (2005, 9 min.)

'Beer Hunter' is hunting drunkenness one hominid at a time. Part one in a series of three 'Beer Hunter' sketches, all impromptu, random, and improvised. None of the hominids captured in the wild on this film were known at the time of taping.

TWITCH

Written and directed by Leah Meyerhoff, New York NY. (2005, 10 min.)

"TWITCH tells the poignant story of a young girl torn between two worlds: her domestic life where she must care for her wheelchair-bound mother and her escape into the emerging world of sexuality with her eager, hormone-addled boyfriend. The director's own mother, a victim of MS, plays the mother with a stark reality that is haunting to watch, and Emma Galvin, who plays the daughter, captures the girl's struggles with an understated command that belies the hidden turmoil of adolescent angst that tortures her character." --Patricia Freeman, Independent Film

Grand Jury Prize, 2005 Slamdance Film Festival; Best Student Short, 2005 Scottsdale International Film Festival; Finalist, 2005 Student Academy Awards

THE OFFERING

Directed by Paul Lee, Toronto Canada. (1999, 10 min.)

Without dialogue or music, the story centers on the evolution of love and friendship between a Japanese monk and the young novice who has come into his life, from their initial encounter to their final parting.

Best Cinematography, 1999 Rhode Island International Film Festival; Jury Award for Best Dramatic Short, 1999 New Haven Film Fest

SHINER

By Seth Wochensky, Springville NY. (2007, 6 min.)

In the tradition of drunken high schoolers and shop mechanics, a disgruntled young man exacts his revenge.

GIVE ME DUCKY

By Hans Stiritz, Russellville AR. With Annie Stiritz, Ted Stiritz. (2006, 2 min.)

Brother, sister, transgression, revenge—and a toy duck.

FILMMAKERS WESLEY MARTIN, HANS STIRITZ IN ATTENDANCE

THE OLD GRAY LADY: ARKANSAS' FIRST NEWSPAPER

Directed and edited by Kevin Clark, Conway AR. Produced by Joseph Anders and Donna Lampkin Stephens. (2006, 90 min.)

For nearly 172 years, even before Arkansas was a state, the Arkansas Gazette served as the newspaper of record for Arkansans. Under the watch of J. N. Heiskell, who served as editor of the paper from 1902 until 1972, the Gazette became one of the most progressive and literate newspapers in America. During the charged racial climate of the 1950's, in spite of advertising boycotts, subscription cancellations and threats of violence, the Gazette stood for law and order and decency against the segregationist administration of Orval Faubus. For that stance the Gazette won two Pultizer Prizes. Mary Steenburgen provides the voice of the lady in The Old Gray Lady - Arkansas's First Newspaper, an artful and accurate telling of the history of a proud and progressive newspaper of a southern state.

DIRECTOR KEVIN CLARK IN ATTENDANCE

Phil Chambliss

A Retrospective

ARKANSAS PREMIERE!

Filmmaker Phil Chambliss of Locust Bayou, Arkansas is an inspiring artist with a unique vision. Influenced by television Westerns like The Rifleman and Tombstone Territory, as well as the first wave of "Spaghetti Westerns," he began making films nearly thirty years ago. Self-taught and working with rudimentary equipment, Chambliss created dozens of short narratives. He most commonly wrote, shot, and edited the films, as well as composing and performing the music himself. Casting friends and neighbors and occasionally appearing himself, he created a rough-and-tumble fantasy world true only to its own dramatic and cinematic conventions.

Chambliss and his films testify to the notion that there is a filmmaker in many of us, wanting to make movies like the ones we grew up with, the ones we can never forget, the ones we love. His work proves that for the determined and the inventive, it's a small step from loving movies to making them.

During the past year, Chambliss' work has been screened at the Nashville Film Festival, the London Film Festival, and in a series of films at George Eastman House titled "Create and Be Recognized: Outsider Films and Filmmakers."

"What if Howard Finster had expressed himself with a home movie camera instead of a paintbrush, or if Fellini had lived in a trailer in rural Arkansas? Phil Chambliss just might be the answer. With the help of his co-workers at the gravel depot, this self-taught 'folk art filmmaker' has created, for over 25 years, an alternate reality where deer hunting is the sport of choice and phones only work when under water. Influenced only by the Westerns he saw at the drive-in, Phil wrote, directed, shot and edited these films. He also created the titles and the original scores, writing and performing all the music. Like folk art, these truly unique, hilarious films depicting life in the Arkansas outback (and conveying a strong sense of place in the process) may not appeal to everyone, but the discerning will, like us, become fans." --Dub Cornett and Brian Gordon

SHADOW OF THE HATCHET MAN

(1982, 26 min.)

An early classic about a rampaging hatchet killer, an inept sheriff and a relentless TV reporter, complete with spaghetti western motifs.

THE DEVIL'S HELPER

(1986, 14 min.)

In this short that can count Eric Idle among its fans, two men cut a deal with the devil for expanded deer hunting privileges.

THE MR. VISIT SHOW

(2002, 15 min.)

Reporter Mr. Visit investigates rumors that the Bird-Mart Day Care Center for Birds is using sleeping pellets instead of seed.

"A kind of homegrown surrealism permeates most of the humor, as in his most recently completed film, THE MR. VISIT SHOW. A pushy TV interviewer ambushes the proprietor of a 'bird day-care center' on camera, grilling him about the character of another Arkansan, former President Bill Clinton. 'Let me say this and then I'll hush,' the irritated farmer says. 'If you was to take and cut off Bill's head, then there wouldn't hardly be any meat left.'" --Jim Ridley, Nashville Scene

THE PASTOR AND THE HOBO

(2005, 62 min.)

"A feast of riotous non-sequiturs and lusty amateur performances that resembles backwoods Beckett." --Jim Ridley, Nashville Scene

TO HELL WITH LEAD POISON

(1981, 33 min.)

A vision of life on the frontier that is true to the pioneer spirit of endurance, rife with conflict, and noteworthy for some unforgettable dialogue. As in many of Chambliss' films, the music occasionally steals the show.

PHIL CHAMBLISS AND CAST MEMBERS IN ATTENDANCE

For an insightful look at the films of Phil Chambliss, read STARS OVER HIS EYES by Jim Ridley, previously published in Cinema Scope magazine and on nashvillescene.com.