SPECIAL EVENTS

1st Annual Screenwriting Competition

Introduction of Judges & Awards Ceremony

This year, the Ozark Foothills FilmFest conducted its first annual screenwriting competition. While we did not limit the competition to Arkansas writers, most of the entries were written by Arkansans. The enthusiastic response affirms our belief that Arkansas media artists lack only the opportunities to advance their art, not the desire or motivation.

A diverse field of genres were represented in the entries and some revealing commonalities emerged. The competition judges will announce the winners and participate in a Q&A with the audience about the qualities of the winning entries, the qualities of the entries overall, and their observations about the screenwriting process.

COMPETITION JUDGES:

Ray McKinnon, actor/screenwriter/producer/director

Lisa Blount, actor/producer

Karen Martin, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette writer/editor

Philip Martin, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette film critic

Paula Morell, author and radio producer

Frank Thurmond, screenwriter

Tim Jackson, producer/director

COMPETITION SPONSOR~

Category One Entertainment

IN CONCERT!

The Bob Boyd Sounds and Low Profile

performing the Music of Louis Jordan

2008 marks the centennial of the birth of Brinkley, Arkansas native Louis Jordan. Events celebrating the trail-blazing bandleader, vocalist, composer, saxophonist, and actor are planned across the state and later this year the U.S. Postal Service will issue a series of stamps depicting posters of vintage black cinema that will include a stamp for the Jordan screen gem CALDONIA.

The Ozark Foothills FilmFest gets in on the action with a rocking and rollicking live concert featuring the music of Louis Jordan--and the Louis Jordan-era. Esteemed Little Rock dance band, The Bob Boyd Sounds, will headline, with opening act Low Profile putting a contemporary spin on Jordan's iconic classics. Dancing is encouraged and we predict a raucous time will be had by all!

CONCERT SPONSOR~

FM 89 KUAR/KLRE FM 90.5

Louis Jordan at 100: The Film Record

2008 marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of Arkansan Louis Jordan. The bandleader, vocalist, composer, saxophonist, and actor ruled the record sales charts, stage, screen and airwaves during the 1940's and profoundly influenced the creators of R&B, rock 'n' roll, and post-WWII blues. Jordan's influence on American popular culture has been universally acknowledged, and the Brinkley native is a member of the Arkansas Black Hall of Fame, the Arkansas Entertainers Hall of Fame, and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

The Ozark Foothills FilmFest celebrates the Louis Jordan centennial with two programs focusing on the bandleader's film appearances. Program presenter Stephen Koch, creator and producer of the public radio series, Arkansongs, and the founder and organizer of an annual Louis Jordan tribute concert, will share his extensive knowledge of Jordan's life and work with the audience. And film historians Ben Fry and Bob Pest will offer insight on the film work of the multi-talented and enormously popular artist/entertainer.

LOUIS JORDAN AT 100: THE FILM RECORD is supported in part by the Arkansas Humanities Council and the National Endowment for the Humanities

PROGRAM I

Louis Jordan: The Early Years

Films include BEWARE, CALDONIA, and rare short clips

PROGRAM II

Jordan in Hollywood

Films include THREE CHEERS FOR THE BOYS, SWING PARADE OF 1946, and rare short clips

Disfarmer: A Portrait of America

Portrait photographer Mike Disfarmer of Heber Springs, active from the World War I era until his death in 1959, occupies an increasingly important place in the history of American photography. Disfarmer captured the faces of the heartland at a defining period in our history. He documented the families of the farmland as they struggled through World War I, the Great Depression, and World War II. He also captured the post-war boom and the optimism of the 1950's. In so doing, he created a vivid visual record of life in and around Heber Springs.

Canadian producer Dennis Mohr will present sections of his in-progress documentary film, DISFARMER: A PORTRAIT OF AMERICA, nearing completion and scheduled for Canadian television in the fall. He and collaborator, consultant/producer Hava Gurevich will talk about their experiences researching the life of the little-known photographer and their plans for completing and distributing the film.

DISFARMER: A PORTRAIT OF AMERICA is supported in part by the Arkansas Humanities Council and the National Endowment for the Humanities

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