Walton Arts Center and Fayetteville Film Festival are collaborating to present an evening of films from Arkansas filmmakers and artists at 8 pm on Saturday, March 11. The Arkansas Filmmaker’s Showcase features seven short films from our growing movie industry here in Arkansas.
Movies can make us laugh, cry, cheer and they can inspire us to create, especially when those stories come from our neighbors and fellow Arkansans. From all across the state, local directors are using film to spark conversation about life, from dating and family relationships to growing older and honoring memories. Join us as we see Arkansas through different lenses.
We sat down with a few of the directors ahead of the mini film festival to learn more about their films and what inspires them.
“Arkansas provides a myriad of locations that provide everything a filmmaker could be looking for, cityscapes, rivers, lakes, mountains, farms, ranches. You name it, you can find it in the Natural State.”
- Marc E. Crandall, Banana Triangle Six Director
Lemniscate
Chuck Meré is a Fayetteville director, and his film Lemniscate depicts a father who must choose between being present for his daughter's scheduled visitation or indulging in his biggest scientific breakthrough, travelling to a parallel universe.
The film was a real passion project for Meré, and seeing people respond so positively to it has been rewarding. “The film touches on a lot of important issues, like balancing work and family, and overcoming or being destroyed by the metaphorical man in the mirror. I think it's important that these messages are shared, and I feel honored every time I get the chance to show the film to a new audience.”
Meré has called Fayetteville home for over 30 years and considers Northwest Arkansas the backdrop for his formative years. “My first steps into the world of video production were taken here through local cable access and it was here that I brought my creative visions to life,” Meré continued. “The inspiration I draw from this place is inescapable, infusing every frame of my work with the story of Arkansas, a story that has become intertwined with my own.”
Double Trouble
As the only co-directed film at the Arkansas Filmmaker’s Showcase, Levi Smith and Brett Helms’ film about two intrepid teenage boys is aptly titled Double Trouble. They share a similar vision for their movies – excitement – and the fun they had while filming shines through.
Smith and Helms fondly remember running around suburban Arkansas, recording their stories on iPhones and camcorders, trying to capture their creative moments. So, deciding to study film at the University of Central Arkansas was a no-brainer. “We are still as much the passionate 11-year-olds with camcorders as we were then, only now we have equipment and a skilled crew,” said Smith.
Smith’s favorite part about filming Double Trouble was “running around the coolest arcade I’ve ever seen.” He also praised the expertise of the cast and crew. “It’s just a movie that all came together like chocolate and peanut butter. Everyone wanted to work towards something that we would remember for the rest of our lives.”
“Film was created to entertain, and our films are no exception,” Smith said. “Beyond that, we always try to include meaning in our films. I believe we've done that with Double Trouble. It's a film that both lets you have a great time, and then lets you sit for a moment and contemplate what it means to get older and grow up. All in under 15 minutes!”
Pomegranate
Molly Wheat’s film, Pomegranate, captures the moment when two exes check in on each other. She is thrilled that her film will be screened again in Fayetteville.
“The goal in making something is always for people to see it, and when you make things independently it's not always easy to even get eyes on your project,” Wheat said. “In addition to the Fayetteville Film Festival, Pomegranate has screened in NYC at New York Shorts International Film Festival and Arkansas Shorts in Hot Springs.”
Wheat could not pick a favorite part of directing and filming Pomegranate. “Making a film in any capacity is so much work that you really have to love it to want to do it in the first place. To me, the electricity of being in it is so exhilarating.” Wheat also credited the strength of her film to her best friend of 15 years, Valerie Polston, who co-wrote and co-produced the film.
Wheat was born and raised in Arkansas and often reflects on the unexpected inspiration and creativity in the state. “We don’t live in a place that is widely known as a hub for art or filmmaking, but there is talent everywhere. I've found myself surrounded by a community of professionals and really talented filmmakers,” she said. “So often our state is written off for unfair preconceived notions about the south in general, or for not providing a more metropolitan backdrop for stories. The state is beautiful and there are so many interesting stories to be told here.”
These are just a sampling of the films you can see at the Arkansas Filmmaker’s Showcase on March 11 at 8 pm. All tickets are $15!
Other Films Screened at the Showcase:
Flight (10:04)
Director: Tyler Horne, Hot Springs – University of Central Arkansas student film
A boy struggling to come to terms with his parents’ marital problems must face his worst nightmare and make a choice that he never wanted to make.
For a Few Dollars Fewer (4:17)
Photo Credit: David Phelps
Director: Nick Loper, Siloam springs – John Brown University student film
When an amateur bandit finds out that his bounty is just $10, he makes an ambitious attempt to make a name for himself among the great outlaws of his time.
Banana Triangle Six (23:30)
Director: Marc E. Crandall, Fayetteville
A day in the life of an elderly gentleman, Hank Crute, as he deals with the trials and tribulations of a resident of Spring Valley Retirement Home – bad food, conniving females and an unexpected doctor’s visit.
Boppie (6:33)
Director: Ethan Gueck, Conway – University of Central Arkansas student film
In an attempt to avoid the harsh realities of his grandpa’s imminent death, Stevie sets out to re-create some of his Boppie’s perfect pictures.