Monthly Archives: May 2014

ROCKing the TONY AWARDS – Mary Steenburgen

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Rock the TonysMarySteenburgenDec09MARY STEENBURGEN

Little Rock connection: Grew up in Central Arkansas, maintains a residence in Little Rock and is a co-owner of South on Main restaurant.

Tony Awards connection: Starred on Broadway in the Tony nominated revival of Candida.  She is affiliated with the Atlantic Theatre Company which has presented and produced the Tony winning The Beauty Queen of Leenane, Jay Johnson: The Two and Only, Spring Awakening and the Tony-nominated The Lieutenant of Inishmore, Talk Radio and A Behanding in Spokane.

The 2014 Little Rock Film Festival Says Farewell Today

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8th-annual-little-rock-film-festival-78The 2014 Little Rock Film Festival comes to a close today with films and an awards gala.

The week is capped off with the Awards Gala, which will see the awarding of the Golden Rock Documentary and Golden Rock Narrative Awards. This year the gala takes place at the Old State House Museum. At 8:15, the final film of the festival will be shown. Devil’s Knot plays at the Ron Robinson Theater.

Among the films being shown today are Rich Hill (Tracy Droz Tragos and Andrew Droz Palermo), Man Shot Dead (Taylor Feltner), Before I Disappear (Shawn Christensen), Point and Shoot (Marshall Curry), I Believe in Unicorns (Leah Meyerhoff), Buzzard (Joel Potrykus), Life After Death (Joe Callander), Virunga (Orlando von Einsiedel) and Fort Tilden (Sarah Violet Bliss & Charles Rodgers).

There are two sets of World Shorts being shown today.

  • “Pieces of Life” which includes – “The Bravest, The Boldest” by Moon Molson, “Looms” by Trevor Funk, Nathan Funk, Morgan Funk, “Lambing Season” by Jeannie Donohoe, “The King of Size” by Peter Dowd, “Ghosts on the Mountain” by Jared Jakins, and “June July August” by Jason Affolder
  • “Askew” which features “Where the Red Fox Lies” by Jeff Ray, “Songs from the Outside” by Michael Van Ostade, “The Cyclist” by Christopher Bryan, “Minimus” by Jonathan Hopkins, “Cherry Pop: The Story of the World’s Fanciest Cat” by Kareem Tabsch and “Tin & Tina” by Rubin Stein.

The Arkansas Shorts for the final day are:

  • “Altered States” which features “Origin” by Caleb Fanning, “Strangers” by Justin Nickels, “Mal” by Joshua Harrison and Michael Armstrong, “An Ode to Angeline” by Sarah Jones and “Collection Day” by Scott Eggleston.
  • “Face to Face” including – “Watch the Rhine” by Taylor Dan Lucas, “Homefront” by Eric White, “Man of God” by Matthew Aughtry, and “Sacred Hearts, Holy Souls” by Mark Thiedeman.
  • “Arkansas Up Close” which includes – “The 21 Mile Marathon” by Tyler Tarver, “An Uncertain Bill of Health” by Eric White, “Flokati Films Presents ‘Red Octopus’” by Johnnie Brannon and “Glass Eyes of Locust Bayou” by Simon Mercer.

For more information, visit www.littlerockfilmfestival.org. When attending events use the hashtag #LRFF2014 on social media posts.

Little Rock Look Back: Mark Stodola, LR’s 72nd Mayor

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colr_mayor_mark_stodolaToday, May 18, is the birthday of current Little Rock Mayor Mark Stodola.

Mark Stodola was elected as Mayor for the City of Little Rock, beginning his term in January 2007 and re-elected to a 2nd term beginning in 2011.  Mayor Stodola has been key in promoting the revitalization of Little Rock’s Main Street, resulting in the City having been awarded a “Greening of America’s Capitals Grant” from the Environmental Protection Agency and an “Our Town Grant” from the National Endowment for the Arts for the creation of an Arts District in the heart of the downtown core.  The UA’s Community Design Center, which includes faculty and staff members from the school, won a 2014 Honor Award from the American Institute of Architects for its work on the Creative Corridor, on which it collaborated with Marlon Blackwell Architect of Fayetteville.

Prior to becoming Mayor, he served as a senior partner in the Little Rock Law Firm Catlett & Stodola, PLC.  While at that firm, he served as General Counsel to the Little Rock Airport Commission.   Having previously served the City of Little Rock as its City Attorney for six (6) years, he was elected as Prosecuting Attorney for the 6th District in 1990 and was re-elected again in 1992 and 1994.   Mayor Stodola is Past President of the Arkansas Prosecuting Attorneys Association and the Arkansas City Attorneys Association, as well as Past Chair of the Municipal Operations Section of the International Municipal Lawyers Association.  In addition, he is a member of various State, regional and national legal and professional associations.

Mayor Stodola is a graduate of Leadership Greater Little Rock, and served as Chair of Class 16 for that program. In addition, he is a member of the Heights Neighborhood Association and serves as Co-Chair of the Downtown Partnership’s Main Street Task Force.  Mayor Stodola has served on the Board of the Arkansas Repertory Theatre (for which he was the attorney who incorporated the Rep) and is Past-President of the Quapaw Quarter Association and the Historic Preservation Alliance of Arkansas.  He has worked with the Big Brothers/Big Sisters Program and is currently a member of the Rotary Club of Little Rock.

Mayor Stodola graduated from the University of Iowa with a double major in Political Science and Journalism, and received his law degree from the University of Arkansas School of Law in Fayetteville.  Mayor Stodola is married to Jo Ellen and has three (3) children:  a daughter, Allison; and twin sons, Robert and John Mark.

ROCKing the TONY AWARDS – Clinton Library Opening with Spacey, Streisand and Hipp

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Rock the Tonys KS BS PHKevin Spacey, Barbra Streisand, Paul Hipp

Little Rock connection: All three were in attendance in Little Rock for the opening of the William J. Clinton Presidential Center in November 2004.

Tony Awards connection: Spacey has a Tony Award for Featured Actor in a Play for 1991’s Lost in Yonkers. He has also been nominated for Actor in a Play in 1999 for The Iceman Cometh.

Streisand was nominated for Tony Awards in 1962 (Featured Actress in a Musical – I Can Get It for You Wholesale) and 1964 (Actress in a Musical – Funny Girl) and received a Special Tony in 1970.

Hipp was nominated for Actor in a Musical in 1991 for Buddy- The Buddy Holly Story.

While Bono and The Edge played at the Clinton Presidential Center opening and also penned the score for Spiderman, they failed to win a Tony nomination.

(The Culture Vulture met Spacey at a reception at the Arkansas Arts Center and had a conversation with Hipp and his girlfriend at a reception hosted by the Downtown Little Rock Partnership.)

First ever LR Film Festival Artisan Street Fair today from 10:30 to 5:30

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Screen-Shot-2014-04-19-at-11.35.12-PMIn keeping with its goal of promoting the local arts and culture, Little Rock Film Festival is hosting its first ever Artisan Street Fair – today from 10:30 to 5:30.. The event will be part of the 2014 Film Festival, which that takes place May 12th -18th this year, and take place by our main festival venue: CALS Ron Robinson Theater in downtown Little Rock.

LRFF’s Artisan Street Fair will pay homage to our Southern roots by bringing together a collection of Little Rock’s best vendors in a bustling downtown outdoor marketplace.  We will curate the finest artisanal food, vintage clothing, jewelry, crafts, home goods, drinks and much more, giving film festival goers, filmmakers and shoppers the joy of discovering the next ‘big thing’ here in Little Rock and also giving them a taste of some of the best things rocking Little Rock.

With visiting filmmakers from around the United States and the world and with more than thousands of festival goers attending the event during the Little Rock Film Festival, what better day and audience to showcase Little Rock and to offer a taste of our Southern Hospitality and Culture?

Armed Forces Day – Visit the MacArthur Museum of Arkansas Military History

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macmusToday is Armed Forces Day.  It is a good day to visit Little Rock’s museum devoted to Arkansas’ military heritage.  Located in the historic Arsenal Tower in MacArthur Park, the MacArthur Museum of Arkansas Military History honors the Arkansans who have served in the armed forces.  Exhibits feature artifacts, photographs, weapons, documents, uniforms and other military items that vividly portray Arkansas’s military history at home and abroad.

The exhibits include:

  • From Turbulence to Tranquility: The Little Rock Arsenal
  • Capital In Crisis and Celebration: Little Rock and the Civil War
  • Alger Cadet Gun
  • Camden Expedition
  • David Owen Dodd
  • Through the Camera’s Eye: The Allison Collection of World War II Photographs
  • By the President in the Name of Congress: Arkansas’ Medal of Honor Recipients
  • Conflict and Crisis: The MacArthur- Truman Controversy
  • Duty, Honor and Country: General Douglas MacArthur
  • The Sun Never Sets on the Mighty Jeep: The Jeep During World War II
  • War and Remembrance: The 1911 United Confederate Veterans Reunion
  • First Call – American Posters of World War I
  • Undaunted Courage, Proven Loyalty: Japanese American Soldiers in World War II
  • Vietnam, America’s Conflict

The MacArthur Museum of Arkansas Military History is a museum of the City of Little Rock.  It is led by executive director Stephan McAteer who works with the MacArthur Military History Museum Commission.  The museum is open Tuesday through Friday from 9am to 4pm, Saturday from 10am to 4pm and Sunday from 1pm to 4pm.

CASE AGAINST 8 among Saturday films at 2014 Little Rock Film Festival

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LRFF coverA full slate of films and activities is served up on Saturday at the Little Rock Film Festival.

The Case Against 8, Bryan Cotner and Ryan White’s look at the fight to overturn California’s Proposition 8 will be featured tonight at the Arkansas Repertory Theatre. Three films with avian inspired titles are also on tap: Brian Campbell and Will Scott’s The Night the Blackbirds Fell (at The Joint), Joel Potrykus’ Buzzard (at the CALS Ron Robinson Theater) and Mockingbird Don’t Screen: The Incredible 2-Headed Transplant (at The Joint). Two other headline films this evening are David & Nathan Zellner’s Kumiko: The Treasure Hunter (at Historic Arkansas Museum) and Mariano Cohn & Gaston Duprat’s Living Stars (at Stickyz Rock ‘n’ Roll Chicken Shack).

The day starts with Killing Time (Jaap van Hoewijk) and Fishtail (Andrew Renzi) followed by Manakamana (Stephanie Spray & Pacho Velez), Point and Shoot (Marshall Curry), Big Significant Things (Bryan Reisberg), Sympathy Pains (Joe Dull) and Manny (Leon Gast & Ryan Moore).

Afternoon films include Life After Death (Joe Callander), Korengal (Sebastian Junger), Two Step (Alex R. Johnson), Stop the Pounding Heart (Roberto Minervini), Viruna (Orlando von Einsedel), The Overnighters (Jesse Moss) and I Believe in Unicorns (Leah Meyerhoff).

The Arkansas Shorts to be shown on Saturday are:

  • “Lessons in Loss” – “The Shoes of Havim” by Kenn Woodard, “A Matter of Honor” by David Bogard, “Sidearoadia” by Bruce Hutchinson and “13 Pieces of the Universe” by Tara Sheffer.
  • “Adventure Time” – “In Borrowed Time” by Dustin Barnes, “Stuck” by John Hockaday, “Spontaneous History Lesson by Evan” by Douglas Bankston, “Citizen Noir,” by Michael Ferrera, and “Undercover” by Marcel Guadron.
  • “Unbroken Spirits” – “A Broken Road to Hope” by Nathan Willis, “After the Tsunami,” “True Athlete” by Tyler West, and “Blowing Smoke” by Mike Holifield.

The World Shorts shown on Saturday are:

  • “Our Times” – “The Usual” by Dawn Higginbotham, “Families Are Forever” by Vivian Kleiman, “Confusion Through Sand” by Danny Madden, “Distance” by Aimee Long, “Little Black Fishes” by Azra Deniz Okyay, and “Broke” by Benham Jones
  • “Mental and Physical” – “By the Sea” by Robert Machoian, “LE PLONGEON” by Delphine Le Courtois, “Strike: The Greatest Bowling Story Ever Told” by Joey Daoud, “Insomniacs” by Charles Chintzer Lai, “Dog Food” by Brian Crano, “The Lipstick Stain” by Dagny Looper and “Into The Silent Sea” by Andrej Landin
  • “Multifariousness” – “Sketch” by Stephen T. Barton, “X-RAY MAN” by Kerri Yost, “Breaking Night” by Yolonda Ross, “Yearbook” by Bernardo Britto, “MASTER MUSCLES” by Efrén Hernández, “Pity,” by John Pata and “One Armed Man” by Tim Guinee.
  • “Cinematic Stories” including – “Cinephilia” by Leah Chen Baker, “The Spymaster” by Patrick Tapu, “Last Shot” by Greg Popp, “Phil Collins and the Wild Frontier” by Ben Powell, “Lomax” by Jesse Kreitzer and “A Stitch in Time (for $9.99) by Mu Sun

 

Levi Agee will lead a discussion on “The Future of Film Tech” this afternoon as well.

 

For more information, visit www.littlerockfilmfestival.org.  When attending events use the hashtag #LRFF2014 on social media posts.