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About Scott

A cultural thinker with a life long interest in the arts and humanities: theatre, music, architecture, photography, history, urban planning, etc.

Final Day of 2013 Little Rock Film Festival

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IMG_5408The 2013 Little Rock Film Festival concludes today with the Arkansas Times Awards Gala and the showing of Don Jon (starring Joseph Gordon Levitt) as the final film.

Today’s screenings of films in contention for the Golden Rock Narrative Award are The Girl by David Riker; Junk by Kevin Hamedani and Burma by Carlos Puga.

Films screening today in contention for the Golden Rock Documentary Award are Bridegroom by Linda Bloodworth-Thomason; 12 O’Clock Boys by Lotfy Nathan; These Birds Walk by Omar Mullick and Bassam Tariq; Muscle Shoals by Greg “Freddy” Camalier and Pussy Riot-A Punk Prayer by Mike Lerner, Maxim Pozdorovkin.

Three film shown today are part of the Made in Arkansas competition: The Idenity Theft of Mitch Mustain by Matthew Wolfe; Up Among the Hills by Larry Foley and Last Summer by Mark Thiedeman.

Arkansas Shorts: “Consequences” including “Twinkletown” by Scott McEntire; “Soul Winner” by Jennifer Gerber; “Blood Brothers” by Jason Miller and Seth Savoy; and “Diamond John” by Travis Mosler.”

World Shorts: “The World Outside,” features “The Children Next Door,” “Eddie Adams: Saigon ’68,” “A Cidade,” and “Another Corner.” “The Beginning, The Middle, The End” consists of “Hatch,” “Un mundo para Raul,” “Sahasi Chori,” “Movies Made from Home #6 and #16,” “Divine Rite,” and “Passio.” “Some Times” featuring “When We Lived in Miami,” “Off Season,” “Black Metal,” “Ojala,” “Sleep” and “113 Degrees.”

Saturday Food Trucks at LR Film Festival

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lrff_mp_hdr_logoAlong with an amazing line-up of films, music and parties at the 7th Annual Little Rock Film Festival this year, the LRFF in association with FOOD XING has a mouth watering line-up of Little Rock’s finest mobile eateries (a.k.a. FOOD TRUCKS!) open and available from during the festival weekend Friday  through Sunday -10:30 a.m. until 10 p.m.

Take your pick from a variety of options as you stroll down downtown Little Rock this year, while waiting on your next screening/event or are simply just hungry and want a taste of Little Rock’s finest. Eat you heart away!

Saturday, May 18 at 6th and Main at the BEST Day Parking lot (across from The Rep). Open from 11 a.m. until 6 p.m.

1. The Food Commander– catfish straws, boneless chicken wings, slaw burgers and dogs, crawfish etouffee, fried noodles, homemade fried pies

2. The Southern Gourmasian– shrimp and grits, steamed buns

3. Haygood’s BBQ– pulled pork and chopped beef sandwiches, BBQ ribs, baked beans, potato salad, turkey legs

4. KBird– garden rolls with peanut sauce, papaya salad, pad Thai (chicken/tofu), fried rice (pork/chicken/tofu), vegetable red curry with fried egg, red curry beef, green curry salmon, fresh mango & coconut sticky rice

5. Red River Catering– BBQ Nachos, catfish basket, BBQ sandwich, fried pies

6. Mexicana Alicia’s– tacos, tostadas, fajitas, burritos and quesadillas

7. Kona Ice– savor your OWN flavor! Make your own shave ice flavor.

8. LePops– gourmet popsicles

Some of the vendors will stay from 6 p.m. until 10 p.m

LRFF 2013 – Day 4

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IMG_5409The fourth day of the Little Rock Film Festival features twelve hours of movies. Along the way there will be a Wimpy Kid and the football star Mitch Mustain.

One of the events in the spotlight today include a screening of Diary of a Wimpy Kid-Rodrick Rules with producer (and Little Rock native) Brad Simpson and cast members Zachary Gordon and Robert Capron present.

Other spotlight events include the documentaries Breaking Through; The Making of Beasts of the Southern Wild; and Fake It So Real.

Today’s screenings of films in contention for the Golden Rock Narrative Award are The Discoverers by Justin Schwarz; This Is Where We Live by Josh Barrett, Marc Menchaca; The Girl by David Riker; Coldwater by Vincent Grashaw; Burma by Carlos Puga; Good Night by Sean Gallagher; Reality Show by Adam Rifkin and Zero Charisma by Katie Graham and Andrew Matthews.

Films screening today in contention for the Golden Rock Documentary Award are Our Nixon by Penny Lane; Bayou Maharajah by Lily Keber; Dirty Wars by Richard Rowley; 12 O’Clock Boys by Lotfy Nathan; Spies of Mississippi by Rick Powers and Dawn Porter; We Always Lie to Strangers by A.J. Schnack and David Wilson and Pussy Riot-A Punk Prayer by Mike Lerner, Maxim Pozdorovkin.

One film shown today is part of the Made in Arkansas competition: The Idenity Theft of Mitch Mustain by Matthew Wolfe.

Arkansas Shorts: “Battles” including “Sky Begins to Storm” by Ron Walter, “The Van” by Nathan Willis” and “December 1982” by Lyle Arnett. “Futures” features “Foot Trackers” by Brandon Bogard, “Lasting the After” by Blake Elder, “Death of a Superhero” by Brandon Bristol and “Bad Water” by Amman Abbasi. “Heartbeats” includes Joe York’s “Bump,” Zach Turner’s “Mary,” Nolan Dean’s “Last Shot Love,” and Daniel Campbell’s “The Discontentment of Ed Telfair.”

World Shorts: “Quirks” includes “The Associate,” “The Audition,” “The Places Where We Lived,” “Die Like an Egyptian,” “Catnip: Egress to Oblivion?” “boy.girl.drum” and “Mousse.” ”The Edge” consists of “Bo,” “Root,” “Grasshopper!,” “#PostModern,” “The Giant,” and “Organ Grinder.”

“American Dreams” includes “The Commitment,” “Sweet, Sweet Country,” “Kalifornija,” “The Acting Lesson,” and “An American Mosque.” “Some Times” featuring “When We Lived in Miami,” “Off Season,” “Black Metal,” “Ojala,” “Sleep” and “113 Degrees.”

There will also be discussions in the filmmaker’s lounge as well as a party at the Oxford American.

Zoo Hosts Stars of “Wimpy Kid” Films today for Autograph Signing Event

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diarwimpyThe Little Rock Zoo is excited to announce that it will host a special meet-n-greet and autograph signing with the stars of the hit films, “Diary of a Wimpy Kid,” along with the producer of the film series, Brad Simpson, a native of Little Rock, on Saturday, May 18, at 2:00 p.m.

Zachary Gordon and Robert Capron will be joined by Simpson to sign autographs and meet fans at the Zoo as part of the Little Rock Film Festival held May 15-19.  Gordon plays Greg Heffley, protagonist of the films and of the popular “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” book series that the films are based on.  Robert Capron plays the role of Rowley Jefferson, Heffley’s best friend.

The “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” book series is the all-time best-selling juvenile/young-adult series in the U.S. and remains popular with children and adults alike.

There is no additional charge for the “Wimpy Kids” meet-n-greet but regular Zoo admission prices do apply.  Little Rock Film Festival pass holders will receive free Zoo admission for this event and will receive front-of-the-line access.  To purchase LRFF passes or for more information log-on to www.LittleRockFilmFestival.org.   Adult admission to the Zoo is $10 and admission for children ages 1-12 is $8.  Children under the age of one are admitted free.  Zoo members are always admitted free.  Log-on towww.LittleRockZoo.com/wimpy for more information or call (501) 666-2406.

The Little Rock Film Festival is hosting a red carpet screening of the film “Diary of a Wimpy Kid:  Rodrick Rules” at The Rep in downtown Little Rock at 10:00 a.m. on the same day where both Gordon and Capron will give personal accounts of their experiences filming the “Wimpy Kids” films and will show never-before-seen behind-the-scenes personal pictures of the filming.  Gordon, Capron and Simpson will also be available to answer questions from audience members after the screening.  Seating for this special screening is very limited and tickets can be purchased in advance online at www.LittleRockFilmFestival.org or for a limited time at the door.  Tickets are $10 per person.

The Little Rock Zoo is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA).  Look for the AZA logo whenever you visit a zoo or aquarium as your assurance that you are supporting a facility dedicated to providing excellent care for animals, a great experience for you and a better future for all living things.  With its more than 200 accredited members, AZA is a leader in global wildlife conservation and your link to helping animals in their native habitats.  For more information, visit http://www.aza.org.

Military History Museum Hosts Author Today

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1368546527-enduringlegacyOn Saturday, May 18, the MacArthur Museum of Arkansas Military History will host author and professor, Dr. Stuart Towns, as he tours to promote his new book Enduring Legacy: Rhetoric and Ritual of the Lost Cause (University of Alabama Press, 2012).  Dr. Towns will speak at 2pm at the museum in MacArthur Park.

Enduring Legacy explores the vital place of ceremonial oratory in the oral tradition in the South. It analyzes how rituals such as Confederate Memorial Day, Confederate veteran reunions, and dedication of Confederate monuments have contributed to creating and sustaining a Lost Cause paradigm for southern identity. Towns studies in detail post—Civil War southern speeches and how they laid the groundwork for future generations, from southern responses to the civil rights movement and beyond. The Lost Cause orators that came after the Civil War, Towns argues, helped to shape a lasting mythology of the brave Confederate martyrs and of the southern positions for why the Confederacy lost and who was to blame.

W. Stuart Towns is recently retired from Professor and Chairman of the Department of Communication Studies at Southeast Missouri State University. Before that he was Professor and Chair of Department of Communication at Appalachian State University and the University of West Florida. After spending over 30 years in the Active Army Reserves, Stuart retired as a Colonel. While in the Reserves, he served with the 361st Civil Affairs Brigade, and was a member of the Consulting Faculty Program at the U. S. Army Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.

The MacArthur Museum of Arkansas Military History relates the military heritage of Arkansas and its citizens to a diverse and widespread audience. Located in the historic Arsenal Building in MacArthur Park—one of Central Arkansas’s oldest surviving structures and the birthplace of one of this country’s foremost military heroes—the museum collects, preserves, and interprets our state’s rich military past from its territorial period to the present.

Friday Food Trucks at LR Film Festival

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Slide-523x350Along with an amazing line-up of films, music and parties at the 7th Annual Little Rock Film Festival this year, the LRFF in association with FOOD XING has a mouth watering line-up of Little Rock’s finest mobile eateries (a.k.a. FOOD TRUCKS!) open and available from during the festival weekend Friday  through Sunday -10:30 a.m. until 10 p.m.

Take your pick from a variety of options as you stroll down downtown Little Rock this year, while waiting on your next screening/event or are simply just hungry and want a taste of Little Rock’s finest. Eat you heart away!

Fridays- May 17 at Capitol and Main on the plaza. Open from 10:30 a.m. until 4 p.m.

1. Prawn Stars– fresh gulf shrimp and crawfish, corn, potatoes and craw daddy sandwich

2. KBird– garden rolls with peanut sauce, papaya salad, pad Thai (chicken/tofu), fried rice (pork/chicken/tofu), vegetable red curry with fried egg, red curry beef, green curry salmon, fresh mango and coconut sticky rice

3. Big Daddy’s Dogs– grilled hot dogs and sausages with fresh sautéed peppers, onions and mushrooms available along with other fixing’s, brownies

4. The Food Commander-catfish straws, boneless chicken wings, slaw burgers and dogs, crawfish etouffee, fried noodles, homemade fried pies

5. Lobolly Creamery– hand crafted, small batch ice cream and frozen novelties

Kirk Anderton will be playing live music. SYNC will have a display set up with games and will be giving out prizes.

Friday night , May 17 at 6th and Main at the BEST Day Parking lot (across from The Rep). Open from 5 p.m. until 10 p.m.

1. Bryant’s BBQ– fresh cut fries, smoked pork and beef, jerk chicken and Cajun beans and rice, hand squeezed lemonade

2. Prawn Stars– fresh gulf shrimp and crawfish

3. Mexicana Alicia’s – tacos, tostadas, fajitas, burritos and quesadillas

LRFF 2013 – Day 3

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IMG_5408A documentary by acclaimed sitcom creator Linda Bloodworth-Thomason is one of the highlights of the third day of the Little Rock Film Festival.

Throughout the day at a variety of venues, shorts and features of both the narrative and documentary variety will be screened in downtown Little Rock and North Little Rock.

In contention for the Golden Rock Narrative Award are Wajma-an Afghan Love Story by Barmak Akram,  Hide Your Smiling Faces by Daniel Patrick Carbone, Coldwater by Vincent Grashaw, Zero Charisma by Katie Graham and Andrew Matthews, Junk by Kevin Hamedani, The Discoverers by Justin Schwarz and This Is Where We Live by Josh Barrett, Marc Menchaca.

Films screening today in contention for the Golden Rock Documentary Award are Village at the End of the World by Sarah Gavron and David Katznelson; Muscle Shoals by Greg ‘Freddy’ Camalier; William and The Windmill by Ben Nabors; Gideon’s Army by Dawn Porter; The Kill Team by Dan Krauss; The Death of Kevin Carter by Dan Krauss; Blood Brother by Steve Hoover; Bayou Maharajah by Lily Keber; After Tiller by Lana Wilson and Martha Shane; Spies of Mississippi  by Rick Powers and Dawn Porter; These Birds Walk by Omar Mullick and Bassam Tariq; and Bridegroom by Bloodworth-Thomason.

Two films shown today are part of the Made in Arkansas competition.  They are Pamela Uzzell’s  Unearthing the Dream and Juli Jackson’s 45RPM.

Arkansas Shorts: “Battles” including “Sky Begins to Storm” by Ron Walter, “The Van” by Nathan Willis and “December 1982” by Lyle Arnett. “Consequences” features “Twinkletown” by Scott McEntire, “Soul Winner” by Jennifer Gerber, “Blood Brothers” by Jason Miller and Seth Savoy, and “Diamond John” by Travis Mosler.

World Shorts: “American Dreams” includes “The Commitment,” “Sweet, Sweet Country,” “Kalifornija,” “The Acting Lesson,” and “An American Mosque.” “Some Times” featuring “When We Lived in Miami,” “Off Season,” “Black Metal,” “Ojala,” “Sleep” and “113 Degrees.”

Among the special events today are a Producers Forum featuring Courtney Pledger and a Little Rock Horror Picture Show Spotlight Screening Motivational Growth.

There will also be parties on Friday evening including the Junction Bridge Party and the Argenta Arts Rooftop Party for Gold Pass holders.