Category Archives: Film

LR Film Fest: Golden Rock Narrative Award

Posted on by

short-term-12-brie-larson-sliceShort Term 12, Destin Daniel Crettin’s film which opened the Little Rock Film Festival, captured the Golden Rock Narrative Award. Set in a foster-care facility, it explores the lives of some of the kids as well as the supervisors as they wrestle (often with honest humor) with life.

The film features Brie Larson, John Gallagher Jr., Kaitlyn Dever, Keith Stanfield, Stephanie Beatriz, Rami Malek, Alex Calloway, Kevin Hernandez, Lydia Du Veaux, Frantz Turner, Diana Maria Riva, Harold Cannon, Silvia Curiel, Bran’dee D’Allen and Melora Walters.  Crtittin both wrote and directed the film.  Brett Pawlak is the cinematographer, Nat Sanders the film editor and Joel P. West composed the score.

Short Term 12 has won awards at several other festivals.  Cinedigm has announced plans to release the film later in the summer.

The other nominees were David Riker’s The Girl, Josh Barrett and Marc Menchaca’s This Is Where We Live, Daniel Patrick Carbone’s Hide Your Smiling Faces and Barmak Akram’s Wajma—An Afghan Love Story.

LR Film Fest: OXFORD AMERICAN Best Southern Film

Posted on by

bayou_maharajah_the_tragic_genius_of_james_bookerThe OXFORD AMERICAN magazine has been a part of the Little Rock Film Festival since the first year.  A couple of years ago, they established an award for Best Southern Film.

The winner this year was Bayou Maharajah: The Tragic Genius of James Booker directed by Lily Keber. The documentary explores the life, times and music of piano legend James Booker, who Dr. John described as ‘the best black, gay, one-eyed junkie piano genius New Orleans has ever produced.’

The award was chosen by OA editor Roger Hodges and presented by publisher Warwick Sabin.

LR Film Fest: Made in Arkansas Awards

Posted on by

IMG_5408There are four awards presented to films in the “Made in Arkansas” track.   This year there were fifteen shorts and five feature films in contention for these awards.

Liza Burns won the Best Actor award for her performance in the feature 45 RPM.  (Note that actor is used as a gender non-specific term.)  The other nominees were Jeff Bailey for “The Discontentment of Ed Telfair,” Jeffrey Fuell for “Blood Brothers” and Graham Gordy for “Mary.”

The Charles B. Pierce Award for Best Short went to “The Discontentment of Ed Telfair” which was directed by Daniel Campbell.  The other nominees were “Diamond John” (directed by Travis Mosler), “Last Shot Love” (directed by Nolan Dean) and “Mary” (directed by Zach Turner).  Interestingly, the latter two and Campbell’s winning film were all grouped together in the “Heartbeats” block.

The award for Best Feature went to 45 RPM directed by Juli Jackson.  The other nominees were Last Summer by Mark Thiedeman and The Identity Theft of Mitch Mustain by Matthew Wolfe.

Mark Thiedeman won Best Director for Last Summer.  This is the third consecutive year Thiedeman has had a film at the Little Rock Film Festival.  The other nominees were Amman Abbasi for “Bad Water,” Zach Turner for “Mary” and Juli Jackson for 45 RPM.

LR Film Fest: Youth Filmmaker Awards

Posted on by

lrff_mp_hdr_logoThe Little Rock Film Festival values promotion of the next generation of filmmakers.  Partnering with AETN and the THEA Foundation, LRFFYOUTH! features workshops, screenings and awards.

The Best Youth Film award went to Robert Crisp for his film “Saturday.”

The THEA Foundation presented four scholarships to youth filmmakers.  A scholarship for cinematography went to Zak Heald, Crisp earned a scholarship for his editing, Joseph Largent won a scholarship for screenwriting, and the scholarship for directing went to Anna Thompson.

LR Film Fest: Heifer Social Impact and World Shorts Awards

Posted on by

TheseBirdsWalkA new award was presented at the 2013 Little Rock Film Festival Arkansas Times Awards Gala.  The Heifer Social Impact Award recognized a film that best promotes awareness and advocacy of global problems and solutions.  The funding for the award came from the National Park Service through the Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site.

The award was actually presented first on Saturday night at an event sponsored by Heifer and presented again at the Sunday evening gala.  The award went to These Birds Walk which was directed by Omar Mullick and Bassam Tariq.

The World Shorts Award went to Amy Seimetz’s “When We Lived in Miami.” It was shown in the “Sore Times” block of films.

miami

LR Film Fest Awards: Arkansas Times Audience Choice

Posted on by

bridegroomThe Little Rock Film Festival concluded on Sunday evening with the Arkansas Times Awards Gala.  There were thirteen awards presented that evening. A fourteenth award – the Diamond Award for Excellence in filmmaking – was presented earlier in the festival to Harry Thomason and Linda Bloodworth-Thomason.

The Arkansas Times Audience Award went to Bloodworth-Thomason’s Bridegroom.  This documentary had previously won an audience award at the 2013 Tribeca Film Festival where the film was introduced by President Bill Clinton.

Because the filmmakers were unavailable to attend on Sunday and accept the award, Shane Bitney Crone, one of the subjects of the documentary, accepted the award.

Sunday Food Trucks at LR Film Festival

Posted on by

IMG_5408Along 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!

Sunday, May 19 at 6th and Main at the BEST Day Parking lot (across from The Rep). Open from 11 a.m. until 6 p.m.

1. Blackhound BBQ– pit smoked meats and sides, turkey legs, lemonade, sausage sandwiches

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

3. Trott’s Place– burgers, gizzards, wings and fries

4. Roxie’s Hot Dogs– hot dogs, nacho’s and Frito pies

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