HOT SPRINGS — In Hot Springs, self-expression is often found on the walls of the art galleries, on the stage at the Poet’s Loft and in the lyrics of the singer/songwriters who perform at nightclubs. But on Saturday, self-expression was found on the big screen, with the fourth annual Arkansas Shorts — a night of short film at the historic Malco Theatre.
A packed house of arts-community members and supporters enjoyed 16 films and one live, visual performance, created by native or current Arkansans. The films — representing Little Rock, Clarksville, Fayetteville and Hot Springs — covered a wide variety of genres, such as music video and experimental, documentary and narrative films.
The event was presented by Low Key Arts, the nonprofit art organization behind the annual Valley of the Vapors Independent Music Festival and other music and arts events. Shea Childs, who founded the organization with her husband, Bill Solleder, said she thinks this year’s selection of films was their best.
“I think all of them were very strong and very sweet,” she said. “I have my favorites from the past years, but I think there was a nice range of mediums represented, and I just think that the people who have put in every year are getting better.”
The films were selected by a six-person committee comprising Low Key Arts Board members and volunteers.
“We judge it on the format,” Childs said. “We don’t really care about the plot so much because it’s all different genres, but just if it fits within our mission.”
The collection of films kicked off with a high-energy photo montage of the rock band System of a Down. The film, directed by Greg Watermann, formerly of Hot Springs, was created from 600 photographs from the band’s final tour and last show in 2006 and was edited to a music mash-up of the band’s 22-song set list.
Other films included Breathturn, a music video featuring the music of Marc Byrd of the ambient band Hammock; Princess Bling Bling and the Art Knight, a stop-motion animation created by the fifth-grade art club at North Heights Elementary School in North Little Rock; and Ces Jours, a poignant narrative directed by Bill Solleder and Michael Shaeffer of Hot Springs.
In Music Box, directed by Brandt Leeds of Clarksville, a teenage boy is led into a room of family photos by a mysteriously placed music box playing the 1970s tune “The Way We Were.” Chuck Dodson’s The Making of Just a Way Out tells the story of photographer Thomas Petillo’s 2010 exhibit at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Hot Springs, and Brook Olsen’s Rollertime showcases the skills of a small group of roller-skating enthusiasts.
“It’s just something that, as an artist, you dream about, … showing your work to as many people as possible,” said Josh Williams, who, along with Barry Benning and Tommy Hampton, co-directed the comedy-narrative Aliens from Outerspace: Handle With Care, which closed out the evening of shorts.
It was Williams’ first time to participate in the event, and he said he will be back next year.
“They make it inviting,” he said of Solleder and Childs. “It’s a joy to be able to work with them because they really support the artists.”
The Arkansas Shorts program was started as a fundraiser for the Valley of the Vapors festival, but has since grown into its own event, which the couple hope to expand in the future.
“Everything goes to fund Low Key Arts, the organization that funds Valley of the Vapors, but I only think it’s right for us to set aside some funds to keep this going and grow it for next year,” Solleder said.
“We want to talk to all the directors about how we can make it more for them,” Childs added. “We want to have some film workshops around it and just sort of build that as a program of its own because, obviously, it’s a great fundraiser because it sells out the Malco, but it’s really, clearly way more than just a way to raise money. People are into it and need the outlet.”
The couple are now gearing up for this year’s music festival, which is slated for March 20-26 and will welcome 44 bands, including A Place to Bury Strangers of Brooklyn, N.Y.
“They’re on the top of the hipster list,” Solleder said. The band’s guitar player, Oliver Ackermann, is the founder of Death By Audio, an effects pedal company that has made custom pedals for some big-name acts, such as Nine Inch Nails and U2.
“They are going to play on opening night, Sunday, March 20, and then he is going to lead a workshop on Monday, March 21, on how he builds effects pedals and how to properly use them, so we are really excited about them,” Solleder said.
Performances will be held throughout the week at Low Key Arts, Maxine’s Live and the Artchurch Studio. For more information and a list of other upcoming events, visit www.valleyofthevapors.com.