LITTLE ROCK — “Image Is Everything,” according to the tagline of the seventh annual Arkansas Black Independent Film Festival taking place in Little Rock Sept. 6-9. Festival directors Wayne and Angela Burt set out six years ago to create an event that could showcase “independent films with positive messages and historical significance written and produced by black filmmakers.”
The first festival was held at Philander Smith College and featured three films screened back to back on one day. The next year the event expanded to two days.This year it will last four days, with screenings taking place at several Little Rock locations, including Philander Smith, the Mosaic Templars Cultural Center, Arkansas Baptist College and Dreamland Ballroom.
It will feature local, national, and international films from black filmmakers and include workshops on acting, directing and music production led by industry professionals. No specificprogram has been announced but a news release promises a lineup announcement as well as a schedule of events on Aug. 20.
Festival passes and ticket prices can be viewed on the event’s Indiegogo (a popular crowd-funding website) page at indiegogo.com/imageiseverything. A one-day screening pass is $20, a three-day screening pass is $30, $40 gets you a workshop pass, $50 an Award Ceremony pass, $75 an opening night Red Carpet pass and for $175 you get a Festival Pass for access to all films, workshops, parties, and the VIP lounge.
For more information, contact Renarda Williams at (501) 765-1873 or e-mail renarda3@aol.com.
Russellville filmmaker Karmichael Franklin Jones, who recently won the Best Music Video Award at the University of Central Arkansas Digital Film Festival in Conway, is holding auditions for his new short film Aug. 4 and 5 at the Central Arkansas Library System Main Library in the West Room on the first floor.
He describes his film, The End, as a “Kafkaesque tale of four captives locked away in darkness from the rest of the world.” The characters include an “Old Timer” (male, 50 and up); “Crazy” (male, 20s-40s), described as cryptic and disconcerting; “Husband” (male, 20s-30s), shorttempered; and “Wife” (female, 20s-30s), frail and emotional.Auditions will be cold readings (script sides will be provided) and head shots and acting resumes are expected. For more questions about the film or auditions e-mail karmichael_jones@hotmail.com.
Registration for the 48 Hour Film Project is still open. You can sign a team upfor $160 until Aug. 7 - after that, the price goes up to $175. Fifteen teams have already signed up in Little Rock for the Aug. 17-19 short film competition. Teams compete to make 5- to 7-minute films after picking genres out of a hat and following stipulations handed out during the project weekend.
Screenings are Aug.
22-24at a theater to be announced. To sign up or to team up with already-registered teams, go to 48hourfilm.com/littlerock. The city producer this year is yours truly, so feel free to e-mail me at littlerock@48hourfilm.com.
Levi Agee is a programmer for the Little Rock Film Festival. Email him at:
MovieStyle, Pages 37 on 07/27/2012