Bentonville Film Festival relies on volunteer help

Volunteer Wendy Teach of Bentonville talks Tuesday with Charles Munro of Cape Coral, Fla., in the merchandise area in the Bentonville Film Festival office in downtown Bentonville.
Volunteer Wendy Teach of Bentonville talks Tuesday with Charles Munro of Cape Coral, Fla., in the merchandise area in the Bentonville Film Festival office in downtown Bentonville.

The Bentonville Film Festival will operate with less than a third of the volunteer power it had last year.

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NWA Democrat-Gazette

Media members and guests watch Tuesday as performers, directors and producers walk past during the white carpet opening for the Bentonville Film Festival at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville

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NWA Democrat-Gazette

Chris Gardner (right) and Raymond Lambert, producers of the film Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise, laugh Tuesday as they are interviewed. Visit nwadg.com/photos to see more photographs from the event.

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NWA Democrat-Gazette

Trevor Drinkwater (left), co-founder of the Bentonville Film Festival, speaks Tuesday with actress Geena Davis during the white carpet opening for the Bentonville Film Festival at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville. Visit nwadg.com/photos to see more photographs from the event.

About 270 volunteers will pitch in this year compared to the 900 who assisted the inaugural event.

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Volunteer coordinator Jarrod Davis said more than 700 folks signed up to volunteer, but the candidate pool dwindled between run-of-the-mill cancellations or schedule conflicts and as the festival expressed needs for assistance during odd hours of the day.

For most people, it's difficult to be at the festival "all day every day," Davis said. They saved training resources by beginning the selection process with people who could be there the longest continuous stretch.

"We needed people who are available late at night and first thing in the morning, people who have experience in hospitality and can set up at the hotels," he said.

The estimated value of volunteer time is $23.56 per hour, according to the Independent Sector, which describes itself on its website as a "leadership network for nonprofits, foundations and corporations committed to advancing the common good."

Multiply that by nearly 300 volunteers who help for the greater part of a week and "economically it makes sense," said Kim Aaron, president of United Way Northwest Arkansas. "Every volunteer that comes in is [someone] that you don't have to hire."

Aaron said the nature of an event such as the Bentonville Film Festival would make it difficult to hire staff members to do the same work since it's over a limited time span.

"To try to hire temporary staff is challenging to get the skill sets they need," Aaron said. A volunteer opportunity is somewhat easier to fill because they "can get a volunteer with a high-level skill set who is delighted to apply it in a different way for a few days."

The new festival setup will keep the majority of events in downtown Bentonville, reducing the need for extra hands.

"This year, events are much more centered on the Bentonville square," Davis said, which is a far cry from the multiple, spread out venues that extended to Rogers last year. "We have new cinetransformers, and there's not as much transport to and from venues. It's more centralized now."

Cinetransformers are mobile theaters used to show films parked around downtown.

Many of the volunteers needed last year were focused on taking folks from venue to venue.

Volunteers this year still will support the A League of Their Own reunion game at Arvest Ballpark in Springdale, but the bulk of their duties remain in the hub of things in Bentonville for the sponsors village, providing directions and answering general questions.

Davis anticipates the new festival phone application will cut down on that visitor need by providing all festival information in one place. All communication among volunteers for updates, venue changes and directions will be done by email only. The change, intended to cut down on misunderstandings, was made based on feedback from the first year's volunteers.

"We're much more organized than last year," said second-time volunteer Susan Eiler, who has lived in Bentonville-Bella Vista for more than 40 years. "Everyone works as a team to help one another. What a great group of people I'm lucky enough to work with this year.

"I believe this year will exceed my expectations."

Allison Padavan is new to Northwest Arkansas and signed up as a festival volunteer so she could meet locals and learn more about the area.

"I looked around for different cultural activities, came across [BFF] and loved the message of the festival," Padavan said. Originally from New York City, Padavan first studied the issue of the role of diverse characters while earning her degree in childhood education and psychology in the early 1990s.

"I wrote a research paper on this topic. At the time it was something you didn't pay attention to, like 'How many evil characters are some type of ethnicity?' but I was shocked," Padavan said. "We've made many strides, but it's still relevant today."

Whether they're seeking help or simply look lost, Padavan will help festival guests on their way to the cinetransformers, events and the sponsors village. The more compact environment and its walkability will help guests make it to many more events than last year, she said.

Padavan looks forward to catching Swing Away, Driving with Selvi and A Journey of a Thousand Miles: Peacekeepers. She advises festival goers to dress comfortably, wear walking shoes and arrive more than 15 minutes early to each event or screening to better your chances of securing a seat.

"Just come with an open mind to enjoy," Padavan said. "You may run into an actor and have wonderful exchange."

NW News on 05/04/2016

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