Officials call film festival a success so far

HOT SPRINGS -- The virtual Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival, which continues until Saturday, has been a success so far, the event's executive director said Wednesday.

"It's exceeded our expectations," Karina Grace Nagin said. "It's been going really well, we're thrilled."

Due to covid-19, most of the in-person screenings for the festival had to be canceled. While several movies have been shown via drive-in screenings, most of the movies have been shown virtually and Nagin said they have been doing well.

"That's what we've been really pleasantly surprised about," she said, noting attendance has been "kind of parallel with in-person events."

Showing the movies virtually has also allowed a wider variety of people to participate in the festival.

Nagin told The Sentinel-Record that, on Wednesday morning, she could see that people in California, New Jersey, Mississippi and Minnesota were watching festival movies.

"Dozens of people viewing films all over the country," she said. "Some of the most-watched are our shorts block. Also seen a great interest in our Arkansas films."

The final drive-in, scheduled for Friday, is "9 to 5: A Story of a Movement."

The festival has also held two of its Self Care Series events, a hike and an outdoor yoga event, which are designed to help participants to be mindful of mental health during the pandemic.

"I think people have found them really rejuvenating," Nagin said. The last one, a bike ride, will start at 5 p.m. Saturday.

Nagin said with all the outdoor events, the weather has cooperated so far. It was misting when they held their hike, she said, noting, "Weather just turned and was on our side."

Another new addition has been the "Speakeasy" series where filmmakers or documentary subjects talk about their movies. Nagin said these events have "been really fun." The first one featured David Arquette and his wife, Christina Arquette.

David Arquette is currently filming a new "Scream" movie, and Nagin said he participated in his "Speakeasy" from the set of the film. He "dialed into Zoom from that stage," she said.

The last "Speakeasy," with "MLK/FBI" director Sam Pollard, will be Saturday.

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