Short and sweet: Spa City fest has 47 short films

Winter isn't generally "shorts weather," but a different kind of shorts will be in the spotlight Saturday in Hot Springs.

This is the 12th year for "Arkansas Shorts: A Night of Short Film," a film festival that gets bigger every year.

With 31 films in the Arkansas block alone and 47 total, Executive Director Jennifer Gerber explains, "This is our biggest year yet."

The films screened are broken down into three screening blocks: films made by Arkansans, selected by an anonymous panel; North American films, selected by Derek Horne; and international films, picked by Chris Wilks.

"What happens year after year, the films get better and better," Gerber says. "We have an incredible lineup this year."

It includes Hair Wolf by Mariama Diallo, the grand-jury winner from the Sundance Film Festival; South by Southwest Jury Award Winner Emergency by Carey Williams; and Caroline by Logan George and Celine Held, which has been short-listed for an Oscar nomination.

But what excites Gerber most are the 11 films by students in last year's "Inception to Projection" film class, ranging in age from 13 to 60-something, who had to make films in a short period of time.

"It's truly amazing to be part of these films from the ground up," she says. "I'm always proud of the 'Inception to Projection' films because they're first-time filmmakers and they're trying something they haven't done before. They show courage, skill, talent."

The evening starts with a welcome reception, featuring complimentary social media portraits by Thomas Petillo, concessions and a cash bar.

Then it's on to the films.

Gerber says it's "an incredible night" with an exciting audience experience. "There's such enthusiasm in the room. It's a packed audience, which is something every filmmaker wants. Just for people to see it. The best gift you can give them is to come see their movies. Year after year, we've delivered an incredible audience."

People can buy tickets for just one block or a festival pass for all three, which Gerber encourages.

"It lets you really immerse yourself in the best films in Arkansas and in the world."

The emphasis is on Arkansas, with most of the films either made locally or by people who originally lived in The Natural State. Supporting those Arkansas artists and their stories is something people can and should take an interest in, Gerber insists.

"If you look at filmmaking at large, most of the stories are representative of the coastal experiences. ... This is a place we can encourage them. We can give them feedback. We can celebrate their hard work. I hope that someone in the audience will be inspired to make their own film and we can see it at our festival the following year."

Weekend on 01/03/2019