HOT SPRINGS -- Fundraisers and a matching donation boosted the coffers of the Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival by more than $50,000 in June.
The $50,800 will be used in several ways, said Jennifer Gerber, the festival's executive director.
Some money will go to travel and lodging of festival guests. Last year, Gerber said the festival hosted 91 guests, including directors, documentary subjects, special guests and jury members.
A lot of the people don't have money to travel to Hot Springs to show their films, she said.
With the people at the screenings, the audience members are allowed to ask questions about the movie and have a better experience.
"It's just not the same if they aren't here," she said.
The money will also help pay for educational outreach programs such as the Emerging Filmmaker program, a two-day class for middle- and high-school students.
Gerber said her organization can accommodate between 175 and 200 students from the state. The program, free to students, will be held Oct. 22-23.
The money will also allow free screenings to be held during the festival. Gerber said hosting the festival is already very expensive, but it becomes even more expensive when they don't charge anything for a screening. She said the goal is to offer one free screening per day of the festival.
The goal was to raise $20,000 in June. By the time the month was over, the festival had surpassed that goal, raising a total of $30,800, Gerber said.
The festival received $20,000 from Dorothy Morris, who had agreed to match the goal of $20,000. Gerber said Morris has supported the festival for years and been vital to its success.
"I believe firmly that the festival is still standing because of her," she said.
Helping the fundraiser meet its goal were Mary and Robert Zunick, both members of the Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival board since 2014, who hosted the final day of the fundraiser at their home.
At the Zunicks' home, items that aren't for sale anywhere else were raffled off, including front-row seats for either the opening or closing night of the festival and a canvas print of the festival's 2019 poster.
Mary Zunick said she was happy with the results of the fundraiser, noting that they were able to reach people who had never participated before and who donated amounts such as $20, $50 or $100.
Zunick said she was "really proud" of the people who participated who had never done so before. She said when the festival happens, those people will be able to look at the festival and know they helped make it happen.
NW News on 07/16/2019