THE SPRINGS MAGAZINE • 2023 HSDFF SCHEDULE • SUBJECT TO CHANGE! 1 FOR DAILY UPDATES, PLEASE VISIT www.HSDFI.org 2023 SCHEDULE FRI | OCT 6 6:15 PM CHAMPAGNE TOAST | Oaklawn Event Center 7:OO PM OPENING NIGHT GALA: Relentless Ride | Oaklawn Event Center 9:OO PM OPENING NIGHT PARTY | Oaklawn Event Center SAT | OCT 7 9:00 AM WELLNESS SERIES | Hike & Mountaintop Meditation Arlington Hotel front steps 10:30 AM Story & Pictures By | Cinema 1 11:00 AM Shorts Program: Flora & Fauna | Cinema 2 1:OO PM The Disappearance of Shere Hite | Cinema 1 2:OO PM Brother Horse | Cinema 2 4:OO PM Black Barbie: A Documentary | Cinema 1 4:30 PM The People v. Profits | Cinema 2 7:OO PM Let the Canary Sing | Cinema 1 7:30 PM Art For Everybody | Cinema 2 9:OO PM Party | ESQ Realty Group SUN | OCT 8 9:00 AM WELLNESS SERIES | Yoga on the Rooftop | Arlington 10:30 AM Shorts Program: On the Edge | Cinema 1 11:00 AM Your Fat Friend | Cinema 2 1:OO PM 1946: The Mistranslation That Shifted Culture | Cinema 1 1:30 PM Shorts Program: The Natural State | Cinema 2 3:OO PM A Town Called Victoria | Cinema 1 4:30 PM All of Our Heartbeats Are Connected Through Exploding Stars | Cinema 2 7:OO PM The Tuba Thieves | Cinema 2 7:30 PM Between Life & Death: Terri Schiavo’s Story | Cinema 1 9:OO PM Party | Deluca’s Pizza Sponsored by MSNBC Films MON | OCT 9 11:30 AM The Gullspång Miracle | Cinema 1 1:30 PM Rather | Cinema 1 4:OO PM Shorts Program: Comrades | Cinema 1 6:OO PM Hollywoodgate | Cinema 2 8:OO PM CAREER ACHIEVEMENT AWARD PRESENTATION & RETROSPECTIVE SHORTS BLOCK | Cinema 1 9:OO PM Party | Superior Bathhouse Brewery Sponsored by ESPN Films TUES | OCT 10 9:00 AM Educational Program: Going Varsity in Mariachi | Cinema 1 12:30 PM Shorts Program: The Work of Art | Cinema 1 3:30 PM One With the Whale | Cinema 1 6:OO PM IMPACT AWARD PRESENTATION followed by King Coal | Cinema 1 8:OO PM True Stories: A Live Storytelling Event | Cinema 2 9:OO PM Party | Splash Wine Bar WED | OCT 11 9:00 AM Educational Program: JessZilla | Cinema 1 11:00 AM EMERGING FILMMAKERS PROGRAM presented by Arkansas PBS | Cinema 1 11:00 AM Songs of Earth | Cinema 2 1:30 PM Confessions of a Good Samaritan | Cinema 2 2:45 PM The Pigeon Tunnel | Cinema 1 4:OO PM Shorts Program: Talk the Talk, Walk the Walk Cinema 2 5:OO PM “Secret Screening” | Cinema 1 7:OO PM Hummingbirds | Cinema 2 7:30 PM Centerpiece Screening: The Mission | Cinema 1 9:OO PM Party | Whittington Place Sponsored by NatGeo Documentary Films THURS | OCT 12 11:00 AM La Lucha | Cinema 1 11:30 AM Between the Rains | Cinema 2 1:30 PM Smoke Sauna Sisterhood | Cinema 1 2:OO PM Silver Dollar Road | Cinema 2 4:OO PM Razing Liberty Square | Cinema 1 5:OO PM Open Heart | Cinema 2 7:OO PM A Song Film by Kishi Bashi: Omoiyari | Cinema 1 7:30 PM Bad Press | Cinema 2 9:OO PM Party | The Rooftop at The Waters Hotel FRI | OCT 13 11:00 AM Q | Cinema 2 11:30 AM Shorts Program: The Ties That Bind | Cinema 1 1:OO PM Dusty & Stones | Cinema 2 2:OO PM The Echo | Cinema 1 3:OO PM Sex with Sue | Cinema 2 4:30 PM Nathan-ism | Cinema 1 5:OO PM Stamped From the Beginning | Cinema 2 7:30 PM SOUTHERN STORYTELLERS SCREENING & PANEL | Cinema 1 9:OO PM Party | The Gangster Museum of America SAT | OCT 14 9:00 AM Wellness Series: Sound Bath Meditation Conference Room B 10:30 AM A Disturbance in the Force | Cinema 1 11:00 AM It’s Only Life After All | Cinema 2 12:30 PM The Hidden Power of Purpose | Cinema 1 1:30 PM Four Daughters | Cinema 2 3:OO PM A Thousand Pines | Cinema 1 4:OO PM Thank You Very Much | Cinema 2 7:OO PM CLOSING NIGHT GALA | Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project | Cinema 1 9:OO PM Party | The Arlington Resort | Venetian Room Excluding the Opening Night Gala, ALL screenings will take place at the Arlington Resort Hotel & Spa on the second floor.
• 2023 HSDFF SCHEDULE • THE SPRINGS MAGAZINE SUBJECT TO CHANGE! FOR DAILY UPDATES, PLEASE VISIT www.HSDFI.org 2 OUR G A L A F I L M S CENTERPIECE THE MISSION DIR: Amanda McBaine & Jesse Moss WED, OCT 11 | 7:30 PM | Arlington Resort Hotel Cinema 1 In 2018, while attempting to contact one of the world’s most isolated Indigenous peoples on remote North Sentinel Island, the young American missionary John Chau was met by a barrage of arrows. The event made headlines across the world. But soon after, the story faded from view. Chau’s actions and the tragic consequences of his mission, however, raised many unsettling questions and unresolved issues. Refusing to tie up their film with tidy answers, Emmy−winning filmmakers Jesse Moss and Amanda McBaine (Boys State, The Overnighters), piece together the story behind the story and bring a new perspective to what happened and why. Following the screening of THE MISSION, Peter Debruge, Chief Film Critic, Variety, will be in conversation with Producer Will Cohen and film participant Dan Everett. OPENING NIGHT RELENTLESS RIDE DIR: Adam Harbottle & Brian Hill | USA ARKANSAS STATE PREMIERE FRI | OCT 6 | 7:00 PM | Oaklawn Event Center This year’s 32nd edition of the Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival, presented by Oaklawn, kicks off with Relentless Ride, the gripping tale of the 2021 Arkansas High Country Race (AHCR). With more ups and downs than the stock market and 1,000 miles of terrain to cover, the AHCR is about as brutal as they come. In fact, the bike race might be the ultimate mental and physical endurance test. Arkansas-based filmmakers Adam Harbottle and Brian Hill follow a diverse group of determined riders attempting to complete the 2021 race as they battle through exhaustion, pain, driving rain, and, most debilitating of all, self-doubt. The Opening Night presentation of Relentless Ride dovetails with the 2023 Arkansas High Country Race, which is hosted by the City of Hot Springs for the second consecutive year. More than 70 competing cyclists will cross the starting line on OCT 7, the morning following the Opening Night gala celebration at Oaklawn. CLOSING NIGHT GOING TO MARS: THE NIKKI GIOVANNI PROJECT DIR: Michèle Stephenson & Joe Brewster | USA SAT | OCT 14 | 7:00 PM | Arlington Resort Hotel Cinema 1 This imaginative and creative documentary explores the life and work of celebrated American poet Nikki Giovanni. On the cusp of her 80th birthday, Giovanni reflects on her more than fifty-year career writing acclaimed poetry exploring race, sexism, and classism, and the concurrent social movements that served as inspiration. Interweaving compelling archival footage, intimate interviews, and stirring poetry readings, Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project, is an extraordinary biographical documentary that mirrors the lyrical, creative mastery of its namesake. Filmmakers Michèle Stephenson and Joe Brewster to attend and participate in the post-screening Q&A.
THE SPRINGS MAGAZINE • 2023 HSDFF SCHEDULE SUBJECT TO CHANGE! 3 FOR DAILY UPDATES, PLEASE VISIT www.HSDFI.org OUR FEATURE F I L M S 1946: THE MISTRANSLATION THAT SHIFTED CULTURE DIR: Sharon Roggio SUN | OCT 8 | 1:00 PM | Cine1 USA | 92m Filmmaker Sharon “Rocky” Roggio explores the provocative thesis that when the word “homosexual” appeared in the 1946 Revised Standard Version of the Bible, it may have been a mistranslation of the original text. Winner, Audience Award, DOC NYC, and Outfest LA. ALL OF OUR HEARTBEATS ARE CONNECTED THROUGH EXPLODING STARS DIR: Jennifer Rainsford SUN | OCT 8 | 4:30 PM | Cine2 Japan | 77m Weaving together ruminative natural history vignettes with striking scenes of recovery, All of Our Heartbeats Are Connected Through Exploding Stars is a meditation on humanity’s connection to loss after the 2011 Japanese tsunami. ART FOR EVERYBODY DIR: Miranda Yousef SAT | OCT 7 | 7:30 PM | Cine2 | USA | 99m Thomas Kinkade’s landscape paintings made him the biggest-selling artist of his day. His idyllic images mirrored a public persona entrenched in faith and family. Yet, after his untimely death, a vault of private paintings shatters his detailed façade, revealing a complex man battling inner demons. BAD PRESS DIR: Rebecca Landsberry-Baker & Joe Peeler THU | OCT 12 | 7:30 PM | Cine2 USA | 98m When reporter Angel Ellis’ tribe, the Muscogee Nation, repeals free press protection in their media, she is spurred to action to protect the tenets of journalism. BETWEEN LIFE & DEATH: TERRI SCHIAVO’S STORY DIR: Nick Capote SUN | OCT 8 | 7:30 PM | Cine1 | USA | 89m A piercing, thoughtful re-examination of the complex story of Terri Schiavo, whose headline-grabbing right-to-die legal saga and media circus in the early 2000s electrified the nation, forcing Americans to confront the tangled intersection of personal faith and federal policy. BETWEEN THE RAINS DIR: Andrew H. Brown & Moses Thuranira THUR | OCT 12 | 11:30 AM | Cine2 Kenya | 82m Kole is a teenage shepherd in a region of Northern Kenya plagued by years of drought. Supported by stunning landscape imagery, Between the Rains explores coming of age in the time of climate change. BLACK BARBIE: A DOCUMENTARY DIR: Lagueria Davis SAT | OCT 7 | 4:00 PM | Cine1 USA | 100m Released in 1980, Black Barbie was the first time a black fashion doll was given the moniker Barbie. A rousing account of the untold story of how the doll came to market and the various voices behind the project. BROTHER HORSE DIR: Marcel Barrena SAT | OCT 7 | 2:00 PM | Cine2 | Spain | 73m Santi Serra is a horse whisperer, training his equine friends to perform in shows worldwide. But with the pandemic halting public performances, one rescued grey stallion proves to be an unexpected standout. CONFESSIONS OF A GOOD SAMARITAN DIR: Penny Lane WED | OCT 11 | 1:30 PM | Cine2 | USA | 105m Acclaimed filmmaker Penny Lane (Listening to Kenny G, Our Nixon) captures her experience as an “altruistic” donor — a living person who donates a kidney to someone they don’t know — to create an intimate portrait examining our donor system and the state of altruism in American society. THE DISAPPEARANCE OF SHERE HITE DIR: Nicole Newnham SAT | OCT 7 | 1:00 PM | Cine1 USA | 116m Considered “a sexual revolution in 600 pages,” The Hite Report is one of the bestselling books in history. It spurred a cultural phenomenon upon release, but what became of its author, Shere Hite? A DISTURBANCE IN THE FORCE DIR: Jeremy Coon & Steve Kozak SAT | OCT 14 | 10:30 AM | Cine1 USA | 87m “The Star Wars Holiday Special” is the variety show George Lucas wishes never saw the light of day. This hilarious documentary exposes the making of the infamous Wookie-filled extravaganza. DUSTY & STONES DIR: Jesse Rudoy FRI | OCT 13 | 1:00 PM | Cine2 USA | 83m Gazi “Dusty” Simelane and Linda “Stones” Msibi — cousins from the tiny African Kingdom of Eswatini (formerly Swaziland) — fall in love with country music, become a polished musical act, and end up making the journey all the way to Nashville and Texas to pursue their unlikely dreams. THE ECHO DIR: Tatiana Huezo FRI | OCT 13 | 2:00 PM | Cine1 Mexico, Germany | 103m Tucked away in the rolling hills and pastures of Mexico, three close-knit rural farming families search for hope and contend with the land while living in an enigmatic village mysteriously named “The Echo.” Winner, Berlinale Documentary Film Award. FOUR DAUGHTERS DIR: Kaouther Ben Hania SAT | OCT 14 | 1:30 PM | Cine2 France, Saudi Arabia, Germany | 107m Winner of the L’Oeil D’or prize at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival, this fascinating hybrid weaves documentary and stylized fiction to explore the shocking story of a Tunisian matriarch whose two eldest daughters suddenly go missing.
• 2023 HSDFF SCHEDULE • THE SPRINGS MAGAZINE SUBJECT TO CHANGE! FOR DAILY UPDATES, PLEASE VISIT www.HSDFI.org 4 GOING VARSITY IN MARIACHI DIR: Alejandra Vasquez & Sam Osborn TUES | OCT 10 | 9:00 AM | Cine1 USA | 104m The wonders of regional Mexican folk music are celebrated by a team of passionate high school musicians in South Texas who rehearse yearround to battle it out in the world of competitive scholastic mariachi. THE GULLSPÅNG MIRACLE DIR: Maria Fredriksson MON | OCT 9 | 11:00 AM | Cine1 Sweden, Norway, Denmark | 109m Two pious sisters begin to unravel a long-held family secret when a divine sign leads them to purchase an apartment from a woman who looks identical to their deceased sister. THE HIDDEN POWER OF PURPOSE DIR: Elliot V. Kotek SAT | OCT 14 | 12:30 PM | Cine1 USA | 72m It is a rare documentary that presents compelling personal stories and highly practicable information. Elliot Kotek’s inspiring film asks, “What does it mean to live a life driven by purpose?” Warning: you may leave the screening with a renewed sense of purpose yourself. HOLLYWOODGATE DIR: Ibrahim Nash’at MON | OCT 9 | 6:00 PM | Cine2 USA | 91m Filmmaker Ibrahim Nash’at is granted terrifying access to document the high-ranking Taliban inner circle as they begin to take over a former U.S. military base in Kabul in this chilling eye-witness account. HUMMINGBIRDS DIR: Silvia Del Carmen Castaños & Estefanía “Beba” Contreras WED | OCT 11 | 7:00 PM | Cine2 USA | 78m Set in a sweltering Texan border town, two rebellious best friends, Beba and Silvia, fight passionately against the systems working to control their lives, bodies, and citizenship — all while enjoying the dog days of summer. IT’S ONLY LIFE AFTER ALL DIR: Alexandria Bombach SAT | OCT 14 | 11:00 AM | Cine2 USA | 123m A heartwarming music doc celebrating the legacy of the Americana folk duo Indigo Girls. It’s Only Life After All intertwines forty years of home movies, interviews, and performances to craft a charming look into a group that feels more like a movement than simply a band. JESSZILLA DIR: Emily Sheskin WED | OCT 11 | 9:00 AM | Cine1 USA | 90m Jesselyn “JessZilla” Silva, a three-time national junior boxing champion, is on the cusp of making the U.S. Olympic team. When life takes an unthinkable turn, she is forced to redefine what it means to fight. KING COAL DIR: Elaine McMillion Sheldon TUES | OCT 10 | 6:00 PM | Cine1 USA | 79m A sensitive portrait of a community and culture defined by industry, King Coal showcases the beauty of the coal region of Appalachia through the eyes of an inquisitive child. LA LUCHA DIR: Violeta Ayala THUR | OCT 12 | 11:00 AM | Cine1 Bolivia | 89m Traversing the Andes on foot and in wheelchairs, a group of disabled activists make their way across Bolivia, on a quest to garner support from the government in the form of a pension. LET THE CANARY SING DIR: Allison Ellwood SAT | OCT 7 | 7:00 PM | Cine1 USA | 96m When Cyndi Lauper exploded onto the pop music scene in the 80s, her distinctive voice and style became instantly recognizable. But there is so much more to the story. Alison Ellwood’s intimate portrait paints Lauper’s “true colors.” NATHAN-ISM DIR: Elan Golod FRI | OCT 13 | 4:30 PM | Cine1 USA | 79m For the past 70 years, artist Nathan Hilu has illustrated his experiences guarding Nazi war criminals during the Nuremberg trials. Now 90, his urgency to share his story and solidify his legacy increases, but can his waning memories be trusted? ONE WITH THE WHALE DIR: Peter Chelkowski & Jim Wickens TUES | OCT 10 | 3:30 PM | Cine1 USA, United Kingdom, Portugal 83m In this striking coming-of-age story, Chris Apassingok is a typical American teenager, except in one way: to feed his family and Indigenous Alaskan community, he must venture into the icy Bering Sea to hunt for whales. OPEN HEART DIR: Jonathan Hock THUR | OCT 12 | 5:00 PM | Cine2 USA | 75m New York Rangers star goalie Henrik Lundqvist had become so popular with New Yorkers that he was known simply as King Henrik. But when the King is diagnosed with a potentially fatal heart condition, he suddenly is forced to face his own mortality. THE PEOPLE V. PROFITS World Premiere DIR: Jack Lofton & Jeff Dailey SAT | OCT 7 | 4:30 PM | Cine2 USA | 97m Arkansas filmmaker Jack Porter Lofton’s revelatory new documentary does something amazing: it gets you all fired up about … tort law. Go behind the scenes with the hotshot lawyers who are taking on some of the world’s biggest corporations and find out what’s at stake for all of us. OUR FEATURE F I L M S
THE SPRINGS MAGAZINE • 2023 HSDFF SCHEDULE SUBJECT TO CHANGE! 5 FOR DAILY UPDATES, PLEASE VISIT www.HSDFI.org OUR FEATURE F I L M S THE PIGEON TUNNEL DIR: Errol Morris WED | OCT 11 | 2:45 PM | Cine1 United Kingdom | 92m Academy Award-winner Errol Morris delves into the life and career of former British spy David Cornwell — better known as John le Carré — author of such classic espionage novels as The Spy Who Came in From the Cold and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. Q DIR: Jude Chehab FRI | OCT 13 | 11:00 AM | Cine2 Lebanon | 93m Lebanese American filmmaker Jude Chehab’s evocative debut boldly turns her camera on her own mother — an enigmatic woman who has spent decades fervently devoted to a mysterious all-female religious order. RATHER DIR: Frank Marshall MON | OCT 9 | 1:30 PM | Cine1 | USA | 95m The life, work, and legacy of broadcast journalist and news anchor Dan Rather is chronicled in this stirring portrait charting his rise to national prominence at CBS through to his stunning public downfall and surprising comeback. RAZING LIBERTY SQUARE DIR: Katja Esson THUR | OCT 12 | 4:00 PM | Cine1 USA | 86m When the effects of climate change threaten the affluent Miami Beach area, developers invest in Liberty City — a historically Black community outside the floodplains. Despite promising to bring the long-underserved community economic growth, investors’ vision of progress may result in residents’ displacement and permanently alter the city’s culture. SEX WITH SUE DIR: Lisa Rideout FRI | OCT 13 | 3:00 PM | Cine2 Canada | 90m Sex With Sue is a fitting tribute to trailblazing Canadian radio and TV personality Sue Johanson, nurse turned sex educator. Her approachable persona and comedic attitude have demystified sex for millions. SILVER DOLLAR ROAD DIR: Raoul Peck THUR | OCT 12 | 2:00 PM | Cine2 USA | 100m In North Carolina, land developers exploit legal loopholes to claim family properties passed down for generations without a will. But when the Reels family refuses to relinquish its land, it sparks a decades-long battle with a developer intent on acquiring the family’s waterfront property. SMOKE SAUNA SISTERHOOD DIR: Anna Hints THUR | OCT 12 | 1:30 PM | Cine1 Estonia | 89m An intimate glimpse into the bathing rituals of a group of women in southern Estonia. Seeking refuge in a smoke sauna, the women can share their deepest secrets while finding strength and safety in the sanctity of female companionship. A SONG FILM BY KISHI BASHI: OMOIYARI DIR: Justin Taylor Smith & Kaoru Ishibashi THUR | OCT 12 | 7:00 PM | Cine1 Japan | 74m Crossing the American landscape in search of sites of former concentration camps, multi-talented musician Kishi Bashi undertakes a musical journey to explore the legacy of Japanese American incarceration during World War II, as well as his own identity. SPONSORED BY HSNP Sister City Foundation SONGS OF EARTH DIR: Margreth Olin WED | OCT 11 | 11:00 AM | Cine2 Norway | 90m A film as gorgeously made as the breathtaking Norwegian landscape that it depicts, filmmaker Margreth Olin embraces the inescapable reality that the time she has left to spend with her beloved, aging parents is rapidly slipping away. STAMPED FROM THE BEGINNING DIR: Roger Ross Williams FRI | OCT 13 | 5:00 PM | Cine2 USA | 94m From Academy Award®-winning director Roger Ross Williams (Music by Prudence, Life Animated), Stamped From the Beginning is a thoughtful and candid examination of the origin, evolution, and continued impact of racist anti-Black narratives on American policy and culture. STORY & PICTURES BY DIR: Joanna Rudnick SAT | OCT 7 | 10:30 AM | Cine1 USA | 84m The colorful, luminous world of children’s picture books takes center stage in this richly creative look at the past, present, and future of this uniquely specific and highly essential art form. SPONSORED BY Garland County Library THANK YOU VERY MUCH DIR: Alex Braverman SAT | OCT 14 | 4:00 PM | Cine2 USA | 99m Will the real Andy Kaufman please step forward? Peeling back the layers of this fascinating, brilliant, and often misunderstood comedian, filmmaker Alex Braverman shows us all over again why Andy Kaufman matters. Winner, Best Documentary, Venice International Film Festival. A THOUSAND PINES DIR: Sebastian Diaz & Noam Osband SAT | OCT 14 | 3:00 PM | Cine1 USA | 77m Trees are everywhere in Arkansas and so, too, are major tree-planting operations. In this fascinating glimpse into a largely hidden world, we meet a group of Mexican workers, who, every year, uproot their lives to come north in the hopes of bettering their lives. TRUE STORIES TUE | OCT 10 | 8:00 PM HOSTED BY: Kai Coggin We love true stories so much that this year we are expanding our programming offerings beyond the screen to include an exciting new event that we are calling, “True Stories.” A series of short, personal stories told by a diverse mix of visiting filmmakers and local legends. Hosted by Kai Coggin (she/her), inaugural Poet Laureate of the City of Hot Springs. Beverages and noshes to be provided. THE TUBA THIEVES DIR: Allison O’Daniel SUN | OCT 8 | 7:00 PM | Cine2 USA | 93m This groundbreaking debut by d/ Deaf filmmaker Alison O’Daniel follows an odd case of tubas being stolen from high schools across Southern California. O’Daniel deploys a fascinating form of captioning like you’ve never seen before, reorienting the viewer to sound in a thrilling new way. YOUR FAT FRIEND DIR: Jeanie Finlay SUN | OCT 8 | 11:00 AM | Cine2 USA | 96m Don’t call her big-boned. Aubrey Gordon is a writer, activist, and podcast host. And she’s fat. Aubrey started the Twitter account “Your Fat Friend” to bring awareness to anti-fat biases and advocate for equity. With its authentic and often humorous tone, Your Fat Friend becomes a phenomenon for the ages. A TOWN CALLED VICTORIA World Premiere DIR: Li Lu OCT 8 | 3:00 PM | Cine1 USA | 164m After a mosque is burned to the ground in a small Texas town, residents rally to support the local Muslim community. But is this an inspiring news story or something far more nuanced and complicated? This intricately woven, fascinating 3-part docuseries tells the full story. SPONSORED BY Rosenzweig Fund for Interfaith Activities SERIES
• 2023 HSDFF SCHEDULE • THE SPRINGS MAGAZINE SUBJECT TO CHANGE! FOR DAILY UPDATES, PLEASE VISIT www.HSDFI.org 6 HONOREES & AWARDS 2023 HONORARY CHAIR MARY STEENBURGEN 2023 BRENT RENAUD CAREER ACHIEVEMENT AWARD SKY HOPINKA 2023 IMPACT AWARD DIANE BECKER 2023 IMPACT AWARD SHANE BORIS Mary Steenburgen is an Academy Award® and Golden Globe-winning actress best known for her work in the films “Melvin and Howard,” “Parenthood,” “What’s Eating Gilbert Grape,” “Philadelphia,” “Stepbrothers,” and “Book Club” and television shows “Justified,” “Orange is the New Black,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm” and “The Last Man on Earth.” Most recently, Steenburgen starred for two seasons as Maggie Clarke in NBC’s musical television sensation “Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist”. Steenburgen stars in Focus Features “Book Club: The Next Chapter” opposite Diane Keaton, Jane Fonda, and Candice Bergen. Mary is a songwriter for Universal Music Publishing Group. Along with co-writers Troy Verges and Caitlyn Smith, Mary wrote the acclaimed song “This Is Christmas” for HBO’s “Holiday Harmony” and “Northstar” for Roku’s original film “Zoey’s Extraordinary Christmas”. Mary was shortlisted for an Academy Award® for Best Original Song for “Glasgow (No Place Like Home)”, featured in the film “Wild Rose”. Steenburgen, will be a key participant in the “Southern Storytellers’ Screening and Panel,” taking place on Friday, October 13, at 7:30 PM. In a relatively short time, Sky Hopinka has produced a truly distinctive and remarkable body of work in the documentary field. His work has played at many festivals around the world, as well as being a part of the 2017 Whitney Biennial, the 2018 FRONT Triennial and Prospect.5 in 2021. He was a guest curator at the 2019 Whitney Biennial and participated in Cosmopolis #2 at the Centre Pompidou. In the fall of 2022, Hopinka received a MacArthur Fellowship for his work as a visual artist and filmmaker. Sky will be in attendance for the award presentation on Monday, October 9, at 8:00 PM before a retrospective screening of his short films. Diane Becker is an Academy Award®-winning, Emmy-nominated producer and the co-founder of Fishbowl Films. Navalny won both the U.S. Documentary Audience Award and the Festival Favorite Award at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival and was awarded a BAFTA, PGA, DuPont, and the Oscar® for Best Documentary Feature. Film credits include: Manhunt, The Final Year, Legion of Brothers, If I Leave Here Tomorrow, Belushi, and the Emmy-nominated Tina. King Coal premiered at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival and she served as an Executive Producer on Maestra (Tribeca) and Hollywoodgate (Venice/Telluride). Diane is a 2023 recipient of the Dear Producer Award. Diane will be in attendance for the awards presentation on Tuesday, October 10, at 6:00 PM before the screening of King Coal. Shane Boris is an Academy Award®-winning and three-time Academy Award®-nominated producer and writer. His films include: the Academy Award®-winning and BAFTA-winning Navalny (CNN/Warner Bros.), the Academy Award®-nominated and Peabody Award-winning Fire of Love (NatGeo/Neon), the Emmy-nominated The Last Cruise (HBO), the Indie Spirit Award-nominated Stray (Magnolia/Hulu), and the Academy Award®-nominated and Peabody Award-winning The Edge of Democracy (Netflix). His latest films, King Coal (POV) and Hollywoodgate, premiered at Sundance 2023 and Venice/ Telluride 2023, respectively.
THE SPRINGS MAGAZINE • 2023 HSDFF SCHEDULE SUBJECT TO CHANGE! 7 FOR DAILY UPDATES, PLEASE VISIT www.HSDFI.org Back by popular demand! This captivating selection of shorts covers all things alive in the wild, whether plant-based or animalcentered. A broad range of creative approaches makes this program as beguiling as Mother Nature herself. SPONSORED BY BETWEEN EARTH & SKY DIR | Andrew Nadkarni | USA | 25m Renowned ecologist Nalini Nadkarni pioneered climbing techniques to study “what grows back” after an ecological disturbance in the rainforest canopy. After surviving a life-threatening fall from a tree, she comes to understand what is needed for her own recovery process. CHICKEN STORIES DIR: | Jonathan Pickett | USA | 17m Perched quaintly outside of Oakland, CA is a small start-up farm where various flocks of chickens take center stage while their new owners use Google to find answers. THE CRAWFISH TRAP DIR | Nathan Willis | USA | 6m Shot on luminous Super 8 film, an aging crawfish trapper reflects on his body of work as he faces the next phase of life — retirement. ECHOES OF THE RIO DIR | Jackie Barragan | USA | 8m A past and present depiction of the starvation of the Rio Grande river, which is narrated by the spirit of the river herself as she remembers the many lives and paths taken in this fraught landscape. PUFFLING DIR | Jessica Bishopp United Kingdom, Iceland | 20m Summer nights in coastal Iceland lead two teenagers to an unusual pastime — rescuing lost puffins who have been drawn inland by the city’s lights. SLOWER ANIMALS DIR | John C Kelley | USA | 7m While aimlessly following a winter goose migration across the American South, a professor slips in and out of childhood memories that all surround a forgotten trauma. Life “on the edge” can mean many different things — taking personal risks, finding yourself on the outside looking in, or just doing your own thing. In this eclectic program, things get edgy. BY WATER DIR | Iyabo E. Kwayana Singapore | 12m An unlikely hero’s journey into his own memories becomes a vehicle for reconciliation and healing for himself and his family. CASH CROP DIR | Lorenzo Dickerson | USA | 11m In southern Virginia, Cecil Shell and Black farming families like his face displacement and lost traditions in a changing economy led by the burgeoning solar energy industry. FOR THE RECORD DIR | Heather Courtney | USA | 35m In a small Texas Panhandle town — considered the second-most conservative county in the U.S. — the family-owned weekly newspaper, known for its liberal editorials and essential local coverage, faces an uphill battle to keep the presses running. MYTH AND THE ART OF MAINTENANCE DIR | Ian Frank | USA | 13m In rural Rock Creek, Montana, a collection of voicemails sent from grandfather to grandson reveal a tender, deeply human portrait of aging, family, and personal healing. WAKING UP IN SILENCE DIR | Mila Zhluktenko & Daniel Asadi Faezi Germany, Ukraine | 18m Children forced to flee their home country of Ukraine find unexpected refuge in an unexpected new place — the former military barracks of Nazi Germany. Our newest section! Join us on this journey into the “natural” state as we delve into a diverse landscape of topics focusing on the environment/ outdoors, sports, and, of course, all things Arkansas. SPONSORED BY BASEBALL BEHIND BARBED WIRE DIR | Yuriko Gamo Romer | USA | 32m Baseball Behind Barbed Wire tells the story of the WWII incarceration of Japanese Americans through the lens of America’s national pastime, focusing on life at all ten camps stretching from California to Arkansas. BIG BUFFALO GOLDEN GALS DIR | Misty Langdon | USA | 20m In the Buffalo River valley in Arkansas, generations of women have lived off the land and the river. In their twilight years, a group of cousins take a trip down the river, laughing, paddling, and reminiscing about their lives based around the Buffalo. IN EXILE DIR | Nathan Fitch | USA | 11m As a result of nuclear tests by the U.S. government in Bikini Atoll in 1946, the Marshallese people were forced to leave their home islands in Micronesia. Decades later, the Marshallese community in Arkansas gathers to revisit this trauma and tell their stories. JOE BARRY CARROLL DIR | Ethan Payne | USA | 9m Born in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, Joe Barry Carroll became an NBA All-Star. Now, a successful wealth advisor, philanthropist, author, and artist, Carroll reflects back on his life — and on a special quilt that has traveled with him wherever he goes. THE BEAR COAST DIR | Andrew Ackerman | USA | 17m A cast of animal scientists, former hunters, and Native Americans take us into the pristine Alaskan coastline that is home to the largest population of wild brown bears in the world. WELL WORN LIFE WITH DANI REYES-ACOSTA DIR | Daniel Mitchell | USA | 6m Meet Dani Reyes-Acosta: Professional mountain athlete, visual storyteller, outside advocate, and all-around joy chaser as she enjoys the landscapes of Southwest Colorado while encouraging others to get outdoors and live life fully. We all need comrades. These funny, delightful, and moving shorts crackle with the energy of human connection and run the gamut of what draws us close and keeps us together through thick and thin. BLACK GIRLS PLAY: THE STORY OF HAND GAMES DIR | Joe Brewster & Michèle Stephenson | USA | 18m Return to childhood in this playful and informative short exploring the world of hand games played by young Black Girls and their significant and lasting impact on American culture. CAMP COURAGE DIR | Max Lowe | USA | 31m The war in Ukraine forced Milana and her grandmother Olga to flee their home country. Now, given the rare opportunity to attend a special summer climbing camp in the Austrian Alps, the two find that the war and the scars left behind are not so easily forgotten. OUR S H O R T S P R O G R A M ON THE EDGE SUN | OCT 8 | 10:30 AM Cinema 1 THE NATURAL STATE SUN | OCT 8 | 1:30 PM Cinema 2 COMRADES MON | OCT 9 | 4:00 PM Cinema 1 FLORA + FAUNA SAT | OCT 7 | 11:00 AM Cinema 2
• 2023 HSDFF SCHEDULE • THE SPRINGS MAGAZINE SUBJECT TO CHANGE! FOR DAILY UPDATES, PLEASE VISIT www.HSDFI.org 8 OUR S H O R T S P R O G R A M Nǎi Nai & Wài Pó (Grandma & Grandma) DIR | Sean Wang | USA | 17m In this hilariously charming tale of friendship, the filmmaker’s two grandmothers live together, read together, and dance together. REALLY GOOD FRIENDS DIR | Adam Sekuler | USA | 10m Set in a single hotel room, a woman in her 60s shares her story of frank sexual exploration and surprising human connection as she prepares to meet her flame for yet another rendezvous. THE RIGHT TO JOY DIR | Jay Melena & Tim Kressin USA | 20m After Izzy Sederbaum survives a rare mountain lion attack, he must overcome anxiety, severe physical injury, and a media frenzy that sparked a startling anti-trans backlash. In the process of recovery, Izzy strives to make cycling a more inclusive sport. Join us as we celebrate the singular artistic vision of Sky Hopinka, whose completely original way of seeing the world through film is reinventing the short documentary form. DISLOCATION BLUES USA | 17m Filmed during the 2016 Standing Rock protests in South Dakota, Sky Hopinka’s Dislocation Blues offers a portrait of the movement and its water protectors, refuting grand narratives and myth-making in favor of individual testimonials. FAINTING SPELLS USA | 10m Told through recollections of youth, learning, lore, and departure, this is an imagined myth for the Xąwįska, or the Indian Pipe Plant - used by the Ho-Chunk to revive those who have fainted. JAAJI APROX USA | 17m Against landscapes that the artist and his father traversed, audio of the father in the Ho-Chunk language is transcribed using the International Phonetic Alphabet, which tapers off, narrowing the distance between recorder and recordings, new and traditional, memory and song. SUNFLOWER SIEGE ENGINE USA | 12m Movements of resistance are collapsed and woven together, from reflections of one’s own body in the world today to documentation of Alcatraz, the reclamation of Cahokia, and the repatriation of the ancestors. WAWA USA | 6m Featuring speakers of Chinuk Wawa, an Indigenous language from the Pacific Northwest, WAWA begins slowly, patterning various forms of documentary and ethnography. Quickly, the patterns tangle and become confused and commingled, while translating and transmuting ideas of cultural identity, language, and history. The possibilities for artistic expression are endless, but so are the potential uses of art. This program drops you into a creative diaspora where form meets function and function often comes out on top. THE LAST REPAIR SHOP DIR | Ben Proudfoot & Kris Bowers USA | 39m Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Ben Proudfoot’s (The Queen of Basketball) latest short is a moving portrait of the incredible craftsmen in a downtown Los Angeles warehouse who repair musical instruments for the school district paired with the indelible stories of the students whose lives they’ve changed. LITURGY OF ANTI-TANK OBSTACLES DIR | Dmytro Sukholytkyy-Sobchuk Ukraine| 12m In Western Ukraine, the pressures of war impact every profession. This stirring cinematic film captures sculptors known for their religious works crafting large-scale anti-tank obstacles to thwart the Russian invasion. LOVE, JAMIE DIR | Karla Murthy | USA | 20m Jamie Diaz is a transgender artist currently incarcerated in Texas whose deep connection with a close friend and advocate helps bring her evocative art of liberation and pride to the world at large. QUILTED EDUCATION DIR | Kayla Robinson | USA | 10m A historian uses her quilting skills to celebrate Black History and supplement the Texas educational system by creating imaginative and informative quilts detailing black narratives and black historical figures removed from her local schools’ curriculums. SLICE DIR | Zaire Love | USA | 17m Jumping into a swimming pool is an art form in Memphis, Tennessee where a group of “slicers” cultivate friendship and Black swim culture through this unique sport. YOU CAN’T SHRINK LOVE DIR |Veena Rao USA | 6m An artist gives life to the memories of our most beloved companions. SKY HOPINKA RETROSPECTIVE MON | OCT 9 | 8:00 PM PRECEDED BY THE 2023 CAREER ACHIEVEMENT AWARD PRESENTATION Cinema 1 THE WORK OF ART TUES | OCT 10 | 12:30 PM Cinema 1 Use the QR Code to check for DAILY UPDATES, PURCHASE TICKETS OR DONATE
THE SPRINGS MAGAZINE • 2023 HSDFF SCHEDULE SUBJECT TO CHANGE! 9 FOR DAILY UPDATES, PLEASE VISIT www.HSDFI.org TALK THE TALK, WALK THE WALK WED | OCT 11 | 4:00 PM Cinema 2 OUR S H O R T S P R O G R A M In this eye-opening and wideranging selection of shorts, you will find people telling their own stories, speaking truth to power, taking action, or just plain talking (The Arkansas Accent). BOCA CHICA DIR | Ái Vuong & Samuel Díaz Fernández | USA | 13m At the mouth of the Rio Grande, Space X occupies a little-known stretch of beach. Although access is enshrined in the Texas constitution, local residents are often blocked from this place of deep personal history, indigenous spiritual significance, and environmental uniqueness. BREAKING SILENCE DIR | Amy Bench & Annie Silverstein USA | 18m A Deaf activist working with d/ Deaf people in the prison system builds a new bond with his formerly incarcerated hearing daughter in this family portrait of evolution and advocacy. MERMAN DIR | Master Sterling | USA | 10m Meet Andre Chamber: A 58-yearold Black queer man and leather title holder who spends his days as an emergency nurse, civil rights advocate, and underwater merman. THE ARKANSAS ACCENT PROJECT DIR | Ben Corbett | USA | 27m Is there an Arkansas accent? Through interviews with Native Arkansans and drawing on the latest scholarship, this film examines the various accents of the state and the people who claim Arkansas as their home. TIES THAT BIND FRI | OCT 13 | 11:30 AM Cinema 1 FESTIVAL VENUES THE HOT SPOTS IN TOWN HOT SPRINGS • ARKANSAS Festival Headquarters Arlington Resort Hotel & Spa 329 Central Ave Oaklawn Event Center 2705 Central Ave Arlington Resort Hotel & Spa 239 Central Ave ESQ Realty Group 422 W Grand Ave. DeLuca’s Pizzeria 831 Central Ave. Superior Bathhouse Brewery 329 Central Ave. Splash Wine Bar 325 Ouachita Ave Whittington Place 301 Whittington Ave. The Rooftop at the Waters Hotel 340 Central Ave The Gangster Museum of America 510 Central Ave. Arlington Resort Hotel & Spa Venetian Room 239 Central Ave Hot Springs Documentary Film Guide Covers Designed by Erin Baber Layout, Design, & Publishing The Springs Magazine UNDER G-D DIR | Paula Eiselt | USA | 24m A Jewish mother in Indiana, a rabbi in Florida, and lawyers nationwide fight abortion bans that impede their religious freedoms, sparking debate on the Religious Freedom Restoration Acts (RFRAs) and whether they protect all religions equally. Relationships can be complicated — and the source of compelling true drama. From intense family dynamics to deep connections to the land, what ties these shorts together is a clear artistic vision and search for truth. BLACK AG DIR | Andy Sarjahani | USA | 12m A Black scientist near the Delta region of Arkansas collaborates with Black farmers to withstand the effects of climate change in the Delta as both the Mississippi River and the state’s aquifers run dry at an unprecedented pace. GOODBYE, MORGANZA DIR | Devon Blackwell | USA | 16m A matriarch signs away ownership of her family home to a trusted friend, only to be cruelly deceived and lose the property. 60 years later, they revisit a life long-forgotten and now boxed up in storage. MOTHERTOWN DIR | Anthony Sneed | USA | 11m The origin place of all Cherokee, the Kituwah mound, was thought lost for centuries until the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians finally took their “land back” due to the efforts of the tribe’s first woman chief, Joyce Dugan. NINA & IRENA DIR | Daniel Lombroso | USA | 22m After 80 years of silence, a grandmother shares her Holocaust survivor story — including the painful disappearance of her sister — with her grandson. A touching tale of loss, love, and hope that emphasizes personal narratives’ significance to our collective memory. PARKER DIR | Liese & Catherine Hoffman, Sharon Liese USA | 13m What’s in a name? For one Black family in Kansas City, choosing their last name becomes an act of liberation. WILL YOU LOOK AT ME DIR | Shuli Huang | China | 20m A young gay filmmaker in search of himself returns to his Chinese hometown to reflect on the aching, fractured relationship he has with his mother in this shimmering, heartbreaking self-portrait.
• 2023 HSDFF SCHEDULE • THE SPRINGS MAGAZINE SUBJECT TO CHANGE! FOR DAILY UPDATES, PLEASE VISIT www.HSDFI.org 10 BOX OFFICE INFORMATION* *All purchased tickets and passes are non-refundable. There is a non-refundable 3.5% service fee on all orders. INDIVIDUAL TICKETS REGULAR SCREENING - $12 - Includes admission to a single screening during the festival. Does not include Opening and Closing Nights, parties, or specially-priced screenings. Please see the program guide for a list of special screening events. Does not include access to the HSDFF VIP Lounge. OPENING & CLOSING NIGHT GALAS Opening or Closing Night Gala with After Party - $75 Opening & Closing Night (Film Only) - $20 HSDFF FILM 6-PACK - $60 A bundle of six tickets to any regularly programmed screenings. Does not include Opening and Closing Nights, parties, or specially-priced screenings. Does not include access to the HSDFF VIP Lounge. Tickets are transferable. FILMMAKER FORUM PASS - $45 Includes access to the 2-day Filmmaker Forum, access to all festival events, and VIP lounge from OCT 8-10 only (space permitting). Only available to qualified registrants. Note: Arkansas filmmakers, 2023 HSDFF filmmakers, HSDFF filmmaker alums are eligible for a free Forum Pass. See Forum page at www.hsdfi.org for more information and to register. ALL-ACCESS PASS - $400 This all-inclusive festival pass includes admission to all films with priority admission up to 20 minutes before screening. Includes Opening Night Gala (Film & Party) and Closing Night Gala (Awards Ceremony, Film, & Party), as well as all parties and special events. Includes access to HSDFF VIP Lounge. Does not include admission to the Red Carpet Reception. To guarantee entry, All-Access Passholders must RSVP for their screenings and events in advance. Sponsor All Access Passes are transferable; all other All Access Passes are nontransferable. The best value of the festival! FILM BUFF PASS - $225 This pass includes admission to all regular film screenings during the festival. Does not include the Opening and Closing Night Galas, added special events, receptions, parties, or access to the VIP Lounge. Does not include admission to the Red Carpet Reception. To guarantee entry, Film Buff Passholders must RSVP for their screenings in advance. Nontransferable. OPENING WEEKEND ALL-ACCESS PASS - $150 This all-inclusive festival pass includes All Access perks for opening weekend, FRI, OCT 6 – SUN, Oct 8. Includes admission to all films with priority admission up to 20 minutes before screening. Includes Opening Night events, all parties, and special events from OCT 6-8. Includes access to the VIP Lounge on corresponding days. Does not include admission to the Red Carpet Reception. To guarantee entry, passholders must RSVP for their screenings and events in advance. Non-transferable. CLOSING WEEKEND ALL-ACCESS PASS - $150 This all-inclusive festival pass includes All Access perks for closing weekend of the festival, THUR-SAT. OCT 12-14. Includes admission to all films with priority admission up to 20 minutes before screening. Includes all Closing Night events, and all parties and special events from OCT 12-14. Includes access to the VIP Lounge on corresponding days. Does not include admission to the Red Carpet Reception. To guarantee entry, passholders must RSVP for their screenings and events in advance. Non-transferable. DAY PASS - $50 Includes admission to all regular screenings for a single day of the festival. Does not include Opening and Closing Night events, parties, special screenings, or access to the VIP Lounge. To guarantee entry, passholders must RSVP for their screenings and events in advance. Non-transferable. STUDENT PASS - FREE Includes admission to all regular screenings during the festival. Does not include Opening and Closing Night Galas, added special events, receptions, parties, or access to the VIP Lounge. Only available via walk-up at HSDFF Box Office (please see times below). Available to all Arkansas students from middle school through graduate school. Must present a student ID or other proof of student status for eligibility. Non-transferable. FESTIVAL TICKETS • PASSES AND THE FINE PRINT HOW TO BUY TICKETS ONLINE The easiest and best way to purchase tickets is online at www.hsdfi.org. WALK-UP You may also purchase tickets in person at our Box Office during the festival. Any pass pick-ups prior to the festival start should be by appointment only. PASS PICK-UP Pass pick-up opens up on FRI, OCT 6 beginning at 3 PM at Oaklawn, prior to the Opening Night Gala. Earlier pick-up is available by appointment only. Please email [email protected] to arrange. Starting on SAT, OCT 7, passes will be available for pick-up at the Box Office on the second floor of The Arlington until the end of the festival. Please check Box Office hours. PICKING UP SOMEONE ELSE’S PASS OR TICKETS To pick up a festival pass or tickets for someone else, you must provide a hard copy of one of the following items in order for our staff to release any purchase to you: • A release letter signed by the Pass/Ticket Holder indicating the specific name of the person who will be picking up the purchase. • A copy of the confirmation email that was sent from HSDFF to the original Pass/ Ticket Holder. • A copy of the photo I.D. of the original Pass/Ticket Holder THE FINE PRINT • All orders are final. No refunds or exchanges are given, except in the case of program cancellations. Refunds are not given for unredeemed tickets. • A purchased ticket does not guarantee seating. We recommend ticket holders be in line at least twenty (20) minutes prior to screening start time to guarantee a seat. • Admission is not permitted thirty (30) minutes after the screening start time. • All seats are general admission and multiple seat saving is not permitted. • Please be aware that some films may not be suitable for young viewers. Parental discretion is advised as these films have not yet been rated. • Film length as listed in the program does not include introductions or Q&A sessions following the screening. • Please silence all mobile devices when in the theater. Cameras and recording devices are not permitted in the theater. • Use of an HSDFF ticket or pass confirms that you and your guests will abide by our Code of Conduct, and understand that not following the Code of Conduct could result in removal from the festival, as well as future events. • You hereby grant HSDFI permission to use your likeness in a photograph, video, or other digital media (“photo”) in any and all of its publications, including web-based publications, without payment or other consideration. Box Office Customer Service Contact Info Email: [email protected] OAKLAWN EVENT CENTER - OPENING NIGHT BOX OFFICE • OCT 6: 3:00 PM — 8:00 PM HSDFF IN-PERSON BOX OFFICE: ARLINGTON HOTEL • MEZZANINE LEVEL • OCT 7 - 15: 9:30 AM — 8:00 PM You may purchase tickets in person at our Box Office. However, the easiest and best way to purchase tickets for the festival is to visit hsdfi.org and follow the link to our festival Eventive site. Tickets may be purchased on our website up to 15 minutes prior to showtime. Afterward, tickets must be purchased in person at the Box Office. NO PHONE ORDERS. NO REFUNDS. NO EXCHANGES. NO RESALE. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
THE SPRINGS MAGAZINE • 2023 HSDFF SCHEDULE SUBJECT TO CHANGE! 11 FOR DAILY UPDATES, PLEASE VISIT www.HSDFI.org OPENING CHAMPAGNE RECEPTION FRI | OCT 6 | 6:15 PM The Oaklawn Event Center 2705 Central Ave Join us in this annual tradition of toasting with fellow film lovers as we embark on another remarkable year of showcasing the artistry, dedication, and passion that the 2023 HSDFF filmmakers bring to the screen! OPENING NIGHT PARTY PRESENTED BY OAKLAWN 9 PM – MIDNIGHT 2705 Central Ave Presenting sponsor Oaklawn invites you to an evening of elegance and celebration as we kick off the best 9 days Hot Springs has to offer! Partake in delectable hors d’oeuvres and refreshments while you mingle with fellow festival-goers and special guests. PARTY AT ESQ REALTY GROUP SAT | OCT 7 | 9 PM – MIDNIGHT 422 W Grand Ave Join us for an evening of dancing, excitement, and delectable offerings provided by Sam’s Pizza at the newly transformed ESQ Realty Group building. FESTIVAL EVENTS & PARTIES PARTY AT DELUCA’S PIZZERIA SUN | OCT 8 | 9 PM-11 PM 831 Central Ave DeLuca’s Pizzeria Napoletana has become a region-wide destination for foodies. Each pie is handcrafted by owner Anthony Valinoti, with locally supplied organic ingredients. Experience Anthony’s authentic New York-style pizza for yourself, alongside filmmakers and friends. Discover for yourself why the name DeLuca’s is fixed on everyone’s lips. SPONSORED BY MSNBC UNIVERSAL PARTY AT SUPERIOR BATHHOUSE MON | OCT 9 | 9 PM – 11 PM 329 Central Ave Located on historic Bathhouse Row, Superior Bathhouse Brewery is the nation’s only craft brewery headquartered inside a National Park. Long-time Festival supporter and head brewer, Rose Schweikhart, welcomes visiting filmmakers and festival guests to the only brewery in the world that uses thermal spring water as the main ingredient for craft beer. SPONSORED BY ESPN FILMS PARTY AT SPLASH WINE BAR TUES | OCT 10 | 9 PM-11 PM 325 Ouachita Ave Nestled in the heart of historic Hot Springs, Arkansas, Splash Wine Bar invites you to embark on a journey of wine and culinary delight. As a premier destination for both wine enthusiasts and those seeking a charming evening out, Splash Wine Bar is the perfect blend of sophistication and comfort. PARTY AT WHITTINGTON PLACE WED | OCT 11 | 9 PM-11 PM 301 Whittington Ave Hot Springs just got hotter! Step inside this historic church to dance it up and enjoy a delicious spread. Flanked by breathtaking stained glass windows and a church organ of truly Biblical proportions! SPONSORED BY NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC DOCUMENTARY FILMS PARTY AT THE ROOFTOP AT THE WATERS HOTEL THUR | OCT 12 | 9 PM-11 PM 340 Central Ave More than 100 years after it was built, the Thompson Building has been renovated and reborn as the Waters Hotel. Join us at this unforgettable rooftop bar and take in the scenic view of Bathhouse Row as you enjoy some of the best this renowned restaurant has to offer. PARTY AT THE GANGSTER MUSEUM OF AMERICA FRI | OCT 13 | 9 PM – MIDNIGHT 510 Central Ave Delve into the rich history of the gangsters, gamblers, and lawmen who defined this era, and try your luck at blackjack, craps, and roulette alongside filmmakers and special guests. CLOSING NIGHT PARTY AT THE VENETIAN ROOM OF THE ARLINGTON RESORT HOTEL SAT | OCT 14 | 9 PM – MIDNIGHT Join us as we bid adieu to the 32nd Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival! Our Closing Night Party is set against the backdrop of elegance and history at the iconic Arlington Resort Hotel and Spa. This event is the culmination of a week filled with captivating films, engaging discussions, and a celebration of the power of documentary storytelling.
• 2023 HSDFF SCHEDULE • THE SPRINGS MAGAZINE SUBJECT TO CHANGE! FOR DAILY UPDATES, PLEASE VISIT www.HSDFI.org 12 WELLNESS SERIES Nature has the power to inspire, heal, and rejuvenate. Join us for a guided hike and mountain top meditation in the tranquil setting of Hot Springs National Park and find inspiration in nature, center yourself, and recharge for the rest of the festival. The hike will be led by Dominique Battles and meditation will be led by Chana Caylor. Grab your yoga mat (or towel) and join us for a complimentary yoga class led by Karen Reeves of The Yoga Place. The class will combine flowing movement and breath exercises to help reduce stress and bring relief to tight and stiff muscles and enhance clarity of the mind. All levels welcomed to join. Enter a world of serenity and inner exploration as you immerse yourself in the therapeutic and meditative experience known as a "Sound Bath." Experience the harmonious blend of sound, relaxation, and healing as the soothing sounds of various instruments wash over you. Sound bath will be led by Karina Jo Price. SOUND BATH MEDITATION SAT | OCT 14 | 9:00 AM Conference Room B at the Arlington Hotel YOGA ON THE ROOF SUN | OCT 8 | 9:00 AM Arlington Hotel HIKE AND MOUNTAINTOP MEDITATION SAT | OCT 7 | 9:00 AM The Arlington Hotel Front Steps OPEN HEART Directed by Jonathan Hock THUR | OCT 12 | 5:00 PM | Cinema 2 New York Rangers’ star goalie Henrik Lundqvist had become so popular with New Yorkers that he was known simply as King Henrik. But when the King is diagnosed with a potentially fatal heart condition, he suddenly is forced to face his own mortality. Sponsored by CHI St. Vincent THE HIDDEN POWER OF PURPOSE Directed by Elliot V. Kotek SAT | OCT 14 | 12:30PM It is the rare documentary that presents compelling personal stories and highly practicable information. Elliot Kotek’s inspiring film asks, “What does it mean to live a life driven by purpose?” Warning: you may leave the screening with a renewed sense of purpose yourself. Sponsored by AARP WELLNESS SERIES SCREENINGS
THE SPRINGS MAGAZINE • 2023 HSDFF SCHEDULE SUBJECT TO CHANGE! 13 FOR DAILY UPDATES, PLEASE VISIT www.HSDFI.org The HSDFF Filmmaker Forum, sponsored by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), is a new two-day filmmaker/industry conference and convening launching on October 9 and 10, 2023 during this year’s film festival. The Filmmaker Forum offers dynamic programming focused on the art, craft and business of documentary storytelling. The Forum aims to become a major annual convening of filmmakers and industry leaders from throughout the South and mid-South regions and from across the U.S. With a focus on public media, as well as a wider lens on the nonfiction ecosystem as a whole, the gathering will include keynotes, panels, workshops, one-on-one meetings with executives, and offer a multitude of opportunities for filmmakers to connect and foster community. Free to Arkansas filmmakers. More information can be found at: https://hsdfi.org/filmmaker-forum/
• 2023 HSDFF SCHEDULE • THE SPRINGS MAGAZINE SUBJECT TO CHANGE! FOR DAILY UPDATES, PLEASE VISIT www.HSDFI.org 14 A THOUSAND PINES DIR: Sebastian Diaz & Noam Osband USA | 77m BETWEEN THE RAINS DIR: Andrew H. Brown & Moses Thuranira Kenya | 82m BROTHER HORSE DIR: Marcel Barrena Spain | 73m KING COAL DIR: Elaine McMillion Sheldon USA | 79 ONE WITH THE WHALE DIR: Peter Chelkowski & Jim Wickens USA, UK, Portugal | 83m OPEN HEART DIR: Jonathan Hock USA | 75m RELENTLESS RIDE DIR: Adam Harbottle & Brian Hill USA | 97m SMOKE SAUNA SISTERHOOD DIR: Anna Hints Estonia | 89m SONGS OF THE EARTH DIR: Margreth Olin Norway | 90m BASEBALL BEHIND BARBED WIRE DIR: Yuriko Gamo Romer | USA | 32m Baseball Behind Barbed Wire tells the story of the WWII incarceration of Japanese Americans through the lens of America’s national pastime, focusing on life at all ten camps stretching from CA to AR. BIG BUFFALO GOLDEN GALS DIR: Misty Langdon | USA | 20m In the Buffalo River valley in Arkansas, generations of women have lived off the land and the river. In their twilight years, a group of cousins take a trip down the river, laughing, paddling, and reminiscing about their lives based around the Buffalo. IN EXILE DIR: Nathan Fitch | USA | 11m As a result of nuclear tests by the U.S. government in Bikini Atoll in 1946, the Marshallese people were forced to leave their home islands in Micronesia. Decades later, the Marshallese community gathers to revisit this trauma and tell their stories. JOE BARRY CARROLL DIR: Ethan Payne | USA | 9m Born in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, Joe Barry Carroll became an NBA All-Star. Now, a successful wealth advisor, philanthropist, author and artist, Carroll reflects back on his life — and on a special quilt that has traveled with him wherever he goes. THE BEAR COAST DIR: Andrew Ackerman | USA | 17m A cast of animal scientists, former hunters, and Native Americans take us into the pristine Alaskan coastline that is home to the largest population of wild brown bears in the world. WELL WORN LIFE WITH DANI REYES-ACOSTA DIR: Daniel Mitchell | USA | 6m Meet Dani Reyes-Acosta: Professional mountain athlete, visual storyteller, outside advocate, and all-around joy chaser as she enjoys the landscapes of Southwest Colorado while encouraging others to get outdoors and live life fully. This year’s Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival Honorary Chair, Mary Steenburgen, will be a key participant in the “Southern Storytellers’ Screening and Panel,” taking place on Friday, October 13 at 7:30 PM. Moderator Courtney Pledger, CEO of Arkansas PBS, and Peabody Awardwinning filmmaker Craig Renaud will join Steenburgen for an in-depth conversation about the new threepart docuseries from PBS. “Southern Storytellers” traverses the American South, from the mountains of Appalachia to the Gulf of Mexico, to reveal a vivid patchwork of stories that celebrate the resilience and joy of Southern people—and the magnitude of gifts from the region’s writers. THE NATURAL STATE FILM SECTION is a new film section that spotlights features and shorts focused on the environment, outdoor adventure, and athletic achievement, as well as the fascinating stories and extraordinary people of Arkansas. The Natural State Film Section is sponsored by Sigma Supply. FEATURES SHORTS: THE NATURAL STATE SUN | OCT 8 | 1:30 PM SOUTHERN STORYTELLERS SCREENING AND PANEL SPONSORED BY
PRESENTING SPONSOR Cecilia Blankenship Fran Brown Suli Chen Morgan Dial Adam Golub Katelyn Howard Judy Johnson Keri Lane Dawn Lowry Stephanie Rainwater Dianne Rogers Carole Ryavec Michael Slosky Tina Stauffer Bryant Stringfellow Cherry Urch John Vallejo Christina Sarah Wu SCREENING COMMITTEE HSDFI STAFF EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Ken Jacobson FESTIVAL DIRECTOR Sheryl Santacruz PROGRAMMING MANAGER Annie Gerber FORUM PRODUCER Lisa Hasko FESTIVAL PRODUCER Maggie Piazza Carroll GUEST RELATIONS ASSISTANT Valerie Polston PUBLICIST John Wildman PROGRAMMERS Robert John Torres • Robin Robinson Colleen Thurston TECH DIRECTOR Travis Bird PRINT TRAFFIC COORDINATOR Justin Dean PROJECTIONISTS Alice Williams • Daniela Leal SanChavis Torns BOX OFFICE MANAGER Missy Fowler PRODUCTION COORDINATOR Molly Wheat THEATER OPS COORDINATORS Maryan Caldwell • Ryan Mullins EVENTS COMMITTEE Brad Burleson - Chair • Kala Rogers - Co-Chair Amanda Jackson • Angie Wilson Alexis Hagen • Susan Bariola SPECIAL EVENT COORDINATOR Mike Poe EVENT PRODUCTION ASSISTANT Danny Price PRODUCTION ASSISTANTS Karina Jo Price • Eliot Peterson VOLUNTEER LIAISONS Kim Everhart • Cherry Urch • Brandy Heffington FESTIVAL PHOTOGRAPHER Aaron Brewer MEDIA Brynn Prewitt GRAPHIC DESIGNER Whitney Butler SOCIAL MEDIA & OUTREACH Viktoria Capek KEY ART Aaron Brewer • Sonny Kay ARKANSAS PBS EMERGING FILMMAKERS COORDINATOR Casey Sanders 2023 BOARD OF DIRECTORS Margaret McLarty Board Chair Neal Gladner Co Board Chair Mary Zunick Co Board Chair John Horner Treasurer Matthew Rogers Secretary Stephanie Alderdice Brad Burleson Lisa Cole Ra Hearne Chris Ho Jean Lacefield Scott Lauck Lesley Nalley Joel Rush Clint Schaff Kate Schaffer Ben Walters Angie Wilson Kerri Jackson PREMIERE SPONSOR PBS • The Estate of John Baran PRODUCER SPONSOR Gail Pratt Fraiser • Dorothy Morris • Lisenne Rockefeller • Visit Hot Springs DIRECTOR SPONSORS Arvest • Mickey & Larry Drennan • Anne Goodman • KLAZ • KUAR • SixtyOne Celsius THE NATURAL STATE FILM SECTION SPONSOR Sigma Supply WELLNESS SERIES SCREENING SPONSORS AARP • CHI ST. Vincent PARTY SPONSORS ESPN Films • MSNBC Universal • NatGeo Documentary Films EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS SPONSORS Arkansas PBS • National Park College FOUNDATION & COMMUNITY PARTNERS Arkansas Arts Council • C. Louis and Mary C. Cabe Foundation Diamond Lakes Travel Association • Garland County Library • Grace Foundation Hot Springs Area Community Foundation • HSNP Sister City Foundation Little Rock Zoo • Murphy Foundation • Ross Foundation • Windgate Foundation SILVER SCREEN PARTNERS Bow Tie Wealth Management • Brent Miller, Attorney at Law • The Eisele Brothers The Happy Hollow • Ike & Sonya Eisenhauer • Kerri Jackson Raborn Wealth Management of Raymond James • Matthew Rogers Eugene Shelby • Whittington Place EVENT PARTNERS Deluca’s Pizza • ESQ Realty Group • The Gangster Museum of America Nütrl • Rocktown Distillery • Sam’s Pizza • Splash Wine Bar • SQZBX Pizza and Brewpub Stella Artois • Superior Bathhouse Brewery • The Waters Hotel • Whittington Place VIP PARTNERS Arkansas Furniture • Coca-Cola • Kollective Coffee & Tea • Nütrl • Rocktown Distillery • Stella Artois MEDIA PARTNERS Advanced Advertising • Arkansas Times • Oxford American • Reel South The Springs Magazine • Top Docs RED CARPET CIRCLE SPONSORS Arkansas Blue Cross Shield • Brad Burleson • Donna Casparian & Ross Randy Cranford Construction • Brenda & Courtney Crouch Jr • Dexter & Angela Doyne First Security Bank • Lance Garner, Attorney at Law • Suellen Hales and Davis Tillman Hot Springs Condo Rentals • Independent Lens • Jill Joslin • Karen Lauck • Scott Lauck Margaret McLarty • NC PBS • Linda Williams Palmer • Quapaw Bathhouse • Red Light Roastery Gregory Rickel • Kate & Greg Schaffer • Martha M Smither • Stevie Spargo & Richard Stephens Carol Thomason • Wayne & Kelly Thomason - Hot Springs 1st Choice Realty Whitehorse Productions • Mary & Robert Zunick THANK YOU TO ALL THE GENEROUS FOLKS WHOSE TALENT, DONATIONS, EXPERIENCE, AND RESOURCES HAVE HELPED US REACH OUR 32ND YEAR! A VERY SPECIAL THANKS! EXECUTIVE PRODUCER SPONSOR HOST SPONSOR Scan Our Code! PO Box 6450 • Hot Springs, AR 71902 501.538.0452 • [email protected] www.hsdfi.org