Documentary Madness

To celebrate its 20^th year, the Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival has scheduled an amazing line-up of documentaries from all over the world. The historic Malco theater in downtown Hot Springs provides a great atmosphere for the yearly festival. The festival kicked off on opening night with a performance from ‘The Foul Play Cabaret’-Hot Springs’ own relatively new burlesque troupe. There have been numerous workshops, including film making tips and graffiti art appreciation. Never does Central Avenue get more crowded than when the marquee lights come on signifying the beginning of this fantastic display of talent from places in the universe that many of us will never get to see with our own eyes. Directors fly in from all directions to speak of the films they have devoted so much of their lives and time to. Dan Anderson, the film fest director and Jim Miller, the assistant director have lost more sleep in the last month then anyone may ever know. They have been tirelessly viewing final cuts, reading artists’ bios, making international phone calls, and tying up every lose end in sight. The Malco volunteers have cancelled their plans and nixed their social calendars in order to ensure that concession stands are being manned, seats are being found in the darkness of the theaters, and filmmakers are being treated like the celebrities they’ve become if only for this moment. The dedicated screening committee volunteers watched hundreds of hours of films and sat through heated debates to pick only the very best for this year’s festival. One film everyone agreed on was “All Me: The Life and Times of Winfred Rembert,” about an artist who shapes and dyes intricate leather pictures of moments from his past. This film is showing Friday, October 21^st at 6:00 pm and his art will be on display at The Taylor Gallery in downtown Hot Springs. Another must see film is the Arkansas premier of “Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory” about the recently freed West Memphis Three. This film will only be shown on Friday the 21^st at 8:35pm. And for a little comic relief, be sure to check out “The Vacuum Kid.”

The Garland County Library also has a huge selection of documentary films. Award winners like “The King of Kong,” biographical films like “Marwencol,” and just plain awesome documentaries like “Speedo: a Demolition Derby Love Story.” Come check out a film, take it home, and make your own popcorn.

Get more out of life… Go to a movie!