“Auto racing, bull fighting and mountain climbing are the only real sports ... all others are games."
Ernest Hemingway 
 

Courtesy of the Ozark Foothills FilmFest

"Big Red Ball" - The short film "Big Red Ball" will be screened in Indie Showcases in both Batesville and Little Rock.

BATESVILLE – Films, most people agree, impact audiences in some way – a favorite line, a memorable character or a desirable location. There are also those whose lives were influenced by films in a much stronger way, creating a drive to dedicate their careers to the cinema.  

   Over the past six years, the Ozark Foothills FilmFest has been committed to showcasing up-and-coming filmmakers from Arkansas and neighboring states, as well as more established artists from the region. This year’s film festival will take place in Batesville March 22 – 25 and in Little Rock March 29 – April 1. 

   President of the Ozark Foothills FilmFest Bob Pest served on the board of the Hot Springs Film Festival (the first non-resident of Hot Springs to be appointed to the board), and he realized that Batesville and the surrounding community could create a new outlet by hosting their own cinematic event.  

   “Members of the business community in Batesville felt that a film festival could be an economic tool as well as a way to build a new identity for the town and nearby communities,” Pest said.  

   Lyon College and the University of Arkansas Community College at Batesville both quickly offered to serve as venues for the festival.  

   “Using space at the colleges and other locations, allowed us to hold the festival without having an actual building to house the offices. It also allows us to achieve a regional identity by involving nearby communities,” Pest said.

   The festival has held events in Mountain View, Newport, Leslie, Melbourne, Heber Springs, Fairfield Bay and Searcy.  

   Pest also felt the need to have a presence in Little Rock.  

   “Little Rock is the center of the state’s media, and I believed we needed to fly the festival’s flag in the capital city.”

   The University of Arkansas at Little Rock and Market Street Cinema became partners, offering venues for the film festival and an outlet to showcase the work of the filmmakers. 

   The theme of this year’s festival is Start Your Engines: Movies about the Racing Life, paying homage to Batesville native Mark Martin. Four of this year’s featured films focus on racing. 

   “Batesville is becoming a racing destination with the Mark Martin Museum and the Batesville Speedway. We were interested in the passion for racing – that’s why we chose the theme. In Batesville, people talk about racing all the time – it’s a big part of life outside the big cities.”  

   Since the inception of the festival, one thing has stayed constant – the focus on independent directors and cinematographers. 

Courtesy of the Ozark Foothills FilmFest

"Fairy Godmothers of the Ozarks" - Depicted from left to right are: Bess Wolf, Hillary Clinton and Betty Stroud.

   “A lot of filmmakers can get lost in the shuffle,” Pest said. “We try to give them a showcase and present their films. We work with filmmakers that are on the way up. We really work hard to encourage Arkansas filmmakers and give them the opportunity they need to get recognized.” 

   This year’s festival offers a myriad of independent films, including two focusing on the history of Arkansas: Lenore Shoults’ “Fairy Godmothers of the Ozarks: The Committee of One Hundred for the Ozark Folk Center” and Kevin Clark’s “The Old Gray Lady: Arkansas’ First Newspaper." 

   The Ozark Foothills FilmFest will host an array of events throughout the festival in Batesville and Little Rock. For more information or to view the entire schedule, visit the Ozark Foothills FilmFest’s Web site at www.ozarkfoothillsfilmfest.org or call (870) 251-1189.