The Art of Film

Independent Films Take Center Stage

Instead of waiting for annual or semi-annual film festivals to discover independent films, you can enjoy four mini film festivals this season thanks to a partnership between Fayetteville Film Fest (FFF) and Walton Arts Center .

“For the longest time, filmmaking was an underrepresented artform in our region,” said Cassie Self, co-executive director of Fayetteville Film Fest . “Over the years we have witnessed a growing independent film audience as well as independent filmmakers regionally and nationally . Having Walton Arts Center, a forerunner of the NWA arts scene, partner with us to host screenings further validates the work that our filmmakers are creating and inspiring the artists to continue telling stories in this format to move future audiences . ”

Upcoming Film Showcases

Indie Films Central and South America

Jan. 13, 2023

Arkansas Filmmakers

March 11, 2023

Indie Films Artosphere

May 12, 2023

Pride Showcase

June 22, 2023

The partnership started in spring 2020 with an Arkansas Filmmakers Showcase in January and continued when the Indie Films India Showcase transitioned to a virtual screening due to the pandemic . However, the partnership returned in full force for the 2021-22 season and continues to grow .

This year’s showcases will feature Indie Films Central and South America in January, Arkansas Filmmakers in March, Indie Films Artosphere in May and a Pride Showcase in June . For these showcases, films are selected in one of two ways . Fayetteville Film Fest has a programming and outreach committee that works together to catalogue films submitted to the festival in recent years . From that library, they select films for each showcase based on quality, awards won at Fayetteville Film Fest, as well as relevance of the material to the theme. FFF also engages filmmakers to submit new works based on the theme for the showcase .

“Walton Arts Center benefits from this partnership because we know the curated films that Fayetteville Film Fest delivers for each screening have been selected specifically for our region and our audience,” said Jennifer Ross, vice president of programming at Walton Arts Center . “In addition, licensing and obtaining permissions for a film screening can be a complicated process, and we know that we have the rights to screen the films brought to us by the FFF . ”

For many of these screenings, some of the filmmakers are present to speak about their films and take questions from the audience. The showcases and their talkbacks are great opportunities to learn more about filmmaking, and allow the community to celebrate stories and creators that represent a variety of backgrounds and experiences .

“We are able to expose our patrons to mini film festival events and introduce a new artform, and Fayetteville Film Fest is able to grow their base of independent film fans within the region which further supports their annual festival,” Ross said . “It’s a win for everyone .” Films to be screened at each showcase will be announced at waltonartscenter.org . Tickets for each screening are on sale now .