Central hosts inaugural women’s film fest
St. Patrick’s Day weekend, which is already filled to the brim with concerts, live thoroughbred racing and a world-famous parade, will also see the inaugural screening of the Hot Springs International Women’s Film Festival at the Historic Central Theater, 1008 Central Ave.
The festival, March 17-18, will feature a variety of 27 films from various genres, including feature-length films and documentaries, shorts, experimental films, and animations, providing women from around the world with a platform for their voices to echo far and wide. All films in the festival were either written or directed by a woman or feature a female in the leading role, festival director Bill Volland said.
The festival is hosted and moderated by Arkansas native, actress and producer Tamara Glynn, who is most known for her work in the horror genre with films like “Halloween 5.” Glynn’s work with Volland in Hot Springs helped put the Historic Central Theater back on the map.
According to Volland, the film festival is part of his overall plan to revitalize the historic movie theater and reintroduce it into the downtown scene. After purchasing the property, Volland said he envisioned hosting a series of film festivals, beginning with the Hot Springs Horror Film Festival.
“With all that’s going on in the world today, we ended up opting to go with a festival that focused on the talents of women in the film industry. Today’s social climate played a big part in our decision-making process,” he said.
“It is important to hear and see the educated, entertaining, and diverse stories of women from around the world,” he said.
The collection of stories told through the films airing at the festival feature the stories of strong women in a variety of different lights. Whether it is a documentary about women in Ethiopia fighting for their freedoms in the 20th century or a horror flick exposing the truth behind puppy mills, each film addresses a different obstacle in today’s world in creative ways.
Around five filmmakers will also attend the festival and host a short question-and-answer session following the premiere of their film. Each session lasts around 10 minutes, giving audience members the opportunity to take the viewing experience a step further
and have any questions the film left them asking answered.
“I’m looking forward to meeting some of the filmmakers myself and seeing people’s reactions to some of the films. (This festival) is different than the other festival we do in that it’s more diverse. I tried to include a little bit of everything,” Volland said.
In addition to two days filled with premieres, the two intermissions held on Saturday at 2:36 p.m. and again at 7:40 will provide filmmakers and aspiring filmmakers with a networking opportunity and the chance to pick the brains of the industry’s seasoned veterans.
The festival kicks off on Saturday morning at 9:30 a.m. with filmmakers meet and greet at Will’s Cinnamon Shop and screenings begin promptly at 10 a.m. with “Into the Green,” by Arkansas filmmaker Mary McDade Casteel. Sixteen films air on the festival’s first day.
Weekend passes to the festival are available for $45 and day passes are $24. Tickets can be purchased for individual screenings for $10 per film.