Annual Arkansas Shorts film festival set for Jan. 5

The 12th annual Arkansas Shorts: A Night of Short Film festival will be held Saturday, Jan. 5, at the Malco Theatre, 817 Central Ave.

The reception for the festival, which is presented by Low Key Arts with sponsors TLI Print and SQZBX Pizza and Brewery, will begin at 4 p.m. and will once again include complimentary social media portraits by photographer Thomas Petillo, as well as theater concessions and a cash bar.

“Directed as it has been in recent memory by internationally acclaimed Hot Springs filmmaker Jen Gerber (on loan from Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival), Arkansas Shorts is the only festival of its kind in the state and showcases emerging talent from far and wide. It’s also a great way to celebrate a new year, Hot Springs style,” a news release said.

The festival features three blocks of short films presented over the course of the evening: an international block, containing a grab bag of subjects from around the world; a North American block, featuring high-profile, award-winning work from around the U.S. and Canada; and, a juried selection of Arkansas-made short films, including those produced in this year’s Inception to Projection filmmaking program.

Schedule

• 4 p.m. — Reception with photography by Thomas Petillo (continues all evening).

• 4:30-5:30 p.m. — International Shorts Block, curated by Christopher N. Wilks.

• 6-7 p.m. — North America Shorts Block, curated by Derek Horne.

• 7:30-8:45 p.m. — Arkansas Shorts Part 1.

• 15-minute intermission.

• 9-10:15 p.m. — Arkansas Shorts Part 2.

• Q&A and awards ceremony.

Festival pass tickets are $20 and are good for all three blocks and entry to an SQZBX after-party. Visit https://bit.ly/2TLZKpr for ticket information. Individual screening tickets are $10 each and will be made available later this month. While Arkansas Shorts is an all-ages event, some content may be inappropriate for children.