In many ways Fayetteville rivals Little Rock as a thriving cultural center in Arkansas. The amount of film projects happening in Northwest Arkansas is staggering. Festivals like the Seedling Film Association’s Offshoot Film Fest in the fall and its sister fest, the 4320 Film Challenge in downtown Bentonville, only help bolster the output in the growing college town. With the Arkansas Razorback-centric film Greater having recently wrapped shooting, a new feature has been gaininga lot of local buzz. Valley Inn, a romantic comedy set in Hindsville, Ark., population 75, is described by the film’s website as a love letter to small-town America.
The story is about a young woman named Emily Mason, a New Jersey co-ed, who finds herself miles from home selling Christian books door-todoor for a summer. The film’s teaser trailer promises to feature some rodeo queens and bull riders as well as some beautiful Northwest Arkansas scenery. The film was inspired by its co-director and co-writer Kim Swink’s visits to the Valley Inn Cafe in Hindsville that gives the film its title. Swink is originally from Arkansas, but moved to New York to work in television production, along with her husband, Chris Spencer, who also co-directs the film. Blake Elder, who has been making films in Northwest Arkansas since the age of 10, is shooting the film. (Elder recently shot the feature Five Dates in Arkansas.)
Come Early Morning director and well-known Arkansas actress Joey Lauren Adams has been cast as Althea in the film, joining Natalie Canerday (Sling Blade), David Lansbury (Scent of a Woman), Candyce Hinkle (True Grit), Colley Bailey (Madison County), as well as Kenn Woodard, Jordan Scott, Mark Landon Smith, Mandy Fason, Jaclyn Marlan, Hugh Kincaid and Jocelyn Morelli.
The film is under production in Northwest Arkansas. You can follow news and updates on Facebook or at the website, valleyinnfilm.com.
Levi Agee is a Little Rock filmmaker and a programmer for the Little Rock Film Festival.Write him at: levifi [email protected].
MovieStyle, Pages 31 on 07/26/2013