For most of a decade, Fayetteville's Seedling Film Association has hosted the Offshoot Film Festival. The combination of "a focus and dedication to Arkansas filmmakers but also an openness to national and international submissions" has made it a success, says Dan Robinson, the executive director.
But if you asked someone about the event, the conversation would probably have been about the "Fayetteville film festival." Last week, the organization decided to make the name official. Set for Sept. 6-10, the workshops, screenings and the nonprofit that hosts them will collectively be known as the Fayetteville Film Fest.
FAQ
Fayetteville Film Fest
WHEN — Sept. 6-10
WHERE — Global Campus just off the Fayetteville square
COST — Festival passes go on sale July 1; single event tickets are $7
INFO — fayettevillefilmfes…
"Up until recently, we were sticking to our guns [about the name]," says Jason Suel, one of the founders of the Seedling Film Association. "But this seemed like the time to change it."
"It was dangerous to leave that territory unclaimed," Robinson says of the "Fayetteville Film Fest" label. "Any organization could have popped up and said, 'Oh, we're going to have a film festival in Fayetteville' and get all the credit for our work. It was really important for us to get our flag in the sand. And we're excited to go forward."
With the demise of the Little Rock Film Festival, announced in October, there was a new audience to be courted -- "our homegrown people who make Arkansas films" -- and Robinson admits the Bentonville Film Festival also affected the name change.
"We wanted to make sure people understood where our festival was," he says, "although we probably would have come to this conclusion without the BFF. The Bentonville Film Festival doesn't hurt us at all. It just increases the legitimacy and knowledge that film culture can thrive in Northwest Arkansas. For that event at its caliber to come in and let people know Arkansas is a player just gets more people interested in more film activities, I think."
Robinson adds that the focus of the two events -- the Bentonville Film Festival is set for May 3-8 -- "is very different. Their mission is toward diversity and minorities, women's film especially. Ours is fostering Arkansas filmmakers and celebrating film in Arkansas."
Films screened at the Bentonville Film Festival have the opportunity for guaranteed distribution through AMC Theatres and Walmart, the founding sponsor. Last year, entrants in the Fayetteville film festival got to meet Sebastian Twordoz from Circus Road Films, who "sat on our panel discussions, interacted with the filmmakers and was shopping films," Robinson says. This year, a second distributor will be added.
"I think the thing that is going to appeal about the Fayetteville Film Fest is that we do serve two purposes," Robinson says. "We want to do everything we can for people producing film right here in Northwest Arkansas, giving them an opportunity to network, learn things, screening their work and celebrating the work they've done.
"The general public loves film, so film enthusiasts will want to come. And we'll continue to have topnotch quality films so people will be able to see what's coming out of Arkansas but also things on the front side of the industry in the year to come, serving people who want to celebrate indie film and see things they cannot see unless they go to festivals.
"For a general Arkansas filmmaker, the Bentonville Film Festival might feel unattainable," Robinson adds. "We are an open festival, whereas they are a focused festival. And when it comes to the celebrities, that's wonderful, but then what is the purpose of the festival? To get an autograph from a celebrity or really learn about the industry? We try to make the Arkansas filmmakers feel like the rock stars."
NAN What's Up on 04/08/2016