Ahead of the regularly scheduled October festival, Fayetteville Film Fest is screening a curated selection of award-winning films from the 2021 festival at the Walton Arts Center on March 12, 2022 at 7pm.
Fayetteville Film Fest has selected five titles from a pool of submissions for inclusion in the Best of the 2021 Fest. The films will be screened in two blocks with a 15-minute intermission.
“Every year we are so excited to bring dozens of amazing films from all over the world to Northwest Arkansas,” said Russell Sharman, co-executive director of Fayetteville Film Fest. “And now we get to shine a light on the very best of those films during this special, curated event of award-winning films from our 2021 festival. This year, that includes our best narrative short award-winner, Anna, a timely drama set in war-torn eastern Ukraine. We are proud of the slate of award-winning films in this program.”
This event is the second of a four-part series highlighting independent and local filmmakers. This season presented by Fayetteville Film Festival at the Walton Arts Center will continue with an Arkansas Filmmakers Showcase on Friday, April 22 and wrap up with Indie Films Artosphere at 7 pm on Thursday, May 26.
Check out the schedule for the showcase on March 12th below, with ticketing information following:
Best of the 2021 Fest Schedule
Anna - Best Narrative Short (15:00)
Director: Dekel Berenson
Living in war-torn Eastern Ukraine, Anna is an aging single mother who is desperate for a change. Lured by a radio advertisement, she goes to party with a group of American men who are touring the country, searching for love.
There was nobody here we knew - Best Short Documentary (9:10)
Director: Khaula Malik
After spotting what they believe is a UFO outside their window, a middle-aged Pakistani couple contemplates alien life and searches for answers during lockdown.
Blood on the Risers - Best Arkansas Connection (19:25)
Director: Caleb Fanning
It’s 1945. Many men and women have returned home from serving in World War II, but for some, the war is not over. This is where we find Charlie Evans – a paratrooper who fought in Normandy on D-Day. After three years of deployment, Charlie returns home to his wife Afton, who is ignorant of the burdens that he is bringing home with him. The film tells the story of his struggle to reconcile the trauma of war and a peaceful life at home.
Rap Squad - Honorable Mention, Best Documentary Feature (60:00)
Director: Nathan Willis
Rap Squad is an intimate verité documentary about student hip-hop artists who seek healing for themselves and justice for their community through their music. In the Arkansas Delta, students Montae and Norman join an after-school club – the Central Rap Squad – and begin writing music to cope with personal traumas. When their rural town prepares to vote on a proposal that would raise property taxes in order to build a new public high school, the young men shift their focus from inner healing to social action, using their music and platform to fight for a more equitable future.
Club of Angels - Best Narrative Feature FFF 2021 (98:00)
Director: Angelo Defanti
A group of friends meet a mysterious chef that may be poisoning them. Why do they want to keep returning to eat his food?
Tickets to the Best of the 2021 Fest are $15, available at the Walton Arts Center Box Office weekdays 10 am until 2 pm, by calling 479.443.5600 weekdays 10 am until 5 pm, or by visiting waltonartscenter.org.
