Don Jon, dir. Joseph Gordon Levitt, Color, 89min

The Little Rock Film Festival will close it’s 7th Annual event with Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s directorial debut — ‘Don Jon‘, a comic film about a guy who is addicted to online pornography and works to find intimacy with his potential true love. The film screens May 19th, 9pm at The Rep.

Principal Cast: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Scarlett Johansson, Julianne Moore, Tony Danza

Written by Joseph Gordon-Levitt, the film revolves around Don Jon (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) a strong, handsome, good old fashioned guy whose buddies call him Don Jon due to his ability to “pull” a different woman every weekend, but even the finest fling doesn’t compare to the bliss he finds alone in front of the computer watching pornography. Barbara Sugarman (Scarlett Johansson) is a bright, beautiful, good old fashioned girl. Raised on romantic Hollywood movies, she’s determined to find her Prince Charming and ride off into the sunset. Wrestling with good old fashioned expectations of the opposite sex, Jon and Barbara struggle against a media culture full of false fantasies to try and find true intimacy in this unexpected comedy.

1. How do you guys know each other?  Was this the first project that you all had done in Pakistan?

B: Omar and I met through a very close mutual friend of ours, Musa Syeed. After getting an early glimpse of a photo gallery he was putting together, I sent him a long-winded email about this film project I’ve been trying to get off the ground about Abdul Sattar Edhi, the elusive humanitarian that kickstarts the film.

O: The only thing I would add is that Bassam and I had not been friends for very long, but after a few chats about aesthetic interests and risk, it was clear we would attack the film with a shared sensibility.

2. What is the  Edhi Foundation? Are they making a difference in Pakistan, in your opinion?

B: The Edhi Foundation started off as a rogue ambulance service by Abdul Sattar Edhi in the 1950′s. It’s now the largest and most important social and health service provider for the majority of folks in Pakistan.

Before we left to Pakistan, I was watching a livefeed of a bombing in Karachi from the comfort of my office in NYC. It was a frantic scene. Everyone was running away from the blast, including the police. The only people that were running towards the smoke were Edhi’s ambulances. I don’t know what Pakistan would look like without his services.

3. Can you talk about the film’s style? These Birds Walk has a frenetic pace. Was this a conscious decision? If so, why?

O: There was a conscious choice certainly to capture the physical energy and rhythm of Omar, the central character, and his friends. So much of his character feeds off a kind of coiled tension that then explodes into these confrontations or great flights, either within the runaway home or outside it. We were also committed to making as immersive and experience as possible to sidestep standard approaches to people that reduces them to socio-political slogans. Movement, sound, intimate conversation – all these points of emphasis are the avenues in we pursued to the narrative.

B: There is a level of angst and frustration that plagues the runaway home. Everyone is waiting. The ambulance drivers are waiting to get dispatched. The kids are waiting to get home. The energy is constantly bottlenecked.

4. Omar has a photography background. This was your first time shooting a feature documentary. How did your photography background inform the visual style of the film and the equipment you used?

O: I used the Canon 5DmkII with essentially two lenses with rare exception: the 24mm – 105mm as my go to glass and a prime lens at night. I almost always went for a 50mm prime when shooting the children talking. I read something, I think by filmmaker Stan Brakhage, where he talked about the eye’s focal length being close to a 50mm lens, so I thought that would push the verite to further intimacy if also kept at or around eye level. You can see that visual choice at key elements in the film. Beyond that, I actually do not believe that a photography  background necessarily makes for good cinematography at all. Good cinematography for me is probably more informed by other disciplines like dance and architecture. It is almost an entirely different muscle and way of thinking. That said, if I concede the point a little, I would have to admit that some thing in the color palette of photographers like Mike Brodie, who shot hobo kids riding rails, and Todd Hido’s book A Road Divided were swimming around my head as we went in to this film.

5. It seems as though this film tries to steer clear from social commentary. What made you all make that decision?

B: Early in the edit, we tried a version of the film that opened with statistics of runaways in Pakistan. We had unintentionally oversimplified the role of all the people in our film. Every frame afterwards would have to warrant this “thesis”. I almost vomited when I saw the title card. The people on the screen have shared their lives with us, they told us things they wouldn’t tell their families, they talk about their depression, they weep, they talk of redemption, forgiveness from God. They have trusted us with their lives. And we would sidestep it all for this idea of “relevance” or “social context”. I never understood that because I believe every scene in our film gives you social context. The claustrophobia in the runaway home, the praying, the ambulance driver trying on tight jeans. This is all context, texture. If we can show complexity to a region that is continuously marginalized, than I feel, maybe, we are doing something interesting, worthy of being shared.

6. How long did you all stay in Pakistan to film? How were you able to gain access to your subjects?

B: On and off, three years. We were able to gain access by perfecting our broken Urdu and drinking tea without crashing.

7. Do you all have any future collaborations in the works?

B: I am scribbling some ideas that Omar will have to polish. We will then film them immediately. Maybe we’ll get funding, but if we are as bold and ambitious as we hope, we won’t.

Destin Daniel Cretton is on a roll after winning both the Grand Prize and Audience awards at SXSW with his film Short Term 12 this Spring.  Short Term 12 will open the 2013 Little Rock Film Festival on May 15. This is Cretton’s second time at the LRFF his film I am not a Hipster was a 2012 Official Selection.  Short Term 12 was recently picked up for distribution by Cinedigm. 

1. Can you Describe Short term 12? What is the meaning of the title?

Short Term 12 is the name of the residential foster-care facility that much of the film takes place in. The story follows Grace, the group home’s supervisor, as she counsels the teens in her care while learning to deal with the deeply rooted issues in her own life. But at its core, this is a story about the incredible human ability to love when it’s not easy, to laugh in the midst of tragedy, and to create family wherever we are

2. Tell us about the origins of Short Term 12? It was initially a 20 minute film?  

Before I went to film school, I worked at a foster-care facility for teenagers. In 2008, I wrote and directed a short, 20-minute film, based on my experiences working at that group home. That short film (also titled Short Term 12) won the Jury Prize at Sundance in 2009, which encouraged me to write a feature screenplay in the same world. I finished that script in 2010 and it ended up winning an Academy Nicholl Fellowship that year, which allowed me to write another screenplay, “I Am Not A Hipster,” which we made in late 2011, premiered at Sundance and Little Rock FF in 2012, and that helped us get funding to make Short Term 12 the feature, which we shot last year, premiered at SXSW, and are now SO excited to be back at Little Rock to share it with everyone.

3. Talk about casting the film? Everyone is amazing but particularly Keith Stanfield seems like a discovery?

All the actors in this film really poured every ounce of themselves onto the screen. It’s kind of ridiculous how talented they all are. But yes, Keith is the real deal. He was actually in the short film as well (check it out on iTunes). And when we were casting for the feature, 5 years later, I couldn’t find him anywhere. No agents or managers, no phone numbers were working, all his emails seemed to be out-of-date. We were auditioning a bunch of kids for the role, and nothing was really clicking, and I was starting to panic a bit. And then after a few weeks, I checked my email and he had written me back. The next day he drove down from Victorville, auditioned in my living room, blew us all away, and I couldn’t be more excited for everyone to see his subtle, powerful performance in this film.

4. Is there a story behind the funding of the film?  

The film was financed by the wonderful, fearless team at Animal Kingdom.  We also received a very generous post-production grant from the San Francisco Film Society, whose support has been unbelievable since the very beginning.

5. What was it like winning at SXSW I think a grand prize and an audience award?

The entire experience at SXSW was really special for everyone involved in the movie. More so than winning those awards, we were all moved by seeing how audiences reacted to the film, and touched by the conversations we had with people afterwards. Being there celebrating the hard work of so many wonderful friends and family, it was pure joy.

6. The Film was acquired by Cinedigm? What is the rollout plan for the film?

Yes, I can’t describe how happy I am to have Cinedigm behind this film. They’re such a genuine, passionate team over there and we’re all excited and eager to let everyone see the film in theaters, which we’re planning to do in late-summer.

7. This is your 2^nd time at the LRFF. What do you feel about returning to Little Rock Film Festival this year with an Opening Night film?

Last year, I got to see some of my favorite films of the festival circuit, made genuine friendships that I know will last until I die, went to a party on a riverboat, and came home with a talking Bill Clinton doll. So yeah, to say I’m excited for this year doesn’t even come close.

The Narrative Feature film lineup this year brings to Little Rock an impressive list of award winning filmmakers including David Riker, Justin Schwarz, Sean Gallagher, Destin Daniel Cretton, Brad Simpson and Adam Rifkin among others and a cast lineup that includes noted actors Griffin Dunne, Abbie Cornish, Brie Larson, Stuart Margolin and stars from the hit HBO TV Series “Girls” - Christopher Abbott and Alex Karpovsky. LRFF2012 alumni Destin Daniel Cretton returns to open LRFF2013 with his film Short Term 12.

“The narrative competition will bring to Little Rock some of the best talent working in independent film today, and Little Rock audiences will have the unique and special opportunity to interact with them face to face” – Craig Renaud, LRFF co-founder and Executive Director

Each of the following films will compete for the LRFF2013 Golden Rock Narrative for Best Feature title. Some will be eligible for the Oxford American Best Southern Film Award and the Heifer International Humanitarian Award

Burma, directed by Carlos Puga (82min)

Cast: Christopher Abbott, Gaby Hoffmann, Christopher McCann, Dan Bittner, Emily Fleischer, Jacinta Puga, Matt McCarthy, Kelly Aucoin

When Dr. Lynn abandoned his terminally ill wife on her deathbed, he left his three children Susan, Christian, and Win essentially orphaned. Almost a decade later, on the eve of their annual family reunion, Dr. Lynn unexpectedly shows up at Christian’s door claiming he can justify his nine-year absence. Drug-addled and emotionally vulnerable, Christian reluctantly agrees to escort his father to the reunion, sending an already volatile family environment reeling. Special Jury Recognition for Ensemble Cast SXSW 2013.

Coldwater, directed by Vincent Grashaw (104 min)

Cast:  PJ Boudousqué, James C. Burns

A teenage boy is sent to a juvenile reform facility in the wilderness. As we learn about the tragic events that sent him there, his struggle becomes one for survival with the inmates, counselors, and the retired war colonel in charge.

Good Night, directed by Sean Gallagher (85 min)

Cast: Adriene Mishler, Jonny Mars, Alex Karpovsky, Chris Doubek, Todd Berger, Samantha Thomson, Parisa Fakhri, Laura Clifton, Jason Newman, Jeff Benson

Good Night revolves around a young twenty something couple, Leigh (Adriene Mishler) and Winston (Jonny Mars) Rockwall, as they gather with their closest friends to celebrate Leigh’s twenty-ninth birthday. The guests enjoy casual conversation as well as controversial and current topics as they enjoy their dinner, until Leigh drops a bomb having a profound effect on them all.  The guests, including Leigh’s best friend Alice (Samantha Thomson), all react differently as they process the news. Through voice-overs and flashbacks we learn how each person became connected to Leigh.

Hide Your Smiling Faces, directed by Daniel Patrick Carbone (81 min)

Cast: Ryan Jones, Nathan Varnson

During a hot summer in rural America, brothers Tommy (Ryan Jones) and Eric (Nathan Varnson) are confronted with devastation as death forces its way into their young lives. This stunning debut feature explores the nature of the relationship between boys, as both violence and support is encapsulated in quiet storytelling and breathtaking photography. With incredibly sensitive performances by its two leads, Hide Your Smiling Faces packs a subtle but powerful punch.

Junk, directed by Kevin Hamedani (104 min)

Cast: Kevin Hamedani, Ramon Isao, Cooper Hopkins

Kaveh and Raul are two B-movie co-writers who have suffered a bitter falling out. Kaveh’s lost his girlfriend and spends his days getting high, while Raul is across the country studying at Columbia. But, when one of their films is accepted by a film festival, the ex-friends are forced to reconnect in order to pitch a new script to the festival’s marquee guest; the mysterious & powerful producer, Yukio Tai (James Hong). Along the way, the pair will struggle with and against prima donna actors, cutthroat colleagues, inept agents, brutish bodyguards and romantic entanglements–all while trying to resolve their own issues and seize the opportunity of a lifetime.

Reality Show, directed by Adam Rifkin (92 min)

Cast: Adam Rifkin, Scott Anderson, Kelly Menighan Hensley, Monika Tilling, Valerie Breiman, Lindsay Grubbs, Constantine Paraskevopoulos, Shane McAvoy, Margaret Savinar, Brian Borello, Kendra Waldman

“Reality Show” is a darkly comedic satire that follows the exploits of reality TV producer Mickey Wagner and his amoral attempt to re-invent the reality genre. Mickey’s revolutionary idea is to pick an average family and put them under all encompassing surveillance… without their knowledge. Unfortunately Mickey soon realizes that the family is boring. In a desperate attempt to salvage the show, Mickey begins to interfere by injecting conflict to create drama. As the show gets better, the family starts to disintegrate. Mickey rationalizes that all will be OK in the end, for once the episodes begin airing, fame will heal all the wounds.

Short Term 12, directed by Destin Daniel Cretton (96 min)

Cast: Brie Larson, John Gallagher Jr., Kaitlyn Dever, Rami Malek, Keith Stanfield, Kevin Hernandez, Melora Walters, Stephanie Beatriz, Lydia Du Veaux, Alex Calloway

“Short Term 12″ is told through the eyes of Grace (Brie Larson), a twenty-something supervisor at a foster-care facility for at-risk teenagers. Passionate and tough, Grace is a formidable caretaker of the kids in her charge – and in love with her long-term boyfriend and co-worker, Mason (John Gallagher Jr). But Grace’s own difficult past – and the surprising future that suddenly presents itself – throw her into unforeseen confusion, made all the sharper with the arrival of a new intake at the facility: a gifted but troubled teenage girl with whom Grace has a charged connection. While the subject matter is complex, this lovingly realized film finds truth – and humor – in unexpected places. #LRFF2013 Opening Night Film, Grand Jury and Audience winner SXSW2013

 The Discoverers, directed by Justin Schwarz (104 min)

Cast: Griffin Dunne, Stuart Margolin, Madeleine Martin, Cara Buono, Devon Graye, Dreama Walker, Becky Ann Baker

Washed-up history professor Lewis Birch (Oscar and Emmy nominated Griffin Dunne) takes his begrudging teenage kids – Zoe (Madeleine Martin, “Californication”) and Jack (Devon Graye, “American Horror Stories”) – on a road trip to a conference in hopes of putting his career back on track. But, when Lewis’s estranged father Stanley (Emmy Award-winning Stuart Margolin) goes AWOL on a Lewis and Clark historical reenactment trek, Lewis is forced to make a family detour. The Birch family find themselves on a journey of discovery and connection as they make their own passage west.

 The Girl, directed by David Riker (90 min)

Cast: Abbie Cornish, Will Paton, Martiza Santiago Hernandez

Struggling with the loss of her child to Social Services, a single mother is trapped in the quicksand of her south Texas life. When her path collides with a young girl from Mexico, she begins a journey that will change her life – discovering that she is the architect of her own fate and learning what it is that truly defines home.

This is Where We Live, directed by Josh Barrett and Marc Menchaca (92 min)

Cast: Ron Hayden, CK McFarland, Marc Menchaca, Tobias Segal, Frankie Shaw, Barry Corbin, Carolyn Gilroy, Katherine Willis

Set in the Texas Hill Country, THIS IS WHERE WE LIVE is a portrait of the Sutton family: Diane, while ignoring her own health issues, is caregiver to her son August, who has cerebral palsy, and her husband, who is in the early stages of Alzheimer’s. Overburdened, she hires Noah, a local handyman, to build a wheelchair ramp up the front steps to the family home. August observes Noah working, and through dinner with the family. Diane notices their connection, and stops Noah as he leaves to ask if he could use some money helping out with August. The friendship that Noah and August forge has a ripple effect; life makes unexpected turns for those around them, and forces Noah to confront his past.

Wajma-An Afghan Love Story, directed by  Barmak Akram (115 min)

Cast: Wajma Bahar, Mustafa Habibi, Hadji Gul, Breshna Bahar

Wajma, a modern, middle-class young Afghan woman living in Kabul with her mother and brother, is being secretly courted by Mustafa who’s not ready to let his family know about their relationship yet. Clandestine rendezvous consisting mostly of hugging and cuddling lead to a decisive moment and when Wajma discovers shortly after that she’s pregnant, her world begins to disintegrate. “My life is in your hands,” she tells Mustafa. “I’m dishonored. I fear the worst,” but still he won’t accept paternity, contending that Wajma must not have been a virgin when they consummated their relationship.

Zero Charisma, directed by Katie Graham & Andrew Matthews (87 min)

Cast: Sam Eidson, Garrett Graham, Brock England, Anne Gee Byrd, Cyndi Williams, Brian Losoya, Vincent Prendergast, Katie Folger, John Gholson, Dakin Matthews

Metal-loving gamer geek Scott Weidemeyer is the omnipotent Game Master, guiding his role-players through a tabletop journey of fantasy and adventure. However, when neo-nerd hipster Miles joins his game, Scott begins to resent the admiration Miles receives from the other players. To make matters worse, the health of his grandmother begins to falter, and his estranged mother visits town, reminding Scott of a childhood he’d just as soon forget. Caught in a spiral of rage and delusion, Scott is forced to take drastic steps to reclaim his honor, and his identity as the Game Master.

All screenings for the LRFF2013 (May 15^th – May 19^th, 2013) will be held in downtown Little Rock/NLR this year. The full festival schedule will be announced soon. Stay connected with us on Facebook and Twitter for more updates as we close in on LRFF2013.

See our #LRFF2013 Golden Rock Documentary Competition line-up HERE

Book your passes to the LRFF2013 at the Box Office.

If you have any questions, please feel free to email us at info@littlerockfilmfestival.org

We are excited to welcome our friend, writer, critic and filmmaker Robert Greene back to the LRFF this year.

At LRFF2013 Greene will present a program on the Making of the Oscar Nominated and 2012LRFF Grand Prize winning, Beasts of the Southern Wild. The program will include two short films made by New Orleans filmmaker Bill Ross (LRFF2012).

Greene will also host a panel on the increasing convergence of style and concepts used in Narrative and Documentary filmmaking. A trio of filmmakers pushing traditional boundaries will ask the question among others: “Does the word Documentary mean anything anymore?”

Finally, Greene will present his 2011 film Fake it so Real. FAKE IT SO REAL dives head-first into the world of independent pro wrestling. Filmed over a single week leading up to a big show, the film follows a ragtag group of wrestlers in North Carolina, exploring what happens when the over-the-top theatrics of the wrestling ring collide with the realities of the working-class South.

A BBC documentary about blues great Big Bill Broonzy will be shooting reenactments on May 25th, in Little Rock.

Seems like a fun project in Arkansas from a great producer, check out details below.

Alicia Van Couvering, producer of Lena Dunham’s Tiny Furniture, a 2009 LRFF official selection, is looking for crew, cast and locations for a new BBC project to be shot in Arkansas.

Seeking cast, picture car, locations and a PA/runner type. All will receive some (low) pay. Fun group, short hours.

CAST:

3 roles (non-speaking)

All Afr.-Am. males, on the thin side.

8-10 years old

18-25 years old

35-40 years old

Non-Union

CAR:

Vintage 1940s-era Cadillac, good condition, any color.

LOCATIONS:

- Farm, ideally with rustic, 1920′s era exterior or porch

- Interior – bar or salon or apartment, anywhere that can pass for 1930s.

RUNNER + CAR (great if seats 4 pp) – to work all day 5/25, possible half days 5/24 and/or 5/26.

Coordinator is Alicia Van Couvering, producer of Little Rock Fest alum TINY FURNITURE. Many thanks! Please email with interest to info@darkartsfilm.com.

“This year’s lineup represents the very best in documentary work being made around the World. Each of these 17 films examine a wide range of issues and characters from secret wars around the globe, ganglife in Baltimore, Maryland to the entertainment industry in Branson, Missouri. Many of the films challenge the traditional forms documentaries have long been known for”– Brent Renaud, LRFF co-founder and Artistic Director

Each of these films will compete for the LRFF2013 Golden Rock for Best Documentary Film. Some films in this category will also be eligible for the $10,000 Heifer International Humanitarian Award and the $10,000 Oxford American Best Southern Film. Many of the documentaries featured this year are making one of their first appearances since premiering in festivals like Sundance Film Festival and SXSW.

Special announcements will continue to be made as the festival approaches.

12 O’Clock Boys – directed by Lotfy Nathan

Pug, a young boy growing up on a combative West Baltimore block, finds solace in a group of illegal dirt bike riders known as The 12 O’Clock Boys. Converging from all parts of the inner city, they invade the streets and clash with police, who are forbidden to chase the bikes for fear of endangering the public.

After Tiller - directed by Martha Shane and Lana Wilson

An in-depth look at the rapidly unfolding stories of four doctors still willing to provide third-trimester abortions in the wake of the 2009 assassination of Dr. George Tiller. After the 2009 assassination of Dr. George Tiller the number of doctors willing to provide third-trimester abortions in the U.S. shrank to four. Each a close colleague of Dr. Tiller these doctors, targets of persecution and violence from anti-abortion radicals, risk their lives daily to do work that many believe is murder because of their dedication to something that they believe is profoundly important to their patients’ care. After Tiller follows the rapidly unfolding stories of these doctors and their fight to keep this service available in America.

Ain’t in it for my Health – directed by Jacob Hatley

Starting with the image of a tour bus warming its engine in the stillness of an empty lot, this haunting, personal portrait of music legend Levon Helm evokes the mood of a lifetime spent on the road. Jacob Hatley’s extraordinarily intimate documentary finds Helm, a founding member of The Band, at home in Woodstock in the midst of creating his first studio album in 25 years. The ultimate survivor, he’s overcome drugs, bankruptcy, the bitter breakup of The Band and a bout of throat cancer -but then, as the rueful title indicates, he wasn’t in it for his health. 

Bayou Maharajah: The Tragic Genius of James Booker - directed by Lily Keber

Bayou Maharajah: The Tragic Genius of James Booker’ explores the life, times and music of James Booker, the legendary New Orleans performer who Dr. John proclaimed ‘the best black, gay, one-eyed junkie piano genius New Orleans has ever produced.

Blood Brother – directed by Steve Hoover

Rocky Braat went to India as a disillusioned American tourist.  When he met a group of children with HIV/AIDS, he decided to stay.  He never could have imagined the obstacles he would face.  Or the love he would find. Winner of the U. S. Grand Jury Prize and the Audience Award -  Sundance Film Festival 2013.

Bridegroom – directed by Linda Bloodworth Thomason 

Bridegroom is a documentary directed by Linda Bloodworth-Thomason that tells the emotional journey of Shane and Tom, two young men in a loving and committed relationship — a relationship that was cut tragically short by a misstep off the side of a roof. The story of what happened after this accidental death– of how people without the legal protections of marriage can find themselves completely shut out and ostracized– is poignant, enraging and opens a window onto the issue of marriage equality like no speech or lecture ever will. Winner of the Audience Award-Tribeca Film Festival 2013.

Dirty Wars – directed by Richard Rowley

Dirty Wars follows investigative reporter Jeremy Scahill, author of the international bestseller Blackwater, into the heart of America’s covert wars, from Afghanistan to Yemen, Somalia and beyond. With a strong cinematic style, the film blurs the boundaries of documentary and fiction storytelling. Part action film and part detective story, Dirty Wars is a gripping journey into one of the most important and underreported stories of our time. What begins as a report into a U.S. night raid gone terribly wrong in a remote corner of Afghanistan quickly turns into a global investigation of the secretive and powerful Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC). Winner of Cinematography Award: U. S. Documentary – Sundance Film Festival 2013.

Gideon’s Army – directed by Dawn Porter

Gideon’s Army follows the personal stories of Travis Williams, Brandy Alexander and June Hardwick, three young public defenders who are part of a small group of idealistic lawyers in the Deep South challenging the assumptions that drive a criminal justice system strained to the breaking point. Backed by mentor Jonathan “Rap” Rapping, a charismatic leader who heads the Southern Public Defender Training Center (now known as Gideon’s Promise) they struggle against long hours, low pay and staggering caseloads so common that even the most committed often give up in their first year. Nearly 50 years since the landmark Supreme Court ruling Gideon vs. Wainwright that established the right to counsel, can these courageous lawyers revolutionize the way America thinks about indigent defense and make “justice for all” a reality?

 Muscle Shoals - directed by Greg ‘Freddy’ Camalier

Located alongside the Tennessee River, Muscle Shoals, Alabama is the unlikely breeding ground for some of America’s most creative and defiant music. Under the spiritual influence of the “Singing River,” the music of Muscle Shoals helped create some of the most important and resonant songs of all time. At its heart is Rick Hall who founded FAME Studios. Hall brought black and white together in Alabama’s cauldron of racial hostility to create music for the generations. He is responsible for creating the “Muscle Shoals sound” and The Swampers, the house band at FAME that eventually left to start their own successful studio, known as Muscle Shoals Sound.  Gregg Allman, Bono, Clarence Carter, Mick Jagger, Etta James, Alicia Keys, Keith. Richards, Percy Sledge, and others bear witness to Muscle Shoals’ magnetism, mystery, and why it remains influential today.

Our Nixon – directed by Penny Lane

Throughout Richard Nixon’s presidency, three of his top White House aides ­obsessively documented their experiences with Super 8 home movie cameras. Young, idealistic and dedicated, they had no idea that a few years later they’d all be in prison. This unique and personal visual record, created by H.R. Haldeman, John Ehrlichman and Dwight Chapin, was seized by the FBI during the Watergate investigation, then filed away and forgotten for almost 40 years. OUR NIXON is an all-archival documentary presenting those home movies for the first time, along with other rare footage, creating an intimate and complex portrait of the Nixon presidency as never seen before.

Pussy Riot – a Punk Prayer – directed by Mike Lerner and Maxim Pozdorovkin

Filmed over the course of six months, this film tells the incredible story of three young women: Nadia, Masha and Katia. As members of the feminist art collective Pussy Riot, they performed a 40 second “punk prayer” inside Russia’s main cathedral. This performance led to their arrest on charges of religious hatred and culminated in a trial that has reverberated around the world and transformed the face of Russian society forever. Moving from farce to tragedy and back again, the film explores how political and religious forces contrived to make an example out of three young artists who stepped out of line. Are you a ready for a “Pussy Riot”? Winner of the World Cinema Documentary Special Jury Award – Sundance Film festival 2013.

Spies of Mississippi - directed by Dawn Porter

Enter the chilling world of anti civil rights espionage. Spies of Mississippi reveals in shocking detail the state of Mississippi’s effort to undermine the civil rights movement using a vast network of spies. Their identities will shock you. Whites and Blacks spied for Old Dixie. And the Sovereignty Commission would stop at nothing, even murder, to retain the “Mississippi way of life”.

These Birds Walk – directed by Omar Mullick, Bassam Tariq

In Karachi, Pakistan, a runaway boy’s life hangs on one critical question: where is home? The streets, an orphanage, or with the family he fled in the first place? Simultaneously heart-wrenching and life-affirming, “These Birds Walk” documents the struggles of these wayward street children and the samaritans looking out for them in this ethereal and inspirational story of resilience. Winner of the Best Documentary and Special Jury Award – Nashville Film Festival 2013.

The Kill Team - directed by Dan Krauss

In 2010, the media branded a platoon of U.S. Army infantry soldiers “The Kill Team” following reports of its killing for sport while stationed in Afghanistan. Two years later, Dan Krauss examines this heinous war crime from the perspective of the accused. Firsthand accounts from four of the implicated soldiers provide insight into the circumstances that inspired the gratuitous killing of Afghan civilians. Winner of the Grand Jury Prize Best Documentary – Tribeca Film Festival 2013.

Village at the End of the World – directed by Sarah Gavron

Lars is the only teenager in town who, in a community of hunters doesn’t want to hunt. Niaqornat in North West Greenland has a population of only 59, with no local industry people are being forced to leave to find jobs in the nearest town.  Whilst the rest of the community pull together to try and re-open the fish-factory, Lars begins to plan his escape. Like all villages, Niaqornat has its supporters and detractors amongst the local populace. For some it is paradise, they can’t imagine living anywhere else, for others it’s the last place on earth they want to be.

We Always Lie to Strangers – directed by AJ Schnack and David Wilson

“We Always Lie To Strangers” is a story of family, community, music and tradition set against the backdrop of Branson, Missouri, a remote Ozark Mountain town that is one of the biggest tourist destinations in the United States. Here, millions from around the country, and particularly from the American Midwest, flock for a return to “old fashioned, traditional values” and the family-style entertainment of Branson’s 100+ staged music shows, many of which feature families performing together. As Branson faces economic uncertainty and changes in attitudes on social issues, the interwoven sagas of these performing families form a composite both of Branson and of contemporary America. Winner of the Special Jury Prize for Directing – SXSW 2013.

William and the Windmill – directed by Ben Nabors

Young Malawian William Kamkwamba teaches himself to build a power-generating windmill from junk parts, successfully rescuing his family from poverty and famine. He becomes an energy icon for the developing world and meets American entrepreneur and mentor Tom Rielly, who helps him imagine a new future. Fame, opportunity, stress, and isolation follow his invention, and his life is transformed. As William struggles with the potential of his promising future, he privately yearns to distance himself from his windmill, that which made him famous. This is a story about a complex young man straddling two cultures, carrying the burdens of his past achievements while boldly pursuing a bright future. Winner of the Grand Jury Award – SXSW 2013.

All screenings for the LRFF2013 (May 15^th – May 19^th, 2013) will be held in downtown Little Rock/NLR this year. The full festival schedule will be announced soon. Stay connected with us on Facebook and Twitter for more updates as we close in on LRFF2013.

Book your passes to the LRFF2013 at the Box Office.

If you have any questions, please feel free to email us at info@littlerockfilmfestival.org

Short Term 12, dir. Destin Daniel Cretton, Color, 96min
Photo: Brie Larson with Keith Stanfield

The 7^th Annual Little Rock Film Festival is pleased to announce the SXSW Grand Jury Prize Winner and The SXSW Audience Award Winner, Short Term 12, directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, as its Opening Night Film. Destin Daniel Cretton and break out star Keith Stanfield to attend.

This is Short Term 12 director Destin Daniel Cretton’s second time at the Little Rock Film Festival. His previous film ‘I am not a Hipster’ was an LRFF Official Selection in 2012.

“Short Term 12” is told through the eyes of Grace (Brie Larson), a twenty-something supervisor at a foster-care facility for at-risk teenagers. Passionate and tough, Grace is a formidable caretaker of the kids in her charge – and in love with her long-term boyfriend and co-worker, Mason (John Gallagher Jr). But Grace’s own difficult past – and the surprising future that suddenly presents itself – throw her into unforeseen confusion, made all the sharper with the arrival of a new intake at the facility: a gifted but troubled teenage girl with whom Grace has a charged connection. While the subject matter is complex, this lovingly realized film finds truth – and humor – in unexpected places.

Short Term 12 will open the Little Rock Film Festival simultaneously this year on both sides of the river beginning at the Argenta Community Theater  at 6.30 pm and at The Rep at 7.30 pm. Both screenings will be followed by a Q&A with the film’s director and cast. An Opening Night party at the Rep will follow.

Singer – Songwriter Bonnie Montgomery will open up for the film at The Rep as part of the new Arkansas Music showcase sponsored by The White Water Tavern. Bonnie will be joined for the after party at The Rep by her full band. 

Opening Night is free to attend for Gold Pass holders. Tickets to the Opening Night film and party, as well as Passes to LRFF2013 can be purchased HERE.

#LRFF2013 takes place this year May 15^th – May 19^th, 2013. All screenings for the festival will be held in downtown Little Rock and NLR. The full festival schedule will be announced soon. Stay connected with us on Facebook and Twitter for more updates as we close in on #LRFF2013.

If you have any questions, please feel free to email us at info@littlerockfilmfestival.org