El Dorado, the legendary city of lost gold. A city that was the demise of many adventurous conquistadors in the 1500s. The city of unimaginable wealth and distinction where dreams of riches and fame could come true ..
The Arkansas film community has lost another titan of local filmmaking. Mike Gunter was a film professor at the University of Central Arkansas. He taught well over a thousand students during the course of his tenure as a professor, educating fresh-faced film novices on the importance of cinematography and introducing them to movies from Bergman, Godard, and the silent era.
There wasn t a moment last weekend I wasn t either watching a movie, talking about movies, or thinking about movies. It was one of the busiest weeks to date for the Arkansas film community with film events scheduled by the University of Central Arkansas, the Arkansas Cinema Society, and Made In Arkansas.
This is a busy time of year when it comes to the local film scene. The state hosts three of its larger festivals back to back to back: the Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival, the Fayetteville Film Festival, and the Arkansas Cinema Society s Filmland. I always try to attend as many screenings as I can afford, and believe me, it can get pricey; after a month of consuming nothing but features, documentaries and shorts, it can leave your brain feeling a bit melted. Honestly, my brain is somewhere near a grilled cheese consistency at the moment, and festival season isn t even over yet. This past weekend, the Fayetteville Film Festival took place and like most "fests," there was some good, some bad, and some downright unusual.
Halloween is just around the corner, which means leaves will soon be turning golden brown, houses are turning haunted and children are turning into goblins and ghouls.