Thanks for a great festival!

A big thank-you to everyone who attended the 18th festival!

This year Angel and I met a lot of new friends and had a great time at the festival and at parties, and especially at Maxine's, a short distance from the Malco.

I would also like to personally thank:

-My wife, Angel, has put up with a lot over the last couple of years as I have volunteered my time for the Board and for the festival. Thanks, Angel, for supporting me.

-Our dedicated screening committee. Each committee member watches 150 or more films in the months leading up to the festival, and works very hard to contribute to the list of films recommended by the committee. It is quite a challenge just to watch that many films! Thank you for your huge contribution of time and love.

-We have a fantastic group of volunteers who are very loyal and help the festival run smoothly. Thank you, you all are terrific!

-Thanks to our equipment sponsors, Crescent Communications in Little Rock, who donated the use of switchers, Sony Broadcast, who donated the use of a tape deck, and Visionary Forces of Burbank, CA, who gave us a great deal on tape decks.

-Thanks to The Field Shop in Little Rock, who did a great job of quickly repairing a projector that went down during the festival.

-A special thank you to Demp and Paula Dempsey, and Joseph Dempsey, who have allowed me to spend many hours working on the festival "on the clock" and who have donated the use of equipment and vehicles for the festival.

- Thanks to Jared Kudabeck and his girlfriend Betsy, who helped break down and load out projection equipment, dodging the "sk8ers", on the last night of the festival when everyone else had bailed out to go party. He was also patient with me as I changed my mind 10 times about the layout of the Twitter feed pages, and kept pushing for web site improvements even as the festival progressed.

-Thanks to Tim McCoy for fabulous art, technical support for the Twitter stations, and for just being an awesome guy.

-Thanks to Jim Miller for making himself absolutely indispensable and reacting with grace to a million different demands.

-Thanks to Dan Anderson, who programmed a great festival and kept his head throughout the whole process.

-Last but not least, thanks to Malinda Herr-Chambliss, who hung in there in a difficult economic environment and supported all my crazy ideas.

And thanks to everyone I forgot. I will amend this list as I remember you!


Your support is critical to the survival of the festival and the institute. If you'd like to make a donation, please go to the site at www.hsdfi.org and click the "Donate" button. ANY amount will be helpful to continue the mission of the institute and insure a top-quality festival in years to come.

Q&A sessions are now being posted to YouTube

Starting today, most if not all question and answer sessions are being filmed and posted to YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/user/TheHSDFIchannel.

They will also be available for viewing from our site, at the film's page. Don't forget to comment and rate the films at the site!

Fun at the Festival

We had a great time hanging out with filmmakers last night at Porterhouse and Maxine's, late into the night. Director Johanna Lee of "The Pit" was suffering a little today (well let's face it so was I) but participated in a terrific Q&A about the film today after her screening. Keep an eye out for filmmakers and don't forget that the Filmmaker's Celebration on Saturday night is a great chance to meet and talk with the filmmakers. Tickets are still available on the website.

An Incredibly Rich Schedule

As I look over tomorrow's schedule, I am amazed at the quality of films on a Wednesday. The screening committee and Dan Anderson have done an incredible job this year. It seems to me that there is more of an emphasis of breadth of work this year, considering that most people can follow up and rent on Netflix or another service the docs they miss.

I hope that you will make your own list of films you were interested in that you missed. We all have to work for a living, and this is a super-busy time of year. Once you watch them, comment on the site. Join the conversation.

Also, I'll let you in on a little secret. The Institute is considering having some weekend screenings of some incredible films that didn't make it in this year. There were so many fantastic entries this year that did not make it in because of the limited slots for films, even considering a record 139 films.

Check back to the site or this blog for more information. You can subscribe to this blog and make sure you don't miss anything.

Thanks for your support of the festival!

Projector Problem resolved

Some of you may have noticed a slightly dimmer or lower-quality picture over the last couple of days in one or the other theater. This is due to a failure of one of our primary DLP projectors which was replaced with an older backup projector. We have now secured a rental unit to replace it and it should be online by end of day Tuesday. Thanks for your patience!

Why come to the festival when there's Netflix?

I love Netflix. We have a Roku box and we stream movies as our main entertainment, and what's not available there, we rent as DVDs. So you might wonder why I love the festival so much.

Here are some reasons:

1) The energy of the audience is something I don't particularly like when I see a narrative film in the theater, but with documentaries, it's different. You are there with a group of people experiencing something together that's really special. And when the film is over, you hear a lot of discussion, whether or not the director and/or the subjects of the film are present. There's a palpable sense of community, of people who are passionate about documentaries.

2) You can hear a commentary from the director on a DVD, but you can't ask questions. The festival is the ultimate interactive experience.

3) I love the old Malco theater and Hot Springs. I love to stay at the Arlington or the Park or the Spring, soak up the ambience of the place. Have some drinks and maybe catch a band at Maxine's, dinner at Rolando's, maybe run into some filmmakers and buy them a drink and talk about the films of the day.

So Netflix is great to watch the movie again. Or watch it before if the film is already out, and make a list of questions for the director. But it doesn't replace the experience of the Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival. Not by a long shot.

On Documentaries

We had some technical difficulties today, a projector went down and had to be replaced temporarily with an older one until we can get a replacement tomorrow. In the midst of all this I sat down in theater 1 and caught the end of Warrior Champions... and forgot all my troubles.

I was reminded that while we strive for better and better quality projection, you could project a great documentary from a crappy old VHS tape onto a cardboard box and still sit there with tears running down your face watching it.

At the very first festival I remember showing up at a screening amid some kind of flurry of activity and discussion up in the projection area. The film was a 16mm print, a French film about the men who climb rickety bamboo lashed together, hundreds of feet in the air into enormous caves opening to the ocean in China, to gather birds' nests for soup.

The problem? A 25fps print, the european standard, threaded onto a 24fps projector, the US standard. It will load and run just fine, but the frames don't line up and it looks all streaky because the film is pulled down into the gate at the wrong time. In the US, even then, a 25fps 16mm projector was extremely rare. So the decision was made to just go ahead and screen it anyway.

Even with the viewing challenges, the film was absolutely stunning, and I was hooked on documentaries. I left with a strange feeling, as if my life had gotten brighter, fuller.

Today, all these years later, as I watched and listened to the Renaud brothers taking questions after the screening of Warrior Champions, I wondered who might be there in the Malco for their first time, transfixed by this wonderful experience and feeling their heart expand in their chest and their head reeling with thoughts and emotions. Brighter. Fuller.

Welcome. You are one of us now. See you at the festival.

Our New YouTube Channel

Watch for new videos during the festival which will be posted on our YouTube channel at http://www.youtube.com/user/TheHSDFIchannel.

Later in the festival we hope to have Q&A sessions posted here.

Schedule Changes and Cancellation, Sunday 10/18

Silent Storytellers, scheduled to screen on Sunday, Oct. 18 @ 1:25pm is canceled. Summer Sun Winter Moon will be screened in its place, with film representative present.

A Filmmakers' Reception will be held on Sunday, Oct. 18 from 1-4pm at 404B Central Ave. above Lauray's Jewelery. Artwork by Bill Daniel, director of Who is Bozo Texino? will be shown, along with artwork by Colossus of Roads. The event is catered by Central Park Fusion.

Maxine's Grand Reopening

Tonight, Saturday the 17th, is Maxine's Grand Reopening. The preview party with the Nace Brothers last night was fantastic and the sound was really really good. Check it out this week during the festival.

Is Sly Really Coming?

Talked to the festival director tonight and it seems unlikely at this point that Sly will show up as scheduled. I have heard rumors that he is legendary for not appearing. More as I hear it.

Update, Saturday: Well, he didn't show, but if you watched the film, it will all make sense! We had a great audience and a great first night.

Buy Your Tickets Online

Our new ticketing system has been installed in the theater and tickets are now available online! You can purchase your tickets, print them at home, bring your ticket and ID and you're in! Or, buy your tickets at the door. Cash and all major credit cards accepted. The new system should be much faster and a huge improvement over the old one. See you at the festival!

The Online Film List and Schedule is Complete

As of Wednesday October 15 the online schedule and film list are complete and ready to view.

List at http://www.hsdff.org/2009_film_list.

Schedule at http://www.hsdff.org/2009-film-schedule.

Web Stats

From Jared Kudabeck just now:

Site stats (since last Wednesday evening):

Total visits: 2300+

Unique Visits: 1600+

Total Pageviews: 12,000+

Average time on the site (per visit): 7 min

PDF Schedule downloads: 1250+

Countries that have visited the site: 39

Equipment Sponsors

Once again Crescent Communications in Little Rock has stepped up and helped enhance the festival experience by providing professional HD switchers for both theaters. Thanks to Harold Cole for supporting documentary film!

Demp and Paula Dempsey of Dempsey Film Group are providing equipment and technical assistance through yours truly. A very big thank you to the Dempseys!

Sam Cooper, Marketing director at Dempsey Film group, has offered his sound system for the Filmmakers' Celebration. Thank you, Sam!

Coming to the Site: Interactive Calendar and Schedule

Jared Kudabeck and the HSDFI staff are hard at work inputting the schedule and synopses into a new interactive interface for the HSDFF site. You will be able to look at a calendar view of films, click on the film to view synopsis, search for films from the home page, comment on and rate films, and more.

Interactive schedule should be complete by Wednesday.

Sly Stone at Opening Night Premiere!

Great news: Sly Stone is scheduled to appear at the screenings of the new film about him, "Coming Back for More", Premiering at the Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival on our opening night, Friday, October 16th. The filmmaker will also be present. Fans of Sly and the Family Stone will want to make it to the Malco for the opening night. There are some rumors of a performance, if those turn out to be true I will update my post here.

A Few Film Sponsorships Still Available!

You still have time to sponsor a film for this year's festival. Get together your book club friends, poker buddies, chip in and sponsor your favorite film! Call 501-321-4747 and ask for Malinda for more details.

Live Twitter feed during the festival

This year's festival will feature a live Twitter feed in several locations along with an up-to-date daily schedule. We're still looking for sponsors to help add more locations. Each station will need a computer and a 32" or larger lcd tv, or a projector. If you have access to any of this gear or would like to donate toward a purchase of the gear, email me via http://tinyurl.com/ya35mlz. Any and all assistance is appreciated!

Your sponsorship will be recognized on our website and directly at the station if you provide a tv.

We now own the parking lot!

The Hot Springs Documentary Film Institute has purchased the parking structure next door to the theater! It will be open during the festival for your convenience, and just know that when you stuff your payment in the box, you're helping further the mission of the Institute.

The board voted to purchase the parking structure to allow room for renovation and expansion in the future. We hope that someday, with your help, the Institute can grow to serve as a center of documentary study, education, production, and preservation that is world-class and second to none.

And thank you to our presenting sponsor, ARVEST BANK, for their assistance.

My Favorite Places to Stay During the Festival

I generally like the funky older hotels; my #1 choice in that category is still the Arlington. The Grand Dame of Hot Springs still has a lot of charm in my book. The lobby bar is a big reason.

The Park hotel on Fountain street is another great old hotel. Smaller and a bit more off the beaten path, it has been upgraded and is a great value in my opinion.

Still farther up Fountain street is the Happy Hollow Hotel. A classic mom-and-pop operation, old-school. Pets are accepted.

It's a shame I can't list the Majestic here. It closed a couple of years ago. Too bad.

I haven't stayed at the Austin, which is really one of the closest to the Malco. Also nearby in the convention center is the Embassy Suites, which I'm sure is a fine hotel.

Your comments about Hot Springs hotels are welcome.

Improved Web Site Online Now!

Jared Kudabeck at Studio Loud, along with HSDFI's Tim McCoy, have been hard at work improving the functionality of the web site. Despite a lower staffing level due to the economy, the site has been steadily improving over the last year. With your support, over the next year HSDFI is making plans to dramatically improve the web site with features including online ticket sales, support for microdonations, help for planning your trip to Hot Springs for the festival, an interactive film schedule, and more.

The Princess entrance will be open for the festival!

This year, for the first time in many years, the Princess entrance of the Malco will be open and active. This is the historic entrance facing the Convention Center on Broadway. At this time I don't know whether the festival will accept credit cards at this entrance. Regardless, you can consider it your "secret" entrance when lines are long.


A little history on this entrance from the HSDFI Archives:

"The Hot Springs Documentary Film Institute and the Hot Springs Jazz Society held a celebration for the restoration of the Malco Theater's Princess entrance. The event took place on Saturday, June 21st from 6:30-9:30 p.m. at the Broadway Street Malco entrance. The original Princess Theater was built in 1910, and then purchased in 1927 by Mr. Sidney Nutt, a long-term Hot Springs resident. The Broadway Street Princess entrance was utilized from 1929 until 1964, when the Civil Rights Act was enacted."

"As one of only two such entrances known to still exist in the United States, the HSDFI board has mandated its preservation as a reminder of America's civil rights victories. The Princess Theater was destroyed by fire in December of 1935, and was rebuilt as the Malco."

This year's food at the Malco

We have a new food vendor for the festival this year: Doe's Famous Eat Place. They will be serving beer and wine in addition to some delicious food items, hopefully including their famous tamales. They will be in the same spot as last year's food, at the Princess entrance.

Many may remember the wonderful food from Rolando's for the last few years; this year you will have to walk down the street to enjoy their wonderful central American cuisine, one of my favorite restaurants in town.

Maxine's will have a great music lineup during the festival

Maxine's Pub is right down the street from the Malco, and is planning a great line-up for the festival week including a perfomance by Bobby Rush that's a tie-in to the festival. New owner Kevin Rodgers is a friend of the festival and has done a fantastic job of fixing up the place. They have a new stage set-up that looks fantastic. Their schedule is online at www.maxinespub.com or http://www.myspace.com/maxineslive.

Music Event at Ray Lynn Theatre on Tuesday 10/20

After the showing of "No Cross, No Crown", there will be a jam session at the Ray Lynn theatre just down the street from the Malco. Free admission with Festival Pass, or $10 at the door. Thanks to board member Charles Smith for setting this up. It will be an unforgettable evening.

Join me at the Filmmaker's Celebration

I'd love for you to join me at the Filmmaker's Celebration, on the final week of the festival. This event replaces the Gala this year.

Here are the Details:
The Hot Springs Documentary Film Institute presents the Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival Filmmaker's Celebration
Saturday, October 24th, 2009, 7pm
At the Hot Springs Convention Center, Horner Hall
Dress is Cocktail
Champagne and Heavy Hors d'oeuvres will be served, and a cash bar will be available throughout the evening.
Special Guests will include Robert Kenner and Bobby Rush, along with many other local, national, and international filmmakers.

So here's the story with the change from a "gala" to a "filmmaker's celebration":
We wanted to give the party more of an emphasis on filmmakers. We wanted to design the party for mingling and talking with more than just the 10 people at your table. And we wanted to make the event accessible financially to more people by lowering the ticket cost ($75, down from $150). We wanted to attract a more diverse group and create an environment that is comfortable and fun.

To achieve that, we're experimenting with a new format. The Filmmaker's Celebration will have more of a cocktail reception feel, or even a lounge-y feel. It will still have a festive, sparkling, glamorous air, but we hope to have a more intimate atmosphere that will encourage one-on-one access to filmmakers and all of the interesting people who attend the festival.

One of our board members, Michelle Harrison, has arranged to have the event at the Hot Springs convention center. It's very close to the theater within easy walking distance, and there is also lots of free parking nearby. A portion of Horner Hall will hold the dining area with a limited number of tables for casual dining of the heavy hors d'oeuvres, which will be presented in some inventive ways. Outside Horner hall in the foyer will be soft seating areas for small groups to mingle, a jazz combo, and a small stage for brief greetings from some of our honored guests, including (scheduled to appear) Robert Kenner, the director of Food, Inc., and Bobby Rush. Also, we'll have more room on the outside patio for those who want to enjoy the beautiful Hot Springs fall weather that we hope to have.

It will be a really fabulous event. Please join us. Call the HSDFI office at 501-321-4747 to reserve your tickets. I'll see you there!

Some Festival Tips

Since you're reading this, I assume you love documentaries and you're planning to make it to the festival for at least part of the 10 days. That's fantastic. If you've been to the festival before, you pretty much know what to expect. But if this is your first time, here are just a few thoughts and tips based on my 17 years of attending the festival just as an audience member:

1) You will find that the Q&A sessions with the filmmakers are one of the best things about the festival. It's a unique opportunity to have an interactive experience with the filmmakers and other thoughtful people. Don't be afraid to ask questions!

2) There will be times when two films you want to see will overlap on the schedule. If one of them is shown more than once, you can catch it later. Otherwise you just have to pick one and try to follow up later on Netflix or something for the other one. When in doubt I will pick one with a Q&A. Often the filmmakers will have DVDs of their films for sale at the festival, and they really appreciate your support.

3) If you can, buy a full festival pass, because it will also get you into most of the parties and special events. And, you will be supporting the worthy mission of the Institute and helping insure the success of the festival. Even if you can't attend the whole festival, I think it's worth it.

4) Sometimes you will get tired of sitting in a dark room. Walk around and enjoy Bath House Row. There are great restaurants really close, and sometimes you can bump into filmmakers from around the world. One year Angel and I had an accidental meeting with some filmmakers which turned into a dinner and long conversation. The next time we saw them was on TV onstage at the Academy Awards!

5) Show up early for the major screenings to make sure you get a seat.

6) Be courteous and as quiet as you can outside Theater 1 as you pass by exiting Theater 2. There's still a film showing in that Theater and it can be distracting.

7) Attend a workshop or panel. They are fun. Disclaimer: I'm facilitating the Guerilla Lighting workshop on Saturday at 10am.

8) Keep an open mind, and enjoy the festival!

9) Donate to the festival, or plan to volunteer next year.