Record crowds have filled the Arlington Resort Hotel & Spa for the Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival this week, a year after its silver anniversary, as organizers prepare for the finale this weekend.
Interim Director Jennifer Gerber said Thursday was a special night at the Arlington as a "packed house" was on hand for "Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story." Alexandra Dean, the film's director, and Anthony Loder, Lamarr's son, attended the screening.
"In terms of our festival attendance, we have been breaking records every single day," Gerber said. "We have more than doubled our attendance from last year, which is incredible, and we have had some real standout screenings."
The festival is one of 38 accredited Academy Award-qualifying festivals in the country. Submissions to the Hot Springs festival are eligible for the 2018 Oscars.
Filmmakers traveled to Hot Springs from around the world and several communicated with attendees from across the world. Several more will present their work today.
"We are looking forward to our closing night and rounding out the festival with a big success," Gerber said.
Screenings begin at 9:30 a.m. with "Quest" and the festival's penultimate presentation of short films. "Liyana" and "The Workers Cup," from Little Rock native Adam Sobel, will be shown at noon.
One 2:30 p.m. showing features "Tommy," an ESPN documentary about the Arkansas-born boxing champion Tommy Morrison, who starred alongside Sylvester Stallone in "Rocky V." Director Stanley Nelson will accompany the 2:30 p.m. showing of his latest documentary, "Tell Them We Are Rising," about the impact of Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
The Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival will add to Nelson's lengthy list of accolades with the Career Achievement Award in Documentary Film. Nelson was previously awarded the National Medal in the Humanities from former president Barack Obama and the 2016 Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Academy of Television Arts Sciences.
The final presentation of short films is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. Awards will be announced at 6:30 p.m.
"Our Saturday night event is definitely the peak of this whole festival week," Gerber said.
Actor and singer Robert Davi, who has featured in more than 130 feature films, will attend and close out the festival with the screening of "Davi's Way" at 6:30 p.m. Davi will perform after the film.
"I think it will be very special for the audience," Gerber said. "I think it has been an incredible week of films and of people coming to the festival. We see their passion for documentaries. Tonight, we get to conclude it with a huge celebration."
The festival's closing night after party will begin at 9 p.m. in the Hamp Williams Building, 510 Ouachita Ave. Five showings are scheduled for Sunday for the festival's award-winning selections.
The winning environmental and international submissions are scheduled for 10 a.m. The winners of awards for best U.S. documentary, best short and best sports documentary will be shown at noon and the winner of the Audience Choice Award will be shown again at 2 p.m.
Local on 10/14/2017