Film festival organizers pleased with inaugural event, prepping for 2022 festival

As the organizers of the Fort Smith International Film Festival bask in what they say is a successful inaugural event, they are looking at ways to make next year’s festival better and believe the event resulted in a better connected film community.

Despite the reduced COVID-19 capacities more than 400 film fans and filmmakers attended this year’s festival Aug. 13-14 in downtown Fort Smith. Another 200 from across the world experienced the festival online.

“I was not prepared for the amount of filmmakers who attended. That was very exciting. We want to plan more for that, for more panels and discussions because that is what you look for in a film festival,” said Brandon Goldsmith, executive director of the festival.

The Fort Smith International Film Festival screened 132 (43 hours) of film from 32 countries. Film fans got to meet and hear from filmmakers and industry experts on panels, post movie question and answer sessions and in person after showings at The Bakery District, to 5 Star Productions, The Majestic and 906 Cigar Lounge.

There were 396 entries from 52 countries that were culled by screeners prior to the event. Goldsmith said he hopes next year there will be even more entries.

“The big festivals have around a 13-18% acceptance rate,” Goldsmith said. “I hope to see more submissions so we can lower our acceptance rate. That is how we make certain we are showing high quality films.”

He said this year’s festival did include some high quality offerings.

“Another thing I learned is that we need to pick the films and schedule them all at the same time,” Goldsmith said. “That way the screeners know, we have this five to seven minute window here, what do we want for that?”

At the midnight Awards Ceremony, the Fort Smith in Film award went to Michael Pharis’ “The Rock of Gibraltar.” The Russian film “COP” won Jen’s Kitty Rehab’s Best Animal Film, and Pablo Guerra-Monje accepted the Best Animated Film award for his friend’s movie “Made in Spain.” The big winner of the festival was “Black Boys,” which won Best People of Color Film and Best Overall Film. One of the executive producers of the film is Steve Clark of Fort Smith.

Following are the other festival winners.
“Let’s Grow” – best short film overall
“Land of Lights and Shadow” – best documentary feature film
“Pole Boy” – best international film
“Blood on the Risers” – best regional short film
“Project Decius” – best overall high school film
“Fish Hook” – runner-up overall high school film
“Luke” – third-place overall high school film and best regional high school film
“Disconnect” – runner up regional high school film
“Caring For The Past, Preserving The Future: The Legacy Of the Smith Hospital” – third place regional high school film
“Djakamirr: Caretaker of Pregnancy and Birth” – best indigenous film
“Kaal Maati” – best narrative feature film
“Voices from the Sit-in” – best documentary short film
“Sure Don’t Miss You” – best music video
“Sundown Town” – best college short film
“Indians, Outlaws, Marshals and the Hanging Judge” – best western film
“Shotgun” – best regional college film and best short film, comedy
“Rat” – best short film, drama
“Suono” – best short film, experimental
“Connected” – best short film, sci-fi
“The Connection” – best short film, action

“I think one of the great things was the number of regional filmmakers who attended and had conversations. They talked about their projects and about ways they could work together. That was very exciting to see,” Goldsmith said.