Thomas Winston’s LOST WOLVES OF YELLOWSTONE opens, André Hörmann’s THE COWBOY is the Centerpiece selection, and Elegance Bratton’s MOVE YA BODY: THE BIRTH OF HOUSE gets the closing slot  

 

Jon Alpert will receive the HSDFF Brent Renaud Career Achievement Award, and ​​Geeta Gandbhir will be the recipient of this year’s Impact Award

 

The critically acclaimed Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival announced the lineup of films and honorees for its 34^th edition, taking place October 10 -18. Screenings will kick off at Oaklawn’s Event Center with the Opening Night presentation of Thomas Winston’s Lost Wolves of Yellowstone, followed by the North American premiere of Centerpiece Selection, André Hörmann’s The Cowboy, and Elegance Bratton’s Move Ya Body: The Birth of House screening on Closing Night. Other premieres include the North American premiere of Sheffield DocFest Grand Jury Award winner Welded Together, the U.S. premiere of John Dower’s The Balloonists, and the U.S. premiere of Jo Seyoung’s K-Number.

 

Jon Alpert will receive the HSDFF Brent Renaud Career Achievement Award, and Geeta Gandbhir will be the recipient of this year’s Impact Award.

 

HSDFF Executive Director, Ken Jacobson, said, “In a world that seems, at times, on the verge of spinning out of control, I marvel at the fact that something as simple as a gathering of people to watch documentary films on a big screen can feel as miraculous and urgent as it does this year. For 34 years, the Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival has brought the best in non-fiction filmmaking to Hot Springs. Our community has responded by welcoming filmmakers and other guests here to join with us in celebrating this remarkable art form. This year, I am struck by the sheer quality and dynamism of the filmmaking, the courage of those willing to share their lives with the filmmakers, and the emotional depths explored through these incredibly diverse stories. If this year’s festival lineup tells us anything, it’s that creativity and truth-telling still remain as vital as ever. From our Opening to our Closing Night and everything in between, I know that our audiences are in for a very special and unique experience.”

 

 

THE GALAS AND SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS

Thomas Winston’s Lost Wolves Of Yellowstone will open HSDFF on Friday, October 10 at the Oaklawn Event Center. The film follows the audacious plan and journey to reintroduce wolves to Yellowstone as well as profiles the courageous story of Mollie Beattie, director of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, who led the way. Winston will attend and participate in a post-screening Q&A. André Hörmann’s The Cowboy will make its North American premiere as the Centerpiece selection on Wednesday, October 15 at the Arlington Hotel & Spa. Focusing on the idea of the American Cowboy, the film introduces us to 11-year-old Crowley McCuistion, as he’s riding horses and learning how to rope on a Colorado ranch, and then takes us on a remarkable 10-year journey, witnessing his dream of being an American cowboy prove as elusive as a runaway bull. Hörmann will attend and participate in a post-screening Q&A. Elegance Bratton’s Move Ya Body: The Birth Of House will be the Closing Night selection, screening on Saturday, October 18 at the Oaklawn Event Center. The film traces the roots of house music that exploded out of Chicago’s underground music scene in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s. Bratton and producer Chester Algernal Gordon will attend and participate in a post screening Q&A.

 

HSDFF HONOREES

Jon Alpert will be in attendance for the Brent Renaud Career Achievement Award presentation, which follows a special work-in-progress screening of Jon’s new documentary short The Raging Rabbi on Tuesday, October 14 at 4:30 PM at the Arlington Resort Hotel & Spa. Winner of a staggering 17 National Emmy Awards, Jon Alpert has been making extraordinary documentaries on a wide range of topics for six decades. Nominated for two Academy Awards, Jon has won four DuPont-Columbia Awards, a Peabody Award, and was the first Inductee in the National Emmy Awards Golden Circle (Hall of Fame). Whether shooting films in war zones or capturing intimate and largely overlooked stories at home, Jon has demonstrated documentary filmmaking’s unlimited potential to educate, engage, and enlighten. Besides his unparalleled career as a documentary filmmaker, Jon has also had an immeasurable impact on the field, as a mentor to up-and-coming filmmakers (including Brent and Craig Renaud) and as co-founder of Downtown Community Television Center, one of America’s oldest and most honored community media centers. Immediately following the Career Achievement Award presentation, HSDFF will screen Craig Renaud’s new documentary short, Armed Only With A Camera: The Life and Death of Brent Renaud.

 

Geeta Gandbhir will be in attendance for the Impact Award presentation, which follows the screening of The Perfect Neighbor (Netflix) on Sunday, October 12 at 4:45 PM at the Arlington Resort Hotel & Spa. Geeta Gandbhir is an award-winning filmmaker who began her career in narrative film under the mentorship of Spike Lee and Sam Pollard. After more than a decade in scripted film, collaborating with masters such as the Coen Brothers and Robert Altman, she transitioned to documentary filmmaking. Geeta directed Katrina: Come Hell and High Water (Netflix, 2025) alongside Spike Lee and Samantha Knowles, a three-part series revisiting post-Katrina New Orleans. Her current documentary The Perfect Neighbor won the directing award in the U.S. documentary category at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival and will premiere on Netflix later this year. Other directing credits include The Devil Is Busy (HBO) — which screens at this year’s HSDFF — How We Get Free (Oscar-shortlisted, HBO), Born in Synanon (Paramount), Lowndes County and the Road to Black Power (Emmy Award Winner, 2023).

 

 

ADDITIONAL EVENTS

Following a screening of his powerful new Netflix documentary short All the Empty Rooms, Academy Award-nominated and Emmy-winning filmmaker Joshua Seftel (Stranger at the Gate) participates in a live podcast conversation with Michael Merrill and HSDFF Executive Director Ken Jacobson, hosts of the “Top Docs: Award-Winning Documentary Filmmakers” podcast.

 

In 1985, the Chicago Bears dominated the NFL and embodied everything that encapsulated that memorable decade: flash, chaos and a get-out-of-my-way attitude. Their Super Bowl winning season had it all — the birth of Buddy Ryan's 46 Defense, the "Super Bowl Shuffle" and a colorful group of misfits who became the toast of football. ESPN Films’ 30 for 30 released The ’85 Bears documentary in 2016. Join us for this special event celebrating the 40th anniversary of one of the greatest teams in NFL history. In addition to showing clips from the film, members of the 30 for 30 team will be in conversation with one of the team’s defensive stars, Pro Football Hall of Famer and Razorback great, Dan Hampton. The event will be moderated by ESPN Films Senior Producer Gentry Kirby with Hampton (Chicago Bears, 1979 - 90, University of Arkansas, 1975 - 78) and ESPN Films Senior Producer Marquis Daisy.

 

Three years after Little Rock-raised filmmaker Brent Renaud was tragically killed while covering the invasion of Ukraine, his brother Craig Renaud has completed an extraordinary and deeply personal portrait of Brent’s life, career and legacy, Armed Only With A Camera: The Life and Death of Brent Renaud. The film honors Brent’s unwavering dedication to his craft and sheds light on the dangerous realities faced by journalists working in conflict zones. Following a screening of the short film, Jon Alpert, HSDFF’s 2025 Brent Renaud Career Achievement Award recipient and mentor to Brent and Craig, will moderate a conversation with Craig and photojournalist/ filmmaker Juan Arredondo, who was with Brent at the time and also sustained a gunshot wound. The special screening and presentation will be co-presented by the Clinton Presidential Center.

 

Remaining Native

 

This year’s festival features a stellar lineup of extraordinary documentaries that celebrates Native and Indigenous stories and storytellers. Marking Indigenous Peoples’ Day on Monday, October 13th, the festival will screen the features Powwow People, a joyful new film by HSDFF’s 2023 Career Achievement Award winner Sky Hopinka; Remaining Native, directed by Paige Bethmann, which chronicles the story of an inspiring young athlete who honors his great-grandfather’s legacy; Colleen Thurston’s captivating Drowned Land, which follows a diverse group of allies who come together to protect the Kiamichi River in southeastern Oklahoma; and Richard Ladkani’s riveting and panoramic Yanuni, which focuses on the courageous leadership of Indigenous chief Juma Xipaia as she fights to save her peoples’ tribal lands in the Brazilian rainforest.

 

Additional special presentations include Rebecca Miller’s Mr. Scorsese - Part 1: Stranger in A Strange Land And Part 2: All This Filming Isn’t Healthy, which goes deep inside the life, art, and career of legendary filmmaker Martin Scorsese, with revelatory introspection from the master himself.  Only Parts 1 and 2 (from the 5-part series) will be shown and will be screened back-to-back. HSDFF’s always popular Secret Screening will return for the third year in a row. 

 

Also back by popular demand is our uniquely Hot Springs live storytelling event — “True Stories.” This series of short, personal stories told by a diverse mix of visiting filmmakers and local legends, held in front of a faux roaring fire, is designed to enthrall, entertain, surprise, & inspire. Hosted by author Kai Coggin (she/her), the inaugural Poet Laureate of the City of Hot Springs.

 

National Park College and Hot Springs Village Shorts Programs

For the first time, HSDFF is expanding its program to the National Park College in Hot Springs for a specially curated package of short films intended to build connections between the festival and the NPC community. For the second year in a row, HSDFF brings its documentary programming to nearby Hot Springs Village for a curated shorts program.

 

The Emerging Filmmakers Program, a long-standing partnership between HSDFF and Arkansas PBS, is one of HSDFF’s most cherished educational initiatives. This full-day experience welcomes middle and high school students from throughout the region to engage in thought-provoking screenings, interactive Q&A sessions, and hands-on workshops. Designed to immerse young storytellers in the craft of documentary filmmaking, the program features guidance from award-winning filmmakers and top industry professionals. Since its inception, the program has welcomed hundreds of students from more than 30 schools.

 

The Brent Renaud Mentorship Program, is presented in partnership with Arkansas PBS. Working filmmakers join Peabody Award-winner Craig Renaud to offer a behind-the-scenes look at their creative processes and share practical guidance for building a sustainable career in filmmaking. This unique opportunity allows participants to gain an insider’s perspective on the art and craft of documentary filmmaking.

 

THE FILMMAKER FORUM

Now in its third year, the HSDFF Filmmaker Forum is a three-day filmmaker/industry conference and convening to be held October 12 – 14 during this year’s Festival. In this unprecedented year, in which federal government funding has been stripped from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and public media, there is no more urgent time for filmmakers and industry leaders to meet, discuss and raise critical questions about where the documentary field stands and where to go from here. The Forum offers dynamic programming focused on the art, craft and business of documentary storytelling with a focus on public media, and a wider lens on the nonfiction ecosystem as a whole. The Filmmaker Forum is sponsored by CPB, Wyncote Foundation, MacArthur Foundation and Video Consortium.

 

 

Additional film highlights include Ryan White’s 2025 Sundance award winner, Come See Me In The Good Light about Colorado Poet Laureate Andrea Gibson. Diagnosed with terminal cancer, they responded by weaving verse into a profound response to mortality. With their wife and fellow poet, Megan Falley, by their side, Andrea prepares for one final, unforgettable performance while reflecting on the life, love, and community that sustained them. Mark Obenhaus and Laura Poitras’ Cover-Up catch up with arguably the most important investigative reporter of our time, the dogged truth seeker and reluctant participant Seymour Hersh, who broke the My Lai massacre story and many others. The enigmatic Werner Herzog’s Ghost Elephants joins Dr. Steve Boyes in his search for rare elephants in this fascinating documentary about the awe and mystery of the natural world. Morgan Neville’s Man On The Run profiles the post-Beatles Paul McCartney.

 

Brandon Kramer’s emotionally wrenching Holding Liat, winner of the Berlinale Best Documentary prize, follows the story of Liat Beinin Atzili and her husband who were kidnapped during the Hamas attack on Israel, leaving their family shattered and desperate for answers. Brittany Shyne’s 2025 Sundance U.S. Grand Jury Prize winner, Seeds looks at black farmers in the American South, following multigenerational families determined to preserve their heritage despite mounting obstacles — navigating lawsuits, shifting federal promises, and the changing landscape of modern agriculture.  In their intimate and unsparing Love+War, Academy Award winners Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin (Free Solo) follow legendary photojournalist Lynsey Addario as she navigates the joys and responsibilities of family and the dangers inherent in her work that often brings her right in the middle of conflict zones. Anastasiya Miroshnichenko’s inspired portrait Welded Together makes its North American premiere at HSDFF. The 2025 Sheffield DocFest Grand Jury Award winner follows a young woman determined to save her younger sister from the trauma of her own childhood. Having built a life for herself as a welder, Katya is prepared to do what it takes to help her family. However, her efforts to build a better life for her sister are complicated when she is forced to make a life-changing decision.

 

Passes are on sale now. For more information on purchasing and additional details on the Hot Springs Documentary Film festival, please visit: hsdfi.org.

 

 

The 2025 Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival official selections:

 

GALA SELECTIONS AND SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS

 

Opening Night Gala Selection

Lost Wolves Of Yellowstone

Director: Thomas Winston

Country: USA | Running Time: 91 mins

By the mid-1920s, all known wolf packs had been systematically eliminated from Yellowstone. On January 12, 1995, in an audacious plan launched by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Alpha Female Wolf No. 5 from Canada was carried into Yellowstone National Park, the first step in a project that would dramatically change the course of wildlife restoration in America’s most popular national park. Thomas Winston’s inspiring film captures the wolves’ remarkable journey and the courageous story of Mollie Beattie, director of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, who led the way.

 

Centerpiece Gala Selection

The Cowboy                                                               NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE

Director: André Hörmann

Countries: Germany, USA | Running Time: 89 mins

Comparable in scope to such epic longitudinal portraits as 7 Up and Boyhood, director André Hörmann’s The Cowboy sets its sights on the most iconic of all American archetypes — the Western cowboy. In 2015, when we first meet 11-year-old Crowley McCuistion, he’s riding horses and learning how to rope on a Colorado ranch. Over the course of the next ten years, we bear witness as Crowley grows from boyhood to early adulthood and sees his dream of being an American cowboy prove as elusive as a runaway bull.

 

Closing Night Gala Selection

Move Ya Body: The Birth Of House   

Director: Elegance Bratton

Country: USA | Running Time: 87 mins

Tracing the roots of house music, the irresistible form of synth-based dance music that exploded out of Chicago’s underground music scene in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s, this electrifying documentary celebrates the pioneers and marginalized youth who transformed struggle into rhythm, igniting a joyful revolution that continues to move bodies and inspire people worldwide.

 

Special Presentations

 

All the Empty Rooms Screening (and “Top Docs” Podcast Conversation)

Director: Joshua Seftel

Country: USA | Film Running Time: 34 mins

Short film follows CBS News correspondent Steve Hartman and photographer Lou Bopp as they spend seven years documenting the empty bedrooms of children killed in school shootings. The powerful and emotional film features photographs of these "sacred spaces frozen in time," aiming to provide a deeper understanding of the impact of gun violence in America. 

 

Armed Only With A Camera: The Life and Death of Brent Renaud

(Screening and Conversation)

Director: Brent Renaud

Country: USA | Film Running Time: 38 mins

In March 2022, Little Rock-raised filmmaker Brent Renaud was tragically killed by Russian fire while documenting the invasion of Ukraine — the first American journalist killed in the war. Now, three years later, his brother Craig has completed an extraordinary and deeply personal portrait of Brent’s life, career and legacy. The film honors Brent’s unwavering dedication to his craft and sheds light on the dangerous realities faced by journalists working in conflict zones.

 

Mr. Scorsese - Part 1: Stranger in A Strange Land And Part 2: All This Filming Isn’t Healthy

Director: Rebecca Miller

County: USA Running Time: 120 min

This thoroughly engaging new three-part series from Rebecca Miller (Maggie’s Plan) goes deep inside the life, art, and career of legendary filmmaker Martin Scorsese, with revelatory introspection from the master himself. 

 

 

ADDITIONAL FEATURE SELECTIONS

 

Apollo 1          

Director: Mark Craig                 

Countries: United Kingdom, Germany | Running Time: 102 min

As the United States set its sights on the Moon, a dedicated team worked to make those dreams a reality. These efforts were forever shaped by the tragic loss of the pilots of Apollo 1. Through archival footage and intimate interviews, meet Gus Grissom, Ed White and Roger Chaffee, the team selected to fly the first mission. Director Mark Craig profiles the brave crew and examines the science of space exploration in this harrowing documentary.

 

Ask E. Jean    

Director: Ivy Meeropol              

Country: USA | Running Time: 91 min

Meet E. Jean Carroll. She sued Donald Trump for defamation and battery... and won — twice. But that is just one small part of E. Jean’s story. A highly successful magazine writer, she also penned one of the longest-running advice columns in American publishing.

 

Backside         

Director: Raúl O. Paz-Pastrana             

Country: USA | Running Time: 85 min

Churchill Downs is home to the excitement and opulence of the Kentucky Derby. Behind the scenes, a crew of dedicated workers care for the racehorses. Through interviews and observational footage, director Raúl O. Paz-Pastrana invites audiences into the stables to meet the people that make this legendary event possible. Filmed during an entire season at the famous racetrack, Backside presents an immersive look at the world of horse racing.

 

The Balloonists                                                                      US PREMIERE

Director: John Dower               

Countries: United Kingdom, Austria, USA | Running Time: 86 min

In the 1990s, the world was captivated by competing teams of balloonists who sought to become the first to circumnavigate the globe. John Dower’s thrilling documentary follows the ups-and-downs (literally and figuratively) of the odd couple Bertrand Piccard and Brian Jones as the two men attempt to make history.

 

A Brief History Of Chasing Storms    

Director: Curtis Miller               

Country: USA | Running Time: 80 min

Twisters and cyclones and tornadoes — oh my! Filmmaker Curtis Miller dives headfirst into his own tornado obsession, spinning the storm into more than wild weather, but a full-blown American icon.

 

Cecil   

Director: Arthur Cary                

Country: United Kingdom | Running Time: 101 min

In 2015, the fate of a prominent and much photographed lion in Zimbabwe — Cecil, with his striking black mane and golden eyes — became entangled with that of an American dentist named Walter Palmer. The events that unfolded sparked a media frenzy and global outcry over trophy hunting practices. Yet, the simplicity of the outrage stood in stark contrast to the complexity of the reality. Tourism and hunting are major economic drivers in the region, often at odds with the perspectives of wildlife protectors and, especially, the local communities most directly impacted. Cecil urges us to confront the history of colonization, the ethics of conservation, the limitations of legal systems and the impacts of cancel culture.

 

Come See Me In The Good Light       

Director: Ryan White                

Country: USA | Running Time: 104 min

Colorado Poet Laureate Andrea Gibson has always turned to poetry in moments of upheaval. When diagnosed with terminal cancer, they once again lean on their art, weaving verse into a profound response to mortality. With their wife and fellow poet, Megan Falley, by their side, Andrea prepares for one final, unforgettable performance while reflecting on the life, love, and community that sustained them. Full of warmth, tenderness, and poetic brilliance, this 2025 Sundance Festival Favorite Award winner is a heartbreaking yet life-affirming celebration of creativity, partnership, and the enduring power of words to light the darkest times.

 

Cover-Up        

Directors: Mark Obenhaus, Laura Poitras         

Country: USA | Running Time: 117 min

After 20 years of trying, Academy Award-winning filmmaker Laura Poitras (Citizenfour) and Mark Obenhaus finally catch up with arguably the most important investigative reporter of our time, the dogged truth seeker and reluctant participant Seymour Hersh, who broke the My Lai massacre story and many others.

 

Cutting Through Rocks          

Directors: Mohammadreza Eyni, Sara Khaki                 

Countries: Iran, Germany | Running Time: 96 min

In a small Iranian village, newly elected councilwoman Sara Shahverdi challenges patriarchal traditions — from child marriage to women’s property rights — only to face fierce backlash and life-altering accusations in this gripping portrait of courage and resistance.

 

The Dating Game       

Director: Violet Du Feng           

Country: China | Running Time: 95 min

Eager to find a lasting relationship, three men in China work with Hao, a popular dating coach, as they search for a partner in this charming, funny and poignant story about modern love. Hao’s methods encourage the men to create an elaborate online persona with staged photoshoots in an effort to attract the attention of potential dates. Director Violet Du Feng’s (Hidden Letters) thoughtful documentary examines the world of online dating and the tension that exists between personal authenticity and digital perception.

 

Diamond Diplomacy   

Director: Yuriko Gamo Romer              

Countries: USA, Japan |Running Time:  84 min

Director Yuriko Gamo Romer (Baseball Behind Barbed Wire) explores how the U.S. and

Japan — two countries whose distinct cultures, politics, and economies have at times set them on a collision course — found common ground through a shared love of baseball.

 

Drowned Land

Director: Colleen Thurston                    

Country: USA | Running Time: 86 min

What happens when we begin to lose our connection with the natural world? As outside interests seek to exploit the Kiamichi River in southeastern Oklahoma, a group of Indigenous water protectors, community leaders, and activists come together to preserve their home. Director Colleen Thurston skillfully situates deeply personal storytelling within a historical framework detailing the intentional efforts to displace people from their native lands. Drowned Land is a powerful call to restore Indigenous land stewardship and to advocate for the environment no matter where you are.

 

For Venida, For Kalief

Director: Sisa Bueno                

Country: USA | Running Time: 90 min

Kalief Browder was just sixteen when he was accused of stealing a backpack and sent to Rikers Island because his family couldn’t afford $3,000 bail. Though never convicted of a crime, he spent three years behind bars — two in solitary confinement — before charges were finally dropped due to insufficient evidence. Haunted by the trauma, he later took his life at 22. Told in part through his late mother’s poetry, this moving and inventive film is both heartbreaking and profound. More than a tribute, it’s a searing indictment of a broken system that discards lives, fractures communities, and disregards due process.

 

The Gas Station Attendant     

Director: Karla Murthy  

Country: USA | Running Time: 80 min

This moving personal documentary by Karla Murthy pieces together the story of an Indian immigrant to America who raised a family while pursuing an ever-shifting dream. From frequent relocations to a carousel of careers (culminating in a stint in Hot Springs), his choices left indelible marks on those closest to him, including strained relationships and tangled finances. Through the eyes of his daughter, the film explores a legacy that is at once frustrating, and deeply human. By turns tender and candid, it’s a portrait of a father remembered in all his complexity, contradictions, and love.

 

Ghost Elephants         

Director: Werner Herzog                      

Country: USA | Running Time: 98 min

Legendary filmmaker Werner Herzog joins Dr. Steve Boyes in his search for rare elephants in this fascinating documentary about the awe and mystery of the natural world. Herzog brings his signature style to his latest work as the quest to find photo evidence of the creatures evolves into a philosophical and lyrical reflection on the search for knowledge and certainty. With beautiful cinematography and a deep well of curiosity, Ghost Elephants celebrates science and the complexity of life on Earth.

 

Girl Climber    

Director: Jon Glassberg           

Country: USA | Running Time: 82 min

Join Emily Harrington as she prepares for her next epic climb: ascending El Capitan in 24 hours. From the extreme toll of training to the desire to start a family, director Jon Glassberg shines a light on the pressures faced by a person completing a high profile feat. This personal documentary offers a thrilling and intimate look at Harrington’s life and career. Featuring interviews with outdoor legends Hilaree Nelson and Alex Honnold, Girl Climber is an exciting look at the pursuit of excellence.

 

A Healing Journey - Comanche Academy     

Directors: Comanche Academy, Kathryn Boyd-Batstone           

Country: USA | Running Time: 82 min

After generations of language loss caused by federal policies and forced assimilation, the Comanche Nation is reclaiming its ancestral tongue through a groundbreaking charter school in rural Oklahoma. More than a classroom, the school serves as a site of community healing and nation-building, helping students and elders alike confront and overcome generational trauma. Through an intimate portrait of resilience, the film reveals the enduring strength and hope of a people determined to create positive futures for the next generation by centering culture and within their education system.

 

Holding Liat    

Director: Brandon Kramer                     

Country: USA | Running Time: 97 min

On October 7, 2023, Liat Beinin Atzili and her husband were kidnapped during the Hamas attack on Israel, leaving their family shattered and desperate for answers. Shortly after, filmmaker and relative Brandon Kramer began documenting their fight to bring Liat home. What emerges is an unflinching portrait of loved ones navigating anguish, hope, and division as they struggle to remain united. Intimate and deeply personal, the film captures a family wrestling with impossible choices, asking how far we should go for those we love and what it means to hold onto our convictions in the darkest of times.

 

The Inquisitor 

Director: Angela Lynn Tucker               

Country: USA | Running Time: 98 min

Known as “The Voice of God,” Barbara Jordan brought cool reasoning and profound oratory to the national stage, shattering barriers as the first Black woman elected to the Texas Senate. Elected to Congress in 1972, her sharp intellect and moral clarity made her a beacon during the Watergate hearings, when she spoke with courage and conviction for the American people. Featuring rich archival footage, including appearances from fellow Southern icons of the era, this moving documentary honors Jordan’s remarkable presence, power, and principles.

 

Jimmy & The Demons

Director: Cindy Meehl               

Country: USA | Running Time: 93 min

Witness the magic of the creative process as acclaimed sculptor James Grashow begins work on a new, major project in this heartwarming documentary about legacy and faith. Over the course of four years, Jimmy creates “The Cathedral,” an impressive wood carving that recreates and recontextualizes Christian iconography.

 

Just Kids        

Director: Gianna Toboni           

Country: USA | Running Time: 93 min

Three transgender teens and their families navigate the everyday realities of growing up while also confronting the rise of legislation banning gender-affirming care in the United States. Director Gianna Toboni spends a year with the families as they must decide whether to stay in their home state or move to an area that is more compassionate and inclusive. This powerful coming-of-age documentary profiles these remarkable teenagers while also depicting the everyday advocacy that empowers individuals and stands up to intolerance.

 

K-Number                                                                               US PREMIERE

Director: Jo Seyoung               

Country: Republic of Korea | Running Time: 112 min

K-number is an affecting true-crime documentary that pulls back the curtain on the dark underbelly of South Korea’s adoption industry. Following one adoptee’s deeply personal search for her biological roots, the film uncovers the hidden history of Korean overseas adoption. The title refers to the identification number assigned to each child before being sent abroad to strangers — a haunting symbol of loss and displacement.

 

The Librarians

Director: Kim A. Snyder            

Country: USA | Running Time: 97 min

As calls for book bans sweep across the United States, more than 850 titles — most centered on race, inclusivity, and LGBTQIA+ stories — are suddenly under fire. Nowhere is the battle more heated than in Texas and Florida, where librarians stand at the frontlines. Fiercely defending the First Amendment, they resist mounting pressures to erase diverse voices from shelves, even as organized efforts push censorship nationwide.

 

Life After         

Director: Reid Davenport                     

Country: USA | Running Time: 99 min

In this gripping follow-up to the acclaimed I Didn’t See You There, filmmaker Reid Davenport turns his lens to the disability rights movement through the story of Elizabeth Bouvia. Once at the center of a landmark Right to Die case, Bouvia fought to end her life while living with the challenges of cerebral palsy. Though her legal battle became a fixture in classrooms and ethics debates, she herself vanished from public view. As Davenport searches for her, he exposes the intimate struggles behind the headlines and the thorny questions of government control, personal autonomy, and the fight for disability rights.

 

A Life Illuminated       

Director: Tasha Van Zandt                   

Country: USA | Running Time: 89 min

Descend into the darkest parts of the ocean with marine biologist Dr. Edith Widder as she embarks on a thrilling and potentially game changing scientific quest: to gather video evidence of bioluminescent lifeforms. Director Tasha Van Zandt showcases the painstaking process of Widder’s work, crafting a documentary that is a love letter to both science and the natural world.

 

Love+War       

Directors: Chai Vasarhelyi, Jimmy Chin 

Country: USA | Running Time: 96 min

Lynsey Addario’s photos have shown the human face of global conflict for more than two decades. In this intimate portrait, the legendary photojournalist reflects on her personal and professional life as she is called to report on the war in Ukraine. This intimate profile directed by Academy Award winners Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin (Free Solo) follows Addario as she navigates the joys and responsibilities of family and the distance and dangers inherent in her work.

 

Man On The Run        

Director: Morgan Neville                       

Countries: USA, United Kingdom | Running Time: 117 min

What comes after The Beatles? This rousing music documentary offers an intimate profile of Sir Paul McCartney as he embarks on his next creative journey following his time with the Fab Four. Oscar winner Morgan Neville takes audiences behind the fame, the speculation, and the headlines to witness the craft and the process of creating new music.

 

Natchez          

Director: Suzannah Herbert                  

Country: USA | Running Time: 86 min

In Natchez, Mississippi, antebellum mansions aren’t just historic landmarks — they’re the heart of a thriving tourism industry that fuels the town’s identity and economy. This insightful documentary introduces the many people who keep the tours alive: mansion owners clinging to family legacy, costumed guides reveling in pageantry, park rangers committed to fuller history, and locals pushing for more complex storytelling. Each participant has their own reasons — pride, profit, or passion — making for a fascinating and often contradictory portrait of a community built on memory.

 

Never Get Busted!      

Directors: David Anthony Ngo, Stephen McCallum        

Country: Australia | Running Time: 105 min

For years, Barry Cooper was a star Texas narcotics officer, famed for busting marijuana dealers with swagger and skill. But when the toll of his aggressive tactics became undeniable, Barry stunned his peers by quitting the force—turning instead to teach the very people he once targeted how to evade the cops, while exposing police corruption. Hailed as a folk hero by cannabis users and branded public enemy number one by law enforcement, Barry’s outrageous reinvention is filled with wild stories, big personalities, and Texas-size spectacle.

 

The Perfect Neighbor 

Director: Geeta Gandbhir                     

Country: USA | Running Time: 97 min

One night, a seemingly ordinary Florida neighborhood is forever changed when a woman fatally shoots her neighbor, citing the state’s “stand your ground” law. Was she acting out of fear, or something more sinister? Constructed from extensive police body camera footage, this remarkable documentary pieces together the unraveling of a vibrant community, capturing the devastation that follows in raw, immediate detail. As neighbors grieve and a town struggles to make sense of the violence, the film asks whether such laws truly protect or embolden dangerous manipulators to justify deadly choices.

 

Powwow People         

Director: Sky Hopinka              

Country: USA | Running Time: 88 min

Sky Hopinka’s immersive documentary carries us into the heart of a day at a pow wow, from the quiet bustle of setup to the riveting final dances. With an intimate and energetic lens, the film pulls back the curtain on this iconic American gathering, and showcases the rhythms that bring the pow wow to life.  Behind the camera, Hopinka entwines himself into the narrative, playfully acknowledging his own positionality as a pow wow person while inviting viewers to share in the personal connections that define the event.

 

Put Your Soul On Your Hand And Walk         

Director: Sepideh Farsi            

Countries: France, Palestine, Iran | Running Time: 113 min

In this harrowing documentary, filmmaker Sepideh Farsi shares the recordings of video calls with her late friend Fatma Hassouna, a Palestinian photographer living in Gaza. Over the course of one year, Hassouna shares her experience of the rapidly deteriorating conditions as Israeli forces continue their assault on Gaza. Even amidst the atrocities and the devastating loss, Hassouna remains defiantly hopeful and forms a deep connection with Farsi. Put Your Soul On Your Hand and Walk is a powerful meditation on friendship and a searing look at the unending violence in Gaza.

 

The Raging Rabbi

Director: Jon Alpert

Country: USA | Running Time: 39 min

In this work in progress screening, Jon Alpert provides an intimate portrait of Yuri Foreman, a man who lives in two worlds that are seemingly at polar opposites. While studying to be a rabbi, Foreman seeks to become the first Jewish athlete in decades to claim a world boxing title.

 

Remaining Native       

Director: Paige Bethmann                    

Country: USA | Running Time: 87 min

This multiple award-winning coming-of-age documentary follows 17-year-old Ku Stevens, a runner training alone on the Yerington Paiute reservation in Northwest Nevada, chasing his dream of competing for the University of Oregon. As he pushes his body across the desert landscapes, memories of his great-grandfather Frank Quinn surface, who at eight-years -old ran 50 miles to escape an Indian boarding school. Ku’s pursuit of a collegiate qualifying time becomes inseparable from this family legacy, as he weaves past and present into every stride. Amid the solitude of his training, Ku confronts generational trauma and creates new ways to heal his community through running.

 

Riefenstahl     

Director: Andres Veiel              

Country: Germany | Running Time: 115 min

Leni Riefenstahl remains one of cinema’s most controversial figures—hailed for her artistry, condemned for her propaganda. This probing documentary explores her life and career while confronting questions of complicity, responsibility, and power: who gets to tell history, and at what cost? Drawing on Riefenstahl’s own words to reveal hypocrisy and self-mythologizing, the film utilizes archival footage and photographs to make history feel alive, immediate, and unsettlingly urgent.

 

Seeds 

Director: Brittany Shyne           

Country: USA | Running Time: 122 min

For generations, Black farmers in the American South have cultivated the land, only to be left behind by programs meant to support them. Seeds follows multigenerational families determined to preserve their heritage despite mounting obstacles — navigating lawsuits, shifting federal promises, and the changing landscape of modern agriculture. With patience and power, the film gradually reveals how an unequal system threatens livelihoods, legacies, and the broader future of American farming.

 

State of Firsts 

Director: Chase Joynt              

Country: USA | Running Time: 93 min

History is made when Sarah McBride is elected to the House of Representatives and she becomes the first transgender person to serve in Congress. Join McBride on her journey from the campaign trail to Washington DC in this powerful political documentary. Director Chase Joynt (Framing Agnes) accompanies McBride through the triumphant highs and devastating lows in the life of a public servant chronicling everything from a celebratory call from President Biden to harassment on Capitol Hill.

 

The Tale of Silyan

Director: Tamara Kotevska

Countries: North Macedonia, USA | Running Time: 80 min

In rural North Macedonia, a farmer is confronted by the harsh realities of a changing economy and must chart a path forward for himself, his family, and the land he stewards. Nicola finds a renewed sense of self amidst these hardships as he cares for an injured white stork. Academy Award-nominated director Tamara Kotevska (Honeyland) tells a story both folkloric and startlingly frank, exploring poignant parallels between the cultural fabric of a region and the lived experience of a people trying to survive in an increasingly unstable financial situation.

 

The Track       

Director: Ryan Sidhoo             

Countries: Canada, Bosnia | Running Time: 90 min

Set on the bullet-scarred bobsled track of Sarajevo, The Track follows three close friends — Mirza Nikolajev, Zlatan Jakić, and Hamza Pleho — and their devoted coach, Senad Omanović. Together, they chase their Olympic dreams on crumbling infrastructure left behind from a war that scarred both their country and its people. In a generation still reckoning with the legacy of conflict, their story unfolds as a true underdog journey driven by grit, resilience, and the hope of carving a future on a track built from the past.

 

We Are Pat     

Director: Rowan Haber             

Country: USA | Running Time: 89 min

Julia Sweeney’s character Pat became a popular figure on Saturday Night Live in the 1990’s, even inspiring a feature film. Pat’s androgynous characteristics subverted gendered norms at time, but how is the character be perceived by contemporary audiences? With humor, ingenuity and pathos, director Ro Haber reflects on Pat’s complex legacy in the representation of trans and queer stories in media, ensuring that trans voices are centered in the process.

 

Welded Together                                                                    NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE

Director: Anastasiya Miroshnichenko                

Countries: France, Netherlands, Belgium | Running Time: 96 min

Katya is determined to save her younger sister from the trauma of her own childhood. Having built a life for herself as a welder, Katya is prepared to do what it takes to help her family. However, her efforts to build a better life for her sister are complicated when she is forced to make a life-changing decision. In this masterfully crafted profile of Katya and her sister, director Anastasiya Miroshnichenko has painted a powerful story about sisterhood and the sacrifices we make for the people that matter most to us.

 

Widow Champion       

Director: Zippy Kimundu           

Country: Kenya | Running Time: 90 min

Upon her husband’s death, Kenyan widow Rodah was not met with comfort by her in-laws but with eviction, forcing her from her home and claiming the land for themselves. Refusing to accept this injustice, she fought a long and difficult battle to win back what was rightfully hers. Emerging as a determined advocate, she now dedicates her life to helping other widows do the same. Her work reveals the clash between tradition and progress, as patriarchal customs strip women of dignity and stability.

 

Yanuni

Director: Richard Ladkani                     

Countries: Austria, Brazil, USA, Canada, Germany | Running Time: 112 min

Both a brilliantly crafted portrait and an edge-of-your-seat thriller, Yanuni documents Juma Xipaia, the first female chief of the Xipaya people in the Brazilian Amazon, and the fight to protect her ancestral land. This riveting documentary offers unprecedented access to the fight against illegal miners and Xipaia and her allies’ activism to protect the forest, a beacon of biodiversity and the lungs of the earth. 

 

 

SHORT FILM SELECTIONS

 

SHORT PRECEDING A FEATURE

 

The Treasures Of Mrs. Grady's Library

Precedes the feature The Librarians

Director: Richard O'Connor

Country: USA | Running Time: 3 min

A young life is transformed by the kindness of two librarians.

 

 

SHORTS PROGRAM: CROSSING BORDERS

 

Death Education         

Director: Yuxuan Ethan Wu      

Country: China | Running Time: 13 min

On Tomb-Sweeping Day, a Chinese teacher guides students through a unique death education class: burying the ashes of the unnamed. This tender short honors life while confronting mortality with grace and reverence.

 

La Mayordomía           

Director: Martin Edralin 

Country: Canada | Running Time: 23 min

Members of a close-knit community in Mexico City hope for the opportunity to host and care for beloved statues of the Baby Jesus that rotate from home to home each year.

 

No Mean City  

Director: Ross McClean

Country: United Kingdom | Running Time: 16 min

As Belfast’s streetlights shift from amber to LED, two workmen and their apprentice carry out the task while residents question the replacement — illuminating how even small shifts can reveal a community’s resistance to change.

 

Okienko / Through The Window        

Director: Daniel Stopa  

Country: Poland | Running Time: 11 min

From a Polish newspaper kiosk, fleeting encounters unfold: customers chat, share worries, or simply pass through. This charming short captures everyday routines with wit and warmth, revealing how small moments quietly shape our lives.

 

Where The Wind Blows          

Director: Hana Elias     

Country: USA | Running Time: 17 min

Palestinian-American Nassib journeys back to his ancestral land, where tending to his family’s ancient olive trees becomes an act of remembrance, belonging, and renewal.

 

Your Opinion, Please 

Director: Marshall Granger        

Country: USA | Running Time: 15 min

The weekly radio show “Your Opinion, Please!” invited listeners across Montana to share what was on their mind in the early 2000s. This absorbing documentary shares audio from the trailblazing show and creates an intimate portrait of a people and the place they call home.

 

 

SHORTS PROGRAM: THE NATURAL STATE

 

Faux Ball: The Legend Of Village Academy   

Director: Eric White      

Country: USA | Running Time: 7 min

Two jokesters in Arkansas begin to report football scores for a fictional high school, Village Academy, to the local media and a simple prank evolves into something much bigger.

 

Kanenon: We - Original Seeds           

Director: Katsitsionni Fox         

Country: USA | Running Time: 26 min

Three Haudenosaunee seed keepers weave ancestral knowledge with contemporary rematriation practices, centering food sovereignty in the path toward cultural sustainability.

 

Ridge To River; The Arkansas Traverse        

Director: Allyson de la Houssaye          

Country: USA | Running Time: 49 min

An avid group of cyclists chart a path to ride across the state of Arkansas. Along the way, their bonds deepen and they learn about the land they call home.

 

A Still Small Voice                                                                  WORLD PREMIERE    

Directors: Nolan Dean, Laney Gradus   

Country: USA | Running Time: 21 min

Arkansas artist V.L. Cox reflects on the personal nature of her work as she begins to craft a new installation inspired by the history of an abandoned church.

 

 

SHORTS PROGRAM: LIFE IN FOCUS

 

Appalheads    

Director: Scott Faris     

Country: USA | Running Time: 17 min

A daughter returns to eastern Kentucky to excavate her father’s filmmaking legacy.

 

Carly Buckets 

Director: Mark Williams

Country: USA | Running Time: 26 min

Growing up on the Mississippi Choctaw reservation, Carly Keats stood out as a stickball player before transitioning to a college career as a standout on the University of Arkansas women’s basketball team.

 

Carol & Joy    

Director: Nathan Silver 

Country: USA | Running Time: 39 min

Spend a charming, and unforgettable, afternoon with Oscar nominee Carol Kane and Joy, her mother and roommate, as they revisit memories, hold music lessons,  and tell stories from their lives.

 

Embracing Instability 

Director: Nathan Willis  

Country: USA | Running Time: 5 min

In this lyrical self-reflection, filmmaker Nathan Willis leans into the tremor of his young-onset Parkinson’s and the fragile beauty of Super 8mm film, finding meaning in their shared imperfection.

 

Not Yet                                                                                    NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE

Director: Souvid "JIJO" Datta    

Country: United Kingdom | Running Time: 10 min

Created in 48 hours, this observational short chronicles an afternoon in the life of three high school students the day after graduation, as they confront anxieties and possibilities about the future before them.

 

PB&P  

Director: Eleanor Galloway       

Country: USA | Running Time: 5 min

Ah, the iconic sandwich: peanut butter and… pickles?! Don’t knock it until you try it! In this delightful short, Dwight Garner shares his recipe for the unlikely combo.

 

 

SHORTS PROGRAM: LOOKING FORWARD   

 

The Last Clinic In Arkansas                                                    WORLD PREMIERE    

Director: Phillip Davis   

Country: USA | Running Time: 21 min

Clinic staff and volunteers work to support the reproductive rights of their Arkansas community following the overturn of Roe V Wade.

 

Last Days On Lake Trinity      

Director: Charlotte Cooley        

Country: USA | Running Time: 29 min

When their South Florida trailer park is slated for closure, three older friends face eviction and uncertainty, clinging to community and one another as they search for a place to call home.

 

Shanti Rides Shotgun

Director: Charles Frank

Country: USA | Running Time: 8 min

Meet New York City’s most eccentric driving instructor: foul-mouthed, unorthodox, and wildly effective. Between curses and chaos, she turns nervous students into licensed drivers.

 

Swimming With Butterflies     

Director: Karl Stelter     

Country: USA | Running Time: 8 min

After missing a Paralympic medal by just 1/100^th of a second in 2016, Lizzi Smith channels her heartbreak into fierce determination, setting her sights on second chances.

 

Teaching America      

Director: Anurima Bhargava      

Country: USA | Running Time: 20 min

Educators and students face challenges from the State of Arkansas as high schools prepare to offer AP African American Studies courses in this thought-provoking documentary about education and history.

 

 

SHORTS PROGRAM: FAMILY BONDS           

 

Bouncy Brothers        

Director: Nicholas J. Santore    

Country: USA | Running Time: 20 min

When an aging dreamer’s bouncy house business falters, he turns to his steadier sibling for help—risking old resentments resurfacing in this poignant short about family, second chances, and the fragile ties that hold us together.

 

The Dying Business   

Director: Joe Duca       

Country: USA | Running Time: 21 min

Frank Duca Funeral Home has been a family-run business for three generations. As times change, the Duca family must now decide how to best adapt their business model to serve their clientele.

 

Red Sands      

Director: Romina Cenisio         

Country: USA | Running Time: 20 min

The color of the Chihuahuan desert outside El Paso, Texas and Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, Red Sands is home to a vibrant community of off-roaders: charging through the landscape in extravagant pastel and neon trucks.

 

Tiger   

Director: Loren Waters 

Country: USA | Running Time: 13 min

Muscogee artist Dana Tiger and her family made waves with their bold expressions of contemporary Native art. Following years of hardship in the family, Dana revitalizes their iconic t-shirt line, breathing new life into a legacy of creativity.

 

Victoria                                                                                   US PREMIERE

Director: Sam Soko     

Countries: Kenya, USA | Running Time: 12 min

After escaping an abusive relationship, Victoria starts anew in Nairobi, lifting children’s spirits—and her own — with her balloon business. This tender short captures her journey toward healing, independence, and the rediscovery of joy.

 

 

SHORTS PROGRAM: CREATING CHANGE   

 

The Changebaker        

Director: Courtney Dixon          

Country: USA | Running Time: 16 min   

Made in America by the Hands of Immigrants. These powerful words showcase the core values of Manolo Betancur’s bakery in North Carolina. As the number of ICE raids begin to increase in his community, Betancur boldly stands with his neighbors.

 

The Devil Is Busy       

Director: Geeta Gandbhir         

Country: USA | Running Time: 30 min

This powerful short captures the extraordinary work of those providing care under constant threat in an Atlanta abortion clinic—revealing the vulnerability, resilience, and courage required to safeguard women’s health in a time of crisis.

 

Fenice

Director: Sterling Hampton       

Country: USA | Running Time: 13 min

A brutal assault could have silenced her. Instead, a young woman reclaims her voice, channeling creativity and conviction into a fight for legislation that safeguards survivors and reshapes how justice is pursued.

 

Sallie’s Ashes 

Director: Brennan Robideaux   

Country: USA | Running Time: 40 min

Led by 80-year-old Sallie Smith, a fearless group of Alabama grandmothers trade retirement for resistance, battling the state’s largest power company and its toxic coal ash pond threatening their waterways, health, and future.

 

 

NATIONAL PARK COLLEGE SHORTS PROGRAM

 

Appalheads    

Director: Scott Faris     

Country: USA | Running Time: 17 min

A daughter returns to eastern Kentucky to excavate her father’s filmmaking legacy.

 

La Mayordomía           

Director: Martin Edralin 

Country: Canada | Running Time: 23 min

In a borough of Mexico City, families take turns caring for Baby Jesus icons.

 

Oh Yeah!        

Director: Nick Canfield 

Countries: USA, Switzerland | Running Time: 17 min

The story of the iconic electronic music group Yello and their classic 1980’s hit song.

 

Okienko / Through The Window                                             US PREMIERE

Director: Daniel Stopa  

Country: Poland | Running Time: 11 min

A slice of life as seen through the kiosk window.

 

PB&P  

Director: Eleanor Galloway       

Country: USA | Running Time: 5 min

An unconventional sandwich that speaks to the power of food to connect us all.

 

Shanti Rides Shotgun

Director: Charles Frank

Country: USA | Running Time: 8 min

A portrait of NYC’s most iconic driving instructor.

 

 

SHORTS PROGRAM: MODERN REFLECTIONS         

 

Hold Me Close

Director: Aurora Brachman       

Country: USA | Running Time: 19 min

Intimate audio recordings trace a season in the daily life of Corinne and Tiana, two Black womxn whose tender partnership reveals the beauty, compassion, and resilience of love shared in everyday moments.

 

L'mina

Director: Randa Maroufi

Countries: France, Morocco, Italy, Qatar | Running Time: 26 min

In L’mina, residents of a Moroccan town step into meticulously crafted sets to reenact the mining operations that define their community

 

Looking For Cover With Sam Green  

Director: Jonn Herschend         

Country: USA | Running Time: 6 min

What’s more delightful — the various patterns stamped on manhole covers, or the eccentric man who can’t stop admiring them?

 

The Last Jews of Guantanamo (Los Últimos Judíos De Guantánamo)         

Director: Yael Bridge    

Country: Cuba | Running Time: 13 min

An intimate portrait of a Jewish community in Guantánamo, Cuba.

 

Their Eyes      

Director: Nicolas Gourault         

Country: France | Running Time: 23 min

Meet the people behind the technology guiding self-driving cars in this innovative documentary that uses screen-recordings and interviews to showcase how humanity is still in the driver’s seat.

 

 

SHORTS PROGRAM: ACROSS TIME 

 

Daily Worker   

Director: Ting Su          

Country: USA | Running Time: 10 min

A visually striking journey through digitized 1920s communist film negatives, archivist Ting Su unearths echoes of her past, linking generational labor struggles to her family’s own story in China.

 

Love Birds      

Directors: Elliott Kennerson, Angel Morris         

Country: USA | Running Time: 28 min

In 1972,  biologists were surprised to discover that a large number of nesting Channel Island seagull pairs are female. The “lesbian seagulls” spark a media frenzy during an era influenced by the LGBTQ+ rights movement.

 

Love Immortal

Director: Ömer Sami    

Country: Denmark | Running Time: 12 min

A couple plan to be cryogenically frozen so that they can be reunited even after death. The plan becomes complicated when Alan meets someone new after his wife passes away.

 

A Picture of My Father                                                                       WORLD PREMIERE

Directors: Jonathan Miller, Zachary Russo        

Country: USA | Running Time: 21 min

As a child, Danielle Ferrante knew nothing about her father. All she had was one photograph. Over time, Ferrante learns the complicated truth about her father’s absence, his incarceration, and the legacy he leaves behind.

 

The Roaming Center For Magnetic Alternatives        

Director: Brydie O'Connor

Country: USA | Running Time: 13 min

A theater production of Hitchcock’s The Birds. A weekend in a Frank Lloyd Wright house. A birthday party among friends. These moments, captured on VHS, are revisited decades later as their creators watch them in a mobile archiving project.

 

 

HOT SPRINGS VILLAGE SHORTS PROGRAM           

 

Appalheads    

Director: Scott Faris     

Country: USA | Running Time: 17 min

Through rich archival footage and a personal lens, this heartfelt short honors the groundbreaking work of Appalshop, where young people in Eastern Kentucky used cameras to authentically portray Appalachian life and reclaim their community’s story.

 

The Changebaker        

Director: Courtney Dixon          

Country: USA | Running Time: 16 min

Made in America by the Hands of Immigrants. These powerful words showcase the core values of Manolo Betancur’s bakery in North Carolina. As the number of ICE raids begin to increase in his community, Betancur boldly stands with his neighbors.

 

Faux Ball: The Legend Of Village Academy                            WORLD PREMIERE    

Director: Eric White      

Country: USA | Running Time: 7 min

Two jokesters in Arkansas begin to report football scores for a fictional high school, Village Academy, to the local media and a simple prank evolves into something much bigger.

 

La Mayordomía           

Director: Martin Edralin 

Country: Canada | Running Time: 23 min

Members of a close-knit community in Mexico City hope for the opportunity to host and care for beloved statues of the Baby Jesus that rotate from home to home each year.

 

PB&P  

Director: Eleanor Galloway       

Country: USA | Running Time: 5 min

Ah, the iconic sandwich: peanut butter and… pickles?! Don’t knock it until you try it!  In this delightful short, Dwight Garner shares his recipe for the unlikely combo.

 

Tiger   

Director: Loren Waters 

Country: USA | Running Time: 13 min

Muscogee artist Dana Tiger and her family made waves with their bold expressions of contemporary Native art. Following years of hardship in the family, Dana revitalizes their iconic t-shirt line, breathing new life into a legacy of creativity.

 

Your Opinion, Please 

Director: Marshall Granger        

Country: USA | Running Time: 15 min

The weekly radio show “Your Opinion, Please!” invited listeners across Montana to share what was on their mind in the early 2000s. This absorbing documentary shares audio from the trailblazing show and creates an intimate portrait of a people and the place they call home.

 

 

SHORTS PROGRAM: CREATIVITY UNBOUND           

 

Dears In The Headlights         

Director: Julia Jansch   

Country: USA | Running Time: 16 min

A woman turns to taxidermy to process grief, transforming roadkill into art. This eccentric yet tender short uncovers an unexpected path through loss, discovering beauty in the bizarre and honoring love through the most unlikely of materials.

 

Freeman Vines           

Director: Tim Kirkman   

Country: USA | Running Time: 15 min

In rural North Carolina, eccentric artist Freeman Vines hand-carves guitars, chasing a sound he first created decades ago. This lyrical short profiles a visionary craftsman steeped in myth, music, and mystery.

 

Icebreakers     

Director: Marlo Poras   

Country: USA | Running Time: 22 min

A group of queer athletes train for the Gay Games in this joyful documentary about figure skating and creating more inclusive spaces within the world of sports.

 

Oh Yeah!        

Director: Nick Canfield 

Countries: USA, Switzerland | Running Time: 17 min

The music group Yello captured the style and attitude of the 1980s in their song Oh Yeah. The tune became an instantly recognizable sensation after it was included in Ferris Beller’s Day Off. Meet the musicians behind the smash hit in this charming documentary.

 

Stankface Standing Soldier: The Rise of Mato Wayuhi          WORLD PREMIERE

Director: Josiah Wesley Jones 

Country: USA | Running Time: 16 min

Meet Mato Wayuhi. The young Lakota musician brings his distinct voice and style to all of his projects including the beloved TV series Reservation Dogs. Go behind the scenes as he works on his album Stankface Standing Soldier.

 

ABOUT HOT SPRINGS DOCUMENTARY FILM FESTIVAL 

Each year, with the help of a small staff and over 100 dedicated volunteers, Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival attracts thousands of visitors to the 9-day multicultural and intergenerational event. Now approaching its 34^th year as the oldest all-documentary festival in North America and one of the longest running non-fiction festivals in the world, the Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival remains a prominent champion and protector of the documentary film genre.