Sam Pollard’s MLK/FBI: Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival 2020 overflows with top-flight programming as it adds films, talks, and panels
Special presentation of HSDFF alumni Sam Pollard’s MLK/FBI at the Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival announced late-breaking additions to the lineup of films, panels, and special events for next month’s 29th edition, taking place October 9-17.
High profile film additions include a special presentation of HSDFF alumnai Sam Pollard’s MLK/FBI accompanied by a Q&A with the director, Dawn Porter’s THE WAY I SEE IT, Hao Wu and Weixi Chen’s 76 DAYS, and the North American premiere of Minna Dufton’s BIG VS SMALL.
Emphasizing the “festival” in film festival, HSDFF also announced a series of “Speakeasy” talks with filmmakers and documentary subjects, conversations with honorees filmmaker panels with an emphasis on filming in a pandemic world, and mental health and creative healing events, both in-person and virtual. Combined, these ancillary programs offer a robust selection of events to go side-by-side with the ambitious film lineup.
“We are ecstatic to add these films to our 2020 line-up as we continue the tradition of presenting the best in documentary filmmaking to the Hot Springs Audience,” says Director of Programming Jessie Fairbanks.
HSDFF Alumni, Sam Pollard returns with his newest film MLK/FBI, hot off its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival. The documentary looks at the Civil Rights’ leader’s treatment by U.S. intelligence and law enforcement agencies as an enemy of the state. FBI surveillance dogged King’s activism throughout the ’50s and ’60s, fueled by the racist and red-baiting paranoia of J. Edgar Hoover. IFC Films will be releasing MLK/FBI January 15, 2021.
HSDFF honoree Dawn Porter’s THE WAY I SEE IT gives a front row seat and insider’s view of life in the White House via former Chief Official White House Photographer Pete Souza’s experiences and perspective. Hao Wu and Weixi Chen’s 76 DAYS gives a harrowing and vital look at the beginnings of the COVID-19 inside Wuhan, China. HSDFF also presents the North American premiere of Minna Dufton’s BIG VS SMALL. The film focuses on Portuguese big wave surfer Joana Andrade who dreams of surfing a 30-metre wave. Additions to the shorts program include the World Premieres of Yung Chang and Annie Katsura Rollins’ PANDEMIC 19, and HSDFF alumni, Johnathan Napolitano’s MOMMY’S NIGHTMARE.
Regarding the Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival’s panels and conversations, HSDFF Artistic Director, Jen Gerber, said, “None of us need to be reminded that 2020 has been a doozy. We know people are struggling and feeling isolated, therefore programs that focus on mental health are in demand more than ever before! Building off the healing waters and spa characteristics of Hot Springs, we have designed a series of virtual and in-person activities to safely allow people to gather and enjoy low-impact activities in downtown Hot Springs, such as bike rides, inspiration hikes and yoga in the park. We will also host a free 2-part workshop led by Beth Pickens, the author of Your Art will Save Your Life, who will guide participants through a series of exercises to consider how 2020 intersects with your life and your art practice while learning to accept and live within the constraints of challenging times,” says Gerber.
The “Speakeasy series” is designed to be a virtual replacement of the eventful after parties HSDFF traditionally hosts. HSDFF encourages participants to pour a drink of their choice and join the live discussion with new notable guests of the festival. Speakeasy Series guests include; David and Christina McLarty Arquette (YOU CAN NOT KILL DAVID ARQUETTE); The Cate Brothers and Director Benjamin Meade (CATE BROTHERS: ARKANSAS ROCK & SOUL ROYALTY); and Sam Pollard (MLK/FBI).
A trio of documentary filmmaking panels with an eye toward filming and keeping one’s career thriving during the pandemic, as well as the “new world order” of the film industry, include; Documentary Writing with Mark Monroe, the prolific and critically acclaimed writer of many of the notable documentaries of the past few years; Documentary Cinematography with the award-winning director and DP, Kirsten Johnson; and Production During a Pandemic, which boasts an impressive list of participants including Gordon Quinn (Artistic Director and Founder, Kartemquin Films), Shuling Yong (Director of Cinematography, THE FEELING OF BEING WATCHED), Avantika Nimbalker (Sound Recordist, Metro Park), and Nausheen Dadabhoy (Director, THE GROUND BENEATH THEIR FEET and Cinematographer, THROUGH THE NIGHT).
HSDFF encourages attendees to explore the range of interactive workshops and socially distant in-person activities as well as a virtual series, entitled 2020 Survival Guide: Mental Health and Creative Healing in the Midst of Crises. With a goal of teaching tips for staying centered, inspired and productive during a time of world-wide unrest, the film festival will focus its attention on self-care, especially for those who have felt isolated during the pandemic or in need of healing for the creative spirit. And back by popular demand, HSDFF will host a virtual edition of the LIVE STORYTELLING CLASS led by filmmaker and writer, Lena Rudnick.
Tickets and passes are on sale now. For more information on purchasing and additional details on the Hot Springs Documentary Film festival, please visit: hsdfi.org.
Film descriptions:
FEATURE FILMS
76 DAYS
Directors: Hao Wu, Weixi Chen
Country: China, Running Time: 93 min
Raw and intimate, this documentary captures the struggles of patients and frontline medical professionals battling the COVID-19 pandemic in Wuhan.
BIG VS SMALL North America Premiere
Director: Minna Dufton
Country: Finland, Portugal, Running Time: 76 min
Powered by thrilling sequences of big wave surfing, this energetic film profiles giant wave competitor, Joana Andrade. Transitioning from pounding waves to silent ice, the film chronicles an inspirational journey of self-actualization.
FIRST VOTE
Director: Yi Chen
Country: US, Running Time: 60 min
FIRST VOTE is a character-driven documentary film with unparalleled access to a diverse cross section of politically engaged Chinese Americans. The film takes a vérité look at Chinese American electoral organizing in North Carolina and Ohio, interweaving stories from the presidential election of 2016 to the 2018 midterms, as it explores the intersection of immigration, voting rights and racial justice.
MLK/FBI
Director: Sam Pollard
Country: US, Running Time: 104 min
Based on newly declassified files, Sam Pollard’s resonant film explores the US government’s surveillance and harassment of Martin Luther King, Jr.
THE WAY I SEE IT
Director: Dawn Porter
Country: US, Running Time: 100 min
Former Chief Official White House Photographer Pete Souza’s journey as a person with top secret clearance and total access to the President.
SHORT FILMS
ADAPTATION: KENTUCKY (Program #1)
Director: Alizé Carrére
Country: US, Running Time: 12 min
A quirky profile of a Chinese-American businesswoman Angie Yu, who seizes upon the opportunity of harvesting an invasive species in the Mississippi River, leading to surprising environmental and economic triumphs.
E14 (Program #4)
Director: Peiman Zekavat
Country: UK, Running Time: 19 min
This probing, contemplative short film documents the day-to-day activities of a London neighborhood during the Coronavirus shutdown. An exploration of the trauma, the film captures the mundane and ironic realities of living in a pandemic.
MOMMY’S NIGHTMARE (Program #7) World Premiere
Director: Johnathan Napolitano
Country: US, Running Time: 11 min
A deeply personal essay about the filmmaker’s Mother and the monster she lived with for several years.
PANDEMIC 19 (Program #7) World Premiere
Directors: Yung Chang, Annie Katsura Rollins
Country: US, Running Time: 28 min
Using intimate video diaries and an ominous clock tracking cases and deaths, this film follows three brave doctors working to save lives during the first wave of the coronavirus outbreak.
SKY AELANS (Program #7)
Directors: Georgianna Lepping, Jeremy Gwao, Regina Lepping, Zahiyd Namo, Junior Patrick Makau, Manner Lévo, Neil Nuia, Daniel Kakadi, Edward Manuga
Country: US, Running Time: 6 min
Decades of logging have drastically changed the landscape and lifestyle of those who call the Solomon Islands home. Now, the last untouched forest of the country is at risk of being lost. With rich images and a kaleidoscope of local perspectives, this stunning film explores the symbiotic relationships between indigenous communities and local fauna in a disappearing world.
THE DIFFERENCE (Program #7)
Directors: Brianne Berkson, Miguel Gluckstern
Country: US, Running Time: 13 min
This beautiful and inspirational short film challenges viewers to consider how we provide our children with the tools to live and thrive
HSDFF 2020 Panels, Talks and Special Events
LIVE VIRTUAL TALKS
HSDFF Speakeasy Series
Speakeasy with David and Christina McLarty Arquette
(YOU CAN NOT KILL DAVID ARQUETTE)
Friday, October 9
4:00PM-5:00PM
Free for VIP Passholders
$15/Ticket
David Arquette is the subject and his wife, Arkansas native Christina McLarty Arquette is the producer of David Darg and Price James’ YOU CAN NOT KILL DAVID ARQUETTE. The film focuses on Arquette’s parallel career and identity as entertainment wrestling’s most hated competitor. What began as a promotional stunt for a film in the 1990s, outraged a generation of wrestling fans and permanently altered the trajectory of Arquette’s life. The film follows him as twenty years later, he returns to the ring seeking redemption.
Speakeasy with The Cate Brothers and Director Benjamin Meade
(CATE BROTHERS: ARKANSAS ROCK & SOUL ROYALTY)
Sunday, October 11
4:00PM-5:00PM
The Cate Brothers are the subjects of Benjamin Meade’s film, CATE BROTHERS: ARKANSAS ROCK & SOUL ROYALTY. The film follows the Arkansas-based Earl and Ernie Cate, prolific songwriters and singers who blended the blues with elements of rock & roll, country and rockabilly. Raised in the heart and soul of the music scene in Northwest Arkansas, this documentary follows five decades of the legendary sound of the Cate Brothers.
Speakeasy with Sam Pollard (MLK/FBI)
Saturday, October 17
4:00PM-5:00PM
MLK/FBI is the first film to uncover the extent of the FBI’s surveillance and harassment of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Based on newly discovered and declassified files, utilizing a trove of documents obtained through the Freedom of Information Act and unsealed by the National Archives, as well as revelatory restored footage, the documentary explores the government’s history of targeting Black activists, and the contested meaning behind some of our most cherished ideals.
Documentary Filmmaking Panels
Documentary Writing with Mark Monroe
Saturday, October 10
10:30AM-12:00PM
Mark Monroe is an award-winning documentary filmmaker whose theatrical writing credits include: FED UP (Sundance 2014); THE SUMMIT, (Winner, Best Editing Sundance 2013); WHO IS DAYANI CRISTAL?, (Winner, Best Cinematography, Sundance 2013); SOUND CITY (Sundance 2013); THE COVE (Winner, Best Documentary 2010 Academy Awards & Best Documentary Script, W.G.A. 2010); THE TILLMAN STORY; and CHASING ICE (Winner, Best Cinematography Sundance 2012). Currently, Mark is working on RACING EXTINCTION academy award winner Louis Psihoyos’ follow-up film to THE COVE, as well as “Sonic Highways” an eight part docu-series follow up to Dave Grohl’s SOUND CITY.
Documentary Cinematography with Kirsten Johnson
Saturday, October 17
10:30AM-12:00PM
Kirsten Johnson’s DICK JOHNSON IS DEAD premiered at this year’s 2020 Sundance and won the Jury Prize for Innovation in Nonfiction Storytelling. Her previous film, CAMERAPERSON, named New York Times ‘Top Ten Films of 2016’ was shortlisted for the Academy Award. Her short, THE ABOVE was nominated for the IDA’s ‘Best Short Award’ for 2016. Her camerawork appears in Academy Award winner CITIZEN FOUR, Academy nominated THE INVISIBLE WAR, and Cannes Winner FAHRENHEIT 9/11. She’s been invited to join the American Society of Cinematographers and is one of the 4% of women in their membership
Production During a Pandemic
Tuesday, October 9
Time TBD
An in-depth discussion on production during COVID-19. Featuring four intrepid individuals who are actively in production, the conversation will explore creative solutions in a constantly shifting landscape. With no aggregate for guidelines, fluctuating case numbers, and stories that urgently need to be told, this group will explore the ethical responsibility of filming in these challenging times.
Gordon Quinn (Artistic Director and Founder, Kartemquin Films)
Shuling Yong (Director of Cinematography, THE FEELING OF BEING WATCHED)
Avantika Nimbalker (Sound Recordist, Metro Park)
Nausheen Dadabhoy (Director, THE GROUND BENEATH THEIR FEET
and Cinematographer, THROUGH THE NIGHT)
Moderator:Jessie Fairbanks (Director of Programming, HSDFF)
2020 Survival Guide: Mental Health and Creative Healing in the Midst of Crises
“Treat Yo’ Self” HSDFF 2020 Self Care In-Person Events
Inspiration Hike
Saturday, Oct 10 10:30AM-11:30AM
Tired of being cooped up inside staring at screens? We invite you to join the HSDFF team as we stroll up to tower mountain, take breaks for guided inspirational readings, meditate at the top of the mountain to calm the stress of our daily lives and end the journey with a toast to the start of the 29th Annual Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival right! This is a great way to safely mingle with other film-lovers of Hot Springs and prepare your heart and mind for 9-days of film-watching!
*Event will start and end at the steps of the Arlington Hotel
(239 Central Ave, Hot Springs National Park, AR 71901)
Yoga at the Arlington Lawn
Sponsored by The Yoga Place
Sunday, Oct 10 11:00AM-12:00PM
Grab your mat (or towel) and meet us at the Arlington Lawn for a free Yoga class taught by Karen Reeves of The Yoga Place. Karen began practicing yoga soon after her doctor gave the diagnosis of extreme osteoarthritis in both knees in 2004 and said “no more impact exercise. She knew the physical and emotional benefits of being physically active and felt lost when she could no longer do the things that made her feel better. Soon after, she took her first yoga class and developed a passion for it. Through regular practice, she realized she was becoming healthier, stronger, more flexible. But unlike other exercise routines, this practice made her feel calmer, less anxious, more focused and more spiritually connected to God and other people. Along with her teaching partner mat mate, Sharon Stickney, Karen opened the doors to The Yoga Place on July 1, 2013. With gratitude to her, the current building owner, Kristine Artymowski, and the countless students and friends, our doors are still open and they offer classes seven days a week.
*Event will be hosted in the park across from the Arlington Hotel
(239 Central Ave, Hot Springs National Park, AR 71901)
Slow Roll Bike Ride
Sponsored by Hot Springs Bicycle Touring Company & Emergent Arts
Saturday, Oct 17 5:00PM-6:30PM
While we can’t host parties this year, we can still have fun! And this slow roll will certainly be that! Help us celebrate the final day of the most unique HSDFF to date with this joyful slow roll through historic Hot Springs. Bring your bike (or rent one at Hot Springs Bicycle Touring Company) and let’s “roll” through the red carpet and take a festival portrait like none other! Costumes and decorated bikes are encouraged! Open to all ages!
*Event will start and end at Hot Springs Bicycle Touring Company
436 Broadway St, Hot Springs, AR 71901
HSDFF 2020 Self Care VIRTUAL Events
Art + Apocalypse:
Navigating Your Practice in Perilous Times
Sunday, October 11 1:00PM-2:30PM
Saturday, October 17 1:00PM-2:30PM
In this two-part workshop, Los Angeles arts consultant Beth Pickens (Author of Your Art Will Save Your Life) will lead you through a series of exercises to consider how 2020 intersects with your life and your art practice. Set some realistic goals and find the willingness to work toward them, while accepting and living within the constraints of hard times. Through a holistic approach that encounters all parts of your life, we’ll find a concrete path forward through the rest of 2020 and make an intentional framework for 2021.
VIRTUAL TALKS AND WORKSHOPS
Meet 2020 HSDFF Career Achievement Award Winner, Alex Gibney
Alex Gibney is an Academy Award-winning filmmaker whose body of work spans four decades. He is the founder of Jigsaw Productions, an award winning production company with a prolific slate of projects. Alex is an unstoppable force whose films have helped push documentaries into the cultural zeitgeist. HSDFF is excited to present his newest film, Crazy, Not Insane, as part of our 2020 feature line-up. On demand, available Oct 9-17th
Meet 2020 HSDFF Career Achievement Award Winner, Dawn Porter
Dawn Porter is an Award winning documentarian renowned for her powerful social justice films. She is a tireless advocate for collaboration in documentary production and is known for her willingness to mentor filmmakers, while helming several projects herself. Porter was also formerly an educator at UC Berkeley and an attorney. She is currently directing and executive producing an Apple TV multi-part documentary series with Oprah Winfrey and Prince Harry, which focuses on both mental illness and mental well-being. On demand, available Oct 9-17th
Meet 2020 Impact Award Recipient, Diane Quon
Following her prolific career at NBC and Paramount Pictures, Diane Quon is blazing a new trail for documentary producers. With a focus on emerging filmmakers, Diane brings her extensive skills to nascent projects, ensuring unknown stories shine. Her contributions are vital to resource sharing in the documentary community. On demand, available Oct 9-17th
Meet 2020 Impact Award Recipient, Iyabo Boyd
Iyabo Boyd is an industry maven whose organization, Brown Girls Doc Mafia, supports 4,000 women and non-binary people of color in every phase of filmmaking. A successful filmmaker herself, Iyabo continuously gives back to the filmmaking community, providing connections and platforms to BGDM members and colleagues. On demand, available Oct 9-17th
Southern Film Festivals – Resource Round table
Featuring festivals and film organizations from the South, this panel will explore how regional festivals engage and support the needs of their local film community and, more broadly, what resources each organization is offering to Southern filmmakers in these turbulent times. Together, participants will take a deeper look at the opportunities virtual presentation offers local filmmakers, as well as collaboration strategies to enhance the Southern film community.
On demand, available Oct 9-17th
Kiyoko McCrae (Filmmaker Programs Manager, New Orleans Film Society)
Brighid Wheeler (Director of Operations and Senior Programmer, Indie Memphis)
Jason Fitzroy Jeffers (Co-Founder and Executive Director, Third Horizon)
Chloe Cook (Executive Director, Sidewalk Film Festival)
Moderator: Jessie Fairbanks (Director of Programming, HSDFF)
HSDFF STORYTELLING WORKSHOP
$50/ for entire workshop
Since prehistoric times we have shared stories to connect – storytelling is in our DNA. As a filmmaker, Lena Rudnick discovered personal storytelling as an incredible tool in her own filmmaking process and she’s excited to unleash your inner-storyteller! Learn how to craft your experiences into ready to perform 5 minute personal stories that are heart-breaking, hilarious, thought-provoking and keep people on the edge of their seat in this 2-week workshop culminating in a virtual show at Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival’s “The Kernel.”
Virtual Class 1: Monday, October 5
6:00PM – 8:00PM
Virtual Class 2: Thursday, October 8
6:00PM-8:00PM
Virtual Class 3: Monday, October 12
6:00PM-8:00PM
Virtual SHOWCASE: Wednesday, October 14
4:00PM-5:30PM
Sam Pollard’s MLK/FBI: Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival 2020 overflows with top-flight programming as it adds films, talks, and panels