University Libraries' Student Film Festival

Movie poster for Bridge to a New Life.

Movie poster for Dogpatch USA.

Movie poster for Knocked Out? Aging Boxers Fight the Clock.

Movie poster for KURM Radio: Soapbox of the Air.

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – In celebration of National Library Week, the University of Arkansas Libraries are hosting a student film festival featuring amateur films created by current and former students of the university. The genres range from documentary to soap opera parody and will be screened in Mullins Room 104 each evening from Sunday, April 11, to Thursday, April 15, all beginning at 6 p.m. Admission is free and popcorn will be served.

The schedule for the film series is:

Sunday – KURM Radio: Soapbox of the Air (2008) by Nikki Wise, Kelley M. Miller, and Hayot Tuychiev. KURM Radio: Soapbox of the Air takes the viewers through a day of operating KURM Radio, one of a handful of independently owned and operated radio stations left in the United States. Owner Kermit Womack’s northwest Arkansas listeners know him simply as “The Colonel,” a man with quite opinionated views on government, religion and any other topic that might arise on his daily live show, “Party Line.” KURM Radio was nominated for an Emmy award by the Mid-America Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.

Bridge to a New Life: The Story of Miss Malen and the Couch Surfers (2008) by Sarah K. Moore and Cheryl M. Sybrant takes a look at the lives of homeless young adults in northwest Arkansas, aged 18-22, who are given a second chance in life when they enter Youth Bridge Transitional Living Program run by the witty, and sometimes exasperated, Miss Malen Gardner.

Monday – Literacy by Raymond Burks explores what happens when a guy gets a letter from his girlfriend that he can't read, while two co-workers are caught up in an after-work book club and each other.

Bring Down the Moon (2008) by Raymond Burks features excerpts from CAT-TV's first drama series/soap opera, which follows the lives of Meredith Frasier, the sweet sassy heroine, and her boyfriend David Berman, the artist with painted dreams; their brooding, mysterious best friend, Cordova; David’s overprotective mother Elizabeth; and Alyson Seagrave, the scheming vixen who will stop at nothing to win the affection of David. Winner of "Best Series" at the 2008 FAT C.A.T. awards.

Tuesday – Swingin’ Timber (2001) by David D. Dawson tells the story of the Claybrook Tigers, a black semi-professional baseball team in eastern Arkansas during the 1930s, who became well known and respected throughout the South for playing Negro League teams such as the Pittsburgh Crawfords, Cincinnati Tigers, Chicago American Giants, Cuban All Stars and Memphis Red Sox.

Knocked Out? Aging Boxers Fight the Clock (2009) by Jesse Abdenour and Tony Cosgrove follows two middle-aged fighters as they compete against other boxers and against father time. This film answers the question: Why would two men old enough to be grandfathers subject themselves to such a grueling sport?

Wednesday – Finders Keepers: the Arkansas Diamond Legacy (2009) by W. Brian Petty examines the early days of prospecting and exploration of the Pike County diamond field near Murfreesboro, Ark. Narrated by former U.S. Sen. and Arkansas Gov. David Pryor, the film covers the nation’s only diamond rush, the origin of hunting and keeping your own diamond, and the colorful characters in their struggle to establish their Arkansas diamond empire.

Ridin’ the Rails (2009) by Niketa Reed, Cody Ford, and Bry Beeson is a journey through the Arkansas Ozarks on the nostalgic Arkansas & Missouri train line, weaving a trail through the Boston Mountains, quaint railroad towns and pieces of northwest Arkansas history. Conductors Dale, Larry and Renny serve as hosts and stand-in historians, who deliver hot coffee, folksy punchlines and quirky entertainment. 

Dogpatch USA (2008) by Dixie Terrell Kline and Matthew Rowe documents the Arkansas theme park built around Al Capp’s popular comic strip, Lil’ Abner. In spite of warning signs that it would fail, Dogpatch USA entertained a generation of people. A mountain of challenges finally crushed the park, but its ghost is still hanging around.

Thursday – Paranoia (2007) by Daniel Hanna follows Simon Ingram, a lonely man living in a decrepit apartment building. After being rejected by the neighborhood grocery store cashier, Simon focuses his attention on his neighbor Winston, whom he suspects is connected to an arms dealer out on bail. Simon's obsession with Winston grows, and he finds his reality fracturing as he strives to threaten Winston's plans, and in the process threatens the lives of innocent bystanders.

National Library Week is April 11-17 and the theme for 2010 is "Communities Thrive @ your library." First sponsored in 1958, National Library Week is sponsored by the American Library Association and libraries across the nation each April.