Communication Professor New Executive Director of 12th Annual Fayetteville Film Fest

The 12th annual Fayetteville Film Fest launches online and on-demand this weekend, Nov. 5-14. Sponsored in part by the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences, the Department of Communication and the School of Art, this year's festival features 11 narrative and documentary feature films in 10 days, along with 30 short films screening direct, on-demand to your living room.

Executive Director Russell Sharman, who is also assistant professor of practice in the Department of Communication, adds: "In addition to the impressive lineup of films, the festival will also feature livestreamed panel discussions and Q&A sessions with the filmmakers, and will be available for the first time in a streamed setting nationwide."

This year's fest will also feature the third annual Fayetteville Film Prize pitch contest. The winner will receive a cash prize of $2,000 to enable them to execute their film. The winner will have 10 months to shoot their film in Northwest Arkansas and the finished film will screen at the Fayetteville Film Fest next year. To register to pitch for the Fayetteville Film Prize, filmmakers are encouraged to visit fayettevillefilmfest.org.

Online screenings will be available beginning Nov. 5 through the Eventive streaming platform, accessible through the festival website fayettevillefilmfest.org. Programming will premiere on a rolling basis from Nov. 5 to 8 and be available on-demand until Nov. 14. Tickets are available now on a pay-what-you-can model, including a free option for those unable to contribute. For those who are able, a Friend of the Fest All-Access Pass is also available for $40 which comes with a special Friend of the Fest gift bag delivered right to your door (or by post if you are out-of-town) and will support the organization's year-round programming.