The highly anticipated premiere of If This Walk Could Talk, a documentary film that shares personal reflections about the University of Arkansas, is set to take place tonight at 7 p.m. at the Faulkner Performing Arts Center.

A part of the U of A's sesquicentennial celebration, the premiere will include a reception starting at 6 p.m., with the screening to follow. The film will also be simulcast through the university’s YouTube channel for a virtual audience. The film’s producer, Larry Foley, and interim Chancellor Charles Robinson will both be on hand and give brief remarks. After the event, the film will be available for viewing free on the university’s YouTube page. 

If you would like to attend the on-campus premiere, please RSVP to engage@uark.edu. 

If This Walk Could Talk was written and produced by Larry Foley, an Emmy Award-winning filmmaker and chair of the School of Journalism and Strategic Media, and features recollections pulled from 150 years of documents, yearbooks and film clips as well as interviews from alumni and current students, professors and campus leaders that tell personal stories of memorable events and the significance of Senior Walk. 

"It was both an honor, and a challenge, to be asked to tell this story,” Foley said. “One hundred and fifty years is a long time, and I wanted to produce a film that would connect with our audience, who are alums, students and people who love the university. The stories are fun and poignant and very diverse. They shed light on little-known milestones, while embracing the genesis of our most hallowed traditions, as well as a glimpse at what the future might hold.”

Foley, a 1976 journalism graduate of the U of A, said one of his inspirations for the film was a collection of old Razorback Yearbooks dating back to the 1900s that were filled with prose of student memories and reflections of their days on the Hill. Those digital collections, along with collections of the Arkansas Traveler and BAD Times, are available through the University Libraries.

Along with Foley, alumni John Cooper and Ben Goodwin, who both work in the Office of University Relations, served as associate producers and photographers. Music professor emeritus Jim Greeson composed an original score.

"I like this film,” Foley said. “I’m proud of what we've done, and I think others will enjoy it too. It's our story, full of trials and tribulations, high water marks and lessons in life. It's a story of resilience, perseverance, hope and promise."

Foley’s films have earned eight Mid America Emmys from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and 19 Emmy nominations in writing, journalistic enterprise, history, cultural history, special program and community service. His films have also received four Best of Festival of Media Arts awards from the international Broadcast Education Association.

A new trailer for the documentary is available on the U of A’s YouTube page. Anyone interested in attending the premiere in person is asked to RSVP to engage@uark.edu. 

For more information about the university’s sesquicentennial events, visit 150.uark.edu. 

About the University of Arkansas: As Arkansas' flagship institution, the U of A provides an internationally competitive education in more than 200 academic programs. Founded in 1871, the U of A contributes more than $2.2 billion to Arkansas’ economy through the teaching of new knowledge and skills, entrepreneurship and job development, discovery through research and creative activity while also providing training for professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the U of A among the top 3% of U.S. colleges and universities with the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the U of A among the top public universities in the nation. See how the U of A works to build a better world at Arkansas Research News.