What's Up - Your guide to what's happening in Fayetteville, AR this week!
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APRIL WALLACE MONICA HOOPER & MARY BETH KEMP NWA Democrat-Gazette T he eighth Bentonville Film Festival, which champions underrepresented storytellers on and off screen, was an epicenter of activity after two years of operating at understated levels due to the pandemic. This year its events and screenings were well attended, some even sold out. The first week of activity offered lots of in-person events and locations where audiences could see actors, filmmakers and industry experts face to face, while this week concludes the continued virtual programming. REEL MAGIC MORNINGS Each weekday of the festival began with a celebrity coffee chat in the morning at Thaden School in Bentonville. Audiences were invited to listen to Hollywood insiders talk about what they do best, what they care about and about being in the public eye. The first of these events began with a discussion among KUAF's Kyle Kellams and Dave and Jenny Marrs of HGTV's "Fixer to Fabulous." On the show, the couple helps restore historic homes suited to the homeowners' taste and personal stories. They talked about what makes their show resonate with other families around the country and the behind-the- scenes work, as well as what it's like to raise a big family and live in Arkansas. The couple is often working on four to six houses at a time, and while they hire some local workers, the majority of their staff is from Knoxville, Tenn. That means they have a week to 10-day stretches with enough people on site for the show. While shooting episodes, they change clothes between work sites to make it look like they're visiting on different days. On average the 43-minute show stems from 120 hours of footage, so their film crew does a lot of editing, but the couple feel strongly about keeping it from seeming all too perfect. Author and activist Virgie Tovar, one of the nation's leading experts on weight-based discrimination and body image, spoke about fat phobia, activism and embracing one's body with joy in the June 23 event with Magdalena Arroyo of the University of Arkansas Office for Diversity and Inclusion. Tovar said that despite around 70% of women being considered higher weight people, they are often treated as a minority within American culture. That means overweight women face discrimination in employment due to negative stereotypes and they are less likely to experience comprehensive preventative medical care because doctors are fixated on their weight. "From Bronx to Bentonville," the final Reel Magic chat of the week, was with Sonia Manzano, who portrayed Maria on Sesame Street for 44 years, and the other creators of "Alma's Way." Manzano, Ellen Doherty and Olubunmi Mia Olufemi crafted the new PBS Kids series to be centered on giving children confidence in their own brain power, as well as the importance of inclusiveness and authentic representation in kids' media. It features Alma, a Puerto Rican girl growing up in the Bronx who goes JULY 3-9, 2022 WHAT'S UP! 7 BENTONVILLE See BFF Page 37 Bentonville Film Festival events kicked off with Reel Magic Mornings, a 9 a.m. discussion with Dave and Jenny Marrs of HGTV's "Fixer to Fabulous" that was led by KUAF's Kyle Kellams at Thaden School in Bentonville. (NWA Democrat-Gazette/April Wallace) BFF In The Books Recap looks back at busy eighth festival