What's Up - Your guide to what's happening in Fayetteville, AR this week!
Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/1199154
programming. "We've always wanted to do some film — and I think you might have seen that in our programming — but it's mostly big, commercial film that we've been presenting. I'm really looking forward to exposing our patrons to more Arkansas filmmaking." Ahead of the showcase, What's Up! got to know five directors and one writer as they discussed their process, the showcase and their goals for each film. Q. How did the idea for this film come to be? What steps of the development process were you part of ? Butler: It's actually pretty funny how this idea came to be. I was a member of a sorority on campus throughout college, and I would always tell my best friends, Missy Fowler and Matt Rogers, who are a huge part of this film, the crazy stories I would experience. They eventually told me to start writing all of them down, and we started to develop a film from them. As we starting writing, it took us a bit to dig and organize everything to find the story that became "As Sisters, As One." I think over the course of development, we had written two feature-length films and about five different short films before shaping the final script. The main component that helped our writing process was finding our house that we shot at, because it created our entire world, and we were able to really visualize the characters and the environment they were placed into. Hunt: To graduate from [John Brown University], I had to do a senior thesis film. The basic idea came from wanting to find a way of humanizing a prison inmate to remind viewers that they are still human. Too often, society makes it nearly impossible for people who have been incarcerated to better themselves, and I think that's wrong. I also was really interested in doing a period piece, and I thought that the 1950s and '60s would be a lot of fun to try! Once I decided to set the story during the Civil Rights Movement, I knew I needed to incorporate themes of racism as the issues we explored still exist in today's climate. After coming up with the themes I wanted to include and the basic story, I wrote the screenplay. Once we had a script, I began pre- production and raised nearly $5,000 for the production budget. I chose my cast and crew and picked out locations. With the help of my antique collector grandma, I did all of the production design needed for a period piece. On set, I directed the film, and then I was the lead editor. I was lucky to be able to have my hand in so many areas and enjoyed every step, but there's no way I could have done it without the help of my amazing crew. McGaugh: After Arkansas passed the medical marijuana legalization law, I was dismayed at how long it took the state to implement the program (almost two years after voters decided). The idea for this film was borne out of the fact that many people who were suffering and could benefit from medical marijuana were still being forced the break the law to purchase marijuana (even though voters made it legal) and the havoc that the opioid Arkansas Filmmakers Showcase Screening Schedule "Unos Huevos" (15 mins) • A boy skips his trumpet recital and instead he has a day exploring the town and running into trouble. "Father" (15 mins) • A man under the influence experi- ences a series of strange encoun- ters as he is haunted by three women of the past and present. "As Sisters, As One" (14 mins) • Elise struggles to maintain her grip on reality as the position of presi- dent of her sorority comes within her grasp. Intermission "Milk Aisle" (22 mins) • This film, set during the Civil Rights Movement, shares the story of a young black man who is imprisoned for a crime he didn't commit and the letters he shared with a young woman named Ruby Sanders. "Chronic" (11 mins) • Sparky Ledbetter is a lonely man. He's a former cop facing his own mortality. This slice-of-life short gives us a quick peek into Sparky's morning routine and the complicated relationships he has to juggle. "Before My Eyes" (13 mins) • A reminiscence of a flawed relationship through the eyes of a grieving woman and a regretful man. Source: waltonartscenter.org JANUARY 12-18, 2020 WHAT'S UP! 9 FYI Hunt McGaugh Butler See Film Page 42 Who's Who • Sophie Barnes (Little Rock) - director, "Father" • Mason Bowen (Springdale) - director, "Before My Eyes" • Whitney Butler (Calico Rock) - director, "As Sisters, As One" (written by Matt Rogers) • David Cruz (Conway) - director, "Unos Huevos" • Jordan Hunt (Siloam Springs) - director, "Milk Aisle" • Jamey McGaugh (Fayetteville) - writer, "Chronic" (directed by Blake Elder)