The El Dorado Film Festival offers a curated selection of independent cinema to audiences in El Dorado, Arkansas: a small town with a unique history in the arts. The film festival started as part of the South Arkansas Arts Center's 50th anniversary in 2014 and this year we are excited to bring the event back to SAAC.
El Dorado recently launched a 100 million dollar Arts & Entertainment district (Murphy Arts District) which shows the town's commitment to sustaining an artistic presence in the community. Additionally, our South Arkansas Arts Center has been thriving for over 55 years and has a dedicated audience eager to see the arts thrive in our small town.
El Dorado Film Festival has brought filmmakers together and, in turn, created opportunities for those filmmakers to grow together. Currently, one filmmaker is in Nepal working on a feature film due to a connection made at the festival. Another filmmaker is set to produce and star in her first feature film this March. We put our heart into building these relationships, celebrating the amazing accomplishment of making a film, and giving the audiences a direct connection to you, the filmmaker. Who knows, you might bump into your next big investor?
Previous guests include: Joey Lauren Adams, Howard Klausner, Dennis Quaid, Kerri Elder, Martha Stephens (To the Stars)
This year, we are offering an award to our biggest cheerleader in the audience. The audience member who attends every screening, Q&A and party will be in the running for a $1,000 cash prize. To qualify for the award, audience members must fill out a quick form for each film they see. We will provide these audience feedback forms to you, the filmmaker, so you can use your screening here as a sort of test-screening.
Additionally, every submission will receive written feedback from the festival staff.
This festival is all about building community so that each filmmaker can continue to pursue their dreams.
Oh, and El Dorado is absolutely gorgeous in the fall.
-Cash Awards-
Best of Fest - $1,500
Best Audience Member - $1,000
-Value Awards-
Best Narrative Feature - $500
Best Documentary Feature - $500
Best Family Friendly Short - $500
Best Short Drama - $500
Best Short Comedy - $500
Best Proof of Concept - $500
Road to El Dorado Best International Film - $500