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The Fort Smith International Film Festival took place on Aug. 24-26th at TempleLive in Fort Smith. Many awards were given out and the winners can be seen below. If you missed the film festival, you can still catch The 2023 Virtual Fort Smith International Film Festival on Saturday, September 2, 10 a.m. - 11 p.m. Chill at home and watch local, regional, and international films from your couch. Catch the winning movies for only $10 at FortSmithFilm.com.
And the winners are:
Best Overall Film: COVER YOUR EARS
Best of the River Valley: SOMEWHERE IN NOWHERE
Best Narrative Feature Film: GHOSTS OF THE VOID
Best Documentary Feature Film: HOW TO THRIVE
Best Documentary Short Film: THE HILL WE CLIMB
Best Indigenous Film: WALLOWING BULL
Best People of Color Film: ONE PINT AT A TIME
Best International Film: COVER YOUR EARS
Best Local: ROCKIN BAKER
Best Animated Film: THE LONG RAIN
Best Regional Film: NEW WEST
Best Indigenous Film: WALLOWING BULL
Best People of Color Film: ONE PINT AT A TIME
Best International Film: COVER YOUR EARS
Best Local: ROCKIN BAKER
Best Animated Film: THE LONG RAIN
Best Regional Film: NEW WEST
Overall High School Film
Best Overall High School Film: 6 MINUTES: LIFETIME OF HONOR
Runner-up Overall High School Film: DIFFERENT, NOT LESS
Third Overall High School Film: THE BOX
Regional High School Film
Best Regional High School Film: DIFFERENT, NOT LESS
Runner-up Regional High School Film: UNTO THE MOUNTAINS
Best Short Film – Sci-Fi: L.I.F.E. IT'S WONDERFUL
Best Short Film – Drama: UNSOLVABLE
Best Short Film – Experimental: WHO ARE THEY?
Best Short Film – Romance – Bookish Award: A QUARTER OF SILENCE
Best Short Film – Comedy: SEVERE FEAR OF DROPPING EAR
Best Short Film – Action: ALL IN
Best College Short Film: MAGPIE
Best Music Video: TANKARD - I Wanted to be Vittorio
Best Short Film – International: GASSMAN
Top Screeners: SUE ROBINSON, RAIN STORY, SHERRI DRZWIECKI, DANIEL BLAINE, PATRICK CONRAD, RON BOWES, BONNIE KOLLER, MARILYN KNAPP, COLEEN BATEMAN
At ACS, we believe that if we provide filmmakers an arena to exhibit their talents, and film enthusiasts a healthy diet of quality programming, we can inspire more Arkansans to make and watch more films. By supporting filmmakers, festivals, theaters and young people interested in filmmaking throughout the state, we hope to create statewide network, pool Arkansas’s resources and be an umbrella organization that feeds all things film. We believe a rising tide lifts all boats.
To be a filmmaker, we have to connect to create. A painter needs a brush, paint and a canvas. A director needs a writer, a cinematographer, a sound mixer, production designer, editor, actors, distributors, and an audience. We cannot do it alone. This art form forces one to collaborate and thus, creates jobs. Filmmaking is unique in the arts in this way. It takes an army.
