This ominously bleak and wet weather last Friday had me dreading the nearly three-hour drive to the first Berryville Film Festival. Making my way up the slick and winding roads across the Ozarks, I wasn't sure if a town of roughly 6,000 people could sustain a festival. I've sat in empty screening rooms in cities with 10 times the population.
Six months ago I first stumbled upon a post announcing the fledgling film festival. On its Facebook page, there was a call for volunteers. I thought that I could offer to help Julia Borkowski, the festival director, since I've been to almost every film festival in the state over the past few years. Borkowski brought me in as a member of the screening committee, on which I waded through nearly 80 movies, deciding which ones were festival-worthy and which ones were not.
By the time I reached Berryville, the rain had cleared up for a moment. I pulled into the parking lot of the Berryville Community Center and the parking lot was packed. There were about 20 or so audience members in the auditorium watching a cheesy horror flick at 10 in the morning. That's 20 more people than I had expected. That crowd size fluctuated throughout the event. But to my surprise, it turned into one of the better, quaint small-town film festivals in the state.
One bad thing about being a judge for a film festival is that you've already seen all the movies being screened. Luckily, this festival included more than just films. Borkowski said one of the reasons she wanted to put on this festival was to showcase some of the unique locations in Berryville. So she suggested I go check out the town, specifically the historic downtown square, where Borkowski had set up a small market of local vendors. My first stop was to grab lunch at Mike's Hot Dogs, an authentic Chicago hot dog cart run by a Chicago native. I wanted a taste of what the Windy City had to offer, which included a wiener imported straight from the streets of Chi-town on a poppy seed bun, topped with red tomato wedges, a pickle spear and two spicy sport peppers. The flavor profile of this dog was so complex that it has changed my steadfast worldview on how to properly top a frankfurter.
Next, I decided to check out some of the historical sites in the town. The Saunders Museum is a three-story building full of Arkansas relics from the late 1800s, ranging from old time pieces and medical equipment to glass coffins for children. There's one room that is a re-creation of an 1890s classroom and another room that contains a dust-covered courtroom. The museum even touts one of the largest collections of rare guns in the country. But the most fascinating exhibit was one honoring the victims of the Mountain Meadows Massacre, where a wagon train of Arkansans was ambushed and slaughtered by a militia of Mormons and Indians.
Other than showcasing their local heritage, the Berryville Film Festival also offered several filmmaking workshops. Branden White, owner of TKO Productions, offered a course on fighting onscreen, taking volunteers, who practiced a short choreographed fight. He assured the participants that they wouldn't be in danger. White said that the motto for every stunt person is that you will get hurt, but the goal is never to get injured.
After seeing several inexperienced fighters go a few fake rounds with decorated black belts, it was time for the next workshop, and the highlight of the festival, a special-effects tutorial presented by Emmanuel Rodriguez. He was showcasing all his handcrafted monsters, masks and props, teaching people how to create their own gory effects. He showed the proper way to apply makeup to look like bruises and how to build homemade squibs that shoot out fake blood. Rodriguez demonstrated not just artistry but a deep understanding of the human body and its anatomy, explaining in detail how bruises form. His techniques reminded me of the work from Tom Savini, the legendary effects artist from movies such as "Dawn of the Dead" and "Friday the 13th," whose effects mirrored his experiences as a combat photographer during the Vietnam War.
I was pleasantly surprised by my experience at the Berryville Film Festival. They weren't trying to outdo or compete with other festivals or spreading themselves thin with gimmicks. Borkowski put in the work to involve locals and visiting filmmakers to create a rustic atmosphere for a quaint and charming little film festival.
Braden White and Leo Gann demonstrate fight choreography. (Special to the Democrat-Gazette/Al Topich)