2024 Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival
Location: Arlington Resort Hotel & Spa, 239 Central Avenue
Event Date: October 18 - 26
Each year, with the help of a small staff and over 100 dedicated volunteers, Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival attracts thousands of visitors to the 9-day multicultural and intergenerational event. Now in its third decade as the oldest all-documentary festival in North America and one of the longest-running non-fiction festivals in the world, the Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival remains a prominent champion and protector of the documentary film genre.
For more information visit hsdfi.org.
Space Cowboy, Louder Than Guns, Luther: Never Too Much
Opening Night Gala Selection
Space Cowboy
Directors: Marah Strauch, Bryce Leavitt
Country: USA Running Time: 98 min
In this exhilarating and emotional documentary, legendary skydiver and cinematographer Joe Jennings reflects on his life creating art in the air. With dazzling stunts and intimate interviews, Space Cowboy takes audiences on the journey of a lifetime.
Centerpiece Gala Selection
Louder Than Guns WORLD PREMIERE
Director: Doug Pray
Country: USA Running Time: 90 min
A 2023 mass shooting at a Nashville school took the lives of six children and adults, devastating the community. In response, Nashville parent Ketch Secor, founding member of the bluegrass band Old Crow Medicine Show, partnered with radio journalist David Greene to bring people together to have an open conversation about gun violence in America. Through music and conversation, a new path forward emerged.
Closing Night Gala Selection
Luther: Never Too Much
Director: Dawn Porter
Country: USA Running Time: 101 min
Luther Vandross left an indelible mark on the music world with his unforgettable voice and his prolific skills as a songwriter. Venture behind the scenes as Vandross rises from backing vocalist to Grammy-winning superstar.
Steve James, Masie Crow, Abbie Perrault
Steve James will be on hand on Tuesday, October 22nd to participate in an on-stage conversation and clips reel, and to receive this year’s Brent Renaud Career Achievement Award. Director of 1994’s Hoop Dreams, considered by many to be the greatest documentary of all-time, acclaimed filmmaker Steve James has created an unparalleled body of work which also includes the Sundance award winner, Stevie; The Interrupters, which won an Emmy®, and Independent Spirit Award; Emmy® winner Life Itself; and Abacus: Small Enough to Jail, which earned James a second Academy Award® nomination. James’ award-winning ESPN 30 for 30 documentary The Luckiest Guy in the Worldwas selected by IndieWire as one of the best documentaries of 2023.
The HSDFF Impact Award will be presented to Maisie Crow and Abbie Perrault. The presentation will take place, along with a screening of their film Zurawski v Texas, on Saturday, October 19th. The film reveals the aftermath of Roe v. Wade’s reversal by presenting the stories of women who faced life-threatening crises due to Texas’ harsh abortion laws. Director Abbie Perrault and Amanda Zurawski, one of the film’s main participants, will attend the screening.