Meeting, Watching, and Learning at the Arkansas Filmmaker Happy Hour
By Lee LaMarche
I need to speak with you. No, seriously. I need to speak with you because you have a unique and interesting story that is compelling in a way that you just don’t seem to understand. Let me explain:
Last night I went to the Arkansas Filmmaker Happy Hour held at Bentonville Studios. I’d never been to Bentonville Studios and, frankly, didn’t know much about it. But let me tell you, it's a 10,000-square-foot studio space that, when I walked in, felt like somewhere I wanted to be. I felt it in my bones. Does that ever happen to you? Have you ever stepped into a situation where you thought that it felt absolutely right? I’m not sure why or how I’ll end up interacting with Bentonville Studios and the people who work there, but yeah, I was right where I needed to be.
That being said, I was there for an event. Sure we were having drinks and chatting but the main purpose was to watch a few short films by Kurt Sensenbrenner. These weren’t your regular, run-of-the-mill shorts. They were, in fact, part of season one of The Low-Phe Life series. These animated shorts allow individuals with PKU (Phenylketonuria), a rare, inherited metabolic disorder that prevents the body from breaking down the amino acid phenylalanine. Now, bear with me (and Kurt) because it may sound like something you can’t possibly understand. However, part of the draw of The Low-Phe Life series is that although it is a series that addresses the lighter side of PKU, it still gives those outside the disease a glimpse into what those with it have to put up with. This includes everything from a story about meeting a famous celebrity with a hankering for pizza to trekking across Europe with an extreme amount of special protein powder. These shorts are hilarious, relatable, and voiced by the people whose stories they represent. Kurt is a staggeringly relatable director and speaker with PKU who has found a way to turn his documentary style into a fun and informative group of episodes.
The event was broken down like this: Chatting, watching shorts, Q&A with Kurt, and more chatting. And there were plenty of people there. Some of them I’ve touched on before in previous articles (Kody Ford and Dan Robinson) but others were new to me. I got to meet CJ Mirch, a wonderfully interesting guy who explained to me what a Colorist/DIT person does (yes, I’m THAT new to this stuff), and I got to see Justin Roe, who I’ve previously met at NWA Screenwriter meetings but who, I learned last night, does pretty much everything. I’d list all the things he told me but this article is about the event, not just Justin (but talk to him. Seriously, he’s fun).
I did want to spotlight one other person. Kevin Wilkinson. Those in the industry will not know Kevin unless they were at the event last night. This is because Kevin has nothing to do with the industry. Then, you ask, why was he there? Thank you for asking. It turns out that Kevin’s son is a senior in high school who has found a budding interest in filmmaking.
Kevin, on his way home from work, decided to come to this event for his son. He wanted to meet the people doing the work and see what we’re like. Kevin had all the best kinds of PROUD DAD energy and had no problem popping in and chatting with every circle of people. I wanted to call him out because he reminded me of my own father. Someone who wants the best for their kids and will do things for them knowing that it will bring them joy and satisfaction. Cheers, Kevin!
The event once again highlighted the fact that this community has deep roots. We all know people who want to be involved in something and don’t know how to do it. Not all of us have a Kevin to point us in the right direction. So, if you’re in Arkansas and trying to find your people, reach out to me or anyone listed in this article (or my previous articles) to learn more. We want you around. We want to hear your voice and your story.
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