8TH ANNUAL rock city film festival

2026 RCFF Schedule

FRIDAY MAY 15

OPENING NIGHT SHORTS | 7:00 PM

Angel (6:19) Directed by Ben Aaron. A live streamer records what might be the last moments of a man poised to leap from a bridge to end his life.

The Hollow (10:52) Directed by Raeden Greer. A woman’s carefree solo adventure unravels after a night of heavy drinking with a new friend. 

JJ (17:38) Directed by Mark Thiedeman. Strapped for cash in a declining industrial town, two young men perform in an amateur adult video, bringing up repressed feelings that could jeopardize their lifelong friendship. 

The Game Camera (20:25) Directed by Emily Railsback. When a grieving woman installs a night-vision camera in her mini-horse's corral, the specter of a human intruder on her rural Kansas ranch makes her reconsider her husband's death. 

Last Minute (15:07) Directed by Michael Cusumano. In the days before the Internet, a single mom must scramble to bail out her 12-year-old son when he waits until the night before to start a major homework assignment. 

OPENING NIGHT FEATURE | 8:40 PM

Inthralled (1:52:00) Directed by Douglas Bankston. A grieving daughter and mother, believing they are being haunted by a dead man's ghost, must stop a murderous curse unleashed by a forbidden book before it consumes them all.

SATURDAY MAY 16

SHORTS BLOCK 1: FRESH FRAMES | 10:00 AM

Alienated (3:15) Directed by Andrew Erbskorn. “Alienated!” follows our protagonist, an skittish, orange lizard-like alien named Gary, as his home is attacked by large purple monsters. After the glass that keeps them safe from the outside world is cracked, Gary is mistaken for the maintenance guy who will fix the dome and save them all. He is promptly thrown out of the dome, and with no chance to explain the confusion, he realizes that he is now stuck outside with the very creatures they all fear. Hijinks ensue as Gary runs for his life and attempts to survive in an unfamiliar wilderness, and travels further and further away from home. 

Details Matter (6:53) Directed by Theodore Richard Herold & Warren Alexander Herold. A meticulous boy tries to audition for a play, but misses a key detail in the title of the show. 

Bedtime Story (7:41) Directed by Rachael Hansil. With Mom exhausted, her five-year-old takes matters into his own hands and sends the family dog on an epic quest with life-or-death consequences. 

Magic the Magician (14:00) Directed by John F. Clorus III. A kinda magician performs at a children's party. 

Prospero (8:03) Directed by Tyler Orsak. A striking re-imagination of Shakespeare's 'The Tempest' following the struggle of the wizard Prospero and his banishment to a strange island that hides an ancient secret.

Ku: A Love Story (3:24) Directed by Anita George. With a nod to the graphic style of the legendary Saul Bass, this tone poem embraces the thinness of the veil and our capacity to occasionally see right through it. 

A Letter To My Husband (22:23) Directed by Jules Taylor. A story of a loss told through marionettes.

SHORTS BLOCK 2: GROWING PAINS | 11:30 AM

I Came with Earrings (11:26) Directed by Jonathan Caren. This is a personal story inspired by the real-life video that Hahn Ponder uploaded to YouTube intended for her unknown birth mom in Vietnam…. It all begins when Leah’s adoptive mom gifts her a pair of diamond earrings that force her to overcome more than just a brown belt test. 

Mãe (16:42) Directed by Laura Gaspar. When the uncertainty of the current immigration situation in America challenges Bruna, a young Brazilian mother, she struggles with feeling lost while trying to make the best choice for her daughter, Gaby, a Brazilian-American kid. Immigration subtly shapes Bruna’s internal conflict. Their relationship unfolds through quiet, everyday moments that reveal both love and the bond between them, as well as underlie tension within their reality. 

Noriko (14:28) Directed by CJ Mirch. An international student is comforted following news of a tragedy back home.

Embryo (10:39) Directed by Kristine Artymowski. What happens if a doctor can change the sex of the embryo in utero?

Curtain Call (8:48) Directed by Tom Procida. A former actress, disapproving of her daughter's acting ambitions, confronts her unresolved past and reclaims her lost passion.

PANEL DISCUSSION | NEW HARVEST CREATIVE SPOTLIGHT | 1:00 PM

New Harvest Creative brings real-world production insight from Northwest Arkansas to the Rock City Film Festival stage. Join the team behind films like Abigail Before Beatrice for a focused conversation on building projects from the ground up, working across markets, and pushing regional filmmaking forward. This session gives you a clear look at how a working production company develops stories, secures resources, and delivers finished films that reach audiences.

DOCUMENTARY BLOCK | FROM THE GROUND UP | 2:30 PM

The Hub (10:44) Directed by Al Topich. A brief look into the 100 Families Initiative of Independence County. A program that is about moving families from a place of crisis to an environment where they are thriving. This includes areas like housing, transportation, employment, education, addiction/recovery, and food stability.

Crystal Bluff (11:22) Directed by Jonathan Childs. A short doc that documents the process of opening the public climbing area Crystal Bluff in North Little Rock, Arkansas. Crystal Bluff showcases what can happen when city government, non-profit groups, and a committed population can do for the people they care about. 

(I’m Not) Your Negroni (22:09) Directed by Antonio Tarrell. Award-winning bartender Joseph “Joe” Stinchcomb stirs up the small town of Oxford, Mississippi, when he launches a craft cocktail menu honoring Black History Month.

Ridge to the River: The Arkansas Traverse (49:04) "Ridge to River: The Arkansas Traverse" follows a group of cyclists from Bentonville as they embark on an epic journey across their home state of Arkansas. Leaving behind the allure of out-of-state races, they choose to explore the untamed beauty of rural roads, gravel routes, and hidden paths that weave through the state's diverse landscapes. 

SHORTS BLOCK 3 | CROSSING THE LINE | 4:30 PM

To Write The Ending (15:43) Directed by Shaler Keenum. When a street poet finds a typewriter that allows him to write the future, he uses it to try and find love.

For a Silver Dollar (10:30) Directed by Josh Baxter. A young writer tells the story of a man’s encounter with a notorious Southwest Louisiana outlaw, and how the promise of a silver dollar meant the difference between life and death.

Delusion (8:48) Directed by Christopher Tran. A heartbroken man reflects on his lost love while two ethereal beings watch over him.

Scratch-Off (19:00) Directed by Tara Sheffer. A home healthcare worker steals her dementia patient’s winning lottery ticket.

COMEDY BLOCK 1 | IT GETS WORSE | 6:00 PM

Steakout! (8:08) Directed by Max Neace. Sean's going to a steak dinner. Patrick's going to a stakeout. Unfortunately, they're both in the same car. 

Two Percent (16:53) Directed by Molly Wheat. On the eve of Thanksgiving, five family members do whatever it takes to get a missing ingredient for Thanksgiving dinner.

Mother/Daughter(2) (14:24) Directed by Mike Stutz. In Vanessa Miller’s dark comedy, a grim voicemail announcing the death of the family patriarch forces three generations of women to gather in the family home—and cope with their grief in unexpected ways.

Supper (19:34) Directed by Joshua Ryan Dietz. A dysfunctional family comes together to kick their brother out of the family through a new legal process known as familial emancipation, only to begin arguing about who their father’s favorite child is. As secrets are revealed, things take a turn for the tragic and violent. 

HORROR/THRILLER/SCI-FI BLOCK | AFTER DARK | 7:30 PM

I Knew an Alien (7:05) Directed by Joshua Charperrin Woodard. An Alien searches for purpose, the meaning for its existence on Earth. 

M.R.I. (or Michael Returns Indefinitely) (13:59) Directed by John F. Beach. When Michael’s frustrations with the healthcare industry cause him to openly question his doctor’s motives, he awakens shadowy forces that threaten to fight back. 

The Hard Way (11:47) Directed by Sean Furey. A self-loathing vampire whose desire to kill has waned must stay one step ahead of his pursuers if he is to end his life on his own terms. 

Roomer (16:53) Directed by Emmanuel Joel Rodriguez. In the early 2000s, Jenny, a quiet child, is haunted by a malicious entity in her own home. Her parents' constant arguing leaves them unaware of the growing danger.

Undying (24:36) Directed by Zak Bandit. During a zombie apocalypse, a father is forced to confront the unthinkable. 

(THE OFTEN IMITATED, NEVER DUPLICATED) WTF! BLOCK | 9:15 PM

The Danger of Table Gum (1:37) Directed by Emmanuel Joel Rodriguez. Berkeley's fine diner training tape lost media circa 1995.

Master Fisterz (6:00) Directed by Victor Keas. A former martial artist must defeat his cruel master to avenge his beloved kitty cat! 

The Lizard Theory (5:51) Directed by John Sullivan. A young conspiracist believes his science teacher is a lizard and will not rest until he proves it. 

Captain Cannon (8:07) Directed by Brenden Lee Marcus Czerwonka. An eccentric sea captain with a big cannon seeks to slay the mythical Kraken, but instead finds a much bigger foe…love.

Never Fingerbang a Wendigo (10:23) Directed by John Brennan. All men are created evil, but only the stupidest manage to provoke The Wendigo.

Canker Sore (5:00) Directed by Max Pearlman. Camden wakes up the morning of a major presentation with a horrible canker sore and must find a way to get rid of it or risk jeopardizing everything.

Life’s a Mitch (11:00) Directed by Eric White & Terrell Case. I can't believe no one remembers the episode of Life's a Mitch where Mitch travels through time and space to save Earth. It was really trippy!

Chlorophyll (12:31) Directed by Matthew Sean Decker. CHLOROPHYLL is an offbeat short about Lola, a wannabe "influencer" so overwhelmed by the outside world that she fabricates a “new ecosystem," free from chaos. She fills her home with houseplants, flirts with the camera, and broadcasts her illusion to a small, devoted social media following. But when Lola's addiction to this fantasy finally pushes away her boyfriend-slash-videographer Theo, she finds herself at the mercy of a power-hungry spider plant who's been watching her every move. 

SUNDAY MAY 17

SHORTS BLOCK 4 | ON EDGE | 10:00 AM

Ya Hanouni (3:00) Directed by Lyna Tadount, Sofian Chouaib. While the Mom and the Dad try to put their baby to sleep, a competition arises between them: who will manage to get the baby to say the first word? 

Death to Twenties (11:54) Directed by Essence Simone. Twenties are hard. It's your responsibility to figure things out on your own. And guess what? Nobody is going to come save you…

Doom Scroller (8:07) Directed by Wyndham Wyeth. A world-weary young woman fights to retain her sanity as a barrage of increasingly terrifying news notifications emanating from her phone threatens to send her into a permanent spiral. 

Another Body (7:06) Directed by Avrey Tyler Della Rosa. In an active murder investigation, Detective Murphy and Detective Kinley discover a terrifying truth about the killer after finding another body.

Surviving Child (12:01) Directed by L. Tanner Smith. Based on the poetry of L. Carson Woody, Surviving Child traces the life of writer Carson as she struggles with secret infatuation as a teenager and love and acceptance as an adult. 

Adagio (20:35) Directed by Dustin Yoder. Adagio is a meditation on the process of processing grief. A child walks into a performance hall and sits in the back as an old man with a violin case enters and sits in the middle section. An orchestra with a conductor perform on stage as a screen above displays a film entitled, “Along the Grain”. That inner (unfinished) film revolves around the story of a father connecting with his daughter after the passing of the mother. Through this journey, the child makes a realization that alters both his perspective and his role in the process. 

SHORTS BLOCK 5 | WHAT WE LEAVE BEHIND | 11:30 AM

Sonder (13:43) Directed by Aidan Kolokithas. An estranged young couple on the verge of divorce fight to be seen as individuals in their relationship by revisiting shared memories. 

After (15:00) Directed by Wesley Boone. A couple confronts the meaning of love, loss, and legacy in a world where death is now a choice. 

The Day Elvis Died (13:11) Directed by Elizabeth Stuelke. It is August 1977, and Elvis Presley is dead. The domestic violence movement has just started to slow burn across the country, spotlighting abuse, long since kept secret. Amidst the turmoil, hope seems to break on the horizon. But for one Mother and child, is escape truly possible?

My Little Sunrise (10:45) Directed by Caleb Ferguson. In 1943 Arkansas, a Japanese father and his young daughter escape an internment camp and hide in the woods, clinging to hope of finding safety and reuniting with their family. When danger closes in, the father has to make a final sacrifice to give his daughter a chance at freedom. 

COMEDY BLOCK 2 | AWKWARD ENCOUNTERS | 1:00 PM

Mom Walkers (4:59) Directed by Allison Salinger & Luke Baker. Tired of your mother always running late or getting lost? Mom Walkers is a new service from our trained dog walkers that gets your mom where she needs to go, no matter the struggle! 

Sofia (9:44) Directed by Camila de Ilhéus. A quick waxing session turns into a nightmare when a Brazilian accidentally gets a Brazilian.

The Eulogy (8:37) Directed by Elijah Broughton. A pair of attention-seeking friends quickly wear out their welcome at a family wake.

Bot (6:44) Directed by Blair Skinner. A woman questions her humanity after failing multiple CAPTCHA quizzes. Based on true events. 

Perfect Night (10:32) Directed by David Michael Long. Cole has planned the perfect date night, only to be foiled by the jealousy of his greatest nemesis...his Mother.

Killed The Pussy (16:23) Directed by Jonathan Woodson. An angsty skater. The cool girl. A dead pussy cat on the front lawn. On a hot summer day, high-schoolers Marshall and Serah find love.

PANEL DISCUSSION | FROM LOCAL TO SAG: ARKANSAS ACTORS IN THE INDUSTRY | 2:30 PM

This panel brings together Arkansas-based SAG actors who have built careers on major film and television productions. They will break down how they get auditions, how they prepare, and what happens once you step onto a professional set. Get honest insight on booking roles, working with directors, handling rejection, and staying consistent in a competitive field.

This conversation focuses on real experience, not theory. If you want to act or want a clear view of how the industry works, this panel gives you practical answers from people doing the job right now. Panelists include Barry Clifton, Jason Morgan, Mary Faulkner, and Raeden Greer.

SHORTS BLOCK 6 | HEAVY THINGS | 4:00 PM

Where The Hounds Sleep (16:00)  Directed by Jacob Wayne McKellar. A young man living in rural Arkansas struggles with guilt over his younger brother being in prison.

25 (10:40) Directed by Walker Lawson Yarbrough. A young mother walks home at night after a long shift and gains a new perspective at what she sees along the way. 

From State Lines (14:49) Directed by Carlie Crabtree. After receiving a call about her father’s health, Kat, a rural Arkansan work-staying at a hostel in heavenly Northern California, is forced to face reality. As she continues her day, Kat starts to find dissonance with the other work-stayers who she otherwise considers as being her family away from home. In response, Kat finally asks herself if this is where she’s meant to be. 

Hollow (20:20) Directed by Christina Kircher Waterman. A high school graduate struggles with her eating disorder while trying to keep her unexpected and unwanted pregnancy a secret. 

CLOSING NIGHT FEATURE | 5:30 PM

Good Time Charley (1:41:00) Directed by Corbin Pitts. After exposing a comet conspiracy, astronomer Charley Codwell must redeem himself, uncover the truth, and stop mass hysteria before it’s too late.

AWARDS CEREMONY | 7:30 PM