HOT SPRINGS DOC FILM FEST RETURNS FOR 34TH EDITION

By Mabel Pais

HONOREE: GEETA GANDBHIR RECEIVES 2025 IMPACT AWARD

Featuring

Director GEETA GANDBHIR’s Feature ‘THE PERFECT NEIGHBOR’

and Short Film ‘THE DEVIL IS BUSY’

Director KARLA MURTHY’s Feature ‘THE GAS STATION ATTENDANT’

Director Ladkani’s Feature ‘YANUNI’

Director SOUVID “JIJO” DATTA’s Short Film ‘NOT YET’

Director ANURIMA BHARGAVA’s Short Film ‘TEACHING AMERICA’

And many more

The Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival (HSDFF) for its 34^th edition has the lineup of films and honorees taking place, October 10 -18. Screenings will take place at Oaklawn’s Event Center {307 Carpenter Dam Road, Hot Springs, AR 71901 – Phone: (501) 623-0020}.

HONOREES

GEETA GANDBHIR will be the recipient of this year’s Impact Award and

JON ALPERT will receive the HSDFF Brent Renaud Career Achievement Award.

HSDFF Executive Director, Ken Jacobson, said, “In a world that seems, at times, on the verge of spinning out of control, I marvel at the fact that something as simple as a gathering of people to watch documentary films on a big screen can feel as miraculous and urgent as it does this year. For 34 years, the Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival has brought the best in non-fiction filmmaking to Hot Springs. Our community has responded by welcoming filmmakers and other guests here to join with us in celebrating this remarkable art form. This year, I am struck by the sheer quality and dynamism of the filmmaking, the courage of those willing to share their lives with the filmmakers, and the emotional depths explored through these incredibly diverse stories. If this year’s festival lineup tells us anything, it’s that creativity and truth-telling still remain as vital as ever. From our Opening to our Closing Night and everything in between, I know that our audiences are in for a very special and unique experience.”

Highlights

ADDITIONAL / SPECIAL EVENTS

Marking Indigenous Peoples’ Day on Monday, October 13th, the festival features a stellar lineup of documentaries that celebrate Native and Indigenous stories and storytellers: ‘Powwow People,’ ‘Remaining Native,’ ‘Drowned Land’ and ‘Yanuni.’

National Park College (NPC) and Hot Springs Village Shorts Programs

For the first time, HSDFF is expanding its program to the National Park College in Hot Springs for a specially curated package of short films intended to build connections between the festival and the NPC community. For the second year in a row, HSDFF brings its documentary programming to nearby Hot Springs Village for a curated shorts program.

The Emerging Filmmakers Program, a long-standing partnership between HSDFF and Arkansas PBS, is one of HSDFF’s most cherished educational initiatives. This full-day experience welcomes middle and high school students from throughout the region to engage in thought-provoking screenings, interactive Q&A sessions, and hands-on workshops. Designed to immerse young storytellers in the craft of documentary filmmaking, the program features guidance from award-winning filmmakers and top industry professionals. Since its inception, the program has welcomed hundreds of students from more than 30 schools.

The Brent Renaud Mentorship Program is presented in partnership with Arkansas PBS. Working filmmakers join Peabody Award-winner Craig Renaud to offer a behind-the-scenes look at their creative processes and share practical guidance for building a sustainable career in filmmaking. This unique opportunity allows participants to gain an insider’s perspective on the art and craft of documentary filmmaking.

THE FILMMAKER FORUM

Now in its third year, the HSDFF Filmmaker Forum is a three-day filmmaker/industry conference and convening to be held October 12 – 14 during this year’s Festival. In this unprecedented year, in which federal government funding has been stripped from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) and public media, there is no more urgent time for filmmakers and industry leaders to meet, discuss and raise critical questions about where the documentary field stands and where to go from here. The Forum offers dynamic programming focused on the art, craft and business of documentary storytelling with a focus on public media, and a wider lens on the nonfiction ecosystem as a whole.

TICKETS

For more information on purchasing and additional details on the Hot Springs Documentary Film festival, visit: hsdfi.org.

2025 Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival Lineup

Thomas Winston’s ‘LOST WOLVES OF YELLOWSTONE’ Opens the Festival

André Hörmann’s ‘THE COWBOY’ is the Centerpiece selection, and 

Elegance Bratton’s ‘MOVE YA BODY: THE BIRTH OF HOUSE’ gets the closing slot.

FEATURES

There are about 38 Features.

SHORT FILMS

In the HOT SPRINGS VILLAGE SHORTS PROGRAM, there are 7 films.

In the CREATIVITY UNBOUND category, there are 5 films.

Learn more at hsdfi.org.
HOT SPRINGS DOCUMENTARY FILM FESTIVAL 

Each year, with the help of a small staff and over 100 dedicated volunteers, Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival (hsdfi.org) attracts thousands of visitors to the 9-day multicultural and intergenerational event. Now approaching its 34^th year 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.
Mabel Pais writes on The Arts and Entertainment, Spirituality, Social Issues, Health and Wellness, Education, Business, and Cuisine.