18th Annual Ozark Foothills FilmFest Now Accepting Submissions
The Ozark Foothills FilmFest is an eclectic celebration of the cinema arts that takes place in April each year in Batesville, Arkansas. It is one of extremely few film festivals taking place in a truly rural community. The festival screens narrative and documentary films of all lengths, as well as curated foreign language films and restored American classics. Opportunities for artist/audience interaction at the 2019 festival will include a filmmaker panel discussion titled “Reel Rural: Rural America in Independent Film,” post-screening Q&As, informal filmmaker chats, and a filmmaker welcoming reception. The 18th annual Ozark Foothills FilmFest takes place April 18-20 and April 26-27, 2019.
Cash prizes will be awarded for Best Narrative Feature, Best Documentary Feature, Best Narrative Short, and Best Documentary Short. Winners are also presented with an original design hand-thrown ceramic trophy created by Mountain View Pottery.
Entries must be submitted digitally online using the FilmFreeway website (www.filmfreeway.com/OzarkFoothillsFilmFest). Special consideration is given to films that reflect rural concerns, lifestyles, and sensibilities. The submission deadline is November 30, 2018; entrants will be notified as to selection status on or before January 15, 2019. All revenue generated from entry fees is allocated to competition prizes and to providing lodging and travel support for visiting filmmakers. Submission guidelines are available at www.filmfreeway.com/OzarkFoothillsFilmFest or email ozarkfilm@wildblue.net.
Cathy Drew is a lifelong resident of the region that she loves to promote. She was born in downtown Batesville in the late ’60s, located in one of the eight counties she now enjoys encouraging people to visit.
Drew became associated with the Ozark Gateway Region in 1990 while working at the ad agency (The Media Market Inc.). The agency handled marketing for the regional association, where she and her co-workers produced an annual tabloid publication. She began working as the Ozark Gateway Region director in June 2000.
After Drew became director, she took the region to the next level by helping the tourism organization create a new website and moved it from the old newspaper paper tabloid publication to a color magazine format. She helped open a visitor center for the Ozark Gateway, allowing visitors to pick up information from the entire state 24/7. Over the years, Drew has helped the organization meet new marketing goals, such as in- and out-of-state marketing, assuring that all 100,000 copies of their magazines are distributed each year.
In 2016, she assisted in creating the first Ozark Gateway Region Golf Classic. The tournament continues to grow each year, allowing the organization to expand its co-op program and helping each county have dedicated promotion. Drew stays busy at Ozark Gateway as the ad sales manager, magazine editor, day-to-day office operations, trade show representative, and magazine distribution representative, all while ensuring that the region is represented all over Arkansas and southern Missouri.
Drew was featured in several local and statewide publications over the years, as well as the 1997 cover of the Ozark Gateway Region tabloid, along with her then 4-year-old son, Jon. She has received several awards, such as the Batesville Rotarian of the Year in 2010 and a three-time Paul Harris Fellow.
She also has served as an Independence County election commissioner for several years. She now serves as their co-election coordinator, helping with behind-the-scenes management of voting equipment, day-to-day election deadlines, and poll worker training.
Drew is Batesville Rotary Club Past President, and is the Rotary Clubs’ current membership chair.
In March of 2018, Drew was honored with induction into the Arkansas Tourism Hall of Fame for her many years of dedicated service to the tourism industry.