To reattribute a quote from the late British DJ John Peel, one of the reasons the Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival is so great is because “it’s always different and it’s always the same.” That is, year after year, it’s a reliably stellar festival, packed with more eye-opening films than you’ll find anywhere.
In fact, every year, when the week-plus of gorging on docs, drinks and parties ends, it’s easy to find yourself leaving the illuminated, historic Malco in a post-fest depression, cursing the 51 weeks left until the next year.
But as for now, the documentary-loving population at large is looking ahead as the world’s premiere documentary-only film festival returns for its 19th year, screening 110 films over nine days.
With big-name releases like “Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child,” a home video-filled portrait of the iconic New York City artist, programmed beside smaller, local-interest films like “Dogpatch, U.S.A.,” a look into the abandoned Newton County theme park, the festival’s problem may be that it has too much quality.
To help with your scheduling, program director Dan Anderson named his ten films not to miss.