Welcome to Central Arkansas Film Scene.

My name is Jessica Scott, and I’m a central Arkansas writer who loves movies. A brief rundown of who I am and what I do: I’m a Tomatometer-approved critic who belongs to critics’ organizations including GALECA and OAFFC. I’ve written for several online and print publications, including Fangoria, Inverse, Dread Central, Grim, Slash Film, and many more. I’ve contributed special features for physical media releases including Revealer. I served as a short film juror for Salem Horror Fest in 2021 and 2022, and I presented a paper on queer vampire representation at the 2020 Vampire Academic Conference. I own the horror review site We Who Walk Here, and I’m a content editor and staff writer for Film Cred. You can find my full writing portfolio here.

Like a lot of people, I live most of my life online. I see friends in other states attending incredible repertory screenings, Q&As, and other film events that I would love to attend. Then I see posts from local friends who attended similar events that I had no idea about until after the fact. It’s frustrating to feel so out of the loop — to feel like you’re constantly missing out on the things that you love — so I decided to do something about it. This site is a way for me to develop a stronger connection to the local film scene and hopefully help others find that same connection.

Though we may not get the same opportunities as cinephiles in places like Chicago, Los Angeles, or New York, central Arkansas has a much more vibrant film community than many people realize. Central Arkansas Film Scene will celebrate that community with news, interviews, essays, reviews, and a calendar devoted to local film events.

Here’s how you can help:

• If you know of an event that should be on the calendar, please let me know! Screenings, classes, festivals, lectures…if it’s related to cinema and it’s located in central Arkansas, I want to know about it.
• If you’re a local filmmaker and you’re interested in scheduling an interview and/or submitting your film for review, please get in touch. I can’t guarantee that I’ll be able to speak to everyone or provide review coverage for everyone who reaches out, but I will do my best. (Also: this should go without saying, but just because I agree to review a film does not automatically mean that I will review it favorably.)
• If you’re involved in the local film scene — as a programmer, critic, or anything else — and you’d like to schedule an interview, please get in touch. I want to talk to as many people as I can to cover the wide range of film offerings we have here.
• If you’d like to collaborate on any other projects — festivals, screenings, panels, or anything else — please let me know. I want to be more involved in our local film community!

At the risk of sounding too painfully earnest, I’m starting this site because I believe in the importance of local cinema and I want to forge a stronger connection to the film scene in my hometown. I hope that Central Arkansas Film Scene will be a valuable resource to you and to myself as well. I’m excited to see where this site goes, and I hope you’ll join me on the journey. See you at the movies!