Rock City Film Festival is proud to announce our Official Selections for this year’s festival, to be held May 16-18, 2025 at the beautiful CALS Ron Robinson Theater in downtown Little Rock. Congratulations, Filmmakers! We can’t wait to celebrate with you.

Schedule

May 16, 2025

Opening Night Shorts

7 - 8 PM @ CALS Ron Robinson Theater

We’re kicking off the festival with a powerful and poignant selection of films that reflect the spirit, heart, and complexity of human connection. Our Opening Night Shorts program offers an emotional journey through deeply personal stories—of resilience, legacy, identity, and quiet revolution—told by a bold and diverse group of filmmakers. Then, we transition into our Opening Night Feature, a moving Southern-set drama that explores the delicate bonds of family, acceptance, and change.

Opening Night Feature | I Do This for a Living

8:30 - 10 PM @ CALS Ron Robinson Theater

Jeff, a mechanic and southern family man, navigating the life of his recovering addict son who starts a relationship with a trans girl.

May 17, 2025

Documentary Short Feature | COLBERT: All Students Can Learn

10 - 11 AM @ CALS Ron Robinson Theater

Almost 70 years after Fayetteville, Arkansas Public School’s integration, Dr. John L Colbert, the city’s first African American superintendent, cements his historic legacy with a school named after him. | Almost 70 years after Fayetteville Arkansas Public School’s integration, Dr. John L Colbert, the city’s first African American superintendent, cements his historic legacy with a school named after him.

Shorts Block | The Unseen Thread

11:30 AM - 12:30 PM @ CALS Ron Robinson Theater

In moments of grief, guilt, and revelation, what connects us is often invisible—yet deeply felt. The Unseen Thread weaves together four emotionally charged stories of ordinary people navigating extraordinary moments. From deciphering cryptic signals to confronting personal loss, and from silent guilt to unspoken fears between best friends, each film invites us to explore the spaces between reality and the emotions we try to outrun.

Filmmaker Panel | The Self-Sustaining Filmmaker: Building a Career Without Permission Featuring Marty Lang

1 - 2 PM @ CALS Ron Robinson Theater

What does it take to make films consistently without waiting for the industry’s green light? Filmmaker, educator, and author Marty Lang shares insights from his book and career on how to thrive as a creative entrepreneur. This panel will break down how to make films sustainably, build community, fund projects outside traditional systems, and keep moving forward regardless of budget or location.

Feature Film | The Forest Through The Trees

2:30 - 4:30 PM @ CALS Ron Robinson Theater

Chloe and her step dad, Ken are dealing with the disappearance of Kathy, Chloe's mother and Ken's wife. After a painful year, and with the help of Chloe's friend Ava, they investigate a clue that leads them to a terrifying demon cult. | Chloe and her step dad, Ken are dealing with the disappearance of Kathy, Chloe's mother and Ken's wife. After a painful year, and with the help of Chloe's friend Ava, they investigate a clue that leads them to a terrifying demon cult.

Short Docs + Short Feature | True Grit, Soft Edges

5 - 6:30 PM @ CALS Ron Robinson Theater

This collection of documentaries shines a light on lives lived with intention, rebellion, and heart. From the trailblazing journey of one of the first female heavy equipment operators to a candid conversation about how we teach kids about their bodies, these stories speak truth in surprising ways. A bike race through the Ozarks becomes a metaphor for emotional endurance, while a master potter’s fiery kiln serves as the backdrop for reflections on art, legacy, and community.

Comedy Block | Well, That Escalated Quickly!

7 - 8 PM @ CALS Ron Robinson Theater

This isn’t your typical stand-up routine—these short comedies serve up awkward truths, eccentric characters, and the kind of laughs that sneak up on you. From a grandma with a sharper tongue than her grandson’s punchlines to two hitmen dissecting the art of assassination movies, this block embraces the weird, the heartfelt, and the unexpectedly hilarious. Whether it’s love, loss, or searching for the right fortune—funny happens when life doesn’t go as planned.

Horror/Thrillers | Dark Offerings

8:30 - 9:30 PM @ CALS Ron Robinson Theater

A collection of unsettling tales where heartbreak curdles, innocence fades, and the supernatural creeps in unseen. Whether it’s a cursed heirloom, a twisted support group, or a presence in the shadows, each story leads its characters—and the audience—deeper into the unknown. These are stories of things lost, things broken, and things that should have stayed buried. 

The WTF Block

9:30 PM - Sunday, May 18, 11:30 PM @ CALS Ron Robinson Theater

Strap in for the wildest, weirdest ride of the festival—this is the WTF Block , where nothing is off-limits and everything is on the table. From micro-moments of existential dread and cosmic gym bros to anime-fueled nightmares and twisted fairy tales, this collection of shorts is a chaotic cocktail of horror, experimental, sci-fi, dark comedy, and the downright absurd. 

May 18, 2025

Shorts Block | Fresh Frames

10 - 11 AM @ CALS Ron Robinson Theater

From the curious whiskers of a mouse to the heartfelt echoes of childhood friendships, this collection showcases the fearless creativity of new and emerging filmmakers. Mostly animated and brimming with imagination, these stories come from middle schoolers to university students—each offering a glimpse into the next generation of storytellers. Whether quirky, heartfelt, or hilariously offbeat, these fresh voices prove that bold visions have no age limit.

Comedy Shorts 2 | Minor Incidents

11:30 AM - 12:30 PM @ CALS Ron Robinson Theater

A collection of short films about misunderstandings, misfires, and the quiet chaos of being alive. From restroom revelations to romantic graveyards and the occasional accidental getaway driver, these stories find humor in the everyday absurd. | A social media content creator is caught as he snaps a picture of an unsuspecting patron in a coffee shop. Highly offended, she immediately calls him out on this violation of her personal space. 

Music Videos

1 - 2 PM @ CALS Ron Robinson Theater

Turn up the volume! This electrifying block of music videos showcases a bold mix of indie vibes, heavy metal intensity, and experimental visuals that push the boundaries of sound and style. A feast for the eyes and ears—come experience music like never before. | Breath Again by Garda Együttes | Waiting Game by Haunteddisco | Words of the Water by Ten Penny Gypsy featuring Carolina Mendoza | The Return of Magik by RWAKE | Hey Wassup by Banzai Florist

Shorts Block | Bloodlines and Fault Lines

2:30 - 3:30 PM @ CALS Ron Robinson Theater

In this deeply human block, families are tested, bonds are strained, and resilience is discovered in the quiet moments. From fractured father-son reunions to the strength of a single mother finding her footing, these stories explore how we shape and are shaped by the people we come from. Hope flickers in unexpected places, reminding us that love, though imperfect, runs deep.

Short Block | Echos of the Departed

4 - 5 PM @ CALS Ron Robinson Theater

Ghosts linger in grief, memory, and the spaces we can’t leave behind. This atmospheric collection dives into the emotional aftermath of loss — whether of loved ones, dreams, or identity — through surreal, grounded, and darkly comic lenses. Some characters move on. Some never can. But all are caught in that fragile place between what was and what still haunts them. | A woman struggles with grief following the sudden death of her husband.

Closing Night Feature | Cries from the Cotton Field

5:30 - 7 PM @ CALS Ron Robinson Theater

Haunted by the death of a hostage after a failed special forces rescue attempt, an ex-military Captain turned Contractor is tasked with finding a missing girl. | Feature-length documentary saga of Italians who were unscrupulously recruited to work cotton fields in the American South, after the Civil War, and their resilient journey of hope, hardship and faith.

Buy Tickets

Date: May 16 - 18, 2025

Location: CALS Ron Robinson Theater

100 River Market Ave, Little Rock, AR 72201

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