Film and music events showcase Arkansas creative growth

Upcoming events in Arkansas aim to strengthen the connection between the state’s film and music industries.
The effort follows a study showing a state film incentive generated $3.62 in economic value for every dollar invested.
A documentary about the Cate Brothers Band will be screened at the Eureka Springs Blues Party.
A joint networking meetup for filmmakers and musicians is scheduled for early June in Little Rock.

A pair of upcoming events in Arkansas is aiming to strengthen ties between the state’s film and music industries as leaders explore new ways to grow the creative economy.

The effort follows the 2025 launch of Film in Arkansas and the release of an Olsberg•SPI study commissioned by the Executive Subcommittee of the Arkansas Legislative Council to evaluate the economic impact of the Arkansas Digital Motion Picture Incentive.

According to the study, the incentive generated $3.62 in economic value for every dollar invested. The report also recommended moving the state’s film office under tourism operations.

“As part of a possible move to tourism, we are exploring bringing the worlds of film and music together as they do in other states,” said Dr. Brandon Chase Goldsmith, executive director of the Fort Smith International Film Festival. “Imagine a movie without music or a major song being released without a music video. I can’t. The two industries are intrinsically complementary.”

The first of two collaborative events is scheduled for 1 p.m. Saturday, May 30, during the Eureka Springs Blues Party. The event will feature a screening of “Arkansas Rock and Soul Royalty — The Cate Brothers Band,” directed by Benjamin Meade.

The documentary was previously featured at the 2021 Fort Smith International Film Festival. Organizers from both festivals partnered to include the film as part of a tribute to the Cate Brothers.

“Film and music are most powerful when they operate as a unified creative asset; each can amplify the commercial value of the other,” said Robert Locke of the Arkansas Music Experience.

The documentary follows the more than 50-year career of Ernie and Earl Cate, who played their first nightclub show in Fayetteville in 1960 while still teenagers.

During the 1970s and 1980s, the Cate Brothers Band reached the Billboard Top 20 with “Union Man,” toured internationally, appeared on “The Midnight Special” with Ray Charles, and worked with musicians and producers including Steve Cropper, Tom Dowd, Levon Helm, and members of The Band.

In the 1990s, the group performed at two presidential inaugurations and continued releasing independent albums while maintaining strong ties to Northwest Arkansas.

“For people of a certain age, the Cate Brothers have been the soundtrack of our lives,” said Lynn Wasson, president of the River Valley Film Society. “I think the Cates played my prom, every party at the U of A, lots of stages and parties here in Fort Smith. This excellent documentary is only part of what they’re due. The Cates Brothers abide. Long may they play.”

A second event is planned for 6 p.m. Wednesday, June 3, at White Water Tavern in Little Rock, where the Arkansas Cinema Society Filmmaker Forum and Arkansas Music Experience will host a joint networking meetup.

“The Music Industry Meetup is a free, casual, and welcoming networking series designed to bring together everyone who makes Arkansas’ music scene thrive,” Locke said. “Open to all experience levels and all corners of the Arkansas music ecosystem, the Music Industry Meetup is about building relationships, sparking creativity, and celebrating the community.”