BEST OF FEST: Annie Sullivan gets “Inthralled” in the new indie mystery directed by Douglas Bankston.

By Mickey Mercier

FAYETTEVILLE — The supernatural mystery Inthralled won prizes for Best of Fest and Audience Choice at the 2025 Fayetteville Film Fest in Arkansas — as the state’s thriving independent-film industry continued its own upward arc.

Victory for best picture at the 2025 Fayetteville Film Fest validated years of work for husband-wife producing team of Lyle and Kate Siegenthaler.

Also at the Sept. 20 awards, the river adventure Delta County won for Best Narrative Feature at the film festival in Fayetteville, which is known for the University of Arkansas’ Razorbacks sports teams.

Heather L. Tyler with the trophy for Best Narrative Feature at the Fayetteville Film Fest in September 2025. She stars as an FBI agent in the Arkansas River adventure “Delta County” — shot with cell phones during the Covid lockdown.

Musician Dylan Holloway (right), star and subject of the 2025 Fayetteville Film Fest’s Best Documentary Feature “Tomorrow’s Too Late” with Mindy Van Kuren who produced “Abigail Before Beatrice,” winner for Best Arkansas Connection.

The festival happened in the huge public library of Fayetteville, an unofficial capital of the southern Ozark Mountains. The multimedia department features a professional theater. It also houses a working film studio with a soundstage and equipment for video, sound, lighting and editing.

The industrial-grade facilities enhanced some eagerly attended workshops on directing, editing, acting and sound design. Amateur filmmakers mingled with industry pros — brainstorming for future collaborations, exchanging contact information, and trading tips and tricks.

YOU WILL GET CUT!

“Flair bartending” combines juggling with mixology. Fans will recall its prominent role in the Tom Cruise feature “Cocktail” from 1988. Shown here is Colby Ashton who won a USA championship in the exhibition sport (contributed photo).

The cast and and crew of the 2025 documentary Shaken & Stirred: The Story of Flair Bartending provided live entertainment on the main stage. Flair bartending is a performance art which combines juggling, mixology and charisma.

Flair bartending went big time in the 1988 Tom Cruise movie Cocktail. Co-star Bryan Brown advises Cruise to find a rich woman — so Tomcat springs his athletic bartending schtick on Elisabeth Shue (Leaving Las Vegas).

Trivia: Fans will recall that Aussie icon Brown already had a cult following for his role as a movie special-effects man in the 1986 thriller F/X.

Written and directed by Deborah Richards, Shaken & Stirred follows three Las Vegas flair bartenders as they prepare for a championship competition. One of the cast notes: If you play with glass, you will get cut.

When flair bartenders pour in real-world bars, successful flirting with the customers brings the big tips and dividends.

GO DOWN, DILLER

Female lead Lauren Robinson eats spaghetti with scissors in the surreal comedy “Go Down, Diller.” Andrew Bateman directed the polished 23-minute film written by Dr. Eric Howerton. It also features a talking bear (contributed photo).

Inthralled” star Annie Sullivan (right) with festival honcho Natosha De’Von at the 2025 Fayetteville Film Fest on Sept. 19, 2025.

(Red-carpet photos and text copyright 2025 by Mickey Mercier)

Winners' List and more on Fayetteville Film Fest's Instagram

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