UpRooted Media

Say Ahojte (Hello) to Slovaktown, Arkansas, USA!!

What is Slovaktown?

Southern Arkansas is not the first place you would think to find a town with almost 100% Slavic ethnicity. Yet, since 1894, this Slovak immigrant settlement has been inhabited by the descendants of the original Slovak settlers who fled the industrial North.

Beginning as the passion of famed Slovak-American Visionary Peter Vitʹazoslav Rovnianek, he gave Slovaks a chance at a different American dream: a life that aligned with their Slovak agrarian roots. Yet, they discovered too late that the prairie lands of Arkansas were not the fruitful farmland they had hoped for.

Despite the community being threatened by low food production and frequent wildfires, Slovaktown survived and thrived, creating a strong, uniquely Slovak-Southern-American community, resilient in the face of adversity and tucked away from much of the rest of America's consciousness.

However, time is always a player in the loss of information. Aware of the importance and its unique place in history, this town has preserved so many of their cultural practices, photographs and documents. They even explored how they could band together to make their own documentary. Alas, the lack of media skills, time and budget prevented this. Luckily, the town's dedication to maintaining their culture and history any way they could (sharing photos on facebook) caught the attention of us at UpRooted Media.

Given no one has yet to do a full telling of Slovaktown from 1894 to present day, the impact and uniqueness of this community continues to go unnoticed in the history books and current Slovak descendant accomplishments.

We were warmly welcomed into the community. Thus, we feel a strong dedication to preserve this history and current culture - not only for the townspeople, but for Slovak and American history as a whole.

Now is the time while the grandchildren of the founding families (now in their 80s and 90s) are still here to tell the stories.

Filmmaking Approach:

The film follows an interview-led, chronological narrative, viewed through the perspective of Slovaktown's residents and descendants. It combines historic photos, documents, and family narratives, along with current-day videos, stills, and interviews. Additionally, folk musical arrangements and original compositions enhance the storytelling.

Slovaktown's migration embodies the classic hero's journey, but what sets it apart is its portrayal of the community as a collective hero within the Slovak-American narrative. The documentary spans generations of Slovaktown families, offering a creative, historical, and transformative account of multicultural survival from 1894 to 2024.

Soundtrack:

We believe that music, often overlooked in documentaries, creates a profound experience of the protagonist's journey. In the "Slovaktown, Arkansas" documentary, music will uniquely highlight the immigrant journey on screen.

Music serves as a powerful cultural connector. Therefore, we're using it to guide viewers through the evolution of Slovak immigrant families into Southern Slovak Americans. As the film explores their migration journey, we depict Slovak folk songs transitioning into adaptations featuring Southern American regional instruments and sounds, reflecting internal generational shifts.

At the documentary's outset, classic Slovak and Rusyn folk songs set the tone. As the community adjusts to local customs, these songs evolve to incorporate new cultural elements while preserving their folk traditions. This approach enhances the immersive experience, complementing the visual and narrative evolution of this multicultural community up to the present day.

As music supervisor, James Ashley Mayer collaborates with Slovak-American modern classical composer and pianist Josiah Austin, Slovak-American vocalist Heidi Austin, Slovaktown accordionist and grandson of the town's founding father, Alfred Bednar,, vocalist Father Shaun Wesley of Slovaktown Sts Cyril & Methodius Church, and renowned Czechoslovak immigrant Fujara player Bohuslav (Bob) Rychlík.

Production Team:

Filming & Costs:

In February 2023, we embarked on our filming journey to Slovaktown, only to be unexpectedly halted by Mother Nature. Our camera crew and equipment were grounded, preventing us from reaching Slovak. Despite this setback, we established meaningful connections with the locals and began scanning their historical documents and photographs.

We improvised by filming using an iPhone, but the footage fell short in quantity and quality. To rectify this, we've partnered with Little Rock's Twist Creative Studio (https://twistcreativestudio.com) for filming in January and February 2024, ensuring we fully capture our intended content from last winter.

These trips will capture two vital events in Slovaktown: The Slovak Knights of Columbus Oyster Supper and Slovak Annual Heritage Day.

Twist Creative, recognizing the significance of preserving this lesser-known history, generously offered a 50% price reduction on their full production services, slashing the cost from $12,070 to $6,035.

Production Costs Breakdown:

1. Pre-Production Full Day Management:$425 per day (2 days needed)

2. Production 7-9hr Full Day: $2,790 per day (6 days needed)

3. Production Crew Member: $2,250 per day (6 days needed)

4. Production Accompanying Gear: $500 each (4 needed)

5. Post-Production Rendering & Digitizing: $70 each (4 needed)

Any excess funds beyond our goal will directly support the next phase of post-production, covering technical support, audio/video remastering, graphic design, editing, and film festival entrance fees.

Donation Rewards:

Any and all sized donations bring the benefit of securing Slovaktown’s place in history for generations to come! Everyone who donates will receive their own digital copy of the film and your name will be listed in the film credits and thanked as a donor.

Associate Producer: $1,000 - $3,999 As Associate Producer enjoy the distinction of being prominently featured in both the film credits and on IMDB while knowing you are a key partner in bring this history to life.

Sponsorship: $4,000 to $5,999 As a valued sponsor, you play a crucial role in bringing this documentary to life. Enjoy prominent recognition with your name or business featured immediately following the main sponsor in the opening credits, advertising, and IMDB Associate Producer credits.

Main Sponsorship: $6,000 and above As our primary sponsor, your name or business will take center stage in the opening credits, promotional materials and IMDB Associate Producer credits, prominently recognized as the driving force behind the documentary. At this level, your contribution covers production costs, solidifying your pivotal role in bringing this documentary to life.

Distribution:

The mission behind this project is to make Slovak Town synonymous with Slovak migration and Arkansas Rice Farming. To accomplish this goal, we are receiving support from numerous Arkansans, to include Mr. William Asti, former chairman of Little Rock’s Film Commission, founder of four film festivals, and former board member of five film festivals in Arkansas; to include a world-renowned documentary film festival. Mr. Asti, now retired, is a resident of Little Rock, Arkansas, and was an economist, architect, urban planner, futurists, and author.

We are exploring US governmental support for an Arkansas based screening of the documentary, and along with Mr. Asti we will be working with others for potential screening of the SLOVAKTOWN, ARKANSAS DOCUMENTARY to include Arkansas Public Broadcasting, Arkansas’ Economic Development Commission’s Film Office, as well as the Arkansas based documentary film festival.

LEARN MORE!

UpRooted Media

THANK YOU for taking the time to learn about and support Slovak-American History and Culture!

Your contributions play a crucial role in preserving Slovaktown's history. Your support and encouragement mean the world to us.