All-Day Screenwriting Workshop, Dinner & Film Screening Come to Eureka Springs
March 7, 2026 | Writer’s Colony at Dairy Hollow & Eureka Auditorium

The Fort Smith International Film Festival, Writer’s Colony at Dairy Hollow, Eureka Advertising and Promotion Commission, and the MidAmerica Film Market are collaborating to present a full day of education, conversation, and cinema on Saturday, March 7, 2026.

The day begins at 3:00pm with Screenwriting for Distribution & Marketing, a hands-on workshop at the Writer’s Colony at Dairy Hollow as part of the MidAmerica Film Market 2026 Workshop Series. At 5:00pm, participants are invited to dinner with writer, producer, and director Kate Siegenthaler, followed by a 7:30pm screening of her award-winning feature film Inthralled at the Eureka Auditorium.

Workshop and Movie Tickets:
FortSmithFilm.com
WritersColony.org
https://www.ozarkstix.com/events/inthralled-movie-screening-3-7-2026
https://www.ozarkstix.com/events/workshop-dinner-screenwriting-for-distribution-marketing-3-7-2026

“The Writer’s Colony at Dairy Hollow is a magical place where I have spent many hours scriptwriting, making it the perfect environment for a screenwriting workshop,” said Dr. Brandon Chase Goldsmith, Executive Director of the Fort Smith International Film Festival and MidAmerica Film Market. “Kate brings the knowledge of having been there, done that, got the movie produced, and Inthralled is currently streaming on Prime with a 4½-star rating. Find out how an Arkansas screenwriter got her movie distributed on a major platform, going from script to screen.”

WORKSHOP OVERVIEW: 3pm Workshop (In-person or online)

Screenwriting for Distribution & Marketing is a practical, industry-focused workshop that helps writers and filmmakers understand how distribution and marketing considerations should shape a screenplay from the very beginning. Participants will explore what film distribution actually is, when and how to approach distributors, what genres and elements they look for, and common red flags that can immediately turn them off.

The workshop also examines setting realistic expectations, evaluating and negotiating contracts, and knowing what to watch for once distribution is secured. On the marketing side, attendees will learn how to intentionally build marketable moments into scripts, support a distributor’s marketing strategy, set achievable audience reach goals, and leverage personal resources such as editors, designers, and social media experts. Participants leave with actionable strategies to increase a film’s visibility and commercial potential.

FILM SCREENING: 7:30pm at the Eureka Auditorium

Inthralled is an unsettling supernatural thriller and the launch of a chilling new franchise trilogy. Shot in and around Northwest Arkansas—including Tontitown, Siloam Springs, Pea Ridge, and Fayetteville—the film follows a widowed mother and daughter who return to the mother’s childhood home decades after a shocking tragedy, awakening an ancient family curse tied to a forbidden book that threatens the daughter and her unborn child.

Directed by Douglas Bankston and written by Bankston and Kate Siegenthaler, the film stars Annie Sullivan, Alanna Hamill Newton, Kelcey Watson, and Brad Adams. Produced by Glenngary Productions, Inthralled premiered at the 2025 Fayetteville Film Fest, where it won Audience Choice Award and Best of Fest. The film is distributed by Breaking Glass Pictures and is currently streaming across multiple platforms.

ABOUT KATE SIEGENTHALER:

Kate Siegenthaler is a writer, producer, and director based in Bentonville, Arkansas. She has authored six original screenplays, produced and directed multiple short films and award-winning documentaries, and has received top honors at festivals including the Fayetteville Film Fest and Fort Smith International Film Festival.

Her latest feature, Inthralled, premiered in 2025 and was released in October 2025. She is currently developing the prequel to Inthralled, updating her documentaries, and co-writing a stage play with a fellow Northwest Arkansas writer.