Shakeups at Little Rock Film Festival and Malaga Spanish Film Festival

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Just days after the close of the 5th Little Rock Film Festival, the Arkansas Times is reporting that executive director Jack Lofton is out after announcing his resignation. With Lofton out, co-founders Owen Brainard and Craig Renaud will serve as co-executive directors of the festival.

Lofton has reportedly described the split as "amicable and mutually beneficial."

Additionally, co-founder Brent Renaud has been appointed executive director of the newly created Arkansas Film Institute, a "state-wide initiative to promote and support filmmaking and film culture in Arkansas."

And in Spain, Malaga Spanish Film Festival director Carmelo Romero fired the executive director Franjo Parejo and the general coordinator Antonio Luque this week, citing a "complete lack of trust" in the two men, reports The Hollywood Reporter.

The decision is said to not be based on direct allegations of financial impropriety, but on an audit into the general accounts for the 2010 festival which showed irregularities but was still approved by the festival's board without any votes against.

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2011 Little Rock Film Festival Winners; The Interrupters Wins Audience Award

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The 5th annual Little Rock Film Festival came to an end on Sunday, after screening more than more than 100 films to a record audience of over 25,000 attendees.  The comedy "Natural Selection" won Best Narrative Film and 'Marathon Boy' won Best Documentary; but it was the documentary "The Interrupters" which took home the Audience Award.

The winners:

Best Music Video

Matt and Todd Wolfe, Pillow Fight

Best World Short

The Man who Knew How to Fly

Arkansas Times Audience Award

The Interrupters

Special Jury Prize for Courage in Filmmaking

Hossein Keshavarz, Dog Sweat

“Made in Arkansas” Best Actor

Dustin Alford, Foot Soldier

“Made in Arkansas” Best Director

The Miller Brothers, Pillow

Ishares Charles B Pierce Award for Best “Made in Arkansas” Film

The Orderly Daniel Campbell

The Golden Rock for Best Documentary

Marathon Boy

The Golden Rock for Best Narrative Feature

Natural Selection, Robbie Pickering

Oxford American Best Southern Film Award

The Last Mountain