The Bentonville Film Festival announced that its 6th annual event will take place on April 29 – May 2, 2020 in Bentonville, Arkansas. Since it’s inception in 2015, the Bentonville Film Festival has been a platform that champions inclusion in all forms of media. Co-founded by Academy Award® winner Geena Davis & Inclusion Companies CEO Trevor Drinkwater, BFF will continue its tradition of curating a program that convenes artists, industry and audiences to support inclusive & intersectional storytelling.
Submissions for 2020 are open via Film Freeway. The competition film program will include mission-aligned Narratives, Documentaries, and Family feature films; as well as a global Short film and Episodic program. In addition, the 6thannual festival will include a powerhouse of discussion events in the areas of Advertising & Brand, Film & TV, Culture & Connection, and Kids & Family Entertainment.
“BFF has an unwavering commitment to support groups and people historically underrepresented in media. This year, 86% of the films selected included key representation by female filmmakers and 62% included representation by filmmakers of color, LGBTQIA, or different abilities. We saw sold out houses for the competition and spotlight films and full audiences for impactful discussions held during the festival,” said Wendy Guerrero, President of Programming for Bentonville Film Festival. “BFF has made great strides in the last 5 years. We’ve also expanded and enhanced our year-round programming adding membership, monthly screenings and educational programs, filmmaker retreats and mentorship. BFF continues to focus on our role in creating positive and social change and look forward to increasing our base of support and impact on the community.”
The 2019 Festival featured speakers included Jason George, Jamie Brewer, Frankie Grande, Jackie Cruz, Jon Cena, Kim Bass, Jordana Spiro, Noelle Stevenson, Sandra Gonzales and more.
BFF screened 162 Films including 65 films in competition (including 27 short films and episodics) in 5 venues across Bentonville.
Information regarding submissions, eligibility, and selection criteria is available on Film Freeway at https://filmfreeway.com/BentonvilleFilmFestival and the Bentonville Film Festival website at www.bentonvillefilmfestival.com.
The Bentonville Film Festival’s competitions for 2020 include:
- Narrative films
- Documentary films
- Family Feature films
- Episodics
- Shorts
Submission Deadlines
Early Bird: October 10, 2019
Regular: December 23, 2019
Late: January 7, 2020
Extended Late: January 14, 2020
