Geena Davis Celebrates Bentonville Film Festival: Spotlight on Arkansas, Honoring Roots

Reflecting on the evolution of the Bentonville Film Festival since its inception in 2015, chairperson Geena Davis emphasizes the festival’s commitment to its original vision while also introducing a new category showcasing Arkansas filmmakers.

“For some time now, our festival has been acknowledged as one of the most rapidly expanding festivals nationwide, and we take great pride in attracting a global audience and filmmakers,” comments Davis.

The festival’s 11th year, running from June 16-22 in Bentonville, Ark., boasts partnerships with Walmart as a founding partner, Coca-Cola as a presenting partner, and The Bangin Beats’s Producers to Watch. This year, the festival curated by artistic director Drea Clark, will feature 28 competitive feature films including nine world premieres. Key films include the thriller “40 Acres” led by Danielle Deadwyler, the pertinent Sundance documentary “Heightened Scrutiny,” and “East of Wall,” directed by Kate Beecroft, which will open the festival.

Wendy Guerrero, president of the Bentonville Film Festival, notes that enhancing the visibility of local films has been a long-term discussion with production companies. “This year, we’ve seen a significant increase in high-quality local productions, which have definitely stood out,” she says.

Featured local films include “West of Greatness: The Story of the Westwego Muscle Boys,” “Beyond the Ashes: An Adaptive Trail Story,” “Abigail Before Beatrice,” and “Sovereign,” starring Nick Offerman and Jacob Tremblay. For directors like Cassie Keet of “Abigail Before Beatrice,” participating in the festival holds special significance.

“It’s crucial to showcase our region and its beauty,” states Keet. “While Bentonville and Arkansas might not be seen as major hubs in the entertainment industry, we have so much to offer in terms of stunning locations and passionate professionals.”

As cities like Los Angeles face challenges with declining production rates, states like Arkansas are looking to ramp up incentives to boost their competitiveness. Over time, Bentonville has expanded its influence across Arkansas by collaborating with other festivals and organizations, such as the Arkansas Cinema Society, initiated by filmmaker Jeff Nichols.

Since its start, diversity has been a cornerstone of the festival. This year, 66% of directors in the lineup are female or gender nonconforming, 29% are part of the LGBTQ+ community, and 18% are filmmakers over 50 years old. In terms of on-screen representation, 49% of lead characters are BIPOC.

Guerrero explains, “Geena’s vision for the festival was simple yet profound: to mirror the actual diversity of our population. It’s surprisingly straightforward to achieve this by selecting stories that naturally embody this diversity.”

Additional events will feature an award presentation to Lucy Liu, who will receive the Rising to the Challenge Award on June 21. Furthermore, Davis will participate in a reading from her new children’s book during the “Read With Sesame Street’s Elmo & Geena” session.

Among all the scheduled events and expected guests like Mimi Rogers, Betsy Brandt, and Elmo, Davis is particularly excited about her traditional “Geena and Friends” segment where she and other female actors reinterpret all-male scenes from well-known films.

“This segment is a festival highlight because it underscores that many male roles could also be effectively played by women or individuals with disabilities. It’s particularly entertaining, even in serious films,” Davis remarks, chuckling.