The Bentonville Film Festival will light up Arkansas once again, as the Geena Davis-founded celebration of diverse filmmakers has set dates for 2016.
The second BFF (possibly the best acronym ever) will take place May 3-8, 2016 with ARC Entertainment, Walmart, Coca-Cola and AMC Theatres on board as sponsors.
The festival comes with a guarantee for theatrical, broadcast, digital and retail home entertainment distribution for winners.
“BFF is effecting real change in how women and diverse filmmakers can get their stories in front of audiences, with the support of the world’s largest entertainment and media companies, brands and retailers,” said Davis.
Her advisory board is equally starry, with names including Angela Bassett, Viola Davis, Bruce Dern, Samuel L. Jackson, Eva Longoria, Julianne Moore, Natalie Portman, Shonda Rhimes, Nina Tassler and Rosie O’Donnell.
The inaugural BFF drew 50 filmmakers and roughly 37,000 attendees.
“Bentonville welcomed us with open arms for our inaugural event, and we are honored to show off this quintessential town to the rest of the world. With a sophisticated residence base, Northwest Arkansas is the perfect central location in the US for this forward-thinking event,” said Trevor Drinkwater, co-founder of BFF.
The fest screens 75 films, including studio premieres, indies and documentaries, and includes an awards ceremony.
Film submissions for the Festival open on October 1, 2015; films accepted into competition will be announced in March 2016.