Geena Davis’s BFFoundation (BFF) announced the dates for the 2021 Bentonville Film Festival and have officially opened submissions. The festival that amplifies the voices of diverse storytellers will take place on August 3-8, 2021 in Bentonville, Arkansas.
This year’s 7th edition of the Bentonville Film Festival will be a hybrid festival, featuring digital and in-person events as well as drive-in screenings. The full program will be unveiled in July.
“During this last year of uncertainty across all sectors of the entertainment industry, and throughout our organization’s history, BFF has remained unwavering in its commitment to support groups and people historically underrepresented in the media,” said Wendy Guerrero, President of BFFoundation and Bentonville Film Festival. “As we move further into 2021, we continue to learn and to hone our focus on creating positive social change, an increased support base, and more measurable impact. With all of this in mind, our 7th annual film festival will deliver our most unforgettable experience yet.”
“One of our favorite times of the year is finally upon us and we are thrilled to begin screenings and to build our most uncompromising Festival program yet,” said Davis, who also serves as the Bentonville Film Festival Chair. “We are humbled and cannot wait to share the many exciting plans, panels, and new events we have in store.”
The festival will now be produced as an annual program of the BFFoundation, a 501c3 based in the state of Arkansas, led by a board of directors and operated by year-round and seasonal staff. Formerly operating under the Bentonville FIlm Festival LLC, the non-profit BFFoundation will continue to reflect the guiding mission of the festival: to create a deeper impact for racial and gender equality in all media. BFFoundation also includes an overarching commitment to grow and support the film industry within Arkansas.
“Our organization remains dedicated to championing the inclusion of underrepresented storytellers and content creators across the industry,” said Academy Award® winner Geena Davis. “We will continue to champion change by supporting work that reflects gender and racial equity on both sides of the camera — that allows for authentic representation of all forms of relationships and sexual orientations, and amplifies the voices of females, LGBTQIA+, BIPOC, and people with disabilities in entertainment and media,” said Davis.
Filmmakers with projects where at least fifty percent of cast and/or crew are from an underrepresented group are now invited to submit to the 2021 program via Filmfreeway.