Director Jenna Laurenzo’s Lez Bomb won the juried Best Narrative Film Award while Miss Arizona from director Autumn McAlpin scored top Narrative distinction in the Audience Award competition at the fourth annual Bentonville Film Festival. Winners were announced during an awards gala on Saturday (5/5) at the Crystal Bridges American Museum of Art. Co-founded by Oscar winner Gennea Davis and Inclusion Companies CEO Trevor Drinkwater, The Bentonville Fest champions inclusion across all forms of media is is an advocate for women filmmakers.
The Audience Award for Best of the Fest went to director Sean Olson’s F.R.E.D.I. Actor and filmmaker Natalie Morales was presented with BFF’s first SEE IT, BE IT award, recognizing her rising and influential voice in the landscape of diversity and inclusion in media.
Here’s a rundown of award winners:
Jury Awards:
- Best Narrative Film: LEZ BOMB, (World Premiere), Director: Jenna Laurenzo, includes guaranteed distribution offer from a BFF distribution partner
- Best Documentary Film: EMANUEL (World Premiere), Director Brian Ivie, includes a mentorship prize package from ITVS
- Best Short Film: THE BROWNLIST, Directors: Kelly Walker and Ryan Garcia, includes a feature film directing job from MarVista Entertainment
- Best Episodic: BEAST, Director Ben Strang, includes a mentorship prize package from SeriesFest
Audience Awards:
- Best Narrative Film: MISS ARIZONA (World Premiere), Director Autumn McAlpin
- Best Documentary Film: LOVE ALWAYS MOM (World Premiere), Directors Tricia Russo, Craig E. Shapiro
- Best Short Film: LABORATORY CONDITIONS, Director Jocelyn Stamat
- Best Episodic: BROOKLYNIFCATION, Director Keith Miller
- Best of the Fest: F.R.E.D.I. (World Premiere) Director Sean Olson
Additional awards included:
- Big Vision Empty Wallet Fellowship Award: Molly McGlynn, Writer/Director, MARY GOES ROUND. Big Vision’s focus is on fostering inclusion and developing unexpected content with women, people of color and LGBTQ creators.
- Samsung Create Award: Olivia Stumbaugh, Chris Perea & Melanie Teoh, HarBer High School, Springdale, Arkansas
“Heretic” and “Maria” Set As Red Carpet Premieres At AFI Fest
The American Film Institute (AFI) has announced that Heretic, the psychological thriller starring Hugh Grant, and Maria, based on the life of opera singer Maria Callas starring Angelina Jolie, will round out the Red Carpet Premieres section at this year’s AFI Fest. The Heretic Gala Screening will take place on Thursday, October 24, and the Maria Gala Screening will be held on Saturday, October 26. The complete Red Carpet Premieres section includes the world premieres of Music By John Williams, Robert Zemeckis’ Here, Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl and Clint Eastwood’s Juror #2. All Red Carpet Premieres will take place at the historic TCL Chinese Theatre. The full lineup for AFI Fest 2024 will be unveiled on October 1.
“At the heart of AFI Fest is an unwavering dedication to celebrating the best in global cinema--together,” said Bob Gazzale, AFI president and CEO. “We look forward to uniting artists and audiences once again to be inspired by the art form in a powerful sense of community.”
Heretic follows two young missionaries (Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East) who are forced to prove their faith when they knock on the wrong door and are greeted by a diabolical Mr. Reed (portrayed by Grant), becoming ensnared in his deadly game of cat-and-mouse. The film is directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods and produced by Stacey Sher, Beck, Woods, Julia Glausi and Jeanette Volturno. The film will be released nationwide by A24 on November 8.
Directed by Pablo Larraín, Maria presents a tumultuous and beautiful depiction of one of the world’s most renowned artists and reimagines the legendary soprano in her final days in Paris, as Callas (Jolie)... Read More