Arkansas is filled with talented filmmakers and The Arkansas Cinema Society’s Filmland: Arkansas 2024 program will bring their works to the big screen during Filmland, August 15-18th, in the Performing Arts Theater at the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts.  The selections were chosen by a committee of filmmakers and film lovers. A Filmland: Arkansas Showcase featuring even more films by Arkansas filmmakers will follow later this year.

Each year, the submissions have grown. ACS Executive Director Kathryn Tucker is thrilled by the growth.

“It’s so encouraging to see the number of submissions for Filmland: Arkansas grow every year, ” said Tucker. “There’s so much happening across the state now to inspire and provide opportunities for up-and-coming Arkansas filmmakers. That is and has always been the ACS mission - all ships rise when we have a connected, unified film community that supports one another and all of our collaborative efforts. We are happy that Filmland: Arkansas can play a part in that and provide the opportunity for filmmakers to network and exhibit their work in the beautiful state-of-the-art cinema at AMFA.”

Filmland: Arkansas is non-competitive in nature but all of the selected films in August will be eligible for the Audience Award for their category. Thanks to the generosity of our friends at Panavision, each year, the winners of the Professional Shorts and Feature Film Audience Awards receive a Panavision New Filmmaker Program equipment grant -  $15,000 for audience favorite for short film and $60,000 for the audience favorite for feature film. The feature winners the last two years have each gone on to make films the following year in Arkansas, with the help of the Panavision equipment grant. 

“We’re so excited to return to Filmland: Arkansas as a sponsor and again be able to offer these equipment grants to the audience winners,” said Panavision New Filmmaker Program manager Aaron Saffa. “At Panavision, we work with filmmakers to empower their artistry by providing the equipment and support that can help them realize their creative visions. We can’t wait to celebrate the talents of this year’s audience winners and support their creativity through our New Filmmaker Program equipment grants.”

The 2024 ACS Filmland: Arkansas selections are: 

Features:

I Do This for a Living - directed by Noah Arthur Woods

Rise Above: The Carl Jackson Story - directed by Maryilene Blondell

All Happy Families - directed by Haroula Rose

I’ll Be There - directed by Andrew Shea

‍Professional Shorts:

“Anemoia” - directed by Hannah Alline

“Carving” - directed by Russell Sharman and Laura Shatkus

“Caught on Tape” - directed by Alexander Jeffery and Chris Alan Evans

“Clownfish” - directed by Clayton Henderson

“Goose” - directed by Ethan Edwards

“Mudpuppy” - directed by Cole Borgstadt

“Oh, Hi” - directed by Kathryn Francis Tucker

“Oscar Zulu” - directed by John Backstrom

“Smoothie” - directed by Chris Churchill

“That One Little Thing” - directed by Emmanuel Joel Rodriguez

“The Book Club” - directed by Johnnie Brannon

“The Tickle Monster” - directed by Brett Helms

‍Student Shorts:

“AfterSchool” - directed by Lexie Mosby

“Dandy, the Flower” - directed by Jonathan Michael Peterson

“Gluttony” - directed by Christine Waterman

“Greed” - directed by Paula Blanco Perez

“Miracle of Life” - directed by Vita Long

“Moonspeak” - directed by Sophie Barnes

“Oh Shit!” - directed by Janie Gentry

“Show Pub Queen” - directed by Ren Tsukamoto

“Strawberry” - directed by Nathaly M. Moreno

“The Space Between” - directed by Michelle Burney

“The Ambassadors” - directed by Brinson Davenport

“Wataté” - directed by Aidan Kolokithas

Given the limited time frame during the August program and the vast amount of fantastic films submitted, ACS will also host a Filmland: Arkansas Showcase later this year to screen the remaining selections. 

The Filmland: Arkansas Showcase Films are:

‍Professional Shorts

“Banana Triangle Six” - directed by Marc Crandall

“Doom and Despair” - directed by Jonathan Childs

“How Do I Tell You This” - directed by Lara Hill

“(I’m Not) Your Negroni” - directed by Antonio Terrell

“Mom.ent of Peace” - directed by Raelyn Munneke 

“Self Tape” - directed by Eric White + Terrell Case

“Where Is It?” - directed by Brady C. Ness

‍Student Shorts

“American Heterosexual Story” - directed by Victor Keas

“Limbo” - directed by Sophie Barnes

“Perséfone” - directed by Nathaly M. Moreno

“Rise Share” - directed by Samuel Forst

“Second Childhood” - directed by Charles Bane (with Harding University students)

“Stargazer” - directed by K.J. Hatch

Tickets for Filmland: Arkansas will go on sale in the coming weeks. Members receive 15% off their ticket to each event and 25% off to each workshop along with advance notice when tickets go on sale for all events. Memberships are $50 and available now on the ACS website. 

‍About Filmland

Filmland is made possible by ACS Headline Presenting Sponsor: the Tyson Family Foundation; Premiere Presenting Sponsor: the Rahman Family Fund; Presenting Sponsors: Saracen Casino Resort and the National Endowment for the Arts; Workshop Sponsor: the Windgate Foundation; Marketing Partner: Little Rock Convention and Visitors Bureau; Promotional Partner: the Arkansas Department of Tourism; Industry Partner: Panavision;  Media Partner: Variety; and Youth Education Partner: City of Little Rock.

Over the last six years, Filmland has been honored to host award-winning filmmakers like actors Jessica Chastain, Michael Shannon, Joel Edgerton, Will Forte, Ted Danson, David Arquette and ACS board member Mary Steenburgen along with directors including Chloé Zhao, Richard Linklater, David Lowery, Neil LaBute, David Gordon Green and Jeff Nichols; and producers such as Evan Hayes, Jayme Lemons, Christina McLarty Arquette, Fred Berger and Brian Kavanaugh-Jones. Filmland has showcased award-winning films such as The Bikeriders, Nomadland, The Eyes of Tammy Faye and Free Solo from top festivals like Sundance, Telluride, Toronto and Venice before they had a theatrical release in Arkansas. Each screening features a Q+A moderated by Writer/director and ACS Co-founder Jeff Nichols, board members or staff and every night wraps with a party for filmmakers and attendees. Filmland also features selections from Filmland: Arkansas and the short film created each year by our Filmmaking Lab for Teen Girls.

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