The Arkansas Cinema Society announced its official selections for next month’s Filmland: Arkansas 2026 program (August 12-16). Three features lead the list showcasing the top films by Arkansas filmmakers, including Princeton James’ basketball drama Hoop Street, E. Vincent Martinez’ documentary Iron Pearls, and Ben Harrison’s comic thriller The Robbery. ACS will follow with an announcement of its Curated Program in the coming weeks.

The Filmland: Arkansas lineup also puts the spotlight on 20 short film selections, including 19 narrative shorts, and 1 documentary short. Filmland is in partnership with the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts and will take place in the Performing Arts Theater.  

Panavision returns to Filmland: Arkansas, with the winners of the Professional Shorts and Feature Film Audience Awards each receiving a Panavision New Filmmaker Program Equipment Grant - $60,000 for the feature film Audience Award winner, and $15,000 for the short film Audience Award winner. The feature winners the past two years have each gone on to make films in Arkansas, with the help of the Panavision equipment grant. Also new this year, the Audience Award winner in the Student Shorts category will receive a $500 cash prize.

This year has seen another increase in film submissions by the ever growing community of talented filmmakers in Arkansas. ACS Executive Director Kathryn Tucker, said, “Each year we have been thrilled to see this groundswell of filmmaking talent come out of our state. And equally exciting is the level of artistry that we see. Films that make us laugh, dramas that touch us deeply, thrillers that give us scares, and documentaries that illustrate the human condition–all being created and so skillfully realized by our local filmmakers–are beyond inspiring. Supporting that growth has always been central to the ACS mission—when our film community is connected and unified, everyone benefits. We’re proud that Filmland: Arkansas can help create opportunities for filmmakers to share their work and build relationships in the beautiful, state-of-the-art cinema at AMFA.”

Filmland: Arkansas’ short film selections are offered in three themed programs. Professional Shorts: Mosaic shows the different ways in which people exist, celebrating cultures, languages, and perspectives, while also finding beauty in the day to day. Mosaic ultimately refers to the various individual pieces needed to create a piece of art. Among the films in this program are Molly Wheat’s taut drama Anniversary Roulette about an indecisive small-town cop who must fight to save her wife on their wedding anniversary. Anniversary Roulette was the 2025 Filmland Pitch Contest winner.

Professional Shorts: Not of this World highlights fantasy, sci-fi, and horror elements in terms of genre. Films ranging from the world of Dungeons & Dragons, alien integration in human life, demonic possession, and things that go bump in the night make this program a true cinematic rollercoaster ride.  

Student Shorts: New Voices features films from students ranging from 7th grade to college seniors. The complexities and overall impressiveness of the work in these films makes for a truly eye-opening program.

After a successful debut last summer, the Filmland: Arkansas Short Film Pitch Contest will return in 2026, offering Arkansas filmmakers a shot at bringing their short film to life. Selected contestants will have two minutes to pitch their short-film concepts to a panel of industry professionals. Winners will receive a generous Lighting and Grip Equipment Grant from Film Gear Rentals to produce their project, and a guaranteed premiere screening at Filmland 2027. Plus, this year’s winner will receive an additional $5,000 Cash Prize to help bring their pitch to life. This dynamic competition is another spotlight on Arkansas's growing film community that Filmland provides while providing crucial resources to talented local storytellers. Applications are now open. Submissions are due by July 31, 2026.

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.

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2026 Filmland: Arkansas Official Selections

Features

Hoop Street‍

Directed by: Princeton James

Iron Pearls

Directed by: E. Vincent Martinez

The Robbery

Directed by: Ben Harrison

Professional Shorts Block: Mosaic

Anniversary Roulette

Directed by: Molly Wheat

Cracks & Light: An Open Door

Directed by: Naronica Shaw

I Love You This Much

Directed by: Raeden Greer

Last Clinic in Arkansas

Directed by: Phillip Davis

Noriko

Directed by: CJ Mirch

Old Man at the Bar

Directed by: Alexander Jeffery

Will I Dance Again?

Directed by: Princella Smith

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Professional Shorts Block: Not of this World

Critical Hit

Directed by: Levi Smith

Eyes in the Dark

Directed by: Avrey Tyler Della Rosa

Hivemind Deluxe

Directed by: Chris Alan Evans

Intergalactic Ingenue

Directed by: Nathan Deshawn Bouie

Roomer

Directed by: Emmanuel Joel Rodriguez

Snug as a Bug

Directed by: Ally Minor

(OM)EN

Directed by: Mary McDade

Student Shorts Block: New Voices

Details Matter

Directed by: Theodore Richard Herold, Warren Alexander Herold

Double Bogey

Directed by: Janie Gentry

Finger Guns

Directed by: Levi Coppedge

The Lizard Theory

Directed by: John D. Sullivan

Mãe

Directed by: Laura Gaspar

My Little Sunrise

Directed by: Caleb Ferguson