The Bentonville Film Festival (BFF) founded by Walmart and Presented by Coca-Cola, announced a notable array of musical acts set to perform at the Coca-Cola Sound Stage at The Meteor, which includes Lauren Alaina, Carly Pearce, and Song Suffragettes. Headliner Martina McBride, will put an exclamation point on the six-day fest at the Closing Night Awards Ceremony, sponsored by P&G, and hosted by The Real’s Loni Love, where actor Natalie Morales will receive the inaugural See It Be It award.

BFF also announced late breaking feature film additions, and panels to its lineup, this year’s short film selections, as well as special entertainment zones to be activated around Bentonville Square, that are free and open to the public and add to the overall excitement of the film festival.

BFF Co-Founder and Inclusion Companies CEO Trevor Drinkwater, said, “The appreciation of music often goes hand-in-hand with that of film, and we are excited to offer attendees a diverse array of musical experiences at this year’s festival. As always, we are thrilled to work with our partners to bring diversity and inclusion to the streets of Bentonville.”

The festival’s music series at The Coca-Cola Sound Stage at The Meteor (128 W Central Ave) highlights emerging and diverse musicians, and includes sets by; Country newcomer, Jillian Jacqueline; breakthrough country chart-topper, Carly Pearce; R&B quartet, Vintage Trouble; You Tube singing sensation, Alex Aoino; Nashville singer-songwriters, Song Suffragettes; and ACM 2018 New Female Vocalist of the Year winner, Lauren Alaina. “We are thrilled to host these wonderfully talented, diverse voices who bring to life the positive impact their lyrics have on our consumer’s culture. Each night will be a one of a kind experience you won’t want to miss,” says Amanda Whittaker, Director of Shopper Marketing at Coca-Cola.” Tickets are $25/show and are available at bentonvillefilmfestival.com.

Actor and Comedienne Loni Love will host will host BFF’s Award Show Ceremony on Saturday, May 5^th at the Crystal Bridges American Museum of Art. Love, who is an author and touring stand up comedian, is currently co-hosting season 4 of her hit daytime talker “The Real” which has just been renewed for a fifth AND sixth season. The nationally syndicated show airs on the FOX affiliates and rebroadcasts in primetime on cable network BET. The show has been nominated for 4 EMMY Awards and has won the 2018 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Talk Series.

Loni currently co-hosts the Café Mocha radio show (cafemocharadio.com) with rapper YoYo. They’ve interviewed President Obama and the First Lady as well as superstars like John Legend, Tyler Perry among many others. Additionally, Loni has guest hosted on Fashion Police and has been a correspondent for Entertainment Tonight and E as well as regular appearances spinning tunes as the house DJ on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. Along with her work on television Loni can also be seen in several movies, including MOTHER’S DAY, PAUL BLART MALL COP 2 with Kevin James, SOUL PLANE with Kevin Hart and the BAD ASS franchise with Danny Glover and Danny Trejo. Later this year you can see Loni alongside Ethan Hawke in the movie THE WALRUS.

BFF will present its inaugural See It, Be It Award to actor, writer, filmmaker and activist Natalie Morales. The award recognizes a rising and influential voice in the landscape of diversity and inclusion in media, a voice that is proud to represent their own and future generations, with an unwavering commitment to supporting typically underrepresented groups and championing media that accurately reflects the world we live in. The See It, Be It award draws its inspiration from the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media and its advocacy for representation of women in media. Morales will also take part in the festival’s film industry panel, “The Time Is Now: How Leading Brands Deliver Social Impact.”

When not behind the camera shooting music videos for the likes of indie wunderkinds like Holly Miranda and Andrew Bird, Natalie’s work can be found on several popular television shows and films. Most recently she starred in BATTLE OF THE SEXES, playing tennis pro Rosie Casals opposite Emma Stone and Steve Carell. Natalie starred on the Fox comedy The Grinder, Trophy Wife on ABC, as well as the USA series White Collar and the ABC Family series, The Middleman. She also created, directed and stars alongside Michaela Watkins, Martin Starr and Paget Brewster in the Funny or Die series James Joyce’s Love Letters.  She recurred on the award-winning Aaron Sorkin HBO series The Newsroom, as well as HBO’s Girls and NBC’s Parks & Recreation. Her recent roles include HBO’s Crashing, FOX’s Making History, and NBC’s action comedy Powerless. She also voices “Yolanda Buenaventura” on Netflix’s popular animated series, BoJack Horseman.  She’s currently starring in Netflix’s series Santa Clarita Diet, and recently directed an episode of HBO’s Room 104 as well as a few episodes of Go90′s hit series, Mr. Student Body President. Natalie is a proud member of Everytown for Gun Safety’s Creative Council.

BFF also announced the addition of 33 short films to its lineup, 26 with a female director. “Short filmmaking is truly a unique form of storytelling,” said Wendy Guerrero, BFF’s President of Programming. “To be able to show a full story arc in twenty minutes or less, is an impressive feat. We are so thrilled with the quality of this year’s selected short films, and the fact that they represent so many female filmmakers, accurately reflects our mission. We look forward to championing the careers of these creators for many years to come.”

The festival also added Nadine Truong’s I CAN I WILL I DID to the Narrative Feature Competition. Truong’s I CAN I WILL I DID, focuses on a young man who finds his way out of his wheelchair following a car accident with the help of a Taekwondo master.

The Bentonville Film Festival’s robust Panel and Discussion Series has also swelled with two more additions, including; “Next Gen: Real Talk About What’s on the Horizon by the Artists Who Will Take Us There,” with Justin Prentice (“13 Reasons Why”), Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman (“UnREAL”) and Jasmin Savoy Brown (“The Leftovers”); and “Children’s Programming as Seen Through a Wide-Angled Lens: Developing Kids Shows with Diversity and Inclusion in Mind,” moderated by Kallan Kagan (“Thomas & Friends”), with Peter Gal (“Voltron”), and Bronwen O’Keefe (“Hunter Street”).

Just announced panelists include; R.J. Mitte (“Breaking Bad”) (“Redefining the Term “Disability” in a World of Filmmaking, Storytelling and Beyond”), TV One’s Head of Original Programming D’Angela Proctor (“Men as Allies: Being A Valuable and Effective Force Alongside Women Promoting Gender Balance”); Danny Strong (“Empire”) and ROXANNE ROXANNE casting director Jessica Daniels (“Casting in the Real World: Taking Action to Ensure Inclusiveness”); CEO/President of Lopez Negrete Alex Negrete (“Creating, Marketing, and Distributing Content for Positive Change”); VP of Alternative Programming at Adaptive Studios Courtney Parker (“A League of their Own: Remarkable change happens when Women are in the Driver’s Seat”); ESPN’s Monica Gonzalez (“How the Gamechangers Changed Their Game and Achieved Success”), and Stephanie Beatriz (“Brooklyn Nine-Nine”) (“The Time Is Now: How Leading Brands Deliver Social Impact”).

BFF will also offer interactive and special event areas throughout Downtown Bentonville as it effectively adds the “festival” to film festival. The focus is inclusion and diversity as BFF and its sponsors offer outdoor fun for the whole family with exciting demos, giveaways and totally unique experiences. The special festival areas will include; DIVERSITY DRIVE, highlighted by the BFF Outdoor Music Stage, Coca-Cola cooking demos with select chefs, MARS Petcare’s Better Cities for Pets tent working with local shelters and rescues to sponsor the pet adoptions during BFF and Tribe Table discussions from Tribe of Women; INCLUSION TOWN, sponsored by Anderson Merchandisers, a collection of featured attractions presented by studio, beauty, and retail partners and sponsors; LOCAL LANE, highlighted by a Cinquo de Mayo celebration, and the 6th Annual Peekaboo Kids Fest Street Faire; STEAM ZONE featuring innovations and new technologies, and BFF’s first family trail ride; previously announced SONY/ORVILLE REDENBACHER OUTDOOR THEATRE AT LAWRENCE PLAZA, with a variety of free films at BFF’s outdoor movie theatre, THEATRE VILLAGE PRESENTED BY SYNCHRONY, which is home to BFF’s two Cinetransformer theatres; and chill out in the VUDU LOUNGE

For information to purchase passes and tickets, or for additional information about the Bentonville Film festival, please go to http://bentonvillefilmfestival.com.

 

MUSICAL ACTS AT COCA-COLA SOUND STAGE AT METEOR 

Jillian Jacqueline (May 1)

Big Loud Records’ Jillian Jacqueline is taking the music scene by storm with her effortlessly raw vocals and new-school, no-holds-barred storytelling. The bold up-and-comer has already intrigued Country fans and media alike with her 9-song EP, SIDE A, featuring debut single “Reasons.” Named as one of Rolling Stone’s “10 New Country Artists You Need To Know,” the “dazzling chanteuse-wordsmith” (Rolling Stone) has been invited to co-write with some of the biggest hitmakers in Music City, including Craig Wiseman, Shane McAnally, Natalie Hemby, Rodney Clawson, Chris Tompkins, Lori McKenna and more. After landing coveted opening slots with Thomas Rhett, Dwight Yoakam, Ryan Adams, Billy Currington and Jordan Davis, A native of Chester Springs, Pennsylvania, she was road-mentored by Country icon Kenny Rogers and has written and recorded alongside legends like Vince Gill and Richard Marx.

 

Carly Pearce (May 1)

Born into the bluegrass brawn of Kentucky, Carly Pearce has never known a moment that Country music wasn’t her destined path. At the young age of 11 she began touring with a local band, at 16 quit high school for a job performing at Dollywood while being homeschooled and learned humility working odd jobs upon moving to Nashville. Over the last year, Carly has defied odds with her No. 1, GOLD-certified debut title track from her highly acclaimed debut album EVERY LITTLE THING (Big Machine Records) and became the highest charting solo female debut since July 2015, only third to accomplish the feat in twelve years. She has since earned her first ACM Awards nomination and released follow-up single “Hide The Wine,” part of a trifecta of chart-toppers on SiriusXM’s The Highway. Carly will spend 2018 touring with Blake Shelton, Rascal Flatts, Luke Bryan and Thomas Rhett.

 

Vintage Trouble  (May 2)

Vintage Trouble has wowed audiences across the globe by opening for The Rolling Stones, The Who, AC/DC and the Dixie Chicks, and have played sold-out headline shows worldwide. Beginning with their blistering introduction on the Late Show with David Letterman to their recent performance on PBS’ Austin City Limits, Vintage Trouble has used their live show as a vehicle to win over a wide range of music fans. Vintage Trouble has earned the support from legends such as the late Prince, Martin Scorsese and Don Was, and have critics at NPR, BBC Radio, Rolling Stone and The New York Times raving “like Otis Redding, Vintage Trouble makes music that is a little bit of everything … You can slow dance, groove, rock and let it all go.” In January 2017, John Varvatos tapped the band to appear in his much-celebrated music campaign series, bringing their foot-stomping rhythm and irrepressible spirit to electrify his new Spring / Summer 2017 Campaign.

 

Alex Aiono (May 3)

L.A.-based singer/songwriter Alex Aiono first amassed a following of millions creating his own “flipped” versions of popular songs—produced and performed by him, including his “One Dance” mash-up which has gone on to amass more than 62 million views. In the last year Aiono is methodically building his creative story, having released five original songs, which he performed on his winter North American Feels Like Tour 2018. Aiono is currently working on his debut album for Interscope Records.

 

Lauren Alaina (May 4)

Georgia native Lauren Alaina captured America’s hearts when she appeared on Season 10 of American Idol. Lauren followed up her No. 1 debuting first album, Wildflower, with the release of the eagerly awaited Road Less Traveled. Selected as one of Rolling Stone’s Top 40 Country and Americana Albums of 2017 and praised as “full of life lessons and uplift” (PEOPLE), the collection features 12 songs all written by the young star. The “sassy Southerner with killer pipes” (PARADE) has shared the stage with superstars including Alan Jackson, Carrie Underwood, Jason Aldean, Luke Bryan and Martina McBride. Lauren is currently on the Cole Swindell Reason to Drink Tour and joins the Jason Aldean High Noon Neon for the summer. Lauren is one of CMT’s Next Women of Country and she earned her first CMT Music Award this summer for Breakthrough Video of the Year.

 

Song Suffragettes (May 4)

Song Suffragettes is a collective of female singer-songwriters who perform every Monday night at Nashville’s Listening Room Café. With a mantra of #LetTheGirlsPlay, SongSuffragettes has featured close to 200 women in the past 3+ years resulting in multiple publishing and record deals for some of Nashville’s brightest talent. BFF will feature performance from Kalie Shorr, Tasji Bachman, Savannah Keyes, and Lena Stone.

 

FEATURE FILM DESCRIPTIONS 

I CAN I WILL I DID

Director: Nadine Truong

Country: USA, Running Time: 107 min

Depressed foster youth Ben is bullied and as a result gets into a car accident. His recovery process is slow, until he meets Adrienne, a wheelchair user and fellow patient at the hospital who breathes hope into his life and introduces him to her grandfather, Taekwondo Master Kang. Kang not only teaches him how to walk and get back up on his feet, but also how to take charge of his own life.

 

BFF 2018 OFFICIAL SHORT FILM SELECTIONS

ABBY THE SPOON LADY, USA, 10m., Director Justin Johnson

North Carolina-based Abby Roach is one of a few in the world who makes a living clacking a pair of flatware together. This is her story.

ALLEN, USA, 24m.,Director Nayip Ramos
A day in the life of a group of teens as they party, smoke, and learn a lesson about skin color.

BROOKLYNN, USA, 12m, Director Charlie Mysak
A deeply personal look into how gun violence impacts a family long after the media spotlight fades away.

THE BROWNLIST, USA, 6 mins., Directed by Kelly Walker and Ryan Garcia
A smart, satirical comedy that explores race and what it means to be “diverse” in Hollywood. It’s the story of a girl blessed with two races, but isn’t enough of either to fit in. To the Hollywood box.

BUTTERCUP, USA, 12m., Director Megan Brotherton
Maggie is struggling with the aftermath of her mother’s death when her old friend Janie unexpectedly swoops in to help her process her grief.

CANDY APPLE RED, USA, 4m., Director Brenna Malloy
A portrait of a sickness rendered by its haunted witness.

CONTROL, USA, 15m., Director Kimmy Gatewood
A depressed woman’s suicide note turns into a suicide binder.

THE COUNTER: 1960, USA, 11 mins., Directed by Tracy Twinkie Byrd
Three “WOKE” Black Students from 2017 find themselves seated at the Lunch Counters in 1960. Will they be served?

COWBOY AND INDIAN, USA, 8m., Director Sujata Day
In an unlikely encounter in the desert, a cowboy chances upon a young Bengali bride and the two develop a dynamic where both come to realize that things should not be taken at face value.

THE DARK OF NIGHT, USA, 8 mins., Directed by Robin Wright
A mysterious woman with a dark secret seeks refuge from a driving storm where no one and nothing is as it seems.

DOJO GIRL, USA, 13m., Director Joy Millana
A teenage girl’s predominantly white peer group bullies her due to her Japanese ethnicity.

EMPIRE ON MAIN STREET, USA, 25m.,Director Jessica Congdon
A tireless entrepreneur jump-starts the transformation of a neglected vacation town, until her ambition pushes her to the brink.

FEE, UK, 10m., Director Guen Murroni
A woman deals with her past on the night of her legal name change.

FOR MURIEL, USA, 14m.,Director Rebecca Shapiro
A comedy about Elaine and Helen, two ladies pushing 70, and their younger friend, Jenn, as they plot to rob a bank. Because none of them has ever robbed a bank, they each suggest a different movie to model their robbery on, “Point Break”,

GREAT MUY BIEN, Cuba, 15m.,Director Sheyla Pool Pástor
Being prepared for the political and economic reality that is looming in Cuba is a priority today for many Cubans who live on the island.

HERE NOW, USA, 9 mins., Director Rachel Feldman
Marla thinks that the death of her husband has sent her daughter Audrey into a dangerous psychological decline, but what if the things her daughter imagines are real?

KILL OFF, Australia, 16 mins., Director Genevieve Clay-Smith
A woman with an intellectual disability forms an unlikely friendship with a Sudanese refugee through their mutual love of street dance.

LA PELUQUERIA, USA, 15mins., Director Abitha Ramachandran
Two women with very different backgrounds are forced to come together in order to save a struggling hair salon – and their last shot at the American Dream.

LABORATORY CONDITIONS, USA, 16 mins., Director, Jocelyn Stamat
A physician investigating her missing patient uncovers an unlawful experiment.

LADY M.,UK, 12 mins., Director Tammy Riley Smith
Hell hath no fury like an older woman scorned  An ageing actress summons the spirit of Lady Macbeth in order to win the part in an upcoming production.

LULLABY, USA, 5 mins.,Director Dale Fabrigar
A young Filipino mother receives a mysterious package in the middle of the night. Her curiosity unleashes a chain of events that threaten her life and her baby forever.

LUNCH LADIES, USA, 19 mins., Director JM Logan
Two burnt out high school Lunch Ladies do whatever it bloody takes on their quest to become Johnny Depp’s Personal Chefs.

THE MATCHMAKER, USA, 11 mins., Director Leonora Pitts
Terrified that his mother may not find the important mental stimulation he believes will stave off Alzheimer’s Disease, Sam sets out to find her the Perfect Best Friend within her new retirement community, with hilarious and poignant results.

MAUDE, USA, 10 mins., Director Anna Margaret Hollyman
Teeny thought it was just another routine babysitting job—until she’s shocked to meet the client. As the day goes on, Teeny decides to become the woman she had no idea she always wanted to be … until she gets caught.

MOVING VIOLATION, USA, 12 mins., Directed by Laura Waters Hinson
A jilted bride finally faces the truth about her ex-fiancé after a newly-installed speed camera on her street pushes her to the edge.

CONNOLLY HAS ALS, USA, 32 mins., Director Dan Habib

A high school principal is embraced by his community as he continues to lead the school, despite rapidly losing his ability to walk and speak due to the debilitating effects of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS).

MUD (Hashtł’ishnii), USA, 9 mins., Directed by Shaandiin Tome
On her last day, Ruby faces the inescapable remnants of alcoholism, family, and culture.

PARADE, Cuba/USA, 6 mins., Directed by Kira Akerman
High school musicians from New Orleans travel to Santiago de Cuba on a cultural exchange, collaborating with their Cuban peers on a parade to celebrate President Obama’s open border policy with music in the streets.

REFILL, USA, 11 mins., Directed by Carese Bartlett
An elderly woman is forced to confront her anxiety when it appears as a stressed out, twenty year-old, ready to prove her worth.

RIKERS: INNOCENCE LOST, USA, 14 mins., Directed by Garrett Hubbard
Rikers: Innocence Lost tells the stories of the men and women whose lives have been upended and forever changed by incarceration at New York City’s infamous jail.

TIGER BY THE TAIL, Hong Kong, 16 mins.,Director Nicola Fan
A teenage girl’s first day out of juvenile detention center in Hong Kong.

WONDER BUFFALO, USA, 18 mins., Directed by Christine T. Berg
A coming of age story of a Thai American teen finding acceptance and empowerment cosplaying as her favorite superhero.

YOURS SINCERELY, LOIS WEBER, USA, 6 mins., Director Svetlana Cvetko
A stylish tribute to the prolific and trailblazing American silent film director Lois Weber, told through the character of a young magazine photographer who hopes to impress her.

 

PANEL DESCRIPTIONS

Children’s Programming as Seen Through a Wide-Angled Lens: Developing Kids Shows with Diversity and Inclusion in Mind

Wednesday, 5/2, 3:00PM – 4:00PM at Record North

This panel will explore conversations about diversity and inclusion in children’s programming development and how it has evolved and changed for the better! Kids, parents, networks and consumers are not asking, they are demanding more diverse inclusion in children’s programming to reflect the world around us more accurately. How has the development and production process changed to meet demands and what is there still left to do?

Moderator: Kallan Kagan

With: Peter Gal, Bronwen O’Keefe

 

Next Gen: Real Talk About What’s on the Horizon by the Artists Who Will Take Us There  

Friday, 5/4, 3:00PM – 4:00PM at Record North

The BFF adage “If They Can See It, They Can Be It” aims to effect change from a young age. Featuring a group of talented actors who are the face of a generation of change, inclusion, diversity, and acceptance, this panel will offer some “real talk” about what they see on the horizon in the world of film and entertainment, their hopes for change they would each like to see, and what they are actively doing themselves to help shape the industry they are in.

With Justin Prentice, Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman, Jasmin Savoy Brown

 

 

BFF’S SIGNATURE ENTERTAINMENT AREAS AND ZONES

Hours: Wednesday, May 2, 1:00-6:00pm; Thursday, May 3: 1:00-7:00pm; Friday, May 4: 1:00-8:00pm; Saturday, May 5: 11:00am-5:00pm; Sunday, May 6: 11:00am -3:00pm.)

 

DIVERSITY DRIVE

Diversity Drive will be highlighted by the BFF Outdoor Music Stage, which will feature a variety of local acts, up-and-coming talent, insightful discussions with BFF competition filmmakers and surprise guests hosted by Tribe of Women, and other family-themed performances. The Better Cities for Pets tent will have rescued dogs and cats available for adoption. Mars Petcare is working with local shelters and rescues to sponsor the pet adoptions during BFF, and hope to top the 58 dogs that were adopted at last year’s festival. Refreshments and samples from BFF partners and sponsors Coca-Cola, Stella Artois and Constellation Brands, as well as L’Oreal, Hard Candy and Synchrony.

 

INCLUSION TOWN

Presented by Anderson Merchandisers, Inclusion Town is a collection of featured attractions presented by studio, beauty, and retail BFF partners and sponsors, including Universal, Warner Brothers, Nick Jr., Paramount, American Media International, P&G, PopSockets, the NBA, Taste Beauty, Vogue, EcoTools, Henkel and Unilever. Inclusion Town will celebrate diversity and inclusion with highlights including characters and entertainment from shows and films like, “Teen Titans Go!” “Sunny Day,” “Barbie,” and JURASSIC WORLD.

 

LOCAL LANE

On Saturday, May 5, BFF honors Latin culture with a Cinquo de Mayo celebration, featuring local entertainment, food, and activities provided by the community. On Sunday, May 6, BFF will partner with Peekaboo Magazine for the 6th Annual Peekaboo Kids Fest Street Faire, featuring family activities and special appearances by Peppa Pig and her brother George.

*Hours: Saturday: 11:00am- 5:00pm; Sunday, 11:00am- 3:00pm
*Plus: The Premiere of new Peppa Pig episodes at the Sony & Orville Redenbacher Outdoor Theatre at Lawrence Plaza on Saturday at 10:00am and 3:30pm.

 

SONY/ORVILLE REDENBACHER OUTDOOR THEATRE AT LAWRENCE PLAZA 

Previously announced, a variety of free films at BFF’s outdoor movie theatre by Sony, including family-friendly movies like HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA, SMURFS: THE LOST VILLAGE, MULAN, COCO, THE EMOJI MOVIE, PETER RABBIT and STAR WARS EPISODE IV: A NEW HOPE will be offered, as well as complimentary Orville Redenbacher popcorn, refreshments from Slimfast.

 

STEAM ZONE

BFF’s STEAM Zone features innovations and new technologies, including a cooking demo stage, VR/AR and STEM experiences from sponsors like Cox, The Quantum Storey Company, SmartyPants Vitamins, and Hot Wheels. Sunday, May 6, V8-Fusion Energy will sponsor BFF’s first family trail ride with partner Bike NWA, followed by a complimentary outdoor lunch.

 

THEATRE VILLAGE PRESENTED BY SYNCHRONY

Theatre Village is home to BFF’s two Cinetransformer theatres where you can catch screenings of the 2018 Competition Films (ticket required.) Theatre Village will also offer complimentary concessions.

 

VUDU Lounge:

Chill out in the comfy lounge between films and activities, grab a refreshment and pick up a free movie rental from VUDU.