The Bentonville Film Festival, which ran June 22-July 3, featured screenings, exhibitions and an awards ceremony on June 25 to announce winners of this year's competition.
Organizers say, "The week-long Festival, led by Academy Award-winning actor and Festival Chair Geena Davis, is known for its dedication to championing female, non-binary, LGBTQIA+, BIPOC, and people with disabilities' voices in entertainment."
In the BFF 2022 juried competition program, 82% is from content creators who identify as female or gender non-confirming; 65% who identify as BIPOC, Asian, or Pacific Islander; 62% who identify as LGBTQIA+; 42% who are over 50; and 20% who identify as a person with disability. In addition for the 2022 program, onscreen leads are 90% women/gender non conforming, 60% BIPOC, 25% LGBTQ+ and 12% representing talent with disabilities."
Jury Award Winners:
"Every Day In Kaimuki" from director Alika Tengan -- Narrative Film Award;
"Shouting Down Midnight from director Gretchen Stoeltje -- Documentary Film Award;
"Georgia" from director Jayil Pak --Short Film Narrative Award; and
"Chiqui" from director Carlos Cardona --Episodic Award;
Special Recognition Awards:
"Land of Gold" from director Nardeep Khurmi --Honorary Mention, Narrative Feature;
"Pasang: In the Shadow of Everest" from director Nancy Svendsen --Honorary Mention, Documentary Feature;
"The Bond" director Jahmil Eady --Honorary Mention, Short Film; and
"Cora and Sam Hate The Dentist" from directors Jade Kaiser and Eilise Guilfoyle --Honorary Mention, Episodic.
Kiss a Pig: Breakfast at Tusk-any's Gala candidates kicked off their fundraising campaigns with a preview party July 14 at Peel Museum and Botanical Garden in Bentonville. The 20th annual black-tie gala presented by Abbot Nutrition to benefit the American Diabetes Association is set for Oct. 8 at the Rogers Convention Center.
The evening will include live entertainment by Who's Bad: The Ultimate Michael Jackson Experience, dinner, dancing and auctions.
Eleven candidates will spend the coming weeks competing to raise the most money for the honor of kissing a pig, the first source of insulin for diabetes, at the gala. Candidates fundraising efforts will help the group meet this year's gala goal of $1.2 million. Event proceeds are used to fund diabetes research, advocacy, and support for all individuals living with pre-diabetes and type 1, type 2 and gestational diabetes.
Lance de la Rosa is serving as this year's honorary event chairman with Pam Gaik and Jennifer Kierce as co-chairwomen.
Mackenzie Oldt, 14, the event's Mission Moment speaker, shared with those gathered at the preview her experience living with Type 1 diabetes
This year's class of kissing candidates consists of:
• Ralph Clare, Walmart;
• Nathan Triska, Sam's Club;
• Waylon Walburn, Abbot Nutrition;
• Jennifer Ring, Heartland Food Products Group;
• Stephanie Warbis, Decor Global;
• Haley Wade, Market Performance Group;
• Erika Finnestead-Estes, Preferred Office Technologies;
• Seth Swafford, Shiloh Technologies;
• Scheri Scarlett, Celtic Construction Inc.;
• Lance Belline, Lighthouse Financial; and
• Summer Lane, Woodland Research Northwest.
For more event photos -- nwadg.com/photos/society.
Columnist Carin Schoppmeyer can be reached by email at cschoppmeyer@nwadg.com.
Taylor Toreno (from left), Sunshine Broder, Cecillia Clardy and Ashley Wheeler attend the Kiss a Pig preview in support of candidate Erika Finnestead-Estes. (NWA Democrat-Gazette/Carin Schoppmeyer)
Charity Mower (from left); Cinthia Marquez; Summer Lane, Kiss a Pig candidate, with Naveah Lane and Alexander Gold; April Wilson; and Ashley Stone gather at the Kiss a Pig preview party July 14 in Bentonville. (NWA Democrat-Gazette/Carin Schoppmeyer)
Actress Chelsea Javier (left), Bentonville Film Festival's Geena Davis (center), and Actress Ashley Atkinson (right) at Bentonville Film Festival event on Thursday, June 23, 2022 at Thaden School of Performing Arts, Bentonville, AR Visit nwaonline.com/220718Daily/ for today's photo gallery. (Special to the NWA Democrat-Gazette/David Beach)
Actress Aizzah Fatima and Bentonville Film Festival's founder, Geena Davis at Bentonville Film Festival event on Thursday, June 23, 2022 at Thaden School of Performing Arts, Bentonville, AR Visit nwaonline.com/220718Daily/ for today's photo gallery. (Special to the NWA Democrat-Gazette/David Beach)
Mechelle Meredith-Ehardt and Bentonville Film Festival's founder, Geena Davis at Bentonville Film Festival event on Thursday, June 23, 2022 at Thaden School of Performing Arts, Bentonville, AR Visit nwaonline.com/220718Daily/ for today's photo gallery. (Special to the NWA Democrat-Gazette/David Beach)
Dan Cohen, president, Viacom CBS Global Distribution Group, and Bentonville Film Festival, founder Geena Davis on Thursday, June 23, 2022 at Thaden School of Performing Arts, Bentonville, AR Visit nwaonline.com/220718Daily/ for today's photo gallery. (Special to the NWA Democrat-Gazette/David Beach)
Kathleen Ermitage, "Mixtape Trilogy", director and Bentonville Film Festival's founder, Geena Davis at Bentonville Film Festival event on Thursday, June 23, 2022 at Thaden School of Performing Arts, Bentonville, AR Visit nwaonline.com/220718Daily/ for today's photo gallery. (Special to the NWA Democrat-Gazette/David Beach)