The Tyson Family Foundation returns this year as Filmland\u2019s Headline Presenting Sponsor, reinforcing its continued commitment to supporting the creative economy in Arkansas. \u201cACS and the Tyson Family Foundation have shared values and missions in the domain of cultivating and advancing the arts in Arkansas,\u201d said John R. Tyson. \u201cACS is doing an excellent job of nurturing and curating the film industry so our state can bring in more jobs and be a cultural touchstone in the region. We are proud to continue our support of Filmland, one of the preeminent film festivals in the South.\u201d<\/p>\n
Previously announced, Matthew McConaughey will receive the Variety<\/i> Legend & Groundbreaker Award. McConaughey will participate in a Q&A following a Premiere Presentation screening of Andrew Patterson\u2019s The Rivals of Amziah King<\/i><\/b>, as well as \u201cA Conversation with Matthew McConaughey and Jeff Nichols.\u201d<\/p>\n
“As a proud\u00a0partner\u00a0of\u00a0the Arkansas Cinema Society and Variety<\/i>, we’re thrilled to\u00a0welcome Filmland: Arkansas\u00a0and\u00a0Academy Award-winning actor Matthew McConaughey\u00a0back to Little Rock, as well as\u00a0introduce\u00a0many others to\u00a0our city,” said Little Rock Convention & Visitors Bureau President & CEO Gina Gemberling. “Hosting an event\u00a0of\u00a0this caliber each year is always an exciting opportunity to showcase\u00a0Arkansas’ capital\u00a0city\u00a0on a national stage while highlighting the vibrant arts and culture scene that continues to grow here,” she added.\u00a0“Beyond celebrating great storytelling, Filmland\u00a0continues to\u00a0shine a spotlight on\u00a0Little Rock as a premier film destination and reinforces\u00a0the significant economic impact the film industry\u00a0has here\u00a0by attracting productions, creating jobs, supporting local businesses, and inspiring future investment. Collaborations like this continue to elevate our profile, attract new visitors,\u00a0and provide a true sense of place.”<\/p>\n
Also previously announced, the Filmland: Arkansas lineup will put the spotlight on 3 feature-length films, and 20 short film selections (19 narrative, 1 documentary). All screenings are in partnership with the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts and will take place in the\u00a0 Performing Arts Theater.\u00a0Panavision 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 – <\/b>$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, Audience Award winners in the Student Shorts category will receive a $500 cash prize.<\/p>\n
There will also be an Arkansas Filmmaker Spotlight screening of Gabe Mayhan\u2019s latest film, Josh Loeb\u2019s romantic comedy In Spite of Ourselves.<\/i><\/b> The film follows a woman who falls into a whirlwind romance with an up-and-coming stand-up comedian who has a habit of avoiding commitment. When life pulls them to different cities, they must find a way to keep their relationship alive despite the distance, lingering doubts, and their own hilariously messy insecurities. Following the screening, composer Jim Fairchild, former lead guitarist of Modest Mouse, will join Loeb and Mayhan for a Q&A. Josephine Decker\u2019s Chasing Summer <\/i><\/b>closes the film festival on Sunday, August 16. The film stars Iliza Shlesinger as a woman who goes bac to her small Texas hometown after the double humiliation of being publicly dumped and losing her job. Once there, her friends and flings from a fateful high school summer turn her life upside down. The film, which debuted at Sundance, also stars Tom Welling, Lola Tung, Garrett Wareing, Cassidy Freeman and Megan Mullally.\u00a0Judge Reinhold<\/b> will be the featured guest at a 40th Anniversary screening of the comedy classic Ruthless People<\/i><\/b>. Reinhold will discuss behind-the-scenes stories of the making of the film as well as other beloved films from his career, like Fast Times at Ridgemont High<\/i>, Beverly Hills Cop<\/i>, and The Santa Clause<\/i>.<\/p>\n
<\/ins><\/p>\n Mouse<\/i><\/strong><\/p>\n The Sun Never Sets<\/i><\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Brink of War<\/i><\/strong><\/p>\n Another Special Presentation feature film with Arkansas ties, is Mouse, <\/i><\/b>Alex Thompson and Kelly O\u2019Sullivan\u2019s coming-of-age drama set in Little Rock. The film, which will be this year\u2019s Hometown Heroine screening, follows an introverted high school senior named Minnie whose life is upended after her charismatic best friend Callie is suddenly removed from her life, leading Minnie into a complicated bond with Callie\u2019s elegant and attentive mother, starting to distance her from her own working-class mom. The film stars Sophie Okonedo, Katherine Mallen Kupferer, Chloe Coleman, Tara Mallen, Iman Vellani, and David Hyde Pierce. Joe Swanberg\u2019s The Sun Never Sets <\/i><\/b>marks indie-stalwart Swanberg\u2019s return to the director\u2019s chair after six years. The film stars Dakota Fanning as a woman whose relationship with her boyfriend hits a rough patch just as her ex reappears in her life leading to messy entanglements in the Alaskan wilderness. The film debuted at SXSW, and also stars Jake Johnson, and Cory Michael Smith. Swanberg will be in attendance. Michael Russell Gunn\u2019s historical drama The Brink of War<\/i><\/b> stars Jeff Daniels as Ronald Reagan and Jared Harris as Mikhail Gorbachev as it dramatizes the chess match negotiations between the two leaders. Reagan worked to salvage a deal with Gorbachev which would dismantle nuclear arsenals, or if it failed, would potentially invite a war between the two super powers.<\/p>\n Regarding the previously announced Filmland: Arkansas film selections and the film festival\u2019s dynamic lineup of workshops and panels. ACS Executive Director Kathryn Tucker said, \u201cWe\u2019re incredibly proud of this year\u2019s Filmland lineup. Once again, we\u2019re bringing together filmmakers whose films have premiered and won awards at festivals like Sundance and SXSW, while also celebrating outstanding Arkansas storytellers through our Filmland: Arkansas feature and short film selections. From special homecoming screenings like Mouse<\/i> to a new cash prize for the Pitch Contest, continued partnership with Variety<\/i>, and the return of Peter Debruge alongside Matthew McConaughey and so many other remarkable guests, this year\u2019s festival is especially exciting. Just as important, our workshops, conversations, and legislative panel on expanding film incentives with Arkansas legislators reflect our commitment to growing the film industry here at home. We\u2019re so grateful to our sponsors and partners for making it possible to bring all of this talent, inspiration, and opportunity together for our audience at AMFA.\u201d<\/p>\n The three Filmland: Arkansas feature films include Princeton James\u2019 high-tension drama Hoop Street<\/i><\/b> about a hot-headed Memphis street baller who must battle his inner demons as he desperately pushes himself to earn a spot on a summer league team. Getting on that team and showing what he can do just might be his last shot at getting a college scholarship. Ben Harrison\u2019s thriller The Robbery<\/i><\/b>, developed from Harrison\u2019s successful short, follows a trio of thieves and their videographer as they hide out in an antique store, following a botched robbery attempt. Unfortunately, they aren\u2019t alone, and the demonic spirit they\u2019ve inadvertently awakened is looking for a new body to wreak havoc with. E. Vincent Martinez\u2019 documentary Iron Pearls <\/i><\/b>explores the life and career of acclaimed blacksmith and sculptor Elizabeth Brim. Brim\u2019s signature trademark of wearing a string of pearls while in her iron studio is front and center, as she uses compressed air to inflate steel, and confronts themes of Southern upbringing and gender identity in the film.<\/p>\n Filmland: Arkansas\u2019 short film selections are offered in three themed programs. Professional Shorts: Mosaic <\/b>shows the different ways in which people\u00a0exist, celebrating cultures, languages, and perspectives, while also finding beauty in the day to day. Professional Shorts: Not of this World\u00a0<\/b>highlights fantasy, sci-fi, and horror elements in terms of genre. Student Shorts: New Voices <\/b>features films from students ranging from 7th grade to college seniors.<\/p>\n Filmland\u2019s impressive lineup of filmmaker panels and conversations on film include; \u201cComposing for Cinema: A Deep Dive\u201d with Josh Loeb (In Spite of Ourselves<\/i>) and Jim Fairchild (Modest Mouse), \u201cHow to Shape Your Film with Sound Design\u201d\u00a0 <\/span>with Beso Kacharava & Tina Babakishvili,\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cFilm History, Cold War\u201d with Michael Gunn (The Brink of War<\/i>) & Dr. Christian Ostermann, and \u201cFilm Incentive Roundtable\u201d, with Sen. Clarke Tucker, Sen. Jonathan Dismang, & Rep. Tippi McCullough.<\/p>\n After a successful debut last summer, the Filmland:<\/b> Arkansas Short Film Pitch Contest<\/b> 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\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n Tickets for Filmland are on sale now. For more information on Filmland and the Arkansas Cinema Society, please go to: filmland.org.<\/p>\n Filmland is made possible by ACS Headline Presenting Sponsor: the Tyson Family Foundation; Premiere Presenting Sponsor: the Rahman Family Fund; Presenting Sponsor: Saracen Casino Resort; McKibbon Hospitality, Jeff & Tamra Davis, Mary Olive & John Stephens; Workshop Sponsor: the Windgate Foundation; Marketing Partner: Little Rock Convention and Visitors Bureau; Industry Partner: Panavision;\u00a0 Media Partner:\u00a0Variety<\/i>;\u00a0and Youth Education Partner: City of Little Rock.<\/p>\n<\/ins>\n 2026 Filmland Official Selections<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n Arkansas Filmmaker Spotlight<\/b><\/b><\/p>\n In Spite of Ourselves<\/i><\/b><\/i><\/b><\/p>\n Directed by: Josh Loeb<\/p>\n Country: USA, Running Time: 97 min<\/p>\n Love comes easy \u2014 relationships don\u2019t. When Hannah, a warm and determined Portland, Oregon baker, crosses paths with Archie, an up-and-coming LA comedian with a habit of dodging commitment, their instant chemistry sparks a whirlwind romance neither expected. But after two blissful weeks together, real life pulls them back to separate cities, forcing them to confront distance, doubts, and their own hilariously messy insecurities. Heartfelt, funny, and deeply relatable, In Spite of Ourselves<\/i> follows two imperfect people trying to figure out whether they can move past their fears \u2014 and give love a real chance.<\/p>\n Premiere Presentation<\/b><\/b><\/p>\n The Rivals of Amziah King<\/i><\/b><\/i><\/b><\/p>\n Directed by: Andrew Patterson<\/p>\n Country: USA, Running Time: 131 min<\/p>\n The Rivals of Amziah King <\/i>follows a charismatic beekeeper in rural Oklahoma who reconnects with his estranged foster daughter, only to face ruthless sabotage and threats within the local honey-making business.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/b><\/b><\/p>\n Special 40<\/b>th<\/sup><\/b><\/span> Anniversary Presentation<\/b><\/b><\/p>\n Ruthless People <\/b>(1986)<\/p>\n Directed by: Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, Jerry Zucker<\/p>\n Country: USA, Running Time: 94 min<\/p>\n Sam Stone (Danny DeVito) hates his wife, Barbara (Bette Midler), so much that he wants her dead. He’s ecstatic when she’s taken by a duo of kidnappers who want $500,000 ransom in exchange for her life. Fully intending to ignore every one of the kidnappers’ demands in the hopes that they do him a favor and murder her for him, the two confused kidnappers (Judge Reinhold, Helen Slater) have to figure out how they’re going to get their money, and what they’re going to do with the overbearing Barbara.<\/p>\n Hometown Heroine Special Presentation<\/b><\/p>\n Mouse<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n Directed by: Alex Thompson, Kelly O\u2019Sullivan<\/p>\n Country: USA, Running Time: 120 min<\/p>\n Set in 2002, Mouse<\/i> follows an introverted high school senior named Minnie who navigates life, loss, and identity after her dynamic best friend Callie is suddenly removed from her life, leading Minnie into a complicated bond with Callie\u2019s mother.<\/p>\n Closing Night Selection<\/b><\/b><\/p>\n Chasing Summer<\/i><\/b><\/i><\/b><\/p>\n Directed by: Josephine Decker<\/p>\n Country: USA, Running Time: 91 min<\/p>\n In Chasing Summer<\/i>, a 40-something disaster relief worker named Jamie (Iliza Shlesinger) retreats to her small Texas hometown after being publicly dumped and losing her job. Staying with her parents, she is forced to confront unresolved high school trauma and past rumors while sparking an unexpected fling with a younger local man.<\/p>\n Additional Curated Screenings<\/b><\/p>\n The Brink of War<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n Directed by: Michael Russell Gunn<\/p>\n Country: USA, Running Time: 117 min<\/p>\n President Reagan races against time to salvage a deal with Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev that could dismantle nuclear arsenals – or ignite disaster. With pressure mounting on all sides, every word spoken brings the world closer to peace or destruction.<\/p>\n The Sun Never Sets<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n Directed by: Joe Swanberg<\/p>\n Country: USA, Running Time: 102 min<\/p>\n The Sun Never Sets<\/i> follows Wendy (Dakota Fanning), an Alaskan construction manager whose stable relationship with her older, divorced boyfriend Jack (Jake Johnson) is upended when Jack suddenly asks for a break so she can evaluate what she wants. During this separation, Wendy unexpectedly reconnects with her volatile ex Chuck (Cory Michael Smith), triggering a messy and confusing romantic triangle that forces all three to confront hard truths about timing, commitment, and personal growth.<\/p>\n Filmland: Arkansas Selections<\/b><\/p>\n Features<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n Hoop Street<\/i><\/b><\/i><\/b><\/p>\n Directed by: Princeton James<\/p>\n Country: United States, Runtime: 1:30:56 min<\/p>\n Barred from his high school basketball team due to his temper, a hot-headed Memphis street baller battles demons from his past and present as he works to earn a spot on a summer league team and his last shot at a college scholarship.<\/p>\n Iron Pearls<\/i><\/b><\/i><\/b><\/p>\n Directed by: E. Vincent Martinez<\/p>\n Country: United States, Runtime: 55 min<\/p>\n A woman, a forge, and a string of pearls: Elizabeth Brim forges art that challenges tradition and redefines strength.<\/p>\n The Robbery<\/i><\/b><\/i><\/b><\/p>\n Directed by: Ben Harrison<\/p>\n Country: United States, Runtime: 1:10:55 min<\/p>\n After an armed robbery goes bad, three idiot thieves and their videographer attempt to hide out overnight in an antique store, only to accidentally awaken a demonic spirit that is desperate for a new body to wreak havoc with.<\/p>\n Professional Shorts: Mosaic<\/b><\/b><\/span><\/p>\n Anniversary Roulette<\/i><\/b><\/i><\/b><\/p>\n Directed by: Molly Wheat<\/p>\n Country: United States, Runtime: 12:10 min<\/p>\n After being betrayed by her partner, an indecisive small-town cop must fight to save her wife on their wedding anniversary.<\/p>\n Cracks & Light: An Open Door<\/i><\/b><\/i><\/b><\/p>\n Directed by: Naronica Shaw<\/p>\n Country: United States, Runtime: 14:03 min<\/p>\n A woman whose identity has been built around caring for others and people-pleasing is forced to focus on her own healing after a mental breakdown, uncovering generations of self-sacrifice and boundaryless living that nearly destroyed her.<\/p>\n I Love You This Much\u00a0<\/i><\/b><\/i><\/b><\/p>\n Directed by: Raeden Greer<\/p>\n Country: United States, Runtime: 11:08 min<\/p>\n Suddenly thrust into the role of primary caregiver for her disabled father, a woman makes a life-altering decision to honor his wishes.<\/p>\n Last Clinic in Arkansas<\/i><\/b><\/i><\/b><\/p>\n Directed by: Phillip Davis<\/p>\n Country: United States, Runtime: 20:33 min<\/p>\n The Last Clinic in Arkansas<\/i> is about more than a building \u2013 It\u2019s about the staff and volunteers at the heart of the reproductive rights movement in Arkansas. Three years after Roe v Wade was overturned, the members of the Arkansas Abortion Support Network are undeterred. By offering free contraceptives, STI testing and funding out of state travel, they continue to offer services despite Arkansas\u2019 ban.<\/p>\n Noriko<\/i><\/b><\/i><\/b><\/p>\n Directed by: CJ Mirch<\/p>\n Country: United States, Runtime: 14:38 min<\/p>\n A Japanese student is comforted by a bartender following news of a tragedy back home.<\/p>\n Old Man at the Bar\u00a0<\/i><\/b><\/i><\/b><\/p>\n Directed by: Alexander Jeffery<\/p>\n Country: United States, Runtime: 11:30 min<\/p>\n Two French waiters closing up for the night have their routine upended by a mysterious old man who may have shown up for more than just a late night drink.<\/p>\n Will I Dance Again?<\/i><\/b><\/i><\/b><\/p>\n Directed by: Princella Smith<\/p>\n Country: United States, Runtime: 16:23 min<\/p>\n The Oklahoma City Bombing took her mother, her children, and her leg. It couldn’t take her fight.<\/p>\n Critical Hit\u00a0<\/i><\/b><\/i><\/b><\/p>\n Directed by: Levi Smith<\/p>\n Country: United States,\u00a0Runtime: 21 min<\/p>\n When a teen brings his younger brother to his first session of D&D, everyone is shocked by the boy\u2019s ability to get natural 20\u2019s every time he rolls the dice.<\/p>\n Eyes in the Dark\u00a0<\/i><\/b><\/i><\/b><\/p>\n Directed by: Avrey Tyler Della Rosa<\/p>\n Country: United States, Runtime: 6:08 min<\/p>\n Burdened by guilt, Edmund is forced to decide his fate when confronted by a mysterious figure known as Red Eyes.<\/p>\n Hivemind Deluxe<\/i><\/b><\/i><\/b><\/p>\n Directed by: Chris Alan Evans<\/p>\n Country: United States, Runtime: 10:04 min<\/p>\n On her birthday, a disillusioned woman gets dragged to a cosmic meditation circle; where suddenly, she must resist an abductor that promises belonging… at the cost of her soul.<\/p>\n Intergalactic Ingenue<\/i><\/b><\/i><\/b><\/p>\n Directed by: Nathan Deshawn Bouie<\/p>\n Country: United States, Runtime: 19:33 min<\/p>\n On the night he\u2019s supposed to integrate with his Hive-mind alien girlfriend, James, a man with deep commitment issues, discovers his ex is also dating the same Hivemind.<\/p>\n Roomer<\/i><\/b><\/i><\/b><\/p>\n Directed by: Emmanuel Joel Rodriguez<\/p>\n Country: United States, Runtime: 16:40 min<\/p>\n In the early 2000s, Jenny, a quiet child, is haunted by a malicious entity in her own home. Her parents’ constant arguing leaves them unaware of the growing danger.<\/p>\n Snug as a Bug<\/i><\/b><\/i><\/b><\/p>\n Directed by: Ally Minor<\/p>\n Country: United States, Runtime: 8:57 min<\/p>\n A lady of the night lures a man into her hotel room before strange events begin to unfold.<\/p>\n (OM)EN<\/i><\/b><\/i><\/b><\/p>\n Directed by: Mary McDade<\/p>\n Country: United States, Runtime: 6:17 min<\/p>\n While seeking peace through meditation, a woman is disrupted by eerie omens\u2014only to have her stillness shattered by a call from her sister, confessing to one body of a problem.<\/p>\n Student Shorts: New Voices<\/b><\/b><\/span><\/p>\n Details Matter<\/i><\/b><\/i><\/b><\/p>\n Directed by: Theodore Richard Herold, Warren Alexander Herold<\/p>\n Country: United States, Runtime: 6:53 min<\/p>\n An extremely meticulous boy works hard to audition for a play, but misses one key detail.<\/p>\n Double Bogey<\/i><\/b><\/i><\/b><\/p>\n Directed by: Janie Gentry<\/p>\n Country: United States, Runtime: 12:55 min<\/p>\n In the fall of 2020, Hayden and Avery’s friendship is tested when a hot new e-boy comes to play on the mini-golf course where they work.<\/p>\n Finger Guns<\/i><\/b><\/i><\/b><\/p>\n Directed by: Levi Coppedge<\/p>\n Country: United States, Runtime: 8:59 min<\/p>\n After his mother tells him to clean his room, a young boy imagines himself as an outlaw in the wild west as he attempts to avoid his responsibility.<\/p>\n The Lizard Theory<\/i><\/b><\/i><\/b><\/p>\n Directed by: John D. Sullivan<\/p>\n Country: United States, Runtime: 5:5 min<\/p>\n A young conspiracist believes his science teacher is a lizard and will not rest until he proves it.<\/p>\n M\u00e3e<\/i><\/b><\/i><\/b><\/p>\n Directed by: Laura Gaspar<\/p>\n Country: United States, Runtime: 16:48 min<\/p>\n When the uncertainty of the current immigration situation in America challenges Bruna, a young Brazilian mother, she struggles with feeling lost while trying to make the best choice for her daughter, Gaby, a Brazilian-American kid.<\/p>\n My Little Sunrise<\/i><\/b><\/i><\/b><\/p>\n Directed by: Caleb Ferguson<\/p>\n Country: United States, Runtime: 10:46 min<\/p>\n After leaving the Rohwer internment camp, a Japanese father and his young daughter hide in rural Arkansas, where survival depends on every choice that could lead to their freedom… or capture.<\/p>\n About Filmland <\/b><\/b><\/span><\/p>\n Since 2018, Filmland has been honored to host award-winning filmmakers like actors Jessica Chastain, Joel Edgerton, Will Forte, Ted Danson, David Arquette and ACS board member Mary Steenburgen along with directors including Chlo\u00e9 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\u00a0The Bikeriders<\/i>,\u00a0Nomadland<\/i>,\u00a0The Eyes of Tammy Faye<\/i>, and\u00a0Free Solo<\/i>\u00a0from 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.<\/p>\n About the Arkansas Cinema Society<\/b><\/b><\/span><\/p>\n Arkansas Cinema Society (ACS) is a non-profit committed to building a film community in Arkansas where film lovers can watch films, share ideas, connect with each other, and nurture the new and existing film talent within our state through increased exposure to filmmakers and their art. Memberships are available to the public who may wish to dive into educational videos, member-only tickets, movie swag, and more. Those interested in supporting ACS can visit their website at www.arkansascinemasociety.org<\/span><\/a>.<\/p>\n![\"Arkanss](\"https:\/\/cinemadailyus.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/MOUSE-1-1024x577.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Arkansas](\"https:\/\/cinemadailyus.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/THE-SUN-NEVER-SETS-1024x577.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Arkansas](\"https:\/\/cinemadailyus.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/THE-BRINK-OF-WAR.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
\n<\/b><\/span>Professional Shorts Block: Not of this World<\/b><\/b><\/span><\/p>\n