BENTONVILLE, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) — The jury prize winners were awarded at the 8th annual Bentonville Film Festival. Alongside the winners were honorary mentions, the Rising Star Award and Rising to the Challenge Award.
Six experts across four categories juried the competition that gives BIPOC content creators a platform on-screen.
Jury Award winners:
- Narrative Feature: Every Day in Kaimuki directed by Alika Tengan
- Documentary Feature: Shouting Down Midnight directed by Gretchen Stoeltje’s
- Short Film: Georgia directed by Jayil Pak
- Episodic: Chiqui directed by Carlos Cardona
Honorary Mentions:
- Narrative Feature: Land of Gold directed by Nardeep Khurmi
- Documentary Feature: Pasang: In the Shadow of Everest directed by Nancy Svendsen
- Short Film: The Bond, directed by Jahmil Eady
- Episodic: Cora and Sam Hate The Dentist, directed by Jade Kaiser, Eilise Guilfoyle
Fin Argus was awarded the Rising Star Award “for their truly outstanding talent that has captured the attention of both the public and entertainment and media industry,” according to a press release. Effie Brown with the Rising to the Challenge Award “honoring her success supporting indie film projects, both on and off screen.”
The Bentonville Film Foundation is a non-profit organization that promotes the underrepresented voices of diverse storytellers, according to the website. Festival Chair Geena Davis has helped amplify the voices of storytellers who identify as female, non-binary, LGBTQIA+, BIPOC, and people with disabilities in entertainment and media.