Arkansas Cinema Society Announces Filmland: Arkansas selections for August fest
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: the festival’s presentation of top films screening at film festivals this year.
The Filmland: Arkansas lineup also puts the spotlight on 20 short film selections, including 19 narrative shorts, and 1 documentary short . All screenings are 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, Audience Award winners 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, is 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.”
The three Filmland: Arkansas feature films include Princeton James’ high-tension drama Hoop Street 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’s thriller The Robbery, developed from Harrison’s 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’t alone, and the demonic spirit they’ve inadvertently awakened is looking for a new body to wreak havoc with. E. Vincent Martinez’ documentary Iron Pearls explores the life and career of acclaimed blacksmith and sculptor Elizabeth Brim. Brim’s 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.
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. Naronica Shaw’s Cracks & Light: An Open Doorcenters on a chronic self-sacrificing people-pleasing woman forced to focus on her own healing following a mental breakdown. Raeden Greer’s heartfelt I Love You This Much about a woman thrust into the role of primary caregiver for her disabled father, who must make a life-altering decision to honor his wishes. CJ Mirch’s Noriko focuses on a Japanese student who finds comfort and connection at a local café after getting news of a tragedy back home.
Phillip Davis’ Last Clinic in Arkansas, is the sole documentary short in the program this year. It follow the staff and volunteers at the Arkansas Abortion Support Network working against the odds and official forces to care for women. Alexander Jeffery’s award-winning Old Man at the Bar Is based on the filmmaker’s world-traveling grandfather. In the film, two waiters at a bar have their closing routine thwarted by a mysterious old man who just stepped in for a late night drink. Princella Smith’s Will I Dance Again? utilizes animation as itfocuses on a woman rebuilding her life following the very personal devastation she suffered from the Oklahoma City Bombing.
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. Included in this lineup are Levi Smith’s Critical Hit in whicha teen’s younger brother trying the game for the first time amazes everyone with his ability to get natural 20’s every time he rolls the dice. Avrey Tyler Della Rosa’s Eyes in the Dark follows a man burdened by guilt who comes to a crossroads when confronted by a mysterious figure known as Red Eyes. Chris Alan Evans’ Hivemind Deluxe focuses on a disillusioned woman who gets dragged to a cosmic meditation circle on her birthday; where she must resist the promise of belonging… at the cost of her soul.
Nathan Deshawn Bouie’s Intergalactic Ingenue features a man’s unexpected crisis on the night he’s supposed to integrate with his Hive-mind alien girlfriend when he discovers his ex is also dating the same Hivemind. Emmanuel Joel Rodriguez’ Roomer focuses on a quiet child haunted by a malicious entity in her home. Her parents’ constant arguing leaves them unaware of the growing danger to them all. Ally Minor’s Snug as a Bug follows the strange events that begin to unfold when a lady of the night lures a man into her hotel room. Mary McDade’s (OM)EN is about a woman beset by eerie omens as she tries to find peace through meditation. Then everything is shattered by a call from her sister.
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. Included are Theodore Richard Herold and Warren Alexander Herold’s Details Matterabout an extremely meticulous boy preparing to audition for a play, but missing one key detail. Janie Gentry’s Double Bogey where two co-workers’ friendship is tested when a hot new e-boy comes to play on the mini-golf course where they work. Levi Coppedge’s Finger Guns shows us a young boy who imagines himself as an outlaw in the wild west as he attempts to avoid cleaning his room.
John D. Sullivan’s The Lizard Theoryfocuses on a young conspiracy obsessed student who believes his science teacher is a lizard. Laura Gasper’s Mãe looks at a young Brazilian mother who dealing with the country’s current threat to immigrants while trying to make the best choice for her daughter, Gaby, a Brazilian-American kid. Caleb Ferguson’s My Little Sunrise follows a Japanese father and his young daughter who hide in rural Arkansas after escaping an internment camp during WWII.
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.
For more information on Filmland and the Arkansas Cinema Society, please go to: filmland.org.
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; Workshop Sponsor: the Windgate Foundation; Marketing Partner: Little Rock Convention and Visitors Bureau; Industry Partner: Panavision; Media Partner: Variety; and Youth Education Partner: City of Little Rock.
2026 Filmland: Arkansas Official Selections
Features
Hoop Street
Directed by: Princeton James
Country: United States, Runtime: 1:30:56 min
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.
Iron Pearls
Directed by: E. Vincent Martinez
Country: United States, Runtime: 55 min
A woman, a forge, and a string of pearls: Elizabeth Brim forges art that challenges tradition and redefines strength.
The Robbery
Directed by: Ben Harrison
Country: United States, Runtime: 1:10:55 min
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.
Professional Shorts: Mosaic
Anniversary Roulette
Directed by: Molly Wheat
Country: United States, Runtime: 12:10 min
After being betrayed by her partner, an indecisive small-town cop must fight to save her wife on their wedding anniversary.
Cracks & Light: An Open Door
Directed by: Naronica Shaw
Country: United States, Runtime: 14:03 min
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.
I Love You This Much
Directed by: Raeden Greer
Country: United States, Runtime: 11:08 min
Suddenly thrust into the role of primary caregiver for her disabled father, a woman makes a life-altering decision to honor his wishes.
Last Clinic in Arkansas
Directed by: Phillip Davis
Country: United States, Runtime: 20:33 min
The Last Clinic in Arkansas is about more than a building – It’s 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’ ban.
Noriko
Directed by: CJ Mirch
Country: United States, Runtime: 14:38 min
A Japanese student is comforted by a bartender following news of a tragedy back home.
Old Man at the Bar
Directed by: Alexander Jeffery
Country: United States, Runtime: 11:30 min
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.
Will I Dance Again?
Directed by: Princella Smith
Country: United States, Runtime: 16:23 min
The Oklahoma City Bombing took her mother, her children, and her leg. It couldn’t take her fight.
Professional Shorts Block: Not of this World
Critical Hit
Directed by: Levi Smith
Country: United States, Runtime: 21 min
When a teen brings his younger brother to his first session of D&D, everyone is shocked by the boy’s ability to get natural 20’s every time he rolls the dice.
Eyes in the Dark
Directed by: Avrey Tyler Della Rosa
Country: United States, Runtime: 6:08 min
Burdened by guilt, Edmund is forced to decide his fate when confronted by a mysterious figure known as Red Eyes.
Hivemind Deluxe
Directed by: Chris Alan Evans
Country: United States, Runtime: 10:04 min
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.
Intergalactic Ingenue
Directed by: Nathan Deshawn Bouie
Country: United States, Runtime: 19:33 min
On the night he’s 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.
Roomer
Directed by: Emmanuel Joel Rodriguez
Country: United States, Runtime: 16:40 min
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.
Snug as a Bug
Directed by: Ally Minor
Country: United States, Runtime: 8:57 min
A lady of the night lures a man into her hotel room before strange events begin to unfold.
(OM)EN
Directed by: Mary McDade
Country: United States, Runtime: 6:17 min
While seeking peace through meditation, a woman is disrupted by eerie omens—only to have her stillness shattered by a call from her sister, confessing to one body of a problem.
Student Shorts: New Voices
Details Matter
Directed by: Theodore Richard Herold, Warren Alexander Herold
Country: United States, Runtime: 6:53 min
An extremely meticulous boy works hard to audition for a play, but misses one key detail.
Double Bogey
Directed by: Janie Gentry
Country: United States, Runtime: 12:55 min
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.
Finger Guns
Directed by: Levi Coppedge
Country: United States, Runtime: 8:59 min
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.
The Lizard Theory
Directed by: John D. Sullivan
Country: United States, Runtime: 5:5 min
A young conspiracist believes his science teacher is a lizard and will not rest until he proves it.
Mãe
Directed by: Laura Gaspar
Country: United States, Runtime: 16:48 min
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.
My Little Sunrise
Directed by: Caleb Ferguson
Country: United States, Runtime: 10:46 min
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.