The Arkansas Cinema Society and its premiere event Filmland were created to build 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.

Filmland marks it's sixth anniversary this year, furthering ACS's mission to promote local filmmakers with Filmland: Arkansas. Information and details on how to submit to Filmland: Arkansas can be found in the short film and feature film categories.

Over the first few years, Filmland has been honored to host Academy Award nominated actor Adam Driver, five-time Oscar nominated Director Richard Linklater, Director David Lowery, Producers Fred Berger and Brian Kavanaugh-Jones, Actor and Director Joel Edgerton, David and Christina Arquette, WIll Forte and Ted Danson and Oscar winner and ACS board member Mary Steenburgen. Last year's films featured A HERO by Asghar Farhadi, BECOMING COUSTEAU by Liz Garbus and a special in-person appearance by Jessica Chastain with her film THE EYES OF TAMMY FAYE. Screenings also feature Q&A's moderated by ACS Founder and Director Jeff Nichols and every night wraps with a party for filmmakers and attendees.

Filmland 2023 will take place on October 4-8th at the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts. Events and other details will be announced once special guests and screenings are finalized. Filmland: Arkansas short film selections will screen during Filmland along with a handful of narrative selections. The Panavision New Filmmaker Program will once again provide grants to winners of the Feature Film Audience Award + Professional Short Audience Award.

A Filmland: Arkansas summer program has been added on August 12-13th at the AMFA for feature films so more can be screened in-person. The early deadline for features to be considered for the summer program is May 1st. These screenings will be balloted for the Audience Award just like those during Filmland.

Any feature films submitted after May 1st until the final deadline of July 17th will be considered for a screening during Filmland this October. Space for features is very limited during Filmland, so early submission is recommended so as many Arkansas filmmakers as possible can screen and qualify for the Panavision grant. It is up to the filmmaker if they submit for summer or fall.

Short films will only be screened during Filmland in October. Additionally, ACS will no longer offer a virtual component.

Awards & Prizes

ACS Filmland is a non-competitive, curated event but there will be an audience award for the Filmland: Arkansas program. Winners of the Feature Film Audience Award + Professional Short Audience Award are eligible for camera equipment grants from the Panavision New Filmmaker Program worth $60,000 (feature) and $15,000 (short)! The director or producer of the eligible feature or short film must be in attendance to receive the grant.

Rules & Terms

Submissions are for Arkansas filmmakers who either made their film in Arkansas or for an Arkansas Filmmaker who is an Arkansas producer, director, or writer of a film. Films may also be considered if an Arkansas native was the lead or key role as an Actor, Supporting Actor, Production Designer, Costume Designer, Sound Designer, Composer, Editor, Cinematographer, Animator, Visual Effects, Makeup and Hair or First Assistant Director. The Arkansas filmmaker(s) must be available to attend the screening for a conversation after the film.
9 Reviews
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Hospitality
Networking
  • Beverly Parkinson

    Filmland: Arkansas 2023 created an unforgettable peak experience for our team. I cannot recommend it highly enough. Suffice to say we are grateful for the hospitality and welcome given to our work of living history, Daughter of the White River. Thank you to the Arkansas Cinema Society for the opportunity to reach audiences with our message of hope, and for the hope and inspiration you give to creators!

    October 2023
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  • Kevin Croxton

    Our Children's fan film, "Indiana Jones and the Treasure of the Aztecs", played at Filmland and I was extremely impressed by the quality of the screening. The picture and sound could not have been better, It was fun to watch and listen to the reactions of the audience members as they watched the film, and the Filmland staff were extremely professional. It was a great experience.

    October 2023
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  • Annie Knight

    What a great festival! So many fantastic educational workshops and networking happy hours in addition to screenings. As a filmmaker, I felt very taken care of and appreciated. Loved the swag bags and community feel of the festival. So happy Arkansas filmmakers can showcase their work here.

    November 2022
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  • Levi Smith

    Wow. That was the most appalling treatment of student filmmaking I have ever witnessed.

    For a festival I have heard so much about, when a festival has so much credibility, you’d think they would be better prepared to showcase young filmmakers in Arkansas. My film was cropped into the bottom left of the screen, ripped from a YouTube upload, over-compressed, and paused in the middle of its runtime to fix the issue, effectively tainting the most suspenseful part of the film.

    The film which played before mine was from a colleague of mine, a beautiful film, which was also cropped to the lower left of the screen- for the entire screening. She did not deserve this.

    I’m very disappointed in my experience here. It was a very embarrassing experience. I will not be returning next year.

    November 2022
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  • Clayton Henderson

    What a fantastic weekend! The festival directors did a great job moving things and adapting with AR’s ever changing weather. Communication was top notch keeping festival goers informed of venue changes. Thank you for the opportunity to screen my sons film, One Of These Days, as Student Audience Choice. Already looking forward to the next event!

    October 2021
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