The Bentonville Film Foundation, in collaboration with founding partner, Walmart, and presenting sponsor, Coca-Cola, announced the winners of its 11th Annual Bentonville Film Festival on Saturday.
“Rosemead,” starring Lucy Liu, took the top prize, winning the best narrative award for a feature film. In addition, Liu was presented with the Rising to the Challenge Award, given to artists who support independent film and “put their talent, passion and experience on the line in the service of empowering stories that are otherwise underrepresented.” Directed by Eric Lin, “Rosemead” premiered earlier this month at the Tribeca Film Festival and centers on a mother faced with an impossible choice. The film has received excellent reviews, particularly for Liu’s transformative performance. In a statement, the jury that voted on the prize noted: “Director Eric Lin sparks real-world conversations about the society we’re living in through an intimate, unflinching film based on true events in the San Gabriel Valley. The very essence of what great cinema can do.”
Other narrative awards presented included a Special Jury Mention for Ensemble Cast to “Adult Children,” which held its world premiere on Thursday night at the fest. Written by Annika Marks and directed by Rich Newey, the comedy-drama centers on three adult siblings (Betsy Brandt, Thomas Sadoski and Aya Cash) and their teenage half-sister (Ella Rubin) who move in together to watch over their brother Josh (Sadowski), an addict. The film also stars Mimi Rogers as their mother and Olemich Tugas (in his film debut) as a young neighbor. Marks and Newey previously collaborated on the film “Killing Eleanor,” which won the top prize at the 2020 SCAD Savannah Film Festival. That film also balanced some serious topics with dark humor and humanity on display in “Adult Children.”
A special jury mention for directorial vision was presented to “Color Book,” writer-director David Fortune’s tale of a newly widowed father trying to get his son to a baseball game. The jury statement praised, “the film unearths profound themes about the world we live in with a consistent command of beautiful visuals, performances, and crisp storytelling. Fortune’s vision speaks through a confident hand like he’s done this many times before.” Variety was also impressed, and awarded the film a Critic’s Pick after its Palm Springs Film Festival premiere in January.
On the documentary side, director-producer Kim A. Snyder’s “The Librarians” took the best documentary prize. Snyder, an Academy Award nominee for the short “Death By Numbers,” is a compelling true tale of book banning and the heroic librarians who uncover the truth. A Special Jury Mention was awarded to “Heightened Scrutiny” from director-producer Sam Feder, which focuses on civil rights lawyer Chase Strangio advocating for trans rights.
This year, the fest introduced a new category, Best Homegrown, which is awarded to films made in the Arkansas area. The Best Homegrown feature award was presented to “Sovereign” from writer-director Christian Swegal. The film stars Nick Offerman, Dennis Quaid, Martha Plimpton and Jacob Tremblay. It follows a father and son in an extremist group facing off with the police. A Special Jury Mention (Homegrown) was given to “Beyond the Ashes: An Adaptive Trail Story” from director-producers Brock Wagner and Tim Johnson, a documentary about the Trailblazer, a trail development organization.
Other awards presented included best episodic to “Born 2 Lose,” a pilot from director Carlos Cardona about a 16-year-old Latino American punk rocker. The Best Short Film Award was given to “Lovin’ Her,” which depicts the struggles of a trans woman’s life. Special Jury Mentions were also given to the animated short “View From the Floor” from directors Megan Griffiths and Mindie Lind, and the modern-day fable “Tender Thoughts” from director Anndi Jinelle Liggett.
The Bentonville Film Festival kicked off on June 16 and featured 28 competition films, including nine world premieres. It was presented by the BFFoundation, a non-profit focused on promoting underrepresented voices of diverse storytellers. It partners with the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media and Davis herself is a constant presence throughout the fest.