Bentonville Film Festival Winners Announced:
Best of the Fest – No Greater Love
Audience
favorite Showcase Film. Determined by Audience ballot.
No
Greater Love – Director/Writer: Justin Roberts. (2015, USA)
No
Greater Love explores a combat deployment through the eyes of an Army chaplain,
as he and his men fight their way through a hellish tour in one of the most
dangerous places in Afghanistan and then as they struggle to reintegrate home.
Best Narrative – It Had to Be You
Jury
award for Best Competition Narrative. Determined by Jury.
It Had
to Be You - Director/Screenwriter:
Sasha Gordon (USA/Italy)
Sonia is
a neurotic jingle writer who’s always dreamt of a big and exciting life.
Surprised by a sudden proposal and subsequent ultimatum from her easy-going
boyfriend, Chris, Sonia has to decide whether she’ll join the ranks of her
married friends or take a leap and pursue her fantasies.
Cast:
Cristin Milioti, Dan Soder, Halley Pfeiffer, Mark Gessner, Kyle Mooney
BFF Audience Award – Floyd Norman: An
Animated Life
Audience
favorite Competition Film. Determined by Audience ballot.
Floyd
Norman: An Animated Life - Directors:
Erik Sharkey, Michael Fiore. (USA)
Animator.
Storyman. Troublemaker. At 80 years old, see how this Disney Legend, the
first African-American animator at Disney, continues to impact animation and
stir up his own brand of “trouble.”
Best Family Film – Lost & Found
Best
Family Film in a Competition Narrative Film. Determined by Jury.
Lost
& Found - Director: Joseph Itaya,
Screenwriters: Joseph Itaya, Erik Cardona (USA)
Andy and his
younger brother Mark are sent to visit their estranged uncle on a mysterious
island. They soon discover clues to a complex treasure hunt, a hunt that
could lead to unimaginable wealth and heal their broken family - if they can
find it in time.
Cast:
Justin Kelly, Benjamin Stockham, Céleste Desjardins, with Cary Elwes, and Jason
Patric
Best Documentary – A Journey of a
Thousand Miles: Peacekeepers
Jury
award for Best Competition
Documentary - Determined by Jury.
A
Journey of a Thousand Miles: Peacekeepers -
Directors: Geeta Gandbhir, Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy. (USA/Pakistan)
One
hundred and sixty women leave their families in Bangladesh for one year to join
the United Nations Stabilising Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH). They form one of
the world’s first all female, predominantly Muslim peacekeeping units,
shattering every stereotype the world holds about the capabilities of Muslim
women.
The Dernsie – Alice Coulthard - Josephine
Best
Acting in a Competition Narrative Film. Determined by Jury (named for Bruce Dern, BFF BOA Member)
Josephine - Director: Rory Feek, Screenwriter: Rory Feek and Aaron
Carnahan (USA)
In the
spring of 1864, a desperate young farmer’s wife enlists in the army, posing as
a man. She battles the enemy, the men of her unit and her own identity in
a quest that takes her on a journey from Tennessee to Virginia in search of her
missing husband.
Cast:
Boris McGiver, Alice Coulthard, Jessejames Locorriere
Best Ensemble – Fair Market Value
Best
Ensemble in a Competition Narrative Film. Determined by Jury
Fair
Market Value - Director: Kevin
Arbouet, Story: Judy San Roman, Screenwriter: Kevin Arbouet. (USA) World
Premiere
Kendall,
a real estate agent from Miami, moves to the suburbs of New York and
immediately finds she has to join forces with Brooke, a competitive rival
agent, to sell one of the most expensive mansions in Long Island.
Cast:
Luisana Lopilato, Craig Bierko, Royce Johnson, Julia Duffy, Drew Meorlein,
Jerry Adler, Wendy Makkena, Debra Jo Rupp, Tina Benko, Gene Gabriel, Olga
Merediz
Highest Diversity Score – Tested
Determined
by analysis through the Bentonville Film
Festival Foundation
Tested - Director: Curtis Chin. (USA)
A diverse
group of 8th graders in New York City vie for a coveted spot in one of the
city's elite public schools by taking a single standardized test.
BFF Spirit Award - Monica
Gonzalez, ESPN
Selected
by BFF recognizing an individual in media advancing the cause of diversity and
inclusion.
Monica
Gonzalez, former Mexican-American
professional soccer player, now soccer analyst and announcer for ESPN, has
taken her Gonzo Soccer Academy global, teaching soccer, life and leadership skills to over 900 girls
worldwide.
Impact Award – Walmart, AMC Theatres, Lifetime & STARZ
Selected
by BFF based on contribution to Festival & Mission
In
addition to the support of Walmart, AMC Theatres and Lifetime, the expanded
partnership support from Starz offered filmmakers in the 2016 BFF Film
Competition even greater distribution opportunities. Carmi Zlotnik,
managing director at Starz said, "Starz is pleased to partner with the
BFF. The festival has already made an impact, and we are proud to participate
in a bigger way this year. We are dedicated to supporting new voices and
emerging storytellers.”
BFF
Jurors ranged from industry professionals to corporate executives and were led
by Alex Cohen in the Documentary competition and Emilio Estevez in the
Narrative competition.
Narrative
Jurors: Emilio Estevez (Head Juror), Cody Allison, Bailey Gibson, Chris
Nagelson, Al Dominguez, Jody Pinson, Darin Dickson, Mike Roberts, Tangellia
Moore, Gretchen Bellamy, Julian Franco, Ashley Price, Laura Philips, Tom Hoehn
and Scott Landes.
Documentary
Jurors: Alex Cohen (Head Juror), Kenneth Bradley, Brenda Kellenbarger, Cindy
Bradley, Jill Wesbecher, Rebecca Powers, Rock Skeans, Sherrie Langehennig,
Connie Kelley, Sree Vaddi, Kortnee Bradley, Jennifer Readio and David K Saito.
