LITTLE ROCK, AR (August 19, 2026) – The Arkansas Cinema Society’s Filmland Presented by the Tyson Family Foundation announced the award winners for the 9th Annual edition of the film festival that concluded a record breaking event at the Arkansas Museum of Film Arts (AMFA). Prize money and film production packages presented to the winning films and filmmakers totaled more than $85,000.
Ben Harrison’s The Robbery won the Audience Award for Filmland: Arkansas Feature receiving a Panavision New Filmmaker Program Equipment Grant – $60,000. Alexander Jeffery’s The Old Man at the Bar took the Audience Award for Filmland: Arkansas Pro Short Film and $15,000. Caleb Ferguson’s My Little Sunrise won the Audience Award for Filmland: Arkansas Student Short, which, for the first time, came with a $500 cash prize. Filmland’s track record has been impressive with feature winners the past two years each having gone on to make films in Arkansas, with the help of the Panavision equipment grant. Kenneth Farmer received the Yancey Prosser Acting Award for his performance in Princeton James’ Hoop Street.
Levi Agee won Filmland: Arkansas Short Film Pitch Contest with his pitch for The Adoption of Micah. In an emotional acceptance, Agee said he hadn’t made a film in more than 10 years. His winning pitch won him a $5000 cash prize, a generous Lighting and Grip Equipment Grant from Film Gear Rentals and a guaranteed premiere screening at Filmland 2027.
Says ACS Executive Director Kathryn Tucker: “This year, Filmland broke records across the board – in submissions, audiences, ticket sales, media attention, and the grants and cash prizes we were able to award to Arkansas filmmakers. Helping Arkansas storytellers tell their stories here at home is at the heart of our mission, and having filmmakers like Kelly O’Sullivan, Joe Swanberg and Josephine Decker alongside incredible Arkansas talent – and Matthew McConaughey here supporting that mission – was a tremendous boost for our film community.
Thanks to partners Variety, LRCVB, Panavision, and all our generous sponsors, we’ve grown every year, but this year we really saw the fruits of nearly a decade of work. And seeing that growing film community supported across the aisle – with the Governor, state legislators, and the Mayor of Little Rock all showing up – felt incredibly encouraging for the future of film in Arkansas.”
Along with participating in a Q&A following a Premiere Presentation screening of Andrew Patterson’s The Rivals of Amziah King, as well as “A Conversation with Matthew McConaughey and Jeff Nichols,” McConaughey received the Variety Legend & Groundbreaker Award, a proclamation from Governor Sarah Huckabee, and a declaration of August 14, 2026 as Matthew McConaughey Day in the City of Little Rock. Judge Reinhold held court as the featured guest at a 40th Anniversary screening of the comedy classic Ruthless People.
The Arkansas Filmmaker Spotlight screening of Josh Loeb’s romantic comedy In Spite of Ourselves included Loeb, director of photography Gabe Mayhan, and composer Jim Fairchild, former lead guitarist of Modest Mouse. Swanberg attended with his latest film, The Sun Never Sets, and Josephine Decker took part in an in-depth discussion of her filmmaking process with SXSW’s Peter Debruge following the closing night screening of her festival hit, Chasing Summer.
Filmland’s impressive lineup of filmmaker panels and conversations with special guests included; “Composing for Cinema: A Deep Dive” with Josh Loeb and Jim Fairchild, “How to Shape Your Film with Sound Design” with PostRed’s Beso Kacharava & Tina Babakishvili, “Framing History Through the Lens of Filmmaking” with Michael Gunn (The Brink of War) & Dr. Christian Ostermann (Executive Director of the National Cold War Center), and an Arkansas Film Incentive Roundtable, with Sen. Clarke Tucker, Sen. Jonathan Dismang, Rep. Tippi McCullough, and Arkansas Film Commissioner Christopher Crane.
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; McKibbon Hospitality, Jeff & Tamra Davis, Mary Olive & John Stephens; 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.
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(Photo by Wildman)
Filmland: Arkansas Feature Audience Award
The Robbery
Directed by: Ben Harrison
Professional Shorts Audience Award
The Old Man at the Bar
Directed by: Alexander Jeffery
Student Shorts Audience Award
My Little Sunrise
Directed by: Caleb Ferguson
Yancey Prosser Acting Award
Kenneth Farmer (Hoop Street)
Arkansas Cinema Society Pitch Contest Winner
Levi Agee (The Adoption of Micah)
About Filmland
Since 2018, Filmland has been honored to host award-winning filmmakers like actors Jessica Chastain, Joel Edgerton, Will Forte, Ted Danson, David Arquette and ACS board member Mary Steenburgen along with directors including Chloé Zhao, Richard Linklater, David Lowery, Neil LaBute, David Gordon Green and Jeff Nichols; and producers such as Evan Hayes, Jayme Lemons, Christina McLarty Arquette, Fred Berger and Brian Kavanaugh-Jones. Filmland has showcased award-winning films such as The Bikeriders, Nomadland, The Eyes of Tammy Faye, and Free Solo from top festivals like Sundance, Telluride, Toronto, and Venice before they had a theatrical release in Arkansas. Each screening features a Q+A moderated by Writer/director and ACS Co-founder Jeff Nichols, board members, or staff, and every night wraps with a party for filmmakers and attendees. Filmland also features selections from Filmland: Arkansas and the short film created each year by our Filmmaking Lab for Teen Girls.
About the Arkansas Cinema Society
Arkansas Cinema Society (ACS) is a non-profit committed to building 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. Memberships are available to the public who may wish to dive into educational videos, member-only tickets, movie swag, and more. Those interested in supporting ACS can visit their website at www.arkansascinemasociety.org.
About the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts
Founded in 1937, the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts is the largest cultural institution of its kind in the state, offering a unique blend of visual and performing arts experiences. AMFA is committed to featuring diverse media and artistic perspectives within its permanent collection as well as through rotating temporary exhibitions. AMFA’s international collection spans eight centuries, with strengths in works on paper and contemporary craft, and includes notable holdings by artists from Arkansas, the South, and across the United States and Europe.
With a vibrant mix of ideas, cultures, people, and places, AMFA extends this commitment to diversity through the innovative Windgate Art School, a dynamic children’s theatre and performing arts program, and community-focused educational programs for all ages. Located in Little Rock’s oldest urban green space, MacArthur Park, AMFA’s landmark building and grounds are designed by Studio Gang and SCAPE, in collaboration with Polk Stanley Wilcox Architects.
About Panavision: The world-class provider of end-to-end solutions that power the creative vision of filmmakers. Panavision’s comprehensive offerings include unparalleled optics, proprietary camera and lighting systems, and state-of-the-art post-production services. Driven by a passion for collaborative innovation, Panavision provides the content-creation industry with the highest standard of quality and service. Panavision’s portfolio includes the renowned brands Light Iron, Panalux, LEE Filters, Direct Digital and Island Studios. For more information and locations worldwide, visit Panavision.com.
About the Tyson Family Foundation
Established in 1970, the Tyson Family Foundation supports efforts for education, health, arts and culture, youth programs, and a scholarship program for Tyson Foods employees and their families. The foundation has endowed and supported local, regional, and national organizations committed to furthering access to knowledge, promoting creativity, and supporting communities. John R. Tyson currently serves as Vice President of the Tyson Family Foundation.