BFFoundation has introduced the 2026 Bentonville Film Festival’s lineup of in-person premieres. The pageant will probably be held June 15-21 in Bentonville, Arkansas, and can showcase a spread of narrative, documentary, homegrown, brief movie, and episodic materials.
BFF 2026 will open on June 16 with “Family Movie,” with administrators, producers, and stars Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick becoming a member of for a moderated dialog following the movie. “Family Movie” follows a “filmmaking family who finds themselves in a real-life horror movie when a body turns up on the set of their low-budget slasher, and chaos ensues to keep the production on track.”
The pageant will shut on June 21 with a particular screening of the pilot of Netflix’s “Little House on the Prairie,” with showrunner, government producer, and author Rebecca Sonnenshine and stars Crosby Fitzgerald and Alyssa Wapanatâhk collaborating in a Q&A. “Little House on the Prairie” is the latest adaptation of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s semi-autobiographical “Little House” collection set within the American West.
Sonnenshine will even be honored with the Rising to the Problem Award at BFF’s annual Competition Award Ceremony on June 20, which acknowledges “visionary artists whose work expands opportunity, challenges convention, and helps shape a more dynamic and inclusive future for storytelling.”
“We’re excited to kick off this year’s festival with ‘Family Movie,’ a classic summer thriller that captures the excitement, escapism, and communal experience that make going to the movies so special,” mentioned Wendy Guerrero, President and CEO of the Bentonville Movie Competition and BFFoundation. “Closing the festival with ‘Little House on the Prairie’; a timeless story generations of families have cherished. Together, these projects celebrate imagination, resilience, and the power of storytelling to bring people together, spark new perspectives, and inspire growth through shared experiences.”
The pageant will even host the world premiere of “Street Smart” on June 18 as its centerpiece movie with director Catherine Hardwicke in attendance for a Q&A session. Starring Isabelle Fuhrman, Yara Shahidi, Michael Cimino and Marcia Homosexual Harden, “Street Smart” follows a “lively group of street kids in Venice Beach help each other chase their dreams — with humor, street-smarts, and Robin Hood larceny.”
The 2026 Highlight and Competitors packages’ lineup contains the world premieres of the IVF-rights documentary “Show Me the Line” and the highway journey comedy “Welcome to the Fishbowl.” Audiences may view movies centering the non-public narratives of worldwide figures in “The Brittney Griner Story” and the Billie Jean King documentary “Give Me the Ball!” produced by Liz Garbus. Mixed with the “Coffee Talk” periods with Bobby Flay, Ree Drummond, and Chef JJ Johnson, the narrative and documentary slates showcase appearances and contributions from Jessica Alba, Danielle Brooks, Hillary Clinton, Ta-Nehisi Coates, Frances Fisher, Gillian Jacobs, Rob Lowe, Isbael Sandoval, Jennifer Siebel Newsom, Tony Shalhoub, Lily Tomlin, and others.
BFF 2026 is held in collaboration with founding accomplice Walmart and presenting accomplice Coca-Cola. For extra particulars, go to bentonvillefilm.org
