Making a difference

Film festival enters third year in Bentonville

From the outside looking in, one could be forgiven for thinking the Bentonville Film Festival is all about the glitz and glamour of Hollywood transplanted for a short while to the Ozark Plateau.

Naturally, it’s exciting and intriguing to welcome actors, directors, producers and others from the motion picture business to Northwest Arkansas.

In year three, ARC Entertainment executive Trevor Drinkwater and actress Geena Davis have asked actors such as Jane Seymour, Jewel, William H. Macy, Marilu Henner, Judy Greer, Meg Ryan, Olivia Washington, Stephanie Beatriz and Melissa Fumero and a host of other to join in.

But let’s admit it: Hollywood, rightly or not, is often painted as a shallow place, one some might just call “La La Land.” Such a reputation, however, should not be applied to what’s happening in Bentonville this week. Those actors will be joined by corporate and entertainment industry movers and shakers to pay tribute to both the art of powerful storytelling through film and the festival’s mission — championing women and diverse voices in all forms of media.

Certainly, the stars of the festival are the films, selected to showcase the storytelling that features the work from a diverse collection of directors, actors and others or powerfully telling the stories of women or others who are often underrepresented in media. But the festival will also drill deeply into issues through panel discussions that focus on inclusion without excluding anyone, or women sharing stories of how they overcome implicit bias, or questions of how media affect the views of children when it comes to genderrelated beliefs and behaviors.

This is not just entertainment, folks. These are serious discussions that overlap race, disabilities and other factors that influence how we all treat one another. It’s not just about film-making, but how we learn how to view one another and how portrayals in film and other mediums contribute, either positively or negatively, to that. Walmart’s support and the involvement of many vendor companies means the discussions expand well beyond the entertainment industry.

Will the Bentonville Film Festival change the world? We suspect it already has by encouraging the telling of important stories and discussion about how to promote industries and practices that recognize the value of all people in making contributions for the future, whether in films, in retailing or in society.

Welcome to all involved in this important work.