Full schedule features screenings, workshops and breakout sessions

Tickets are on sale now for the Arkansas Cinema Society’s Film Development Conference on Friday, April 29th and Saturday, April 30th at Thaden School in Bentonville. The weekend line-up features evening screenings of Jockey and Loving, happy hours, and a full day of in-depth discussions and workshops on pre-production best practices with industry experts.

Hosted in person by ACS co-founder Jeff Nichols, this event will bring in Nichols’ producing partner Sarah Green and Jockey’s writer/producer Greg Kwedar and writer/director Clint Bentley. ACS’ first Film Development Conference was made possible by John R. Tyson and Olivia Tyson. This event is also sponsored by Local Lime, Studio Chunky and Thaden School.

Tickets and passes are on sale now at www.arkansascinemasociety.org. ACS welcomes filmmakers from across Arkansas, Oklahoma and Missouri to come learn from some of the best. A full weekend pass for the conference is $100, Saturday workshop pass is $75, and a la carte workshops and screening tickets are available for $25 as well. ACS members receive 50 percent off tickets and passes and sponsor perks apply. A limited number of scholarships are available to those in need. Visit their website to apply.

All ticket holders to any event during the Arkansas Cinema Society’s Film Conference Weekend will be eligible to apply for a film development grant up to $2,500 awarded after the conference. Grant details will be released on the first day of the conference. This grant is made possible through the support of ACS board member Tom Gordon.

Program includes:

Breaking Down Pre-Production Essentials
Saturday, April 30th at 10 am
Writer/director Jeff Nichols sits down with producer Sarah Green in a focused exploration of the top things to know about pre-production. Presentation by Sarah Green, Producer and Jeff Nichols, Writer and Director.

Demystifying Entertainment Law
Saturday, April 30th at 12 pm

During any film or television production there are a variety of legal dos and don’ts that are vital to its success. Avoid common pitfalls with a primer on what film industry contracts and agreements are necessary to move into production. Join us for a discussion with New York-based attorney Matthew Rogers that will help you navigate the legalese of pre-production!

The Jockey Way: Reimagining How to Fund Indie Films
Saturday, April 30th at 2 pm

Listen in on a candid discussion from lead Jockey filmmakers as they discuss the innovative model for how they approached financing, the challenges they faced, and how they pulled it off. This panel discussion features Clint Bentley, writer, director, and producer; Greg Kwedar, writer and producer; and Jeff Nichols, writer and director.

Break Out Session: Finding Solutions to Pre-Productions Challenges  
Saturday, April 30th at 4 pm

What hurdles are you facing as a filmmaker in development or pre-production? What are the best tools to help overcome your obstacles? Participate in an intimate breakout session to get your personal questions answered and glean tactical insight from a working producer, director, or attorney on what it takes to successfully start production.  The Break Out Session is for pass holders only. This mentor breakout session features Clint Bentley, writer, director, and producer; Greg Kwedar, writer and producer; Jeff Nichols, writer and director; Sarah Green, producer; Mario Troncoso, producer; and Matt Rogers, lawyer.

Happy Hours
Friday, April 29th & Saturday, April 30th at 5:30 pm
Each evening, ACS will host happy hours for networking with filmmakers at locations to be announced in the near future.

Film Screenings
Film screenings are ticketed and open to the general public. Admission is $25.

Jockey – Friday, April 29th at 7:30 pm
The doors open at 7:30 pm, film starts at 8. The film will be followed by a Q+A with the filmmakers. Watch the trailer for Jockey here.

Loving – Saturday, April 30th at 7 pm
The doors open at 7 p.m., film starts at 7:30.  A Q+A with Jeff Nichols and Sarah Green will follow. Watch the trailer for Loving here.

About Sarah Green
Green has worked with Nichols on movies like Midnight Special and Loving and produced films such as Julie Taymor’s Frida, David Mamet’s State and Main, Terrence Malick’s The Tree of Life and Fahrenheit 451, starring Michael B. Jordan and Michael Shannon. She is the executive producer of the podcast, Hank the Cowdog, starring Matthew McConaughey, Kirsten Dunst and Jesse Plemons. In 2017, she was inducted into the Texas Film Hall of Fame in Austin.

About Greg Kwedar and Clint Bentley
Greg Kwedar debuted as a feature director with Transpecos, a thriller set within the United States Border Patrol. Clint Bentley served as producer and writer on the film. Transpecos premiered in competition at the 2016 SXSW Film Festival where it won the Audience Award. It was acquired by Samuel Goldwyn Films for theatrical release. They teamed up once again to write Jockey with Bentley serving as director and Kwedar as producer.

About Jockey 
Directed by Bentley and produced by Kwedar, Jockey premiered at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival and stars Clifton Collins Jr., Molly Parker and Moisés Arias. Jockey tells the story of an aging jockey who aims for a final championship, when a rookie rider arrives claiming to be his son.

Jockey premiered at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival. According to IndieWire, “Bentley’s feature debut is confidently assembled, with the world captured by cinematographer Adolpho Veloso seeming to exist entirely in that magic hour that casts ghostly rays of sunlight across the desert plain…”

About Loving
Directed by Jeff Nichols and produced by Sarah Green, Loving is the story of Richard (Joel Edgerton) and Mildred Loving (Ruth Negga), a couple whose arrest for interracial marriage in 1960s Virginia began a legal battle that would end with the Supreme Court’s historic 1967 decision. The film premiered at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival and competed for the Palme d’Ore. Negga and Edgerton were both nominated for Golden Globes for their performances.

About 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 at large 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.

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