Geena Davis‘ Bentonville Film Festival will run from May 2 to May 7 in 2017, organizers announced on Wednesday.
Co-founded by the Oscar-winning actress and ARC Entertainment CEP Trevor Drinkwater, the Arkansas film festival champions women and diverse voices in the media.
BFF boasts that it is the “only film competition in the world to guarantee theatrical, television, digital and retail home entertainment distribution for its winners in the following categories: Best Family Film, Audience Award and Best Narrative Selected by Jury.”
“We are so very proud of the progress we’ve made and the response we are getting in support of the mission of BFF,” Davis said in a statement. “Now moving into our third year, I feel more confident than ever that — with the support of our partners — we will create change in the media our children view so that it will reflect the world they actually live in, which is half female and very diverse.”
Also Read: Geena Davis: What I Learned From Launching a Film Festival
The 2017 festival will expand its short film competitions and add a commercial competition while attendees can enjoy a lineup of narrative and documentary screenings, discussions and musical performances.
The festival’s second year experienced a 70 percent increase in attendance from the previous year with 63,000 seats filled. Notable guests last year included Meg Ryan, Soledad O’Brien, Nia Vardalos, Bruce Dern, Constance Wu and Darius Rucker.
Also Read: Meg Ryan, Nia Vardalos, Anna Gunn to Attend Geena Davis' Bentonville Film Festival
Films accepted into the 2017 festival will be announced in March.
77 Eye-Popping Portraits From TheWrap's Toronto Film Festival Studio (Exclusive Photos)
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Actor Gael García Bernal, "Neruda"
Photographed by Geneviève Caron (FH Studio) for TheWrap at The Thompson Toronto
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Actors Gael García Bernal and Luis Gnecco, "Neruda"
Photographed by Geneviève Caron (FH Studio) for TheWrap at The Thompson Toronto
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Actor Luis Gnecco, "Neruda"
Photographed by Geneviève Caron (FH Studio) for TheWrap at The Thompson Toronto
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Director Pablo Larraín and actor Gael García Bernal, "Neruda"
Photographed by Geneviève Caron (FH Studio) for TheWrap at The Thompson Toronto
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Actress Holly Hunter, "Strange Weather"
Photographed by Geneviève Caron (FH Studio) for TheWrap at The Thompson Toronto
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Actor Rami Malek, "Buster's Mal Heart"
Photographed by Geneviève Caron (FH Studio) for TheWrap at The Thompson Toronto
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Director Sarah Adina Smith and actor Rami Malek, "Buster's Mal Heart"
Photographed by Geneviève Caron (FH Studio) for TheWrap at The Thompson Toronto
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Director Sarah Adina Smith, "Buster's Mal Heart"
Photographed by Geneviève Caron (FH Studio) for TheWrap at The Thompson Toronto
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Director Ben Younger and actors Miles Teller and Aaron Eckhart, "Bleed for This"
Photographed by Geneviève Caron (FH Studio) for TheWrap at The Thompson Toronto
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Actor Hisham Fageeh, "Barakah Meets Barakah"
Photographed by Geneviève Caron (FH Studio) for TheWrap at The Thompson Toronto
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Actor Fatima Al Banawi, "Barakah Meets Barakah"
Photographed by Geneviève Caron (FH Studio) for TheWrap at The Thompson Toronto
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Director Mahmoud Sabbagh and Actors Hisham Fageeh and Fatima Al Banawi, "Barakah Meets Barakah"
Photographed by Geneviève Caron (FH Studio) for TheWrap at The Thompson Toronto
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Director Mahmoud Sabbagh, "Barakah Meets Barakah"
Photographed by Geneviève Caron (FH Studio) for TheWrap at The Thompson Toronto
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Director Kenneth Lonergan, "Manchester by the Sea"
Photographed by Geneviève Caron (FH Studio) for TheWrap at The Thompson Toronto
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Actress Angela Sarafyan, "The Promise"
Photographed by Geneviève Caron (FH Studio) for TheWrap at The Thompson Toronto
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Actress Shohreh Aghdashloo, "The Promise"
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Actor Marwan Kenzari, "The Promise"
Photographed by Geneviève Caron (FH Studio) for TheWrap at The Thompson Toronto
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Actor Jarkko Lahti and Director Juho Kuosmanen, "The Happiest Day in the Life of Ali Maki"
Photographed by Geneviève Caron (FH Studio) for TheWrap at The Thompson Toronto
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Actress Sônia Braga, "Aquarius"
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Director Kleber Mendonça Filho and actress Sônia Braga, "Aquarius"
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Actor Ryan Gosling and director Damien Chazelle, "La La Land"
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Director Damien Chazelle, "La La Land"
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Actress Riley Keough, "American Honey"
Photographed by Geneviève Caron (FH Studio) for TheWrap at The Thompson Toronto
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Actress Sasha Lane, "American Honey"
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Actors Raymond Coalson, Sasha Lane, Riley Keough and McCaul Lombardi "American Honey"
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Director Morgan Spurlock, "Rats"
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Director Morgan Spurlock and Producer "Rats"
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Producer Jeremy Chilnick, "Rats"
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Director Chan-Wook Park, "The Handmaiden"
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Director Adam Leon and actors Grace Van Patten, Michal Vondel and Callum Turner, "Tramps"
Photographed by Geneviève Caron (FH Studio) for TheWrap at The Thompson Toronto
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Actress Grace Van Patten, "Tramps"
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Actor Callum Turner, "Tramps"
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Actor Michal Vondel, "Tramps"
Photographed by Geneviève Caron (FH Studio) for TheWrap at The Thompson Toronto
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Director Adam Leon, "Tramps"
Photographed by Geneviève Caron (FH Studio) for TheWrap at The Thompson Toronto
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Director Claude Barras, "My Life As A Zucchini"
Photographed by Geneviève Caron (FH Studio) for TheWrap at The Thompson Toronto
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Director and actor Nick Cannon, "King of the Dancehall"
Photographed by Geneviève Caron (FH Studio) for TheWrap at The Thompson Toronto
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Actress Natalie Portman, "Planetarium" and "Jackie"
Photographed by Geneviève Caron (FH Studio) for TheWrap at The Thompson Toronto
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Actress Natalie Portman, "Planetarium" and "Jackie"
Photographed by Geneviève Caron (FH Studio) for TheWrap at The Thompson Toronto
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Actress Lily-Rose Depp, "Planetarium"
Photographed by Geneviève Caron (FH Studio) for TheWrap at The Thompson Toronto
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Actor Emmanuel Salinger, "Planetarium"
Photographed by Geneviève Caron (FH Studio) for TheWrap at The Thompson Toronto
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Director Rebecca Zlotowski, "Planetarium"
Photographed by Geneviève Caron (FH Studio) for TheWrap at The Thompson Toronto
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Director Rebecca Zlotowski with actors Natalie Portman, Emmanuel Salinger and Lily-Rose Depp, "Planetarium"
Photographed by Geneviève Caron (FH Studio) for TheWrap at The Thompson Toronto
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Actors Kathryn Hahn, Gaby Hoffman, Jeffrey Tambor, Amy Landecker and Jay Duplass with creator Jill Soloway, "Transparent"
Photographed by Geneviève Caron (FH Studio) for TheWrap at The Thompson Toronto
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Actor Jeffrey Tambor, "Transparent"
Photographed by Geneviève Caron (FH Studio) for TheWrap at The Thompson Toronto
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Actress Gaby Hoffman, "Transparent"
Photographed by Geneviève Caron (FH Studio) for TheWrap at The Thompson Toronto
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Actor Jay Duplass, "Transparent"
Photographed by Geneviève Caron (FH Studio) for TheWrap at The Thompson Toronto
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Actress Amy Landecker, "Transparent"
Photographed by Geneviève Caron (FH Studio) for TheWrap at The Thompson Toronto
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Actress Kathryn Hahn, "Transparent"
Photographed by Geneviève Caron (FH Studio) for TheWrap at The Thompson Toronto
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Creator Jill Soloway, "Transparent"
Photographed by Geneviève Caron (FH Studio) for TheWrap at The Thompson Toronto
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Actress Isabelle Huppert and director Mia Hansen-Løve, "Things to Come"
Photographed by Geneviève Caron (FH Studio) for TheWrap at The Thompson Toronto
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Actress Isabelle Huppert, "Things to Come"
Photographed by Geneviève Caron (FH Studio) for TheWrap at The Thompson Toronto
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Director-producer Fisher Stevens, "Before the Flood"
Photographed by Geneviève Caron (FH Studio) for TheWrap at The Thompson Toronto
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Actor and director Ewan McGregor, "American Pastoral"
Photographed by Geneviève Caron (FH Studio) for TheWrap at The Thompson Toronto
Also Read: ‘American Pastoral’ Toronto Review: Ewan McGregor Travels to Philip Roth Country, and Fits Right In
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Actor and director Ewan McGregor, "American Pastoral"
Photographed by Geneviève Caron (FH Studio) for TheWrap at The Thompson Toronto
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Actor and director Ewan McGregor, "American Pastoral"
Photographed by Geneviève Caron (FH Studio) for TheWrap at The Thompson Toronto
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Actor and director Ewan McGregor, "American Pastoral"
Photographed by Geneviève Caron (FH Studio) for TheWrap at The Thompson Toronto
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Actress Jennifer Connelly, "American Pastoral"
Photographed by Geneviève Caron (FH Studio) for TheWrap at The Thompson Toronto
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Actress Jennifer Connelly, "American Pastoral"
Photographed by Geneviève Caron (FH Studio) for TheWrap at The Thompson Toronto
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Actress Jennifer Connelly, "American Pastoral"
Photographed by Geneviève Caron (FH Studio) for TheWrap at The Thompson Toronto
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Actress Uzo Aduba, "American Pastoral"
Photographed by Geneviève Caron (FH Studio) for TheWrap at The Thompson Toronto
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Actress Uzo Aduba, "American Pastoral"
Photographed by Geneviève Caron (FH Studio) for TheWrap at The Thompson Toronto
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Actress Dakota Fanning, "American Pastoral"
Photographed by Geneviève Caron (FH Studio) for TheWrap at The Thompson Toronto
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Actress Dakota Fanning, "American Pastoral"
Photographed by Geneviève Caron (FH Studio) for TheWrap at The Thompson Toronto
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Actors Uzo Aduba, Jennifer Connelly, Dakota Fanning and Ewan McGregor, "American Pastoral"
Photographed by Geneviève Caron (FH Studio) for TheWrap at The Thompson Toronto
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Actors Uzo Aduba, Jennifer Connelly, Dakota Fanning and Ewan McGregor, "American Pastoral"
Photographed by Geneviève Caron (FH Studio) for TheWrap at The Thompson Toronto
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Producers Tom Rosenberg and Gary Lucchesi, "American Pastoral"
Photographed by Geneviève Caron (FH Studio) for TheWrap at The Thompson Toronto
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Actress Fan BingBing and Director Xiaogang Feng, "I Am Not Madame Bovary"
Photographed by Geneviève Caron (FH Studio) for TheWrap at The Thompson Toronto
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Director Xiaogang Feng and actress Fan Bingbing, "I Am Not Madame Bovary"
Photographed by Geneviève Caron (FH Studio) for TheWrap at The Thompson Toronto
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Actors Guo Tao, Dong Chengpeng, director Xiaogang Feng and actress Fan Bingbing, "I Am Not Madame Bovary"
Photographed by Geneviève Caron (FH Studio) for TheWrap at The Thompson Toronto
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Director Oliver Stone, "Snowden"
Also Read: ‘Snowden’ Toronto Review: Oliver Stone Plays It Aesthetically Safe
Photographed by Geneviève Caron (FH Studio) for TheWrap at The Thompson Toronto
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Director Oliver Stone, "Snowden"
Photographed by Geneviève Caron (FH Studio) for TheWrap at The Thompson Toronto
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Director Oliver Stone, "Snowden"
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Actor David Oyelowo, "United Kingdom"
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Actor David Oyelowo, "United Kingdom"
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Director Amma Asante and actor David Oyelowo, "United Kingdom"
Also Read: ‘A United Kingdom’ Review: David Oyelowo Drama Is a Ho-Hum Crowd Pleaser
Photographed by Geneviève Caron (FH Studio) for TheWrap at The Thompson Toronto
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Director Amma Asante, "United Kingdom"
Photographed by Geneviève Caron (FH Studio) for TheWrap at The Thompson Toronto
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Director Amma Asante, "United Kingdom"
Photographed by Geneviève Caron (FH Studio) for TheWrap at The Thompson Toronto
Toronto 2016: Ryan Gosling, David Oyelowo, Miles Teller and Natalie Portman are among the stars who stopped by TheWrap’s studio at The Thompson Toronto