Bentonville Film Festival 2022 reviews: Short films ‘Anniversary’ & ‘The Syed Family Xmas Eve Game Night’ celebrate sisterhood in all its messy glory.

ANNIVERSARY

Laugh out loud funny short film Anniversary finds two best friends and next-door neighbors getting glam together in preparation for what Carla thinks is a surprise 25th-anniversary dinner with her husband.

This unapologetic and unfiltered look at friendship is hysterical. The film possesses timeless energy. The costumes are bright, and the camera work is notably fun. Actresses Johnnie Mae and Lin Tucci have magical chemistry. Director Lain Kienzle highlights the importance of female bonding. In the end, it’s pure delight.


The Syed Family Xmas Eve Game Night

Three very different sisters collide during holiday festivities. Seeking the approval of her eldest and feistiest sister, Noor hopes her partner Luz makes a good impression. 

The cinematography and editing are super fun. Instagram-style stories add a modern touch. It is what I do with my siblings during game nights. The cast is spectacular. For a short film, these characters are lush and eclectic. Director Fawzia Mirza and writer-producer Kausar Mohammed absolutely nail the family dynamic. The Syed Family Xmas Eve Game Night will make you laugh, cringe, and nod your head knowingly. Bentonville Film Festival 2022 audiences will love it.


 

Bentonville Film Festival 2022 short review: ‘Honey and Clover: A Recipe For Disaster’

HONEY AND CLOVER


SYNOPSIS
Honey and Clover are former child stars from the hit show Rink Inc. where they played crime-fighting sisters whose parents owned a roller-skating rink. Past and future collide threatening to reveal their darkest secrets when the two are thrust back into the spotlight together after years of estrangement. They are forced to accept that the only way they can survive is together. Their timely reconnection teaches them to cope with their new lives while coming to terms with the shocking past that tore them apart in this deeply empathetic and magical portrayal of friendship.


A solid proof of concept short, I found myself wanting more information on both the leads and their manager Max, played spectacularly by actor Ray Abruzzo. I want to know who else this guy represents. Give me an entire BoJack Horseman style section in a series of all his clients. Our leading ladies, Theresa Burkhart Gallagher and Jackie Monahan engaging and complex. The short ramps up about 10 minutes in with a fun action scene mirroring their heyday skills. This was badass. The information we’re missing from their youth and everything in between feels pretty pertinent to the present-day chaos. I was genuinely interested. I’d love to see how Rink Inc. came to fruition, from the girls meeting as teens, cut back and forth their success, and their ultimate fallout. I’m assuming that’s the goal with this short. In its current form, Honey and Clover expertly bate the hook. Get me a pair of skates, I’m ready to roll.

Director:                                 Andrea Maxwell
Writers:                                   Matthew Gallagher, Theresa Burkhart Gallagher, Jackie Monahan
Producers:                             Matthew Gallagher, Theresa Burkhart Gallagher, Andrea Maxwell,
Jackie Monahan, Diana Zollicoffer
Executive Producers:            Emily De Margheriti, Benjamin Sharpe, Greg Tally
Editor:                                     Andrea Maxwell
Cinematographer:                 Sherri Kauk                          
Music:                                     Allyson Newman
Cast:                                       Theresa Burkhart Gallagher, Jackie Monahan, Ray Abruzzo, Dan Lauria,
David Barrera
TRT:                                        14:36 min
Country:                                 USA


Screening information:
Thursday, June 23 at 3:00PM
Awkward At Any Age (Competition Shorts)
Walmart World Room (105 North Main Street)

Ticketing information:
https://www.goelevent.com/BFF/e/AwkwardAtAnyAgeCompetitionShorts

Short films in our competition lineup telling stories at key moments of personal growth from childhood to adulthood and beyond. This program includes THE WEIGHT OF IT (Directed by Olivia Marie Valdez, Einar Soler Fernandez, Sandra Afonso Rodriguez), LOVE’S BABY SOFT (Directed by Lanie Zipoy), AMERIGIRL (Directed by Samina Saifee), ANNIVERSARY (Directed by Lain Kienzle), SEASICK (Directed by Lindsey Ryan), WEI-LAI (Directed by Robin Wang), HOPEFUL ROMANTIC (Directed by Kate Vinen) and HONEY AND CLOVER: A RECIPE FOR DISASTER (Directed by Andrea Maxwell).


Bentonville Film Festival 2022 world premiere: ‘The Seven Faces Of Jane’ is a visionary experiment from 8 filmmakers.

THE SEVEN FACES OF JANE

Eight filmmakers come together to create one genre-obliterating film that centers around a woman named Jane. 

Goodbye/Hello

Gillian Jacobs

Jane drops off her daughter at sleepaway camp.

JaneSquared

Gia Coppola

In search of coffee, Jane encounters her doppelganger. 

Tayo

Boma Iluma

Jane reconnects with a previous lover. With super 8 footage overtop flashbacks, this story is pure romantic nostalgia. 

Guardian

Ryan Heffington

Jane rides an emotional and musical rollercoaster from delight to broken-heartedness, celebrating the friendship between her and a friend named Sybil. 

The Lonesome Road

Xan Cassavetes 

Jane picks up a free-spirited hitchhiker. Their drive is a fantasy sequence in more than one way. 

Rose

Julian J. Acosta

Jane encounters a girl running away from her Quinceanera. Their conversation turns to identity and confessions. It’s a celebration of similarities amongst strangers. As Rose, actress Daniela Hernandez is a star. 

The One Who Got Away

Ken Jeong

Community costar Joel McHale reunites with Gilligan Jacobs when Jane flags down a jogger and old friend sharing an intimate past. Jacobs and McHale have explosive chemistry together. When it comes down to it, McHale completely steals this scene. It is a wow of a turn. 

The Audition

Alex Takacs

Jane attends a call for a mysterious audition that begs more questions than answers. Breeda Wool gives us a manic performance you’ll struggle to shake. 

The only visual throughline is Jacobs and Jane’s all-new Ford Mustang Mach E. The automaker worked with producer Roman Coppola to bring the film to life. The stylistic maneuvering never lets you tune out. As each story differs in length and cinematography, The Seven Faces of Jane is an extraordinary film. Bentonville 2022 audiences are in for one wild ride.


Directed by:

Gillian Jacobs, Gia Coppola, Boma Iluma, Ryan Heffington, Xan Cassavetes, Julian J. Acosta, Ken Jeong, Alex Takacs

Starring:

Gillian Jacobs, Anthony Skordi, Chido Nwokocha, Sybil Azur, Emanuela Postacchini, Joni Reiss, Soledad St. Hilaire, Joel McHale, Caroline Ducrocq, Breeda Wool

Produced by:

Roman Coppola p.g.a., Jason Baum p.g.a. Sarah Park. Allison Amon p.g.a. and Luke Ricci

Executive Producers:

Chris Chang, Duffy Culligan, Tara Schaeffer, Alessandro Uzielli and Jordan Weisman

Editors:

Peter Cabada Hagan, Scott Hanson, Armen Harootun, Niles Howard, Jacob Mendel, Michael Wolfe

Cinematographer:

Andy Catarisano

Runtime:

92 minutes


To find out more about Bentonville 2022 click here!

In-Person Festival – June 22 – 26; Virtual Festival – June 22 – July 3

Bentonville Film Festival 21 review: ‘The Novice’ pushes past obsession.

THE NOVICE

An obsessive novice rower climbs the ranks of her college’s rowing team.


For me, Isabelle Fuhrman is someone synonymous with a certain horror franchise. Seeing her in a solely dramatic role in The Novice was a new and glorious territory. Determined to be the best novice rower there’s ever been, Alex does everything to excess. Goal-oriented isn’t a strong enough word for this character. The film challenges self-worth, ideals, and pressure to succeed. The complexities hiding inside The Novice will astound you.

Quick take editing alongside exaggerated and repetitive audio gives the film urgency, all while a string-heavy score plays underneath. The culmination of all these elements lands The Novice somewhere between tense and inspiring. Then there is Furhman’s performance. Her obsessive behavior pushes The Novice past genre definitions. Furhman brings a ferocious passion to the role. Writer-director Lauren Hadaway‘s script is ultimately not about rowing. It is about mental health. It keenly delves into privilege, relationship dynamics, competition, and self-harm. The energy of this film is extraordinary. Bentonville Film Festival audiences will be hypnotized by its greatness. It is a must-see.


About Bentonville

BFFoundation is a non-profit organization focused on promoting underrepresented voices of diverse storytellers. We champion female, non-binary, LGBTQIA+, black, indigenous, people of color, and people with disabilities’ voices in entertainment and media. We do this through research, education, and supporting the production and distribution of inclusive content.

The foundation believes that by taking real action with content creators, talent, influencers, advertisers, and content distributors, we can accurately reflect the gender balance and diversity of our country. Our goal is to create a seismic change in how media inspires young minds to do great things.

Our primary research partner is the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media. Together, we seek to support research that proves these systemic changes are not only the right thing to do—they are also commercially beneficial. The Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media has also clearly shown that the media children consume has an overwhelming influence in shaping their view of the world and their place in it.

The foundation also partners with schools and community institutions, working with children to educate on the challenging effects of stereotyping, unconscious bias, and gender imbalance. We also utilize media-based tools and content to build positive association and equality-based learning models.

BFFoundation is focused on working with its partners to foster inclusivity in media and entertainment to produce a positive influence in the community at large.


SUPPORT

BFFoundation is an organization that provides year-round support for filmmakers who live the mission of highlighting underrepresented voices in media. If you are interested in getting involved with our foundation, please reach out to us at info@bentonvillefilmfestival.com.