‘If I Go They Will Miss Me’ & More

The 12^th annual Bentonville Film Festival wraps today after presenting awards in multiple categories Saturday night.

If I Go Will They Miss Me, directed by Walter Thompson-Hernández, won the Best Narrative Award at the festival in Northwest Arkansas led by Geena Davis. Danielle Brooks, J. Alphonse Nicholson, and Bodhi Dell star in the drama that revolves around a boy who sees “ghostly figures of other boys in his neighborhood while grappling with his father’s distance. These visions uncover hidden connections between them and their shared heritage.”

Sian Edwards-Beal, Kate Mason, Ron Najor served on the Narrative jury.

“If I Go Will They Miss Me is a thoughtful, poetic, and stunning cinematic experience,” the jurors wrote. “We marveled at the visual language, which rendered a methodical approach without sacrificing a sense of improvisation and heart. Director Walter Thompson-Hernandez masterfully asks us to consider each character with understanding by marrying their internal struggles with the mythological status they represent to their loved ones. The result is a depiction of black familial love and fatherhood that is not elevated but rather finally honored.”

In the Narrative category, a Special Jury Mention for Directorial Vision went to The Musical, directed by Gisella Bonilla and starring Will Brill and Rob Lowe. The jury wrote, “From inspired casting and standout performances to expert pacing and shot selection, Bonilla demonstrates remarkable command of every aspect of filmmaking. Comedy is one of the hardest genres to master, yet from the first moments, we knew we were in capable hands. The film commits fully to the genre with impressive precision… That confidence is reflected in performances from Will Brill and Rob Lowe, who play off each other beautifully.”

Narrative category jurors also awarded a Special Mention for Lead Performances to BRB, directed by Kate Cobb. “Zoe Colletti and Autumn Best bring BRB to life through performances filled with warmth, vulnerability, and undeniable charisma,” they wrote. “Navigating the highs and lows of sisterhood with remarkable honesty, they help to create characters who feel wholly authentic and deeply human. Their chemistry grounds every emotional turn of the film, balancing comedy, heartbreak, and tenderness with confidence and precision. Together, they remind us of the power of connection and deliver performances that announce two exciting talents to watch.”

Jane Elliott Against the World, the documentary directed by Judd Ehrlich, added to its impressive total of festival wins in 2026 by taking the Best Documentary Award at BFF. The film centers on the titular Elliott who as a primary school teacher in Iowa developed what came to be known as the “blue eyes/brown eyes” exercise, which helped children grasp the arbitrary and cruel nature of racism. Over the course of many decades, Elliott would conduct the exercise with children and adults across the U.S., earning intense enmity from some adults outraged at having to confront their racial biases absorbed from American society.

Billy Ray Brewton, Sav Rodgers, Brittany Shyne served on the documentary jury. They saluted Jane Elliott Against the World “for its impeccable execution and its insistence that a better world is possible… This film is a raw and unflinching glimpse into the life and career of a legendary educator who has dedicated her life to anti-racism, the costs of her radical and undeniably impactful approaches, and a celebration of living life to its fullest potential, for as long as your body and mind allow.”

A Special Jury Mention in the documentary category went to Summer 2000: The X-Cetra Story, directed by Ayden Mayeri.

The jury wrote, “A tender coming-of-age story that spans decades, with an exceptionally creative use of deep personal archives, this documentary is a charming, funny, moving film about the power of friendship and how art can shape the lives of our children.”

“These awards reflect the passion and drive of storytellers, whose work will continue to broaden perspectives and engage audiences throughout the year,” said Bentonville Film Festival Chair Geena Davis. “We congratulate our BFF award winners and we’re so thankful to every filmmaker here for their contributions to the success of this year’s BFF!”

Walmart, headquartered in Bentonville, is the festival’s founding partner. Coca-Cola is the presenting sponsor. Wendy Guerrero serves as president of the Bentonville Film Festival.

Speaking to Deadline just before the awards ceremony began, Guerrero described the mid-June cinematic event as “a summer festival. We kicked it off with a summer thriller, Family Movie, with Kyra Sedgwick and Kevin Bacon. And I thought that set the tone that we are embracing that idea of being a summer festival and it’s really fun.”

BFF programs fiction and nonfiction, shorts and episodic work. Regarding documentaries being part of the festival, Guerrero noted, “There’s not a lot of opportunity for communities like this to come together and watch documentaries together. I think there’s a huge ripple effect. I was talking to one of our audience members that went and saw three documentaries in one day and she was like, ‘I went home and I couldn’t sleep because I was thinking about all of these important topics and every documentary was so different.’ But they were all extremely important stories that she hadn’t heard about… She can come and watch the docs, hear the filmmakers speak about why they made it, their journey in making it. And I think that has a really big impact.”

Presenters at the awards show included Katherine LaNasa, star of The Pitt, Toks Olagundoye (Castle), and two stars of Netflix’s soon-to-debut series Little House on the Prairie: Crosby Fitzgerald and Alyssa Wapanatâhk.  

Rebecca Sonnenshine, showrunner of the Little House on the Prairie series, received the festival’s Rising to the Challenge Award. Netflix presents a special screening of the series at the Bentonville Film Festival on Sunday.

These are additional awards announced Saturday night at BFF:

Best Homegrown

Jury: Mary Pat Bentel, Carlos Cardona, Winnie Kemp (also Episodic Jury)

Best Homegrown: Baby/Girls 

(Directors: Jackie Jesko, Alyse Walsh; Producers: Melissa Leardi, Alex Waterfield, Kelly Rohrbach Walton)

Jury Statement: Directors Alyse Walsh and Jackie Jesko bring remarkable sensitivity, humor, and elegance to a subject that could easily have felt heavy-handed or exploitative. Through two years of extraordinary access, they illuminate sweeping systemic failures through an intimate, deeply human lens — one that honors the vulnerability and courage of their subjects in equal measure. The result is documentary filmmaking at its most urgent and compassionate.

Special Jury Mention (Homegrown): Filthy

(Writer/Director/Producer: Lisa Cole; Producers: Paola Gadala-Maria, Barbara Lettieri)

Jury Statement: Writer-director Lisa Cole crafts a fresh and exhilarating act of liberation with “Filthy.” The short film’s evolution from a muted, constrained world into one far more primal, blazing with color and movement – embodies the very awakening it depicts. Lisa handles the emotional stakes with masterful precision, weaving the politics of purity culture, religious control, and the mother-daughter bond into a climax that is a revolt and a reconciliation.

Best Episodic

Jury: Mary Pat Bentel, Carlos Cardona, Winnie Kemp (also Homegrown Jury)

Best Episodic: Too Romantic

(Writer/Director/Producer: Talia Light Rake; Producers: Katherine Romans, Charlie Traisman, Adam Kinyon, Sarah Whelden)

Jury Statement: Director & Writer Talia Light Rake taps into the current zeitgeist with a marvelously executed pilot that brings together modern internet/social media humor with classic rom-com structure. The charismatic leads and vibrant writing make for a delightful watch and show significant potential for future episodes and a fully realized television series.

Best Short Film

Jury: Amber Benson, Toks Olagundoye, Joi Tribble

Best Short Film: Find The Boy, France (Director, Paulin.e Goasmat)

Jury Statement: Find the Boy is a bittersweet exploration of identity, love, and the lasting impact of acceptance and rejection; a beautifully crafted reminder that respect for a person’s identity does not end with their life.

Special Jury Mention Short Film: Paper Daughter, USA (Director, Cami Kwan)

Jury Statement: Paper Daughter combines a creative visual premise with outstanding animation to present a keen story of identity and desperation that refuses a simple interpretation or easy dismissal.

Special Jury Mention Short Film: She Chose War, USA (Director, Sarah Moshman)

Jury Statement: You just can’t look away from this compelling documentary short about the life and times of a hopeful, young Ukrainian woman who has chosen the front lines of war – with all its horror and degradation – instead of finishing her degree in the dramatic arts.

The inaugural Crayola Development Pitch award, which comes with a $10,000 prize and a development deal, went to Nicole Graves, the creator behind ImagINN, “an Animated SEL-Centered Storyworld for Kids.”