The 4th Annual Fort Smith International Film Festival, set for August 22-24, 2024 at TempleLive, marks a significant evolution with the introduction of the MidAmerica Film Market. This new venture, following the festival’s expansion into distribution in 2023 through a partnership with Porter + Craig Film and Media, positions the festival as a pivotal movie market in the heartland of the United States. With the aim of transforming the entertainment landscape both locally and globally, the MidAmerica Film Market is set to draw major buyers and connect them with a variety of films. Dr. Brandon Chase Goldsmith, MidAmerica Film Market’s executive director, highlights the strategic location of Fort Smith, within a six-hour radius of major cities like Dallas and Kansas City, and underscores the ambition to bring Hollywood to the Midwest.
Film submissions for the Fort Smith International Film Festival open on February 2nd and close on May 24th.
In partnership with Fort Smith International Film Festival, Arkansas Cinema Society (ACS), and Ozark Media Arts Festival, KEEP ARKANSAS BEAUTIFUL invites high school students, 9th – 12th grades across the state of Arkansas to compete in the 2024 Commercial Video Contest.
CONTEST CONTENT: 30-second commercial representing the mission of Keep Arkansas Beautiful
NOTIFICATION DATE: The winning commercial will be announced June 28 at the ACS Filmmaking Lab for Teen Girls. If the winning commercial representative(s) is not present at the awards ceremony, they will be notified following the ceremony by email.
PRIZES: The winning student commercial will be featured on various television channels and showcased at the Ozark Media Arts Festival. The teacher of the winning student(s) will receive one free two-night stay for two people at an Arkansas State Park Lodge of their choosing based on availability at the time of reservations. If the winning student(s) do not have a teacher advisor support through their project, then the winning student(s) may nominate a teacher for the Arkansas State Park Lodge prize.
ORGANIZATION MISSION: The Keep Arkansas Beautiful Commission and Staff inspires individuals to improve their communities by educating, preventing litter, promoting recycling, and keeping Arkansas beautiful. We encourage everyone to accept responsibility for maintaining Arkansas’s scenic beauty, environmental health, and quality of life. These efforts positively impact civic pride, livability, and economic growth – creating communities where people want to work, live and play.
LOGO: The Keep Arkansas Beautiful logo is available for download to use within the commercial (contact: michael.barger@
RULES AND TERMS of Fort Smith International Film Festival apply, including images, sound and music must be licensed and have full rights to use in the submitted media and displayed on all media formats, including broadcast television. Incompliance with these rules will be cause for disqualification.
Judging will be conducted in collaboration of Keep Arkansas Beautiful, Fort Smith International Film Festival, Arkansas Cinema Society and Ozark Media Arts Festival..Only films entered into the appropriate Keep Arkansas Beautiful Commercial Video Contest category will be considered.