The Bentonville Film Festival, chaired by Geena Davis, is set to honor actor Fin Argus and producer Effie Brown at its eighth annual event produced by the nonprofit BFFoundation.
Argus, who will be presented with the Rising Star award for outstanding talent, is known for their role as Mingus, an aspiring drag performer, in the Peacock reboot of drama series Queer as Folk. Argus also stars opposite Neve Campbell in the Disney+ feature film Clouds, playing a young musician whose life is cut short due to spreading cancer. Argus will next be seen in the movie Stay Awake, alongside Chrissy Metz. As a musician, Argus released their debut EP Lost at Sea in 2017 and is preparing to release a second EP titled Exposure.
Brown, who will receive the Rising to the Challenge honor for supporting indie film projects, is the CEO of production company Gamechanger Films, which focuses on content by and about women, people of color, LGBTQ+ and people with disabilities. Among Brown’s producing credits is 2015’s Dear White People, which won an Indie Spirit Award for best screenplay. Brown served as an executive producer on Lee Daniels’ Star on Fox and Disney Channel’s Zombies, and co-financed Rebecca Hall’s Passing.
The festival will include a special presentation of Where the Crawdads Sing, followed by a conversation with the film’s director Olivia Newman, novel author Delia Owens and 3000 Pictures president Elizabeth Gabler.
There will also be a screening of Hunger Games for the film’s 10th anniversary, with a conversation between Davis and the film’s producer Nina Jacobson; and a spotlight screening of Dealing With Dad, produced by Brown and Howard Barish.
“We are so excited to bring our incredible community together again to participate in the bold and vital work that makes BFF unique — elevating the voices of very diverse and intersectional storytellers, all with a true festival spirit,” said Davis in a statement.
“At the heart of BFF is the belief in coming together to recognize and award exceptional talent,” added Wendy Guerrero, president of Bentonville Film Festival and Foundation. “It is my honor to welcome these leaders to our festival who are making impactful change in the industry. Each Award recipient is striving to influence the entertainment industry, in their own ways. We are truly ecstatic to have such leaders join our community.”
The festival takes place with virtual events from June 22-July 3, and in-person programming in the host state of Arkansas from June 22-26.