Inside Geena Davis’ Bentonville Film Festival: Pics

Star-studded! The Bentonville Film Festival is jam-packed with all types of events relating to media. Though it’s a yearlong platform, the annual six-day festival is what fans look forward to the most.

Geena Davis and Inclusion Companies CEO Trevor Drinkwater cofounded the event, which is held the first week of May of every year.

“We had 35,000 attendees the first year, which just shows you how much people wanted a film festival with this theme I think,” the Academy Award winner told Us Weekly about the festival, which on focuses on diversity and inclusion in film. “And it’s just grown and grown from there.”

Keep scrolling to see the festival’s highlights!

Actors RJ Mitte, Jamie Brewer and Andrea Fay Friedman speak alongside Carol of the Bells director Joey Travolta at the "Able and Willing" panel presented by MARS.

Davis takes a selfie for Dove’s #ShowUs campaign presented by Unilever.

Pam Kaufman (President, Viacom/Nickelodeon Global Consumer Products) and Doug McMillon (CEO, Walmart) speak at the Diversity & Inclusion Summit.

Bentonville Film Festival cofounder Davis is joined by actors Jackie Cruz, Jordana Spiro, Jamie Brewer and Sydelle Noel to perform for Geena & Friends presented by Walmart and Johnson & Johnson.

CEO of Geena Davis Institute for Diversity in Media Madeline di Nonno moderates the “If She Can See It, She Can Be It” panel with Davis, Univision journalist Ilia Calderon, President of the Americas Mars Wrigley Confectionery Tracey Massey, NBA Ambassador of Social Responsibility Swin Cash, showrunner of Dreamworks' She-Ra Noelle Stevenson and best-selling, award-winning author Dete Meserve.

John Cena discusses veteran support during the FitOps panel presented by Performix.

Executive Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer for NBC Universal Craig Robinson, TV personality Frankie Grande, Director of Entertainment Media for GLAAD Jeremy Blacklow, award-winning filmmaker Carly Usdin, Global Expansion Lead for Johnson & Johnson CARE WITH PRIDE Danica Cialone and actor Tamera Williams sit on the "Queer & Here To Stay" panel presented by MARS and Listerine (Johnson & Johnson).

The A League of Their Own star and Andrea Anders of Mr. Mom catch up in the VUDU Media and VIP lounge.

Grande hangs out in the VUDU Lounge during the Bentonville Film Festival.

Davis walks around Inclusion Town (MARS, Sony MIB, J&J, ConAgra).

The Grey's Anatomy actress checks out Bentonville Film Festival’s famous Inclusion Town in the center of Bentonville.

Davis stepped out at the famous Inclusion Town in the center of Bentonville.

The Beetlejuice star was all smiles during her trip to the Bentonville Film Festival’s famous Inclusion Town in the center of Bentonville.

The Thelma and Louise star enjoyed her time in Bentonville.

BFF cofounder and Inclusion Companies CEO Trevor Drinkwater with “See it, Be It” honoree Jamie Brewer.

Davis and CEO of GDIGM Madeline di Nonno stand alongside Rising Star Award Recipients Jadiel Dowlin and Michela Luci.Vudu’s Mr. Mom actors Andrea Anders and Michelle Ortiz are joined by cast and crew on the blue carpet at the Bentonville Film Festival.

Vudu’s Mr. Mom actors Andrea Anders and Michelle Ortiz are joined by cast and crew on the blue carpet at the Bentonville Film Festival.

Haben Girma poses with a furry friend just before the Diversity & Inclusion Summit at the Bentonville Film Festival.

Shannon Colleary (Producer), Kristin Mann (Producer), Jordana Spiro (Actor), Martha Stephens (Director), Kara Hayward (Actor) and Laura Smith (Producer) pose on the blue carpet ahead of the To The Stars screening at the Bentonville Film Festival.

Jordana Spiro, Sydelle Noel, Davis, Jamie Brewer and Jackie Cruz pose on the Blue Carpet ahead of "Geena & Friends" presented by Walmart and Johnson & Johnson.

The actresses pose together ahead of "Geena & Friends" presented by Walmart and Johnson & Johnson.

Bentonville Film Festival cofounders Davis and Drinkwater pose ahead of "Geena & Friends" presented by Walmart and Johnson & Johnson.

Jason George poses on the blue carpet at the Bentonville Film Festival presented by Coke and Johnson & Johnson.

John Ashton (Actor), Ajuawak Kapashesit (Actor) and Kenadi DelaCerna (Actor) from Once Upon a River make an appearance on the blue carpet ahead of the film screening at Bentonville Film Festival.

Brian Banks and director Tom Shadyac pose together on the blue carpet ahead of the Brian Banks screening at the Bentonville Film Festival.

Miles Brown steps onto the blue carpet prior to the Emmett screening taking place at the Bentonville Film Festival.

Miles Brown steps onto the blue carpet prior to the Emmett screening taking place at the Bentonville Film Festival.

Katherine Wintsch, founder of The Mom Complex and author of Slay Like a Mother gave a keynote followed by a book signing – Presented by Johnson & Johnson Consumer Brands.

NYLA presents From the Director’s Chair: Development to Finance panel with the talented Leila Djansi (Filmmaker), Kerri Elder (Rockhill Producer) and Kim Bass (Director).

Chevonne O’Shaughnessy (President of International Sales for PM Entertainment), Rachel Derrico (Programming & Development at VUDU), Yrthya Dinzey-Flores (Warner Media) and Jason George (Actor) sit on the "Let’s Make a Deal" panel with moderator Maria Aspan of Inc. Magazine – presented by MARS.

L’Oreal/Maybelene presents the "Founded by Women" panel with Davis, Yrthya Dinzey-Flores (Warner Media), Angie Bastain (Founder of BOOMCHIKAPOP), Alanna Cotton (Senior Vice President & Manager at Samsung Electronic America), Kari Warberg Block (Founder & CEO of Earthkind) and Jackie Heinricher (Founder & President of Booshot Technology).

CEO of Geena Davis Institute for Diversity in Media Madeline di Nonno moderates the “If She Can See It, She Can Be It” panel with Davis, Univision journalist Ilia Calderon, President of the Americas Mars Wrigley Confectionery Tracey Massey, NBA ambassador of Social Responsibility Swin Cash, showrunner of Dreamworks She-Ra Noelle Stevenson and best-selling, award-winning author Dete Meserve.

Bentonville Film Festival co-founders Drinkwater and Davis with BFF President of Programming Wendy Guerrero on the blue carpet before the awards ceremony.