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Filmland 2026 Brings Matthew McConaughey, Reagan and a Messy Love Triangle to Arkansas
The Arkansas Cinema Society has unveiled its lineup for Filmland 2026, an annual film festival in Little Rock running from 12–16 August, headlined by Matthew McConaughey. The festival, presented by the Tyson Family Foundation, is a notable stop on the film-industry calendar, having previously hosted stars such as Jessica Chastain, Joel Edgerton and Chloé Zhao, and screened eventual Oscar winners including "Nomadland" and "Free Solo".
This year's programme includes Josephine Decker's "Chasing Summer" as the closing night selection, a 40th-anniversary screening of "Ruthless People", and premieres of "The Brink of War" (starring Jeff Daniels as Ronald Reagan) and Joe Swanberg's "The Sun Never Sets", which follows a love triangle involving Dakota Fanning, Jake Johnson and Cory Michael Smith. McConaughey will receive the Variety Legend & Groundbreaker Award, appear in a Q&A for his new film "The Rivals of Amziah King", and hold a conversation with fellow filmmaker Jeff Nichols; all events take place at the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts, alongside panels and Panavision equipment grants worth up to $60,000 for winning filmmakers.
In short
- Filmland 2026 runs 12–16 August in Little Rock, Arkansas
- Matthew McConaughey headlines, receiving a Variety Legend award
- New films on Reagan-era Cold War tensions and an Alaskan love triangle feature
Explained simply
Filmland is an annual film festival in Little Rock, Arkansas, organised by the Arkansas Cinema Society. It brings new films, special screenings and conversations with people working in film to audiences in the state.
The festival has previously featured actors and directors such as Jessica Chastain, Joel Edgerton and Chloé Zhao, and screened films that later won Oscars. Its programme combines premieres with older films and industry events, including panels and grants to help filmmakers make their work.
Matthew McConaughey is an actor and producer whose appearance links the festival to a wider film-industry audience. The event also gives Arkansas-based filmmakers access to visiting professionals, equipment support and opportunities to present their work.
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