Film submissions for the 6th Annual Fort Smith International Film Festival (FSIFF) and the MidAmerica Film Market (MFM) open Friday, January 30, continuing the festival’s growth as a regional, national, and international platform for independent film.
Over the past five years, FSIFF has built a global network of more than 570 alumni filmmakers, receiving 2,355 submissions from nearly 100 countries, nations, and tribes. With a strong commitment to Indigenous storytelling, the 2025 festival featured films representing 17 Indigenous nations and tribes worldwide. 160 films in total were highlighted representing 45% Arkansas and Oklahoma, 30% international, and 25% from across the United States.
“The festival is rooted in intentional curation that focuses on underrepresented voices, particularly People of Color, Indigenous and foreign filmmakers, while also elevating regional stories grounded in place, culture, and lived experience,” explains Dr. Brandon Chase Goldsmith, executive director. “Our programming prioritizes independent films that challenge dominant narratives and expand how regional, national, and global communities see themselves on screen.”
The 2026 Fort Smith International Film Festival and MidAmerica Film Market will be July 30 through August 1. Filmmakers can make their submissions via FilmFreeway at FortSmithFilm.com.
Year-Round Programming & Community Impact
The River Valley Film Society extends its mission beyond the festival through monthly screenings, heritage-month programming, educational initiatives, and community-based events. According to Main Street Fort Smith’s Downtown Community Survey, 49% of respondents identified movies and screenings as their second highest downtown priority, reinforcing the demand for expanded film programming.
“The River Valley Film Society contributes to the local and regional creative economy by generating cultural tourism, supporting small businesses, and attracting filmmakers, guests, and audiences to our area,” says Goldsmith. “The 2025 Fort Smith International Film Festival and the MidAmerica Film Market created measurable economic activity generating $260,000 and nearly 700 room nights, helping position the River Valley as a destination for arts and culture.”
The 2026 year-round screening slate includes themed Foodie Films aligned with major holidays and heritage months, alongside special community events. Highlights include an all-day Black History Month program on February 19 featuring Golden Knights and Jewels elementary students, local leader remarks, a kid’s history film, and a Young Adult NAACP panel followed by a screening of Colbert: All Students Can Learn, about Fayetteville’s first African American school superintendent. In May, RVFS will host a National Bike Month outdoor screening following the monthly riverfront bike ride at the Bakery District, blending film, wellness, and fun.
A core component of the yearlong series is educational programming. For youth and teens, RVFS offers recurring literacy- and film-based programs, including the Book to Screen partnership with the Boys & Girls Club and Bookish, which connects reading with themed film screenings to reinforce the relationship between literature, storytelling, and cinema. Through the Book to Screen initiative, elementary students participate in a reading challenge culminating in a June film screening, with a parallel teen program in July. Both programs provide books to participants and conclude with screenings at the Bakery District Collection Room, reinforcing literacy and creativity.
MidAmerica Film Market Workshops
The MidAmerica Film Market delivers professional development workshops throughout the year. Offerings include a self-tape audition workshop on February 28th led by award-winning actress and creative producer Silvia “Punkin” Mathis; a screenwriting-for-distribution workshop and film screening on March 7th with writer-producer-director Kate Siegenther, presented in partnership with The Writers’ Colony at Dairy Hollow and NWA Screenwriters Collective; a creative producing workshop in April with Silvia Mathis and Jeff Porter of Porter & Craig Film and Media Distribution; and a film distribution and budgeting workshop in June led by Sgt. Maj. (Ret.) Keith L. Craig, focusing on marketing and distribution as essential components of sustainable filmmaking.
“Even with shifts in the market, the MidAmerica Film Market still reached over 183 million people this year,” said Jeff Porter, distributor with Porter & Craig Media. “We’re building this into a global force, and the next phase of MidAmerica will set a new standard for how films are discovered, financed, and launched.”
With a media reach of 183 million in its second year, the MidAmerica Film Market has now reached 416 million people in just two years. A powerful start for an emerging film market aimed at regional and international distributors and producers.
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Media Contacts
Brandon Goldsmith – (858) 405-3278
Jeff Porter
jeff.porter@pcfilmandmedia.com
Silvia Mathis
