The Fort Smith International Film Festival & MidAmerica Film Market returns for its 5th year on August 7–9, 2025, bringing over 160 local, regional, national, and international films to downtown Fort Smith. Hosted primarily at the Fort Smith Convention Center, this year’s festival continues its mission to showcase diverse voices and cinematic storytelling from around the world.
“The breakdown of this year’s films really paints a picture of who we are as a festival,” explains Executive Director Brandon Chase Goldsmith. “45% are from Arkansas and Oklahoma, 30% are international, and the remaining 25% come from across the United States. I am especially proud that our Indigenous film category will feature filmmakers representing 17 nations and tribes. This a big deal to me because we have worked hard to build Indigenous relationships both regionally and globally.”
Screenings Across Five Venues
In addition to the Fort Smith Convention Center, screenings and events will take place at multiple off-site venues, creating a city-wide celebration of film:
• The Bakery District
• Fort Smith Museum of History
• Hero’s Bar
• Club Kinkead’s
Special Events & Screenings
• Wednesday, August 6 – A special pre-event screening of In the Footsteps of Darby will be held at the Fort Smith Museum of History. Tickets are $10.
• Thursday, August 7 (Free) – The festival kicks off with the Best of the River Valley Red Carpet event, courtesy of our Presenting Sponsor the River Valley Democrat-Gazette.
• Free off-site screenings will also be available throughout the weekend at The Bakery District, Hero’s Bar, and Club Kinkead’s.
Director of Operations Tori Buie reflected on the heart of the festival’s mission:
“Every year for the FSIFF I see films that genuinely affect me in such a way that something inside me feels seen and understood and that fundamentally changes my perspective. I feel so lucky to have the opportunity to share these stories with a worldwide audience.”
Buie also acknowledged the challenges of selecting films for the final schedule:
“The privilege I have in programming this festival to see all of the filmmaking talent out there in the world also comes with the heavy burden of deciding which we will be able to fit within our schedule. That means many incredibly deserving films do not make the final cut and that decision is always heartbreaking. I encourage folks who were not selected to please submit again!”
Festival Passes & Early Bird Discounts
Festival tickets are available now at FortSmithFilm.com:
• Festival Pass: $20
• Early Bird: $10 (50% off through June 31)
• VIP Pass: $50
• Early Bird: $35 (30% off through June 31)
• Pre-Event Screening (In the Footsteps of Darby): $10
at the Fort Smith Museum of History
2025 Festival Poster Revealed
Local designer Laura Wattles returns this year as the poster artist for the festival. Describing her creative process, Wattles said:
“After volunteering design services for last year’s film festival, I was extremely pleased that Brandon gave me the opportunity to design this year’s poster. He gave me a bit of direction—include the optical effect that happens when a film camera is pointed at a television screen, called a video feedback loop. That was my launching point. So, I started with the TV. And for the light of the screen to show up, I felt like a nighttime scene was called for, which determined my color scheme. I decided I wanted to create an illustration and look that gave the feel of indie band posters, since this is an indie film festival. I set the TV in an outdoor scene, on a tree stump, after dark, and added some elements of interest morel mushrooms, a film reel, and a mockingbird (the Arkansas state bird, of course). I hope the illustration, and the festival are huge hits this year!”
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Media Contact
Brandon Chase Goldsmith
Executive Director
Fort Smith International Film Festival
(858) 405-3278
The Fort Smith International Film Festival & MidAmerica Film Market returns for its 5th year on August 7–9, 2025, bringing over 160 local, regional, national, and international films to downtown Fort Smith. Hosted primarily at the Fort Smith Convention Center, this year’s festival continues its mission to showcase diverse voices and cinematic storytelling from around the world.
“The breakdown of this year’s films really paints a picture of who we are as a festival,” explains Executive Director Brandon Chase Goldsmith. “45% are from Arkansas and Oklahoma, 30% are international, and the remaining 25% come from across the United States. I am especially proud that our Indigenous film category will feature filmmakers representing 17 nations and tribes. This a big deal to me because we have worked hard to build Indigenous relationships both regionally and globally.”
Screenings Across Five Venues
In addition to the Fort Smith Convention Center, screenings and events will take place at multiple off-site venues, creating a city-wide celebration of film:
• The Bakery District
• Fort Smith Museum of History
• Hero’s Bar
• Club Kinkead’s
Special Events & Screenings
• Wednesday, August 6 – A special pre-event screening of In the Footsteps of Darby will be held at the Fort Smith Museum of History. Tickets are $10.
• Thursday, August 7 (Free) – The festival kicks off with the Best of the River Valley Red Carpet event, courtesy of our Presenting Sponsor the River Valley Democrat-Gazette.
• Free off-site screenings will also be available throughout the weekend at The Bakery District, Hero’s Bar, and Club Kinkead’s.
Director of Operations Tori Buie reflected on the heart of the festival’s mission:
“Every year for the FSIFF I see films that genuinely affect me in such a way that something inside me feels seen and understood and that fundamentally changes my perspective. I feel so lucky to have the opportunity to share these stories with a worldwide audience.”
Buie also acknowledged the challenges of selecting films for the final schedule:
“The privilege I have in programming this festival to see all of the filmmaking talent out there in the world also comes with the heavy burden of deciding which we will be able to fit within our schedule. That means many incredibly deserving films do not make the final cut and that decision is always heartbreaking. I encourage folks who were not selected to please submit again!”
Festival Passes & Early Bird Discounts
Festival tickets are available now at FortSmithFilm.com:
• Festival Pass: $20
• Early Bird: $10 (50% off through June 31)
• VIP Pass: $50
• Early Bird: $35 (30% off through June 31)
• Pre-Event Screening (In the Footsteps of Darby): $10 at the Fort Smith Museum of History
2025 Festival Poster Revealed
Local designer Laura Wattles returns this year as the poster artist for the festival. Describing her creative process, Wattles said:
“After volunteering design services for last year’s film festival, I was extremely pleased that Brandon gave me the opportunity to design this year’s poster. He gave me a bit of direction—include the optical effect that happens when a film camera is pointed at a television screen, called a video feedback loop. That was my launching point. So, I started with the TV. And for the light of the screen to show up, I felt like a nighttime scene was called for, which determined my color scheme. I decided I wanted to create an illustration and look that gave the feel of indie band posters, since this is an indie film festival. I set the TV in an outdoor scene, on a tree stump, after dark, and added some elements of interest morel mushrooms, a film reel, and a mockingbird (the Arkansas state bird, of course). I hope the illustration, and the festival are huge hits this year!”
#####
Media Contact
Brandon Chase Goldsmith
Executive Director
Fort Smith International Film Festival
(858) 405-3278
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