arkansas cinema society

What arkansas cinema society does

Arkansas Cinema Society (ACS) is a nonprofit arts organization founded in August 2017 in Little Rock, Arkansas, by filmmaker Jeff Nichols and Kathryn Tucker, who serves as Executive Director. ACS positions itself as the central umbrella organization for film activity in Arkansas, operating across the full lifecycle of the craft through a "WATCH, LEARN, MAKE" framework. Its core product is the annual Filmland festival — a multi-day program of screenings, workshops, panels, and filmmaker Q&As held primarily at the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts — now in its eighth edition and increasingly featuring A-list talent (Jessica Chastain in 2021, Colman Domingo in 2024, Matthew McConaughey in 2026). The organization runs a portfolio of educational programs including Young Storytellers (mentoring fifth graders across 60+ schools), Filmmaking Lab for Teen Girls (FL4TG, in partnership with the Women's Foundation of Arkansas), Youth Filmmaking Labs, and adult workshops, plus filmmaker support services such as the Arkansas Filmmaker Travel Stipend ($250 short / $500 feature), the Short Film Pitch Contest, monthly Filmmaker Forums, and the ACS Film Mentors paid program ($125 for two mentor meetings).

ACS has no proprietary technology. Its tech stack is commodity SaaS: Webflow (website), Eventive (ticketing at acs.eventive.org), Simplecast (Reel Talk Arkansas podcast), email newsletter ("In the Loop"), and social channels (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, X). The revenue model is a hybrid nonprofit stack. Memberships are priced at $50/year for individual supporters and unlock virtual event access, Filmland ticket discounts, and the ACS Talks Video Library. Corporate sponsorships are laddered across five tiers — Individual ($500), Associate Producer ($1,000), Co-Producer ($2,500), Producer ($5,000), and Executive Producer ($10,000) — with Tyson Foods publicly identified as a Premier Sponsor. Additional revenue comes from tax-deductible donations, event ticket sales, branded merchandise (hats $25, tees $30–$45, hoodies $50, flat $10 shipping), and the Film Mentors program. Geographic footprint is statewide Arkansas, with primary operations in Little Rock and a newer regional presence in Fayetteville/Northwest Arkansas established via a partnership with the City of Fayetteville Cultural Affairs Department.

Customer segments are diversified across film enthusiasts, Arkansas filmmakers, youth students, teen girls (educational programs), and corporate sponsors, served through an event-driven and community-led go-to-market motion. Strategic anchors include a national press partnership with Variety (Storytellers to Watch, Legend & Groundbreaker Award) and equipment-grant partnerships with Panavision ($15,000 Shorts / $60,000 Features) and Film Gear Rentals. Core staff is small (3: Executive Director, Managing Director, Director of Operations), supplemented by freelancers and a 30+ member board that includes Mary Steenburgen, former Arkansas Governor Mike Beebe, Jeff Nichols as Chairman, and representatives of Tyson Foods and the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation.

Name

arkansas cinema society

Legal name

Arkansas Cinema Society

Website

https://arkansascinemasociety.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Arkansas Cinema Society is a Little Rock-based nonprofit founded in 2017 that runs the annual Filmland festival, statewide film screenings, youth and adult filmmaking education, and grant programs for Arkansas filmmakers, audiences, and corporate sponsors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Film Festival and Arts Education Services

NAICS

Motion Picture and Video Exhibition (51213), Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture Theaters (7830), Services-Allied To Motion Picture Production (7819)

akta.pro primary industry

Film Festivals & Festival Organizers (MPADAKAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Media Arts & Film/Photography Nonprofits (BPAGAHAJ), Community & Cultural Screenings (Museums, Cultural Centers) (MPADAKAH)

Keywords

• Film festival programming
• Filmmaker education programs
• Community cinema events
• Nonprofit arts organization
• Independent film screenings

Headquarters

HQ city

Little Rock

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Memberships: Annual memberships at $50/year providing free virtual events, discounts on Filmland tickets, advance access to events, and ACS Talks Video Library access.
2. Sponsorships: Corporate sponsorships at multiple tiers: Individual ($500), Associate Producer ($1,000), Co-Producer ($2,500), Producer ($5,000), and Executive Producer ($10,000) annually.
3. Event Tickets: Revenue from ticket sales to Filmland screenings, workshops, and special events including premium events with celebrity guests.
4. Merchandise Sales: Online store selling branded merchandise including hats ($25), t-shirts ($30-$45), and hoodies ($50) with $10 flat-rate shipping.
5. Donations: Tax-deductible donations from patrons supporting the organization's mission to build Arkansas's film community.
6. ACS Film Mentors Program: Mentorship program at $125 guaranteeing 2 meetings with film-industry mentors and follow-up emails.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Arkansas Cinema Society operates a nonprofit film programming and education platform anchored by the annual Filmland festival in Little Rock. Its core offerings include year-round independent film screenings, educational programs (Young Storytellers, Filmmaking Lab for Teen Girls, Youth Filmmaking Labs, ACS Film Mentors, Filmmaking Workshops), and filmmaker support services (Arkansas Filmmaker Travel Stipend, AR Film Rebate Program advocacy, Filmmaker Forums, Short Film Pitch Contest). These are delivered through ticket sales, memberships, sponsorships, donations, and merchandise to film enthusiasts, students, and filmmakers statewide.

Product overview

Arkansas Cinema Society operates as a nonprofit organization offering a comprehensive portfolio of film-related programs and services. The core offerings include Filmland (annual film festival), educational programs (Young Storytellers, Filmmaking Lab for Teen Girls, Youth Filmmaking Labs, ACS Film Mentors), filmmaker support services (Travel Stipend, Filmmaker Forums, Pitch Contest), community engagement (ACS Membership), and media content (Reel Talk Arkansas Podcast, ACS Talks Video Library). These programs work together to build Arkansas's film community through the watch-learn-make-repeat cycle, supporting filmmakers from youth education through professional development while providing audiences with quality cinema programming.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Filmland: Annual film festival celebrating cinema with screenings, workshops, and filmmaker conversations in Little Rock, Arkansas
• Filmland: Arkansas
• Filmmaking Lab for Teen Girls (FL4TG)
• Young Storytellers
• ACS Film Mentors
• Reel Talk Arkansas

Products and services

• Filmland
• Young Storytellers

Quantifiable outcome

• Panavision grants of $15,000 (Shorts) and $60,000 (Features) awarded to Filmland: Arkansas winners
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Arkansas Museum of Fine ArtsflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 August 2026Primary venue partner for the annual Filmland festival and year-round screenings. AMFA provides the Performing Arts Theater for events, with ACS offering AMFA Social Pass Membership benefits to ACS members including exclusive events and discounts.
• Film Gear RentalscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 August 2026Provides Lighting and Grip Equipment Grant for Filmland: Arkansas Short Film Pitch Contest winner to produce their project.
• PanavisioncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 August 2025Panavision New Filmmaker Grant program offering $15,000 for Shorts and $60,000 for Features to Filmland: Arkansas category winners for film equipment.
• Micheaux Film LabsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 August 2022Partnership to host filmmaking workshops for creators of color in Little Rock.
• City of Fayetteville Cultural Affairs DepartmentcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 June 2022Partnership for Movies in the Park NWA - free outdoor film screenings in Fayetteville during Summer 2026.
• Women's Foundation of ArkansascoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFilmmaking Lab for Teen Girls is part of the Girls of Promise Initiative from the Women's Foundation of Arkansas.
• VarietyflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership for 'Storytellers to Watch' list and Variety Legend & Groundbreaker Award during Filmland festival.
• Tyson FoodsflagshipOthersPremier sponsor of Filmland festival and ACS events.
• The Sandbox (Jason Owen)minorOthersJason Owen, Founder & CEO of The Sandbox, serves on ACS Board of Directors.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/ArkansasCinema
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCxLHegLvR6EVQbJYXCcW2aw
• Facebookfacebook.com/Arkansascinemasociety
• Instagraminstagram.com/arkansascinema/?hl=en
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/arkansas-cinema-society

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about arkansas cinema society