BENTONVILLE -- The Bentonville Film Festival is coming back in two months, and it's bringing three cinetransformers with it.
A cinetransformer is a self-contained portable theater that seats about 100 people. They will be at 210 NE Third St., 301 NE B St. and 216 N. Main St.
Commission Action
Bentonville’s Planning Commission met Tuesday and approved:
• A property line adjustment at Northwest C and Northwest Fifth streets.
• Development plans for Gateway Park Warehouse Two, 5000 SW Regional Aiport Blvd.
• Development plans for Metro Market, 102 SE 28th St.
• Development plans for Metro Marke, 2903 S. Walton Blvd.
• Rezoning 303 NE B St. from Downtown Edge to Downtown Core.
• Development plans for Faith Christian Center, 1600 SW 14th St.
• Development for townhomes at 225 SW Seventh Street and 225 SW Art Alley.
Source: Staff Report
Those are three of the 12 locations included in a permit the Planning Commission approved at its Tuesday meeting for the festival to operate in and around the downtown square.
The festival will be from May 3 to May 8. Hours will be from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Northeast Third Street from Northeast A Street to Northeast B Street will be open to pedestrians only. The public, free sponsor village will be on that block.
The permit will allow temporary use from April 30 to May 9 to set up and take down, according to the planning staff report.
Other locations included in the permit include 312 N. Main St., 207 NE Blake St., 205 and 210 NE Third St., 204 NE B St., 202 N. Main St., 100 and 201 NE Second St. and 1001 S. Walton Blvd.
The permit is not all-encompassing for the all the festival activities, planner Beau Thompson said. There are other venues already with permits or are set up as public event spaces.
The Meteor Guitar Gallery, Crystal Bridges, Old High Middle School, Four Points by Sheraton, the Public Library and Northwest Arkansas Community College were some of the ancillary venues listed in material provided by festival officials.
City officials are trying to use the permit process as an informational tool, Troy Galloway, community and economic development director, said in the meeting.
"There are some regulatory requirements that we're trying to cover through this conditional use process, but more than anything it's an informational, awareness process to make people fully aware of what's going to be going on those days," he said.
The city's involvement with the festival is mainly the public safety aspect, Mayor Bob McCaslin said earlier Tuesday afternoon.
Last year city officials had limited time to prepare as the May festival was announced in January.
"The planning this year feels much better," McCaslin said. "It doesn't feel rushed. It doesn't feel compacted. It doesn't feel scary."
Festival officials have been holding frequent meetings with city officials and other key parties involved, he said.
Officials are estimating there will be 1,500 festival attendees each day, with a peak in attendance Saturday. It's also expected there will be 650 employees and volunteers for the event.
The Bentonville Film Festival was founded by Trevor Drinkwater and the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media. It's the only research-based organization working within the media and entertainment industry using education to improve gender balance in entertainment, according to its website.
NW News on 03/02/2016