Geena Davis’ Bentonville Film Festival Partners With Crayola Studios to Launch Kids Content Initiative – Film News in Brief
Crayola Studios is teaming with Geena Davis’ Bentonville Film Festival to launch a new initiative aimed at discovering and developing original kids content, with finalists set to pitch live at the 2026 event.
The program will invite emerging creators to submit one-page concepts for children’s projects, with selected finalists presenting their ideas during the festival, which runs June 15–21 in Bentonville, Ark. One winning concept will be chosen for further development with Crayola Studios.
Designed to connect new voices with established industry players, the initiative offers a direct pipeline from idea to potential production. A panel of executives, including representatives from Crayola Studios and Walmart, will evaluate the live pitches.
“Kids’ content wields a powerful influence on the imagination of a child as well as shaping how they see themselves,” Davis said. “Partnering with Crayola Studios – a brand that has deeply inspired creativity in children for generations – is an incredible opportunity to discover new talent. We’re excited to welcome the finalists to BFF and help bring their stories to life.”
Crayola Studios head Sabrina Wiewel added that the partnership is aimed at finding “bold, original ideas” that reflect the brand’s emphasis on creativity and self-expression.
Submissions are now open as Crayola Studios continues to expand its slate of family-friendly programming, building on projects such as “Rainbow Brite” and “The Neverending Pillow Fort.”
Turner Classic Movies Acquires Documentary Feature ‘Beyond The Border: Latino Representation in Hollywood’
Turner Classic Movies has acquired the exclusive rights to “Beyond The Border: Latino Representation in Hollywood,” a documentary feature directed, written and produced by the sister filmmaker duo Clara and Julia Kuperberg. The film will be released in September on TCM during Hispanic Heritage Month.
The documentary will trace a “century-long struggle for Latino representation, showing how artists reclaimed their image and reshaped cinema, and the way we imagine the world,” per the film’s logline, and will feature archives and film clips. Voices featured in the film include John Leguizamo, casting director Carla Hool, Esai Morales, Jimmy Smits, Edward James Olmos, director Gregory Nava, director Patricia Riggen, José Zúñiga and more.
“As French filmmakers, we’ve spent over 20 years exploring American cinema and culture, so in a way, this film is part of a larger journey,” said the Kuperbergs. “What has always fascinated us is how Hollywood not only reflects society, but also shapes global perceptions of identity, power, and belonging. When it comes to Latino representation, we were struck by a paradox. Latinos are a fundamental part of American history and culture, and one of the largest communities in the United States, yet their presence in Hollywood has long been limited, stereotyped, or overlooked. That gap between reality and representation felt both striking and urgent.”
The Kuperbergs have made films together for more than two decades, writing, directing, producing and editing more than 60 documentaries through their company Wichita Films. Their work has screened at Cannes, by AMPAS and has been distributed globally across platforms including HBO Max, Amazon, Hulu and TCM.
Martine Melloul serves as co-producer for the film and Daniel Talbott serves as executive producer. The film was produced by TCM Cinema and Wichita Films, in association with Kali Pictures.
Lupus LA to Host “Cusine for a Cause” Fundraiser, ‘Marvel’s’ Jed Whedon and Maurissa Tancharoen to Co-Chair
Lupus LA is set to host its annual “Cuisine for a Cause” fundraiser on May 3, co-chaired by Maurissa Tancharoen and Jed Whedon, co-creators, showrunners, and executive producers of “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.,” along with Cara Dellaverson, Executive Vice President, Drama Development, NBCUniversal.Held at Vibiana in downtown Los Angeles, the fundraiser aims to bring together culinary talent and industry supporters to benefit lupus research, patient services, and advocacy for the autoimmune disease.This year’s honorees are Amanda Palley, co-founder and Chief Creative Officer of Rebelle Media, who will receive the Ellis Community Leadership Award; longtime Extra correspondent Terri Seymour, who will receive the Loop Award; and Dr. Vaneet Sandhu of Fate Therapeutics, who will be recognized with the Medical Visionary Award. The evening will feature curated tastings from chefs including Neal Fraser (Redbird + Vibiana), Tal Ronnen (Crossroads), Bricia Lopez (Guelaguetza), Vartan Abgaryan (Momed), Ben Ford (Ford’s Filling Station) and David LeFevre (Manhattan Beach Post).For more information, visit https://lupusla.org/.
The program will invite emerging creators to submit one-page concepts for children’s projects, with selected finalists presenting their ideas during the festival, which runs June 15–21 in Bentonville, Ark. One winning concept will be chosen for further development with Crayola Studios.
Designed to connect new voices with established industry players, the initiative offers a direct pipeline from idea to potential production. A panel of executives, including representatives from Crayola Studios and Walmart, will evaluate the live pitches.
“Kids’ content wields a powerful influence on the imagination of a child as well as shaping how they see themselves,” Davis said. “Partnering with Crayola Studios – a brand that has deeply inspired creativity in children for generations – is an incredible opportunity to discover new talent. We’re excited to welcome the finalists to BFF and help bring their stories to life.”
Crayola Studios head Sabrina Wiewel added that the partnership is aimed at finding “bold, original ideas” that reflect the brand’s emphasis on creativity and self-expression.
Submissions are now open as Crayola Studios continues to expand its slate of family-friendly programming, building on projects such as “Rainbow Brite” and “The Neverending Pillow Fort.”
Turner Classic Movies Acquires Documentary Feature ‘Beyond The Border: Latino Representation in Hollywood’
Turner Classic Movies has acquired the exclusive rights to “Beyond The Border: Latino Representation in Hollywood,” a documentary feature directed, written and produced by the sister filmmaker duo Clara and Julia Kuperberg. The film will be released in September on TCM during Hispanic Heritage Month.
The documentary will trace a “century-long struggle for Latino representation, showing how artists reclaimed their image and reshaped cinema, and the way we imagine the world,” per the film’s logline, and will feature archives and film clips. Voices featured in the film include John Leguizamo, casting director Carla Hool, Esai Morales, Jimmy Smits, Edward James Olmos, director Gregory Nava, director Patricia Riggen, José Zúñiga and more.
“As French filmmakers, we’ve spent over 20 years exploring American cinema and culture, so in a way, this film is part of a larger journey,” said the Kuperbergs. “What has always fascinated us is how Hollywood not only reflects society, but also shapes global perceptions of identity, power, and belonging. When it comes to Latino representation, we were struck by a paradox. Latinos are a fundamental part of American history and culture, and one of the largest communities in the United States, yet their presence in Hollywood has long been limited, stereotyped, or overlooked. That gap between reality and representation felt both striking and urgent.”
The Kuperbergs have made films together for more than two decades, writing, directing, producing and editing more than 60 documentaries through their company Wichita Films. Their work has screened at Cannes, by AMPAS and has been distributed globally across platforms including HBO Max, Amazon, Hulu and TCM.
Martine Melloul serves as co-producer for the film and Daniel Talbott serves as executive producer. The film was produced by TCM Cinema and Wichita Films, in association with Kali Pictures.
Lupus LA to Host “Cusine for a Cause” Fundraiser, ‘Marvel’s’ Jed Whedon and Maurissa Tancharoen to Co-Chair
Lupus LA is set to host its annual “Cuisine for a Cause” fundraiser on May 3, co-chaired by Maurissa Tancharoen and Jed Whedon, co-creators, showrunners, and executive producers of “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.,” along with Cara Dellaverson, Executive Vice President, Drama Development, NBCUniversal.Held at Vibiana in downtown Los Angeles, the fundraiser aims to bring together culinary talent and industry supporters to benefit lupus research, patient services, and advocacy for the autoimmune disease.This year’s honorees are Amanda Palley, co-founder and Chief Creative Officer of Rebelle Media, who will receive the Ellis Community Leadership Award; longtime Extra correspondent Terri Seymour, who will receive the Loop Award; and Dr. Vaneet Sandhu of Fate Therapeutics, who will be recognized with the Medical Visionary Award. The evening will feature curated tastings from chefs including Neal Fraser (Redbird + Vibiana), Tal Ronnen (Crossroads), Bricia Lopez (Guelaguetza), Vartan Abgaryan (Momed), Ben Ford (Ford’s Filling Station) and David LeFevre (Manhattan Beach Post).For more information, visit https://lupusla.org/.