BisonBison Film Festival returns in 2022, finds new home at Burford Theatre.
The BisonBison Film Festival (BBFF) has been searching for a permanent home venue for its annual event. After taking 2020 and 2021 off due to COVID-19, the popular film festival will return in April of 2022 at its new location, the Burford Theatre in Arkansas City, Kansas.
The Festival began in 2013, with its first event in 2014 in Ponca City, OK. Spanning six states, the BBFF showcases films from students attending accredited colleges, universities, and technical schools in Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Arkansas, and Texas. The festival draws its name from the scientific name for the American Bison, bison bison. Once near-extinct, these animals are a symbol of the Mid-American region the festival represents. The use of the bison ties in its importance to Indigenous cultures and its significance in the prairie ecosystem. The name BisonBison serves as an acknowledgement of the land and those who were its faithful stewards.
Arkansas City’s Burford Theatre opened in 1924, where it hosted vaudeville shows, silent movies, and early “talkies.” In 2004, when a larger movie theatre opened in the area, the Burford was donated to the City of Arkansas City and began a thirteen-year-long renovation process. Restored to its original beauty, the Burford Theatre now offers concerts, movies, plays, art classes, and other community events. As the theatre is a pillar of art and community in Arkansas City, the BisonBison is happy to relocate and find a permanent home at the Buford Theatre.
After a brief hiatus caused by COVID-19, the BBFF will be held April 1-3, 2022. The festival will feature public film viewings and workshops. More information about the BBFF and the Burford Theatre can be found online at the film festival’s website (bisonbisonfilmfestival.org), the theatre’s website (burfordtheatre.com) and on Facebook. For those interested in submitting a film, the full rules and requirements are found on the website.