Two weeks ago, “The Bikeriders,” the new feature-length by Little Rock native filmmaker and Arkansas Cinema Society co-founder Jeff Nichols (known for writing and directing “Mud” and “Loving”), premiered at the Telluride Film Festival. A critic from the Wall Street Journal called it “richly evocative” and “the finest movie about motorcycle culture I’ve ever seen.”
Now, it’s coming to Filmland, ACS’s annual festival, on Sunday, Oct. 15, followed by a Q&A with Nichols. Starring Jodie Comer, Austin Butler and Tom Hardy, “The Bikeriders” follows the tumultuous ascent of a fictional ’60s Chicago-area motorcycle gang as it evolves from a neighborhood club to something far more dangerous and unmanageable. Nichols took inspiration from a 1968 book of black-and-white photos by Danny Lyon that shares the same name as the movie. Also, complicated dynamics of marital vs. platonic loyalty play out between the three leads. Check out the trailer in all of its gritty glory:
Originally scheduled for Oct. 4-8, Filmland has been expanded to cover two weekends: Oct. 6-7, which will focus on rising Natural State filmmakers, and Oct. 13-17, which will present a collection of higher-profile movies making the rounds on the national and international festival circuits.
For more information about Filmland, hosted by the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts, head here.