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07/14/2026

Spa City’s Filmmaker Lisa Cole Wins Special Award at Bentonville Film Festival
(l-r) Lisa Cole (Writer, Director, Producer), Harley Grey (star), Emmy Perry (co-star), Barbara Lettieri (Producer). Submitted photo.

Writer-director Lisa Cole announces that Filthy, her short film, has won the Special Jury Award at the 12th Bentonville Film Festival following its world premiere.

The film stars Emmy Award winner Loretta Devine and is Executive Produced by Caren Spruch of Planned Parenthood and Ivana de Maria of Dalia Empower.

Filthy follows 13-year-old Cass as she transforms her first period into an act of primal resistance against shame and oppression. Drawn from Cole's own coming-of-age, the film confronts myths so entrenched that Tampax maintains a webpage debunking the notion that tampons "steal" virginity. The film serves as a proof of concept for a feature of the same title, which plans to film entirely on location in Hot Springs.

In conjunction with the film's premiere, Cole has partnered with the Arkansas Period Poverty Project, a nonprofit working to ensure menstrual equity for those in need across the state, to raise awareness about their mission.

"This film is a story about girls learning to stop apologizing for being alive," says Cole. "With everything happening to women's rights, it feels more urgent than ever."

The production is seeking support to complete its festival and impact campaigns. Contributions are tax-deductible through fiscal sponsor: The Alliance of Women Directors www.allianceofwomendirectors.org/fiscal-sponsorship/.

Lisa Cole is a writer-director whose storytelling centers female empowerment and resilience. Her short film BIENVENIDOS A LOS ANGELES was Oscar-shortlisted for the 96th Academy Awards and won the Diversity in Cannes Short Film Showcase, sponsored by Viola Davis.