Variety will present Katherine LaNasa with the Variety Virtuoso Award on Saturday, June 20th at the Bentonville Film Festival. The award recognizes her career accomplishments across film and television, most recently for her role in the popular HBO Max series “The Pit,” for which she won an Emmy and a Critics’ Choice Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series.
The 12th Annual Bentonville Film Festival will be held June 15-21, continuing the tradition of celebrating creativity, community, and the power of film.
LaNasa will participate in a Q&A about her work with Variety’s Deputy Editor-in-Chief Carol Horst. “Katherine LaNasa is one of those performers who brings a magnetic energy to every role she plays,” Horst said of the Emmy winner. “The talented veteran actress shot to fame with her role as Charge Nurse Dana on ‘The Pit,’ and she continues to captivate audiences with her versatility, charisma, and depth. Variety is excited to celebrate her impressive body of work and her upcoming roles. But for now, we’re obsessed with ‘The Pit!'”
Lanasa’s filmography includes leading roles in “The Campaign”, “Jane Mansfield’s Car”, “Valentine’s Day”, “The Lucky Ones”, “Alfie”, “Schizopolis” and others. In television, recent series regular roles include the Apple TV drama “Truth Be Told,” Bravo/Netflix’s “Imposters” and The CW’s “Katy Keene.” Other notable credits include “Seinfeld,” “ER,” “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Two and a Half Men,” “Future Man,” “Big Love,” “Justified,” “Longmire” and “Daredevil: Born Again.”
In the future, LaNasa will appear in the Hulu limited series “Count My Lies” alongside Shailene Woodley, Lindsay Lohan, and Kit Harington.
“Katherine LaNasa has built a remarkable career defined by versatility, authenticity and unforgettable performances in film and television,” said Bentonville Film Festival Chair Geena Davis. “Whether she brings emotional depth, razor-sharp wit, or a commanding presence to the screen, she continually elevates every project she’s a part of. We’re thrilled to once again partner with Variety to honor Katherine with the Virtuoso Award, honoring her extraordinary talent and enduring contribution to storytelling.”
The 2026 Bentonville Film Festival will feature a dynamic lineup of narrative, documentary, domestic, short films and episodic programming, including five world premieres. The festival will open on June 16th with Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick’s genre-defying horror comedy Family Movie, with attendees scheduled to attend a post-screening talk, and conclude on June 21st with a special screening of Netflix’s Little House on the Prairie featuring a Q&A with showrunner Rebecca Sonnenschein and stars Crosby Fitzgerald and Alyssa Wapanak. This year’s featured selection is the world premiere of Katharine Hardwick’s Street Smart, starring Isabel Fuhrman, Yara Shahidi, Michael Cimino and Marcia Gay Harden. The festival will also highlight acclaimed documentaries, exciting new discoveries and signature “Coffee Talk” conversations with Bobby Flay, Ree Drummond and Chef JJ Johnson.
