RiverRun Festival Archive

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• 2019 RiverRun Gala presented by PNC Bank

  Please join us for the annual Gala and help us celebrate our 21st Anniversary (we are finally legal!) as we honor our filmmakers and industry…

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• 32°

  This short documentary explores the economic impact of climate change on the Appalachian ski industry and offers insight into what the future holds for a…

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• Afterward

  In this incredibly personal film, director and subject Ofra Bloch, a Jerusalem-born trauma expert, forces herself to confront her demons in a journey that takes…

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• Alice

  Alice, a perfect wife and mother in modern-day France, has her life turned upside down when she discovers her husband is living a secret life.…

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• All My Guardian Angels

  A newborn is abandoned in the middle of a Madrid street on Christmas. With only the shelter of a sports bag, the baby undertakes a…

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• All You Can Carry

  After his mom comes back to their hidden cabin in the woods, Anthony and his dad discover they only have minutes to leave before their…

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• Always in Season

  When 17-year-old Lennon Lacy is found hanging from a swing set in Bladenboro, North Carolina in 2014, his mother, Claudine Lacy, wants answers and is…

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• American Factory

  In 2014, a Chinese billionaire opened a Fuyao factory a new factory in the husk of an abandoned General Motors plant in Dayton, OH, hiring…

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• Animated Shorts 1

  Films in this program of short animated works include: Bavure The Bird and the Whale Cat Days The Christmas Rabbit Expend Inanimate Light Work My…

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• Animated Shorts 2

  Films in this program of short animated works include: Anna Buzzer Five Minutes Homesick Monsters Walking The Ostrich Politic The Phantom 52 Sonolumin Take Rabbit…

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• Anna

  Anna explores the world of dementia-stricken Gus, a former gardener who lives with his granddaughter. Gus struggles to reconcile reality with an increasingly present past.…

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• As in Death

  In the wake of a community tragedy, Sidney Brodie begins the Durham Homicide and Memorial Quilt. Every time someone is killed in Durham, he adds…

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• Astronaut Starbright

  Taylor Richardson is a young girl of color who aspires to be an astronaut when she grows up. She advocates for girls of color interested…

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• Bathtubs Over Broadway

  When he started as a comedy writer for the Late Show with David Letterman, Steve Young had few interests outside of his day job. While…

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• Bavure

  Bavure portrays the evolution of a human being from his creation to his awareness of the mysteries of the universe. It is a metaphor of…

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• Be Natural: The Untold Story of Alice Guy-Blaché

  Premiering at the Cannes Film Festival, this film is a testimony to one of the most under-recognized, yet important filmmakers.  Alice Guy-Blaché was active beginning…

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• Behind Closed Doors

  Lana and Carter love being with each other, but appreciate their alone time equally as much. Companionship is being comfortable with one another’s whole selves,…

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• Bei Bei

  This high-stakes legal drama focuses on Bei Bei Shuai, a depressed, pregnant Chinese immigrant who is put on trial for the murder of her unborn…

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• Best Game Ever

  When two CCTV technicians find out about an AI machine threatening their jobs, they must get out of their chairs to beat the system–leading them…

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• The Bird and the Whale

  Using a unique technique called paint-on-glass animation, this beautiful film tells the story of a young whale who is seperated from his family. He finds…

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• Blind Adventure Camp

  This uplifting and experiential film tells the story of Industries for the Blind’s Adventure Camp for visually-impaired youth. Every summer, teenagers from around the U.S.…

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• Boccamazzo Construction: We Build "Walls"

  Founded in 1962 and keeping people apart ever since, the Boccamazzo Wall Company have just been asked by Homeland Security to help build the U.S./Mexico…

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• Bronzed

  Neo-sun worshiper Martin prepares to appease the solar Gods with ritual sacrifice. But first he needs a spray tan. This work screens as part of…

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• Buddy

  In this poignant and carefully composed portrait of six guide dogs and their owners, Heddy Honigmann explores the close bond between animal and human. One…

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• Busy

  A girl tries to do her homework, but her sister keeps interrupting her. This work screens as part of the Saturday Morning Cartoons block of short…

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• Buzzer

  A fly is trying to have a quiet morning at home, but the buzzer won’t stop ringing. This work screens as part of the Animated…

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• Calm Before...The Rising Storm

  In this short film we piece together the story of Massachusetts band The Rising Storm’s unlikely rise to fame. Many years after pressing just 500…

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• Campesino

  Campesino celebrates the lives of the Cuban tobacco farmer as introduced to us by one American whose passion has been photographing them for over a…

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• Care to Laugh

  From his humble beginnings parking cars at the Comedy Store, Jesus Trejo is relentless in his pursuit of stand-up stardom. For Jesus, who drives hours…

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• Cat Days

  After a trip to the doctor Jiro is diagnosed with the cat flu, which his doctor interprets to mean Jiro himself is a cat. Following…

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• A Cat's Tale

  A pessimistic cat discovers that perspective is a choice. This work screens as part of the Saturday Morning Cartoons block of short films

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• Celebrating Mr. Rogers

  Set to the iconic opening song of Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood this short captures the memory of the show’s nurturing, caring, and whimsical message as Mr.…

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• Celeste

  Celeste was Australia’s most beloved opera singer, yet she threw it all away to follow the man she loved to a crumbling property deep in…

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• C'est la Vie

  In this uproarious French class comedy from acclaimed directing team Olivier Nakache and Éric Toledano (The Intouchables), one happy couple are preparing for the biggest…

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• Chitty Chitty Bang Bang: Free Outdoor Screening

  Join us at Bailey Park in the Wake Forest Innovation Quarter for a free outdoor screening of the United Artists classic children’s film Chitty Chitty…

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• The Christmas Gift

  On the 20th of December, 1989, a few days after Ceausescu’s bloody repression in Timisoara, a father’s quiet evening turns into an ordeal as he…

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• The Christmas Rabbit

  On Christmas Eve, an old lady finds her beloved cat dead. All day long, she’ll try to find him a fitting final resting place, but…

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• Claire Darling

  Claire Darling (Catherine Deneuve), living alone in the French village of Verderonne, north of Paris, and suffering from dementia, believes the first day of summer…

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• Class of '08

  After living separate lives, two friends try to reconnect before their 10-year high school reunion. This work screens as part of the NC Shorts 2 block…

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• Cold November

  Set in Kosovo during the early 1990s, Cold November trains its lens on Fadil, an archivist forced to make difficult choices for his family as…

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• Damage

  A breakup is interrupted. This work screens as part of the Narrative Shorts 2 block of short films

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• The Dancing Dogs of Dombrova

  On a cold winter night, estranged Canadian siblings Sarah and Aaron arrive in Dombrova, Poland with a singular mission: to fulfill their dying grandmother’s wish…

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• Datsche

  Valentine Hermann is a young New York actor whose grandfather had a datsche, or summer garden house, just outside of Berlin. Val decides to spend…

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• Death of the Movies? -- Panel with Dale Pollock

  Whether we like it or not, the movie-going experience will be associated more with the 20th century than our era. The new audience for original…

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• The Derby

  Following the haves and the have-nots during Kentucky Derby weekend, The Derby explores unseen sides of Kentucky’s biggest sporting event and offers a thoughtful yet…

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• Detective Avery Ebson - Hat and Everything

  Nine-year-old Avery Ebson has made a documentary about her career as a detective, specializing in the recovery of lost toys. While reminiscing about a case…

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• Dig Your Own Grave

  Two men, one gun, and one shovel. Dig Your Own Grave hilariously tracks one horrible afternoon in two men’s lives. This work screens as part…

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• Documentary Shorts 1

  Films in this program of short documentary works include: The Derby Edgecombe Forced A Jew Walks into a Bar My Grandfather’s Memory Book On the…

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• Documentary Shorts 2

  Films in this program of short documentary works include: El Desierto Forgotten The Grey Zone Hamama and Caluna Landing on Airwaves Teeth Filmmakers in attendance…

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• Don't Get Trouble in Your Mind: The Carolina Chocolate Drops' Story

  Don’t Get Trouble in Your Mind: The Carolina Chocolate Drops’ Story documents the journey of three African-Americans from the hip-hop generation who found a mentor…

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• Dr. No

  With Dr. No, United Artists launched what would become one of the longest continuing film franchises and one of the most profitable.  Based on the…

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• Drawn Apart

  A young artist learns to bring life into her art. This work screens as part of the Saturday Morning Cartoons block of short films

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• Edgecombe

  Crafted as a character exploration, Edgecombe renders a mosaic of the lives of three residents of Edgecombe County, a predominantly African-American agricultural community in the…

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• El Desierto

  Amid a formidable winter drought, a lone migrant worker struggles with his task of caring for thousands of sheep in the Great Basin desert. El…

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• Evelyn x Evelyn

  Set in 1956, an African American couple struggles with the death of their child. This work screens as part of the Narrative Shorts 1 block of…

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• Expend

  A man scours a forest for elusive power sources. His search through this decaying world reflects the human tendency to continuously exploit resources in an…

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• Extraordinary People

  Extraordinary People chronicles a business that inspires its staff, families and neighborhood with the belief that meaningful jobs change lives. It explores the lives of…

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• F/11 and Be There

  Photographer Burk Uzzle’s singular vision and dedication led him from a small, homebuilt darkroom on his father’s porch in North Carolina into the company and…

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• Fanchon, the Cricket

  In this companion piece to our Spotlight: United Artists Centennial, Fanchon (Mary Pickford) lives in a forest with her eccentric grandmother who is suspected of…

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• Feast of the Epiphany

  Two halves form a harmonious whole in this ingenious documentary-narrative hybrid film. In part one, Abby, a 20-something Brooklynite, prepares to throw an intimate dinner…

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• The Field

  A poor agricultural laborer leads a double life in the village’s last remaining cornfield, but the harvest is quickly approaching. This work screens as part…

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• Films With Class Shorts

  This collection of varied short films shows how many great films we get for young audiences.  Made up of six short films, this program takes…

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• Fine Lines

  For nearly three years, director Dina Khreino interviewed world-class mountain climbing athletes, listening to what compels them to leave behind families, friends, and everyday comforts…

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• Five Minutes

  Baptiste Touissant’s dreams of opening a Cajun restaurant ended when a suicide bomber detonated an explosion only feet from him in Afghanistan. Five Minutes is…

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• Float

  Officially known as the F1D World Championships, pilots representing over twelve countries attempt to keep their plane flying as long as possible. After devoting years…

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• For Sama

  Directed by Emmy award-winning filmmakers Waad al-Khateab and Edward Watts, this feature documentary tells the astonishing story of 26-year-old Syrian filmmaker Waad, who filmed her…

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• Forced

  Three women–Ruth, Esther and Saratu–were forced to flee their homes when the dreaded militant group Boko Haram invaded their village in northeast Nigeria. Their powerful…

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• Forgotten

  After 26 years as a professional in the sport of jai alai–the fastest ball game in the world–Tevin is trying to bring back the crowds…

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• Freaks

  In this surreal thriller layered with dark humor and suspenseful mysteries, a 7-year-old girl named Chloe grows up locked in an abandoned house, dreaming of…

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• Frontier

  After two days of camping alone in the woods, a ten-year-old girl’s reality begins to blend with her favorite comic book. This work screens as…

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• Game Changer

  A macho toy is quick to judge a young girl who wants to win him at the arcade, and goes on a life-changing journey in…

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• Gelato - Seven Summers of Love

  In the early 20th Century Italian mountaineers conquered Germany with a sensation: gelato! But suddenly the Italians turned into war enemies. The love story between…

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• Gimme a Faith

  Each August, Steve Wong drives to the Raleigh International Airport to welcome new students as they arrive from China to begin their studies at North…

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• The Good, the Bad, and the Puppy

  A determined young woman sets out to win back her dog’s affection after he runs away from home to play poker. This work screens as…

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• A Great Lamp

  Set in a small riverside town in North Carolina, two sad vandals and an unemployed loner form an unlikely friendship as they await a fabled…

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• The Grey Zone

  The last land dispute between the US and Canada involves a 20-acre island in the Gulf of Maine, known to the lobstermen who compete over…

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• Hamama and Caluna

  Two young friends, Hamama and Caluna, leave everything behind to flee their home country and end up stranded in a camp in northern Italy. One…

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• A Handful of Dust

  Dr. Neal Goodman enables terminal patients’ right to die through the practice of mercy killing via his one-of-a-kind device. But when he sets out to…

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• Harvest Season

  Harvest Season delves into the lives of people who work behind the scenes of the premium California wine industry, during one of the most dramatic…

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• Holy Moses

  In 1960s Ireland, during the harshest winter of the century, a pregnant nun struggles to endure life in an asylum for fallen women. One of…

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• Homesick

  A crisis in a young woman’s life forces her to return to her parents’ home. Her reappearance shakes the delicate balance in the family nest.…

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• In Saturn's Rings

  In Saturn’s Rings is the first ever long form multiplane animation film in history. Made with over 7.5 million images from various explorations and narrated…

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• In the Heat of the Night

  Detective Virgil Tibbs (Sidney Poitier) is caught up in the racial tension of the South when he is arrested in Sparta, Mississippi, after the murder…

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• Inanimate

  Katrine, a puppet, becomes aware she is living on a set and attempts to break free of her surroundings. This work screens as part of…

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• Information Superhighway

  A man participates in an experiment to test artificial intelligence in driverless cars. This work screens as part of the Late Night Shorts block of short…

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• The Interpreters

  More than 50,000 local interpreters helped protect U.S. troops on the ground in Iraq and Afghanistan, enabling soldiers to communicate with the local population. But…

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• Into the Shadow

  A young flame finds his inanimate friend a boring playmate–that is, until he discovers its shadow! This work screens as part of the Saturday Morning…

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• A Jew Walks into a Bar

  David Finklestein is an ultra-Orthodox Jew who belongs to a secluded Brooklyn sect. He’s also a talented, aspiring stand-up comedian who finds comedy an essential…

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• Kifaru

  Kifaru (winner of the Grand Jury Prize and Audience Awards at Slamdance 2019) follows the lives of two young, Kenyan recruits that join Ol Pejeta…

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• Laila at the Bridge

  Laila Haidari survived child marriage and her own traumatic past to battle one of the deadliest problems in Afghanistan: heroin addiction.  As the “mother of…

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• Landing on Airwaves

  Landing on Airwaves includes a series of interviews from those who remember watching the Apollo 11 moon landing on television on July 20, 1969. The…

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• Late Night Shorts

  Films in this program of short works include: Behind Closed Doors Bronzed Dig Your Own Grave A Handful of Dust Information Superhighway Meat Eater Other…

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• Life in Synchro

  In partnership with Film Festival Alliance, RiverRun is presenting a special virtual screening of Life in Synchro for Film Festival Day on May 22, 2020!…

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• Life Is Fare

  This film is a formally daring and musically rapturous collage film exploring three perspectives of the Eritrean diaspora. We are introduced to Haile, a homesick…

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• Light Work

  A lonely old man is entrusted with a thankless Sisyphean task that has been handed down from generation to generation. This work screens as part…

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• Little Annie Rooney

  The tenements are home to an international community, including the friends and family of a tough young ragamuffin named Annie Rooney (Mary Pickford), but their…

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• The Little Fish and the Crocodile

  The Little Fish and the Crocodile is a fable from the rainforests of the Odzala National Park in the Republic of Congo, told by the…

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• Live the Stream: The Story of Joe Humphreys

  Live The Stream is an intimate and beautiful biography about the internationally renowned 86-year-old fly fishing legend, Joe Humphreys: a man who was born to…

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• The Load

  Premiering to rapturous reviews in this year’s Director’s Fortnight at Cannes and with shades of Clouzot’s rugged 1953 classic The Wages of Fear, Ognjen Glavonić’s…

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• Lupe

  Lupe is the complex story of Rafael, a Cuban immigrant and boxer struggling with their transgender identity while searching for their missing sister, Isabelle, in…

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• Magic Play

  A shy wizard boy goes a playdate with a young witch who is unpredictable with her magic. This work screens as part of the Saturday…

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• Mahalia Melts in the Rain

  Mahalia, a timid nine-year-old black girl, feels different from the other girls in her ballet class. Hoping to boost her confidence, her mother brings her…

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• Man's Favorite Sport?

  The author of a best-selling fishing guide is actually incredibly inexperienced when it comes to the sport, which causes mayhem when he is entered into…

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• Marty

  Stuck as the last of six children at home with an overbearing Italian mother, 34-year-old socially awkward Bronx butcher, Marty (Ernest Borgnine), faces middle age…

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• Maybe a Love Story

  Virgílio lives a controlled and organized routine until one day he arrives home and listens to a disturbing message on his answering machine. It’s Clara,…

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• Meat Eater

  A woman in the woods makes her escape–but who is she running from? This work screens as part of the Late Night Shorts block of short…

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• Memory Games

  Memory Games offers a thrilling insight into the lives of four athletes as they compete for the title of World Memory Champion. Their unique approaches…

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• Midnight Traveler

  In 2015, Hassan Fazili’s documentary Peace in Afghanistan aired on Afghan television and soon after he found out the main subject was assassinated and there…

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• Miles Away

  Miles is a little boy whose best friend is a tree. Together they venture on a road trip and enjoy a perfect summer day at…

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• Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool

  Miles Davis: Horn player, bandleader, innovator. Miles was a singular force of nature, the very embodiment of cool. The central theme of Miles Davis’ life,…

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• The Minors

  The latest film from Robert Machoian (When She Runs) is a slice of life about a grandpa and his grandsons, the future and the past.…

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• Modernizing the Silents: Panel and Film

  RiverRun is screening a recently restored print of the 1915 silent film Fanchon, the Cricket from the Mary Pickford Foundation, which features a newly commissioned…

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• Moments of Truth

  Directed by 2018 RiverRun Master of Cinema honoree Chuck Workman, Moments of Truth is a short montage documentary with over 125 moments from significant documentaries…

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• Monarcade

  In a battle of supremacy at the arcade, only one kid can be king. Join Lil’ Bomber and Kid Emperor as they compete for the…

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• Monsters Walking

  Monsters Walking is just that–a short film about monsters that walk. This work screens as part of the Animated Shorts 2 block of short films

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• Moondogs

  After learning that her family doesn’t want to see her last show, comedian Deborah Gibbs must confront the reality of her life after stand-up. This…

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• Mother Nature

  Agnes, a mother beaver, sends her husband and son off to work for the day. A storm rolls in and when they don’t come home,…

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• My Grandfather's Memory Book

  This personal reflection animates an unusual sketchbook that captures a lifetime of memories, connecting three generations through drawings, writings and dialogue. This work screens as…

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• My Moon

  My Moon cleverly examines the relationship between three celestial bodies–a romance between Earth, Moon, and Sun. This work screens as part of the Animated Shorts…

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• Narrative Shorts 1

  Films in this program of short narrative works include: All My Guardian Angels Best Game Ever Evelyn x Evelyn The Field The Little Fish and…

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• Narrative Shorts 2

  Films in this program of short narrative works include: Boccamazzo Construction: We Build “Walls” The Christmas Gift Damage Holy Moses Mahalia Melts in the Rain…

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• NC Shorts 1

  Films in this program of short documentary works include: 32° As In Death No Sanctuary Peripheral Visions Santuario Walker’s Filmmakers to be in attendance for…

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• NC Shorts 2

  Films in this program of short documentary works include: All You Can Carry Class of ’08 Frontier Moondogs Nobody But Myself Pierre Poulet Tropical Gardens…

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• NC Shorts 3: Close to Home

  In this documentary shorts program we learn more about the people and organizations making a tremendous difference in our local community.  Films featured in this…

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• Nine Coo Five

  In a gloomy city square, a struggling artist tries to make a living through his chalk drawings. Although he’s unable to charm the busy businessmen…

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• No Country for Old Men w/ live original score by 1970s Film Stock

  We are excited to present the premiere of  a live, original score to the modern day classic No Country For Old Men, composed and performed…

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• No Sanctuary

  Through a collection of interviews, trial footage, home videos and personal testimonies, this documentary explores the lives of those who lost loved ones in the…

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• Nobody but Myself

  Filmed and produced entirely in the high country of North Carolina, this film embodies the culture of the area and exemplifies the raw and honest…

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• Nursery Rhymes

  On the side of a rural highway, a bizarre encounter with a metalhead takes a profound turn. This work screens as part of the Narrative…

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• Odds Against Tomorrow

  Dave Burke (Ed Begley), an ex-police officer, is looking to hire two men to assist him in a bank raid; Earle Slater (Robert Ryan), a…

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• Ode to Joy

  Charlie (Martin Freeman) suffers from cataplexy, a serious disease that causes acute narcolepsy in particularly emotional situations–in his case whenever he experiences joy! He develops…

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• Olympia (documentary)

  This revealing and unfiltered documentary follows the life and career of Academy Award-winning actress Olympia Dukakis. Starting on the day she turns eighty and continuing…

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• Olympia (narrative)

  McKenzie Chinn stars as a struggling artist navigating work and romance in the Windy City. When her boyfriend asks her to drop everything–including a hospital-bound…

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• Olympic Dreams

  In the highly exclusive Athlete Village at the Olympic Winter Games, Penelope (real-life Olympic runner Alexi Pappas), a young cross-country skier, befriends Ezra (Nick Kroll),…

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• On the Bit

  After exhausting all medical and therapeutic efforts to alleviate her anxiety and PTSD, Jenny, an Iraq War veteran, attempts one last means of healing; working…

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• One Last Deal

  Olavi, an elderly art dealer disconnected from his family, is about to retire when an old painting by an unidentified artist catches his attention at…

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• The Ostrich Politic

  In this sharp political satire, ostriches deal with behavioral misconceptions that lead to further issues in their society. This work screens as part of the…

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• Other Side of the Box

  A couple receives a mysterious package from an old friend. This work screens as part of the Late Night Shorts block of short films

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• Palace

  The family-fractured lives of a stubborn auto-mechanic, a retired widower, and a repressed college student meaningfully intertwine at Palace, a watering hole in the rural…

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• Panel and Film: Multi-plane Animation and In Saturn's Rings

  After the screening of the short film In Saturn’s Rings, made by Greensboro native Stephen Van Vuuren, there will be a panel discussion with the…

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• Peer Pitch South

  RiverRun will be a site for this year’s Peer Pitch South, a professional development event for filmmakers organized by our friends at Docs In Progress and…

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• Peppercorn Theatre at Kaleideum: Live at RiverRun with Charlie Chaplin's The Rink

  As part of RiverRun’s lineup of FREE events for Family Day, Peppercorn Theatre at Kaleideum will present the short stage play The Navigators before the…

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• Peripheral Visions

  Peripheral Visions is a look back at the work of North Carolina political cartoonist V.C. Rogers, who recently retired from The Independent after a decades-long…

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• The Phantom 52

  Tom Skerritt stars in this animated short film about a Texas trucker waiting for a reply on the CB radio–a ghost that haunts the lonely…

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• Pierre Poulet

  This whimsical, tender and nostalgic tale of love and loss illustrates the curious saga of a unique chicken and his affection for corn. Conceived, written,…

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• Pig Film

  In an empty world, a solitary female mechanically follows the protocols of a factory hog farm. Her labors are sporadically punctuated by musical rhapsodies as…

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• Pitch Fest and Panel

  In an effort to further promote the development of new filmmaking talent, RiverRun is again joining forces with a consortium of universities around the south…

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• Preserving Historic Places: Panel and Film

  We are partnering with our neighbors in Elkin to highlight the great preservation work that was done on the Reeves Theater. Once a vibrant 700-seat…

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• The Raft

  In 1973, six women and five men climbed aboard a small raft to cross the Atlantic Ocean. It was part of a radical experiment by…

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• Raging Bull

  When Jake LaMotta (Robert DeNiro) steps into a boxing ring and obliterates his opponent, he’s a prizefighter, but when he treats his family and friends…

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• Rebooted

  When Retro Owl Guy and his rebooted superhero counterpart Owl Guy come face-to-face for the first time, they must learn to put their differences aside…

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• Reel South Panel

  Join Festival guest Rachel Raney, Executive Producer of PBS’ documentary series Reel South, as she discusses the program’s commitment to showcasing independent documentary films about…

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• Reeves: A Home for Music

  Once a vibrant 700-seat movie theater, the Reeves Theater in Elkin, NC fell into disrepair until a group of local citizens decided to renovate it.…

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• Rehearsal

  A film crew for an upcoming feature film pushes the boundaries of consent during a courtesy rehearsal for its female lead. This work screens as…

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• The River and the Wall

  Five friends embark on an immersive adventure through the unknown wilds of the Texas borderlands as they travel 1200 miles from El Paso to the…

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• Rooftop Kiters

  This short documentary explores the beauty of flying kites in the Brazilian favelas, and how this simple activity has changed their hard lives for the…

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• The Rusalka

  A man searching the depths of a North Carolina lake for a mythical creature that murdered his husband discovers that a mute man seeking refuge…

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• Sandoval's Bullet

  Isidro Vargas reminisces on his various encounters with death as he meanders through the tropical rainforest. This work screens as part of the Documentary Shorts…

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• Santuario

  Juana Luz Tobar Ortega immigrated to the United States over 25 years ago as an asylum seeker from Guatemala. But in 2017, she was told…

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• Saturday Morning Cartoons

  Each year RiverRun presents our own version of Saturday Morning Cartoons to our young audiences. We search high and low for the best new animated…

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• A Scientist's Guide to Living and Dying

  A real pregnancy is explored over nine months in this inspired hybrid of fiction and reality, co-directed by and starring UNCSA School of Drama alum…

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• Shoot the Duck

  Twelve-year-old Mia has her sights set on winning the local skating rink’s 8th Annual Shoot the Duck Skate Contest. With competition super fierce this year,…

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• Sofia

  Sofia, 20, lives with her parents in Casablanca. Suffering from pregnancy denial, she finds herself breaking the law by giving birth to a baby out…

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• Solar Walk

  Solar Walk follows the journey of individuals and their creations in space. This work screens as part of the Animated Shorts 1 block of short films

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• Sonolumin

  Diana Reichenbach’s latest work is a stop-frame animated film exploring the relationship of light, sound, and space. This work screens as part of the Animated…

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• Sophie's Quinceañera

  In the latest short from 2017 RiverRun Spark Award honoree Keith Powell, a building manager dealing with his own grief must help his tenant perform…

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• The Sound of Silence

  A successful “house tuner” in New York City, who calibrates the sound in people’s homes in order to adjust their moods, meets an insomniac client…

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• Star Bard

  A lonely musician sets off to find a constellation undiscovered by his late mentor, but soon learns that he can’t do it alone. This work…

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• Starfish

  With reality rapidly fraying at the edges, Aubrey (Virginia Gardner) finds herself following a string of clues left by her friend–in the form of an…

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• The Sunshine Boys

  A vaudeville duo agree to reunite for a television special, but it turns out that they can’t stand each other.

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• Take Rabbit

  A man attempts to transport some unlikely passengers across a river in his tiny boat, but soon realizes he’s taken on more than he bargained…

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• Teen Spirit

  Violet (Elle Fanning) is a shy teenager who dreams of escaping her small town on the Isle of Wight where she spends her days doing…

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• Teeth

  Hawaiian grandmother Angelica’s healing from sexual abuse as a child parallels the fixing of knocked out and rotten teeth. Aloha is replacing her pain and…

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• A Texas Myth

  The Glover family invites an indigenous activist group to start a protest camp on their land in West Texas. They call the camp Two Rivers…

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• This Changes Everything

  In this timely follow-up to his documentary Casting By (RR ‘13) Tom Donahue explores systemic sexism in Hollywood through the voices of many marquee celebrities,…

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• This is Love

  You may not know Rudy Love’s name, but you will almost certainly know his voice. Mick Fleetwood, Sinbad, and George Clinton unveil an unsung hero…

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• This Is Your Cuba

  This Is Your Cuba is a short film inspired by the real-life stories of the children involved in Operation Pedro Pan, the mass exodus of…

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• The Time Tree

  Anne, a deaf girl bullied by the maids and mistresses who look after her in the year 1596, finds solace when she comes across a…

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• To the Stars

  Under small town scrutiny, a withdrawn farmer’s daughter forges an intimate friendship with a worldly but reckless new girl in 1960s Oklahoma. Actresses Liana Liberato…

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• The Tomorrow Man

  Ed Hemsler spends his life preparing for a disaster that may never come. Ronnie Meisner spends her life shopping for things she may never use.…

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• Too Late to Die Young

  During the summer of 1990 in Chile, a small group of families live in an isolated community right below the Andes, building a new world…

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• Torn

  When Scott suffers an unnerving medical situation, his anxiety spirals out of control. This work screens as part of the Late Night Shorts block of short…

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• Trigger

  In this gripping chamber thriller set in a secluded mountain-top home, Andy is a single mother who was widowed in a harrowing roadside stop gone…

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• Tropical Gardens

  Shot in a pseudo-documentary style, Tropical Gardens is about a down and out loner who copes with his recent heartbreak by obsessing over a mini-golf…

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• Vanilla

  A freewheeling comedienne determined to save her family business invites an uptight app developer on a road trip to sell a van with a complicated…

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• Voyager Pen-15

  Two quirky space station janitors accidentally launch themselves into space on the mysterious craft Voyager PEN-15, only to find that they are on a top-secret…

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• Walker's

  This observational portrait trains its lens on Walker’s, a historic black barbershop in Wilmington, North Carolina. This work screens as part of the NC Shorts…

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• We Are Totally Fine

  Three Basic Betties get together for a wellness retreat to cleanse and connect. But what they connect to is surprising, dark, and a little out…

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• Weaning

  After her father dies, Teresa, a 50 year old expatriate, returns to Argentina determined to sell the family farm. Excessive rain forces her to stay,…

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• Welcome to the Ball

  A child learns sign language in hopes of making a new friend. This work screens as part of the Narrative Shorts 2 block of short films

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• Well Groomed

  Competitive creative dog grooming is the most colorful competition in America and this film captures the hearts, minds and imaginations of the artists involved. Follow…

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• While I Breathe, I Hope

  While I Breathe, I Hope is a feature documentary film that explores what it means to be young, Black, and Democrat in the American South…

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• Who Killed Lt. Van Dorn?

  Lt. Wes Van Dorn, a 29-year-old United States Naval Academy graduate, died when the helicopter he was piloting crashed during a 2014 training exercise. Motivated…

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• Widdershins

  The life of a pampered gentleman is seamlessly automated by machines, but his orderly existence is thrown into chaos when he chooses to pursue a…

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• The Wrong Rock

  Martin, a mushroom, was born on the wrong rock. The mushrooms on his rock look like him, but they don’t share the same enthusiasm. When…

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• Your Mother is a Thief!

  This stark and imaginative film offers a look at the psychological violence of parental alienation. This work screens as part of the Animated Shorts 2 block…

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