
Camp Widow
Camp Widow is a gathering for widowed people by widowed people. Over the course of three days, attendees speak candidly about death, forge connections with others over shared experiences of loss, and find ways to navigate the tricky waters of grief, creating a film that is heartbreaking and darkly hilarious, embracing irreverent humor as a cathartic means of self-expression.

Conscience Files, The
Used commonly on signage by the U.S. National Park Service, “Take only photographs, leave only footprints” is often seen as the umbrella code of conduct for all visitors. But for many visitors to Arizona’s Petrified Forest National Park, the temptation to procure some of its glittery, colorful rocks as keepsakes has proven to be irresistible. THE CONSCIENCE FILES tells of the woes and now (hopefully) redemptive journey of some of these notorious “return” visitors, in

Coppola Mecanique
In this never-released interview, Francis Ford Coppola gives an intimate history of San Francisco, its legendary penny arcade, and the young artist it inspired. Filmed right after 9/11, we get rare access into the private mind and heart of a great American auteur during major revisions of his magnum opus, “Megalopolis.”

Devil is Busy, The
As the director of operations and security of a clinic in Atlanta, Tracy doesn’t take any chances when it comes to the safety of both the patients and the staff. Executive produced by Soledad O’Brien and directed by Geeta Gandbhir and Christalyn Hampton, this short documentary is an eye-opening portrayal of the shifting landscape for abortion providers in America.

Documentary Shorts 2025: Program 1
As an Academy Award®-qualifying festival, RiverRun is proud to present a powerful selection of documentary shorts that shine a light on untold stories, diverse perspectives, and impactful moments from around the globe.

Documentary Shorts 2025: Program 2
As an Academy Award®-qualifying festival, RiverRun is proud to present a powerful selection of documentary shorts that shine a light on untold stories, diverse perspectives, and impactful moments from around the globe.

Five Seasons of My Childhood
A journey through childhood memories brings nostalgia full of pain and love. Nothing is as it was in childhood; only memories roam freely and illuminate in retrospect.

Grace, The
Over the course of one year, a sustainable salmon fisherman struggles to stay afloat at sea and on land as the demands of her small salmon business mount.

Lifeline
On the morning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Ukraine”s railway institution Ukrzaliznytsia started sending trains into war zones to evacuate civilians. Railway workers reporting for work that morning had become rescue workers overnight. Tetiana Vyslohuzova, a train master who had worked for Ukraine’s railway institute all her life, was one of those people.

Livestreams with GrandmaPuzzles
A lifelong hobby becomes a lifeline for an unexpected Twitch streamer.

Long Valley, The
A documentary about the hopes and dreams of the people of the Salinas Valley, one of the most productive agricultural regions in California. Using a photobook aesthetic, the film explores the space between still photography and film.

Replay
A man has the chance for redemption over a humiliating TV show appearance from his childhood in this docu-comedy.

Return, The
After being apprehended at the US border and separated from his father for six months, 12-year-old Geovanny returns home to Guatemala. But he’s not the same. Filmed over six years, “The Return” is an intimate portrait of boyhood interrupted, an exploration of the bonds of family across borders, and a celebration of the resilience of a father and son who dream of returning home.

Shot at History, A
When Dr. Nita Patel was just four years old, her father’s battle with tuberculosis inspired her to make a promise: she would dedicate her life to curing infectious diseases. “A Shot at History” intimately chronicles Nita’s inspiring journey from a small village in India to the forefront of immunology in the U.S., where she rises to prominence as a pioneering scientist.

Tiger
Dana Tiger was just five years old when her father, legendary Muscogee Creek artist Jerome Tiger, passed away. She turned to his art as a way to know him, the richness of her culture, and the bounty of her family’s artistic tradition.