Animated Shorts 2025: Program 1
RiverRun’s Academy Award®-qualifying Animated Shorts Program showcases a vibrant collection of imaginative storytelling and artistic innovation. From hand-drawn wonders to cutting-edge digital creations, these films push the boundaries of animation while delivering heartfelt, humorous, and thought-provoking narratives.
Blue Velvet
To celebrate the life of acclaimed director David Lynch, we are partnering with the UNCSA Archives (one of the top archives in the country) to show their 35mm print of this cult classic. The discovery of a severed human ear in a field leads a young man on an investigation related to a beautiful, mysterious nightclub singer and a group of psychopathic criminals who have kidnapped her child.
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.
Mistress Dispeller
In China, a new industry has emerged devoted to helping couples stay married in the face of infidelity. Wang Zhenxi is part of this growing profession, as a “mistress dispeller” who is hired to maintain the bonds of marriage—and break up affairs—by any means necessary. Offering strikingly intimate access to private dramas usually hidden behind closed doors, “Mistress Dispeller” follows a real, unfolding case of infidelity as Teacher Wang attempts to bring a couple back
Mystery Street
In this 1950 crime thriller, a small-town policeman is assisted by a Harvard Medical School professor after the discovery of a human skeleton on a Massachusetts beach. Starring Ricardo Montelban in one of the first lead roles for a Hispanic actor and as one of the first films to use forensic evidence, this film was ahead of its time and makes a great addition to our Film Noir Friday Series.
Narrative Shorts, Program 1: A Break for Laughter
Considering how many of us are feeling about the state of the world right now, a moment to take a breath to smile and laugh is necessary. These shorts are a welcome respite and opportunity to take that breather.
Narrative Shorts, Program 2: Time to Grieve
While program one is about taking the time to laugh, this shorts program is all about acknowledging the various forms of grief many of us often experience, be it the loss of a loved one, a loved place, or a period in your life.
OBEX
Conor Marsh lives a secluded life with his dog, Sandy, until one day he begins playing OBEX, a new, state-of-the-art computer game. When Sandy goes missing, the line between reality and game blurs, and Conor must venture into the strange world of OBEX to bring her home.
Ride, Vaquero!
In our continuing partnership with the Ava Gardner Museum, located in Gardner’s hometown of Smithfield, North Carolina, we are presenting this fascinating 1953 western. After the Civil War, King Cameron moves to Texas, purchases a cattle ranch, and settles down with his wife, Cordelia. They find themselves at the mercy of Jose Esqueda, a local bandit who has terrorized the town with his adoptive brother, Rio. Rio is kidnapped when he tries to mount an
