500 Days in the Wild
“500 Days in the Wild” follows filmmaker Dianne Whelan’s six-year journey to complete all 16,000 miles of the land and water trails across North America on the world’s longest trail, the beautiful Trans Canada Trail (TCT), stretching from the Atlantic to the Pacific Coast, as well as the Arctic Ocean. This documentary weaves together adventure, personal reflections, stunning wildlife, and human connection along the rigorous trail.
A New Perspective Shorts
When going through the hundreds of short documentary film submissions we received, a theme emerged, highlighting the incredible resilience of the human spirit even in the face of tragedy or difficulty. This documentary shorts block celebrates humanity and the need for us all to look at life with a new perspective.
Always Looking: Titus Brooks Heagins
“Always Looking” explores the work of Durham photographer Titus Brooks Heagins and the challenging questions his photos pose about the systemic and casual exclusions and neglect of society’s most vulnerable communities of color.
American Coup: Wilmington 1898
AMERICAN COUP: WILMINGTON 1898 tells the little-known story of a race massacre and coup d’état in Wilmington, North Carolina, in which White supremacists overthrew the multi-racial “Fusion” government of North Carolina’s largest city through a coordinated campaign of violence and intimidation that destroyed Black political and economic power and imposed white control.
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.
Animated Shorts 2025: Program 2
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.
Aontas
Three unlikely thieves, led by a woman on the verge of a breakdown, rob a rural Irish credit union. Opening in the tragic aftermath of the heist-gone-wrong, the story unravels backwards to track what went awry. What starts as a poorly executed robbery becomes a portrait of a willful woman trapped in her own past.
Bar
BAR offers an unprecedented look into the world of elite bartending and the hospitality industry, following five students on their journey to join the ranks of the best bar professionals in the world. The film captures the passion, craft, and diversity behind some of the world’s most exceptional bars and the professionals who run them, highlighting their commitment to excellence and the vibrant community they form.
Battersea
Estranged siblings reconvene at their childhood home, where they spend a precarious weekend drinking and talking while uncovering the narratives and secrets that have shaped their lives.
Becoming Dominic
Set in Edinburgh, this documentary follows bronze sculptor Kenny Hunter as he makes a life-size statue of St. Dominic for a local priory of Dominican friars. As we follow the lives of the friars, we discover a parallel between priest and artist.
Black Theta
Years after his brush with death, a mysterious and murderous cult returns to target Andy, throwing him onto a rollercoaster of chaos and terror.
Bonjour Tristesse
“Bonjour Tristesse is a coming-of-age romantic drama film, adapted from the 1954 novel by Françoise Sagan. The film follows Cécile and her widowed father Raymond, who are spending the summer in the south of France with his latest flame, Elsa . However, the equilibrium is disrupted by the arrival of Anne, who is an old friend of Cécile’s parents.
By Kevin Thomas
Perspicacious film critic Kevin Thomas shares highlights of his long, illustrious career at the “Los Angeles Times” with wit and candor, recalling his deep friendships with such iconic figures as Mae West and directors George Cukor and Fritz Lang.
Color Book
Following his wife’s recent passing, single father Lucky finds himself navigating the challenges of raising his son Mason, who has Down syndrome. Journeying across Metro Atlanta to attend their first baseball game together, the duo faces a series of obstacles that test their relationship with each other.
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.
