Narrative Shorts, Program 3: Coming of Age
One thing that really stood out in this year’s submissions is just how tremendous young people really are. Whether they are saving a crush from a deadly bee sting, hunting griffins, or wrestling with the everyday challenges of being a teenager, they all learn to come of age in their own unique way.
North Carolina Shorts 2025: Program 1: Documentaries
Celebrating stories from our own backyard, this program showcases compelling documentary films made by North Carolina filmmakers or focused on subjects that make North Carolina unique.
North Carolina Shorts 2025: Program 2: Narratives
This collection of narrative shorts highlights the creativity and talent of North Carolina filmmakers. Featuring stories with local connections, these films showcase a diverse range of voices and perspectives, celebrating the rich storytelling tradition of our region.
North Carolina Shorts 2025: Program 3: A Student Perspective
Showcasing the talent and creativity of student filmmakers from across the state, this program offers a fresh take on storytelling through the eyes of North Carolina’s emerging artists.
Our Movement Starts Here
The story of a rural community in the American South that inspired the environmental justice movement and articulated the concept of environmental racism in 1982 by fighting the state of North Carolina’s toxic landfill.
Outrider
OUTRIDER is a portrait of visionary poet/performer, Grammy-nominated librettist Anne Waldman and a portal to her path of imagination. Along with collaborators Patti Smith, Bob Dylan, Thurston Moore, Meredith Monk, Fast Speaking Music, and others, “Outrider” moves within the poetry communities constellating around Waldman’s life and legacy. The film trails Waldman’s investigative mind within her recent epic works, woven with activism and a broken heart, as she sings out and takes the whole ride.
Pantone Guy, The
At 96 years old, Larry Herbert, known as “The Pantone Guy,” is a visionary whose revolutionary idea to standardize color remains largely unrecognized. Growing up in Depression-era Brooklyn, Larry entered the print and manufacturing trade during a time when color was a chaotic and subjective experience. He channeled his unique vision into creating the Pantone Matching System.
Remaining Native
A coming-of-age documentary told from the perspective of Ku Stevens, a 17-year-old Native American runner struggling to navigate his dream of becoming a collegiate athlete as the memory of his great-grandfather’s escape from an Indian boarding school begins to connect past, present, and future.
Saturday Morning Cartoons 2025
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 shorts that we think will appeal to both children andadults alike. This year, we have a wide array of films encompassing many different interesting animation techniques and stories. Our Saturday Morning Cartoons truly have a little something for all ages!
Segal
Legendary entertainer George Segal shares his life story, from a shy kid from Great Neck, Long Island to a sought-after leading man during Hollywood’s most prolific decades.
Silent Notes
When Bruce is faced with sudden hearing loss, he embarks on a dangerous journey to raise the money to fix it.
Third Act
On its surface, “Third Act” is a biopic that explores Robert Nakamura’s role as “The Godfather of Asian American Media,” made by his son, Tadashi Nakamura. But with his diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease, the film poses a complex question: how can a father and son say goodbye?
Time Travel is Dangerous
Best friends Ruth and Megan run a vintage shop in North London. When they stumble across a time machine, they embark on trips to the past, “borrowing” items to sell in the present. They don’t want to change history or rob banks; they just want to find a nice lamp… without getting sucked into the hellish time/space vortex that is the Unreason.
You Are Not Alone
Little does Leo know that a mysterious taxi driver will jeopardize his blossoming romance with Rita, a young woman he’s falling in love with.
Young King
Inspired by true events, “Young King” follows Diondre Howell as he re-adjusts to civilian life and struggles to cope with the scars of the Iraq war. As he faces the profound challenges of reintegration, the toll of PTSD, and the barriers that veterans face, he increasingly becomes a threat to those he cares about the most—his family.