Films

Abbygail Was Here

A young woman is left stranded at an abandoned house in apocalyptic rural America. Isolated for the first time in her life, she searches for…
View More
All of You

Frankie, inundated by the notion that she’s somehow incomplete without a romantic partner, follows her friend to a weekend retreat led by a popular Shaman.…
View More
Animated Shorts 1

Titles in this program of short animated films include: Izzy’s Demons Mademoiselle Pigeon Our Bed Is Green Sad Beauty Souvenir Through the Cymbals I Will…
View More
Animated Shorts 2

Titles in this program of short animated films include: Crusoe A Family That Steals Dogs Lines of Exile Machi The Mechanical Dancer Migrants Namoo The…
View More
Atomic Cafe: The Noisiest Corner in J-Town

In the late 1970’s, when L.A.’s punk rock scene was exploding, an unlikely family-owned restaurant in Little Tokyo started by Japanese Americans returning from America’s…
View More
Becoming

As the US ramps up border enforcement during summer 2019, a formerly undocumented activist prepares for her naturalization test with her filmmaker-partner. In impressionistic scenes…
View More
Between the Shadows

A woman is enchanted by a moonbeam and chases it up to the sky. This title screens as part of the Saturday Morning Cartoons block of films
View More
Beyond the Line

A wheelchair dreams of one day being fast like a racing car. One night, the wheelchair decides to do its own race in the hospital…
View More
Big Touch

Big Touch is an Afro-Surrealist story about a giant woman and a tiny man who, through the power of touch, experience an unexpected transformation. This…
View More
Birdie

During his golf game, Marcel finally gathers the courage to invite Joanne, the 9th hole canteen chef, on a date, never imagining his action would…
View More
The Black Baptism

The Black Baptism is a short film about a young woman who awakens imprisoned by a mysterious group. This afro-futurist psychological thriller explores themes around…
View More
Broken Bird

Birdie, a biracial girl raised by her Jewish mom, spends a rare day with her father while preparing for her Bat Mitzvah. She overcomes her…
View More
A Broken House

When Mohamad Hafez received a single-entry visa to study architecture in the U.S., he realized if he couldn’t return home to Syria, he could make…
View More
Bug Farm

Four distinct women in Central Florida bond over working with crickets, superworms, and roaches on an insect farm in the small town of LaBelle. This…
View More
Catgot

This kaleidoscopic abstract film highlights the beauty of the colors, composition and transformations of the objects in the scene. This title screens as part of…
View More
Coney Island, August

A young couple goes on a date to Coney Island. Something is clearly off between them. This title screens as part of the Narrative Shorts…
View More
Crusoe

This sci-fi action comedy follows the adventures of an astronaut who has been stranded on an alien planet. This title screens as part of the Animated…
View More
Dear Future Me

Dear Future Me features both 6th graders writing letters to their future selves and high school seniors opening the letters they wrote 6 years previous.…
View More
death. everything. nothing.

Separated by distance, time, and a pandemic, a daughter wrestles with her mother’s impending death. This title screens as part of the North Carolina Shorts…
View More
Documentary Shorts 1

Titles in this program of short documentary films include: A Broken House The Field Trip Last Meal Pant Hoot Sophie and The Baron
View More
Documentary Shorts 2

Titles in this program of short documentary films include: Atomic Cafe: The Noisiest Corner in J-Town Bug Farm Finding Tyler Hayat Snowy Strawberry Forever
View More
Don't Go Tellin' Your Momma

In 1970 a group of Black educators in Chicago developed a flashcard set of the alphabet in order to provide Black centered teaching materials to…
View More
Eddy's World

Eddy’s World is an intimate portrait of a 98 year-old working toy inventor whose creativity and curiosity keep him young and healthy. This documentary short…
View More
A Family that Steals Dogs

Strange experiences and realizations lead a grieving artist to reconsider his identity and beliefs in this meditation on grief, family and mental illness. This title…
View More
The Field Trip

A group of fifth graders learn what it takes to get ahead in the modern American workplace through a fascinating camp where they learn all…
View More
Films With Class Shorts

Titles in this program of short films include: Eddy’s World Home of My Memories Napo Returning Home Films With Class program sponsored by FaderRE
View More
Finding Tyler

In August of 2003, Tyler Johnson was a prized scholar in theoretical physics. Months later he was homeless on the island of Corsica, a fugitive…
View More
Fish Like Us

As part of an unusual farewell ritual, two siblings end up at a Chinese restaurant. Though the tables are close together, the siblings hardly notice…
View More
Fishermen

Fishermen is an animated, sci-fi, comedic micro short that answers an age-old question: are aliens among us? This title screens as part of the North…
View More
Fog Likely Farm: An Appalachian Story

After a difficult divorce, Susie Winters, a young mother with two small daughters, moves from the Piedmont of North Carolina to a run-down, Civil War-era…
View More
Go Fetch

A worse-for-wear old tennis ball tries to escape his life as a dog’s chew toy to try something new. This title screens as part of…
View More
Goalie

A foosball table goalkeeper sees all the action happen on the other side of the field. In frustration he breaks away and tries to show…
View More
Hayat

Rahma, a single mother of four, encourages her children to maintain a strong sense of family, faith and cultural identity as she navigates personal difficulties…
View More
Home Movie

Zeke’s parents use Zeke as an emotional pawn in their divorce. Not to be out manipulated, Zeke turns the tables on them, thinking that as…
View More
Home of My Memories

A young child find his passion through the experiences of his grandfather. All of those teachings come alive in a truly wonderful, magical way. This…
View More
Hop Along, Hang On

How do you take back a story you didn’t know was yours? How do you move forward while embracing and understanding your past? Follow Rose…
View More
The Hot Air Balloon

Enjoy a hot air balloon ride and discover what it’s like to see the Earth from above. This title screens as part of the Saturday Morning…
View More
Identity

The bald guy wanted to steal something from Nigel, and he needed me. He had to know everything about Nigel. He needed to get inside…
View More
In Our Nature

This animated documentary explores humanity’s relationship with nature through a world of interviewed “animals.” This title screens as part of the North Carolina Shorts 2…
View More
Inheritance

A Black family in rural Vermont attempts to live a life of solitude and cope with the ghosts living on their property. This title screens…
View More
Inspace

Inspace is an exploration of Black bodies in white space through the mediums of dance and film. The unconventional film includes performances from four dancers…
View More
Izzy's Demons

Izzy is a person who struggles with the decision to reconnect with an old friend. As she gives into her jealousy for her friend’s success,…
View More
Just Over the Line

This film tells the story of Daniel Noell, who was arrested for drug trafficking in two adjacent North Carolina jurisdictions. Through interviews with Noell, his…
View More
Kapaemahu

Long ago, four extraordinary individuals brought the healing arts from Tahiti to Hawaii and imbued four giant boulders with their powers. The stones still stand…
View More
Kindred Kings

Kindred Kings is a poetic visual piece that reminds us that Black men are Kings, and they will be the ones to decide the new…
View More
Knock

Late at night, Kim hears a sound in her apartment. She asks her partner to investigate. This title screens as part of the Late Night Shorts block…
View More
Last Meal

Capital punishment simmers in a boiling pot of controversy. Amidst the political and religious debate surrounding the issue, one thing sets tongues wagging more than…
View More
Late Night Shorts

Titles in this program of short films include: Abbygail Was Here All of You Identity Knock Luv U Cuz The Mother Sleep Tight Space Vamps…
View More
Lines of Exile

Hamid Naficy’s fifty years of drawings of prominent scholars, philosophers, and theorists form a unique index of the evolution of cultural theory over the last…
View More
Luv U Cuz

Set in a not-too-distant future, two cousins bond over the course of a night on the town, until their relationship is tested in more ways…
View More
Machi

Growing up with her four siblings in Indonesia back in the 70’s, my mother tells me of the years she spent being cared for by…
View More
Madeline the Child Exorcist

It is career day at Lakeside Elementary School and among vets, firefighters, and dancers, one child sticks out–Madeline the Exorcist. When a class photo reveals…
View More
Mademoiselle Pigeon

1917. Private Pepin vowed to write the beautiful Mademoiselle Pigeon a letter daily. He will soon have to use his imagination to keep his promise.…
View More
The Mechanical Dancer

In a run-down part of town there stands a small theater, owned by an eccentric old man. His spectacle “The Mechanical Dancer” is a sight…
View More
Migrants

Two polar bears are driven into exile due to global warming. They will encounter brown bears along their journey, with whom they will try to…
View More
The Mother

A young woman visits a farmer’s market and finds a lot more than she bargained for in a chance encounter with a local kombucha brewer.…
View More
Must Love Pie

A lonely man finds a love connection. This title screens as part of the Narrative Shorts 2 block of films
View More
Namoo

Namoo, Korean for “tree”, is a lyrical poem come to life. Inspired by the loss of his grandfather, Oh paints a searing narrative of the…
View More
Napo

John, unable to understand the illness that drives his grandfather between past and present states, stumbles into an old album full of photographs and then…
View More
Narrative Shorts 1

Titles in this program of short films include: Birdie Broken Bird Inheritance Madeline the Child Exorcist The Other Morgan Pawsea (or: The Melancholy Ruminations of…
View More
Narrative Shorts 2

Titles in this program of short films include: Big Touch Coney Island, August Don’t Go Tellin’ Your Momma Fish Like Us Home Movie Must Love…
View More
North Carolina Shorts 1

Titles in this program of short documentary films include: Becoming Fog Likely Farm: An Appalachian Story Just Over the Line Pink, White & Blue Seeding…
View More
North Carolina Shorts 2

Titles in this program of short films include: The Black Baptism death. everything. nothing. Fishermen In Our Nature Inspace Kindred Kings Regulars Sideways Stuffed Two…
View More
The Other Morgan

When a happy young exterminator discovers there’s a better version of her out in the world, she begins to question the life she chose for…
View More
Our Bed Is Green

Realm, a virtual reality facility, is quite transparent about the erotic potential of its services. Wall to wall, Realm is lined with tempting previews from…
View More
Pant Hoot

As the world’s chimpanzee population dwindles in the wild, one man risks everything to care for a group of mistreated animals rescued by Jane Goodall’s…
View More
Pawsea (or: The Melancholy Ruminations of a Solitary French Bulldog)

Rocky certainly has a lot on his mind, questioning his purpose and attempting to fortify himself against existential angst as he searches for meaning. It’s…
View More
The Peak

In the middle of the night Sarah wakes up as she wants to go to the bathroom. As she leaves her room, she finds herself…
View More
Pink, White & Blue

After years of transitioning in front of a camera, Aydian Dowling discusses how allowing his transition to be visible via YouTube has helped the trans…
View More
The Quarantine Muse

In this stop-motion animation, a furry stuck-at-home New Yorker makes a bold socially distanced gesture for a front-line nurse next door. This title screens as…
View More
Regulars

Jake’s Diner is a 24-hour diner in Greensboro, North Carolina. Over the course of all 24 hours, Regulars gets to know the people that make…
View More
Returning Home

Richie Schley has built a career using the nature the earth provides us. In Returning Home, with stay at home orders in place, Richie takes…
View More
Sad Beauty

In a heavily polluted world, a young woman mourns the disappearance of animal species. When she falls ill due to a bacterial infection, nature appears…
View More
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 shorts that…
View More
Seeding the Sea

Where fishermen were once able to catch over 100 pounds of fish in one day off the coast of Belize, now they can barely catch…
View More
She Carries On

Among the Cherokee people in North Carolina, the cultural tradition of stickball exemplifies “more than a game”. Cherokee women played the game at the turn…
View More
Sideways

Best friends Kurt and Carter find out that living together may not be as easy as they thought when their competing lifestyles begin to crash.…
View More
Sleep Tight

When a wheelchair-bound teen is put to bed by his overly attached father, he complains about personal space. However, when the lights go out, he’ll…
View More
Snowy

Snowy, a four inch-long pet turtle, has lived an isolated life in the family basement. With help from a team of experts and his caretaker,…
View More
Sophie and the Baron

This charming story of an unlikely friendship between iconic photographer Baron Wolman at the end of his prolific career and up-and-coming artist Sophie Kipner at…
View More
The Source of the Mountains

The Paccha-Picchus are festive little creatures. They live a carefree daily life in sync with the mountains. When the mountains come, their oasis rises and…
View More
Souvenir

Souvenir is the story of a father and daughter and the extraordinary journey through their memories. This title screens as part of the Animated Shorts 1 block…
View More
Space Vamps

When the Space Vamps discover a sun that allows them to walk in daylight, they rejoice. But like the myth of Icarus, they fly too…
View More
Spellbound

It’s Halloween night, and thirteen year-old Blair has just moved into a new neighborhood. She carves a pumpkin that magically comes to life! They go…
View More
Stains

A man washes his hands. This title screens as part of the Late Night Shorts block of films
View More
Strawberry Forever

Fifty years ago, Tim McDermit fell forty feet from his college dorm roof. He suffered a traumatic brain injury and was diagnosed with aphasia, a…
View More
Stuffed

Silas comes to terms with his estranged father’s death by finishing his father’s final taxidermy job. This title screens as part of the North Carolina…
View More
Summer Years

Summer Years follows a teenage girl, Ellie, who is spending a summer day with her friends. However, these are just memories, and Ellie must confront…
View More
Super Generic

A character model sheet tries to change himself after getting a critique from an instructor saying that he was “super generic.” This title screens as…
View More
Survivers

Natural selection says that only those who adapt will survive. What if humans have become stupid? This title screens as part of the Late Night Shorts block…
View More
The Teahouse Drama

While seeing an interesting puppetry show in a Chinese tea house, a little boy falls in love with the puppets and wants to play with…
View More
Through the Cymbals I Will Watch

On a barren shore, an individual awakens and begins an arduous journey toward an illusory fate. In dream states, one’s journey has many beginnings and…
View More
A Tiny Tale

A dog gets abandoned on the side of the road. Attached to a street light, he stays alone until the day he meets a young…
View More
Tobi and the Turbobus

You fly with no seat! That’s the rule on the Turbobus. To find a place to sit on the bus is no easy task for…
View More
The Train to Qinling

A traveler gets lost on a train in China with no one else but a panda. She must learn to communicate with him in order…
View More
Two Different Kinds of Love

A little girl is excited to discover more about her adoption story. This title screens as part of the North Carolina Shorts 2 block of…
View More
Two Ways to the League

Two young basketball prospects from North Carolina, Josh Hall and Ty-Shon Alexander, walk different paths, but their ultimate goal is the same: make it to…
View More
The Washing Machine

A young couple need to get rid of their broken washing machine. When they decide to sell it online instead of taking it to the…
View More
Werewolf in a Gucci Sweater

Meet a werewolf in a Gucci sweater, our new friend in the city! He and his wife are super into dance parties and making friendly…
View More
White Eye

A man finds his stolen bicycle and it now belongs to a stranger. In his attempts to retrieve it, he struggles to remain human. This…
View More
Windup

A father tries to stay connected with his unconscious daughter through music. He plays a windup music box and hopes she can hear it while…
View More
The Winter

Walking in a snowy forest, a peasant sees an unusual deer and goes to follow it. The deer enamors him and the peasant wants even…
View More