News

• RiverRun Rewind: Life in the Sacrifice Zone Returns to Our Virtual Theater 9/10

  August 26, 2021
  

  Life in the Sacrifice Zone makes a return engagement to RiverRun’s Virtual Theater, Through RiverRun Rewind. The film will open on Friday, September 10th, and be available through Friday, September 24th.

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• PBS NORTH CAROLINA & RIVERRUN TO PRESENT VIRTUAL SCREENING OF THE NEUTRAL GROUND

  August 17, 2021
  

  On Thursday, August 26 at 7 p.m., PBS North Carolina and RiverRun will present The Neutral Ground, which documents New Orleans’ fight over monuments and troubled romance with the Lost Cause. In 2015, director CJ Hunt filmed the New Orleans City Council’s vote to remove four confederate monuments. But when the removal was halted by death threats, Hunt set out to understand why a losing army from 1865 still holds so much attention in America.

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• RiverRun Rewind: The Desiring returns to our virtual theater 8/6

  August 3, 2021
  

  The Desiring, winner of this year’s Kilpatrick Townsend Audience Choice Award, makes a return engagement to RiverRun’s Virtual Theater. The film will open on Friday, August 6, and be available through Friday, August 20.

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• RiverRun and Bookmarks Present Boss: The Black Experience in Business 8/12

  August 3, 2021
  

  RiverRun is pleased to announce a collaborative event with Bookmarks, presenting a free Film With Purpose screening of Boss: The Black Experience in Business. This event will take place on Thursday, August 12 at the Bookmarks store on Fourth Street in downtown Winston-Salem. The evening features a discussion at 7:30 followed by the film at 8:00. 



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• Summer 2021 Lincoln Smartphone Short Film Contest Winner, Sponsored by Parkway Lincoln

  July 3, 2021
  

  In partnership with Parkway Lincoln, RiverRun presents the winner of the 2nd Lincoln Smartphone Short Film Contest. Participants were asked to make a film centered around the July 4th holiday and a Lincoln vehicle(s) and were judged on creativity and originality.

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• Summer 2021 Lincoln Smartphone Short Film Contest, Sponsored by Parkway Lincoln

  June 7, 2021
  

  In partnership with Parkway Lincoln, RiverRun is hosting our 2nd Smartphone Short Film Contest! The film content/story must be centered around the July 4th holiday and a Lincoln vehicle(s).  Participants may interpret this however they choose. Think the comedy of National Lampoon’s Vacation or the feel-good nostalgia of The Sandlot. The possibilities are endless! Each film will be judged on creativity and originality.  The films will be screened for free to the community in our Virtual Theater July 3 – 17!

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• RiverRun Announces 2021 Awards: Fires in the Dark and Sapelo Take Top Feature Honors

  May 19, 2021
  

  The RiverRun International Film Festival today announced the Jury Awards for the 2021 Festival. This year’s festival ran May 6-16 and was a hybrid festival of virtual screenings and safe, outdoor and drive-in screenings. The festival this year presented 134 films representing 24 countries.

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• RiverRun 2021 Pitch Fest results

  May 14, 2021
  

  In an effort to further promote the development of new filmmaking talent, RiverRun again joined forces with universities in the region to present Pitch Fest. This year, student filmmakers from six universities in North Carolina and Virginia pitched their documentary ideas in the virtual realm for our panel of filmmaking professionals in the hopes of being awarded a cash prize and recognition within the industry. The judges deliberated remotely, and recognized the following pitches. First place was awarded for America vs. Herself, directed by Kiersten Houser from UNC Wilmington. Second place was awarded to The Subway, directed by Gannon La Croix of James Madison University.

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• RiverRun 2021 merch is here!

  April 27, 2021
  

  Look forward and look amazing with a RiverRun 2021 t-shirt and zippered beach tote! Get them at the Community Arts Gift Shop at the Milton Rhodes Center for the Arts or order online. T-shirts are $10 and tote bags are $5. Thanks to Machine Gun Graphics for these amazing Hanes t-shirts!

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• I Am Not Going to Change 400 Years in Four — FREE Indie Lens Pop-up virtual screening 5/4

  April 27, 2021
  

  Join us on Tuesday, May 4, 2021 at 7:00pm for another free Indie Lens Pop-Up event: a virtual screening of the short documentary I Am Not Going to Change 400 Years in Four, followed by a moderated panel conversation with Durham District Attorney Satana Deberry! PBS North Carolina, together with RiverRun and the State Library North Carolina, proudly present this exclusive screening opportunity. You must register in advance for this event.

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• The Curtain's Going Up On RiverRun 2021!

  April 7, 2021
  

  The 23rd RiverRun International Film Festival is pleased to announce its complete 2021 lineup tonight, April 7th, with a virtual launch video spotlighting some of the 134 films representing 24 countries in this year’s Festival!  The lineup was selected from over 1,500 films under consideration. While the actual Festival will take place May 6-16 with safe outdoor and drive-in screenings and a host of virtual screenings, tonight’s launch event will preview some of the films selected for this year’s Fest and will include the popular clip reel.

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• Philly D.A. -- FREE Indie Lens Pop-up virtual screening 4/6

  March 17, 2021
  

  Join us on Tuesday, April 6, 2021 at 7:00pm for another free Indie Lens Pop-Up event: a virtual screening of Philly D.A., followed by a moderated panel discussion! In this upcoming special eight-part docuseries from the acclaimed PBS documentary anthology series, Independent Lens, filmmakers Ted Passon and Yoni Brook bring you an incredible inside look at the criminal justice system and one man’s journey to transform it. You must register in advance for access to this screening.

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• Drought--exclusive virtual screening on 3/26/21 (one night only!)

  March 9, 2021
  

  In anticipation of National Autism Awareness Day, we present this exclusive opportunity to see the film Drought, a homegrown, NC-based film originally selected to screen as part of RiverRun 2020! Tickets are available for pre-sale now, and the film screens one day only on March 26th. Join us and get a sneak-peek under the hood of the virtual screening system that will be part of our upcoming 2021 festival experience!

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• RiverRun's Virtual Theater is always open for business!

  March 1, 2021
  

  Our Virtual Theater is now live as we monitor guidelines for when it is safe to host indoor theatrical screenings once again. Now playing: Coup 53, Philly D.A.

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• Coded Bias -- FREE Indie Lens Pop-up Virtual Screening 3/2/21!

  February 11, 2021
  

  Join us on Tuesday, March 2 at 7:00pm for another free Indie Lens Pop-Up event: a virtual screening of Coded Bias, followed by a moderated panel discussion! PBS North Carolina, together with RiverRun and the State Library North Carolina, proudly present this exclusive screening opportunity. The film follows MIT Media Lab researcher Joy Buolamwini on her journey after she discovers that most facial-recognition software does not accurately identify darker-skinned faces.

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• Mr. SOUL! -- FREE Virtual Indie Lens Pop-Up Screening 2/2/21!

  January 13, 2021
  

  Join us on Tuesday, February 2, 2021 at 7:00pm for our next free Indie Lens Pop-Up event: a virtual screening of Mr. SOUL! PBS North Carolina, together with RiverRun and the State Library North Carolina, proudly present this exclusive screening opportunity, to be accompanied by a post-film panel discussion. Before Oprah, before Arsenio, there was Ellis Haizlip—Mr. SOUL! On the heels of the civil rights movement, the public television variety show SOUL!, offered an unfiltered, uncompromising celebration of Black literature, poetry, music, and politics—voices that had few other options for national television exposure.

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• 9to5: The Story of a Movement — FREE Virtual Indie Lens Pop-Up Screening 1/5/21!

  December 17, 2020
  

  Join us on Tuesday, January 5, 2021 at 7:00pm for a virtual screening of 9to5: The Story of a Movement. UNC-TV PBS North Carolina, together with RiverRun and the State Library North Carolina, proudly present this exclusive screening opportunity, to be accompanied by a post-film panel discussion. The film follows a group of Boston secretaries in the early 1970s who organized and formed 9to5 in order to fight for better pay, more advancement opportunities, and an end to sexual harassment. 9to5 tells the story of the fight that inspired a hit song and changed the American workplace.

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• The Lincoln Smartphone Short Film Contest is open for entries!

  December 11, 2020
  

  In partnership with Parkway Lincoln, RiverRun is hosting a smartphone short film contest! The film content/story must be centered around a Lincoln vehicle(s). Participants may interpret this however they choose and will be judged on creativity and originality. The films will be screened for free to the community in our Virtual Theater December 24-31. Deadline for entries is December 19th!

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• After-Dark Fun with RiverRun at the Marketplace Cinemas Drive-In!

  October 20, 2020
  

  RiverRun and Marketplace Cinemas Winston-Salem are pleased to be teaming up on a series of exclusive drive-in movies throughout summer and early fall! Next up, join us on Sunday, November 22nd for a screening of the new documentary On Broadway, sponsored by Truliant Federal Credit Union and Ernest & Martha Clayton Logemann! All RiverRun at the Marketplace Drive-In screenings are sponsored by Parkway Lincoln.

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• Jonathan Scott's Power Trip -- FREE Virtual Indie Lens Pop-Up Screening 10/27!

  October 16, 2020
  

  Join us on Tuesday, October 27, 2020 at 7:00pm for the first Indie Lens Pop-Up title of the 2020-2021 season: a virtual screening of Jonathan Scott’s Power Trip. Most famous for his role on HGTV’s popular show Property Brothers, TV personality Jonathan Scott journeys across the United States in the film to uncover the obstacles and opportunities to achieving clean, renewable energy.

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• Recorder: The Marion Stokes Project -- FREE Virtual Indie Lens Pop-Up Screening 6/16

  June 9, 2020
  

  Join us on Tuesday, June 16, 2020 at 7:30pm for a special Indie Lens Pop-Up online screening of Recorder: The Marion Stokes Project featuring a talkback with director Matt Wolf, producer Kyle Martin, film subject Michael Metelits, and Roger Macdonald, Television Archive Fellow at the Internet Archive.

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• Eating Up Easter -- FREE Virtual Screening and Talkback 5/26!

  May 21, 2020
  

  Join us on Tuesday, May 26, 2020 at 8pm for a special Indie Lens Pop-Up online screening of Eating Up Easter featuring a talkback with filmmakers Sergio Mata’u Rapu and Elena Rapu, film subject and classical pianist Mahani Teave, and United Nations Association of the USA Executive Director Rachel Bowen Pittman. Afterwards, join community-led breakout discussions on topics such as responsible tourism and our National Parks, environmental sustainability in New Jersey, and more.

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• 2020 Pitch Fest winners announced!

  May 11, 2020
  

  The 9th annual Pitch Fest & Panel went virtual this year! We adapted the traditional Pitch Fest competition to an online format to continue to serve and support our student filmmakers. Six North Carolina schools participated by recording 5 minute video pitches from home for our panel of expert judges to review.

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• NC Shorts 1 & 2–free online screenings!

  April 22, 2020
  

  Beginning on Friday, April 24, we will be offering our popular selection of North Carolina Shorts—short works directed by supremely talented filmmakers working here in our own state—free online for two weeks. During this two week period, many of the shorts filmmakers (several of whom are based right here in Winston-Salem and Greensboro!) will also be offering additional bonus content through RiverRun’s social media channels, to provide further context for the films.

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• Bedlam -- online Indie Lens Pop-Up screening on 4/14!

  April 9, 2020
  

  Although the remainder of this season’s Films With Class community screenings has been cancelled, we will resume with virtual screenings of the films beginning next week with the documentary, Bedlam. We hope you will join us from the comfort and safety of your own home on Tuesday, April 14, 2020 at 7:30 pm for the national screening and virtual chat with film producer Peter Miller and mental health experts from NAMI.

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• RiverRun Recommends

  March 24, 2020
  

  In light of the cancellation of the 2020 festival due to COVID-19, RiverRun will be offering suggestions for film and film books over the course of what would have been the festival dates this year, March 26-April 5. To receive these recommendations via email, please sign up for our newsletter using the signup form at the bottom of this page.

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• UPDATE: COVID-19 and RiverRun

  March 13, 2020
  

  RiverRun International Film Festival is committed to the health and safety of our attendees, volunteers, staff, and community. The widespread health concern about COVID-19 is a reminder of the global nature of our daily lives and interactions. Given the latest news and the request to not convene groups over 100, we must announce the cancellation of the 2020 RiverRun International Film Festival. While we will greatly miss seeing everyone come together to celebrate the diverse global stories reflected in our films, we place a greater priority on the wellbeing of our constituents.

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