RIVERRUN ANNOUNCES 2024 FILM LINEUP
RIVERRUN ANNOUNCES 2024 FILM LINEUP
Sponsored Content
Festival Celebrates its 26th Anniversary with ‘Thelma’ and ‘Mad About the Boy: The Noel Coward Story’ to Open and ‘Mr. Blake at Your Service!’ to Close
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (APRIL 2, 2024) – The 2024 RiverRun International Film Festival, marking its 26th year, has announced the official lineup for this year’s Festival. RiverRun will take place April 18-27 and will feature screenings of 197 selections that represent 51 countries, culled from a pool of nearly 2,000 submitted films.
Venues will include Crossnore Communities for Children, Hanesbrands Theatre, Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP, Marketplace Cinemas, Reynolds Place Theatre, and UNCSA in Winston-Salem, and RED Cinemas in Greensboro.
Festival passes are now on sale at riverrunfilm.com/festival-passes. Tickets to individual screenings will be available beginning April 5 at riverrunfilm.com.
“This is, in my opinion, the strongest slate of films we have offered during my time here,” said RiverRun Executive Director Rob Davis. “It also happens to be the largest number of films that we have presented. We are particularly excited about the RiverRun BIPOC Film Program, which this year will focus on contemporary Sudanese films. In addition, we will honor industry legends Kate Amend, Adrienne Barbeau and Constance Towers Gavin, all three of whom will attend the Festival and will receive Master of Cinema Awards. In addition, Robert Schwartzman will join us to receive our Emerging Master of Cinema Award.”
Opening night’s narrative feature will be “Thelma,” a wonderful take on action films with a 93-year-old grandmother as an unlikely action hero in a clever comedy caper. “Mad About the Boy: The Noel Coward Story,” the opening night documentary, showcases the vast talent and genius of Noel Coward. The closing night film stars John Malkovich as a widowed British industrialist mistaken for the new butler at the French chateau where he met his late wife in “Mr. Blake at Your Service!” The popular free screenings for kids and families include Saturday morning cartoons, an outdoor screening of “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs,” and “Puffin Rock and the New Friends,” a new animated film from the United Kingdom and Ireland.
Other films include the moving “Bau, Artist at War,” which features Emile Hirsch as Joseph Bau, whose wedding to his wife, Rebecca, took place in the Plaszow concentration camp during World War II. “Wildcat,” from director Ethan Hawke stars his daughter, Maya, as writer Flannery O’Connor and Laura Linney as her mother. “Shari and Lamb Chop” is a fantastic documentary following the ups and downs of Shari Lewis, the trailblazing woman who forever changed the face of children’s television and “Willie and Me” has a German housewife on a road trip to Las Vegas for Willie Nelson’s last concert and features the legendary country singer as both himself and a character.
In addition to high-profile films, the festival also presents the best in international independent cinema including narratives, documentaries, and animated films showcasing a variety of diverse global viewpoints.
“Our 26th festival includes multiple world premieres, North American premieres, and North Carolina premieres,” stated RiverRun Programming Director Mary Dossinger, who added, “We are so proud to have a lineup of films that will truly move audiences as we celebrate the very best in world cinema.”
Information about these and all other events is available at riverrunfilm.com.
SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS
Big names. Big talents. Big films. RiverRun’s Special Screenings offer audiences a chance to catch an early glimpse of films destined for the multiplex.
OPENING NIGHT #1
THELMA
DIRECTOR
JOSH MARGOLIN
USA/SWITZERLAND / 2024 / 97 MIN. / ENGLISH / NARRATIVE
RATING: MT
Contains some adult language and situations
Presented by PNC
Film sponsored by Wanda Starke and Ron Fisher
Thelma stars June Squibb as 93-year-old Thelma Post who, when she gets duped by a phone scammer pretending to be her grandson, sets out on a treacherous quest across the city to reclaim what was taken from her. Fresh from its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, the film features an unlikely action hero in a clever comedy caper.
IN-PERSON SCREENINGS: APRIL 18 / 7:00PM / HANESBRANDS THEATRE
APRIL 22 / 2:00PM / HANESBRANDS THEATRE – $6
*This film is screening in-person only*
OPENING NIGHT #2
MAD ABOUT THE BOY: THE NOEL COWARD STORY
DIRECTOR
BARNABY THOMPSON
UK / 2023 / 91 MIN. / ENGLISH / DOCUMENTARY
RATING: MT – INTENDED FOR MATURE AUDIENCES
Contains some adult language and themes
Presented by PNC
Film sponsored by OUT at the Movies
Marketing Partner: Bookmarks
In this expansive documentary, all told through Coward’s own words, the audience is taken on an exploration of Coward’s prolific career, which features credits across the stage, screen, and music, including Brief Encounter, Blithe Spirit, and Private Lives.
IN-PERSON SCREENINGS: APRIL 18 / 7:30PM / REYNOLDS PLACE THEATRE
APRIL 24 / 5:30PM / RED CINEMAS GREENSBORO
CENTERPIECE SCREENING
MERCHANT IVORY
DIRECTOR
STEPHEN SOUCY
USA / 2023 / 112 MIN. / ENGLISH / DOCUMENTARY
RATING: MT
Contains mild adult language and themes
Sponsored by Kilpatrick
Merchant Ivory is the first definitive documentary to lend new and compelling perspectives on the partnership, both professional and personal, of director James Ivory, producer Ismail Merchant, and their primary associates, writer Ruth Prawer Jhabvala and composer Richard Robbins. Footage from more than 50 interviews, clips, and archival material gives voice to the family of actors and technicians who helped define Merchant Ivory’s Academy Award-winning work.
IN-PERSON SCREENING: APRIL 24 / 8:00PM / HANESBRANDS THEATRE
*This film is screening in-person only*
CLOSING NIGHT
MR. BLAKE AT YOUR SERVICE!
DIRECTOR
GILLES LEGARDINIER
LUXEMBOURG/FRANCE / 2023 / 100 MIN. / FRENCH / NARRATIVE
RATING: TN
Contains mild adult language
Presented by PNC
Film sponsored by Cannon & Company
When a British industrialist, played by John Malkovich, decides to return to the French country chateau where he met his late wife to rekindle fond memories, he is mistaken for the new butler! Deciding to stay whatever the circumstances, he realizes new memories and family can often be found in the most unexpected places. French screen legend Fanny Ardant co-stars.
IN-PERSON SCREENINGS: APRIL 25 / 8:00PM / RED CINEMAS GREENSBORO
APRIL 27 / 7:30PM / UNCSA – MAIN THEATRE
*This film is screening in-person only*
BAU, ARTIST AT WAR
Sponsored by Neil and Pamela Wolfman
IN-PERSON SCREENINGS: APRIL 20 / 7:00PM / UNCSA – MAIN THEATRE
APRIL 22 / 5:30PM / RED CINEMAS GREENSBORO
*This film is screening in-person only*
THE FOG
Sponsored by Karen and Chris Nard
IN-PERSON SCREENING: APRIL 21 / 7:00PM / MARKETPLACE CINEMAS #1
*This film is screening in-person only*
THE GOOD HALF
Sponsored by Denise Gunter
IN-PERSON SCREENINGS: APRIL 19 / 7:00PM / UNCSA – MAIN THEATRE
APRIL 23 / 8:00PM / RED CINEMAS GREENSBORO
*This film is screening in-person only*
LIMBO
Sponsored by Denise Gunter
IN-PERSON SCREENING: APRIL 23 / 8:00PM / HANESBRANDS THEATRE
*This film is screening in-person only*
MARGUERITE’S THEOREM
Sponsored by Lani Seltzer
IN-PERSON SCREENINGS: APRIL 19 / 5:30PM / UNCSA – GOLD THEATRE
APRIL 21 / 1:30PM / MARKETPLACE CINEMAS #2
*This film is screening in-person only*
NEVER TOO LATE FOR LOVE
Sponsored by Salemtowne
IN-PERSON SCREENINGS: APRIL 25 / 7:30PM / HANESBRANDS THEATRE
APRIL 26 / 4:00PM / MARKETPLACE CINEMAS #2 – $6
*This film is screening in-person only*
SHARI AND LAMB CHOP
Sponsored by Karen McHugh and Diane & Paul Hafter
IN-PERSON SCREENING: APRIL 26 / 8:00PM / HANESBRANDS THEATRE
*This film is screening in-person only*
WILDCAT
Marketing Partner: Bookmarks
IN-PERSON SCREENING: APRIL 21 / 7:30PM / UNCSA – MAIN THEATRE
*This film is screening in-person only*
WILLIE AND ME
Sponsored by Mayor Allen Joines and Tiffany Jones & Martin Sledge
IN-PERSON SCREENINGS: APRIL 24 / 8:00PM / RED CINEMAS GREENSBORO
APRIL 26 / 5:00PM / MARKETPLACE CINEMAS #1
*This film is screening in-person only*
RE: VISION INDEPENDENT COMPETITION
Emerging talents. Representing some of the very best independent films of the year, the six films in this section are eligible for jury prizes and the Kilpatrick Audience Award.
BANEL & ADAMA
PRECEDED BY: I PROMISE YOU PARADISE
IN-PERSON SCREENINGS: APRIL 21 / 7:30PM / MARKETPLACE CINEMAS #2
APRIL 23 / 4:00PM / MARKETPLACE CINEMAS #2 – $6
*This film is screening in-person only*
CHESTNUT
IN-PERSON SCREENING: APRIL 26 / 8:00PM / MARKETPLACE CINEMAS #1
*This film is screening in-person only*
EXCURSION
PRECEDED BY: HOW TO BURY A FISH
IN-PERSON SCREENINGS: APRIL 23 / 7:00PM / MARKETPLACE CINEMAS #2
APRIL 24 / 4:00PM / MARKETPLACE CINEMAS #2 – $6
THE FEATHERWEIGHT
IN-PERSON SCREENINGS: APRIL 19 / 5:00PM / MARKETPLACE CINEMAS #2
APRIL 20 / 7:30PM / MARKETPLACE CINEMAS #2
*This film is screening in-person only*
GUACAMOLE YESTERDAYS
PRECEDED BY: REGGIE & RAINBOW
IN-PERSON SCREENINGS: APRIL 20 / 7:00PM / MARKETPLACE CINEMAS #1
APRIL 21 / 1:00PM / MARKETPLACE CINEMAS #1
*This film is screening in-person only*
NEXT TO NOTHING
IN-PERSON SCREENINGS: APRIL 24 / 7:00PM / MARKETPLACE CINEMAS #2
APRIL 25 / 4:00PM / MARKETPLACE CINEMAS #2 – $6
DOCUMENTARY FEATURE COMPETITION
Compelling stories told with innovative style. RiverRun helps audiences see the world through the eyes of others by showcasing some of the year’s best real-life stories. The six films in the Documentary Competition are eligible for jury prizes and the Kilpatrick Audience Award.
FROM THIS SMALL PLACE
IN-PERSON SCREENINGS: APRIL 20 / 1:30PM / MARKETPLACE CINEMAS #2
APRIL 22 / 4:00PM / MARKETPLACE CINEMAS #2 – $6
INVISIBLE NATION
IN-PERSON SCREENINGS: APRIL 19 / 2:30PM / HANESBRANDS THEATRE – $6
APRIL 20 / 4:00PM / HANESBRANDS THEATRE
*This film is screening in-person only*
NAME ME LAWAND
Sponsored by Caitlin T. Augerson, at Womble Bond Dickinson LLP
IN-PERSON SCREENINGS: APRIL 19 / 1:30PM / MARKETPLACE CINEMAS #1 – $6
APRIL 21 / 7:00PM / REYNOLDS PLACE THEATRE
*This film is screening in-person only*
UNBROKEN
Sponsored by Kelly & Dave Jacobius
IN-PERSON SCREENINGS: APRIL 19 / 5:30PM / HANESBRANDS THEATRE
APRIL 20 / 1:00PM / HANESBRANDS THEATRE
*This film is screening in-person only*
WE ARE GUARDIANS
Sponsored by Margaret Norfleet Neff & Bill Struever
IN-PERSON SCREENINGS: APRIL 23 / 5:00PM / HANESBRANDS THEATRE
APRIL 24 / 2:00PM / HANESBRANDS THEATRE – $6
WITHOUT ARROWS
Marketing Partner: Guilford Native American Association
PRECEDED BY: WINDING PATH
IN-PERSON SCREENINGS: APRIL 19 / 2:00PM / MARKETPLACE CINEMAS #2 – $6
APRIL 20 / 4:30PM / MARKETPLACE CINEMAS #2
FOCUS
Festival favorites too good to miss. RiverRun’s Focus sidebar offers an eclectic mix of films from emerging talents, RiverRun alums, and veteran filmmakers alike. The films in this section are all eligible for the Kilpatrick Audience Award.
ALL YOU HEAR IS NOISE
Marketing Partner: Forsyth Co. Special Olympics
IN-PERSON SCREENINGS: APRIL 24 / 5:00PM / HANESBRANDS THEATRE
APRIL 26 / 2:30PM / HANESBRANDS THEATRE – $6
BIKE VESSEL
IN-PERSON SCREENINGS: APRIL 25 / 7:00PM / MARKETPLACE CINEMAS #2
APRIL 26 / 4:00PM / REYNOLDS PLACE THEATRE – $6
BREAKUP SEASON
IN-PERSON SCREENINGS: APRIL 19 / 7:30PM / MARKETPLACE CINEMAS #1
APRIL 20 / 1:00PM / MARKETPLACE CINEMAS #1
EMBERS
IN-PERSON SCREENING: APRIL 20 / 9:00PM / MARKETPLACE CINEMAS #1
THE GHOST TRAP
Sponsored by Cyrco, Inc.
IN-PERSON SCREENINGS: APRIL 19 / 8:00PM / HANESBRANDS THEATRE
APRIL 22 / 8:00PM / RED CINEMAS GREENSBORO
GOOD BAD THINGS
IN-PERSON SCREENING: APRIL 25 / 8:00PM / MARKETPLACE CINEMAS #1
HUMANIST VAMPIRE SEEKING CONSENTING SUICIDAL PERSON
Sponsored by Christopher Commercial
PRECEDED BY: THE NIGHT PRACTICE
IN-PERSON SCREENING: APRIL 24 / 8:00PM / MARKETPLACE CINEMAS #1
*This film is screening in-person only*
IMPOSSIBLE TOWN
Sponsored by Stephanie Nelson
IN-PERSON SCREENINGS: APRIL 20 / 6:30PM / UNCSA – GOLD THEATRE
APRIL 21 / 1:30PM / HANESBRANDS THEATRE
LADY LIKE
Sponsored by OUT at the Movies
Marketing Partner: Alternative Resources of the Triad
IN-PERSON SCREENING: APRIL 20 / 7:00PM / HANESBRANDS THEATRE
*This film is screening in-person only*
NO ONE ASKED YOU
IN-PERSON SCREENING: APRIL 26 / 7:00PM / REYNOLDS PLACE THEATRE
*This film is screening in-person only*
OUT THERE: A NATIONAL PARKS STORY
Sponsored by Austin Temple & Katelyn Henderson, DDS and Great Outdoor Provision Company
Venue Partner – Kilpatrick
IN-PERSON SCREENINGS: APRIL 24 / 8:00PM / KILPATRICK (OUTDOOR SCREENING)
APRIL 25 / 5:30PM / RED CINEMAS GREENSBORO
PECK
PRECEDED BY: BLANCHETTE AND THE EIGHT CENTS
IN-PERSON SCREENINGS: APRIL 19 / 1:30PM / REYNOLDS PLACE THEATRE – $6
APRIL 20 / 7:30PM / REYNOLDS PLACE THEATRE
THE QUEEN OF MY DREAMS
Marketing Partners: OUT at the Movies and Alternative Resources of the Triad
IN-PERSON SCREENINGS: APRIL 26 / 7:00PM / MARKETPLACE CINEMAS #2
APRIL 27 / 1:30PM / MARKETPLACE CINEMAS #2
THE WAY WE SPEAK
IN-PERSON SCREENINGS: APRIL 22 / 4:00PM / REYNOLDS PLACE THEATRE – $6
APRIL 23 / 7:00PM / REYNOLDS PLACE THEATRE
*This film is screening in-person only*
RIVERRUN ARTS
Art on Film. Part of our year-round curatorial programming, the RiverRun Arts banner encompasses any film that highlights the importance of art in our world. From the written word to huge exhibitions and events, art plays a vital role in our daily lives, and we want to highlight these incredible artists in the Festival and all year long.
FISH HAVE NO PSYCHIATRISTS: A DAY WITH ANDREI CODRESCU
Sponsored by Claudine Legault and Ginny Weiler
IN-PERSON SCREENING: APRIL 20 / 4:00PM / UNCSA – MAIN THEATRE
THE GIRLS ARE ALRIGHT
Sponsored by Stone’s Throw Films
IN-PERSON SCREENING: APRIL 22 / 5:00PM / MARKETPLACE CINEMAS #1
*This film is screening in-person only*
PLAYING THE CHANGES – TRACKING DARIUS BRUBECK
Sponsored by Barry Seltzer
Marketing Partner: Camel City Jazz Orchestra
PRECEDED BY: HOW IT BREATHES
IN-PERSON SCREENINGS: APRIL 22 / 8:00PM / HANESBRANDS THEATRE
APRIL 23 / 4:00PM / REYNOLDS PLACE THEATRE – $6
*This film is screening in-person only*
UNCROPPED
Sponsored by Susan Von Cannon & Franklyn Millman and Triad Camera
IN-PERSON SCREENINGS: APRIL 22 / 5:00PM / HANESBRANDS THEATRE
APRIL 23 / 5:00PM / MARKETPLACE CINEMAS #1
WESTERMANN: MEMORIAL TO THE IDEA OF MAN IF HE WAS AN IDEA
Sponsored by Matthew Scharf
IN-PERSON SCREENINGS: APRIL 22 / 7:00PM / MARKETPLACE CINEMAS #2
APRIL 24 / 5:00PM / MARKETPLACE CINEMAS #1
THE WILD ONE
Sponsored by John C. Larson
IN-PERSON SCREENING: APRIL 26 / 5:30PM / UNCSA – GOLD THEATRE
*This film is screening in-person only*
GLOBAL CURRENTS
A cinema passport around the world. Film can take audiences to places they have never been before and teach them about the wide world outside our doors. These films are from all over the globe and show wide-ranging stories you might never see anywhere else.
LA BELLE DAME SANS MERCI
IN-PERSON SCREENINGS: APRIL 20 / 4:00PM / MARKETPLACE CINEMAS #1
APRIL 23 / 2:00PM / HANESBRANDS THEATRE – $6
THE INVISIBLE FIGHT
IN-PERSON SCREENINGS: APRIL 25 / 5:00PM / MARKETPLACE CINEMAS #1
APRIL 26 / 9:00PM / MARKETPLACE CINEMAS #2
*This film is screening in-person only*
SOLO
Marketing Partners: OUT at the Movies and Alternative Resources of the Triad
IN-PERSON SCREENING: APRIL 24 / 7:30PM / REYNOLDS PLACE THEATRE
*This film is screening in-person only*
TONI
Sponsored by Karen and Matt Coleman
IN-PERSON SCREENINGS: APRIL 21 / 7:00PM / UNCSA – GOLD THEATRE
APRIL 25 / 1:00PM / REYNOLDS PLACE THEATRE – $6
*This film is screening in-person only*
FROM THE ARCHIVES
Preserving cinematic history. Every year we like to highlight archival films throughout the Festival with showings on the big screen featuring special guests. Two studio centennials are
taking place in 2024, and we are commemorating the storied pasts of Columbia Pictures and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM). They were at opposite ends of the studio spectrum when they
were founded; Columbia as one of the “Little Three” of the eight major studios and MGM as one of the “Big Five.” However, fortunes changed over the years resulting in a reversal of status.
Today, both companies are well-poised to continue in the new media environment; Columbia as part of Sony Pictures Entertainment and MGM, now a division of Amazon. Additionally, we feature Sergeant Rutledge from Warner Bros. with Master of Cinema Constance Towers Gavin as a special guest.
MY NAME IS JULIA ROSS
Sponsored by Bill & Rose Ameen
Special Introduction: Rob Davis
IN-PERSON SCREENING: APRIL 19 / 8:00PM / UNCSA – GOLD THEATRE
*This film is screening in-person only*
SHOW BOAT
Marketing Partner: Ava Gardner Museum
Special Guests: Angelica Henry and Lora Stocker, Ava Gardner Museum
IN-PERSON SCREENING: APRIL 20 / 3:30PM / UNCSA – GOLD THEATRE
*This film is screening in-person only*
JULIE
Sponsored by Bill & Rose Ameen
Special Guest: Foster Hirsch
IN-PERSON SCREENING: APRIL 27 / 4:30PM / UNCSA – MAIN THEATRE
*This film is screening in-person only*
DR. STRANGELOVE OR: HOW I LEARNED TO STOP WORRYING AND LOVE THE BOMB
Sponsored by Renata Jackson
Special Guest: Renata Jackson
IN-PERSON SCREENING: APRIL 21 / 3:30PM / UNCSA – MAIN THEATRE
*This film is screening in-person only*
SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN
Sponsored by Salemtowne
Special Guest: Renata Jackson
IN-PERSON SCREENING: APRIL 27 / 1:30PM / UNCSA – MAIN THEATRE
*This film is screening in-person only*
SERGEANT RUTLEDGE
Sponsored by Marcsa Birkas & Billy Mai
Special Guest: Constance Towers Gavin
IN-PERSON SCREENING: APRIL 26 / 7:30PM / UNCSA – MAIN THEATRE
*This film is screening in-person only*
CAROLINA STORIES
Home grown stories. This section features films that focus on stories made in or about our great Carolina region.
BLOOM
Sponsored by Novant Health
IN-PERSON SCREENING: APRIL 21 / 4:00PM / MARKETPLACE CINEMAS #1
FAMILY TREE
Sponsored by Billie & Chip Cole
IN-PERSON SCREENING: APRIL 27 / 4:00PM / MARKETPLACE CINEMAS #1
GUNFIGHTER PARADISE
IN-PERSON SCREENING: APRIL 19 / 7:30PM / REYNOLDS PLACE THEATRE
MAY THE LORD WATCH: THE LITTLE BROTHER STORY
Sponsored by EMBER Audio + Design
IN-PERSON SCREENING: APRIL 21 / 4:30PM / MARKETPLACE CINEMAS #2
*This film is screening in-person only*
THE PLAYMAKER
Marketing Partners: Bookmarks and NC Writers’ Network
IN-PERSON SCREENING: APRIL 27 / 4:30PM / MARKETPLACE CINEMAS #2
POLECAT
PRECEDED BY: O&0
IN-PERSON SCREENING: APRIL 21 / 7:30PM / HANESBRANDS THEATRE
RED, WHITEVILLE, AND BLUE
IN-PERSON SCREENING: APRIL 21 / 4:00PM / REYNOLDS PLACE THEATRE
*This film is screening in-person only*
A SONG FOR IMOGENE
IN-PERSON SCREENING: APRIL 23 / 8:00PM / MARKETPLACE CINEMAS #1
THROUGH THE LINES
Sponsored by Butler + Burke
Marketing Partner – National Sports Media Association
IN-PERSON SCREENINGS: APRIL 21 / 4:30PM / HANESBRANDS THEATRE
APRIL 23 / 5:30PM / RED CINEMAS GREENSBORO
YOU & I
Sponsored by Sharla & Bob Slappey
IN-PERSON SCREENING: APRIL 22 / 8:00PM / MARKETPLACE CINEMAS #1
*This film is screening in-person only*
FILMS WITH CLASS
Teaching through film. RiverRun recognizes the unique and critical role arts education plays in reaching students in and outside the classroom. Through our free education program, Films With Class, we present screenings of carefully selected films during the school year and at the Festival each spring. In these two shorts blocks, we chose short films that will work with the current curriculum to teach students through film.
This program is Sponsored by Duke Energy and The Lovett Foundation
FILMS WITH CLASS MIDDLE/HIGH SCHOOL SHORTS PROGRAM
RATING: TN TEEN+
Contains mild adult themes
Runtime: 113 MIN.
Sponsored by Blanco Tackabery
IN-PERSON SCREENING: APRIL 24 / 4:30PM / REYNOLDS PLACE THEATRE – $6
DUET
FREEDOM WADERS: THE STRUGGLE TO INTEGRATE CHICAGO’S RAINBOW BEACH
LEADING
STILL, WE LIVE ON (‘A’-T’I’ XWEE-GHAYT-NISH)
FILMS WITH CLASS SHORTS PROGRAM – ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Runtime: 55 MIN.
RATING: FM – Appropriate for ages 7+
IN-PERSON SCREENING: APRIL 25 / 4:30PM / HANESBRANDS THEATRE – $6
BALAM
CAMP KONA
CRITTERZ
#DOUDOUCHALLENGE
INBETWEENING BEINGS
THE LEGEND OF ARANA
LUKI AND THE LIGHTS
THE MAN WHO LOVED FLOWERS
SO MUCH MORE TO OFFER
SHORTS BLOCKS
NARRATIVE SHORTS PROGRAM ONE: EXPERIMENTAL THINKING
110 MIN.
RATING: MT – INTENDED FOR MATURE AUDIENCES
Contains adult language and themes
IN-PERSON SCREENINGS: APRIL 20 / 1:30PM / REYNOLDS PLACE THEATRE
APRIL 27 / 1:00PM / UNCSA – BABCOCK THEATRE
THE GHOST
WOULD YOU?
GAME, INTERRUPTED
ORDER FOR PICKUP
IVANIA
IN AN ORDERLY FASHION
TOAST
THE STEAK
NOWHERE
SHE SINGS
NARRATIVE SHORTS PROGRAM TWO: WHO I AM?
114 MIN.
RATING: MT – INTENDED FOR MATURE AUDIENCES
Contains adult language and situations
In-Person Screenings: APRIL 21 / 7:30PM / UNCSA – BABCOCK THEATRE
APRIL 27 / 4:00PM / UNCSA – BABCOCK THEATRE
BYE BYE, BOWSER
ESSEX GIRLS
MARA HAS THREE JOBS IN SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO
TOMB OF THE SEA
Sponsored by Anna Reilly & Matthew Cullinan
MOTHERLAND
HELP ME UNDERSTAND
ORIGINAL SKIN
OUR MALES AND FEMALES
DOCUMENTARY SHORTS PROGRAM ONE
128 MIN.
RATING: MT – INTENDED FOR MATURE AUDIENCES
Contains mild adult language and some images of dead animals
Sponsored by The Greene Hall Family
IN-PERSON SCREENINGS: APRIL 19 / 4:30PM / MARKETPLACE CINEMAS #1 – $6
APRIL 27 / 3:30PM / UNCSA – GOLD THEATRE
THE BIG WAIT
THE ORCHESTRA CHUCK BUILT
PRIMERO, SUEÑO
RECLAIM
THEN COMES THE BODY
WE EXIST IN MEMORY
WILD HOGS AND SAFFRON
DOCUMENTARY SHORTS PROGRAM TWO
122 MIN.
RATING: MT – INTENDED FOR MATURE AUDIENCES
Contains some violent descriptions and images as well as mild adult language
Sponsored by The Greene Hall Family
IN-PERSON SCREENINGS: APRIL 20 / 12:30PM / UNCSA – GOLD THEATRE
APRIL 26 / 6:30PM / UNCSA – BABCOCK THEATRE
BLUEPRINT FOR MY PEOPLE
THE CALLERS
I AM MORE DANGEROUS DEAD
THE ONLY GIRL IN THE ORCHESTRA
TO MYSELF, WITH LOVE: THE BESSIE STRINGFIELD STORY
WINDOW TREATMENT
ANIMATED SHORTS PROGRAM ONE
104 MIN.
RATING: MT – INTENDED FOR MATURE AUDIENCES
Contains some violent and disturbing images as well as adult themes
IN-PERSON SCREENINGS: APRIL 21 / 1:00PM / UNCSA – GOLD THEATRE
APRIL 27 / 12:30PM / UNCSA – GOLD THEATRE
Sponsored by Zaloo’s Canoes
A BEAR NAMED WOJTEK
A CRAB IN THE POOL
CRITTERZ
DON’T FORGET TO TAKE MEDICINES ON TIME
MINUS PLUS MULTIPLY
THE MIRACLE
MY NAME IS EDGAR AND I HAVE A COW
THE NECTAR INSTEAD
NUBBINWOOD
ON THE 8TH DAY
THE WIDE EYED GIRL AND THE LONG LEGGED BOY
ANIMATED SHORTS PROGRAM TWO
99 MIN.
RATING: MT – INTENDED FOR MATURE AUDIENCES
Contains adult themes and language
IN-PERSON SCREENINGS: APRIL 21 / 4:00PM / UNCSA – GOLD THEATRE
APRIL 26 / 8:00PM / UNCSA – GOLD THEATRE
Sponsored by Zaloo’s Canoes
A COW IN THE SKY
A FERRIS WHEEL IN THE DESERT
IN THE SHADOW OF THE CYPRESS
LAKE BAIKAL (BAIGAL NUUR)
MY VAGINA
PAUMO D’AMOUR
SEASONS
THE SUN IS BAD
THINK SOMETHING NICE
WANDER TO WONDER
SATURDAY MORNING CARTOONS
64 MIN.
RATING: FM – Appropriate for ages 8+
Sponsored by Winston-Salem Fairgrounds Home of the Carolina Classic Fair and ABC45
In-Person Screenings: APRIL 20 / 10:00AM / HANESBRANDS THEATRE – FREE
APRIL 27 / 10:00AM / HANESBRANDS THEATRE – FREE
BENT OUT OF SHAPE
BREW WHO
THE CANDY LADY
DANDELION
DOG DAYS
FISH OUT OF WATER
HEAD IN THE CLOUDS
IF I WERE A PONY
LITTLE FAN
LOVE AT FIRST LIGHT
OVO
THE RAINBOW BRIDGE
RED BIRD
THREE TREES
TODAY WE CLIMBED A HILL
TRAIN RIDE
LATE NIGHT SHORTS
113 MIN.
RATING: MT – INTENDED FOR MATURE AUDIENCES
Contains adult language, violence, and sexual situations
Sponsored by Winston Factory Lofts
IN-PERSON SCREENING: APRIL 20 / 10:00PM / HANESBRANDS THEATRE
THE BUBBY BEAR SHOW
THE BULLFIGHTER
EXUMA
FED
INNER FREAK
LEMON-AID
ODDITIES
THE OTHER PARTNERS
THE RAINBOW BRIDGE
STITCHED
NORTH CAROLINA SHORTS PROGRAM ONE: DOCUMENTARIES
88 MIN.
RATING: MT – INTENDED FOR MATURE AUDIENCES
Contains mild adult language and themes
Sponsored by Nelson Mullins
IN-PERSON SCREENINGS: APRIL 21 / 1:30PM / UNCSA – BABCOCK THEATRE
APRIL 25 / 4:00PM / REYNOLDS PLACE THEATRE – $6
BESTSELLER
BITE OF BÉNIN
ELWELL FERRY
IT’S OKAY
UMOJA
NORTH CAROLINA SHORTS PROGRAM TWO: NARRATIVES
126 MIN.
RATING: MT – INTENDED FOR MATURE AUDIENCES
Contains adult language and themes
Sponsored by Nelson Mullins
IN-PERSON SCREENINGS: APRIL 21 / 4:30PM / UNCSA – BABCOCK THEATRE
APRIL 25 / 7:30PM / REYNOLDS PLACE THEATRE
BRENDA GETS GASLIT
CHOICES
THE ENTIRE LIFESPAN OF A MAYFLY
LAYAWAY
MILA AND IMRAN
PIE
RUBY
SKATEBOARD
STRAWBERRY MOUTHWASH
SURVIVED BY
T-MINUS
NORTH CAROLINA SHORTS PROGRAM THREE: WINSTON STORIES
90 MIN.
RATING: MT – INTENDED FOR MATURE AUDIENCES
Contains mild adult themes and language
IN-PERSON SCREENING: APRIL 26 / 5:30PM / HANESBRANDS THEATRE
Sponsored by Nelson Mullins
ART BRIDGES: ECONOMIC IMPACT
EL SAZÓN
HALF SISTERS
RIDE
UNITED
WELCOME(D)
YOUR CADENZA
RIVERRUN AT RED CINEMAS
Collaboration. RiverRun’s partnership with RED Cinemas in Greensboro continues! For seven years, we have been presenting festival and year-round screenings at RED Cinemas to allow more people to experience all that RiverRun has to offer.
BAU, ARTIST AT WAR (Listed under Special Screenings)
APRIL 22 / 5:30PM
THE GHOST TRAP (Listed under Focus)
APRIL 22 / 8:00PM
THROUGH THE LINES (Listed under Carolina Stories)
APRIL 23 / 5:30PM
THE GOOD HALF (Listed under Special Screenings)
APRIL 23 / 8:00PM
MAD ABOUT THE BOY: THE NOEL COWARD STORY (Listed under Special Screenings)
APRIL 24 / 5:30PM
WILLIE & ME (Listed under Special Screenings)
APRIL 24 / 8:00PM
OUT THERE: A NATIONAL PARKS STORY (Listed under Focus)
APRIL 25 / 5:30PM
MR. BLAKE AT YOUR SERVICE! (Listed under Special Screenings)
APRIL 25 / 8:00PM
RIVERRUN KIDS KORNER
All events listed below are FREE and open to the public!
RiverRun has put together another fantastic line-up of free events for our youngest audiences and those young at heart! Beginning with our Saturday Morning Cartoons and ending with a screening under the stars, we invite you to join in the fun!
SATURDAY MORNING CARTOONS
Sponsored by ABC45
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 and adults 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! Runtime: 64 MIN.
APRIL 20 & 27 / 10:00AM / HANESBRANDS THEATRE – FREE
MARKETPLACE SCREENING
Sponsored by Duke Energy and Mast General Store
PUFFIN ROCK AND THE NEW FRIENDS
Sponsored by ABC45
APRIL 27 / 1:00PM / MARKETPLACE CINEMAS #1 – FREE
OUTDOOR EVENING SCREENING
Screening sponsored by Children’s Law Center, Duke Energy and Mast General Store
CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS
Marketing Partner: Kaleideum
Sponsored by ABC45
APRIL 20 / 6:30PM GATES OPEN – FILM WILL BEGIN AT 8:00PM OR WHEN DARK / CROSSNORE FARM – 1001 REYNOLDA ROAD – FREE
PANELS
*All panels are FREE and open to the public *
BIPOC FILM PROGRAM: BLACK GENRE AND HORROR FILMS
Wes Andre Goodrich was a finalist in our inaugural BIPOC Filmmaker Fellowship. Goodrich is a Brooklyn-bred writer/director. Since graduating from Columbia University’s MFA Film Program, he has been on the festival circuit with his two shorts: Speak Up Brotha!, a musical romance in the style of ’90s Black films, and Palm Sunday, a southern gothic film about a Jamaican man attempting to assimilate into an all-white church in 1970s Raleigh, North Carolina, which won the Short Film Grand Prize at the Calgary International Film Festival. He is currently working on a short film, Meal Ticket, for Hillman Grad’s Rising Voices Fellowship, which will premiere at Tribeca this June, and he was selected by Filmmaker Magazine as one of the 2023 New Faces of Film.
Goodrich feels the best directors are great samplers, knowing the lineage their movie exists within and recontextualizing visual ideas to say something new and unique. As a filmmaker, he is drawn to the 1970s Black genre films that lock you firmly in the subjective world of the protagonists and horror and thriller films that are uniquely situated to talk directly about societal anxieties, particularly of underrepresented communities. Following a screening of his short films Speak Up Brotha! and Palm Sunday, Goodrich will be joined by Jim Steele of WSNC Radio to discuss how genre films connect across cultures and time and inspire his filmmaking.
Saturday, April 20 / 12:00PM / Reynolds Place Theatre
Special Guests: Wes Andre Goodrich and Jim Steele
Sponsored by Arts Council of Winston-Salem & Forsyth County, Duke Energy, Forsyth County and Reynolds
THE PIEDMONT TRIAD FILM COMMISSION: 30 YEARS OF RECRUITING FILM BUSINESS & THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF ACADEMY AWARD-WINNING TWO SOLDIERS
Film commissions play a vital role in attracting film and television production crews to shoot on
location in their respective localities and offer support so that productions can accomplish their
work smoothly. We are fortunate to have the Piedmont Triad Film Commission (PTFC) working on behalf of this region, and the organization is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year.
The Commission celebrates its anniversary with a special screening of the Academy Award-winning film Two Soldiers, a highlight of the commission’s recruitment efforts. Two Soldiers is an American, short drama film based on a 1942 short story by William Faulkner. The film is also celebrating an anniversary, having won the Academy Award for Best Live Action Short 20 years ago in 2004. Following a screening of the film, director Aaron Schneider and producer Andy Sacks will join PTFC Executive Director Rebecca Clark to discuss how the PTFC collaborates with production companies and the community to recruit film business and all the many ways it benefits the region.
Saturday, April 20 / 3:00 PM / UNCSA Babcock Theatre
Special Guests: Rebecca Clark, Aaron Schneider, and Andy Sacks
BIPOC FILM PROGRAM: SUDANESE CINEMA NOW
RiverRun’s inaugural BIPOC Fellow, Fatima Wardy, hosts a filmmaker discussion on Sudanese
filmmaking. Sudan has a rich cinematic history, and while there have been fiction and non-fiction projects made in Sudan before, the present is the first time that so many films have been produced in such a short period with international success. The passion that this generation of artists has displayed in the making of these films in the face of extreme difficulty is something worth celebrating while recognizing that a new movement in Sudanese cinema has arrived.
Fatima Wardy is a Sudanese filmmaker who works across fiction and non-fiction mediums.
Currently, she is pursuing a Master of Fine Arts in Film and Media Production at the University of Texas at Austin. Wardy’s body of work examines the experience of belonging to a diaspora, and how displacement manifests in the daily lives of immigrants. Community, heritage, and generational knowledge exchange are recurring themes in the stories she tells. Wardy will be joined by filmmaker Mamdooh Salih for a discussion on the status and future of Sudanese filmmaking. The panel will follow a screening of two short Sudanese films, Al-Sit and A Handful of Dates.
Sunday, April 21 / 2:00PM / Milton Rhodes Center – Reynolds Place Theatre
Special Guests: Fatima Wardy and Mamdooh Salih
13TH ANNUAL PITCH FEST STUDENT DOCUMENTARY FILM COMPETITION
Join us for our annual competition with student documentary filmmakers pitching their ideas
to a panel of jurors, who provide feedback and award cash prizes to the first and second place
winners. Schools participating this year at the time of publication include Savannah College of Art and Design, Tulane University, the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, and Wake Forest University. Pitch Fest will be hosted by Casey Zanowic, ABC45.
Saturday, April 27 / 12:00PM / Hanesbrands Theatre
Special Guest Judges: Filmmakers Emily Harrold, Zara Meerza, and John M. Scholl
Moderated by Casey Zanowic, ABC45
Sponsored by Verger Capital and The Lovett Foundation
EDITING THE DOCUMENTARY FILM: A CONVERSATION WITH KATE AMEND
RiverRun’s 2024 Master of Cinema recipient, Kate Amend, joins fellow filmmaker Peter Gilbert
to discuss her illustrious career as a documentary film editor. Kate Amend is the editor of the
Academy Award-winning documentary features The Long Way Home (1998) and Into The Arms of Strangers: Stories of the Kindertransport (2001). Amend also edited the 2001 Oscar-nominated documentary short On Tiptoe: Gentle Steps to Freedom and the Peabody Award-winner Beah: A Black Woman Speaks. Amend is on the Board of Directors of the American Cinema Editors and is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. In 2023, she received the illustrious lifetime achievement award from the American Cinema Editors Eddie Awards.
Peter Gilbert is a documentary filmmaker and was the cinematographer and one of the producers
of Hoop Dreams, an acclaimed 1994 film about two teenage basketball players in Chicago.
Saturday, April 27 / 4:00PM / Hanesbrands Theatre
Special Guests: Master of Cinema Recipient Film Editor Kate Amend and Peter Gilbert, Creative Director and Outreach Professor of Practice, Wake Forest University Documentary Film Program and Producer
HONOREES
KATE AMEND, ACE Master of Cinema
Kate Amend is the editor of two Academy Award-winning documentary features, Into the Arms of Strangers and The Long Way Home, and is the recipient of the International Documentary Association’s inaugural award for Outstanding Achievement in Editing. Amend also received the 2001 American Cinema Editors’ Eddie Award for Into the Arms of Strangers and edited the 2001 Oscar-nominated short On Tiptoe. Amend was nominated for an Emmy for The Case Against 8, an award-winner at the 2014 Sundance, SXSW, and RiverRun Film Festivals. Recent credits include Viva Maestro!, a documentary about Gustavo Dudamel, Foster for HBO, The Keepers, a Netflix series, Feminists: What Were They Thinking? (also on Netflix), Visible: Out on Television, a series for Apple +, and Dave Grusin: Not Enough Time, awarded Best Editing at the 2020 Beverly Hills Film Festival. She is currently co-directing a documentary about pioneering feminist artist Judy Chicago. Amend served on the Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences representing the Documentary Branch for nine years. She has been an advisor at the Sundance Institute Documentary Editing and Storytelling Lab since June 2004 and is on the faculty at USC’s School of Cinematic Arts. In May 2016, she received an Honorary Doctorate from the Academy of Art University, San Francisco, California, and, in 2024, received the American Cinema Editors Eddie Award for Career Achievement.
DIANE BAKER Master of Cinema
Diane Baker received RiverRun’s Master of Cinema Award on Saturday, November 18, 2023, at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts following a screening of The Best of Everything. Baker has had a distinguished career as an actress that began when George Stevens cast her as Anne’s older sister in The Diary of Anne Frank. She had a contract at Twentieth Century Fox, which saw her work with the studio’s top talent in such films as Journey to the Center of the Earth, Tess of the Storm Country, and Stolen Hours. She then appeared at the other major studios in a number of high-profile films including The Prize at MGM with Paul Newman
and Mirage at Universal with Gregory Peck where she also worked with Alfred Hitchcock in Marnie. She has continued her acting career with more recent films including Silence of the
Lambs, The Joy Luck Club, The Cable Guy, The Net, Murder at 1600, Harrison’s Flowers, and many others. Baker expanded her career as a producer, creating several award-winning
documentaries (including To Climb a Mountain for HBO), television specials, and the feature film Never Never Land. Her television mini-series, A Woman of Substance, starring Deborah Kerr, was a critical and commercial Emmy-nominated hit. She has long been a film educator and is currently establishing a two-year, post-graduate film program, Global Film Connect – The Robert Osborne Center for Film Studies.
ADRIENNE BARBEAU Master of Cinema
Adrienne Barbeau began her career in 1963 with the San Jose Civic Light Opera. After touring with a musical comedy revue, entertaining troops on Army bases throughout Southeast Asia, she moved to New York where she made her Broadway debut in Fiddler on the Roof. A Tony nomination and a Theatre World Award for her creation of Rizzo in the original Broadway
production of Grease led her back to California and the role of Bea Arthur’s daughter, Carol, in the hit TV series Maude. Since then, her career has encompassed writing, film, television, concerts, musicals, and plays. Movie fans know her best for her performances in The Fog, Escape From New York, Creepshow, Swamp Thing, Back to School, and Cannonball Run. She starred as Ruthie, the Snake Dancer, on HBO’s Carnivale and played Oswald’s mom on Drew Carey, among many other performances in numerous television series. Daytime viewers know her as Suzanne Stanwyck on General Hospital. Recent television appearances include Criminal
Minds, Grey’s Anatomy, American Horror Stories, and two Netflix series: A.J. and the Queen, starring RuPaul, and Cowboy Bebop, starring John Cho. She has starred in 25 theatrical
productions, done extensive voiceover work, and is the author of four books including her bestselling memoir, There Are Worse Things I Could Do. She stars in Oddities, Tyler Savage’s
short film, in RiverRun’s Late Night Shorts this year.
ROBERT SCHWARTZMAN Emerging Master of Cinema
Robert Schwartzman began his career in the music industry as the frontman on guitar and lead vocals for the pop/rock band Rooney, which he formed in 1999, eventually signing with Interscope/Geffen Records in 2002. He wrote many of the group’s songs, and their debut self-titled album has sold over 500,000 copies. Schwartzman began his film career as an actor starring in the first film written and directed by his cousin, Sofia Coppola, a short film titled Lick the Star. He then starred in her first feature, The Virgin Suicides, which he followed with The Princess Diaries. He moved behind the camera in 2016, writing and directing his first feature, Dreamland, which premiered at the Tribeca Festival. He followed that by directing The Unicorn, with a script based on his original story, which had its world premiere at SXSW. Other directorial efforts include The Argument and Hung Up On A Dream, his documentary about The Zombies, which was featured at RiverRun last year. This year’s Festival includes The Good Half, a film about a young man forging new relationships and healing old ones when he returns home for his mother’s funeral. Schwartzman directed the film, which premiered at Tribeca. In 2018, he and Cole Harper co-founded Utopia, a film distribution and sales company that specializes in independent and documentary cinema.
CONSTANCE TOWERS GAVIN Master of Cinema
Constance Towers Gavin is a renowned singer and star of Broadway, television, and motion pictures, particularly remembered for her starring role as Mrs. Anna opposite Yul Brynner in the 1978 Broadway revival of The King and I. Her filmography includes A Perfect Murder with Gwyneth Paltrow, the Samuel Fuller film noir cult classics Shock Corridor and The Naked Kiss, and, most recently, The Storyteller. She also starred in John Ford’s The Horse Soldiers with John Wayne and William Holden and Sergeant Rutledge with Woody Strode. Her many television appearances include Frasier, Deep Space 9, LA Law, Designing Women, Caroline in the City, and Murder, She Wrote. Soap opera fans may recognize her as the longtime villainess Helena Cassadine on ABC’s General Hospital. Gavin’s warmth and sincerity extend beyond the footlights to her one-on-one associations with people in need. During her husband John Gavin’s tenure as United States Ambassador to Mexico, she felt a strong commitment to helping the Mexican people and began working with a government agency for orphaned children. Frustrated by red tape when the tragic earthquake struck Mexico City in 1985, she founded Project Connie to do for the victims what others could not or would not do. Through the dedicated and caring endeavors of her organization, she has saved the lives and improved the quality of life for countless children in Mexico, as well as immigrants to the U.S. from Latin America.
RIVERRUN SPONSORS
The RiverRun International Film Festival’s sponsors help sustain the organization’s mission to foster a greater appreciation of cinema and a deeper understanding of the many people, cultures and perspectives of our world through regular interaction with great films and filmmakers. Festival sponsors include:
Title & Presenting Sponsors: Arts Council of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County, City of Winston-Salem, Forsyth County, Millennium Fund, UNCSA
Marquee Sponsors: Kilpatrick Townsend Attorneys at Law, Nelson Mullins, National Endowment for the Arts, North Carolina Arts Council, PNC
ABOUT RIVERRUN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
The RiverRun International Film Festival is a non-profit cultural organization dedicated to the role of cinema as a conduit of powerful ideas and diverse viewpoints. Founded in 1998, RiverRun is a competitive event that annually showcases new films from both established and emerging filmmakers around the world. Each spring, RiverRun screens new narrative, documentary, short, student and animated films, offering both audience and jury prizes in competition categories. For more information, visit riverrunfilm.com.
