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As the City of Arts & Innovation, Winston-Salem is the proud home of the RiverRun International Film Festival, an 11-day event that shines as one of the premier film festivals in the Southeast. The 24th annual RiverRun is set to take place on April 21-30, 2022. Look for showings at various venues around town (including RED Cinemas in Greensboro) and a few will also be available for virtual, at-home viewing.
Founded in 1998, the RiverRun Film Festival got its name from the French Broad River near Brevard, North Carolina, where the event was originally held. The festival moved to Winston-Salem in 2003.
The 2022 Festival features 174 films featuring 33 countries. RiverRun Film Festival screening venues during the 11-day Festival included the following Winston-Salem locations: UNCSA, SECCA, Marketplace Cinemas, Hanesbrands Theatre, Bailey Park, Crossnore, Kilpatrick Townsend campus, and RED Cinemas in Greensboro.
RiverRun Film Festival Insider Tips
We here at MyWinston-Salem.com are excited to have access to some behind-the-scenes info on the Festival to share with our readers!
How To Plan For RiverRun
Once the film lineup is announced (about a month before the start of the festival), peruse the RiverRun website to get familiar with the films and start making your choices. It’s wise to use the online film list to make your selections (and buy tickets) in advance.
In 2022, the film lineup was announced on April 4, 2022, and tickets went on sale to members on April 5 and to the general public on April 8.
The list of films is a lot to sort through, so consider using the website’s tabs to search by the date you can attend, and/or your favorite genres. RiverRun staff encourages festival-goers to be a little adventurous and get outside of their comfort zones: “Be prepared to take risks. Find something in a film’s description that looks interesting to you. See something with subtitles.”
Once you’ve narrowed down your list, buy your tickets early! Many sell out in advance, so be sure to buy your tickets online today. You can get a package for multiple films or buy individual tickets under each film’s listing on the RiverRun website.
Keep in mind that tickets vary in price. Depending on the film, prices range from free, to $6 for weekday matinees (weekdays before 5 pm), student tickets at $10, and regular screenings for $12. So plan your budget accordingly for this once-a-year opportunity. You can also buy a sampler of 10 film tickets for $109 ($120 value) or a 6 film mini-sampler for $50 ($60 value).
Oscar-Qualifying Festival For Documentary Shorts
In 2015, RiverRun was accredited as a qualifying festival for the Oscars® in the category of Animated Shorts in addition to their initial accreditation for their Documentary Shorts category. This acknowledgment by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences puts our festival into a new league of excellence of which we all can be proud.
Opening Weekend
RiverRun Opening Night is the first Thursday night. Each year RiverRun offers two opening night film options to choose from – a narrative film and a documentary.
The opening night film is always a sellout and a sure-fire way to ensure you jump into this local event with a bang! This year’s opening night film is The Rose Maker, a French comedy about a garden business and the potential fraud escapades to save it. It will make you laugh, cry, and feel all the emotions that a good film should do, while also allowing you a much-needed escape.
TBD on the documentary feature for opening night.
Spectacular Lineup
With 174 films to choose from, there is something for everyone!
Family Day is another must-do featuring Saturday Morning Cartoons, a free screening of new animated shorts on both Saturday mornings of the Festival.
Visit RiverRun’s Website to learn more about the great film and event lineup.
Meet The Filmmakers
One of the great aspects of the Festival is the variety of directors, actors, and film industry folks who come to Winston-Salem to represent their films, offer Q&A sessions following the screenings of their films, discussion panels (often free), and parties. Normally, you can expect more than 100 filmmakers and industry guests to be in attendance.
Does “Sold Out” Really Mean Sold Out?
Maybe. Even if advance tickets for a film are “sold out,” there’s a good chance you can still get in if you get there 45 minutes early and get your name on the Wait List. Fifteen minutes before showtime, any empty seats are counted and sold to those on the Wait List. This also means that if you have bought tickets, be sure to be there and in your seat at least 15 minutes before the start time of your chosen movie or you may be out of luck (or, out of a seat, literally).
What is your favorite part of RiverRun?
Tagged With: Films, RiverRun
