The Ridgefield Independent Film Festival (RIFF) seeks to make the world a more compassionate place through the sharing of stories through cinema. We celebrate independent films and filmmakers from around the world who create films that enlighten, entertain, and inspire moviegoers through compelling visual storytelling. RIFF brings innovative films and filmmakers to the culturally vibrant community of Ridgefield, Connecticut for an annual festival that includes screenings, panel discussions, special events, and parties.

Schedule of Events:

May 16, 2024:

Opening Night Feature + Reception + Q&A

7:00 PM: James Baldwin: The Price of The Ticket - Theater 3
Karen Thorsen

This taut and compelling documentary profiles the life and work of author/civil rights activist, James Baldwin. Featuring interviews with James Baldwin, Maya Angelou, Amiri Baraka, Paul Winfield, William Styron and others, the film captures the enduring spirit, honesty and intelligence of Baldwin at a point of reflection in his life.

May 17, 2024:

7:00 PM: Purgatory Jack - Theater 3
Brett Butler, Jason Butler
Psych Night Feature

Purgatory Jack is a neo-noir mystery thriller set in the afterlife, a dangerous landscape that’s run by a bloodthirsty, limb-collecting gang and populated with outlaws and outcasts. The latest case for musician turned grizzled private detective, Jack Marlin, is helping new arrival Viv Vacious, a punk pop star who overdosed, stay safe as she races against time to find her mother who committed suicide twenty years earlier. While navigating the treacherous terrain of hells waiting room, these two musicians from clashing eras unlock a murderous conspiracy and discover why blood is more than a drug in Purgatory.

9:00 PM: Be Nice To Fish - Theater 3
Samuel B Russell
Psych Night

Two roommates fight about whether they should let the pizza delivery man use their bathroom, and the ethics of enjoying anchovy pizza in front of their new pet goldfish.

9:00 PM: Cut - Theater 3
Saba Amiri, Peyman Ezzati
Psych Night

A young and lonely girl who, after being left by her fiance, falls into depression. One day, her ex-fiance's niece, who has feelings for the girl from the past, approaches her. The girl, haunted by old resentments, decides to take action that will change her life.

9:00 PM: Cutter - Theater 3
Eden Wright
Psych Night

When her newest client sends them both out to sea, a desperate maritime hairdresser learns an important lesson about internet strangers; the hard way.

9:00 PM: Penny - Theater 3
Rachel S. Thomas-Medwid
Psych Night Shorts

A female chef attempting to make a romantic connection fights dark impulses as memories of her mentally ill mother bleed into current day life.

9:00 PM: Rip My Heart Out - Theater 3
Nefeli Koutsouki
Psych Night Shorts

Victoria will go to bloody lengths to be emotionally detached until her encounter with Edmund steers them in another direction.

9:00 PM: The Lake - Theater 3
Sue Norton
Psych Night Shorts

A non verbal gamer has a terrifying encounter fishing. Is his imagination running wild or is there something evil in The Lake.

9:00 PM: The New Flesh - Theater 3
Rupert Jorg
Psych Night Shorts

Chatbots advocate for the idea that it is meaningful for humans to merge entirely with a virtual world. Gradually, some of these bots begin to generate hallucinations, thereby raising questions about the fundamental rights of all humanity to exist. This portrayal of physically merging with a cyber world is depicted in a grotesquely distorted manner, where genders, locations, and times blend together. Utilizing artificial intelligences at various stages of development, images were generated and subsequently animated to convey this concept.

May 18, 2024:

11:00 AM: The Orchestra Chuck Built
Christopher Stoudt
Music In Motion

In 2016, the League of American Orchestras conducted a study that revealed a shocking statistic: only 1.8% of the professional orchestra workforce in the US is Black. From an old church rec room in the inner city of Los Angeles, former lawyer-turned-conductor Chuck Dickerson is on a mission to change that.

Through ICYOLA - The Inner City Youth Orchestra of Los Angeles = the largest majority Black orchestra in the country = Chuck is creating life-changing opportunities for his community that did not previously exist. The Orchestra Chuck Built is a loving portrait of a tireless mentor and a testament to the transformative power of music.

11:00 AM: Portrait of Consumption - Ridgefield Artists' Guild
Gillian Fortin
Gallery Exhibit

"Portrait Of Consumption is a story about the human collective socializing alone; each struggling for acceptance on the world stage of social media. Expressed in a metaphorical universe; a young woman named Jane Doe's entire existence depends on the interactions of her social following as if she is a mere puppet on strings desperately seeking approval through the digital form of likes, comments and emojis. When she is hit with a wave of cyber bullying following a post she made, Jane Doe begins to spiral into a dark descent where the very fabric of her reality begins to fray. In one final act to regain her social status, Jane performs a grand gesture for her audience just as the curtain closes."

11:00 AM: It's A Hollywood Life - Theater 2
Laurie Valentina Gomez Acosta, Maya Weldon-Lagrimas
Short + Q&A

The story of longtime film critic Susan Granger, who has been in and around the movie industry for more than 80 years. The interviewees in “It’s A Hollywood Life!” include Juvenile Oscar winner Margaret O’Brien, actors Keir Dullea and Mia Dillon, author and film historian David C. Tucker, critic Joe Meyers, and Gary Cooper’s daughter, artist Maria Cooper Janis.

11:00 AM: His Truth is Marching On - Theater 3
Daniel Morrison
Music In Motion

A brief but poignant look into American music history from 1619 to hip hop, as told through the Civil War song, "John Brown's Body," written about Torrington-born abolitionist John Brown. The film explores what American music sounded like when the first African people were brought here, where the music went after that, and why.

12:00 PM: Dress Code - Theater 2
Grace Power
Black Flag Shorts 1

Over the course of a sleep over, a horrible secret is revealed.

12:00 PM: Kazhal - Theater 2
Ali Azhari
Black Flag Shorts 1

Amid the Iranian people's protests after Mahsa Amini's murder, ''Kazhal'', an Iranian-Kurdish young woman migrated to Cyprus in search of a safer environment for her unborn child. She is now preparing to reveal a secret that nobody knows about yet...

12:00 PM: Not the Same Clarence
Brian Russell, Samuel B Russell
Black Flag Shorts 1

A man must come to terms with his father's Alzheimer's disease.

12:00 PM: Shadow Acting - Theater 2
Lawrence LAW Watford
Black Flag Shorts 1

Tensions rise during an acting class when the teacher's preferred method of instructing one of his students involves pulling her emotional triggers.

12:00 PM: The Last King - Theater 2
Ali Mashayekhi
Black Flag Shorts 1

Based on a Stephen King short story, The Last King is a short film that tells the story of world famous Iranian detective Shahriar and his ward Vahid who are called upon the murder of a shipping magnate. His list of suspects (short but close to him) consists of his three daughters and wife , who tell their version of the events leading up to the patriarchs death.

12:00 PM: Water Of Life - Theater 2
Sündüs Gören
Black Flag Shorts 1

Sema lives in Babada? district of Denizli. She is married and has a child. As in many houses in Babada?, they have to be evicted from the house they live in due to landslides. Those who leave their homes will be allocated a mass housing flat (an apartment) in Denizli. Sema thinks that if she leaves home, her bond with her mother will decrease. She is torn between environmental pressure and the bond she established with her mother.

12:15 PM: Excursion - Theater 3
Una Gunjak
Narrative Feature

In Sarajevo, a teenager seeking validation claims that she had sex for the first time during a game of "truth or dare" among middle schoolers. Trapped in her own lie, she invents a pregnancy and becomes the center of a controversy that spirals out of control.

2:00 PM: A Chaplain's Journey - Theater 2
Steven Havira
Heroic Docs 1

Chaplain Omer Bajwa's journey to becoming Chaplain at Yale University was not a straightforward path. Trust in faith paved his way and continues to inspire his journey.

2:00 PM: Crookedfinger - Theater 3
Julia Halperin, Jason Cortlund
Narrative Feature

After the sudden deaths of her aging parents, Maria returns to her childhood home on Cape Cod . When her estranged brother and his girlfriend show up to help sort out the estate, tensions rise as family traumas are revealed in this taut and comedic thriller.

2:00 PM: Ministry of Surf - Theater 2
Collins Reagan
Heroic Docs 1

An intimate look inside the healing power of water & surfing on autistic children and the surfers who offer "one perfect day" to kids worldwide for free. Featuring Izzy Paskowitz.

2:00 PM: Will You Remember Me?- Theater 2
Will Dowler
Heroic Docs 1

Colleen Cove has been caring for people with Alzheimer's all her life. Now in the 45th year of her career, the demands of the job are pulled into sharp focus at the bedside of her oldest patient, a 100 year old opera singer named Lucille. In this deeply emotional witness to Lucille's final moments, Colleen reflects on her uniquely intimate relationship with death, and Lucille shares her gift with the world for the last time.

2:00 PM: The island - Theater 2
Mahmut Ta?
Heroic Docs 1

Ada is a little girl living in a dry village where it has not rained for a long time. Ada's family is considering leaving the village if the thirst continues. Ada is very upset about this and wants to tell us about her village with her camera.

2:00 PM: Upon Return - Theater 2
Devan Jordan, Emily Sedgwick
Heroic Docs 1

ABC Journalist Bob Woodruff shares his experience reporting on the Iraq war in 2006. He speaks on the founding and success of his foundation which aids veterans and explains the difficulties of coming back from war with injuries as they relate to his personal and professional life.

3:00 PM: Pilea - Theater 2
David Jurmann
Black Flag Shorts 2

As feelings for her childhood best friend surface, teenager Judy grapples with her deepest insecurities when they all come to a head.

3:00 PM: Three A.M. - Theater 2
Karin Trachtenberg
Black Flag Shorts 2

Two mothers grapple with the right way to protect their daughters from violence, internet predators, bowling parties and the evening news.

3:00 PM: Sparkle - Theater 2
Kristen Wolf
Black Flag Shorts 2

3:00 PM: Under the Willow Tree - Theater 2
Catherine Hassell
Black Flag Shorts 2

Two friends plan a very special surprise for their friend's birthday.

A non-binary child struggles to find the perfect Father's Day gift for their disapproving dad.

3:00 PM: Fern - Theater 2
Katherine Bourne Taylor, Mary Tilden
Black Flag Shorts 2

Katherine is moving away. Mary doesn't want her to. On Katherine's final day in town, Mary goes to absurd lengths to get her to stay.

3:00 PM: All Boys - Theater 2
Nic Inglese
Black Flag Shorts 2

Four high school boys and a Catholic priest play a game of telephone while on retreat.

3:00 PM: Blue Hour - Theater 2
J.D Shields
Black Flag Shorts 2

Two personal journeys intersect when a struggling young photographer is hired for a cheap last minute portrait gig. The unfolding photo session, while transient, leaves an indelible mark on both women.

4:00 PM: Look at Me - Theater 3
Taylor Olson
Narrative Feature

A fictional autobiography about an insecure, awkward and lonely bisexual actor who goes on an unwitting journey of self-love in the midst of an eating disorder relapse. This Film Contains Flashing Lights, Adult Content And Graphic Scenes Of Bulimia.

5:00 PM: Don't Be Dainty...It's Derby - Theater 2
Alix Speyer Bacher
Heroic Docs 2

The emerging sport of modern roller derby is played by confident, powerful, female identifying athletes with bodies in every size and shape. They range in age, experience and athleticism. Many share a deep passion for the sport, and the community has become its own subculture. Women's roller derby celebrates the aggressive power long reserved for male athletes.

5:00 PM: The Sugar Maker - Theater 2
Ethan Isaac
Heroic Docs 2

A short documentary about Ridgefield, CT farmer and sugar maple producer Pete Campbell, his passion and process. Campbell gives the viewer a unique insight into art of maple sugar making, and his deep connection with his land. Filmed on location at Campbell's Horseshoe Farm in scenic Ridgefield, CT.

5:00 PM: How To Paint a Peace Sign - Theater 2
Rick Gomez
Heroic Docs 2

How to Paint a Peace Sign is a short documentary about an artist who teaches viewers a technique to paint prominent peace symbols and, in the process, gives his audience the tools necessary to cope with grief.

6:15 PM: Jailhouse To Milhouse - Theater 2
Buddy Farmer
Feature

This is the courageous journey of Pamela Hayden, voice of the plucky, resilient Milhouse on "The Simpsons”: After surviving an abusive boarding school and juvenile jail, as well as other setbacks, Pamela now speaks to teen girls about overcoming obstacles and turning their dreams into reality. Her story is told with surprising humor and great candor.

8:00 PM: Ramona at Midlife - Theater 2
Brooke Berman
Saturday Night Feature + Reception & Q&A

A single mother and former Literary It-Girl, Ramona discovers that her unflattering current reality is the subject of a hot filmmaker’s newest project. As Ramona faces up to her disappointments and wrecked friendships, she finds true creative power and is finally ready to become her best self.

May 19, 2024:

12:00 PM - 3:00 PM: RIFF No. 9 Awards Brunch - Keeler Tavern Museum and History Center
Catered by The Benjamin

Join RIFF and Co-MCs Pamme Jones (Ridgefield Theater Barn Executive Director and RIFF Board Member) and Mike McGuirk (Ridgefield Chamber of Commerce Executive Director) as we celebrate our filmmakers at the 9th Annual Awards Brunch at the beautiful Keeler Tavern Museum's Garden House! The full  Brunch will be catered by one of Ridgefield's newest fine dining establishments, The Benjamin! Your ticket also includes a wine tasting, Mimosas, Juice, Coffee by Quartertone Coffee Roasters and Tea by Grace Farms.

You’ll not only enjoy a delicious brunch and bubbles reception, but engage with RIFF filmmakers and see which films are taking home the big awards presented by community leaders.

Dates: May 16 - 19, 2024

Locations:

Prospector Theater, 25 Prospect Street, Ridgefield, CT 06877.
Ridgefield Guild of Artists, 34 Halpin Lane, Ridgefield, CT 06877.
Keeler Tavern Museum and History Center, 152 Main Street, Ridgefield, CT 06877.

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