The 28th RiverRun International Film Festival returns to Winston-Salem, NC, on April 17 through April 25, 2026. The festival presents 14 world premieres and 14 US premieres, and boasts films from 47 countries.
Since its inception, RiverRun has dedicated itself to offering a robust lineup of narrative, documentary, short, student, and animated films. Films and filmmakers can win awards based on audience and jury voting.
RiverRun also offers special programs, including regional and world premieres, family-friendly screenings, celebrity tributes, retrospectives, filmmaker Q&As, panel discussions, and more. RiverRun also celebrates artists who have changed the industry through their work, achievements, and journeys.
This year’s Master of Cinema honoree is Michael Miller, who has facilitated a prolific career in film editing and has shared his wisdom at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts as a professor. Their Emerging Masters of Cinema are Resita Cox and Marie Jamora, both fresh, critical components of contemporary filmmaking through their representations of their respective cultures and the resilience of their communities.
Power to the People, Y’all is having its world premiere at RiverRun this year. The documentary explores legacy and resistance by following five founding members of the Winston-Salem Chapter of the Black Panther Party: Hazel Mack, Dr. Larry Little, Nelson Malloy, Cynthia Norwood, and Bradford Lilley. North Carolina local, Tressie McMillan Cottom, directs the film. Cottom is a professor with the Center for Information, Technology, and Public Life at UNC-Chapel Hill, a New York Times columnist, and a 2020 MacArthur Fellow.
Other titles showing include Jaripeo, The Dwellers, The Librarians, Anorgasmia (a.k.a All the Things We Do To Survive), One in a Million, Human Shield, and Moonchild: The Life and Music of Yusuf Salam.
Update Courtesy of Mariana Fabian
Feature Image Courtesy of RiverRun International Film Festival