The RiverRun International Film Festival is an annual Oscar-qualifying film festival held each spring in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States. The festival is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization and presents a variety of feature-length and short films from all genres, and also presents special events, regional premieres of significant films, celebrity tributes, family events and classic retrospectives as well as panel discussions and parties.
Jury awards Best Narrative Feature Year Film Country Director2024Banel & AdamaSenegalRamata-Toulaye Sy2023Trapped BalloonJapanHiroyuki Miyagawa2022You Resemble MeFrance / EgyptDina Amer2021Fires in the DarkFrance / BelgiumDominique Lienhard2020De Lo MioUnited StatesDiana Peralta2019AliceAustralia/FranceJosephine Mackerras2018Angels Wear WhiteChinaVivian Qu 2017 After LoveFrance / BelgiumJoachim Lafosse 2016The FitsUnited StatesAnna Rose Holmer 2015Memories on StoneIraq / GermanyShawkat Amin Korki 2014IdaPolandPaweł Pawlikowski 2013In the HouseFranceFrançois Ozon 2012Found MemoriesArgentina / BrazilJúlia Murat 2011Bal (Honey)Turkey / GermanySemih Kaplanoglu 2010Katalin VargaRomania / United KingdomPeter Strickland 2009Three MonkeysTurkey / France / GermanyNuri Bilge Ceylan 2008The Edge of HeavenGermany / TurkeyFatih Akin 2007For the Living and the DeadFinlandKari Paljakka 2006A Wonderful Night in SplitCroatiaArsen Anton Ostojić 2005Innocent VoicesMexicoLuis Mandoki 2004DandelionUnited StatesMark Milgard 2003The Truth... YathharthIndiaRajesh Sheth 2001Morning ( >$500k budget )United StatesAmi Canaan Mann 2001Dischord ( <$500k budget )United StatesMark Wilkinson 2000The Magic of Marciano ( >$500k budget )United StatesTony Barbieri 2000Jacks or Better ( <$500k budget )United StatesRobert Sidney Mellette 1999Crashing EdenUnited StatesDean Alioto 1998The Legend of Cryin' RyanUnited StatesDeanna Shapiro & Julie Smith (St.Claire)
Best Documentary Feature Year Film Country Director2024Name Me LawandUKEdward Lovelace2023Bad PressUSRebecca Landsberry-Baker & Joe Peeler2022Art & Krimes by KrimesUSAlysa Nahmias2021SapeloSwitzerlandNick Brandestini2020I Am Not AloneArmenia / United StatesGarin Hovannisian2019American FactoryUnited StatesSteven Bognar & Julia Reichert2018Minding the GapUnited StatesBing Liu 2017QuestUnited StatesJonathan Olshefski 2016SaleroBolivia / United StatesMike Plunkett 2015The Chinese MayorChinaHao Zhou 2014The Case Against 8United StatesBen Cotner & Ryan White 2013I Am BreathingDenmark / United KingdomEmma Davie & Morgan McKinnon 2012The Boy Who Was a KingBulgaria/GermanyAndrey Paounov 2011ArmadilloDenmarkJanus Metz 2010Last Train HomeCanada / China / UKLixin Fan 2009Unmistaken ChildIsraelNati Baratz 2008Up the YangtzeCanadaYung Chang 2007The Rape of EuropaUSARichard Berge, Bonni Cohen, and Nicole Newnham 2006Taimagura GrandmaJapanYohihiko Sumikawa 2005Parallel LinesUnited StatesNina Davenport 2004Long GoneUnited StatesJack Cahill & David Eberhardt 2003The Boys of Second Street ParkUnited StatesRon Berger & Dan Klores 2001Company JasmineIsraelYael Katzir & Dan Katzir
Best Director Year Film Country Director2024The FeatherweightUSRobert Kolodny2023Know Your PlaceUSZia Mohajerjasbi2022The FalconerOmanAdam Sjöberg & Seanne Winslow2021Fires in the DarkFranceDominique Lienhard2020AsymmetrySerbiaMaša Nešković2019AliceAustraliaJosephine Mackerras2018Angels Wear WhiteChinaVivian Qu2017The OrnithologistBrazilJoão Pedro Rodrigues2016One Floor BelowRomaniaRadu Muntean2015Still the WaterJapanNaomi Kawase2014The Summer of FlyingChileMarcela Said2013La SirgaColombiaWilliam Vega2012Found MemoriesArgentinaJúlia Murat2011Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past LivesThailandApichatpong Weerasethakul2010DogtoothGreeceYorgos Lanthimos2009Il DivoItalyPaolo Sorrentino2008California Dreamin’RomaniaCristian Nemescu2007Son of ManSouth AfricaMark Dornford-May2006A Wonderful Night In SplitCroatiaArsen Anton Ostojic2005SymmetryPolandKonrad Niewolski2008Long GoneUSJack Cahill and David Eberhardt2008ManhoodUSBobby Roth
History
Founded in 1998 by Gennaro D'Onofrio, Vincent D'Onofrio, and Elizabeth D'Onofrio, the RiverRun International Film Festival got its name from the French Broad River near Brevard, North Carolina, where the festival was originally held. In 2003, Dale Pollock, a former film producer and then-Dean of the School of Filmmaking at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, moved RiverRun to Winston-Salem, where it resides today as an independent arts organization showing new films from independent, international and student filmmakers.
Since 2014, the festival has been an Oscar-qualifying festival in the Animated short film category.
Festival dates and locations Number Year Dates Location 1st 1998 September 25-27 Brevard, North Carolina 2nd 1999 September Brevard, North Carolina 3rd 2000 September 1-4 Brevard, North Carolina 4th 2001 August 29 - September 3 Brevard, North Carolina 2002 skipped 5th 2003 April 24–27 Winston-Salem, North Carolina 6th 2004 April 22–25 Winston-Salem, North Carolina 7th 2005 April 21–24 Winston-Salem, North Carolina 8th 2006 March 16–19 Winston-Salem, North Carolina 9th 2007 April 18–23 Winston-Salem, North Carolina 10th 2008 April 23–28 Winston-Salem, North Carolina 11th 2009 April 22–29 Winston-Salem, North Carolina 12th 2010 April 15–25 Winston-Salem, North Carolina 13th 2011 April 8–17 Winston-Salem, North Carolina 14th 2012 April 13–22 Winston-Salem, North Carolina 17th 2015 April 16–26 Winston-Salem, North Carolina 20th 2018 April 19–29 Winston-Salem, North Carolina 21st 2019 April 4–14 Winston-Salem, North Carolina 22nd 2020 March 26 - April 5 Winston-Salem, North Carolina
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