Entertainment : Cedar Rapids Independent Film Festival to screen 62 films April 4-6

I never encourage you to leave town, especially to watch a movie, because we have the best theatre right here in Vinton! However, I thought this event might be something some might enjoy knowing about!

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Sixty-two films from across the country, all with an Iowa connection, will take center stage at the 2025 Cedar Rapids Independent Film Festival (CRIFF), running April 4-6 at Collins Road Theatres in Marion. Selected from a field of 102 entries by a panel of judges, the Official Selections are a diverse slate of short and feature-length narrative, documentary, and freestyle (music video, experimental, prose, art) films from professional, hobbyist, and student filmmakers.

"CRIFF is all about creating a unique filmgoing experience that is unlike mainstream cinema," says Festival Director Eric Dean Freese. "In one afternoon, you might find a film that makes you laugh and one that makes you cry; one that lets your mind relax and one that opens your mind to new ways of looking at the world."

Freese credits the work of Iowa-connected filmmakers. "This talented, truly worldwide community explores diverse topics and genres, and the stories are told from a wide range of perspectives. Plus, you have the opportunity to connect with the filmmakers, who are motivated more by passion for storytelling than box office receipts."

Official Selections

50mm - Student Narrative Long-Form - Dillon Jacobson - University of Iowa - Iowa City

5683 - Professional Narrative Feature - Brittany Benedict, Michael Huntington, Kevin Shepherd - Cintree Films - Newhall

Abraham's Bridge - Professional Documentary - Elinor Pierce, Justin Limoges - Auburndale, MA

After Ike: A Journey That Changed America - Professional Documentary - Gregory F. Maassen, Michael S. Owen - Washington DC

Anybody But You - Hobbyist Short - Derek Smith, Jacob Daniels

Baby Doll - Hobbyist Short - Serena Fath, Ellen Lee, Victoria Jackson - Des Moines

Bits & Pieces - Hobbyist Feature - Bauston Van Sickle, Wayne D. Barrett - VanSickle Studios - Newton

Blink Once - Professional Freestyle - Jim Haverkamp, Karin Gottshall - Durham, NC

Brothers: A Civil War Story - Student Narrative Short-Forn - Casey Schaffer, Matthew Donley, Zachary Gutherman - DeSales University - Westminster, Colorado

Chase - Hobbyist Short - Lilah Pearl Skaar, Anthony Syracuse, Jme Lee, James Brown - Denver, IA

Clean Up - Student Narrative Short-Form - Laura Makari, Jordyn Van Santen, John Reda, Corey Whitlock - Augustana College Film Program - Augustana College - Rock Island, IL

Counterfeit - Hobbyist Short - Michael E. Berg, JJ Hillard, Wes Worthing, Andrew McDowell

Cuffed! - Student Narrative Short-Form - Kylie Muller, Grace Birkland, Hannah Romell - University of Nebraska-Lincoln - Lincoln, NE

Dinner with Gigi - Professional Narrative Short - Courtney Ball - Cedar Rapids

EDM is Plastic? - Student Freestyle - Than San - Loras College Creative Media / DUMEDIA - Loras College - Dubuque

Eighteen Years - Student Narrative Short-Form - Emily Surma, Libby Perry, Ellie Coleman - Loras College Creative Media / DUMEDIA - Loras College - Dubuque

Exaltation - Student Narrative Long-Form - Will Schwarz - The University of Iowa - Iowa City

Facing the Father - Student Narrative Short-Form - Lauren Ulveling, Kylea Nuendorf, Henry Hahn, Ronald Johnson, Ethan Shawgo, Chiefy Loma - Wartburg College - Waverly

Flock Together - Student Narrative Short-Form - Andrew Sloth, Leo E. White - University of Georgia - Athens, GA

Friends and Neighbors - Professional Documentary - Benjamin Wagner - Wilmington, DE

From Iowa and Back - The Vietnam Era - Professional Documentary - Jeremy Glazier, Gerard Estella, Megan Turner - Cedar Rapids

Garden of Des Moines - Hobbyist Documentary - Teri Underhill - Des Moines

The Gates - Hobbyist Feature - Tiffany A Ketcham, Cody McKinney - Newton

Get Over Yourself - Professional Narrative Feature - Thomas Pace

Gloves - Student Narrative Short-Form - Isaiah Griffith, John Plewa, Megan Kolbe, Marley Hewitt - University of Nebraska-Lincoln - Lincoln, NE

Good Tough Kid - Hobbyist Documentary - Michael James McDonald, Seth Stoltenow, Joshua Cote - Wyoming, MI

The Grief Project - Regan Hill, Tessa León, Billy Chengary, Phillip Ward - Los Angeles, CA

Home No Return - Student Narrative Short-Form - Arman Hodasefat, Philip Rabalais,

Taryn Neal - University of Iowa - Iowa City

Hunky Dory - Professional Freestyle - Steven Vander Meer, Béla Fleck - Arcata, CA

i went on the adventure of my dreams - Student Documentary - Jack McCarthy - North Scott High School - Eldridge

Inheritance - Hobbyist Short - Benjamin Schmidt, Alannah Swenka - Coralville

Jayden Upton: "Give It Your All" - Student Documentary - Dylan Ervin, Kevin Franks, Nolan Swartz - Loras College Creative Media / DUMEDIA - Loras College - Dubuque

Killsbury Doughboy Rises - Student Narrative Short-Form - Parker Miller - University of Northern Iowa - Cedar Falls

Ku: A Love Story - Hobbyist Short, Freestyle - Anita George - Los Angeles, CA

The Legacy of The Great River Reapers - Student Documentary - Lucas Schoaf, Nora Bruxvoort, Kevin Franks - Loras College Creative Media / DUMEDIA - Loras College - Dubuque

Light Painter - Professional Documentary - Eric Smidt - Ames

Lost Woods - Professional Narrative Short - Ben Hagarty, Shawn Stadburg, Pokey Spears, Matthew Welch - Cedar Falls

Love Bites - Student Narrative Short-Form - Ludovica Chiovini - Augustana College Film Program - Augustana College - Rock Island, IL

Loyal Wheels - Student Freestyle - Than San - Loras College Creative Media / DUMEDIA - Loras College - Dubuque

Making Magic - Professional Narrative Short - Patrick Boberg, Brian Hogan, Erin Hogan, Jolene Schultz, Matt Clark, Bill Gongol - Des Moines

Moved by Waters - Professional Documentary - Kelly Rundle, Tammy Rundle - Fourth Wall Films - Moline IL

My Heart Remembers - Professional Feature - Melinda Myers, Melissa Lawrence, Stephen Folker, Brian Lawrence - Lisbon

The Negro Artist - Professional Documentary - Nikolas Ira Heftman, Douglas Burns, Ann Wilson - Los Angeles, CA

Nightmare At Camp Bloodbath - Professional Narrative Short - Dylan Arnow, Ryan Brown, Will Perls, Aaron Klisman, Adam Bussell - Los Angeles, CA

ORGANIZED TERROR | Eclypse Haunted Attraction: Year 3 Recap - Professional Freestyle Documentary - Nick Orth - Cedar Rapids

Paranormal Press - Student Narrative Short-Form - Ava Bertram, JP Smith - Hawkeye Community College - Waterloo

Petrichor - Student Freestyle - Grace Potratz - University of Iowa - Iowa City

Pluto - Student Narrative Short-Form - Lua Rasga, Nick Hull, Matt Sindt - University of Iowa - Iowa City

Project Lucidity - Hobbyist Short - Erika Chagdes, Alexandra Runnells - University of Iowa - Iowa City, Cedar Falls

Refining Your Craft - Student Narrative Short-Form - Andrew Sloth, Jesse Scales, Austin Yeomans - University of Georgia - Athens, GA

Remote - Professional Feature - Matthew Tribble, Marc Bauer - Cedar Rapids

Sew Lucky - Student Narrative Short-Form - Hannah Pedersen, Wyatt Debban, Alijah Mallula, Kylie Muller - Frumble Films - University of Nebraska-Lincoln - Lincoln, NE

Stronghold - Professional Narrative Short - Meghann Artes, Anna Maria Hozian, Joe Lyons - Chicago, IL

Tim Olson: Observing Oddities - Student Documentary - Jessen Weber - Loras College Creative Media / DUMEDIA - Loras College - Dubuque

Tina - Professional Narrative Short - Sheri Davenport, Laura Sweeney, Chris Luner - Oakland, CA

Tinker - Hobbyist Documentary - Ryan Adams - Independence

Turn Four - Student Documentary - Joshua Tigges - Buena Vista University - Storm Lake

Unlikely Pair - Student Narrative Short-Form - Sam Madson - Hawkeye Community College - Waterloo

Unwritten - Student Freestyle - Hunter Jones - Loras College Creative Media / DUMEDIA - Loras College - Dubuque

Weedman - Hobbyist Short - Alannah Swenka, Tristan Bennett

The Wordless Ones - Student Narrative Short-Form - Tyler Samuel Dintaman, Daniel Nierling - Hawkeye Community College - Waterloo, Decorah

Yule Father - Professional Narrative Short - Brittany Benedict, Michael Huntington, Kevin Shepherd

All Official Selections have an Iowa Connection, which could include: A crew or cast member who lived, worked, or went to school in Iowa; a film that was produced, at least in part, in Iowa; or a story featuring an Iowa subject or Iowan (present or former, real or fictional). Each film will screen twice over the weekend, and compete for Gold and Silver Eddy, Audience Choice, and Iowa Connection awards, at the Eddy Awards Ceremony, presented by Farmers State Bank, following Saturday night's screenings.

Student filmmakers will be celebrated at Student Cinema Sunday, April 6. Their films will compete for the $1000 Collins Road Theatres Scholarship and the Student Audience Choice Eddy, voted on by all attendees and awarded following Sunday's screenings.

Tickets may be purchased through the Collins Road Theatres box office at collinsroadtheatres.com. Full event passes are $35 for adults and $25 for students; single sessions are $10/$8 in advance. Student Cinema Sunday student tickets are $5 in advance. Schedules, film information, and festival details are available at crifm.org/2025-festival/.

In addition to Collins Road Theatres and Farmers State Bank, CRIFF is supported by the Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation CRST International Donor-Advised Fund, the Iowa Economic Development Authority, Wired Production Group, and ImOn Communications. Partnership inquiries may be directed to eric@crifm.org.

ABOUT THE CEDAR RAPIDS INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL

The Cedar Rapids Independent Film Festival's mission is to encourage independent filmmakers with Iowa ties to continue improving their craft, to provide a place to specifically showcase their films, present a unique cultural event to the community, and to offer networking opportunities for the purpose of building connections between Iowa-connected filmmakers everywhere. More information is available at crifm.org.