History of the Festival

History

The River Bend Film Festival was founded in 2002 by a group of filmmakers and film enthusiasts in South Bend, Indiana. The festival’s roots began on the campus of Indiana University South Bend, originally named the IU-South Bend Independent Video & Filmmakers Festival. Its inaugural season was a one-day event focused on sharing work among local filmmakers.

Thanks to the ongoing support of Mid America Filmmakers, the festival steadily grew—expanding to a two-day format by its second year and relocating to the Century Center in downtown South Bend by 2009.

In 2016, River Bend made its move to Goshen, a vibrant small city in Northern Indiana. The festival’s debut in Goshen featured screenings at venues like the Art House and the historic Goshen Theater, and it shattered all previous attendance records. Since then, RBFF has become a beloved annual tradition, continuing to grow in scope, energy, and reach.