Festival Press Kit

About the River Bend Film Festival

River Bend Film Festival is a celebration of independent filmmaking, founded in 2002 by a group of filmmakers and avid film-lovers in South Bend, Indiana. Through screenings, workshops, appearances by industry guests, and special events, the festival has brought filmmakers and their fans together to celebrate the art of film for over 15 years.

For the first seven years, the festival was located on the campus of Indiana University-South Bend and was originally named the IU-South Bend Independent Video & Filmmakers Festival. For its first year, the festival was a one-day event but grew into two days in the second year.

River Bend has screened hundreds of student, regional, and international films, averaging 50-70 per year. It has also offered workshops on lighting, acting, editing, screenwriting, visual effects, crowdfunding, and more.

The festival accepts all genres: narrative, documentary, experimental, music video, animation, student, features, and shorts. River Bend makes it a priority to highlight the work of local and regional filmmakers, and many of the films come from across the country and around the world.

River Bend Film Festival, Goshen, Indiana
Zip file with .ai, .eps, and .png file formats

Festival Facts

  • The festival was founded in 2002 out of South Bend, Indiana.
  • The festival moved to Goshen, Indiana in 2016. The inaugural season in Goshen shattered all previous attendance records, and has been growing ever since.
  • An average of 50 to 75 films are screened at the festival per year.
  • Previous special guests include Academy Award®-winning writer and actress Rachel Shenton (The Silent Child), Academy Award®-winning director Chris Overton (The Silent Child), actress Beth Grant (The Artist, No Country for Old Men, Donnie Darko), screenwriter Wes Jones (Billions, The Brink), writer/director Jim Strouse (The Incredible Jessica James, People Places Things), producer/director Leila Djansi (Like Cotton Twines), and many more.
A great place to meet and talk
Photo credit: Grant Beachy
The Goshen Theater
Photo credit: Grant Beachy
On the red carpet!
Photo credit: Grant Beachy
Coffee Talk with filmmakers at Ignition Music
Photo credit: Fabio Santos

2019 River Bend Film Festival Sponsors

2019 River Bend Film Festival Presenting and Legend Sponsors • Goshen, Indiana
2019 River Bend Film Festival Partner Sponsors • Goshen, Indiana
2019 River Bend Film Festival Luminary Sponsors • Goshen, Indiana
2018 River Bend Film Festival Hero Sponsors • Goshen, Indiana

Allen Brenneman • Celtx • Common Spirits • Flowers By Phoebe • Goshen Motors • Greensweep Cleaning Services • Lesson.ly • The Local • Salon J • Vinyl Wagon Crew • Weston Fribley • Woodstar Photography • Yoder Culp Funeral Home

This project is made possible by the support of the Indiana Arts Commission, and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.

And a special thanks to our 2019 Festival hosts

2018 River Bend Film Festival Sponsors • Goshen, Indiana