Three Days of Film Fest Fun

Festival Schedule

2017 Festival Schedule

Thursday, April 6

The festival begins!

Welcome to Goshen
We’re glad you’re here. Visit GoodOfGoshen.com for hotel information, restaurant recommendations, and activity ideas.
4:00 p.m. | Ticketing Opens | The Goshen Theater
Pick up tickets purchased online or buy Festival tickets at the Goshen Theater Box Office, 216 South Main, Goshen, starting a 4 p.m. on Thursday.

Note: Online ticket sales end Wednesday, April 5, at noon.

5:00 p.m. | Opening Party | Gateway Cellar Winery
5 – 6:45 p.m.

Join the excitement as we kick off the festival with wine, music from the silver screen by Gino DeLuca, and some toasts from local dignitaries and festival organizers! Complimentary wine for VIP ticket holders.

This is a free event, open to the public

Gateway Cellar Winery, 211 South Main Street, Goshen

7:00 p.m. | Feature Film • Miss Sharon Jones | Goshen Theater
93min

Miss Sharon Jones!
Followed by a Q&A with Dap Kings member, Binky Griptite.

Ticketed event

8:30 p.m. | Filmmaker + VIP Reception | Blank Space
8:30 – 10:15 p.m.

Festival patrons gather together with filmmakers and celebrity guests at the end of the first day to celebrate the launch of the Festival!

VIP ticket required

Blank Space, 109 East Lincoln Avenue

8:45 p.m. | Shorts Block • Learn through Comedy | Art House
94min

>> A block of short films exploring the fragility of life and things that are most important – Learn through Comedy.

Vulassic Park, Tim Richardson, 1 min, US
Kidnapping, Jay Pulk, 8 min, US
The Importance of Sex Education, L. Elizabeth Powers, 15 min, US
Yo Soy Pedro, Jordan Inconstant, 11 min, France
Slices, James Murray, 13 min, Ireland
Bruce, Adam Etheridge, 14 min, UK
Think Twice, Eliaz Rodriguez, 7 min, US
MD Memories, Matt Braunsdorf, 11 min, US
Sure-Fire, Michael Goldburg, 15 min, US

This is a ticketed event

10:30 p.m. | Shorts Block • Fright Night | Goshen Theater
95min

>> Are you ready to get scared? We’ve got a block of short films just for you – Fright Night.

Plasma Vista, Sarah Cockings & Harriet Fleuriot, 8 min, UK
Trigger Finger of God, Fred Ireland, 3 min, US
Roadside Assistance, Bears Fonté, 7 min, US
Toward the Entryway, Kyle Klubal, 24 min, US
Oh, The Effing Horror, Justin T. Bowler, 17 min, US
Thornbird, Jonathan Stutzman, 9 min, US
Shell, Daniel Ahrens, 4 min, Germany
Empty Bed, Brandt Shandera, 7 min, US
2:00 AM, Huseyin Hassan, 16 min, Australia

This is a ticketed event

Friday, April 7

Film Festival + First Fridays

Goshen's First Fridays
Every first Friday of the month, Goshen hosts a downtown block party called First Fridays. This year, April First Fridays coincides with River Bend Film Fest. Visit CityOnTheGo.org for a list of activities and merchant specials.
9:30 a.m. | Coffee Talk • The Flying Dutchmen: A Year Later | Ignition Garage
9:30 – 10 a.m.

The Flying Dutchmen: A Year Later with Filmmaker Jon Helmuth

This is a free event – seating is limited

This event is a free informal Q&A session with local filmmaker Jon Helmuth. His feature-length documentary The Flying Dutchmen won Best Documentary at River Bend Film Festival 2016.

Jon Helmuth is a local entrepreneur and filmmaker. His first film, The Flying Dutchmen, features his cross-country motorcycle journey with his blinding friend who wants to see America one last time. The film won Best Documentary at River Bend Film Festival 2016.

Ignition Garage, 120 East Washington Street, Goshen

10:00 a.m. | Coffee Talk • Filmmakers Panel | Ignition Garage
10 – 11:15 a.m.

Join festival attendees for an informal Q&A session with our Filmmakers Panel: Matt Litwiller, Wes Jones, Sarah Elizabeth, Whitney Valcin, Leila Djansi, and Jordon Hodges.

This is a free event – seating is limited

Matt Litwiller, a producer and director whose short film Language of the Unheard won Best Student Documentary in the emerging filmmakers showcase at the American Pavilion at Cannes Film Festival in 2012.

Wes Jones, a screenwriter for the critically acclaimed Showtime series Billions, starring Emmy and Golden Globe Award-winning actors Paul Giamatti and Damian Lewis.

Whitney Valcin, an L.A.-based producer and casting director who has worked on casting projects for Fox, Disney, BET, and Tyler Perry Studios.

Leila Djansi, a multi-award-winning writer, producer, and director. Her film Like Cotton Twines was the winner of the Best Narrative Feature at Savannah Film Festival 2016.

Jordon Hodges, (RBFF ‘16), Goshen-born, L.A.-based actor, writer, and producer best known for playing Noah Daly in the award-winning independent film Sand Castles (2014).

Brody Bernheisel, a Goshen native and Goshen High School graduate, recently directed Strand of Oaks’ music video for the song Cry from their recent album Hard Love.

Sarah Elizabeth, a Goshen native and Goshen College graduate, is a professional film and television makeup artist who was a contestant on SyFY’s reality show Face Off.

Travis LaBella is a director of photography based in Los Angeles. Originally from New York, he studied film at Northwestern University and was the recipient of the ASC Student Heritage Documentary Award for his film Language of the Unheard. The film won Best Student Documentary in the emerging filmmakers showcase at the American Pavillion at Cannes Film Festival in 2012.

Jacqueline Reyno is a producer and director based in Los Angeles. She was the producer of the film Language of the Unheard, which was featured in American Cinematographer magazine.

Ignition Garage, 120 East Washington Street, Goshen

11:30 a.m. | Shorts Block • Indiana | Goshen Theater
123min

>> A block of short films exploring Indiana.

Remedy of a Killer, James Wallace Jr., 16 min, Indiana
MAL 1138 (Animation), Shaun Michael Pope, 5 min, South Bend, IN
Personal Pep Squad, Charlie Anderson with Hoosier Burn Camp, 2 min, Indiana
I Hate My Brother, Christopher Kennedy, 15 min, Warsaw, IN
The Realist, Taylor Fredricks, 23 min, Indiana
Love Bites, David Boyer, 5 min, Mishawaka, IN
Deadpoint, Matthew Herbertz, 12 min, Bloomington, IN
Deaners, David Garry, 20 min, Fairmont, IN

This is a ticketed event

12:00 p.m. | Talkback • Screenwriting | Art House
Screenwriting Talkback with Wes Jones

Wes Jones, a screenwriter for the critically acclaimed Showtime series Billions, starring Emmy and Golden Globe Award-winning actors Paul Giamatti and Damian Lewis.

Pass Required (day or weekend) and admission is limited to first 50 attendees

Lunch | Downtown Goshen
2:00 p.m. | Workshop • Make Up for Film | Art House
Make Up for Film Workshop with Sarah Elizabeth

This workshop will be led by professional film and television makeup artist, Sarah Elizabeth. She will lead the audience in an “Aging and Rejuvenation Makeup Demo.”

In this 90-minute workshop, Sarah will ask for audience input that will guide a process of aging and beautifying a character right before your eyes. Using film and television makeup techniques while creating a hypothetical story about the character, Sarah will begin by transforming half of the model’s face from their current age to around 20 years older. Then, she will remove the aging makeup from the model and rejuvenate her with beautifying makeup tricks. Sarah will also discuss aspects of the makeup application process of design in television and film.

Sarah Elizabeth, a Goshen native and Goshen College graduate, is an award-winning makeup artist for television, theatre, and film. In 2012, Sarah was a contestant on Season 3 of SyFy Channel’s reality television series Face Off, appearing 9 of the 11 episodes and assisting on the winning team.

Pass Required (day or weekend) and admission is limited to first 50 attendees

2:15 p.m. | Shorts Block • Local | Goshen Theater
91min

>> A block of Local short films.

Truth Hurts, Khyler Runnels, 5 min, Ft Wayne, IN
Living History, Mason Mellinger, 23 min, Goshen, IN
Sock Puppets, Jesse Bontreger, 10 min, Goshen, IN
One Chance Love (music video), Idris Busari, 5 min, Goshen, IN
Transitive, Austin Sarver, 7 min, Kokomo, IN
Admit One, Riley Mills, 30 min, Goshen, IN
Harmony, Margaret Orr, 2 min, Bloomington, IN
Commitment, Michael Kouroubetes & Matthew Kowalski, 3 min, Goshen, IN
The Date & Time, David Kendall, Goshen, IN
NuWorld, Tommy Weber, 15 min, Upland, MI

This is a ticketed event

4:00 p.m. | Feature Film • Blues for Willadean | Art House
4:30 p.m. | Free • Short Film • Kush | Goshen Theater
20min

Kush
Followed by a Skype Q&A with Director Shubhashish Bhutiani.

This is a free Goshen First Fridays event

5:00 p.m. | Free • Feature Film • Wig'd Out | Goshen Theater
85min

Wig’d Out
The film will be followed by a Q&A with Executive Producer Sandy Rusk.

This is a free Goshen First Fridays event

5:00 p.m. | VIP + Filmmaker + Sponsor Reception | Blank Space
5 – 7 p.m.

Festival patrons, filmmakers and sponsors gather for fun, conversation, music from the silver screen by Gino DeLuca, and food.

VIP ticket required

Blank Space 109 East Lincoln Avenue

6:30 p.m. | Shorts Block • Seeking Wisdom | Art House
83min

>> A block of short films exploring the theme Seeking Wisdom.

Gloria, Edward Hicks, 12 min, UK
4 Tempos, Fábio Santos, 7 min, Portugal
Drifting, Samuel Galloway, 7 min, Australia
Dreams on Sale, Vlad Buzaianu, 9min, Romania
Recursion (Animation), Joel Benjamin, 15 min, US
I Am God, and Severely Underqualified, Theo Gee, 15 min, UK
Memory Hospital, Pedro Paulo de Andrade, 18 min, Brazil

This is a ticketed event

7:30 p.m. | Feature Film • Like Cotton Twines | Goshen Theater
96min

Like Cotton Twines
Followed by a Q&A with director, writer and producer Leila Djansi, and producer Whitney Valcin.

This is a ticketed event

9:00 p.m. | Feature Film • Leap 4 Your Life | Art House
80min

Leap 4 Your Life
Featuring Make Up Artist Sarah Elizabeth

This is a ticketed event

10:30 p.m. | Feature Film • Donnie Darko | Goshen Theater
113min

Donnie Darko
This screening doubles as a “Sweet Sixteen” Special Event to celebrate the cult classic’s 16th birthday. Actress Beth Grant, who plays Kitty Farmer in the film, will be present for a brief interview prior to the film.

This is a ticketed event

Saturday, April 8

But wait! There’s more

More movies!
Thanks for attending the 2017 River Bend Film Festival! We’re looking forward to a great final day of celebrating independent filmmaking. Remember, you can always find ideas for places to eat, drink, and stay at GoodOfGoshen.com.
9:00 a.m. | Coffee Talk | Ignition Garage
9 – 10:15 a.m.

Coffee Talk with Actress Beth Grant

This free event is an informal Q&A session with Hollywood actress Beth Grant at Ignition Music Garage.

Beth Grant is one of Hollywood’s most recognizable faces and one of the world’s most versatile actresses, having starred or acted in over 70 films, included Academy Award-nominated films Rain Man (1989), Little Miss Sunshine (2006), No Country for Old Men (2007), and Jackie (2016), along with multi-Academy Award-winning film including best picture, The Artist (2012).

This is a free event – seating is limited

Ignition Garage, 120 East Washington Street, Goshen

10:00 a.m. | Shorts Block • Documentary | Goshen Theater
108min

>> A block of short Documentaries from around the world.

Grandma Shirley, Travis LaBella, 12 min, US
A Life of the Mind: Niels-Erik Andreasen, Paul Kim, 7 min, US
Gardeners of the Forest, Ceylon Carhoglu, 15 min, Laos
Honest Space, Brody Bernheisel, 4 min, US
Molasses & Lemon, Robert Sickels, 4 min, US
Pvt Andrew Longley – 1864, Larry App, 7 min, Bristol, IN
Gospel Music Is…, Tiffany Blake, 16 min, US
The Stephensons, Jacqueline Reyno, 15 min, US
Language of the Unheard, Jacqueline Reyno & Matthew Litwiller, 21 min, US
Still Sophie, Caroline Knight, 7min, US

This is a ticketed event

11:30 a.m. | Talkback • Casting for Film + Television | Art House
Join us for a Talkback session titled Casting for Film & Television with special guest Whitney Valcin (L.A. casting director and film producer).

This talkback will be an intimate discussion about the world of casting for film and television.

Whitney Valcin is an L.A.-based producer and casting director. She produced the film Like Cotton Twines, which was the winner of the Best Narrative Feature at Savannah Film Festival 2016. Valcin is also casting director who has worked on projects for Fox, Disney, BET, Tyler Perry Studios, and more. Valcin is a graduate of the Savannah College of Art and Design and is the founder of the project management firm The Elocen Group.

Pass Required (day or weekend) and admission is limited to first 50 attendees

12:30 p.m. | Shorts Block • Student Shorts | Goshen Theater
110min

>> All student filmmakers featuring live action and animation. A lovely mix of some of the best young talents.

Rocket, Brenna Malloy, 29 min, US
Look at Me, Andres Gil, 14 min, US
Rabbit Blood (Animation), Yagmur Altan, 5 min, US
A long time ago in Silesia, Tomasz Protokowicz, 16 min, Poland
Decision (Animation), Mary Jo Zefeldt, 3 min, US
Adherence, Mav Block, 20 min, US
The Perfumist (Animation), Yukari Akaba-Rockmuller, Shannon S Lee, Daniela Lobo Dias, Sandra Rivero Ortiz, 2 min, US
Driver’s Ed, Chase Norman, 15 min, US
Icarus, Tom Teller, 20 min, US

This is a ticketed event

1:30 p.m. | Talkback • The Art of Acting | Art House
The Art of Acting Talkback with Actress Beth Grant

This talkback with Hollywood actress Beth Grant will be an intimate discussion about the art of acting.

Beth Grant is one of Hollywood’s most recognizable faces and one of the world’s most versatile actresses, having starred or acted in over 70 films, included Academy Award-nominated films Rain Man (1989), Little Miss Sunshine (2006), No Country for Old Men (2007), and Jackie (2016), along with multi-Academy Award-winning film including best picture, The Artist (2012).

Pass Required (day or weekend) and admission is limited to first 50 attendees

3:15 p.m. | Shorts Block • Award Winning Shorts | Goshen Theater
60min

We’ve put all the River Bend Film Festival award-winning shorts together in one block.

Prior to the screening of this block, the screenplay winners will be announced by Festival alumnus Dave Orvis.

This is a ticketed event

3:45 p.m. | Shorts Block • Finding Love | Art House
82min

>> A block of films exploring the theme Finding Love.

All I Want, Venika Mitra, 7 min, India
Postcards, Ines Pintor Sierra, Pablo Santidrian, 13 min, Spain
Mayfield, Zach Daulton, 20 min, Ohio
Chasing Grace, Julia Barnett, 12 min, US
Once upon a dream, Anthony Nion, 13 min, Belgium
A Guide to Love, Cooper Justus, 13 min, US
Tender Moments, Robert Neilson, 14 min, US

This is a ticketed event

4:00 p.m. | Listening Party | Ignition Garage
4 – 5:30 p.m.

Listening party with Binky Griptite

Day-, weekend-, and VIP-pass holders are invited to join us for a listening party with Dap-Kings guitarist Binky Griptite at Ignition Music Garage.

Binky Griptite is a songwriter, producer, vocalist, and guitarist best known as the guitarist and emcee for Sharon Jones and The Dap-Kings.

Ignition Garage, 120 East Washington Street, Goshen

5:30 p.m. | Feature Film • The Things We've Seen | Goshen Theater
80min

The Things We’ve Seen
Followed by a Q&A with director Tre Manchester.

This is a ticketed event

6:15 p.m. | Shorts Block • Life and Death | Art House
87min

>> You have to see this block of short films – it’s a matter of Life and Death!

Catkiller, Wes Jones, 11 min, US
Injection, Michael Urbanski, 13 min, US
RedFish, Dordaneh Dadui, 16 min, Canada
Ghost, JP O’Brien, 19 min, Australia
Cuerdas (Animation), Pedro Solís García, 11 min, Spain
The Last Journey of the Enigmatic Paul WR, Romain Quirot, 17 min, France

This is a ticketed event

8:30 p.m. | Feature Film • Tenn | Goshen Theater
80min

Tenn
This is the first ever public screening of the film! Actress Beth Grant will be present prior to the film for an interview.

This is a ticketed event

10:00 p.m. | Wrap Party | Goshen Theater
Wrap Party for filmmakers, celebrity guests, sponsors, and VIP ticket holders at the Goshen Theater.

VIP ticket required

2017 River Bend Film Festival Sponsors

River Bend Sponsors • Top Tier
River Bend Sponsors • Silver
River Bend Sponsors • Bronze
Blank Space • Bryan Chris Photography • Dick Lehman Pottery • Duley Press • Greensweep Cleaning Services • Ignition Garage • Inn on South 5th • LightBox • Maple City Market • Menno Travel • Mid America Filmmakers • NIBCO • Nimble Wit Productions • The Nut Shoppe