2019 Festival Schedule
Thursday, May 2
The festival begins!
Welcome to Goshen
We’re glad you’re here!
Visit GoodOfGoshen.com for hotel information, restaurant recommendations, and things to do.
12:00 p.m. | Box Office Opens | The Goshen Theater
Pick up tickets purchased online or buy Festival tickets at the Goshen Theater Box Office, 216 South Main, Goshen, starting at noon on Thursday.
- Online ticket sales end Wednesday, May 1, at noon.
- Theater Box Office closes Thursday at 10:15 p.m.
5:00 p.m. | Welcome Reception | Kelly Jae's Next Door
The River Bend Film Festival warmly invites all festival guests to attend our welcoming event at Kelly Jae’s Next Door. Festival Co-Directors Gina Leichty and Tim Richardson along with Goshen Mayor Jeremy Stutsman will kick-off the evening with a toast.
Festival musical treasure, Gino DeLuca, will be on-site entertaining guests on the piano with “Music from the Movies”.
5:00 p.m. | Red Carpet | Goshen Theater
The Goshen Theater is open and the Red Carpet is waiting for you. Be the first to get your photo snapped and let’s get this Festival started!
This is a free event, open to the public
6:00 p.m. | Screenwriting Awards | Kelly Jae's Next Door
One of the special highlights of the festival is the screenwriting awards. Screenplay chair Dave Orvis and Festival directors will present awards to the winners.
7:30 p.m. | Feature Documentary • Don't Be Nice | Goshen Theater
The film is followed by a Q&A session with Producer Nikhil Melnechuk on the theater stage.
9:30 p.m. | Filmmaker + VIP Opening Night Party | The Elephant Bar
The River Bend team invites all VIP guests to a late-night after-party at The Elephant Bar, one of Goshen’s most popular downtown bars.
Special guests from The Poetry Den in South Bend will present a Spoken Word/Slam Poetry event.
Besides craft brews and delicious cocktails, we will have a delicious array of Indian dishes catered by Maple Indian Cuisine.
10:00 p.m. | Shorts Block • Creepy City (Mature Audience Only) | Art House
>> Are you ready to get scared? We have a block of short films for you – Creepy City.
Songbird, Helen Baldwin, 17 min
Echoes, Mark Kerins & Elliot Mayén, 12 min
Askin’ For It, Kerry Gamberg, 12 min
Panic Attack!, Eileen O’Meara, 3 min
Atomic Ed, Nicolas Hugon, 18 min
Below A Dark Wood, Bill Slovick, 13 min
Pretorius, Bret Miller, 7 min
The Orchestra, Curtis Matzke, 6 min
Flicker, Julia Barnett, 6 min
Herman, Eric Bodge, 16 min
Friday, May 3
Film Festival + Goshen First Fridays
Goshen's First Fridays
Every first Friday of the month, Goshen hosts a downtown block party called First Fridays. This year, the May First Fridays event coincides with River Bend Film Fest.
Visit CityOnTheGo.org for a list of activities and merchant specials.
8:30 a.m. | Rise and Shine Filmmakers Gathering | The Electric Brew
For you early risers – grab some coffee and something to eat, hang out with other Filmmakers, and make new friends at The Electric Brew!
Free event, open to the public
9:30 a.m. | Box Office Opens | Goshen Theater
Pick up tickets purchased online or buy Festival tickets at the Goshen Theater Box Office, 216 South Main, Goshen.
- Online ticket sales end Wednesday, May 1, at noon.
- Theater Box Office closes Friday at 9:45 p.m.
10:00 a.m. | Coffee Talk • The State of Filmmaking | Ignition Music
IN Focus Panel • Indiana: The State of Filmmaking
Join a lively discussion about where filmmaking in Indiana has been and is going with a panel of acclaimed Indiana film industry professionals.
Panelists include:
Amy Howell, Director, Film Indiana
Adam Howell, Director of Production & Events, Heartland Film Festival
John Armstrong, COO, Pigasus Pictures
Zach Spicer, CEO, Pigasus Pictures
Kelly Daisy, Producer
Nathan Bechtold, President, Indiana Filmmakers Network
60min
This is a free event, open to the public
11:00 a.m. | Feature Film • His Girl Friday | Goshen Theater
Enjoy this special RBFF screening of the classic film, His Girl Friday, directed by Hollywood Legend, Howard Hawks.
Hawks was born in Goshen Indiana on the corner of 5th & Jefferson, on May 30, 1896, and had a prolific career in film throughout the 20th century.
Some of Hawks films include: Scarface (1932), Twentieth Century (1934), Bringing Up Baby (1938), Only Angels Have Wings (1939), His Girl Friday (1940), Sergeant York (1941), To Have and Have Not (1944), The Big Sleep (1946), Red River (1948) Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953) and Rio Bravo (1959).
11:30 a.m. | Shorts Block • Funny Town | Art House
>> Start the day with some humor – it’s Funny Town (with a bit of heart)
Fairy Tail, Justin & Kristin Schaack, 4 min
The Inconclusive Phases of a Break-up, Dwayne & Lawayne Bontrager, 9 min
Grumble, Zachery Green, 7 min
The Proposal, Danny Buonsanto, 17 min
A Modern Magician, Mark Heller, 11 min
All Cock & No Bull!, James Callis, 19 min
My Own Worst Enemy, Eve Hinz, 15 min
Killing Karen Soloway, Skye P. Marshall, 20 min
Catman: The Love Thief, Austin Coombs-Perez, 16 min
Sac de Merde, Greg Chwerchak, 13 min
Runtime: 131 minutes
Lunch | Explore Goshen's Shops, Bars, and Restaurants
Need a break? Here’s a list of locally owned places to eat in Goshen.
2:00 p.m. | Workshop • Make Up for Film with Sarah Elizabeth | Art House
Join makeup fx expert Sarah Elizabeth as she demonstrates fantasy creature creation. She will be using foam latex prosthetics to show insight into the process she used during production on her short film, The Shipment. Sarah will demo application and painting on live model Mark Ferns.
Sarah Elizabeth, a Goshen, Indiana native resides in Vancouver Canada. She is an award-winning makeup artist for television, theatre, and film. She is a member of both the Canadian Film Union ACFC and a member of IATSE local 981.
The short film The Shipment features her work and is playing in the Shorts Block Something Different, 3:30 p.m., Friday at The Goshen Theater.
60min
3:30 p.m. | Shorts Block • Something Different | Goshen Theater
>> Ready for a change of pace? Try Something Different.
Destination: Unknown, Ethan Wellin, 10 min
Accord, John Erik Lallerstedt, 3 min
Miles to go before Austin and me…sleep, Jim Hall, 5 min
Outburst, Benjamin Strack, 15 min
Prenatal, Bears Fonte, 10 min
Mamie, Benoît Monney, 10min
ASIA A, Andrew Reid, 20 min
The Shipment, Bobby Bala, 25 min
Liminal, Collin Davis & Matt Litwiller, 7 min
Runtime: 105 minutes
4:00 p.m. | The Art of Filmmaking • A Conversation with John Hancock | Art House
This talkback with Oscar-nominated, and award-winning Indiana writer and director John Hancock is an intimate discussion about the art of filmmaking, moderated by David Kendall.
Hancock’s feature film credits include Bang The Drum Slowly (Paramount), California Dreaming (AIP), Let’s Scare Jessica to Death (Paramount), and the Christmas classic Prancer (Orion), starring Sam Elliott, Cloris Leachman, Abe Vigoda, and Rebecca Harrell, which he shot on his family’s fruit farm in LaPorte County, Indiana.
The Looking Glass (Film Acres) was screened at the Goshen Theater in 2015 and Hancock’s wife and partner, actress and writer, Dorothy Tristan was recognized for her moving performance, and won the RBFF Best Actress award that year.
In the summer of 2018, he was back on set filming his latest feature, The Girls of Summer (Film Acres), which is in post-production and slated to be completed this summer.
Join us Friday night, 7:30 at the Goshen Theater as our festival directors will be presenting John Hancock with this year’s RBFF Outstanding Achievement in Film and Friend of the Fest Award.
5 - 7 p.m. | Taste of the Festival | Downtown Goshen Stores
Downtown Goshen stores host visiting filmmakers into their businesses to showcase their work and meet the public. Filmmakers will give presentations at various locations throughout the evening.
5 - 7 p.m. | Taste of Goshen | Downtown Goshen, East Washington Street
Goshen is rich with flavors from around the globe. On this evening, we celebrate the assortment of influences that make Goshen so delicious. Sample flavors from the international food vendors on East Washington Street.
7:30 p.m. | Feature Film • This is Love | Goshen Theater
His name circles among musicians like a ghost, an unseen guru who’s been influencing listeners whether they know it or not. People like Jay Z, Sly Stone, and George Clinton herald him as an unsung hero of soul. Why haven’t you heard of him? Because the music business is vicious, and Rudy only cares about Love.
The film is followed by a Q&A session with Producer Shawn Rhodes and Musicians Rudy Love & Bob Love on the theater stage.
Prior to the feature film screening, festival directors will be presenting John Hancock with this year’s RBFF Outstanding Achievement in Film and Friend of the Fest Award.
9:30 p.m. | Shorts Block • Family and Trials | Art House
>> It’s all about Family and Trials in this block of short films.
Sweet Yoyo, Mark Cira, 18 min
Sweet Mercy, Michele Atkins, 14 min
Evelyn x Evelyn, Eric Pumphrey, 13 min
Homefull, Sara Pérez, 6 min
Waldwölfe, Peter Allen, 8 min
Pike County, Cody Joel, 14 min
93 Miles, Noah Canavan, 17 min
Granbad, Annabel Vine, 10 min
Duke, Dru Miller, 16 min
Runtime: 116 minutes
Saturday, May 4
But wait! There’s more
More movies!
8:30 a.m. | Rise and Shine Filmmakers Gathering | Embassy Coffee
Grab some coffee and something to eat, hang out with other Filmmakers, and make new friends!
Free event, open to the public
9:30 a.m. | Box Office Opens | Goshen Theater
Pick up tickets purchased online or buy Festival tickets at the Goshen Theater Box Office, 216 South Main, Goshen.
- Online ticket sales end Wednesday, May 1, at noon.
- Theater Box Office closes Saturday at 8:45 p.m.
10:00 a.m. | Coffee Talk • Developing the Doc | Goshen Brewing Company
Spotlight Panel: Developing the Doc
Documentary film has the power to help us remember our histories and shape our perspectives. Hear our panel of documentary filmmakers talk about how this art form is created and how film can educate, inform and entertain us. Panelists include Nikhil Melnechuk, Shawn Rhodes, Kyle Hufford, Riley Mills, Elizabeth Derstine, and Sam Mirpoorian.
Free Admission, open to the public
11:00 a.m. | Shorts Block • Indiana Filmmakers 1 | Goshen Theater
>> The first of two blocks of shorts by Indiana Filmmakers
Harold The 16-Bit Hero, Shaun Pope, 4 min
Grounded, John Bruner, 14 min
The Tooth Fairy Mishap, David Boyer, 5 min
Honey River, Andrew Paul Davis, 11 min
Agent Bird, Ethan Yazel, 2 min
Sweet Dreams, KC Matthews, 10 min
Tin Can, Pat Battistini, 20 min
Knock Knock Knock, Amy & Justin D. Sims, 3 min
Nanna & the Ice Dog, Rose Waldschmidt, 3 min
Insomnia Nights, Richie Wenzler, 20 min
Duck Everlasting, Holland Farr, 6 min
Runtime: 98 minutes
12:00 p.m. | Shorts Block • Student Films | Art House
>> Student Filmmakers – a lovely mix of some of the best young talents.
Period Piece, Heidi O’Loughlin, 15 min
Whale Fall – May we all be blessed with longevity, Yiyuan Yuan, 3 min
What Remains, Tyler Kempton, 14 min
Halfway Home, Natalie Francis, 14 min
Scorched, Steven Coffey, 7 min
Before Your Eyes, Patrick Linehan, 11 min
Beyond Words, Tiless Turnquest, 11 min
Jonah and Julie, Grace Gallagher, 10 min
Runtime: 85 minutes
Lunch + Shopping | Explore Goshen's shops, bars, and restaurants
Take a break for some food and shopping downtown. Here’s a list of locally owned places to eat.
1:00 p.m. | Filmmaker & VIP Mixer (Private Event) | Common Spirits
Filmmakers and VIP guests can enjoy this opportunity to mingle, enjoy light refreshments.
90min
2:00 p.m. | Shorts Block • Indiana Filmmakers 2 | Goshen Theater
>> Our second block of shorts by Indiana Filmmakers.
The Storm, Benjamin Crane, 9 min
Adopt, Alex Srednoselac, 8 min
Stardust & Moonbeams, Terri Farley-Teruel, 17 min
>Draw<, Ricky Wilson Jr., 5 min
Zombie Bites Werewolf, Charlie Anderson, 9 min
Honeysuckle Whiskey, Elizabeth Derstine and Riley Mills, 19 min
Left Turn 2, Chris Weatherly, 8 min
Broken, Thad Donovan, 39 min
Runtime: 114 minutes
2:00 p.m. | Listening Party • A Conversation with Rudy Love | Ignition Music
Drop in at Ignition Music for a listening party featuring Rudy Love and film producer Shawn Rhodes. The event will be broadcast live by 91.1 The Globe, and hosted by Globe Station Manager Jason Samuel. The listening party will highlight Love’s music, along with the music of artists he’s influenced.
3:00 p.m. | A Conversation with Artist Robert Townsend | Art House
Join us for an intimate conversation with California artist Robert Townsend, moderated by Tim Shelly.
A short film about his work My Indiana Muse will show at The Goshen Theater at 4:30 p.m. following this conversation.
Robert Townsend was born in Downey, California in 1974. He paints highly finished images of the icons of an American Pop mythology. His unfailing eye for color and texture produce a vision of America’s material culture that vacillates between nostalgia for what is lost and optimism for the continuation of American ingenuity.
Free event, open to the public
4:30 p.m. | Shorts Block • Docs | Goshen Theater
>> It’s about to get real – check out this block of Documentaries.
Grateful, Paul W. Nethercott, 17 min
Mr. Pinball, Anthony Schubert, 7 min
My Indiana Muse, Jen Serena & Ric Serena, 44 min
Deep Dive: A Midwestern Legacy in the Florida Keys, Kyle Hufford, 26 min
Jim’s Camelot, Evan Falbaum, 17 min
My Grandfather’s Memory Book, Colin Levy, 4 min
Runtime: 115 minutes
Dinner + Shopping | Explore Goshen's shops, bars, and restaurants
Take a break for some food and shopping downtown. Here’s a list of locally owned places to eat.
6:30 p.m. | Feature Film • Spare Room | Art House
The film is followed by a Q&A session with Producer James Portolese.
8:30 p.m. | Concert • Rudy Love & The Love Family | The Goshen Theater
You saw the movie This is Love on Friday – now see the Rudy and family live in concert on The Goshen Theater stage! Join us for a funk/blues/soul concert with Rudy Love & The Love Family.
10:00 p.m. | That's a Wrap! | Downtown Goshen
Finish off your weekend at one of Goshen’s fine watering holes – we’ll see you there!
2019 River Bend Film Festival Sponsors
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
