This weekend, filmmakers and film fans will make their way to Collins Road Theatres in Marion for the 21st edition of the Cedar Rapids Independent Film Festival (CRIFF). The festival runs from April 5 - 7 and features 57 films — all with an Iowa connection.
Festival director Eric Dean Freese says the goal of the three-day event is to spotlight Iowans in the film industry while also telling stories that capture the spirit of Iowa.
“The film must have a connection to Iowa, and we've heard frequently, ‘Isn't that limiting?’ And honestly, it's not. We've gotten submissions from all over the world,” Freese says. “Even though we're an Iowa-focused festival, we're reaching all around the world because there are people with a history or connection to Iowa working in the industry worldwide.”
This year, CRIFF received 102 submissions, the highest total since 2007, according to Freese. He expects full auditoriums for most of the screenings this weekend, with a total attendance of about 300 people.
In addition to the scheduled screenings, the festival includes Q&A sessions with filmmakers and two forums: a student cinema forum and a documentary forum.
The student cinema forum offers students an opportunity to meet with filmmakers and professors and discuss the craft of filmmaking.
As an attendee, you're going to be exposed to unique perspectives, to different people, to situations that you might not otherwise experience.Cedar Rapids Independent Film Festival director Eric Dean Freese
Freese says the documentary forum focuses on the technical aspects of making a documentary, as well as the ethical questions behind the process.
“We’ll be talking with a bunch of documentarians about funding, interviewing and content, as well as philosophical things, like topics and what's the purpose of a documentary? Historical preservation, social change, entertainment?” Freese says. “We’re hoping to hear some good behind-the-scenes stories.”
Documenting history
Filmmaking duo Kelly and Tammy Rundle from Fourth Wall Films have been making documentaries for 35 years. This year, they're bringing their latest project, Resurrecting Forest Grove, to the festival.
The documentary shows the decade-long effort to restore a vintage one-room schoolhouse in Bettendorf. It includes interviews with former students and teachers who attended the school, which was built in the late 1800s.
“It was our way to kind of contribute to what they wanted to do. We couldn’t make a cash contribution, as a lot of people did,” Rundle said on IPR’s Talk of Iowa. “We didn’t know what would happen with the footage exactly, but we just thought it was important to document the process.”
Rundle says that every one-room schoolhouse is architecturally unique, likening it to a snowflake. But he says the heart of the documentary comes from the stories shared by former teachers and students.
For Rundle, one of the biggest goals of the film was to help audiences understand the importance of preserving historical landmarks.
“It is one thing to read a book or watch a film about this subject, and it’s much different to actually step inside one of these schoolhouses,” Rundle said. “And that’s really the important reason to save some of them, because there’s no other way to get that experience, or the essence of it, without being able to walk into an actual building.”
That immersive kind of storytelling is what excites Freese about CRIFF. He says the festival format gives audiences a chance to connect with a diverse selection of stories.
“It’s an important platform for people to see different stories that they aren't going to see, necessarily, in a multiplex, blockbuster-type film. As an attendee, you're going to be exposed to unique perspectives, to different people, to situations that you might not otherwise experience. Film provides a unique opportunity for an audience to experience different lives. You can step into a character and get a feeling for what that person is about, what that person's going through.”
An inside look
One film that does just that is debuting this weekend at CRIFF. The documentary short The Inside Singers follows the Oakdale Community Choir, which consists of 27 incarcerated singers and 27 singers from the community.
Director Daniel Kolen first learned about the choir through his mother, who was a volunteer singer with the group. He encourages audiences to let go of any prejudice they may have about incarcerated people and to witness the healing power of music.
“I just hope you go in with an open mind, and you hear the stories,” Kolen said on IPR’s Talk of Iowa. “You hear the honesty and listen to the music.”
Arnold Grice, who was a member of the choir while incarcerated in Oakdale, said participating in the weekly choir practices was therapeutic and helped him build confidence.
“When the outside singers would come in, I never experienced anything like it before,” Grice told IPR’s Charity Nebbe. “For one time out of the week, we were able to sit with people and have a regular conversation and laugh and practice music, and you didn’t have to feel like you were just an ID or a number.”
CRIFF draws a wide range of talent, from veteran industry professionals to first-time filmmakers. According to Freese, who has served as festival director for a combined 11 years, all levels of creators are welcome to submit their projects.
“Every year is kind of a mixture of new faces that we've never seen before and ones who have been entering for years — in some cases, ones that have been entering for decades,” Freese says.
Planting the seed
One new face at this year’s festival is Oogie Push, director of Tama Flint: A Meskwaki Tradition. The project is her first documentary, which she produced, edited and directed. It tells the story of the Meskwaki’s traditional corn and its importance to their culture.
Push told Nebbe that the film was made for two distinct audiences.
“I wanted it to be a step-by-step guide on how to grow, process and cook corn so that future Meskwakis, if they don’t have the corn tradition, can see how it’s done,” Push said. “But I also wanted to educate people about our culture and our history.”
Another goal of Push’s film is to encourage viewers to think more critically about food production.
“I hope that you understand the importance and significance of knowing where your food comes from and know that whoever controls your food controls you,” Push said.
With three days jam-packed with film premieres and discussions, Freese says CRIFF offers something for all tastes.
“There are so many interesting things that people can experience,” Freese says. “We have 57 films — a lot of shorts, features, documentaries. There's something for everyone.”
The Cedar Rapids Independent Film Festival is an underwriter of Iowa Public Radio.
This story was developed partially from a conversation on April 2, 2024 on Talk of Iowa, which was produced by Caitlin Troutman and Kate Perez.
