Author page: Festival Intern Team

2026 RIIFF Filmmaker Spotlight Series: Death Do Us Part, directed by Abigail Ory and David Chávez-Grant, co-written by Masha Strasburger Article Written By Marina Muradian Set against the backdrop of the Black Plague in 14th-century Italy, Death Do Us Part introduces Giulia, our headstrong protagonist whose unexpected relationship with Death himself sets off a chain…

2026 RIIFF Filmmaker Spotlight Series: Animalia, directed by Marius Rolfsvåg Article Written By Marina Muradian In the short Animalia, director Marius Rolfsvåg imagines a post-apocalyptic world where nature has reclaimed earth in which humans have transformed into animals leaving a few survivors sheltered inside a city. When the protagonist Alm ventures beyond its walls to…

2026 RIIFF Filmmaker Spotlight Series: Afterburn, directed by David Cordon Article Written By Roman Olavarria In his work Afterburn, David Cordon breaks down the difficult process of grief and how opening up to others can be a step toward intentional healing over something as difficult as the loss of a loved one. The excellent use…

2026 RIIFF Filmmaker Spotlight Series: Father Spencer, directed by Hudson Shelton Article Written By Roman Olavarria Hudson Shelton, in his piece Father Spencer, captures his interpretation of the essence of New England and where people like Father Spencer work as a light to their communities while also being a part of them. In this documentary,…

2026 RIIFF Filmmaker Spotlight Series: ÉCLATS, written by Lorette Nyssen Article Written By Roman Olavarria Lou finds herself feeling trapped in a medical center while recovering from her struggles due to her eating disorder. Written by Lorette Nyssen and directed by Maéva Chazalon, ÉCLATS unpacks personal struggles and the process of forming connections. A single…

2026 RIIFF Filmmaker Spotlight Series: ÉCLATS, directed by Maéva Chazalon Article Written By Roman Olavarria Lou finds herself feeling trapped in a medical center while recovering from her struggles due to her eating disorder. She finds comfort through her friend, Esther. Through building up the connection between the two characters, Chazalon is able to depict…

2026 RIIFF Filmmaker Spotlight Series: A Flash and How It Lasts, written and directed by Zhihao Hu Article Written By Roman Olavarria Zhihao Hu's A Flash and How It Lasts is a quiet and observational piece that focuses on the relationship between a son, Jun, and his father flying in from China and visiting him…

2026 RIIFF Filmmaker Spotlight Series: HIDE & SEEK, written and directed by Fatah Minoobakhsh Article Written By Roman Olavarria In the film HIDE & SEEK, writer and director Fatah Minoobakhsh captures the night where Amir, a young boy and the main character, finds himself between complex dynamics of gender identity and self-exploration in an environment…

2026 RIIFF Filmmaker Spotlight Series: Tomorrow, written and directed by Christian Meola Article Written By Roman Olavarria In this fun and emotionally pondering short, Christian Meola's Tomorrow explores the evolving friendship between the story's main perspectives Eric and Oliver. As the days pass, Eric and Oliver build a foundation that allows them to explore the…

2026 RIIFF Filmmaker Spotlight Series: Geronto, written by Christopher Sherwood Article Written By Roman Olavarria Basing the writing off of his personal experience, Christopher Sherwood in the film Geronto tells the story of a supposed-to-be one time encounter that turns into something much more as two characters, "Younger" and "Older," open up to their potential…

2026 RIIFF Filmmaker Spotlight Series: Geronto, Directed by Mark Pluck Article Written By Roman Olavarria Mark Pluck's Geronto tells the story of a supposed-to-be one time encounter that turns into something much more as two characters, "Younger" and "Older," open up to their potential insecurities regarding the unfamiliar nature of their situation: "Younger" is a…

RIIFF Filmmaker 2026 Spotlight Series: A Little Death, Directed by Leto Meade & Jonathan Rockefeller  Article Written By Anastasia Tunberg  The film A Little Death, based on Nicholas Gurewitch’s novel, Notes on a Case of Melancholia, Or: A Little Death, is an exploration of connection, familial relationships, and what it means to grow and evolve.…