CRIFF or Cedar Rapids Independent Film Festival Screen 62 films Apr 4-6

Los Angeles, CA (February 26, 2025). Sixty-two films from across the country, all with an Iowa connection, will take center stage at the 2025 Cedar Rapids Independent Film Festival (CRIFF), running April 4-6 at Collins Road Theatres in Marion. Selected from a field of 102 entries by a panel of judges, the CRIFF Official Selections are a diverse slate of short and feature-length narrative, documentary, and freestyle (music video, experimental, prose, art) films from professional, hobbyist, and student filmmakers.

“CRIFF is all about creating a unique filmgoing experience that is unlike mainstream cinema,” says Festival Director Eric Dean Freese. “In one afternoon, you might find a film that makes you laugh and one that makes you cry; one that lets your mind relax and one that opens your mind to new ways of looking at the world.”

Freese credits the work of Iowa-connected filmmakers. “This talented, truly worldwide community explores diverse topics and genres, and the stories are told from a wide range of perspectives. Plus, you have the opportunity to connect with the filmmakers, who are motivated more by passion for storytelling than box office receipts.”

CRIFF Official Selections

01. 50mm – Student Narrative Long-Form – Dillon Jacobson – University of Iowa – Iowa City
02. 5683 – Professional Narrative Feature – Brittany Benedict, Michael Huntington, Kevin Shepherd – Cintree Films – Newhall
03. Abraham’s Bridge – Professional Documentary – Elinor Pierce, Justin Limoges – Auburndale, MA
04. After Ike: A Journey That Changed America-Professional Doc.-Gregory F. Maassen, Michael S. Owen-Washington DC
05. Anybody But You – Hobbyist Short – Derek Smith, Jacob Daniels
06. Baby Doll – Hobbyist Short – Serena Fath, Ellen Lee, Victoria Jackson – Des Moines
07. Bits & Pieces – Hobbyist Feature – Bauston Van Sickle, Wayne D. Barrett – VanSickle Studios – Newton
08. Blink Once – Professional Freestyle – Jim Haverkamp, Karin Gottshall – Durham, NC
09. Brothers: A Civil War Story – Student Narrative Short-Form-Casey Schaffer – DeSales University – Westminster, Colorado
10. Chase – Hobbyist Short – Lilah Pearl Skaar, Anthony Syracuse, Jme Lee, James Brown – Denver, IA
11. Clean Up-Student Narrative Short-Form – Laura Makari-Augustana College Film Program-Augustana College-Rock Island, IL
12. Counterfeit – Hobbyist Short – Michael E. Berg, JJ Hillard, Wes Worthing, Andrew McDowell
13. Cuffed!-Student Narrative Short-Form-Kylie Muller, Grace Birkland, Hannah Romell – Uni of Nebraska-Lincoln – Lincoln, NE
14. Dinner with Gigi – Professional Narrative Short – Courtney Ball – Cedar Rapids
15. EDM is Plastic? – Student Freestyle – Than San – Loras College Creative Media/DUMEDIA – Loras College – Dubuque
16. 18 Years-Student Narrative Short-Form-Emily Surma-Loras College Creative Media/DUMEDIA-Loras College-Dubuque
17. Exaltation – Student Narrative Long-Form – Will Schwarz – The University of Iowa – Iowa City
18. Facing the Father-Student Narrative Short-Form-Lauren Ulveling, Kylea Nuendorf, Henry Hahn-Wartburg College-Waverly
19. Flock Together – Student Narrative Short-Form – Andrew Sloth, Leo E. White – University of Georgia – Athens, GA
20. Friends and Neighbors – Professional Documentary – Benjamin Wagner – Wilmington, DE
21. From Iowa and Back – The Vietnam Era – Professional Documentary – Jeremy Glazier, Gerard Estella – Cedar Rapids
22. Garden of Des Moines – Hobbyist Documentary – Teri Underhill – Des Moines
23. The Gates – Hobbyist Feature – Tiffany A Ketcham, Cody McKinney – Newton
24. Get Over Yourself – Professional Narrative Feature – Thomas Pace
25. Gloves-Student Narrative Short-Form-Isaiah Griffith, John Plewa, Megan Kolbe-Uni of Nebraska-Lincoln-Lincoln, NE
26. Good Tough Kid – Hobbyist Documentary – Michael James McDonald, Seth Stoltenow, Joshua Cote – Wyoming, MI
27. The Grief Project – Regan Hill, Tessa León, Billy Chengary, Phillip Ward – Los Angeles, CA
28. Home No Return – Student Narrative Short-Form – Arman Hodasefat, Philip Rabalais,
29. Taryn Neal – University of Iowa – Iowa City
30. Hunky Dory – Professional Freestyle – Steven Vander Meer, Béla Fleck – Arcata, CA
31. i went on the adventure of my dreams – Student Documentary – Jack McCarthy – North Scott High School – Eldridge
32. Inheritance – Hobbyist Short – Benjamin Schmidt, Alannah Swenka – Coralville
33. Jayden Upton: Give It Your All-Student Doc.-Dylan Ervin-Loras College Creative Media/DUMEDIA-Loras College-Dubuque
34. Killsbury Doughboy Rises – Student Narrative Short-Form – Parker Miller – University of Northern Iowa – Cedar Falls
35. Ku: A Love Story – Hobbyist Short, Freestyle – Anita George – Los Angeles, CA
36. The Legacy of The Great River Reapers-Student Doc-Loras College Creative Media / DUMEDIA – Loras College-Dubuque
37. Light Painter – Professional Documentary – Eric Smidt – Ames
38. Lost Woods – Professional Narrative Short – Ben Hagarty, Shawn Stadburg, Pokey Spears, Matthew Welch – Cedar Falls
39. Love Bites-Student Narrative Short-Ludovica Chiovini-Augustana College Film Prgm-Augustana College-Rock Island, IL
40. Loyal Wheels – Student Freestyle – Than San – Loras College Creative Media / DUMEDIA – Loras College – Dubuque
41. Making Magic – Professional Narrative Short – Patrick Boberg, Brian Hogan, Erin Hogan, Jolene Schultz – Des Moines
42. Moved by Waters – Professional Documentary – Kelly Rundle, Tammy Rundle – Fourth Wall Films – Moline IL
43. My Heart Remembers – Professional Feature – Melinda Myers, Melissa Lawrence, Stephen Folker, Brian Lawrence – Lisbon
44. The Negro Artist – Professional Documentary – Nikolas Ira Heftman, Douglas Burns, Ann Wilson – Los Angeles, CA
45. Nightmare At Camp Bloodbath – Professional Narrative Short – Dylan Arnow, Ryan Brown, Will Perls, – Los Angeles, CA
46. ORGANIZED TERROR | Eclypse Haunted Attraction: Year 3 Recap – Professional Freestyle Doc. – Nick Orth – Cedar Rapids
47. Paranormal Press – Student Narrative Short-Form – Ava Bertram, JP Smith – Hawkeye Community College – Waterloo
48. Petrichor – Student Freestyle – Grace Potratz – University of Iowa – Iowa City
49. Pluto – Student Narrative Short-Form – Lua Rasga, Nick Hull, Matt Sindt – University of Iowa – Iowa City
50. Project Lucidity – Hobbyist Short – Erika Chagdes, Alexandra Runnells – University of Iowa – Iowa City, Cedar Falls
51. Refining Your Craft-Student Narrative Short-Form-Andrew Sloth, Jesse Scales, Austin Yeomans-Uni of Georgia – Athens, GA
52. Remote – Professional Feature – Matthew Tribble, Marc Bauer – Cedar Rapids
53. Sew Lucky-Student Narrative Short-Form – Hannah Pedersen – Frumble Films – University of Nebraska-Lincoln – Lincoln, NE
54. Stronghold – Professional Narrative Short – Meghann Artes, Anna Maria Hozian, Joe Lyons – Chicago, IL
55. Tim Olson: Observing Oddities-Student Doc.-Jessen Weber-Loras College Creative Media/DUMEDIA-Loras Col.-Dubuque
56. Tina – Professional Narrative Short – Sheri Davenport, Laura Sweeney, Chris Luner – Oakland, CA
57. Tinker – Hobbyist Documentary – Ryan Adams – Independence
58. Turn Four – Student Documentary – Joshua Tigges – Buena Vista University – Storm Lake
59. Unlikely Pair – Student Narrative Short-Form – Sam Madson – Hawkeye Community College – Waterloo
60. Unwritten – Student Freestyle – Hunter Jones – Loras College Creative Media / DUMEDIA – Loras College – Dubuque
61. Weedman – Hobbyist Short – Alannah Swenka, Tristan Bennett
62. The Wordless Ones-Student Narrative Short-Form-Tyler Samuel Dintaman-Hawkeye Comm. College-Waterloo, Decorah
63. Yule Father – Professional Narrative Short – Brittany Benedict, Michael Huntington, Kevin Shepherd

All Official CRIFF Selections have an Iowa Connection, which could include: A crew or cast member who lived, worked, or went to school in Iowa; a film that was produced, at least in part, in Iowa; or a story featuring an Iowa subject or Iowan (present or former, real or fictional). Each film will screen twice over the weekend, and compete for Gold and Silver Eddy, Audience Choice, and Iowa Connection awards, at the Eddy Awards Ceremony, presented by Farmers State Bank, following Saturday night’s screenings. 

Student filmmakers will be celebrated at Student Cinema Sunday, April 6. Their films will compete for the $1000 Collins Road Theatres Scholarship and the Student Audience Choice Eddy, voted on by all attendees and awarded following Sunday’s screenings.

Tickets may be purchased through the Collins Road Theatres box office at collinsroadtheatres.com. Full event passes are $35 for adults and $25 for students; single sessions are $10/$8 in advance. Student Cinema Sunday student tickets are $5 in advance. Schedules, film information, and festival details are available at crifm.org/2025-festival/.

In addition to Collins Road Theatres and Farmers State Bank, CRIFF is supported by the Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation CRST International Donor-Advised Fund, the Iowa Economic Development Authority, Wired Production Group, and ImOn Communications. Partnership inquiries may be directed to [email protected].

About CRIFF/The Cedar Rapids Independent Film Festival
The Cedar Rapids Independent Film Festival’s mission is to encourage independent filmmakers with Iowa ties to continue improving their craft, to provide a place to specifically showcase their films, present a unique cultural event to the community, and to offer networking opportunities for the purpose of building connections between Iowa-connected filmmakers everywhere. More information is available at crifm.org.  

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