In Ridgway, movie magic doesn’t happen behind studio gates — it unfolds beneath a canopy of stars.
Now in its eleventh year, the Ridgway Independent Film Festival — or RIFF — returns October 16th through 19th with four days of screenings, music, art, and conversation that reflect the creative pulse of this small Western Slope town.
Festival director Arielle Bielak says RIFF has evolved from a small winter film night into something much larger.
“I remixed it a bit,” she says. “Made it bigger, added art and performance when I can, and added elements of community grassroots organizing that I know and love so well into the festival.”
That grassroots energy is visible everywhere — from the volunteer-led curation process to the mix of filmmakers RIFF draws each year. The 2025 lineup includes 99 films, ranging from short documentaries and micro-shorts to feature-length pieces.
Opening night kicks off with Anna, directed by Ridgway native Kyle Van Buskirk.
The film follows mountaineer Anna Pfaff as she recovers from a frostbite injury that led to the loss of six toes.
“It’s an intimate, unflinching portrait,” Van Buskirk says. “A testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the courage to keep climbing.”
From there, the tone shifts across genres and borders.
Filmmaker Dwayne LeBlanc brings three shorts — This Light Is Fire 2, Olympic Village 2028, and Now Hear Me Good — that trace his evolution from DIY iPhone projects to larger narrative work.
“They’re vastly different in approach,” LeBlanc says, “but you can still see the same heartbeat running through them.”
Arlo Pérez Esquivel, a science communicator and host for Colorado Public Radio, contributes a documentary about Paonia’s journey to become a certified Dark Sky community.
“It’s a love letter to the night sky,” he says. “Light pollution is the only pollution you can erase with the flip of a switch.”
The festival’s local roots also make space for national stories. Philadelphia-based filmmaker Shuja Moore presents Pardon Me, a short documentary about redemption and second chances after incarceration.
“I spent time in prison,” Moore says. “You have to work really hard to change the narrative. That’s why I tell my own stories — otherwise somebody else will tell them for me.”
Beyond the films, RIFF celebrates community connection. Friday night features an after-party with DJ Beso, Saturday brings stargazing at Frontier Field during the Orionid meteor shower, and Sunday ends with an all-abilities 5K inspired by the documentary Remaining Native.
Tickets and passes — including some free programs — are available at ridgwayfestival.co.
Whether you’re chasing constellations, storylines, or just a good conversation, RIFF is a reminder that film can still bring us together.
