Fourth annual Cedar River Film Festival features 34 selections

For the fourth time, the Cedar Falls Community Theater and Oster Regent hosted a film festival. The Film Festival was on Oct. 30 from 6 to 11 p.m. 

Cedar Falls Community Theater employee David Dein said, “We had 122 submissions this year from across Iowa and the states that border us. We chose 34 of those films for the festival.”

Dein said, “We have a bunch of out-of-the-ordinary films this year. One that comes to mind is ‘Clean Slate,’ about a robot vacuum that escapes its house and goes on an adventure around its neighborhood, where it makes friends with a drone.”

Dein said, “We also have a film called ‘Switcheroo’ about a watch that makes people switch bodies. It’s really funny. We have two amazing documentaries, too. There’s the Jane Elliott film I mentioned earlier, and the festival opens with a true-crime documentary about Jacob Wetterling, a young boy who disappeared after leaving a video store in 1989. It explores how his disappearance turned people into heroes and villains, and the investigation that took 30 years to close. It’s really fascinating. There’s a western, an opera, a couple of sci-fi films, comedy, drama, horror. We’ve got a little bit of everything.”

The first film category was Unexpected Survivors, lasting two hours eight minutes and 39seconds. The films were rated for those over age 16. The two films in this category were “Wheel Dog” and “Echoes in the Night: The Search for Jacob Wetterling.” 

The director of “Wheel Dog” is Dlyan Melcher. The observation documentary follows Ralph, a paraplegic athlete aspiring dog musher. Ralph trains with his sled dogs in northern Minnesota. Ralph continues his life adventure while inspiring what accessibility can look like in the wilderness.

Dein said, “We have a pretty good mix of all kinds of films, but drama, horror and documentary were physically well represented this year.”

“Echoes in the Night: The Search for Jacob Wetterling” was directed byChris Newberry. The story follows an 11 year old named Jacob Wetterling that was abducted on a quiet road in Minnesota in 1989 by a masked gunman. The case remains unsolved until a fearless sexual assault survivor, a journalist and Jacobs’ determined parents insist on an answer. When the case reached its conclusion, it caused them to wonder what closure means and if that’s what they wanted. The case caused a rapid increase in sex offender registries. The New Yorker’s blockbuster “In The Dark” podcast was also launched afterward. 

Dein said, “We’re handing out five awards this year. Our four-person jury, who watched all the films and helped put together the lineup, will choose two Critics’ Choice awards, one for a feature film and one for a short. The audience will also vote for their favorite feature and short. We’re also presenting a special award this year called the Iowa Legacy Award to Jane Elliott and the team behind the film ‘Jane Elliott Against the World.’ It honors a film that captures the mission of the Cedar River Film Festival and the spirit and identity of Iowa.”

The second category was Unexpected Tensions lasting one hour 54 minutes and 59 seconds. The films were also rated for audiences over age 16. The three films in this category were “Ever Green and the F***ing Spectrum,” “Sweet Molly” and “Pressure.” 

“Ever Green and the F***ing Spectrum” lasts 14 minutes and 59 seconds. The director is Peter Kangas. The film follows a young, autistic man, Paul, who is trying to process his father’s terminal cancer while he is haunted by a character from a Hollywood autism film that he hates. Paul deals with his grief, his tensional relationship with his father and the challenges of stereotypes.

Dein talked about Jane Elliot and her film. He said, “Back in 1968, Jane Elliott was a teacher in Riceville, Iowa, when she developed an exercise known as the Blue Eyes/Brown Eyes experiment. It was designed to help her students understand discrimination and prejudice, and it went on to influence conversations about race across the country. The documentary ‘Jane Elliott Against the World’ explores the experiment, Jane’s family and the impact her work continues to have today. We’re especially excited because Jane herself will be at the festival for a question-and-answer session after the screening.”

“Sweet Molly” is a film that lasts 25 minutes. The director is J.C. McNoughton. The film follows a 16-year-old girl born who is raised in the Fundamental Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. She makes a chilling discovery through her ability to have out of body experiences leading to a life changing experience. 

“Pressure” is a film that lasts one hour and 15 minutes. The director is Lyrikal Tmg. The film is a suspense thriller centered on a man who was recently released from prison. Malik Coleman was placed on house arrest trying to manage control of his own life. A mysterious caller begins telling him what he can and can’t do, causing him to have paranoia and struggle with being manipulated. Friendships are put to the test as body counts rise and people lose trust in the truth. 

Dein said these films are available on a variety of platforms. “There are a couple you can find on YouTube, but most of the films are still on the festival circuit. That means they’re being shown at festivals around the country before eventually becoming available on video-on-demand platforms. You can check out the entire lineup at https://www.mycfct.org/crff.”