Ashland Independent Film Festival: Small Screens, Big Dreams

I like stories about underdogs. The Ashland Indpendent Film Festival (AIFF) isn’t exactly an underdog, but it has risen from humble roots to international recognition, fallen on hard times, and come back from the ashes — and all in the space of 25 years.

The Southern Oregon Film Society was founded in 2001 by a breed of humans known as cinephiles and produced its inaugural festival at the Varsity Theater that same year. Along with underdogs, I also love any brand of nerd — book nerds, theater nerds, and in this case, film nerds. It can’t be easy to start a festival, less still to grow it into an event that showcases 80+ works, is international in scope, pulls in around 300 volunteers, and brings millions of dollars annually into our creative little town.

Remember 2020? It was tough on live theater, as we in Ashland remember all too well, but cinema struggled too. AIFF moved to an online and later hybrid format, but those years left their mark in the form of deep debt. But here’s the thing about nerds and all creatures of passion — they generally find a way. In 2023, on the brink of closure, they put out a public appeal, and have since rebounded — a testament to how important AIFF is to Asland’s artistic and cultural scene.

This year’s the festival is back in its full glory, celebrating 25 years — April 23 through April 26, so mark your calendars. What can you expect? Screenings of short films and documentaries, art installations, live music, food and wine. In short, a film nerd party. You can find out more at https://www.ashlandfilm.org/. Hope to see you there!