WHITE RIVER JUNCTION — Film has a way of bringing people together.
In the before-times, people would regularly gather at White River Indie Films events to watch and discuss cinema. When the COVID-19 pandemic began in March those screenings and discussions went online, like so much else. But now, the White River Junction-based nonprofit organization has found a way for people to view live films in-person while adhering to protocols put in place due to the pandemic.
The “Light River Junction Festival of Cinema Light” — which runs from 4-8 p.m. Friday-Sunday — features short films projected on various buildings and businesses in downtown White River Junction. People can drive or walk through to watch them.
“They’re all designed to evocative moving images that you can experience as a kind of installation art,” said Samantha Davidson Green, president of the WRIF board. “Less focused story, more focused on the pure thrill and beauty of moving images.”
Around 20 area filmmakers and light artists are contributing or selecting short pieces that will be projected on at least six buildings, though the number may grow, Davidson Green said.
Since the pandemic began, the WRIF board has turned its attention to programs focusing on social justice, climate change and voter suppression. This event is a shift from that in both tone and presentation.
“We haven’t been able to share that with each other this year and we’re lonesome on our computer screens month after month,” Davidson Green said. “We’re really trying to explore all the roots of the moving image and offer some beautiful light at this dark time of year.”
Editor’s note: For more information, visit wrif.org.
Liz Sauchelli can be reached at esauchelli@vnews.com or 603-727-3221.
