WHITE RIVER JUNCTION — For just over two decades, the annual White River Indie Film Festival has served as a gathering place to catch the latest independent projects from Upper Valley filmmakers and those working farther afield.
In recent iterations of WRiF, programming has swelled to include not just movies but other art forms and social events too, so much so that leadership at JAM (Junction Arts and Media), the creative nonprofit that organizes the festival, opted to drop “Film” from its title this time around.
“The gist of this year’s festival is that there’s something for everyone,” Jordyn Fitch, WRiF’s director, said in an interview.
The new name — and broader slate of programming — is also more in step with JAM’s ethos as a community media center.
“We’re kind of a touchpoint for so many different kinds of art in the area,” Fitch said.
This year’s WRiF, a week-long affair that kicks off on Sunday, March 1, features a lineup packed with independent films, live music, social mixers, puppetry, visual art and an indie-sleaze themed dance party (think smudged eyeliner and skinny jeans) to top it all off.
In past years, WRiF has happened over a weekend, or several days, but this time the organizers chose to extend the length of the festival, with programming scheduled from morning until late at night.
“Not everyone works a traditional Monday to Friday 9 to 5,” Fitch said. “We realized that if we were able to schedule matinee shows during the day, we might be getting the people we might have missed who work nights or weekends…or don’t drive at night.”
Among the afternoon entertainment is Theater of the Absurd: a block on Saturday, March 7 devoted to such strange and whimsical acts as Sharon artist Ria Blaas’ vegetable-forward puppet show “Pattie Peels Out” and the circus arts of Cal Wicker, among others.
Live music is peppered throughout the week too, including “Open Mike” karaoke sessions led by JAM’s producer and operations manager Mike Cannon, and the customary acoustic jam session from 6 to 7:15 p.m. on Wednesday at the Filling Station.
There are also a number of workshops on the docket such as Emmy-winning animator Hayley Morris’ introduction to the basics of animation. The $20 workshop is open to all ages and scheduled for 10 a.m. at JAM.
While JAM’s leadership has added new events to the festival’s schedule, the staples remain, including screenings of the winning films from its Emerging Filmmakers Contest.
A few years ago, JAM began a concerted effort to market the contest to filmmakers who consider themselves new to the art form, rather than just those in the college age-range. This year saw the largest number of competition submissions — about 50.
The winners represent a varied array of stories and styles, “ranging from very traditional narratives to some very experimental fare,” Fitch said.
Mike Purvis’ “Reunion” reflects on youth’s bygone possibilities and the stubborn march of time. Purvis, who is 67 and lives in Woodstock, has had a varied career as an art gallery manager, art critic, carpenter and architect. He considers himself “old to the world and new to filmmaking,” reads his bio on JAM’s website.
“He really encapsulates why it was important for us to open” the Emerging Filmmakers Contest to all ages, Fitch said.
“Reunion” will play at 4 p.m. on Monday, March 2 and 12 p.m. next Thursday, March 5 at Briggs Opera House.
Meanwhile “On This Land,” an experimental short by Vermont-based Egyptian filmmaker, Salma Badra, uses the poetry of Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish to raise questions about identity and memory. “On This Land” will screen at 4 p.m. on March 2 and 3 p.m. on March 4 in Briggs Opera House.
There’s also “Munchiez,” a 15-minute short about a dancer and her former teacher who are contending with a shared trauma that has warped their relationship to food, with reality-bending results. From the mind of Sascha Lourdes, a Haitian-American filmmaker and Dartmouth College alum, “Munchiez” will play at 2 p.m on March 3 and 8:30 p.m. on March 7 in Briggs Opera House.
Another staple of WRIF is PitchFest, the quick-fire competition where filmmakers pitch their movie ideas to a panel of judges for the chance to receive money and resources to bring their vision to life. This year’s competition, scheduled for 5:30 on March 5, comes with the twist that audience members will also have a hand in choosing the winners.
Visual art also has long had a place on JAM’s calendar, and Janet E. Dandridge’s “Chronicle on Choice and Consequence,” a video installation exploring motherhood as a form of labor, will be on view during WRiF.
Then, of course, there’s the festival’s lineup of indie features. In a similar vein to last year’s offerings, next week’s selections “tackle a wide range of things that are really politically challenging, but also films that are just really fun and enjoyable,” Fitch said.
An example of the former is “All That’s Left of You,” a drama about a Palestinian teenager living in the occupied West Bank in the 1980s who gets caught up in a protest that has implications for his whole family. Told from the perspective of his mother, the film traces seven decades of family history and political unrest.
“A Useful Ghost,” meanwhile, marries humor and social commentary in a dark tale about a husband in mourning for his wife who died of dust pollution, all for her to return as a spirit inside a vacuum cleaner at his wealthy family’s appliance factory.
Even in death, she must prove her value within the family —and social — system.
A movie about a possessed vacuum cleaner that illustrates a broader commentary about gender and class expectations in modern Thailand? Very WRiF.
JAM’s White River Indie Festival is set for March 1-8 in White River Junction. To purchase passes and learn more go to uvjam.org.
WRiF warm-up
Leading up to WRiF, JAM is hosting Millennial Movie Trivia at Putnam’s Vine/yard in White River Junction from 6 to 8 p.m. on Feb. 26. Teams can be up to six people (of all generations), and the winners will receive tickets to the festival. To learn more, go to putnamsvineyard.com.
Student theater
Kimball Union Academy is putting on “Urinetown: The Musical” at 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 26 through 28 in the school’s auditorium in Meriden. Tickets are free and can be reserved by going to kua.org.
Northern Country Community Theatre’s teen production of “Newsies” is up at Lebanon Opera House from Friday, March 6 through Sunday, March 8. To learn more and purchase tickets ($18-$23) go to lebanonoperahouse.org.
Present at the creation
In addition to her own work as one of the Upper Valley’s foremost printmakers, Elizabeth “Lili” Mayor has played a key role in the growth of AVA Gallery and Art Center. She was one of the organizations first champions and supported its gradual move from Hanover to the former H.W. Carter & Sons factory in Lebanon. AVA has planned a celebration of Mayor’s 90th birthday from 3 to 5 p.m. on Sunday, March 1. Attendees are invited to bring a story to share. RSVP to info@avagallery.org.