Ashland Independent Film Festival adds to offerings

The Ashland Varsity Theatre hosts the AIFF 2023 Documentary Showcase April 14-20. Al Case / Ashland Daily Photo
April 10, 2023

More appearances by guest filmmakers and speakers added

The Ashland Independent Film Festival has added two additional films to its closing night slate of films, along with additional appearances by special guest filmmakers and speakers, according to a news release.

The Chilean film “The Eternal Memory” will be screened at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, April 20, at the Varsity Theatre, 166 E. Main St., Ashland. Additional afternoon showings will also be available April 16 and 19. The film, winner of the Sundance Film Festival’s World Cinema Grand Jury Prize, tells the story of Augusto Gongora, a prominent former Chilean journalist and challenger of the Pinochet dictatorship, and Paulina Urrutia, a famous Chilean actress and 25-year partner of Gongora. Both find their lives changed when Augusto is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. The film will replace “Sam Now.”

“American Promise,” by the festival’s 2023 Rogue Award filmmakers Joe Brewster and Michele Stephenson, will screen at 10 a.m. Saturday, April 15, at the AIFF Film Center, 389 E. Main St., Ashland. A meet and greet with the directors will follow. The film spans 13 years, with Brewster and Stephenson, middle class African-American parents from Brooklyn, New York, turning the cameras on their son, Idris, and his best friend, Seun, as they attend Dalton, one of the most prestigious schools in the country.

“Chronicling the boys’ divergent paths from kindergarten through high school graduation, this provocative intimate documentary presents complicated truths about America’s struggle to come of age on issues of race, class, and opportunity.”

Two classic Civil Rights documentaries, “The March” and “The Bus,” will also screen at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, April 20. “The March,” directed by James Blue depicts the day’s events that lead up to Dr. Martin Luther King’s famous “I Have A Dream” speech. “The Bus,” directed by Haskell Wexler, tells the story of a “multi-racial contingent from San Francisco, California riding a bus to join the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom.

Alison O’Daniel, director of “The Tuba Thieves,” will also appear for an in-person moderated talkback at on Wednesday, April 19, following the film’s 6:30 screening at the Varsity Theatre. O’Daniel, a California-based artist, was diagnosed with 60% binaural loss of hearing when she was three years old.

Visit ashlandfilm.org for ticketing information and additional showtimes.

Picture of Ryan

Ryan

Related Posts...

Obituary: David Brian Shaw

Obituary: David Shaw, 78, former executive director of the Peter Britt Festivals in Jacksonville, founder of Artbeat Inc., and facilitator of nonprofit Mt. Ashland Ski Area founding, died Feb. 1, 2025.

Read More »

Stiff winds likely followed by rain showers over coming days

Ashland’s hiatus of dry days ends with five straight days with rain showers in the forecast, according to a National Weather Service forecast as of Wednesday evening. Showers are expected during the day Thursday and Friday, in the evening Saturday, night and day Sunday and during Monday’s Presidents Day holiday day.

Read More »

Our Sponsors

Klamath Bird Observatory Experience the wonders of Souteast Brazil Ashland Oregon
Conscious Design Build Ashland Oregon
Pronto Printing Ashland Medford Southern Oregon

Latest posts

Obituary: David Brian Shaw

Obituary: David Shaw, 78, former executive director of the Peter Britt Festivals in Jacksonville, founder of Artbeat Inc., and facilitator of nonprofit Mt. Ashland Ski Area founding, died Feb. 1, 2025.

Read More >

Stiff winds likely followed by rain showers over coming days

Ashland’s hiatus of dry days ends with five straight days with rain showers in the forecast, according to a National Weather Service forecast as of Wednesday evening. Showers are expected during the day Thursday and Friday, in the evening Saturday, night and day Sunday and during Monday’s Presidents Day holiday day.

Read More >

Are you gun and gun law savvy? Find out March 4

“Be Gun Smart… Whether or Not You Own a Firearm” is a free public program set for 4 to 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 4, in the Gresham Room at the Ashland Public Library, 410 Siskiyou Blvd. The speakers will be Ashland Police Chief Tighe O’Meara and Jackson County Sheriff Nate Sickler. 

Read More >

Our Sponsors

Ashland Parks and Recreation Ashland Oregon
City of Ashland Public Notice Ashland Oregon
Ashland.news House Ad

Explore More...

The city of Ashland’s police volunteer program, which had around 30 volunteers before the COVID pandemic, now has only around 10. Volunteers help put extra eyes on patrol areas such as Lithia Park and the bike path and help manage special events such as parades.
Oregon could have far fewer firefighters ready to battle blazes on federal lands next fire season — and may do less advance work aimed at mitigating the risk of large fires — due to the Trump administration’s hiring freeze and funding cuts, according to U.S. lawmakers.
“Be Gun Smart… Whether or Not You Own a Firearm” is a free public program set for 4 to 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 4, in the Gresham Room at the Ashland Public Library, 410 Siskiyou Blvd. The speakers will be Ashland Police Chief Tighe O’Meara and Jackson County Sheriff Nate Sickler. 
The Ashland Community Emergency Response Team will offer training on how to offer basic medical aid, including administering naloxone in case of opioid overdoses, on Wednesday evening, Feb. 12. The training is free and open to the public starting at 6 p.m. at Ashland Fire Station No. 1 at 455 Siskiyou Blvd.
City Corner: The 2024 city of Ashland list of accomplishments highlights numerous advancements and initiatives across various departments. Following is a summary of the key achievements, including completion of the wastewater treatment plant outfall relocation and UV system upgrades.
ashland.news logo

Subscribe to the newsletter and get local news sent directly to your inbox.

(It’s free)

Don't Miss Our Top Stories

Get our newsletter delivered to your inbox three times a week.
It’s FREE and you can cancel anytime.