Fresh Cinema from the Heartland

The Cedar River Film Festival celebrates and showcases films created in the American Heartland.

The Cedar River Film Festival takes place the last weekend in October at the Historic Oster Regent Theatre in Cedar Falls, Iowa — just a stone’s throw from the Cedar River.

CRFF is a celebration of Midwest stories in all forms; long- and short-form narrative, documentary, experimental, commercial, biographical, and more.




2026 Poster Design by Mija Henderson

Screening Dates/Times:

• Friday, October 30 | 6:00-11:00PM
• Saturday, October 31 | 12:00-11:45PM
• Sunday, November 1 | 10:30AM-4:00PM

Ticketing:

• Full Festival Pass: $45
• Friday Pass: $15
• Saturday Pass: $25
• Sunday Pass: $20
• Single Pod: $12
• New for 2026! Lounge Add-On: $20

2026 Official Selections and Schedule

Friday, October 30, 2026 | 6:00-11:00PM

Pod 1 - Unexpected Survivors | Pod Runtime: 2:08:39 | Pod Rating: 16+

Wheel Dog | Dir. Dylan Melcher | Runtime: 16:39 | Wheel Dog is an observational documentary following Ralph, a paraplegic athlete and aspiring dog musher, as he trains with his sled dogs in northern Minnesota. Through determination, ingenuity, and an unbreakable bond with his team, Ralph pursues a life of adventure while redefining what accessibility can look like in the wilderness.

Echoes in the Night: The Search for Jacob Wetterling | Dir. Chris Newberry | Runtime: 1:52:00 | In 1989, on a quiet road in rural Minnesota, 11-year-old Jacob Wetterling was abducted by a masked gunman. The case remains shrouded in mystery for decades, until a courageous sexual assault survivor, a citizen journalist, and Jacob’s unshakable parents demand action. After the case reaches a devastating conclusion, they are all left to question what “closure” really means. It’s the case that spawned the proliferation of sex-offender registries and launched THE NEW YORKER’s blockbuster “In The Dark” podcast, among other wide-reaching impacts. But rather than an investigative exploration or true-crime procedural, this documentary captures, in real time, the intimate human impacts of this infamous crime as answers are finally uncovered.

Break - 00:30:00

Pod 2 - Unexpected Tensions | Pod Runtime: 1:22:48 | Pod Rating: 16+

Ever Green & The F***ing Spectrum | Dir. Peter Kangas | Runtime: 14:59 | Paul, a young autistic man, struggles to process his father's terminal cancer diagnosis while haunted by Ever Green—a character from a Hollywood autism film he despises. Through therapy sessions and painful memories, Paul confronts his grief, his strained relationship with his father, and society's stereotypical portrayals of autism. A raw exploration of neurodiversity, family dysfunction, and the Hollywood gaze on disability.

Sweet Molly | Dir. J.C. McNaughton | Runtime: 25:00 | At 16, Molly, born and raised in the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS) cult, makes a chilling discovery through her ability to astral project, leading to a life-altering event

Pressure | Dir. LYRIKAL TMG | Runtime: 1:15:00 | PRESSURE is a gritty suspense thriller centered on Malik Coleman, a man recently released from prison and placed on house arrest while trying to reclaim control of his life. But when he receives a mysterious caller begins directing his every move, Malik is pulled into a deadly chain of paranoia, revenge, and manipulation.
What starts as a personal threat quickly unravels into something much larger. Old street loyalties are tested, past betrayals resurface, and Malik finds himself trapped in a system where every decision feels rigged from the start. As the body count rises and the truth becomes harder to trust, Malik discovers that the people pulling the strings are far closer—and far more protected—than he ever imagined.
At its core, PRESSURE is a tense, street-level thriller about survival, corruption, and the illusion of second chances.

Saturday, October 31, 2026 | 12:00-11:45PM

Pod 3 - Unexpected Changes | Pod Runtime: 2:22:48| Pod Rating: All Ages-16+

First Winter | Dir. Schantelle Alonzo | Runtime: 04:27 | Ángel is a newly arrived immigrant who is experiencing his first winter in Chicago. The film follows his realization of what it may mean to be away from home for a very long time.

Grave Expectations | Dir. Larry Ziegelman | Runtime: 13:04 | Jacob has kept his childhood trauma a secret from his wife until today, when he surprises her with a nighttime trip through a cemetery to confront the grave of his recently-deceased childhood bully. What begins as a difficult journey into the past becomes an unexpected opportunity for catharsis, connection, and, of course, childish revenge.

The Oldest | Dir. Cathlin McCullough | Runtime: 09:48 | 12-year-old Kate longs to escape her lonely reality as the oldest of 5 under the shadow of her father's addiction in this coming-of-age story set in late 80s rural Iowa. “The Oldest” focuses on the inner life of a girl forced to grow up too fast and highlights the gulf of difference between the heaviness of home life and the freedom of just being a kid.

Girl Dad | Dir. Rachael Hudson | Runtime: 14:29 | Across laughter and quiet conversations that span years, a father and daughter navigate the joy of being together and the pain of a love that must learn to endure being apart.

Dust To Malibu | Dir. Stephen Ward | Runtime: 01:41:00 | After turning his life around, a father tries to make amends with his estranged daughter whom he hasn't seen in years. He hopes to convince her to take a road trip from Missouri to the West Coast to respect his deceased ex-wife’s wishes her ashes be placed in the Pacific Ocean.

Break - 30:00

Pod 4 - Unexpected Developments | Pod Runtime: 2:08:51 | Pod Rating: All Ages-16+

Dryland | Dir. Marissa Vonn | Runtime: 08:42 | Dennie, a swim coach grappling with PTSD and struggling to connect with her team, must overcome her biggest trigger as the team dives into their crucial first meet of the season.

Romance Cleanup in Aisle 5 | Dir. Richard Morell | Runtime: 16:34 | Two men, mystically connected since junior high school, reconnect on a grocery date.

Closet Combat Episode 3 | Dir. Augustus Hinton | Runtime: 09:22 | Closeted high school boy Theodore experiences an argument with his brother as a video game fight to endure his fear of being outed.

Switcheroo | Dir. Kristin & Justin Schaack | Runtime: 06:28 | A new body swap device, the Switcheroo!, promises "new perspectives and fun!" but yields hilarious workplace hi-jinks with potentially irreversible consequences.
It’s a real out-of-body experience.

Loafers | Dir. Zach Schnitzer | Runtime: 01:27:45 | Amidst a post-grad haze, best friends Isaac and Cameron navigate the shifting terrain of their relationships, grappling with whether their once unbreakable friendship can survive the weight of change.

Dinner Break - 01:00:00

Pod 5 - Unexpected Detours | Pod Runtime: 1:31:16 | Pod Rating: All Ages-14+

Deity | Dir. Isabelle Pick | Runtime: 13:56 | Deity is an animated parable that raises generational trauma to the level of mythology. Set in pagan-era Europe, the film explores the overlapping experiences of a divine bloodline modeled after the filmmaker's real world family. The story follows the filmmaker's father as his character struggles to overcome his traumatic past to save himself and others from destruction. Caught within a cycle of familial trauma, he seeks solace in Christianity, but his religious fanaticism brings harm to his family as a result.

Clean Slate | Dir. Mitchell D McCallson | Runtime: 11:56 | A Roomba escapes it's house and ventures into the world. What will it find?

It Came To Earth | Dir. Brennan Pivnicka | Runtime: 21:11 | The crew of a remote radar station are threatened by a deadly creature from another planet.

The Valley of The Devil | Dir. Chase Stine | Runtime: 15:00 | In 1897 Texas, two brothers come home to find their father has been taken by a bounty hunter.

Hell's Hollow | Dir. Connor A Botts | Runtime: 05:00 | In this chilling horror short film for the Jacob Owens Horror Film Contest, we uncover the terrifying secrets of a government operation gone wrong. In 1998, a classified group discovered a portal to a new world. A place they now call Hell’s Hollow. Six missions were sent inside. No one ever returned… until two days ago.

Solitude or The Madness Takes us All | Dir. Joshua Weixelman | Runtime: 09:00 | A small family excommunicated from their village live with regret.

Pocket Change | Dir. Tanner Mobley, Heston Roewe | Runtime: 15:13 | When the power goes out at a roadside diner in the middle of nowhere, a mysterious drifter and his seemingly worthless quarter hold the key to saving everyone from a deadly threat. Starring Emmy-nominee Freddy Rodríguez (Six Feet Under).

Break - 30:00

Pod 6a - Unexpected Terror | Pod Runtime: 1:48:11 | Pod Rating: 16+

The Driftless | Dir. Tim Connery | Runtime: 01:48:11 | Deep river valleys, tall limestone bluffs sawing through the sky... thousands of years ago, this unique portion of the Midwest escaped the crushing effects of the giant Ice Age glaciers. But with its scenic beauty, this preserved primal landscape also conceals unimaginable terrors. The Driftless is a horror film that weaves through four disturbing Midwest tales of the macabre. Guided by a mysterious antique store owner, these stories delve into a Mississippi River cult of masked assassins, a grieving musician's struggle with a cursed bottle of liquor, a motel pool cleaner's uncanny ability to retrieve time-altering artifacts, and a woman's blood-thirsty revenge from beyond the grave.

Break Q&A - 20:00

Pod 6b - Unexpected Terror | Pod Runtime: 1:23:23 | Pod Rating: 16+

Zombeans | Dir. Tate Mohlenkamp | Runtime: 05:28 | Two survivors must make their way to a shed filled with food in order to survive the zombie apocalypse.

HVAC | Dir. Jackson McKeehan | Runtime: 10:54 | In a blue-collar Missouri town, a 13-year-old HVAC apprentice grappling with confusing desires becomes entangled in a surreal, dangerous encounter at the local theatre—where longing and innocence bleed together in one irreversible night.

Aroma-Vision | Dir. Shun Powell | Runtime: 11:18 | AROMA-VISION is an eerie short film inspired by "The Twilight Zone," written by Adam Smith and directed by Shun Powell. The story follows Fred Jones, an unassuming Milwaukeean who is pulled into the new interactive cooking show, "Culinary Masters."

An Alphabet For Grant Wood | Dir. Jean-Francois Charles | Runtime: 08:35 | Grant Wood and his mother Hattie lived together in a small studio in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, from 1924 to 1935. In this short musical drama, the artist’s loving mother turns overprotective when she realizes he might come out of the closet. The film references more than 20 works that the American painter created during those years.

They All Knew He Would | Dir. Dave Stuck | Runtime: 08:37 | All of Shae's friends warn her that things are going to go badly with Brandon.

Night of the Bear King | Dir. Evan Trainer | Runtime: 17:36 | Three friends on a hiking trip wander into an enchanted house only to become victims of a sadistic ritual in a fairy tale from hell.

Bleeders | Dir. Carrsan T. Morrissey | Runtime: 20:55 | Iris is hooked on Ichor, a mysterious and powerful party drug that offers strength and euphoria at the cost of an unquenchable thirst for human blood. Finding herself out of Ichor, blood, and time, Iris takes to the streets to hunt for more. From ‘Queen of Iowa Horror’ Carrsan T. Morrissey comes "BLEEDERS," a pitch-black meditation on addiction, lust, and survival.

Sunday, November 1, 2026 | 10:30AM-4:00PM

Pod 7 - Unexpected Bonds | Pod Runtime: 2:13:55 | Pod Rating: All Ages-16+

Diverse Corn Belt | Dir. Wil Crombie, Anders Gurda | Runtime: 45:00 | Three Midwestern farmers challenge the longstanding dominance of corn and soybeans, betting their livelihoods on a more diverse vision of agriculture—and proving that the future of America's corn belt depends on rebuilding not just farms, but rural communities.
Interwoven with insights from researchers and agricultural experts, their stories reveal that diversifying agriculture isn't simply about growing different crops—it's about rebuilding resilient landscapes, revitalizing rural communities, and creating a more sustainable future for the Midwest.

Hekla | Dir. Michael Glover Smith | Runtime: 01:28:55 | Hekla, a determined Chicago actress, races through auditions, breakups, and self-doubt over the course of one chaotic day, risking her heart and career to claim her voice and step fully into the artist and woman she's meant to be.

Pod 8 - Unexpected Heroes | Pod Runtime: 1:58:34 | Pod Rating: All Ages-14+

Giving Back Breath | Dir. Chad Cohen, Courtney Crowder | Runtime: 19:34 | A poet on his deathbed.
A disease that refused to explain itself. And a scientist who spent decades chasing the question at the center of the disorder. Answering it took obsession, failure and faith that the next experiment might finally matter. Giving Back Breath is a 20-minute documentary about the long road from suffering to discovery — and the lives changed along the way.

Jane Elliot Against The World | Dir. Judd Ehrlich | Runtime: 1:39:00 | A rural Iowa schoolteacher becomes a national voice against racism after leading a controversial 1968 lesson in discrimination with her all-white third-grade class. Now nearly 90, she refuses to hold back amid today’s fights about race, history, and power after a lifetime of speaking out.

Break Q&A - 20:00

Award Ceremony | 4:00PM