Films with Class

In addition to our regular programming RiverRun presents free public screenings to students and participating schools throughout the year and during the run of the annual Festival. This Education Outreach initiative is part of our most active component of RiverRun’s year-round activities and is called “Films with Class.” Through these efforts, RiverRun helps thousands of students understand the diversity of the human experience and become better global citizens.

RiverRun works with K–12 educators to find new ways of incorporating great films into the classroom and listens to the needs of teachers to select the right mix of films from around the world for this program and create lesson plans that enhance established curriculum goals. Since 2009 RiverRun has visited dozens of schools and delivered a life-enhancing experience to more than 5,000 students in Forsyth County, NC.

For the 2010 Festival, we had our most successful screening of “Films with Class” in RiverRun history. 1,300 students from 16 county schools packed into the Steven’s Center Auditorium to watch Beetle Queen Conquers Tokyo, a documentary which explores Japan's love affair with bugs. The film uncovers Japanese philosophies that shift Westerners' perspectives on nature, beauty and life. The children were so inspired by the film that we received dozens of thank you notes from them with illustrations of beetles. In addition to this, “Films with Class” caught the attention of the Sundance Institute’s Project 20/20, an international film education exchange that offered an exciting collaborative program in Winston-Salem, September 8–10, 2010. Through this partnership Richie Mehta, director of Amal; Jessica Oreck, director of Queen Beetle Conquers Tokyo; Zeva Oelbaum, producer of Ahead of Time visited half a dozen Forsyth County schools and interacted with over 500 students.

Amid massive education budget cuts in all areas, the RiverRun International Film Festival’s “Films with Class” has not lost sight of the unique and critical role arts education plays in reaching our students and is working assiduously to fill the gap.  We deliver a life-enhancing experience that these children will cherish for years to come and are able to exemplify our mission of fostering a greater appreciation of cinema and a deeper understanding of the many people, cultures and perspectives of our world through interaction with great films and filmmakers.

If you would like to learn more about the program, please contact Jane McKim, RiverRun’s Community Directory at (336) 724-1502 x107 or via email. If you would like to become a corporate sponsor of RiverRun’s Films with Class program, please email our Development Manager.

Samples of films included in the Films With Class program:

Mi Chacra

Under The Boardwalk: The MONOPOLY Story

Circus Kids