As The Anchorage International Film Festival embarks on its 18th season, we want to thank our incredible community for all of the support we have received over the years. Anchorage, and Alaska as a whole, is a melting pot of culture and talent that is unrivaled.
Before I became involved with AIFF, I had very little idea how this festival impacted so many lives. From our local student filmmakers, to our seasoned professionals and visiting filmmakers, AIFF has become a great resource to share ideas, knowledge and network with the creative community. AIFF has always been and will continue to be an advocate for our independent film community, which has grown significantly over the past several years.
It is no secret that Alaska is a magical destination, and because of that, it brings people together in unexpected ways. In the dead of winter, AIFF offers a bright light for 10 days every season. During our festival, we are fortunate enough to welcome several filmmakers from all over the world, creating lasting memories and friendships.
As the film industry changes, it is becoming more important than ever that we support independent film, and the surrounding community. The Anchorage International Film Festival is looking forward to sharing the work of so many talented storytellers this season and for years to come.
Thank you very much for your support and patronage. Gather up your friends and families and join us for 10 days of amazing stories from around the globe while we celebrate Films Worth Freezing For.
And Now We Rise is a portrait of an exceptional young activist, Samuel Johns, motivated to help his Alaska Native community to lead sober, productive lives. Abandoned by his parents as a child and raised by numerous relatives, Samuel matured into a man who seeks to understand the roots of what happened within the larger context of historical trauma and loss of culture. He is an “everyman” who heals and grows by stepping up to help others, and becomes revered by the community. He is able to use his skills and talents for public speaking, writing hip hop music, and creating the Facebook Group, Forget Me Not, which connects those experiencing homelessness with far flung family members. This group has now grown to almost 25,000 members and as his success grows, Sam becomes emotionally drained, overwhelmed with facing so many heartaches and requests for help. Seeing the national movement for Standing Rock, Sam travels to North Dakota to participate and learn from other activists, which revitalizes him. Over the course of the three years this documentary follows him, he is eventually able to return to his home village revisiting the source of so much childhood pain, and to speak to youth at his former high school where he is embraced as a hero.
And Now We Rise is a portrait of an exceptional young activist, Samuel Johns, motivated to help his Alaska Native community to lead sober, productive lives. Abandoned by his parents as a child and raised by numerous relatives, Samuel matured into a man who seeks to understand the roots of what happened within the larger context of historical trauma and loss of culture. He is an “everyman” who heals and grows by stepping up to help others, and becomes revered by the community. He is able to use his skills and talents for public speaking, writing hip hop music, and creating the Facebook Group, Forget Me Not, which connects those experiencing homelessness with far flung family members. This group has now grown to almost 25,000 members and as his success grows, Sam becomes emotionally drained, overwhelmed with facing so many heartaches and requests for help. Seeing the national movement for Standing Rock, Sam travels to North Dakota to participate and learn from other activists, which revitalizes him. Over the course of the three years this documentary follows him, he is eventually able to return to his home village revisiting the source of so much childhood pain, and to speak to youth at his former high school where he is embraced as a hero.
Termination Dust: White Walls Directed by: Ryan Syvertson Music video for Alaskas own "Termination Dust" and their song " White Walls"
Bodies of Water Directed by: Maya Salganek “Bodies of Water” is an exploration into loss, grief, guilt, and the confrontation of fear. The story follows Leona, a young woman who fails to prevent a tragedy. After running away from home, she becomes involved with a vaudevillian performance troupe, through which she confronts her darkest fears.
Last Request Directed by: Hannah Pratt Last Request follows Eli and Maya, lifelong friends who spend the weekend at Eli’s family cabin and accidentally awaken the soul of Eli’s great uncle Sam. Surrounded by the Alaskan wilderness, they must free Sam’s soul or Maya will drown in the icy waters of the Kenai.
Rocket Directed by: Tyson Paris-Hansen Trying to launch a rocket
Dear Satan Directed by: Mika McCrary Satan, Santa: how much difference does one letter make?
Wild Ice - Back Country Skating Alaska Directed by: Paxson Woelber "Backcountry skating" is the practice of hunting for wild ice, whether on on a river, lake, glacial lagoon, or inside an ice cave. Filmed in southcentral and southeast Alaska over the course of two winters, "Wild Ice" features members of Alaska's backcountry skating community including nordic bladers, hockey players, and figure skaters. Shot locations include Kenai Lake, the Portage Lagoons, Turnagain Arm, Wasilla Lake, Sheridan Glacier, Byron Glacier, and Portage Glacier
A Herring Opera Directed by: Tessa Schmidt In the small coastal town of Sitka, Alaska, the most dramatic signal of spring is the arrival of the herring. Massive fishing boats arrive from out of town to vie for the 'million dollar set,' local Alaska natives prepare to harvest herring eggs in the traditional way, and thousands of whales, seals and eagles crowd the ocean to eat the herring. This short nonfiction film presents all the bustle of springtime in Sitka in an operatic form, using classic opera pieces as a score of this modern but timeless struggle between nature, tradition, and technology.
Climate Change Alaska: Documentary Directed by: Tom Burke Country of Origin: USA / Alaska The story of the people of Newtok, some three hundred and seventy five Americans citizens whose homes are disappearing. As winter storms grow more fierce each year and steal more of the coastline, summer meltwaters surge down the Ninglick river and erode the edges of the town. Rising temperatures are melting the permafrost on which the town is built. Our film follows their efforts to build a new town on safer ground before the inevitable flood washes their homes away.
Children of The Dig Directed by: Joshua Branstetter Country of Origin: USA / Alaska In 2009, a 500-year-old artifact was discovered on the beach outside of Quinhagak, Alaska, opening the door to the most productive archaeological dig in Arctic history with 60,000 artifacts recovered so far. In 2009, the site was 50 feet from the ocean. Today it is ten.
"Sudsy Slim Rides Again" is the tale of a small Alaskan town by the name of Scratcher Pass. Unfortunately, Scratcher Pass’ boom days as the world’s largest asbestos mining operation have long since faded. The only thing keeping this little community alive is its feeble tourist industry. The main attraction? Scratcher Pass’ most famous resident, the 100-year-old corpse of conman Sudsy Slim. However, when two escaped prisoners stumble into town, Sudsy mysteriously ends up missing and the townsfolk panic. That’s when Agent Sherman of the Alaska Bureau of Criminal Detection is reluctantly dragged in to investigate.
On The Tip of The Tongue (Sur Le Bout De La Langue) Directed by: Vincent Bonnay
"AwA'ahdah", "iishuh", "ilah qe'xleh" ... Words from the end of the world, forgotten, that have almost lost any meaning, even to their people. In Alaska, the Eyak language "died" in 2008 when the last speaker, Chef Marie Smith Jones, passed away. But is there life after death? The Eyak people believe so. Chef Marie had a dream before she died. She said someone will come from far away to help them. Two years later, Guillaume Leduey, a 21-year-old Frenchman, set foot in Alaska, on the lands of the people whose language he had learned by himself, alone, in France.