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.
Back by Popular Demand AIFF 2018 opens with a series of short films (narrative, animation and documentary), including Juck [Thrust], Untitled Groping Revenge Fairytale and Wild Woman!
Capture your night with Photo Emporium Alaska and walk the red carpet at the BearTooth Theatrepub while DJ Remax Music & Lighting gets the night started. $20 General Admission, Included with AIFF Pass.
AIFF Opening Night After-party at Matanuska Brewing Company, Anchorage w/ live music by the B-49s! Come dance the night away after our screening!
Blue - Made in Alaska Directed by Aly Nicklas
Blue is a fantastical journey into a young girl’s imagination. Our character is a four-year-old growing up in Valdez, Alaska. Fresh off training wheels, she begins to push her boundaries and explore what’s possible on her bike, her eyes naturally drifting to the mountains. We dive into the world of her fantasy and explore the mountains, glaciers and rivers of Valdez by fat bike with a crew of boundary-pushing female athletes hailing from Alaska and beyond.
Inga - Documentary Short Directed by Uffe Mulvad Country of Origin - Denmark
"Through her memoirs, Inga reflects about love, old age and death. We are invited into her home, as she doing her morning rituals and baths in the cold lake. The short portrait shows in artistic and intimate pictures, a day in a life, how it's like being old and what it means for Inga."
Wild Woman - Animation / Made in Alaska Directed by Vanessa Sweet
Wild Woman is an animated poem to mankind which invokes current world issues such as drone-strikes and religious persecution in a plea for empathy. Scenes transform and melt as the animator also explores her personal struggle of becoming a mother and identifying as such in our current social and political climate.
Mini Miss - Documentary Short Directed by Rachel Daisy Ellis Country of Origin - Brazil
Filmed entirely from the perspective of a 4 year old, five young girls compete to be crowned Mini Miss Baby Brasil. The film provides a unique insight into early childhood experiences and children’s innate capacity for resistance in a world dominated by adult norms & desires.
A Field Guide to Being A 12-Year-Old Girl - Documentary Short Directed by Tilda Cobham-Hervey Country of Origin - Australia
This is a film about 12-year-old girls, made by 12-year-old girls, for 12-year-old girls, or anyone that has been a 12-year-old girl, or will be a 12-year-old girl, or wishes they were a 12-year-old girl.
Enough | The Story of the Empowered Women of Korogocho - Documentary Short Directed by Brent Foster Country of Origin - Canada
Beatrice Nyariara lives in Korogocho. It's widely considered to be Nairobi's most dangerous slum. More than 150,000 people are packed into the shanty town which is less than two square kilometers. Crime is high. Gangs are active. Addiction is rampant. A while back, men in her community started to attack the 'grandmothers' of Korogocho at night. Most of the women attacked are sexually assaulted, and some have been killed. The men believe that the elder women were less likely to be HIV positive. They also saw them as vulnerable. A few years ago, Beatrice decided enough was enough. It was time to fight back. It was time to develop a community. The result of that decision empowered the group, and taught their community to respect them, value them, and to know how to be there for them.
Together, they are taking back Korogocho. Juck [Thrust] - Documentary Short Directed by Olivia Kastebring Country of Origin - Sweden
Juck is a 17-minute film which is a hybrid between documentary, dance and fiction. The film depicts the all female dance group JUCK who made a name for themselves in 2013 with a video that became a viral hit all over the world. The word “juck” is Swedish for “hump” and their groundbreaking appearance pushed the boundaries for how we are used to seeing the female body. JUCK questions the positions of object and subject. They provoke, inspire and break norms. The film poses the question: what is femininity?
Under Mom's Skirt - Narrative Short Directed by Sarah de Chabaneix Country of Origin - France
A young woman goes with her mother for a routine medical check-up, but this appointment will provide way too much information for her to handle… Some things should remain private, right?
Streakers - Narrative Short Directed by Brielle Brilliant Country of Origin - USA
A little girl decides to become a Streaker to distract from her sister's violent behavior.
It is Thursday afternoon, and you are looking forward to the weekend! Join AIFF for this amazing screening of quirky, short films. Ask your boss to join you on this wild cinematic ride, grab a martini, sit back and enjoy.
Rocket Directed by: Tyson Paris-Hanson Country of Origin: USA / Alaska Trying to launch a rocket.
My Dead Dad's Porno Tapes Directed by: Charlie Tyrell Country of Origin: Canada Filmmaker Charlie Tyrell seeks to better understand his emotionally distant late-father through the personal belongings he left behind... including a stack of VHS dirty movies. Narrated by David Wain.
Little Donnie Directed by: Chel White Country of Origin: USA Description not available
Untitled Groping Revenge Fairytale Directed by: Catherine Bisley Country of Origin: New Zealand A woman pitches a tent on the edge of a forest and starts to collect men.
Punch Me Directed by: Jeanne Jo Country of Origin: USA A relationship is challenged when three hired goons interrupt dinner.
Emergency Directed by: Carey Williams Country of Origin: USA Faced with an emergency situation, a group of young Black and Latino friends carefully weigh the pros and cons of calling the police.
Fire in Cardboard City Directed by: Phil Brough Country of Origin: New Zealand When a city made from cardboard catches fire it is up to the local fire chief and his brave deputies to save Cardboard City from total destruction.
Wellaway Directed by: James Kendall Country of Origin: USA / Alaska Gideon is forced to confront his darkest impulses when an enigmatic psychiatrist makes and unannounced visit to his apartment.
Deighties Directed by: Mason Fleming Country of Origin: Australia Having lost his wife 18 months earlier, octogenarian Phil decides that he no longer wishes to be alone anymore and to embark on a quest to find new love. Times have changed though, and Phil needs to navigate the complexities of the modern tools at his disposal for finding a mate, such as online match-making services and mobile applications. Heart-warming and nostalgic, Deighties explores the ever changing world of courting, the difficulties of growing old single, and highlights the simple undeniable truth that in one way or another, everyone is searching for companionship.
Alaska DGAF - Documentary Short Directed by: David Freid Country of Origin: USA / Alaska Who has time for doomsday anyway?
On July 4th, 2017, North Korea tested a long range missile that, for the first time, would be powerful enough to reach the United States — specifically, the great state of Alaska. And instead of the doomsday preparations you might expect from a place threatened by nuclear annihilation, Alaskans collectively…shrugged.
From writer/director Desiree Akhavan and based on the celebrated novel by Emily M. Danforth, The Miseducation of Cameron Post follows Cameron (Chloë Grace Moretz) as she is sent to a gay conversion therapy center after getting caught with another girl in the back seat of a car on prom night. Run by the strict and severe Dr. Lydia Marsh (Jennifer Ehle) and her brother, Reverend Rick (John Gallagher Jr.)—himself an example of how those in the program can be “cured”—the center is built upon repenting for “same sex attraction.” In the face of intolerance and denial, Cameron meets a group of fellow sinners including the amputee stoner Jane (Sasha Lane), and her friend, the Lakota Two-Spirit, Adam (Forrest Goodluck). Together, this group of teenagers form an unlikely family as they fight to survive.
Participants are given 5 days to completely produce a film - writing, shooting, editing - everything! Films must also incorporate three prompts that are announced at the start of the competition. Prompts may consist of lines, actions, props, themes, etc.
This event sells out EVERY YEAR! Do not miss this event. It is a night full of laughs, blank stares and awe!
