The Anchorage International Film Festival (AIFF) unveiled the official program for its 24th edition, set to take place from December 6th to December 15th across venues in Anchorage, Alaska.
The 10-day festival will spotlight more than 100 films spanning all genres, with a particular emphasis on independent films that have enjoyed successful festival runs and are vying for one final screening push before the Oscars shortlist is announced. “Our festival represents the last opportunity for some of these remarkable independent films to be discovered before the shortlist is released,” said Festival Director, Pat McGee. “We’re raising the bar this year, and as we see the caliber of films elevate, we could very well be calling the Anchorage International Film Festival ‘The Icy Road to the Oscars.'”
AIFF will kick off with a special Opening Night screening of Bob Trevino Likes It, the SXSW Best Narrative and Audience Award winner, with director Tracie Laymon in attendance.
Festival highlights include The Way We Speak, starring Patrick Fabian (Better Call Saul), with both Fabian and director Ian Ebright in attendance. Porcelain War, Sundance Feature Documentary Grand Jury Prize Winner, will also be featured, with directors Brendan Bellomo and Slava Leontyev in attendance. Set amid the backdrop of Ukraine, Porcelain War follows artists who remain behind during wartime, defying the destruction around them with resilience and beauty.
Other notable films include the Belgian comedy Life’s a Bitch by director Xavier Seron, who will be in attendance, and Queen of the Ring, the inspirational true story of Mildred Burke, the first million-dollar female athlete in history, directed by Ash Avildsen and starring Josh Lucas and Emily Bett Rickards.
AIFF will showcase several compelling documentaries, including Champions of the Golden Valley, directed by Alaskan filmmaker Ben Sturgulewski, which explores the unifying power of skiing in the mountain villages of Bamyan, Afghanistan, among rival ethnic groups. (Ben Sturgulewski will be in attendance at the festival.), Drum Song: The Rhythm of Life, directed by Kelly Moneymaker. This Alaskan-made documentary tells a socio-political story from an Indigenous perspective, exploring the climate crisis through the eyes of Alaska’s indigenous peoples. The film highlights the blend of ancestral knowledge and modern science in adapting to the changing environment, while also addressing the broader global movement for indigenous rights, food sovereignty, and self-governance.
Other films include Unearth, an Alaskan-made documentary about the fight to protect Bristol Bay from becoming North America’s largest open-pit copper mine. (Filmmakers Dunedin Strickland, Auberin Strickland, and John Hunter Nolan will be present for this important screening.), So Surreal: Behind the Masks, directed by Joanne Robertson and Neil Diamond, unveils the connection between Surrealist art and Yupʼik and Kwakwa̱ka̱ʼwakw ceremonial masks, and the quest to return some of these masks back home to their origins. Diving into Darkness, directed by Nays Baghai, chronicles cave diving icon Jill Heinerth’s breathtaking journey into the planet’s deepest depths, with both Heinerth and Baghai in attendance.
Narrative features will include a mix of seasoned and first-time filmmakers such as directors T.J. Sandella (Battersea) and Adam Boyer (Uphill), who grew up and filmed his debut feature just outside of Anchorage, will showcase their work at the festival. On the other end of the spectrum, AIFF welcomes prolific independent filmmaker Ryan Balas, whose latest narrative Midwinter marks his 25th independent feature in the past decade.
Besides the remarkable film lineup, AIFF promises unforgettable Alaskan experiences for visiting filmmakers, including Northern Lights excursions, glacier hikes, and for the bold, a polar bear plunge—all in the spirit of AIFF’s signature theme: Films Worth Freezing For.
“We’re excited to host a celebration of cinema like no other, where filmmakers can not only screen their work but experience the beauty of Alaska,” said co-Festival Director, Adam Linkenhelt. “AIFF is a bucket-list destination for many, and we’re making sure it’s an experience to remember.”
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