Looking for our website? https://sherbino.org/event/ridgway-independent-film-festival-2026/

Welcome to 12th Annual Ridgway Independent Film Fest
November 13-15, 2026

Presented by the 115-year-old Sherbino Theater and the Town of Ridgway, the Ridgway Independent Film Fest (RIFF) features short films by both emerging and veteran voices in filmmaking. We value storytelling, experimentation, and community-building through film and art.

Ridgway has been a certified Creative District since 2013. Our small, historic ranching town with a vibrant art community is nestled in a scenic valley between two mountain ranges: the Sneffels Range on the northern edge of the San Juan Mountains and the Cimarron Range. Ridgway is located in SW Colorado between the historic towns of Telluride to the west and Ouray to the south.

Ridgway provides an intimate, genuine, and community-oriented festival experience.Filmmakers join us to make connections with fellow creatives, industry leaders, artists, musicians, athletes, and change-makers—all of the remarkable people who make Ridgway their home and who join us for this unique festival each year.

RIFF also celebrates long-form films that may have flown under the radar during their initial release. The planning committee reserves the right to invite longer-form films to the Fest, although they may not be adjudicated.

Submit your film today, and make your travel arrangements early. You don’t want to miss this one!

Awards & Prizes

Ridgway Independent Film Fest offers a number of cash awards and juried prizes (details coming soon)

2026 Jurors: (coming soon)

Rules & Terms

1) Filmmakers are asked to submit creative, high-quality, independent films. Strong storytelling and inventiveness are encouraged.

2) Films must be submitted with captions in English for accessibility.

3) All fees are nonrefundable.

4) A limited number of fee waivers exist for hardship reasons. They will be granted on a first come, first served basis. Submitters MUST provide RIFF with reasons, in writing, that a hardship exists.

5) By submitting your film to this festival, you allow us to use stills, trailers, and other promotional materials for potential projection on exterior walls of buildings in Ridgway, inclusion in social media, web promotion, and print promotion.

6) Films may be selected for subsequent viewings beyond the festival dates.
RIFF celebrates voices in storytelling from a rich diversity of cultural and personal backgrounds and viewpoints.

Filmmakers are very welcome to attend the festival in person. We will accommodate filmmakers to appear remotely whenever possible.
29 Reviews
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • blue redwood film

    Highly recommended. Ridgway has some real old-school festival charm. It's well-supported by the community both actively during the festival and behind the scenes. They offered accommodations and hosted great receptions. The use of local screenings to help select the films created a more well-rounded and entertaining program. Beautiful setting, 15 minutes from Ouray and a hour from Telluride.

    November 2025
    Helpful
  • Eric Forbes

    Ridgway Independent Film Fest is an absolutely lovely event. The small, picturesque town of Ridgway is fully bought in, with locals truly engaged and thrilled to host filmmakers, with the mayor helping run the event! The accommodations were excellent, and the opening reception had lovely food. There is plenty of time to network with fellow filmmakers, and I cannot recommend the Ridgway Independent Film Fest highly enough!

    October 2025
    Helpful
  • Nikita Vyas Hattangady

    Ridgway Independent Film Fest is an excellent festival full of cool films set in a beautiful mountain area. Their communication is excellent and so is their social media interactions. A great festival!!!

    October 2025
    Helpful
  • mark petrasso

    Thank you to the Ridgway team for selecting and screening my short film, The Screenwriter (Lo Sceneggiatore). I was not able to attend as I live in Italy, but spoke to another filmmaker who was there for the live screenings event, and told that the hospitality was warm and generous and films were worthy. They screen lots of films and if your film is good, your chances of being part of the official selection are high. I recommend this festival to all film directors.

    October 2025
    Helpful
  • June K. Inuzuka

    My film was accepted in twelve film festivals between 2022-2024 including England, Toronto, France, LA, Denver and Washington DC. The one I enjoyed the most was Ridgway. In my experience the larger, more prestigious film festivals are overrated. A small, independent filmmaker gets lost in the crowd. Ridgway, with its honest, unpretentious atmosphere was a welcome change. Small filmmakers had a chance to shine and engage with other filmmakers in a more open and personal sharing that I did not experience at other festivals. I learned several key insights from more experienced filmmakers that will help me grow my own work. Arielle Bielak, the head of the festival, was spontaneous, charismatic and very supportive and created a fun, welcoming atmosphere. Thank you Ridgway for recognition as the "Director's Choice" Award. It is an honor I will always remember, especially when things get rough, as they always do for filmmakers.

    April 2025
    Helpful
    Response from festival:

    June--we were so happy that you were able to attend in person! You contributed so much to the festival and to your fellow filmmakers. Your praise means a lot to us! We look forward to seeing more of your work in the future. --RIFF