Billed as a dark comedy, International Falls is, at once, a simple story about a middleage woman clawing her way out of a Midwest rut; but it is simultaneously a complicated, knotted ball of yarn about standup comedians, desperation, emotional fatigue and unsinkable optimism. It is funny, and in equal

Afghan director, Hassan Fazili, has documented his family’s arduous journey to a safe country, over 3000 miles in as many years. Fazili and his wife, Fatima Hussaini, have filmed life in Afghanistan before (Peace in Afghanista, Mr. Fazili’s Wife), pushing the boundary of restrictions they’ve been under during years of

Looking for an origin story of a hero? Grit picks up the story a young woman Dian, whose village in East Java—and 15 others—were wiped out 13 years ago by a tidal wave of hot, toxic sludge that had been uncorked by a reckless Indonesian company drilling for natural gas

  It is tricky to preview the 10-minute film Made Public without trip-wiring any spoiler. The storyline begins with a groom standing alone at the alter. A smattering of friends and family fill in the pews, and the minister sets the shot clock ticks by entering the screen to inform

A standout film at the festival is The Rescue List, equally uplifting and depressing. In one single scene, when a young boy recently rescued from slavery is being interviewed about whether he wishes he had never been born, there is more heartfelt emotion and honest resolve than the entire junket

One Man Dies a Million Times paints a bleak picture of humanity at it’s most raw. In a post apocalyptic world, people reveal their true selves when faced with cold and hunger. In turn two young scientists, Alyssa (Alyssa Lozovskaya) and Maksim (Maksim Blinov) learn what they themselves are capable

How far would you go for someone you love? 12-year-old Alicia (Tayler Buck) takes this test as we see her innocence begin to slip away in Princess of the Row. In this tale of the ultimate role reversal we see a young girl’s profound love for her father, a father

Pahokee documents the final year for high school seniors at Pahokee Junior/Senior High School in Florida, as it is experienced through four of the students; each with different paths, but similar hopes of leaving their hometown and circumstances to better themselves. In a town locally nicknamed “the muck” for its

Rusty is a marvelous individual with incredible talent, charisma and warmth, and yet one decision in his life dictates how the world sees him. His story is like many that have come out about their sexuality; many friends left him, and his family struggles to accept him. Rusty displays an

They’ve got the Lowe’s. They’ve got the fancy off-ramps and an overpass—construction of which slowed traffic on I-5 for what seemed like eons last year. For Rogue Valley residents, we don’t often give Phoenix too much thought as we whiz past on our way to Ashland or Medford. But, the

  Sometimes, being labeled a rebel is a compliment, and when the Ashland Independent Film Festival pins the title, it is definitely something to be proud of. This year’s winners are Alex Rivera and Cristina Ibarra, a filmmaking duo that shares a passion for the history, story, and especially the

It’s no secret that food in Ashland is expensive. It can be tricky to eat out for people on a tight budget. That being said, there is also an abundance of fantastic food in the Rogue Valley. This issue can oftentimes put southern Oregon food lovers in a difficult position:

As sunny skies burn through the last of winter’s clouds, it’s time to spend time outside and in the garden. Southern Oregon is teeming with wonderful nurseries offering countless plant types and planting methods. Below are a few of the best of what the Rogue Valley has to offer. Four

Every year I do the Wild Rogue Relay. It’s a masochistic event where you gather eleven friends and run 227 miles to the coast. Every runner runs about 17 miles over the course of 24 hours and, generally speaking, there’s a lot of suffering involved. Certainly, there are times when

  Celebrating its 40th year anniversary and decades removed from the Vietnam War, the heart of darkness film Apocalypse Now continues to impact audiences, and is a centerpiece for this year’s Ashland Independent Film Festival. Schneider Museum of Art will also celebrate Francis Ford Coppola’s film in preparation for AIFF.

Spannabis – The World’s Best Cannabis Gathering In the first part of this series, I gave impressions on what the worldwide cannabis climate is currently like. Having never been out of the country beyond Canada, Mexico and Bermuda (Yes, I’ve smoked cannabis in all three locations) I was feeling rather

So, you’ve done some deep thinking since the last article and you’re concerned that you might be suffering from symptoms of mold illness/chronic inflammatory response syndrome. You may have even identified an exposure time and place and can directly link it to an issue with water damage in that building.

On any given weeknight, after pulling long hours working construction, Lonnie Boyer can be found tinkering in a rented storage unit, building bikes to give away for free. The Community Bike Giveaway Program his family began four months ago has exceeded their expectations and pushed their tiny shop to capacity,