The Des Moines Arts Festival® presented by Nationwide has released the film line-up for the annual Interrobang Film Festival. Interrobang will feature 50 juried films (28 hours and 30 minutes worth) from 14 countries. The films will be screened inside the air-conditioned comfort of the Central Library (1000 Grand Ave., Des Moines), during the Des Moines Arts Festival, June 28 – 30. The Interrobang Film Festival is open Friday, June 28, 11 a.m. – 6 p.m., Saturday, June 29, 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. and Sunday, June 30, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. Admission to both festivals is free.
Screenings will include feature, student, short, documentary, web/TV, and found footage films. It will also feature three-panel discussions: Iowa Filmmaker’s Panel hosted by the Iowa Economic Development Authority, 20 Seasons of 48 Panel hosted by the 48-Hour Film Festival, and DMACC Studio 5 Conversations.
Two documentaries that may be of particular interest to Iowans include:
Chasing Greatness: Wresting Life
Director Jason Brummond | Run Time: 1:07:55
Saturday, June 29 at 4:35 p.m.; talkback to follow
Chasing Greatness: Wrestling Life gives viewers an unprecedented behind-the-scenes look at the Iowa wrestling program. The documentary follows the Iowa wrestling program’s 2021-22 season – from the first practice in October 2021 to the NCAA Championships in Detroit in March 2022. The film crew attended and filmed every Hawkeye team gathering, practice, dual meet, and tournament. The film brings viewers behind the curtain as student-athlete wrestlers, from one of the greatest collegiate programs in history, grapple with athletics and their personal lives. Every scene in the film, from Iowa’s grueling practices to team meals and bus rides, is completely raw and unscripted.
Shift: The RAGBRAI Documentary
Director Kelsey Kremer | Run Time: 1:10:34
Sunday, June 30 at 11 a.m.; talkback to follow
Can you find yourself in the middle of nowhere? SHIFT tells the story of RAGBRAI — the world’s oldest, largest and longest recreational bicycle ride —through ground-breaking photography and intimate interviews with three bicyclists and a pair of community leaders. Grappling with triumphs and tragedies, the group searches for peace, clarity and redemption, pushing themselves to their limits and changing their lives in the course of a weeklong ride across Iowa.
A synopsis of each film, as well as detailed daily schedules, are available at www.desmoinesartsfestival.org/interrobang2024