The Triad’s very own 10-day film festival kicks off with an opening gala this Friday, drawing filmmakers, actors and loads of viewers to Winston-Salem. The good folks here at Triad City Beat had the opportunity to preview 22 of the most interesting flicks showing at this year’s festival, and several seriously impressed us. Here are our takes on almost two dozen of the films showing at RiverRun this year — remember, there are many more we didn’t have time to watch.

• Deep Run

• The Anthropologist

• Barge

• Cameraperson

• Chevalier

• Driving While Black

• The Fits

• Five Nights In Maine

• Francofonia

• He Hated Pigeons

• A Journey of a Thousand Miles: Peacekeepers

• Lace Crater

• Lo and Behold, Reveries of the Connected World

• Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise

• Nathan East: For the Record

• Off the Rails

• The Polar Bear Club

• Speed Sisters

• Sunset Song

• Tower

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