Every season is
Rainier season.

The 13th Annual Rainier Independent Film Festival (RIFF) is May 17th-19th, 2019 in Ashford, Washington near Mount Rainier National Park.

The Rainier Independent Film Festival is a gateway to an explorative cinematic journey, set in the transformative landscape of Mt. Rainier’s forested community.

Rainier Independent Film Festival (RIFF) announces its official line-up, including 45+ dynamic films spanning a variety of genres and topics. After a great response last year,
we are excited to see the return and expansion of The Student Movie RIFF (TSMR), now in its second year. Students in the 6th – 12th grades of the Eatonville, Morton, Yelm, Mineral, Orting, and Bethel school districts, signed up in teams to make a film 4 minutes or less. This year’s prompt was “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough—An Illustration to Overcoming Adversity.” From there, students had free creative reign and two weeks to complete and upload their work. 

RIFF organizers look forward to welcoming new faces to the festival, as well as several RIFF returnees.

For lodging near the festival site click here.

About Rainier Independent Film Festival

The Rainier Independent Film Festival is dedicated to providing true Independent Filmmakers a venue to have their films screened in the tranquil area surrounding Mount Rainier. Mixing films, workshops and the laid-back setting of the area, this festival is set apart in the fact that it is a great opportunity to meet and mingle with film industry people outside of the hustle and bustle typically associated with the business.

Located in the shadow of Mount Rainier, the Ashford Valley provides the perfect setting for this festival. Our screening venues include the Mt. Rainier Lions Theater and the Cine-Yurt at Wellspring. All projection is shown in the latest digital technology.

Join the crew of the Mt Rainier Railroad and Logging Museum during Memorial Weekend for the opening weekend of steam train excursions!

There’s something unique about steam trains. Maybe it’s the chuff of the engine, the hiss of the steam or the plaintive cry of the locomotive’s whistle. Memorial weekend marks the opening weekend at the railroad. Once again the train will carry passengers on a round-trip journey across the Nisqually Valley through the forest, over a river and to their destination, a museum. Once at the museum passengers can explore the world’s most comprehensive collection of steam logging locomotives! Museum admission is included with the train ticket. Stories from the turn of the century come to life with tales of railroading, logging, mining and more. 

Trains depart the depot in Elbe, Washington at 10:30 AM and 2:30 PM on Saturday and Sunday, Memorial Weekend May 25-26, 2019.

AREA LODGING

• Make your trip back to yesteryear complete and sleep in a caboose next door to a historic church! The largest collection of cabooses in Washington State is located at the Hobo Inn next door to the train station and the historic little white church in Elbe. For additional options in nearby Ashford, WA click here.