Richmond International Film Festival: Free Saturday Night Screening

Join us in watching Taste The Revolution at the Byrd Theatre at 7:30pm on September 27 for FREE! Be among the first to witness Mahershala Ali's debut as the leading man in a film 25 years in the making.

Film Synopsis: A sharp and prescient film twenty-five years in the making, Taste the Revolution follows two aspiring filmmakers as they chronicle the story of charismatic, revolutionary Mac Laslow (Oscar-Winner Mahershala Ali, in his first-ever starring role) and a group of disillusioned college students drawn together to create a “World Summit” to counter the apathy of a privileged generation. Lured by the promise of free food and booze, hundreds of young people descend upon a borrowed country estate to drink, take drugs, have sex, and swap politics. As the organizers sink deeper into the logistical nightmare of managing a modern revolution, the filmmakers witness the group's loss of confidence in their ability to change the world.

Film Trailer: Taste The Revolution - Official Trailer

Director Biography: Daniel Klein

Daniel Klein is a two-time Student Academy Award-winning writer for the short films It’s Just A Gun (2016) and Esta Es Tu Cuba (2018), the latter featured on HBO/MAX. Klein previously wrote and directed the short AB-, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival and screened at festivals worldwide. Klein co-wrote the feature screenplay “91 Miles”, which was selected for The Sundance Screenwriters Lab. Klein is a tenured professor at DePaul University’s School of Cinematic Arts, where he chairs the MFA in Film and Television Directing. Taste The Revolution is Klein’s first feature film.

About RIFF:

In its 14th year, RIFF is now one of the largest international competitive festivals on the east coast and recognized by more than 30 countries. There is something for all ages every year over the six day festival.

RIFF offers a rich, collaborative environment with more than 160 local, national and international films selected for their Richmond, Virginia premiere, plus community engagement events, industry panels, filmmaker and music Q & As, more than 25 live music performances, educational workshops, mixers and red-carpet awards all of which usher the spirit of Hollywood and hospitality into more than 5 venues across the city. If looking for a weekend get-away, or simply want to come out and enjoy great entertainment with friends and colleagues, the festival has a range of options to enjoy.

Festival attendees also benefit from the FLOW Collective Creative Conference during festival week, which includes panel discussions on topics such as content development, cinematography, screenwriting, branding, distribution, financing, audience engagement, pitch sessions and music + film labs.

The festival expanded its annual music showcase ten years ago to include a model similar to SXSW where local, national, and international bands visit Richmond to perform at various venues around RVA and compete for top awards with the Grand Jury. RIFF invites the musicians, filmmakers, and artists back to Richmond to encourage production in the state for future projects. On top of providing great entertainment for the public from some of the film and music industry’s top talent, RIFF has a unique focus of connecting filmmakers and musicians and creates platforms that assist the artists in forging new working relationships.

2025 Festival Dates:

Six day festival: Tuesday, Sep 23 – Sunday, Sep 28 (film premieres, live music, community events, mixers, creative conference and more)

Tickets: Range from free up to $375 for a VIP All Access Pass

To view the online film guide and a full schedule of events & ticketing options, visit https://riff.eventive.org

For further info on special guests and programming, visit the festival website at https://www.rvafilmfestival.com

Main Venues: Byrd Theatre, Bowtie Cinemas, Révéler, New York Deli, Vagabond, Quirk Hotel

2025 RIFF:

• Voted Best of Richmond by the public, Style Weekly in 2025 & multiple years
• 165+ film premieres selected, all types including narrative features and shorts, documentaries, music videos and episodic tv series across all genres
• Returning this year is also a virtual edition of the festival with an additional 50+ films
• Over 8,000 expected in attendance with more than 300 VIP filmmakers traveling to Richmond from 20 countries
• More than 25 live music acts selected to perform festival week for filmmakers and guests. RIFF has a secondary focus on helping filmmakers and musicians forge new working relationships. Festival week also includes several industry mixers that we host including pitch sessions and panels

2025 RIFF Festival Theme: “Bare Naked”

Capturing the pure essence of human experience, which thrives through artistic expression and authentic connection.

Theme:

"No pretense, authentic in expression—'Bare Naked' invites artists and audiences to explore the raw essence of the human experience. This year’s theme celebrates authentic vulnerability as a force of connection, truth as an act of courage, and storytelling as a reflection of our deepest selves. Through immersive film and music experiences, thought-provoking discussion panels, and powerful artistic expressions, we embrace the beauty of being seen, heard, and understood—just as we are."

For the RIFF music fest, each of the music performances, panels, jam session events, etc. will be under a subset, "The Bare Naked Music Revival" — a week of raw, soul-stirring performances that bring Richmond together in a deep, communal way through connection, music, spoken word, live storytelling, and visuals.

Event Venue

The Byrd Theatre, 2908 West Cary Street, Richmond, United States