AIFF to offer 40 film programs, four days of entertainment

AIFF to offer 40 film programs, four days of entertainment

Published 6:00 am Monday, April 13, 2026

Ashland-born filmmaker to screen debut feature film ‘A Simple Machine’

Celebrating its 25th anniversary, the Ashland Independent Film Festival is set to return in late April, bringing in acclaimed filmmakers and showcasing a wide range of movies.

Tickets for the annual festival went on sale on April 1, and the four-day event is scheduled for Thursday through Sunday, April 23-26, with programs and screening going on throughout the day.

The festival will span across eight venues in Ashland for film screenings and a wide range of programs — from forums and discussions to the closing night cocktail party.

To view the festival schedule and film guide, purchase tickets or learn more about AIFF, visit aiff2026.eventive.org/welcome.

This year’s festival includes the works of quite a distinguished group of filmmakers including Academy Award-nominated documentarian Sam Green, experimental storyteller Cheryl Dunye, and longtime filmmaker and screen writer Alex Cox among others.

Dunye is the recipient of this year’s AIFF Pride Award and is the first out Black lesbian to direct a feature film, known for her bold and avant-garde style as a filmmaker.

Dunye’s film “The Watermelon Woman,” will be screened April 25 during the festival.

Green has received the AIFF Rogue Award for embodying the independent filmmaker spirit with his immersive and personal approach to making documentaries, and his two latest films, “The Oldest Person in the World” and “32 Sounds,” which will be showed at the festival.

Another creative whose work will be showcased at the film festival is Ashland-born filmmaker Mark Alan Hoffman.

Based in Portland and returning to his roots in Ashland, Hoffman will show “A Simple Machine,” which is his debut feature film shot in black and white.

The movie follows protagonist Nick who’s dealing with debt, loss and scraping by every day in Portland. Looking to simplify his life from the the rampant consumerism of society, he starts a life of minimalism, leading to a reckoning with identity, responsibility and what it means to be free.

Having the opportunity to showcase his debut film in the city where he grew up will be an full-circle moment for the filmmaker.

“It means so much; it’s kind of surreal,” Hoffman said. “I think just being able to see the film in theater with my parents and with my family coming from Bend and seeing it in my community; that’s what I’m excited about.”

Hoffman’s film represents Oregon through and through, from exclusively filming in sites across Portland to using an all-Oregon-based film crew.

“It’s amazing, the filmmaking talent we have in the state … I had the opportunity to work with all the people I’ve made connections with over time to see if we could pull this off in a scrappy way,” Hoffman said. “We made a studio-level film here in Portland and I’m really proud of that.”

The movie was inspired by Portland author Evan P. Schneider’s novel “A Simple Machine, Like the Lever,” which Hoffman first came across at the iconic Powell’s bookstore in Portland.

“I found Evan’s book, which was published in 2010 or 2011, and it was about a guy during the recession trying to live frugally. The story resonated with me, so I reached out to Evan Schneider and we hit it off and started working on a screenplay together,” Hoffman said. “After a year, he said ‘you run with it’ and it was a 10-year process (to finish).”

Hoffman started running the film festival circuit with “A Simple Machine” in June 2025 with plans to release the film in May, starting regionally before making it available on a national scale.

Regarding what his plans are once he’s back in Ashland, Hoffman is hoping to visit some of his favorite eateries such as Cocorico and Case Coffee Roasters, just to name a couple.

Reach reporter James Sloan at [email protected].