Kickoff Night in Raleigh
When I stopped by the kickoff event at Artspace on Friday night, the Raleigh Film & Art Festival (RFAF) volunteers were collecting support for their RFAF license plate and sharing details on the event with visitors, and people were all over enjoying the space.
The evening included attendees from First Friday, the Raleigh Wide Open festival next door, and Artspace guests enjoying the open studio spaces. It was a wonderful example of what Raleigh can be when it’s at its best.
Quick note: Reading this Sunday morning? GA was free but it is sold out, each paid workshop ticket includes a wristband for the rest of today. Sessions start at 9 AM, and there were still seats as of last night — tickets here.
14 Years Running
Executive Director Christopher Moore told me that when he started this 14 years ago, "Raleigh had never had a film festival like this." After years of moving between venues like Marbles Kids Museum and NC State's campus, RFAF returned to its downtown roots with William Peace University as a host.
Now the goal is to settle in, learn the new ropes, and make this home as great as it can be.
Read on to learn more about the impact the festival makes each year and how the arts are becoming more accessible here in Raleigh.
Source: RFAF Instagram, Schedule for 2026
Script to Screen Experience
Accessibility and education have been priorities for many years, and this year students were a huge focus. Through a partnership with William Peace, RFAF helped provide equipment, mentorship, and support for Wake County high school and Peace students to create a film for the festival's big screen.
They spent a few weekends getting hands-on experience on a real stage, and the finished film screened Saturday during the festival — see behind the scenes here.
Source: RFAF Script to Screen
Oak City Slam
On top of the film and art exhibitions on display, the festival also has a poetry competition with a $1,000 grand prize. Over the weekend, poets compete with their spoken word on stage and applicants are challenged to write poems from films at the event.
A Team of Volunteers
As with many arts and music events, this one is mostly run by a team of local volunteers. Outside of some support from arts and non-profit grants, the event gets funding from ticket sales, donations, and support from the community.
Christopher mentioned how lean the group runs financially to keep things affordable, but it wouldn’t be possible without the people who make it all happen behind the scenes. The volunteer crew has grown from just him to over 30 people.
If you’d like to help support the event next year or volunteer, visit their website and find out how you can donate or assist below:
Source: RFAF Website
Why This Event Matters
Making a living as an artist is hard, and not everyone can afford the tools to get started.
On top of that, while big festivals may get large headlining acts and artists, local festivals like this are where a lot of small artists find their first audience, win their first awards, or meet real connections in the industry.
These connections and opportunities are what go on to inspire people to pursue their craft and introduces them to the means to potentially excel at it.
Living in Color
If you didn’t get a chance to make it out this year, you won’t have to wait until October.
Every February, the same team behind RFAF hosts the Living in Color exhibit, where they fill the chapel at Dix Park with work from more than 100 Black artists. In fact, this exhibit was named a 2026 Medal of Arts Awardee here in Raleigh, which is one of the highest honors the city awards each year.
Source: Dix Park Website, Christopher Moore (right)
Get Involved Year-Round
Missed out on a ticket this year? No worries! There are still plenty of ways to be part of it.
Artists can apply now for the 2027 Living in Color exhibit (the deadline is November 13). The festival next year and exhibits throughout also rely on volunteers, so there will be many opportunities to get involved. College students can even apply to work with RFAF through Federal Work-Study as well, which can be helpful on future resumes.
Anyway, if you've read this far, put RFAF or Living in Color on the calendar for next year. Or better yet, learn more below and help make it happen.
If nothing else, hopefully this helped you learn a bit more about the festival and how local opportunities in the arts can be a positive change in the community.
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