After showings at past festivals, three of the films went on to win Academy Awards.

As in past festivals, the series promises to explore the gray areas as well as the black and white.

TV, featuring films and shorts previously submitted or screened at past festivals.

Sponsored by the City of Riverside, local universities, and many businesses, past festivals have featured over 175 films.

But the feature films at the festival showed concerns beyond the coming-of-age themes that have been the staples of past festivals.

New works by directors who have been honored in past festivals, as well as movies shown in the midnight time band.

Some local estimates say that the city's population has grown to as much as 100,000 during past festivals, though this is likely an exaggeration.

Pertinently, the gala program focused on productions commissioned by the festival, past and present.

The 15 birds in the show, "Wood on the Wing," are prize winners from past festivals.

The past two festivals attracted more than half a million visitors combined.