Join us before the first film of the festival for drinks, small bites and mingling with festival guests, sponsors, passholders and staff as we raise a glass and celebrate the start of a cinematic weekend. Hosted by James Investment Group.
*Invite Only+Omnibus Passholders
Start your morning with a coffee at fix! and conversation with David Kajganich (Bones and All, A Bigger Splash), Vinnie Wilhelm (Castle Rock, The Right Stuff), and Kristen Roupenian (Cat Person, Bodies, Bodies, Bodies) will discuss the labor dispute between the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP). Why did the moderate terms posed by the WGA and Screen Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA) on issues regarding streaming, episodic television, and AI receive such fierce pushback? What is fair when it comes to revenue sharing? What do strikes in the entertainment industry mean for film exhibition and writers more broadly? And what can we expect to see as a result of these historic actions?
*Open to the public. Free drip coffee for passholders.
Start your morning with a coffee at fix! and conversation with guests of Refocus Film Festival and Iowa City Book Festival who relay their stories of daring to embark on (and finish!) a new creative project. Documentarian Brian Becker (Time Bomb Y2K), graphic novelist Sara Varon (Robot Dreams) and novelist Mindy Mejia (Everything You Want Me to Be, Leave No Trace) have all taken different paths on their creative journeys, how did they all take first steps, stay motivated, and get to the finish line of a self-created project?
*Open to the public. Free drip coffee for passholders.
Had a big first day at Refocus? Go wind down at the Green House Unfocus After Party from 10pm to 12am. Have a nightcap and recap day one of Refocus! $1 off drinks for festival passholders plus complimentary desserts!
Refocus Passholders can visit The Green House all weekend and show their pass for $1 off any drink! Plus, Omnibus passholders get a voucher for one free drink. Valid Thursday, October 12 through Sunday, October 15.
*Must present Refocus pass or ticket for entry. All party goers must be 21 or older.
See photographs from the life and times of Bill Sackter, the beloved Iowa Citian who started Wild Bill’s Coffee Shop in the University of Iowa School of Social Work in the 1970s. Bill's life story was told in the Emmy-winning Bill, and provided inspiration for Barry Morrow's Oscar-winning script for Rain Man. This pop-up is in connection with the Hey Buddy, I’m Bill exhibition in the Main Library Gallery at the University of Iowa Libraries.
*Free and open to the public.
Guest bartender Krista Burich will be mixing Robot Dreams inspired cocktails at our main floor concession stand with wine also available at our second floor bar. Appetizers and small bites food stations will be set up around the event for late night snacking.
Mingle with fellow festival goers to celebrate opening night of the fest! Chat about the opening night film and compare plans for the rest of the fest. Sip on a cocktail. Dance to some tunes from DJ Ahzia Hester. Relax in the Ulysses Modern Lounge created just for fest weekend.
Party starts immediately following Robot Dreams at The Englert Theatre.
Admission: Open to all Refocus passholders and Opening Night ticket holders.
It's nearly the end of the fest. Grab a drink and check in with your fellow festivalgoers. Take a break between films and enjoy a beverage and reflect on what you’ve seen and done all weekend and what your final night plans are for the fest!
Admission: Open to the public. Free drink for passholders.
We all have a favorite tale to tell at parties. In this chance special Friday the 13th edition of WTF, writers David Kajganich (Bones and All, A Bigger Splash), Daniel Kraus (The Shape of Water Whalefall), and Kristen Roupenian (Cat Person, Bodies, Bodies, Bodies) all share a common bond of dark tales that illuminate the human condition. Join us for a night of storytelling with these guests of Refocus Film Festival and Iowa City Book Festival to hear their war stories about creating art and getting it out into the world while sipping free samples of Cedar Ridge whiskey!
Admission: Reservations for passholders only. Rush Line free and public.
