Chelsea Jackson
Features Reporter
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Richmond International Film Festival is back this week with films, music, panel discussions and more all around the city.
“We’re beyond thrilled to kick off the 14th annual RIFF and bring our community together to celebrate the magic of film, music, and authentic connection,” festival founder Heather Waters said. “This year’s theme, Bare Naked, dives into the raw essence of humanity and the power of bridging differences across backgrounds and beliefs. With more than 170 filmmakers from 20 countries traveling in for their premieres and Virginia’s top musicians lighting up Révéler each night, RIFF 25 will offer something unforgettable for everyone.”
Over six days, Richmond can see films such as 2024 mockumentary “The Taste of Revolution,” “The Addiction of Hope,” about an aging actress forced to reflect on her life, and “Sierra 941,” which chronicles 65-year-old Hanover native Will Turner’s 914-mile solo ultra-triathlon through Lake Tahoe and the Sierra Nevada mountain range.
Directed by Ryan Dugger, this film is proof that trying again pays off.
Turner had attempted a similar distance before but couldn’t complete it. Instead of quitting, he used the setback as fuel.
“It gave me the fire in my belly,” he explained. “But it also forced me to take a hard look at what went wrong. I’d had a physical breakdown before, so this time I focused on strength training to correct imbalances and give myself a better shot.”
Endurance sports weren’t new to Turner. After years of completing marathons and triathlons, he’d moved into Ironman competitions, and eventually, ultra triathlons. Even with those under his belt, the Sierra 914 — 914 miles of swimming, biking, and running — was its own feat.
The toughest test came on the final night. Exhausted, sleep-deprived, and deep in the valley between the Sierra Nevada and White Mountains, Turner saw a storm coming in.
Within minutes, he was drenched, cold and shaking uncontrollably.
Too weak to change into dry clothes himself, his crew stepped in to help.
“That was probably my lowest point,” he said. “But the moment I got back on course, I looked up and saw a double rainbow. It was like a sign reminding me things were going to be okay.”
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For Turner, the finish is less about medals and more about growth.
“These events strip everything away,” he said. “They leave you with your core essence, and you discover who you really are. The valleys, the low points, are what shape you. They teach you how to keep going when your mind is begging you to stop.”
His community embraced his story, selling out the film’s first showing at RIFF within 48 hours after Turner posed the message on Facebook. The screening had to be moved from Bow Tie Cinemas to the Byrd Theatre for more space.
With a tiny crew chasing Turner through mountains, Dugger said the production was just as grueling.
“We couldn’t stop and set up shots, we had to be ready all the time,” he said. “We were sleep-deprived ourselves, but we knew we had to capture every moment.”
For Dugger, the film became personal. He was diagnosed with type one diabetes at age 40 and instead of letting it sideline him, he drew inspiration from Turner and trained for his first marathon.
“I’d never run one before, but Will showed me that we can all push further than we think,” Ryan said. “Crossing that finish line meant even more because of what this story had taught me.”
Turner hopes audiences take away a similar message.
“You don’t have to be an athlete to grow from doing something hard,” he said. “At 65, I did this race because I didn’t want to let age be an excuse. When you challenge yourself, you expand who you are. That’s what matters.”