• Nicole Gullixson, Managing Director

    Nicole is a videographer, designer, and storyteller with a passion for independent film and fostering meaningful connections through creative work. Originally from Northern California, she has spent the past decade in Ashland, developing strong local ties while honing her expertise in film, fine art, and design.

    Her documentary films have shown on SOPBS as well as featured in the Ashland Independent Film Festival, and her experience in the hospitality industry has provided valuable insight into curating memorable experiences.

    Nicole’s journey with AIFF began as an intern, a pivotal experience that revealed how she could merge her interests, skills, and passions into a career in the arts. She later earned a Bachelor’s in Communication with an emphasis in Digital Cinema from Southern Oregon University.

    With a background in design, branding, and filmmaking, she is honored to return to AIFF and support its mission of celebrating independent film.

  • Aura Johnson, Director of Programming

    Aura Johnson has been a programmer with the Ashland Independent Film Festival since 2012. She first worked under Joanne Feinberg, and then rose to Senior Programmer under Richard Herskowitz.

    Aura has also programmed for the Big Sky Documentary Film Festival, and had a former career as a sound effects editor and recordist for Skywalker Sound, Zoetrope, and the Saul Zaentz Film Center. Her history with filmmaking and post-production have given her a keen sense of the art of cinema, and she is especially passionate about independent film.

  • Richard Herskowitz, Curator of Special Programs

    Richard Herskowitz is a media arts curator and administrator who, for the past forty years, has presented thousands of screenings and art exhibitions for leading film festivals, film societies, and museums. Herskowitz previously served as Artistic and Executive Director for AIFF from 2015-2019.

    He was Artistic Director of the Houston Cinema Arts Festival from its inception in 2008 through its tenth anniversary in 2018, and director of the Virginia Film Festival in Charlottesville from 1994-2008. Herskowitz ran Cornell Cinema, where he presented over 500 films annually from 1982-94, and also served as film and video curator at Cornell’s Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art.

    Richard was the curator of media arts for the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art in Eugene from 2009-2019, and he also co-curated an annual media arts exhibition at Ashland's Schneider Museum of Art from 2016-22. Herskowitz has been a programmer multiple times and president of the Robert Flaherty Film Seminar and chair of its 50th Anniversary Committee.

  • Bruce Hostetler, Festival Producer

    Bruce has been a Producer for AIFF since 2012 and has had over 35 years working in entertainment.

    Artistic Director / Producer: Portland Revels, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, CompassWorks, Carnegie Mellon New Plays Project, Anima Mundi Productions, The Backporch Theatre Company.
    Stage Director: Over 170 shows: Shakespeare Santa Cruz, Opera Theatre of Pittsburgh, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, City Theatre, Powerhouse Theatre, Portland Actors Ensemble, Profile Theatre, Sun Valley Shakespeare Festival, NW Children's Theatre, Rogue Opera, Bridgework Theatre, Oregon Stage Works, Mocks Crest Productions, Carnegie Mellon New Plays Project, and many others.

    Bruce has directed modern comedy and drama, European classics (especially Shakespeare), musicals, opera, light opera (G&S), musicals, and new work (in workshop and full productions).

ABOUT US

Our Mission

Celebrate the diversity of human experience through the art of independent film by enriching, educating, and inspiring all audiences.

Our Vision

To cultivate the foremost festival experience, recognized throughout the Pacific Northwest and beyond, for bringing audiences and filmmakers together through a shared appreciation of the power of independent film.

Our Values

Excellence, Inspiration, Sustainability, Community, Integrity, Inclusion.

Our History

The Ashland Independent Film Festival gratefully acknowledges the tireless dedication of the community leaders, past and present, whose vision, passion, and dedication make our support of independent film possible.

The non-profit Southern Oregon Film Society was founded in 2001 and produces the nationally acclaimed Ashland Independent Film Festival (AIFF), as well as educational and cultural programs for more than 10,000 patrons annually.

SOFS was founded by Steve Wood (Executive Director), D.W. Wood (Creative Director) and Pokii Roberts (Founding Board Member), with support from John C. Schweiger, Coming Attractions Theaters (Founding Advisor and Benefactor). They established what are now AIFF traditions including free forums and screenings, strong ties with Southern Oregon University, gallery exhibits, and a focus on independent film at our home base, the beautiful art-deco Varsity Theater. 

The AIFF has grown from an all-volunteer organization to one with six year-round and a dozen seasonal staff, governed by a 12-member board and supported by a 13-member advisory council. Each year, more than 370 community members donate 10,000 volunteer hours to complement the efforts of the dedicated staff.