One sure sign of spring is the White River Indie Festival. Now in its thirteenth year, the film festival known for its quirky, even subversive energy will bring a collection of feature and documentary films from around the world to White River Junction on June 1–4, Thursday through Sunday, at the The Barrette Center for the Arts. Offerings will range from the lighthearted, family-friendly narrative, Girl Flu, to the outré Wild (“not for the squeamish”), the latter to be paired with a post-screening party as a satellite event at Main Street Museum.

This year, the festival begins with a look back at rebels, fighters, and visionaries of the past with a Thursday screening of two rarely seen classics, Salt of the Earth, presented by film historian Rick Winston, and Border Incident, presented by Gerd Gemünden, professor of Film and Media Studies at Dartmouth.

Dorothy Gannon, publicity coordinator for the festival, says, “A few highlights I'm excited about are Vermont filmmaker Nora Jacobson’s The Hanji Box, which receives its Upper Valley premiere at the WRIF annual gala Friday June 2. She is an award-winning filmmaker, and her previous films include the epic Freedom and Unity: The Vermont Movie. Also, I’m excited about the film It’s Criminal, the latest from award-winning documentarian Signe Taylor (Circus Dreams), which screens Saturday June 3. The film offers a window into a rural jail, an Ivy league college, and what happens when these worlds collide.”

As always, the festival will include popular programs like the Regional Short Film Showcase, selected winners of the Freedom & Unity Youth Film Contest, and results of the 48-Hour Film Slam. Of interest to Phish fans: among this year’s Regionals will be Mike Gordon’s narrative short, Doll Power, in which an 8-year-old girl is given the magical power to save the world.

Dreamers and filmmakers alike can take advantage of two panels that will discuss overcoming the most common hurdles for indie filmmakers: funding and distribution. Among those speaking at WRIF this year will be 30-year film industry veteran Mark Lindsey, who has handled the distribution of such Academy Award-winning films as Chicago, Finding Neverland, The Hours, and The Cider House Rules.

Both Saturday and Sunday at WRIF 2017 include films and programs that are family-friendly and low cost. In addition, both days feature a number of selections by or about teens; the Freedom and Unity Film Contest segment invites viewers to participate in a question and answer session with the young filmmakers, while The Mars Generation––an award-winning documentary and Sundance favorite about NASA’s space camp—invites the viewer to dream about a manned mission to the red planet and the impact of such a journey here on Earth.

The Annual WRIF Gala Ticket, which includes The Hanji Box screening and Gala celebrations (with food, cash bar, and live music) are $40. An All-Access Pass is $75. Adult single tickets are $10, and student single tickets are $5. You can find a schedule and details at the WRIF website, WRIF.org.