I’ve attended just a few film festivals in my fledgling career as an actor, and each one has its own particular energy, but there is always a kind of electricity that runs through any of these events, especially when there is a literal red carpet involved.
At the 2026 Boston International Film Festival in April, the energy was everywhere and could be heard in each conversation you happened to catch as you made your way through the packed room on opening night. Maybe it was the anticipation of seeing the films or seeing your own face on the big IMAX screen. Maybe it was due to the fact that over 6,000 submissions from around the world were received and narrowed down to a mere 35 films. Or maybe it was the sense that something magical was about to happen for each of the films seen over the course of five days, including one homegrown RI production with an enticingly provocative title that dares you to take a peek: Outlaw Run.
For Burrillville-based writer and creator Jim Weicherding, it was a full-circle experience. His book and long-running magazine series provided the foundation for the film, and he took the leap into screenwriting to bring it to life. Alongside producer and director Dawn Natalia, he co-founded OUTLAW RUN Productions LP just before cameras started rolling last May.
The film is a nod to the exciting car chase films of the 1970s. Not super fancy, but very fun, it is the kind of movie that has you hanging onto the edge of your seat.
Pulling the story together on screen was the result of solid collaboration and full-on, don’t-pull-any-punches bravado by one man and his car. Robert Marsella takes on the lead role as “Etch,” a character pulled straight from Weicherding’s own persona (the nickname comes from his award-winning glass etching work). There’s a sincerity in his acting that leaves you believing you might very well bump into this guy and his wheels at Powder Mill Creamery in Greenville one hot summer night in July. Considering that it was filmed in northern Rhode Island, that possibility doesn’t seem so far-fetched.
Outlaw Run took home the festival’s Indie Soul Best Picture award — its top honor for short films. Not bad for a project fueled by passion, horsepower, and a whole lot of Ocean State grit.
As far as I know, winning anything at a festival of this caliber is no small accomplishment. The Boston International Film Festival, now in its 24th year, has built a reputation for spotlighting independent voices while holding them to a high bar. With industry professionals, filmmakers, and film lovers lining up to see all the films in the IMAX theater on Boston Wharf, the excitement — and the screen itself — felt enormous. And yes, seeing your work projected on a screen that size is a moment that stays with you.
Outlaw Run wasn’t the only RI connection in the building. A short film that this Ocean Stater was part of, Steeped in Denial, screened as part of the Women in Film block. It’s never just about one film; it’s about a growing creative ecosystem that’s starting to get noticed more and more each year.
Of course, festivals aren’t just about screenings and awards. They’re also about conversations — the kind that happen in between panels, over drinks at the after party, or while lingering just a little too long after a Q&A. Workshops like “Using Independent Filmmaking to Accelerate Your Career” and “How to Obtain Film Funding” offered practical insights, but they also underscored something deeper: Independent film is as much about resourcefulness as it is about artistry. Those two things go hand in hand.
The momentum isn’t slowing down anytime soon for Outlaw Run. The film heads next to the Block Island Film Festival on May 28, with plans for a summer filled with car shows and drive-in screenings — because if you’re going to make a movie about cool cars, well, why the heck not?
If there’s a throughline here, it’s this: None of this happens in a vacuum. It takes vision, yes. But it also takes community. It takes people who are willing to show up, lend their talents, and believe in a project enough to see it through from idea to a big-as-Texas IMAX screen.
So when Outlaw Run snagged that Indie Soul Best Picture award, it wasn’t just a win for a film. It was a win for our little state and a way of making movies that values story as much as hustle.
Buckle up, indeed. This ride’s just getting started.
Learn more about the origins of the film at getmotorhead.com. Learn more about the festival at BostonIFF.com. Connect with Dennise @TheAdventureBroad on Instagram.