Wednesday, November 19
Program 1: Cycle For Change
Doors 5:15 pm | Show 6:00 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.
Single Program: (Sliding Scale): $20 / $25 / $30 + s/c
Double Bill: $50 + s/c
Tickets HERE

Program 2: Cinematic
Show 8:30 pm
Single Program: (Sliding Scale): $20 / $25 / $30 + s/c
Tickets HERE

Program 1: CYCLE FOR CHANGE

HER KHALTSHA | South Africa 2024 7 mins. / Dir. Robyn Phillips Khaltsha Cycling Academy is the first all-girls cycling group in Khayelitsha. Through their cycling journeys, the girls not only challenge societal norms, but find freedom, express their emotions, and dream beyond their neighborhood.

WHY WE RIDE | USA 2025 12m / Dir. Erin Kirby / This documentary explores how Denver’s women cyclists, through the group Fems and Thems, overcome initial fears to find freedom and connection. It showcases their growth through bikepacking and long-distance rides, celebrating community and personal development. The film also addresses urban cycling challenges like aggressive drivers and violence, ultimately highlighting the community’s resilience, solidarity, and shared passion as sources of empowerment and resistance.

DETOUR | Canada 2025  3 min Dir. Mitchell Jansman / A daily bike commuter struggles to make it to his anniversary dinner on time after the city of Toronto declares the removal of major bike lanes in the downtown core.

THE SPIRITUAL GIFT OF BICYCLES | USA 2025 10 min. Dir. Kemp Lyons / In the run up to the 2024 US Election, politicians made a show of Springfield, Ohio as an example of all that’s wrong with immigration. At the same time, I met Vincent, whose love and care for a migrant community in a DIFFERENT small Ohio town moved me. It seemed like it was worth showing people a different, more loving way for a community to engage with migrants.

TAMITIK TRAILS | Canada 2024, 11min / Dir. Stefan Rath This is a story of a remote small town in northwest Canada that has experienced a remarkable transformation in bike culture. In just a few years, the entire community has embraced the joy of two wheels.

BUILDING THE BUFFALO | China, Kenya, Uganda, USA 2025 19 min. / Travis Rummel 19min. / Building the Buffalo, a World Bicycle Relief documentary, showcases the creation of the durable Buffalo Bicycle. Designed for marginalized rural communities, it details how engineers developed this robust bike for challenging terrains and heavy use, providing reliable transportation. The film illustrates how bicycles empower communities, overcoming barriers and transforming lives. It’s a testament to innovation and sustainable transportation’s impact.

WHEELS FOR CHANGE | UK 2025 7 min. / Dir. Tomasz Wierzbianski /Verral Paul-Walcott, a father of two, started C86erz as a streetwear brand during the pandemic. It has since grown into a platform supporting people across London, helping those facing homelessness and families struggling to afford essentials like food for their children.

CYCLING WITHOUT AGE | USA 2025 27 min. / Dir. Isaac Seigel-Boettner / Cycling Without Age delves into the profound significance of experiencing the simple joy of wind in your hair throughout life’s journey. It achieves this through the compelling narratives of pedal-powered rickshaw pilots and their elderly passengers, reminding us that the childlike magic of riding a bike, often lost with age, is a feeling worth reclaiming at every stage.

Program 2: Cinematic

I’M GOIN’ THE OTHER WAY | Portugal 2025 4min. / Marco Espirito Santo / Created with Ciclopes, a community project in Lisbon, Portugal that supports mobility for underprivileged youth through bicycle hubs, the film explores themes of freedom, equality, and respect within their community, inspired by an impassioned Baptist sermon from the American South.

LIVE MORE, RUSH LESS | Mexico 2024, 11min / Dir. Andalusia K Soloff / Women, children and non-binary cyclists reclaim the streets of Mexico City against road rage and sexual violence, revindicating riding bicycles as a way of life, not a way to die.

STYROFOAM | China, USA 2017 5min. / Dir. Noah Sheldon /Guo Jie is one of the estimated 277 million rural migrant workers in China. In Shanghai, she buys and collects styrofoam boxes from markets selling fresh produce and takes them to a seafood wholesale market where she resells them. She does one round trip a day, piling as much styrofoam on her bike as possible so she doesn’t have to go back and forth. Scored by Nick Zinner of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs.

HAS ANYONE SEEN MY BIKE |  Canada 2023, 9min / Dir. Nicolas LeBrun, Alissa Zilber / Nic overdoes it during a night out and is left to put the pieces together in the morning.

PEDAL PEDAL PEDAL |  USA 2025 18min. / Dir. Justin Diamond /Lindsey Stevenson maintains her personal identity in a world that often asks mothers to set it aside. Through her honesty and openness, the film documents deeply personal moments her pregnancy, family, and return to racing offering a perspective rarely seen in sport. This film speaks not only to cyclists but to anyone navigating the tension between who they are and who the world expects them to be.

GOLD STATUS | USA 2023, 14 min / Dir. Charles Haine /This fun and engaging film documents the feeling we all have of living in a time where everything we do is constantly evaluated by algorithms. It also explores the precarity of delivery cyclists and other essential workers that society depends on to survive.

KING OF THE MOUNTAIN | Dir. Orlando von Einsiedel | UK 2015 9 min. / As a boy growing up, Samuel Mugisha dreamed of being a part of the Rwandan national cycling team, Team Rwanda, as he believed it would be a way to help make money for his family. What he discovered was something else entirely. In a country trying to get over the trauma of a genocide, Team Rwanda represents a lot more than sport.

AMITIS | Iran 2024, 32 min /Dir. Mohammadmehdi Sohrab Moradihaghighi /  Iranian women are the backbone of society, shaping future generations with their strength and well-being. Yet sedentary lifestyles, isolation, and societal biases threaten their health.Cycling can bring vitality and hope but overcoming the challenges prejudices against women cyclists brings requires support. The Amitis Women’s Cycling Group, led by Bahareh Ghods, faces these challenges and stands as a strong example of resilience and community. This documentary celebrates their spirit and hopes, highlighting the vibrant Iranian women cyclists inspiring change.

*Must be 18+ w/ID for entry. Must be 19+ w/ID and bar service.
*Sorry, Rio Theatre Groupons and passes n/a for this event.
*We recommend purchasing your tickets in advance at www.riotheatretickets.ca. If a screening or live event is not sold out, the remaining tickets will be available for in-person purchase at the Rio Theatre’s Box Office prior to showtime (subject to availability).
*Our box office is typically open 30 minutes before showtime. All seating is General Admission; please arrive 20-30 minutes prior to showtime to ensure great seats, and time for treats at concession

*All Rio Theatre tickets are final sale. No refunds, no exchanges.