Fall Film Festivals in North Carolina
East Coast Hollywood Haven: From Asheville to Raleigh
Oct 31, 2009
These festivals come at a perfect time: just before getting caught up in Thanksgiving travel and holiday shopping sprees.
Film Festivals in Asheville
Opening November’s film circuit is Asheville’s International Children’s Film Festival (AICFF) from November 2nd through the 8th. Designed for ages 3-18 the AICFF is held in venues throughout Asheville, an eclectic city in the western mountains of North Carolina. With the local universities’ presence, artistic community and notorious film history (Dirty Dancing and Last of the Mohicans were filmed less than an hour from Asheville in Lake Lure and Chimney Rock), Asheville is a prime location for film festivals. According to WNCMagazine the event will represent over 23 countries with almost 70 films, both short and feature length. Throughout the festival a variety of entertainment is scheduled, from a gala night with catered delights, live music and a caricature artist, to an all-you-can-eat family pancake costume breakfast. A goal of the festival is to stimulate critical thinking in today’s youth; to support this mission the festival is offering movie workshops for a convenient $7 fee, as well as acting instruction and an introduction to animation, among other activities. Tickets are only available in advance and purchase information can be found by calling 828-298-4789.
Not even a week after AICFF closes does the 7th Annual Asheville Film Festival (AFF) kick-off. The event will take place from November 12-15 in the heart of downtown Asheville, at 2 South Pack Square. The AFF also features international submissions. Not tailored specifically toward a younger demographic like the AICFF is, the AFF also offers a screenplay competition. The AFF has a history of ups and downs and planning is always a challenging process, especially with an average 10,000 people attending each year. Ticket information is available at 828-259-5800.
Raleigh-Durham Area Film Festivals
Heading east to North Carolina’s Piedmont region, one weekend brings two film festivals. The 1st Annual Peak City Film Festival (PCFF) in Apex will be held Friday through Sunday, November 20-22. Apex (the “peak city”) is located on the southeast outskirts of the bustling Triangle region of Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill and shares a border with the town of Cary, a town that has doubled its size over the last decade. With a quintessential downtown area complete with an ice cream shop, Apex is a pedestrian-friendly, family-friendly town ideal for a family-focused film festival. The PCFF accepted international submissions during their maiden call for entries and will screen family-friendly feature-length films, shorts and mobisodes (under 7 minutes in length) with the intention of carrying on the passions of storytelling through the motion picture. Ticket information is available by contacting bob_crowley@peakcityfilmfestival.org.
Touted by locals as “the appendix of Chapel Hill,” Carrboro hosts the annual one-day Carrboro Film Festival (CFF) on Sunday, November 22nd from 2PM-7PM that features films all under twenty minutes in length. A heavy arts foundation binds this town and it’s no stranger to festivals, in October Carrboro hosted the annual West End Poets Weekend, a day-long poetry festival. According to their website, CFF received over 100 submissions. Ticket information is available by contacting filmfest@carrboro.com.
Sources
Gulfstream Communications, "Asheville International Children's Film Festival," WNCMagazine.com
Rick Smith, "A Perfect Storm Called Cary: The Keystone of the Geometry of the Triangle," MetroNC.com
Chimney Rock State Park, "Chimney Rock Park Film Locations," ChimneyRockPark.com
aicff.org
ashevillefilmfestival.com
peakcityfilmfestival.org
carrborofilmfestival.com
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