SEE BELOW FOR DETAILS OF OUR LAST FESTIVAL IN FEBRUARY 2020, AND WATCH THIS SPACE FOR AN ANNOUNCEMENT ABOUT OUR 2022 EVENTS
THE MOVIES & MEANING EXPERIENCE
presented by The Porch
FEBRUARY 21-23, 2020
WORTHAM CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS
ASHEVILLE, NC
In 2020, our storytellers span the worlds of spirituality, storytelling, poetry, and activism. Through lecture and Q&A, slam poetry and quiet reflection, they'll guide us to engage more fully in the world, honor the brilliant diversity of human stories and experiences, and work to undo suffering and oppression in all its forms—both inside and out.
Tickets on Sale Now!
“This was a profound experience of joy and depth that came to life in the shared communal nature of the weekend. The films were the waves ( full of art, beauty, poetry, drama), and we were the tidal pools as we were simply present to each other in light of what we had seen and experienced and its impact on our lives.”
2020 Speakers
Kathleen Norris
New York Times bestselling author of Dakota, The Cloister Walk, and Amazing Grace
Buddy Wakefield
Three-time world poetry slam champion
Jasmin Morrell
Writer & Organizer
Gareth Higgins
Irish storyteller and peace activist
Micky Scottbey Jones
Nonviolence practitioner and contemplative activist
About Movies & Meaning
These days the noise of bad, fake, and hurtful stories is loud, harsh, and sometimes overwhelming. The task of creating our better world seems large and difficult to hold. And many people we’ve talked to just seem, for lack of a better word, tired.
Our fifth annual Movies & Meaning experience in February 2020 is designed for this moment.
You are invited to this healing, joyful, challenging, and life-giving experience, which promises to lift our hearts without asking people to switch off our brains. The Movies & Meaning experience is an experimental community where we practice being the way we want the world to be. It's a gathering undertaken in hope.
Over three days, we’ll be inspired and challenged by artists and activists who work at the intersection of creativity, peace, spirituality, and social change. Previous participants have told us that they departed with a renewed spirit to contribute to a better world, and tools for community healing.
We’ll pair seven movies with seven activities, serving as touchstones, inviting us to wonder, dream, and reflect on our world and our active place in making it. Unlike typical film festivals, instead of passive viewing, Movies & Meaning creates a space for engagement and transformation. We’ll weave art throughout our time together as a means of reflection and change-making, learning how to make the world better through substantive action.
Previous guests at Movies & Meaning span the worlds of spirituality, storytelling, and activism. Through lecture and Q&A, they guided us to engage more fully in the world, honor the brilliant diversity of human stories and experiences, and work to undo suffering and oppression in all its forms—both inside and out.
Alice Walker, internationally celebrated Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Color Purple and many other award-winning books, poet, and human rights activist
Mira Nair, director of Queen of Katwe, Academy Award nominated, Golden Globe & BAFTA winning filmmaker.
Brian McLaren, author, activist, speaker and public theologian
Gareth Higgins, film critic, author, and festival founder
James McLeary, CEO of Inside Circle Foundation, Executive Producer of the film The Work
Jasmin Morrell, writer, editor and festival producer
Budget-Friendly Accommodations
You don't have to rent a car to get the most out of this event.
There are several hotel and motel options within walking distance from our venue, and loads of restaurant options downtown. Local accommodations range from budget friendly hostels to treat-yourself B&Bs. Make your weekend your own!
Festival registration is for the full three day event and gets you admission to the entire experience, from Thursday evening to late Saturday night. We offer a sliding scale to make the experience accessible, and we're serious when we say we don't money to be a barrier for anyone who wants to attend. If the minimum sliding scale amount us beyond your reach, contact us and we'll let you know how to spread the cost of attending for as little as $15 a month. Click here to contact us.
Ethical Commitment
We are committed to Movies & Meaning being good for the earth, for the people who attend and participate, and for those who share in its ownership. We seek the common good, we prioritize historically marginalized voices (women, people of color, indigenous people, immigrants, and LGBTQ+ people), and are committed to ecologically sustainable, fair trade, and living wage and/or fair exchange policies for contractors, employees and volunteers.
Movies & Meaning is more than a film festival, a conference, or a retreat. It’s a dream space, a laboratory for a more beautiful world. More reasons to join in? Here are three:
1: With a strong focus on using film to transform communities, Movies & Meaning can amplify your ongoing work as a teacher, leader, and student.
2: Movies & Meaning offers a humane vision of the world and helps you actually walk the talk throughout the weekend, and throughout the rest of your year.
3: We'll be gathering in a beautiful theatre, which will show off the films at their best.
Our Partners
