SEE BELOW FOR DETAILS OF OUR LAST FESTIVAL IN FEBRUARY 2020, AND WATCH THIS SPACE FOR AN ANNOUNCEMENT ABOUT OUR 2022 EVENTS
Festival Schedule
We screen a range of films including brand new movies, iconic classics that deserve a big-screen outing, and recently overlooked films, in a theatrical environment that allows the films to be seen and heard with glorious clarity and scale.
All times and details below are approximate and subject to change, with the final festival program confirmed closer to the weekend itself. Screenings will usually accompanied by a conversation or other activity led by one of our guests including Kathleen Norris, Buddy Wakefield, Micky ScottBey Jones or Gareth Higgins.
Consider joining us for our Pre-Festival Workshop to get in the spirit before the festival begins. Please note that festival events on Friday 21st and Saturday 22nd February take place at the Wortham Center for the Performing Arts, 18 Biltmore Avenue, Asheville; and the festival events take place Sunday 23rd February at the Fine Arts Theatre, just down the street at 36 Biltmore Avenue.
Friday, February 21 - Wortham Center for the Performing Arts
4pm: Screening of Babette’s Feast (1987, 103 mins) - directed by Gabriel Axel
Babette’s Feast was named the greatest film in the first ever Movies & Meaning poll of films that help us live better. Critics and audience members alike find an utterly gripping story, characters who induce empathy, and the ability to see ourselves, in light and shadow.
6pm: Dinner Break - Many diverse restaurants within walking distance.
7.30pm: Opening Night Keynote conversation with Gareth Higgins followed by J.E.S.U.S.A (2019, 93 mins) - REGIONAL PREMIERE with special guest Director Kevin Miller
We're delighted to present the regional premiere of J.E.S.U.S.A., an in-depth exploration of the relationship between Christianity and American nationalism and the violence that emerges from it. Far from a new phenomenon, this documentary traces the co-opting of Christianity by the state all the way back to when the Christian faith became the official religion of the Roman Empire. Through interviews with a diverse group of scholars, pastors, historians, and activists, this film shows how specific readings of the Bible have led many to confuse religion with dedication to the state. The film helps viewers rediscover and restore long-held Christian beliefs regarding nonviolence, inspiring people to become purveyors of peace rather than enablers of conflict and violence.
Saturday, February 22 - Wortham Center for the Performing Arts
9.30am: Revolution of the Heart: The Dorothy Day Story (2019, 57 mins)
A new documentary, directed by Martin Doblmeier, on one of the most extraordinary and courageous women in American history, one who is being considered for sainthood, Dorothy Day. Realist and radical, Day was both a typical grandmother and a self-described anarchist who once made the FBI list as a “dangerous American.” As a journalist, Day covered workers’ rights and child labor. She was a cofounder (with Peter Maurin) of the Catholic Worker Movement, which first as a newspaper, expanded to become a network of houses of hospitality to welcome the poor and destitute. Includes rare archival photographs and film footage plus interviews with her granddaughters, Martin Sheen, Joan Chittister, and many others.
11.15am: Screening of Farmly (9 mins), short film directed by Jamie DeWolf and Buddy Wakefield, followed by performance by Buddy Wakefield, and Q&A. Please note adult themes and explicit language.
Farmly is a bit of a wonder, I have to say. I’ve seen thousands of films, and yours stands out as one in which the rawness of the words is matched by the truth of the images; the final shot in particular makes it a cut above. It also accomplished a rare thing – being both a confrontation and an invitation. - Gareth Higgins
2.30pm: Screening of After Life (Hirokazu Kore-eda, 1998), followed by Kathleen Norris in conversation about finding meaning in your life.
This will be a reflective afternoon inviting each of us to a transformative conversation about who we really are. After Life is one of our favorite films, and one of those movies that can help us find healing for wounds, inspiration for the future, and answers to some old questions.
7.30pm: Surprise Screening.
We’re delighted to be offering an extremely rare public screening of a very special edition of a much-beloved classic movie. And for anyone who doesn’t like surprises, you can click here to find out what it is.
Sunday, February 23 - Fine Arts Theatre
10am: Life After (2017, 13 mins)
A story about mothers and daughters, immigrants and their children, and love and forgiveness, directed by Ria Tobaccowala. This short film follows Nisha, a single mother and Indian immigrant, who travels to New York City to clear out her recently deceased daughter Zara's apartment. Out of her element in her daughter's environment, Nisha discovers surprising new details about Zara. In the midst of her grief, Nisha must decide whether to embrace or ignore the truth about her daughter's short life.
Screening of Gift (2019, 90 mins, directed by Robin McKenna)
Inspired by Lewis Hyde’s beloved classic “The Gift: Creativity and the Artist in the Modern World”, GIFT is a tribute to something that can’t be measured or counted, bought or sold. An intimate exploration of real-life gift economies, it’s a reflection on the creative process, the reasons we labour in service of our gifts, and a celebration of the imagination.
A beautiful, moving, and thought-provoking reflection on the creative process and the things that make us human. - Jonathan Lethem