6th Annual Asheville Film Festival
Thursday, November 6 through Sunday, November 9, 2008
ASHEVILLE, NC — The City of Asheville is pleased to announce that tickets for the 2008 Asheville Film Festival are now on sale. The Festival will begin with an opening night celebration on Thursday, November 6 and close with another event on Sunday, November 9 with venues throughout Downtown Asheville including Fine Arts Theatre, Diana Wortham Theatre, Asheville Community Theatre, and 35 Below as well as YMI Cultural Center and Pack Place Education Arts and Science Center.
Celebrating its sixth year, the Asheville Film Festival will feature over 75 independent films from across the world in a variety of categories including feature fiction, documentary, animation, short fiction, and over twenty student films. Filmmakers in each category will be competing for a $500 award. New for 2008 is the first screenplay competition where up-and-coming writers across the country are competing for a chance to win $1000 and a guaranteed read and an interview with a qualified industry agent.
Each year, the Asheville Film Festival highlights actors and actresses and this year is no exception where Oscar-nominated actor Brad Dourif and Oscar-winning writer/director Frank Pierson will both be celebrated for their contributions in motion pictures.
Brad Dourif has appeared in many films including “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” (1975), “Dune” (1984), the voice of Chucky in the “Child’s Play” movies, and recently as Grima Wormtongue in Peter Jackson’s “Lord of the Rings” trilogy. The Asheville Film Festival will showcase his film “Wise Blood” (1979) with a Q&A and a reception during “An Evening with Brad Dourif” on Friday, November 7. Tickets for this event are $20.
Frank Pierson has been writing, directing, and producing for film and television since the 1960’s and has a long list of hit movies and awards directing such films as “A Star is Born” (1976) and writing movies such as “Cat Ballou” (1965) and “Dog Day Afternoon” (1975). The Asheville Film Festival will celebrate Pierson’s work with a showing of “Cool Hand Luke” (1967) at “An Afternoon with Frank Pierson” on Saturday, November 8 at 3:00 p.m. Tickets for this event are $20.
Other events during the Asheville Film Festival include Premier Night Film and Reception at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, November 6 featuring a screening of “The Wrestler” and the Spotlight Awards Reception and Ceremony at 8:00 p.m. on Saturday, November 8.
Each year, the Asheville Film Festival hosts an Education Series where emerging and seasoned film makers can learn about the industry from a host of professionals as well as learning about the latest technology available such as Apple’s Final Cut Pro.
For a complete list of events, films, educational classes, venues, ticket prices and purchasing please visit the official Asheville Film Festival website at www.ashevillefilmfestival.com or call the Pack Place Box Office at 828-257-4530.
Internationally known as a cultural hub, Asheville is one of the East Coast’s most vibrant cities recently named “Best Southern Town” by Outside Magazine. Drawing more than 10,000 visitors, the Asheville Film Festival is fast becoming a nationally recognized film festival and continues to highlight local talent and the Western North Carolina region as a venue for film.
The Asheville Film Festival is produced by the City of Asheville Parks, Recreation, & Cultural Arts Department and is sponsored in part by Budweiser, Progress Energy, Star 104.3 and Revolution 880, Saturn of Asheville, Harmony Interiors, and Aaron’s Sales & Lease.
For your visit to the Asheville Film Festival, please contact one of our partner hotels: The Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa 828-252-2711, SpringHill Suites by Marriott 828-253-4666, or Courtyard by Marriott 828-281-0041.
