Join us for an encore screening of award-winning films from the inaugural BooneDocs Film Festival in 2022. This will serve as a teaser for the 2023 festival which takes place on February 25 at 2 pm at the Appalachian Theatre.
We will view:
Judges Award - Bright Morning Stars - Directed and Filmed by Ethan Payne -
Audience Award - Alchemy - Directed and Filmed by Bridgett Fitzgerald -
Image: BRIGHT MORNING STARS: THE JOHNSONS OF HEMPHILL
About the Inaugural Boone Docs Film Festival 2022:
Image: The Appalachian Theatre Est. 1938
The Appalachian Theatre’s first annual BOONE DOCS FILM FESTIVAL 2022 took place on Saturday, February 26, 2022 and featured eleven short-form documentary films focusing on or from the Appalachian region. Winner of the Judges Choice Award was “Bright Morning Stars: The Johnsons of Hemphill” by director: Ethan Payne. The Audience Choice Award went to “Alchemy” by director Bridget Fitzgerald.
The festival is a collaborative project between the theatre and the Appalachian State University faculty with a shared goal of providing a creative platform for authentic stories about the beauty and complexity of Appalachian life and culture that extends beyond common stereotypes. Festival organizer Beth Davison said, “the stories in these documentaries showcase exciting new voices from a diverse range of mountain communities.”
Eleven short films by filmmakers from six different states were selected to screen at the festival. The documentaries range from four to 24 minutes in duration and explore both the joy and the pain of life in these mountains. Topics range from the seriousness of suicide and issues faced by trans youth, to the choreography of dance with snowboarding, being a radio DJ, and motocross racing. Mountain landscapes, music and art are woven through each film, allowing the beauty of the region to shine through.
Filmmaker and festival juror Anne Ward summarized the screening selections saying “I was so impressed with the quality of the work that was submitted. The films we selected offer a great representation of the visions and voices in the Appalachian region today.”
Photo of The Appalachian Theatre in Boone, NC