Celebrate the Bliss of
Asheville's Movies, Cinema and Film Festivals.
As you might suspect, Asheville is home to several unique movie theaters and cinema viewing venues... including dinner theatres, Asheville style... and a couple of film festivals... and some fabulous places to rent.
See also Movie Industry
for a look at Asheville's Movie Industry
Flat Rock Cinema
"Your neighborhood clean and family-friendly alternative to big box theaters, featuring local brew and guaranteed best concession prices. (Seriously, you don't have to sneak food and drinks in here.)..." Features cheap tickets... and even cheaper draft beer!
The Media Arts Project
"... cultivates innovative arts & technology in western North Carolina. The MAP provides exhibition programming, professional development, outreach, and education. We are driven by the belief that the media arts are integral to the vibrant cultural and economic life of the region...."
Sponsors varous events at local gallery, music and theater venues (BoBo Flood, Fine Arts, Orange Peel, etc.) to raise the public's consciousness.. some examples:
Underground filmmakers and their films
The possibilities and potential of various types of Electronic Media
THREE ASHEVILLE FILM FESTIVAL FILMS
RECEIVE ACADEMY NODS
ASHEVILLE FILM FESTIVAL,
NOVEMBER 6-9, 2008
Asheville, NC – Two feature films and a documentary showcased at the 5th Annual Asheville Film Festival this past November have been nominated for numerous awards by the Academy of Motion Pictures and Arts. “The Savages”, “The Diving Bell and the Butterfly”, and “War/Dance” have all been tapped for Oscars in various categories for 2007.
“The Savages” starring Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Oscar favorite, Laura Linney, received two nominations to include Best Actress for Linney and Best Original Screenplay for Tamara Johnson. The film is a beautifully written, compassionate story about family responsibility and was featured as the opening film at the 2007 Asheville Film Festival.
After premiering at the Cannes Film Festival and snagging the Best Director Award, followed by strong showings on the festival circuit, “The Diving Bell and the Butterfly’s” acclaimed director, Julian Schnabel has been nominated for an Academy Award for Best Director. The film also received nods for Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Cinematography. “The Diving Bell and the Butterfly” screened as the closing film at the Asheville Film Festival for a nearly sold-out crowd. The third film, “War/Dance”, received rave revues from festival attendees and snagged Best Documentary and Audience Favorite at the festival. Nominated for an Oscar for Best Documentary Feature, this film has gained immense momentum on the film festival circuit.
An estimated 8,000 people attended the 2007 Asheville Film Festival that drew considerable attention from both casual film buffs and film industry professionals.
The festival’s fifth year was noted for its acclaimed entries, Career Achievement Award honoree Tess Harper, and sensational galas.
The 6th annual Asheville Film Festival will be held November 6-9, 2008.
The Asheville Film Festival is produced by the Festivals Division of the City of Asheville Parks and Recreation in partnership with the Asheville Film Commission and the Asheville Film Festival Advisory Committee.
Twin Rivers Multimedia Festival
"... We accept media in the Animation/Graphic, Feature, Narrative, Drama/Short, Experimental/ Visual, Documentary,Commerial/Promotional, Outdoor and Soundtrack categories. Scriptwriting awards are announced in September of each year." The award winners will be shown at the Courtyard Gallery and other Asheville venues in May
The 48 Hour Film Project
"... will return to Asheville in 2008, probably around July. Filmmakers from all over the Asheville area will compete to see who can make the best short film in only 48 hours. The winning film will go up against films from around the world for the title 'Best 48 Hour Film of 2008'....."
48 Hour Film Project 2007 Asheville, NC - Team Blank Slate - Genre: Fantasy - "Three Doors"- Shot at Blue Ridge Motion Pictures utilizing 30 foot cranes and expansive sound stages. Written, shot, edited and scored in only 48 hours.
Award winning film (best use of prop) from 47th Hour Films, made for the 48 Hour Film Festival in Asheville, NC, 2005
Explore the Bliss of Asheville's and Western North Carolina's Movie Industry
Film Junkie's Guide to North Carolina "... For most of the last 20 years, North Carolina has ranked third in the nation, behind California and New York, in U.S. film production. North Carolina also boasts more production studios and sound stages than any state except California.
"The 160-plus entries in this travel guide are arranged geographically and include information about what movies and television series were filmed at each site. The guide also provides information about how to find the locations. The reader will especially enjoy the "Star Tracks" sections, which provide gossipy tidbits about where stars ate and stayed while making their films.
"Whether it's Annie Savoy's (Susan Sarandon's) house in Bull Durham, the apartment building where Blue Lady Dorothy Vallens (Isabella Rossellini) lived in Blue Velvet, or the outflow dam where Dr. Richard Kimball (Harrison Ford) escaped from United States marshal Sam Gerard (Tommy Lee Jones) in The Fugitive, this combination travel guide and film history can provide all the details needed to satisfy the most discerning film buff's lust for trivia."
Cinematic Wilmington : Making Movies on the Cape Fear Coast
"...a fascinating collection of interviews and recollections by a wide variety of local industry insiders, visiting actors, celebrities, filmmakers..." Deb Daniel, Reel Carolina Journal of Film and Video
"From first to last it makes fascinating reading, as ... skilled professionals recount how they fell into the business..." Nicki Leone, Encore Magazine
Dinner and a Movie...
Asheville's Most Interesting -- And Most Inexpensive -- Movie Venue
Combine $3 movies with great pizzas ("voted best pizza 7 years in a row", salads and sandwiches (1/2 pound Angus burger, spinach burger, quesadillas) which you can eat while watching the movie... and you have a winning combo. Not to mention $1 popcorn! They also have a small but very tasty luncheon buffet from 12 to 3... pizza, spring mix salad, desert.
Cinebarre
"... is a unique movie theater and restaurant concept serving food, beer and wine before and during the screening of popular first-run films, specialty programming and celebrity events. The menu contains top quality foods, including a selection of fresh handmade pizzas, burgers, and homemade desserts along with a connoisseur´s selection of beer and wine....."
"... has the largest and most diverse collection of films in Western North Carolina. Along with new arrivals, Rosebud Video specializes in documentaries, independent, foreign, classic, and GLBT films....Rosebud Video’s shelves hold films from Iraq, Taiwan, Tibet, Croatia and Ecuador, to name a few of the countries represented. The store has sections for film festival winners, the top 100 American films chosen by the American Film Institute and films listed by the names of their directors.... A display of movies made or set in Western North Carolina holds a place of prominence."
“Asheville is celebrated for its diversity, so it should have a diverse video store,” said Chip Kaufmann, president of the Hendersonville Film Society. “Rosebud is a store that stocks much more than just ordinary films.”
Armstrong said the store carries every Academy Award-winning film going back to 1928. “A few of our customers are making their way through all of them.”
Berger said the business focuses on satisfying customers. “People are definitely into film here. We’ve been so surprised by the young people who come in and ask for esoteric independent films.”
Amstrong described Rosebud as “a neighborhood store, even though we have film buffs coming here from all over the area. Our customers like to browse the films, run into neighbors and friends, discuss current events and political ideas — and share favorite movies.”
“We really pride ourselves on being extremely customer-friendly,” Armstrong added. “We’ll do whatever we need to do to make sure our customers have what they need.”
Located at 197 Charlotte Street near downtown Asheville
Discover the Bliss of Independent Movie Making through These Books
Rebel without a Crew: Or How a 23-Year-Old Filmmaker With $7,000 Became a Hollywood Player "... Not because he's a great writer or director, but because with every single project he makes me feel like I can DO this. I can make good movies that people will enjoy watching. And you can, too. This is one of the most inspiring books on filmmaking I've ever read--it depicts, in detail, all the ups and downs that went into making and selling EL MARIACHI, the $7000 sensation that opened doors for Rodriguez...."
".. The book details the hugh support network Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino had in putting out their "Grindhouse" experience. There are tons of interviews and many full page pictures detailing how certain things were accomplished in the back to back movies, "Planet Terror" and "Death Proof." Tarantino has a great introduction to the grindhouse movie theaters (drive ins were mentioned as well) experiences in the 70s and early 80s..."
"... This is more than a great book--it's a public service. The authors share insights from their decades of legal and entertainment production experience, in essence offering thousands of dollars of free legal advice to aspiring independent producers. Beyond offering a roadmap of business- planning steps, the book includes templates of numerous legal forms that an independent producer might need. Meanwhile, in clear and artful prose, they alternate between You're-Not-God straight talk and You-Can-Do-It encouragement..."
"Concise and complete, book is a how-to, how-not-to, where-to-find, where-to-go and what-to-do on filmmaking. A must for novices." - Variety
"A "must-have" for anyone seriously considering producing a film for the first time..." - Bookwatch
"...practical, accessible and essential reference for novice filmmakers, and is highly recommended resource for even the more experienced movie producer." - Bookwatch
