Asheville Film Festival information

Information and Ticket Box Office

(828) 257-4500

The Film Festival Information Center and Ticket Box Office is located in the Pack Place Education, Arts & Science Center. Located in Pack Square in the heart of downtown Asheville, the box office will be open Thursday 10 a.m.-10 p.m., Friday 10 a.m.-10:30 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m.-10:30 p.m., and Sunday 10 a.m.-4 p.m. All tickets will be sold through the Pack Place Box Office. Screening tickets are $6 in advance and $7 during the film festival weekend.

Tickets

To purchase tickets for individual screenings during the festival, please purchase them at the Pack Place Box Office. You must be present 20 minutes before the starting time of a film in order to purchase tickets.

• Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. You must arrive 15 minutes before the screening begins. Please do not leave empty seats in the middle of a row.

• Empty seats will be forfeited five minutes prior to each program. No late seating is allowed.

• Each venue must be cleared after each show. Saving seats between shows is not permitted.

• No children under the age of 6 will be admitted.

• Please be aware that many films may not be suitable for those under the age of 18. Parental discretion is advised.

• Cameras and recording devices are not permitted. Please silence cellular phones and pagers.

Individual Pass – $6 advance, $7 during festival

Includes one screening time.

Cinematic Six-Pack – $30

Includes six screening times. Must select films at time of purchase.

Reel Deal – $50

Includes 10 screening times. Must select films at time of purchase.

Premiere Night – $65

The Squid and the Whale, Thursday, Oct. 27; Diana Wortham Theatre presented by Sonopress in Pack Place at 6:30 p.m.; gala follos immediately after film. For film information, please see feature listings.

An Evening with Ken Russell presented by Turner Road Vineyards – $20

Friday, Oct. 28, 6:30 p.m. at the Diana Wortham Theatre presented by Sonopress; 30th anniversary showing of Tommy; cocktail party after the film. For film information, please see listings in Ken Russell Perspectives.

Spotlight Celebration Awards Dinner presented by The Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa – $100

Saturday, Oct. 29, 6:30 p.m. at The Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa. Wine and beer included with cocktail hour and dinner. Cash bar to follow.

Closing Night Film & Reception – $20

Sunday, Oct. 30, 6 p.m. at the Diana Wortham Theatre presented by Sonopress; Good Night and Good Luck. For film information, please see feature listings.

Packages

Platinum Package – $250

Enjoy it all! Includes 10 films (must select films at time of purchase); Premiere Night; An Evening with Ken Russell presented by Turner Road Vineyards, screening and cocktail party; Spotlight Celebration Awards Dinner presented by The Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa; and Closing Night Film and Reception.

Party Package – $200

Includes all parties: Premiere Night; An Evening with Ken Russell presented by Turner Road Vineyards, screening and cocktail party; Spotlight Celebration Awards Dinner presented by The Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa; and Closing Night Film and reception.

Celebrity Seating – $1,000

One reserved table for eight people at the Spotlight Celebration Awards Dinner presented by The Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa on Saturday, Oct. 29 at 6:30 p.m.

Venues

Pack Place Education, Arts & Science Center
The Forum at Pack Place

2 S. Pack Square, across from the fountain

The nonprofit Pack Place Education, Arts & Science Center is strategically set in the heart of beautiful downtown Asheville. This bustling complex includes the Asheville Art Museum, Colburn Earth Science Museum, Diana Wortham Theatre, The Health Adventure and the YMI Cultural Center. An Asheville landmark, Pack Place offers meeting rooms and creative spaces for hosting special events. Surrounded by the scenic beauty of Western North Carolina’s mountains and featuring unique museum shops, Pack Place is a short stroll from many galleries, restaurants and other amenities. The Forum, located in Pack Place, will host films all weekend.

Diana Wortham Theatre at Pack Place

Inside Pack Place across from the Pack Square fountain

The Diana Wortham Theatre at Pack Place boasts exceptional acoustics and sightlines, making it the premier performance space in all of Western North Carolina. It is within walking distance of many shops and restaurants.

Seats 500

The Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa

290 Macon Avenue

Opened in 1913, The Grove Park Inn was the vision of E.W. Grove, a fiery entrepreneur who made his fortune creating turn-of-the-century medical wonders such as Grove’s Tasteless Chill Tonic. Having moved to Asheville from St. Louis, Grove found himself with a pretty parcel of land atop Sunset Mountain. It was here he crafted his landmark inn. Grove saw his creation as an idyllic retreat from the world’s hustle and bustle. He declared that his inn was “built not for the present alone, but for the admiration of generations yet unborn.” The resort features 510 rooms (including 12 suites), three restaurants, a 40,000-square-foot spa, an extensive sports complex, and an 18-hole golf course.

Fine Arts Theatre, lower and upper theaters

38 Biltmore Avenue

Located in the heart of Asheville’s arts and entertainment district, the Fine Arts Theatre has two screening rooms offering state-of-the-art sound and projection. The recently renovated Art Deco theater provides a stylish retro backdrop for first-run art and independent films. With matinees, evening and weekend late shows, you can always fit a visit to the Fine Arts Theatre into your day. Call (828) 232-1536 for current shows and times, or visit their Web site (www.fineartstheatre.com).

Lower theater seats 175; upper theater seats 75

Asheville Community Theatre

35 E. Walnut Street

Asheville Community Theatre’s long history of artistic excellence continues as it strides into the new millennium. Voted “Best Theater Group in Western North Carolina” many times by readers of both the Asheville Citizen-Times and Mountain Xpress, ACT remains an institution committed to providing quality entertainment at a reasonable price. Although it’s best known for large-scale musicals, ACT also offers classic comedies and dramas, contemporary pieces and children’s theater productions in its Mainstage auditorium. For more information, call (828) 254-1320 and see what’s playing while you’re in town. (www.ashevilletheatre.org)

Seats 399

The Ritz Building

42 S. Market Street

The New Ritz building was built in 1926 and originally housed the Black Masonic Temple. Since that time, the building has been used for various purposes, including fraternal organization meetings, housing, a restaurant and performances. The building is on the National Register of Historic Districts in Downtown Asheville. The Block, the neighborhood in which the building is located, has been the focus of African-American commerce and culture for more than a hundred years. The Ritz is a must experience in Asheville. Discover South Market Street and visit The Ritz Building.

Events

Premiere Night Film & Gala

Thursday, 6:30 p.m. • 65 per person
Diana Wortham Theatre presented by Sonopress, in Pack Place

The film The Squid and the Whale will kick-off the 2005 festival. Following the film, attendees will adjourn to the lobby of Pack Place for spectacular food, cocktails and festivities. For more information on The Squid and the Whale, see the film listings.

An Evening with Ken Russell presented by Turner Road Vineyards – film screening of Tommy & cocktail party

Friday, 6:30 p.m. • $20 per person
Diana Wortham Theatre presented by Sonopress, in Pack Place

“Your senses will never be the same,” ran the ad campaign for Tommy, promoting its release 30 years ago. Tommy was and still is more than just a movie. Besides offering a delightful cinematic assault on the senses to movie-goers of the mid-’70s, the movie showcased director Ken Russell’s fresh approaches to filmmaking, which, among other innovations, presaged music videos and helped ignite the MTV era. Starting with a dim view of modern times, the story ultimately gives way to a hopeful belief in redemption, even universal salvation. For more on the movie, see the Ken Russell movie synopses.

Spotlight Celebration Awards Dinner presented by The Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa

Saturday, 6:30 p.m. • $100 per person
Grand Ballroom, The Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa

Enjoy a fine dinner and an exciting awards ceremony celebration. Ken Russell will be the recipient of the 2005 Lifetime Achievement Award. Beer and wine included with dinner. Cash Bar to follow.

Closing Night Film and Reception

Sunday, 6 p.m. • $20 per person
Diana Wortham Theatre presented by Sonopress

The festival will end on a heroic note with a showing of Good Night, and Good Luck, followed by a reception with cocktails and appetizers. For more information on Good Night, and Good Luck, please see film listings.

Rank Strangers Photo Gallery

All weekend long, Front Gallery • Free
Pack Place

Rank Strangers, a documentary work in progress will feature 88-year-old Mrs. Nina Hyatt and her guests, interweaving live musical performances with intimate photographic portraits.

The Art of Black Film Posters: The Vintage Years

All weekend long • Free
YMI Cultural Center

North Carolina Films

Friday, 6:30-8:15 p.m. and Friday, 8:45-10:15 p.m.
The Forum at Pack Place

Enjoy two screenings of exclusively made North Carolina films.