Screen scene: Local film news

• The inaugural Montreat Film Festival is accepting submissions from local filmmakers through Monday, April 6. Entries must be shorter than eight minutes in length and reflect this year’s theme of hope. According to Montreat College’s website, the festival’s goal is “to highlight stories that honestly express and explore the human condition through the power of […]

Red Grant headlines Funny “R” Us show at Winter Xscape

The Washington, D.C.-born, California-based comedian has never skied, snowboarded or been snow tubing. But after he headlines the Funny “R” Us comedy show on Friday, Jan. 30, at the Crowne Plaza Resort Expo Center — part of the annual Winter Xscape — he “might just slide down the hill on my coat like I used to do when I was a kid.”

Asheville Fringe Arts Festival attracts homegrown and internatio­nal talent

For its past two appearances at the Asheville Fringe Arts Festival, local avant-garde theater company Anam Cara presented original pieces created by an ensemble. For 2015, its players are trying something slightly more traditional while still keeping with the Jan. 22-25 event’s focus on cross-genre collaboration and innovative performances. “The goal of Fringe is to […]

Off-Broadway in Asheville: New restaurant­s, bars and nightclubs revitalize downtown’s east side

Check out the quiet side of downtown Asheville, say the restaurateurs and bar owners who inhabit the block of College, North Market, East Walnut and North Spruce Streets. Dubbing the area the “East Village,” the owners of Korean House, Twisted Laurel, Off the Wagon and others want everyone to know that they offer a globetrotting variety of […]

Prolific producer Chris Rosser takes time for first solo album in eight years

When eight years passes between a musician’s albums, it’s natural to wonder what he’s been up to during that time. For Asheville songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Chris Rosser, however, it’s almost easier to diagram what he hasn’t been doing. On top of steady solo gigs and collaborations, Rosser has stayed busy with percussionist River Guerguerian and […]

Real Food Living and WNC Artisan Foods join the buyers club scene

Two local buyers clubs have launched in the Asheville metro area with an eye to helping small businesses, families and individuals. For both, the initiatives are about community building. For over 20 years, Vickilynn Haycraft has ordered quality bulk and natural foods from Azure Standard, a Dufur, Ore.-based company that gives her an alternative to traditional grocery […]