Screen scene: Local film news

COTTON STORIES: Claudia Stack’s 2017 documentary "Sharecrop" features oral histories from 10 people who were involved in the farming practice 1930-'60. Image courtesy of Stack Stories

• The Morganton Public Library, 204 S. King St., Morganton, screens Monty Python and the Holy Grail on Saturday, Jan. 13, at 1:30 p.m. Light refreshments will be served. Free. bcpls.org

Brevard High School, 609 N. Country Club Road, Brevard, hosts a screening of Sharecrop on Saturday, Jan. 13, 7-8:30 p.m. Claudia Stack’s 2017 documentary features oral histories from 10 people who were involved in sharecropping 1930-’60. The director will be in attendance to answer questions, as will local author John Snyder (Hill of Beans: Coming of Age in the Last Days of the Old South), whose recollections are featured in the “Appalachia” section of the film. Free. stackstories.com

• Designed to allow viewers to use film as their window into the minds and culture of Israel, the monthly Israeli Film Series — a collaboration between Grail Moviehouse, 45 S. French Broad Ave., and the Asheville Jewish Community Center — continues Sunday, Jan. 14, at 2 p.m., with Vice Versa. Amichai Greenberg‘s 2015 drama centers on the surprise relationship between a yeshiva student and a young, terminally ill woman that becomes an intimate and passionate love story, transcending the rules of religion, society and faith. A discussion will follow the film. Tickets are $7 and available online or at the Grail box office. grailmoviehouse.com

• The Black Cloud, 723 Haywood Road, teams with REVOLVE to host an evening of short films by the Quay Brothers on Monday, Jan. 15, 7-9 p.m. REVOLVE program director Colby Caldwell will introduce a series of shorts and related clips by the Philadelphia twins, who went on to become a significant influence on director Christopher Nolan and the band Tool. Pizza and popcorn will be provided. Free to attend. theblackcloudnc.com

Pack Memorial Library, 67 Haywood St., hosts a screening of Selma on Tuesday, Jan. 16, 4-6 p.m. Ava DuVernay’s 2014 film dramatizes the efforts of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (played by David Oyelowo) and fellow civil rights activists to secure equal voting rights by marching from the titular Alabama city to the state capital of Montgomery in 1965. Carmen Ejogo (Coretta Scott King), Tom Wilkinson (Lyndon B. Johnson) and Oprah Winfrey (Annie Lee Cooper) also star. Free. avl.mx/ff

• Local film historian Frank Thompson presents his book Asheville Movies Vol 1: The Silent Era on Wednesday, Jan. 17, 6-8 p.m. at Malaprop’s, 55 Haywood St. The introductory volume focuses on the production of films from the earliest days of the motion picture industry through the end of the silent era. Thompson’s presentation will include clips from films mentioned in the book. Free to attend. malaprops.com

• The Screen Artists Co-op, 2002 Riverside Drive, Suite 42-P, hosts an open house on Wednesday, Jan. 17, 6-9 p.m. Anyone interested in screen acting is invited to meet and talk with the SAC’s mentors and current students, who range from beginners to film acting veterans. Complimentary refreshments provided. Free. screenartistsco-op.com

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About Edwin Arnaudin
Edwin Arnaudin is a staff writer for Mountain Xpress. He also reviews films for ashevillemovies.com and is a member of the Southeastern Film Critics Association (SEFCA) and North Carolina Film Critics Association (NCFCA). Follow me @EdwinArnaudin

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