Screen scene: Local film news

RETURN OF THE SHORTS: The Australian film "Lacrimosa" is one of nine finalists in the Manhattan Short Film Festival. The program will screen Sept. 29, Oct. 2 and Oct. 6 at Pack Memorial Library. Photo courtesy of the Manhattan Short Film Festival

Asheville Socialists present a screening of Pride on Wednesday, Sept. 26, at 6 p.m. in Room 103 of Rhoades Robinson Hall on the campus of UNC Asheville, 1 University Heights. Refreshments will be provided, and pizza will be ordered during the movie. Free to attend. facebook.com/AshevilleISO

• The Manhattan Short Film Festival returns to Pack Memorial Library, 67 Haywood St., for three screenings. The 2018 contest received 1,565 entries from 73 countries, from which nine finalists were chosen. In late September and early October, these short films will be shown in more than 300 cities on six continents and will also be eligible for Oscar nominations.

The Asheville screenings take place Saturday, Sept. 29, 1-3:30 p.m.; Tuesday, Oct. 2, 5-7:30 p.m.; and Saturday, Oct. 6, 1-3:30 p.m. Free tickets, limited to two per person, are available at the library’s front desk on a first-come, first-served basis. The program lasts roughly 150 minutes, and some films contain adult content. Attendees will be given a ballot to vote for the best short films and performer at the conclusion of the show. Votes will be tallied at the Manhattan Short headquarters in New York City, and the winners will be announced on Monday, Oct. 8. manhattanshort.com

Indiana Jones and the Temple Of Doom is the next selection in the Late Night Outdoor Cinema series at The Blind Pig, 68 N. Lexington Ave. The event takes place Sunday, Sept. 30, at 9:30 p.m., and features a late-night menu — inspired by the film — by Chef Ryan Kline of Zambra. Food is available for purchase, and complimentary popcorn will be provided. Free to attend. theblindpigsupperclub.com

Ambrose West, 312 Haywood Road, hosts a screening of Hemp Road Trip on Monday, Oct. 1, at 7 p.m. The documentary follows hemp activist Rick Trojan as he meets with senators, farmers, lawyers, activists and business owners who share a common interest in the plant and its numerous uses. Tickets are $10 and available online. ambrosewest.com

• On Thursday, Oct. 4, 7-9 p.m., the Astronomy Club of Asheville hosts filmmaker Stephen van Vuuren for its monthly indoor meeting in the Manheimer Room at UNCA’s Reuter Center, 1 Campus View Road. The guest speaker will discuss the making of In Saturn’s Rings, a film that creates a fly-through of the universe using 5.5 million images from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey and a dozen massive Hubble galactic mosaics. Narrated by LeVar Burton, the film uses no computer-generated images, instead employing multiplane photo animation created solely in Adobe After Effects with image processing by more than 50 volunteers in Adobe Photoshop, GIMP and custom Java/ImageJ programming tools. Free. astroasheville.org

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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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