Screen scene: Local film news

CRATCHIT COMFORTS: Pack Memorial Library gets into the holiday season with a free screening of "The Muppet Christmas Carol" on Dec. 15, complete with complimentary popcorn and beverages. Photo courtesy of Walt Disney Pictures

The BLOCK Off Biltmore, 39 S. Market St., hosts a screening of We the People 2.0 on Thursday, Dec. 13, 5-7 p.m. Directed by Leila Conners (The 11th Hour) and narrated by Walton Goggins, the 2017 documentary chronicles the work of the Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund to counter corporate interference in the U.S. government. Free. theblockoffbiltmore.com

Pack Memorial Library, 67 Haywood St., screens The Muppet Christmas Carol on Saturday, Dec. 15, at 1:30 p.m. Complimentary popcorn and beverages will be provided. Free. avl.mx/5fu

Pisgah Film Project hosts screenings of Free Solo on Sunday, Dec. 16, at The DFR Room, 36 E. Main St., Brevard. The documentary by Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi chronicles climber Alex Honnold’s journey to scale the face of the 3,200-foot El Capitan in Yosemite National Park without a rope. Showtimes are at 1, 4 and 7 p.m. Tickets are $8 and available online and at the door. pisgahfilmproject.com

Morgan’s Comics, 600 Haywood Road, hosts a Nerd Expedition to see Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse on Sunday, Dec. 16. Attendees interested in carpooling are invited to meet at the shop before 6:45 p.m. Vehicles will depart for the 7:30 p.m. screening at the Carolina Cinemark, 1640 Hendersonville Road, and unite with other participants at the theater. Afterward, there will be a pizza gathering back at Morgan’s Comics to discuss the film. Advanced tickets are available onlinemorganscomics.com

The Orange Peel, 101 Biltmore Ave., presents a screening of Elf on Monday, Dec. 17, at 7 p.m. Popcorn, candy and beverages will be available to purchase. Free to attend. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., and attendees are encouraged to arrive early. theorangepeel.net

• Registration is open for a pair of three-day youth winter break courses (Wednesday, Dec. 19-Friday, Dec. 21 **Changed to Monday, Dec. 31-Wednesday, Jan. 2**) at Asheville School of Film, 45 S. French Broad Ave., Suite 120. Crew Positions and Careers, 9 a.m.-noon, explores the numerous behind-the-scenes jobs available on film sets and how to get started in the industry. Green Screen Fun(damentals), 1-4 p.m., will cover all the necessary steps to achieve believable green screen special effects on a budget. Both classes are intended for students ages 13-19, and all equipment and supplies are provided. Each course costs $150, or both for $250. ashevilleschooloffilm.com

• Submissions are being accepted for the eighth annual 90-Second Newbery Film Festival. The celebration of kids’ creativity involves young filmmakers making short movies that tell the entire story of a Newbery Medal or Honor book in roughly a minute and a half. The online submission deadline is Jan. 11. A date and location for the annual Asheville edition of the festival have yet to be determined. 90secondnewbery.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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